South Africa: President Ramaphosa to participate in SADC summit President Cyril Ramaphosa will participate in the 41st Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Lilongwe, Malawi, on 17 and 18 August 2021. As host of the summit, the Republic of Malawi will assume the Chair of SADC from the Republic of Mozambique. The summit will be held under the theme, Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable, Economic and Industrial Transformation. On Monday, President Ramaphosa will present a report on the facilitation process in the Kingdom of Lesotho to the SADC Troika Summit of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. The Republic of Botswana will, as Outgoing Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, present a progress report on the status of regional peace and security, the Presidency said in a statement. Botswana will also hand over Chairship of the Organ to South Africa. The Presidency said at the 41st SADC Summit, Heads of State and Government leaders will deliberate on developments related to SADCs priority areas such as peace and security, and the implementation of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030. The summit will also examine the performance of SADC institutions and review the overall implementation of SADC socio-economic programmes, with particular focus on the COVID-19 pandemic response in the region, the Presidency said. The SADC summit will be the last to be facilitated by Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax as the Executive Secretary of SADC, following the end of her two-term mandate. A new SADC Executive Secretary will be announced at the Malawi summit. President Ramaphosa will be supported by the Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor, and Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise. In preparation for the summit, the SADC Council of Ministers sat on 13 and 14 August. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: President commends transparency of Zondo Commission President Cyril Ramaphosa says allowing South Africans to follow the Zondo Commission proceedings has helped to instil public confidence in the countrys democracy by promoting openness and transparency. The country owes a debt of gratitude to all who were involved in the work of the commission, from those who investigated, researched and compiled a huge amount of information, to the many witnesses who testified and provided evidence, to the journalists who diligently reported on the proceedings, to the lawyers who helped present evidence. We also owe a debt of gratitude to the many individuals, some of whom remain unknown, whose actions led to the establishment of the commission in the first place. These are the people who unearthed these alleged criminal acts, who resisted, who spoke out and who took up campaigns both public and behind the scenes to end State capture. It is thanks to them that we now speak of State capture in the past tense, President Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter. The President last week Wednesday and Thursday appeared before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and Corruption (presided over by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo) in his capacity as the President and former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa. The Presidents appearance before the Commission follows an undertaking he made in 2018 to provide the commission with any information and assistance it may seek in the fulfilment of its mandate. President Ramaphosa said State capture did not end of its own accord but was brought to an end by the concerted actions of South Africans from all walks of life, working in various areas to restore the values of the countrys constitutional democracy. It is up to all of us to ensure that these practices are never allowed to happen again. Over the past three years, we have taken several important steps to tackle corruption and State capture. We have been painstakingly rebuilding bodies like the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and others. We have set up new structures, like the Investigating Directorate in the NPA, to prosecute high-level corruption and the SIU Special Tribunal to recover stolen public funds. We have improved our crime-fighting capacity through the establishment of the Fusion Centre, which brings together various law enforcement agencies to share information and coordinate the investigation and prosecution of crime, President Ramaphosa said. He said government has changed leadership at several strategic State-owned enterprises and has begun the process of restoring these SEOs to financial and operational health. Government is working towards a new SOE model that promotes greater transparency, accountability and sustainability. Much of this work is ongoing. There are areas where progress has been far slower than we would have hoped, and these are now receiving closer attention, the President said. He said government has acted swiftly to stop corruption and to identify those responsible and to take action against them. We tightened up Treasury regulations, established the Fusion Centre and gave the Special Investigating Unit a wide-ranging mandate to investigate all COVID-related corruption allegations. In a first for the country, we also published online the details of all COVID procurement contracts across all public entities. The damage done to our country by State capture is deep. Its effects will be felt for many years to come. But, working together, we have started to put things right. We have started to rebuild and restore. We can expect that the outcomes of the Zondo Commission will immeasurably strengthen these efforts. They will give us an opportunity to make a decisive and lasting break with the State capture era, President Ramaphosa said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Government provides shelter for GBV victims In an effort to respond to Gender Based Violence (GBV), the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has so far made 12 properties available for shelters for GBV victims. In a statement on Sunday, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille said six of these shelters are in Gauteng and six are in the Western Cape. The department is currently working with officials in the Department of Social Development to identify and allocate more properties for shelters in all provinces. As we commemorate Womens Month, we must be mindful of the great amount of work still ahead of us to truly realise freedom and equality for women, the Minister said. In February this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Response Fund1, which is being led by the private sector with R128 million pledged by companies and organised business to fight this scourge. The GBVF Response Fund1 is part of a national response to gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa. The GBVF Response Fund was established to allocate financial support to various programmes under the National Strategic Plan to address GBVF such as prevention and rebuilding social cohesion, justice, and protection and safety measures. During the joint sitting in the National Assembly on the 18 September 2019, the Minister made a commitment that the DPWI would use state-owned properties to install anti-GBVF messaging as a campaign to show governments solidarity with communities and families who have been affected by this scourge and to demonstrate government efforts in the fight against GBVF. The anti-GBVF messaging campaign has already started with the first billboard which was placed along Kgosi Mampuru Road in Tshwane and a mural at Manenberg Police Station in Cape Town. DPWI is working to expand this GBVF advocacy communication campaign to all provinces. The billboards also publicises the number of the GBV command centre where communities and victims of GBV can get help to ensure that we save more lives and put an end to this scourge. My appeal to families and community members is to also work with us and help victims by supporting them and helping them to report abuse as this can save a victims life. Too often people are afraid to speak out for fear of tarnishing the familys name but the lives of our women and children is worth more and we must do all we can to protect them and bring those who hurt women to book. We must break the silence and stop protecting perpetrators. There must be a firm hand in how we deal with these cases so that we stamp out GBVF and show women that as a whole society, we stand with them and we are all here to protect them, the Minister said. CEO of the GBVF Response Fund1, Lindi Dlamini, said the constitutional ideals of a democratic and free South Africa cannot be said to have been achieved if women and children are not living free of fear. We cannot be the generation that won freedom, standing on the shoulders of our forebears, and did not use that as a springboard to create an even better future for the next generation. Propelled by that goal, the GBVF Response Fund1 will work tirelessly to support the implementation of initiatives and programmes aimed at the effective elimination of GBVF which is such a stain on our young democracy, Dlamini said. The GBVF Response Fund 1 has committed to work towards a civilised and liberated South Africa, guided by the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for GBVF. The purpose of the NSP is to provide a multi-sectoral, coherent strategic policy and programming framework to strengthen a coordinated national response to the crisis of GBVF by the government of South Africa and the country as a whole. It is that purpose that guides the Fund to reach across sectors for their financial and non-financial contribution to fight against the GBVF scourge. We thank Minister Patricia de Lille for honouring her commitment. We commit to work with her, other sectors of government, business and civil society, to find solutions that will help in the eradication of GBVF and restoration of human dignity for all, Dlamini said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Lawyers should remain professional Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng The pandemic has dealt a hard blow to the economies of many countries and regions including the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, all of which have experienced a decline in their gross domestic product. Nevertheless, China has been bucking the global trend with a sustainable economic growth, including increases in the exports of merchandise, goods and services and maintaining a stable unemployment rate. Hong Kongs economy, irrespective of outbound investment by Mainland enterprises or overseas investment into the Mainland through Hong Kong, is closely linked with China. The capitalist system under the one country, two systems is supported by the common law with our legal sector playing an important role in upholding the rule of law and maintaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. Given that the business development of legal profession is closely related to that of the country, it is necessary for legal bodies to communicate with the Mainland authorities on behalf of Hong Kongs legal sector in a bid to promote our legal services and explore new markets. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a key development strategy of the country. Enterprises in the bay area have been benefitting from the economic growth, resulting in an upsurge in investments and transactions, as well as the demand for legal and dispute resolution services. Being the only common law jurisdiction in China, Hong Kongs legal and dispute resolution sector should leverage the unique advantage under one country, two systems and three jurisdictions in the bay area and integrate into the overall development of our country. With the support of the central government, a number of initiatives in the bay area have been gradually implemented. The GBA Legal Professional Examination was held successfully. It will bring tremendous opportunities in the bay area to Hong Kongs legal sector. Mainland lawyers and Hong Kong legal practitioners who have obtained practice qualifications in the bay area may join hands and complement each other to provide the bay area enterprises with both Hong Kong and Mainland legal services and safeguards, leading to a win-win situation which is the best embodiment of the mutually beneficial relationship. In addition, the Department of Justice has rolled out a number of measures with the Mainland to explore markets for the legal sector. These include the co-operation mechanism on cross-boundary insolvency and debt restructuring between the Mainland and Hong Kong, the arbitration interim measures arrangement, the setting up of the Greater Bay Area Mediation Platform, the removal of the minimum capital injection ratio by Hong Kong partner firms in partnership associations, and the relaxation of the requirements for Hong Kong legal practitioners to be retained as legal consultants by Mainland law firms, etc. The introduction and continuous implementation of these measures for our legal profession are attributed to the upholding of the one country, two systems principle and strong support for Hong Kong by the central government. During my visit to Beijing last month, I called on a number of Mainland ministries. The officials have shown their clear support for the implementation of one country, two systems in Hong Kong. Under the one country, two systems principle, Hong Kongs capitalist system, which has been working smoothly, is supported not only by our common law system that provides a certain and predictable legal framework, but also a stable environment for investors. So long as we all genuinely adhere to the principle of one country, respect and fully implement one country, two systems, and stay true to the original aspiration of the Basic Law - safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, maintaining Hong Kongs prosperity and stability, I have full confidence that the common law will continue to apply in Hong Kong. On this, the Hong Kong legal sector has a significant role to play. We should also stay vigilant against the dissemination of corrupted ideology through different channels by anti-China disruptors who attempt to undermine the stable development of Hong Kong. I have signed four arrangements in Beijing, fostering the legal exchanges between the two places and further promoting our legal, dispute resolution and dealmaking services. In order to seize the opportunities and benefit from these measures, the legal sector has to move in the right direction whilst reinforcing its strength. We should also continue to discharge our functions as a lawyer in a professional and objective manner, contributing to the rule of law in Hong Kong and the motherland. Recently, I am aware of views that legal bodies are neither political parties nor political organisations and should therefore strive to maintain their professionalism rather than politicisation. I fully agree. Our legal professionals should use their expertise to uphold the rule of law and promote legal services, maintaining professionalism as expected by the legal industry and the community; continue to adopt the self-regulatory regime in the areas of profession and practice; enable members of the legal sector to capitalise on their legal talent, thereby broadening the scope of service and welcoming a brighter and better future. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on August 16. This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Committee welcomes suspension of Gender Commissioner Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Chairperson Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba, has commended the Commission for Gender Equality's (CGE) decision to place Commissioner Mbuyiselo Botha on precautionary suspension after his verbal attack on fellow commissioners. In a recording, which was doing the rounds in the media, Botha is heard objectifying and demeaning the CGE Chairperson Tamara Mathebula, her Deputy Nthabiseng Moleko and two other Commissioners, Nomasonto Mazibuko and Advocate Nthabiseng Sepanya Mogale. In a sound clip Botha is heard calling Mazibuko an albino and accuses Mathebula of lacking a backbone. Ncube-Ndaba said referring to someone as an albino is an unacceptable derogatory characterisation of South Africans who experience disabilities. Furthermore, it is a shocking gross discrimination that belongs to the dark era of apartheid, Ncube-Ndaba said. Last week, the commission appeared before the committee on among other things, the CGEs response to Commissioner Bothas matter and the key operational matters of concern. The CGE reported that Botha will appear before a disciplinary hearing that the CGE has instituted. Ncube-Ndaba said the suspension of Commissioner Botha and his appearance before a disciplinary committee for a hearing is befitting and justifiable for the gross and shocking discrimination heard in the recording. We are looking forward, as the committee to the outcome of the internal disciplinary hearing and wish it to proceed well, Ncube-Ndaba said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Progress made in replacing pit toilets in schools The Department of Basic Education (DBE), together with provincial education departments, says great strides have been made in replacing pit latrines with appropriate sanitation facilities for schools in the country. Through the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Initiative, which was launched in August 2018 to accelerate the provision of sanitation facilities in the identified schools, the current scope of work is 2 753 schools. The original number of schools which was reported by the provincial departments of education as schools dependent on basic pit toilets was 3 898. There were several changes to the list since the start of the programme, mostly due to rationalisation of schools and site assessments that confirmed appropriate sanitation, the department said. The current scope of work implemented includes: A total of 989 schools are addressed under other programmes: - 130 of the schools are covered through donations and partnerships, of which 69 projects have already progressed to practical completion - 66 of the schools are covered under the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) programme, all of which have already progressed to practical completion - 793 of the schools are covered under the Provincial Education, Infrastructure Grant (EIG) programme of which 384 projects have already progressed to practical completion A total of 1 026 schools have been allocated to implementing agents: - 392 of the schools were allocated to the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), of which 189 projects have already progressed to practical completion - 659 schools were allocated to the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT), of which 12 projects have already progressed to practical completion - 632 schools were allocated to The Mvula Trust (TMT), of which 183 projects have already progressed to practical completion - 81 of the schools were recently allocated to the Coega Development Corporation The provincial distribution of these projects are as follows: Eastern Cape: A total of 1 098 schools, of which 178 projects have already progressed to practical completion; Free State: A total of 122 schools, of which 75 projects have already progressed to practical completion; KwaZulu Natal: A total of 974 schools, of which 379 projects have already progressed to practical completion; Limpopo: A total of 387 schools, of which 118 projects have already progressed to practical completion; Mpumalanga: A total of 117 schools, of which 116 projects have already progressed to practical completion; and North West: A total of 55 schools, of which 37 projects have already progressed to practical completion. Basic Education Director-General, Mathanzima Mweli, said the department has since stepped up the monitoring of the projects to ensure they are completed on time, to specifications and on budget. Mweli has visited more than 500 construction sites since March 2021 to accelerate the delivery of the much-needed infrastructure. The monitoring function has assisted the department in unblocking challenges and resolving issues that delayed the building process. The SAFE Initiative is a flagship programme and I have resolved that I will carry out the monitoring function until the last school has a proper toilet. The monitoring has pushed our performance up and we are sure to hit our target even before the end of the current financial year, Mweli said. The Director-General also holds weekly update meetings with the chief executive officers of the implementing agents. Mweli said the department reports regularly to the Presidency on the work done to replace pit toilets with proper facilities, and will continue to do so until the pit latrines have been eradicated in all the schools. We have improved the standard of reporting and the progress is satisfactory. Underperforming implementing agents have been warned that there will be consequences for poor delivery, the Director-General said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: SAMA condemns healthcare workers discouraging patients from getting vaccinated The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has expressed its dismay at reports that some healthcare workers, including doctors, have discouraged patients from getting COVID-19 vaccinations, based on doubts about the vaccines safety and effectiveness. SAMA Chairperson, Dr Angelique Coetzee, said the organisation wholly rejects any doubts about the COVID-19 vaccine. There is high confidence among the scientific and medical community about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines being rolled-out in South Africa, and they have also undergone safety and efficacy tests by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. These are overwhelming endorsements of the vaccines, and there should be no doubt that every citizen must get them, Dr Coetzee said. Dr Coetzee said the medical fraternity must be united in its commitment to ensure wider access to the vaccines. This, she said, must be based on spreading accurate, evidence-based information, dispelling any misinformation and overcoming vaccine hesitancy, which threatens the goal of achieving optimal vaccine coverage. Dr Coetzee said the vaccine hesitancy arises from a combination of ignorance, misinformation, conspiracy theories, doubt of scientific evidence, concerns relating to medical histories, and cultural, religious and philosophical beliefs. Vaccine hesitancy, however, should be condemned, and so should those who fuel it, particularly doctors who should know better. We share concerns with global and local scientists and I use that term purposefully that unfounded objections to COVID-19 vaccines deepen the public health crisis caused by the pandemic. Vaccines represent significant public health innovations The chairperson noted that the societal benefits of vaccines have historically been proven over and over again, and that vaccines represent one of the most significant public health innovations to date which have altered the trajectory of human health. It's important that South Africans realise the value of vaccines and that the countrys vaccine rate rapidly increases from its current low of only six percent of the population. For this reason, SAMA will continue to urge for greater global vaccine equity and continue to challenge intellectual and property restrictions which are impeding access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines, she said. She further noted that significant strides have been made by prioritising healthcare workers for vaccines, and that the government should be commended for this action. Share science-based data, not personal views Dr Coetzee emphasised that healthcare workers, especially doctors, who have not yet been vaccinated must take the opportunity to do so not only for their own health, but also because of an ethical responsibility to do no harm. We have an obligation to protect our patients from COVID-19 and this includes encouraging vaccination. Encouraging vaccinations means, as medical doctors, we must impart accurate, science-based data, not personal views. This is the only way we afford patients the right to informed consent, Dr Coetzee said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Elevating women in the workplace As South Africa commemorates Womens Month, National Treasury Head of Communications, Cleo Mosana, has emphasized the importance of women supporting and elevating each other in the work place. You must be able to spot talent and be intentional about what you do. When you go up, take somebody with you. In my team, I throw people in the deep end of the sea because I want them to build that confidence, Mosana said on Monday. She was addressing a virtual panel discussion for women in media and communications about lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, which was hosted by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS). I am a leader because of the people that are below me, the sisterhood that I bring in, the heart that I bring in, the opportunities and the training and development that I ensure is there for my people, Mosana said. This years Womens Month celebrations are taking place under the theme The Year of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke: Realising Womens Rights, in recognition of the 150th birthday anniversary of Mme Charlotte Makgomo Mannya Maxeke. This year, we are honouring and recognising the work of a womans struggle, who set the tone for us to enjoy our freedom - Mme Charlotte Maxeke, GCIS Policy and Research Chief Director, Tasneem Carrim, said. Carrim emphasized the importance of government working with the media sector to inform citizens about the pandemic. Government communication works hand-in-hand with the media to keep the nation informed. Our work is ensuring that the media sector remains our partner and continues to play a critical role in the pandemic We want to strengthen this partnership. We also want to make sure that South Africans are empowered and women need to be an equal part of this empowerment so that everybody is able to make educated choices, especially around the important phase of vaccination, Carrim said. Government has ramped up the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, with vaccination opened for people older than 35, while the 18 to 34-year-olds will start getting vaccinated on 1 September. South Africa has to date administered a total of 9 387 129 vaccinations. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Two suspects nabbed for PPE fraud This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has expressed its dismay at reports that some healthcare workers, including doctors, have discouraged patients from getting COVID-19 vaccinations, based on doubts about the vaccines safety and effectiveness. SAMA Chairperson, Dr Angelique Coetzee, said the organisation wholly rejects any dou... See more South Africa: Master Plan to expand Port of Durban The Department of Public Enterprises has announced a master plan for the Port of Durban which will seek potential private investments of R100 billion into the port over at least the next ten years. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan says the master plan for the Port of Durban is currently undergoing consultation processes. The Port Master Planwill serve as a basis for investment in the port both in respect of the port infrastructure now governed by the Transnet National Ports Authority but also in respect of the terminals and the freight infrastructure that services these ports as well, Gordhan said. The announcement forms part of the broader transformation of Transnet, which the Minister described as a recovery, reconstruction and reform plan. According to Minister Gordhan, the first reform to establish Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) as an independent subsidiary is moving ahead. Significant progress has been made in establishing the infrastructure of the subsidiary and the kind of role it would play in relation to investments in each of the ports in order to facilitate the efficiency of the ports themselves. It is hoped that by October this year, a further Request for Information would be issued by TNPA to establish market appetite for the building of the point terminal at the Durban port and that will be a huge infrastructure investment, Minister Gordhan said. The second reform is to explore the potential for investment in the Port of Durban and the Port of Ngqura in the Eastern Cape. These reforms are in line with the structural reforms that the President and government have indicated will be forthcoming from Transnet but from other entities as well. It is a further demonstration of governments commitment to continuing with the structural reforms in improving the efficiency of its logistics infrastructure, Gordhan said. The Public Enterprises Minister said the requests for information from private business will allow government to create partnerships with both local and international business which will bring the expertise and cash investment required for the upgrading of infrastructure and equipment at the countrys ports. In respect of the Port of Durban Master Plan, Gordhan said a clear and proper process has been established to sound out potential investors. The first round of requests for information kicked off in July and are ongoing. Further engagements with interested businesses will see a round of requests for quotations open between August and September. Following that process, requests for proposals will be entertained between November and January 2022. Bid evaluation processes will be held in February 2022. Finally, the finalisation and approval of bids will be done between March and June 2022. SAnews.gov.za. This story has been published on: 2021-08-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. In pics: Farmers harvest bamboo shoots in SW Chinas Chongqing People's Daily Online) 13:10, August 16, 2021 Photo shows bamboo groves in Zhiping village, Fuling district, southwest Chinas Chongqing municipality. (Photo/Huang He) Farmers are busy harvesting bamboo shoots as about 86.7 hectares of bamboo groves have recently entered harvesting season in Zhiping village, Fuling district, southwest Chinas Chongqing municipality. The bamboo shoots have so far generated a combined revenue of 600,000 yuan for the village, increasing average household incomes by 12,600 yuan. The bamboo forests, which act as a kind of natural air filter, play an important role in environmental protection. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) "South China Sea guardian" awarded July 1 Medal for his steadfast devotion to country People's Daily Online) 15:30, August 16, 2021 Wang Shumao, who developed civilian forces to safeguard legitimate rights in the South China Sea and led the way in resolutely safeguarding China's territorial integrity and maritime rights, has recently been awarded the July 1 Medal, the highest honor in the Communist Party of China (CPC). Photo shows Wang Shumao, a recipient of the July 1 Medal. (Photo/Song Guoqiang) Wang, born and raised in Tanmen, a small fishing town in south China's island province of Hainan, worked as a captain like his father and also served as the Tanmen Militias deputy commander. During the construction of the Nansha Islands, Wang proactively participated in the process for materials transportation. Since the 1990s, the militia, under Wang's leadership, has altogether dispatched 580 batches of fishing boats to transport more than 2 million tons of construction materials for the troops. In 1996, Wang was officially permitted to join the Party. In May 2014, when a large number of foreign vessels illegally and forcefully interfered with the operation of a Chinese company's HYSY 981 drilling rig inside China's Xisha Islands, Wang led more than 200 militiamen in 10 fishing boats to hurry towards the site and guard against further interruptions. Wang ordered his fleet to dash those foreign vessels that intended to illegally ram the drilling rig and grossly violate relevant international laws, so as to defend China's territory and sovereignty. Apart from this, the civilian forces that Wang, also nicknamed the "South China Sea guardian" helped develop also played an active role in the handling of maritime accidents. In October 2010, when Qionghai city, Hainan province was hit hard by torrential rain, the militia organized two emergency rescue teams, dispatched two high-powered speedboats, rescued nearly 100 trapped residents and salvaged 45 ships. The militia was thereafter rewarded with the recognition of an "advanced unit for flood fighting and rescue" by the CPC Hainan provincial committee and provincial government. In recent years, Wang started to lead local residents to embark on a new route of economic development in which ecological environmental protection is being highly emphasized. "We should no longer blindly expand the size of the fishing industry, but develop recreational fishery which caters to the demand of residents' upgrading consumption," Wang noted. In November 2017, when the first leisure fishery-themed company in Hainan province was established in Tanmen, Wang not only took the lead in leasing his two fishing boats, but also encouraged other fishermen to participate in this same way in order to gain shares in the company. Meanwhile, encouraged by Wang, a local resident named Fu Minglin invested in building a B&B where tourists can enjoy the beautiful view of the sea and created new jobs for over 20 villagers. "After adopting the new method of economic growth, our fishermen are much better off and can refrain from strenuous fishing activities," noted Wang. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) China says respects choices of Afghan people, calls for smooth transition Xinhua) 15:58, August 16, 2021 (Photo/ Official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China) BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China respects the choices of the Afghan people and hopes for a smooth transition in the Afghan situation, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. The Taliban said on Sunday that the war in Afghanistan has ended and they will soon declare the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They will take responsible actions to ensure the safety of Afghan citizens and foreign missions in Afghanistan. In response, spokesperson Hua Chunying said the situation in Afghanistan has undergone major changes and China respects the wishes and choices of the Afghan people. China expects the Taliban to fulfill its commitment to ensure a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan, curb all kinds of terrorism and criminal acts, keep the Afghan people away from wars and rebuild their beautiful homeland, she said. In response to a question on whether China has contact with the Taliban and recognizes the Taliban regime, Hua said China has maintained contact with the Afghan Taliban on the basis of fully respecting Afghan national sovereignty and the will of all factions in the country, and has always played a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the Afghan issue. On July 28, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Tianjin with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of Afghanistan's Taliban. "We hope the Taliban will unite with all parties and ethnic groups in Afghanistan to establish a broad and inclusive political structure that suits its own national conditions to lay the foundation for realizing a lasting peace in Afghanistan," she added. On many occasions, the Taliban has expressed the hope of developing sound relations with China, saying they look forward to China's participation in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, and that they will never allow any forces to use the Afghan territory to endanger China, according to the spokesperson. She said that China always respects the sovereign independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, never interferes in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, and always pursues a friendly policy toward all the Afghan people. "China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny, and stands ready to develop good-neighborly, friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan, and to play a constructive role in the peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan," Hua said. The United States and several European countries are evacuating their embassy staff from the country. In response to a query on whether China has any plans to withdraw its embassy, Hua said the Chinese embassy in Afghanistan is still operating normally, and the Chinese ambassador and embassy staff are still performing their duties. Most of the Chinese citizens in Afghanistan have already returned to China according to arrangements made by the Chinese embassy, but there are still a few people who have chosen to stay there voluntarily. The embassy maintains close contact with them, and will continue to pay close attention to the situation in Afghanistan and provide the necessary services and assistance to all Chinese citizens in Afghanistan, Hua said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Sheng Chuyi) Chinas open and transparent approach says no to US politicization of virus origin tracing 17:06, August 16, 2021 By Qu Jiang ( People's Daily Online The World Health Organizations (WHO) plan for the second phase of its study into the origins of COVID-19 was put forward unilaterally by the WHO Secretariat without receiving the prior approval of all member states. The plan overturned conclusions in the report on the joint WHO-China study, which were science-based and authoritative. The proposal, which represents an unhealthy trend towards politicizing the origins of the novel coronavirus, faces objections from China as well as the international community. China has always taken an open, transparent, scientific and cooperative attitude on the issue of origin tracing. It believes that the next phase of the study into the virus origins should respect the results of the previous round of investigations, relying mainly on scientists, and remaining unperturbed by politics, while efforts should be made to expand research into traceability in various other countries and regions around the world. Media outlets and scientists from Russia, South Korea and the Philippines have also called for investigations to be carried out in the US in search of the virus origins. China has twice invited WHO experts to China to conduct joint research on the subject of origin tracing, and it has submitted a plan to the WHO for the next phase of origin tracing. According to the plan, the second phase should rely mainly on scientists, and conduct evidence-based scientific research only. The second phase should not repeat work that was already conducted during the first phase, especially where conclusive findings were already reached. The practices, mechanisms and approaches used during the first phase should be drawn on to conduct further studies in an orderly and smooth manner. A team of experts should be selected on the basis of the makeup of the first phase team and their expertise, international reputation and practical experience should be fully respected. Besides being open and transparent, China has also actively worked to maintain the scientific and fair nature of COVID-19 origin tracing. The origin-tracing work for the novel coronavirus is a scientific issue, and the virus transmission from a host animal to humans should and can only be thoroughly researched by scientists, so as to avert future risks and safeguard the health of all human beings. The Chinese government places a high importance on carrying out scientific studies into origin tracing. By July 19, Chinese research teams and their counterparts from the US and the UK jointly published 225 research papers on origin tracing for COVID-19. The Chinese research teams have released 352 origin-tracing themed papers, and Chinese experts have held six video talks with US experts on pandemic control. China has also actively promoted the sharing of scientific research data and information by building a COVID-19 database which is open to the whole world. China has also suggested that efforts should be made to advance traceability research in various other countries and regions across the world. Recently, Professor Ju Liya, a doctor of immunology at the Pasteur Institute in France, said in an exclusive interview that judging from the overall situation of the pandemic, it is an obvious fact that COVID-19 has multiple origins and broke out in multiple places. Research results published in the European Journal of Epidemiology indicated that the novel coronavirus first occurred in Europe as early as November 2019. A report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the novel coronavirus was first identified in the US in December 2019. Researchers from the Milan Italian National Institute of Health found that the COVID-19 virus may have been circulating in Italy as early as late summer 2019. These facts have indicated that it is very necessary to carry out virus origin tracing in multiple countries and regions around the world. The US has been hyping the lab leak theory by manipulating international public opinion with the aim of politicizing the origin-tracing process. However, no staff member or postgraduate student at the Wuhan Institute of Virology have been infected with COVID-19. The institute has neither carried out gain-of-function studies into COVID-19 nor has it ever had any so-called man-made viruses. It is a shared belief that, just as the resolution for the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) reiterated, the next phase of virus-tracing should be an open and transparent process and should not be manipulated by certain countries. China has never rejected cooperation in tracing the origins of COVID-19 but has all along supported and will continue to take part in science-based origin-tracing efforts, said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. In the meantime, China will continue to act on relevant work recommendations in the report on the joint WHO-China study and actively conduct further follow-up research concerning China as recommended in the report, Ma noted. What China opposes is politicizing origin-tracing, or origin-tracing that goes against the WHA resolution and disregards the report on the joint study. What it supports is science-based origin-tracing efforts, Ma noted. The findings and recommendations in the report on the WHO-China study are recognized by the international community and the scientific community, and they must be respected and implemented by all parties, including the WHO Secretariat. All future origin tracing should be carried out on the basis of the report, instead of outside of its framework. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) BEIJING, Aug. 16 -- The 19th and 20th Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon held a ceremony of force command handover on August 13 local time at the peacekeeping camp in the port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon. Since its deployment in August 2020, the 19th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon has completed multiple missions with high standards, such as post-disaster aid after Beirut Port explosion, mine sweeping and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), architectural engineering construction, as well as medical assistance and humanitarian aid, etc. Ye Fangchao, commanding officer of the 20th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon, said that the 20th Chinese peacekeeping force will abide by the UN Charter, strengthen close coordination with peacekeeping forces from other countries, complete various tasks assigned with flying colors and make contributions to maintaining peace in South Lebanon. Major General Del Col, Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), takes a group photo with Ye Fangchao (L), Commander of the 20th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon, and Du Jia (R), Commander of the 19th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon at the force command handover ceremony held on August 13, 2021. The 20th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon has a total of 410 persons, consisting of a multifunctional engineer contingent, an engineering construction contingent and a medical contingent. The first echelon of 205 persons has arrived at the camp of the Chinese peacekeeping force in Lebanon and completed the handover of equipment, barracks, materials and machines, and the second echelon will depart from China soon as scheduled. BEIJING, Aug. 16 -- Exercise ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021 entered the final stage---the live-fire exercise on August 13. During the drill, the Chinese and Russian participating forces carried out joint counter-terrorism operations focusing on responding to traditional security threats. New forces and asymmetric combat methods were used to form a powerful joint strike capability against the mock enemy. In this drill, more than 10,000 soldiers, 200-plus armored vehicles, and over 100 aircrafts from both side were invovled. At the beginning of the drill, four J-20 fighter jets took off, followed by two JH-7 bombers to carry out airstrikes on the forward command post and air observation post of the "enemy". The air defense group fired all types of missiles with precision guidance to intercept the enemy drone swarm. The army aviation combat group assaulted at ultra-low altitude, collaborating with the artillery force. The China-Russia air force joint formation consisting of the J-11, J-16, and Su-30CM simultaneously launched joint airstrike operations. The Chinese and Russian participating troops used the specialized commanding information system in the joint three-dimensional assaults involving the air force, army aviation, artillery and infant troops, which greatly improved the systematic combat effectiveness. It is learned that the new weapons and equipment put in this drill accounted for 81.6 percent. In a range of six kilometers in the front and seven kilometers in depth, the air force aviation, army aviation, ground armored artillery, and air defense forces carried out simultaneous assaults alternatively in six levels of altitudes. In 45 minutes, 265 tons of ammunition were fired with an average firepower density of 228 rounds per minute and peak firepower of 364 rounds per minute. The exercise also spotlights tactical innovations. For example, the Y-20 transport aircraft were used for parachuting with a full load for the first time. Parachuting at multiple doors at the same time and three heavy equipment parachuting at a time shortened the time in the air and improved the timeliness of airborne operations. During the joint operations, the China-Russia special forces are mixed in groups to break obstacles, which is more in line with the mission requirements of the future joint operations of the two sides. Li Shuyin, a researcher at the War Studies College of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese PLA and an expert on Russian military issues, believes that the joint drill is of great significance to the two armed forces. First of all, the Russian military has more experience in actual combat, their counter-terrorism operation tactics are more flexible and applicable, and the Russian troops are more proficient in the use of counter-terrorism operation tactics, which are all worthy of learning by the Chinese military. The Russian military spoke highly of the level of equipment of the Chinese side, especially the IT application level of the equipment. At the same time, they also gave a thumbs up to the military competence and actual combat training of Chinese participating troops, Li added. Li said that the PLA Northern Theater Command sent troops to participate in the Russian Vostok-2018 strategic military drills for the first time in 2018, which was actually the first test of China's newly-estsblished theater command system. She holds the view that in recent years, the Chinese PLAs theater commands have adapted to the requirements of modern warfare in terms of both organizing strategic campaign exercises in their strategic directions and carrying out routine combat preparedness military operations, resulting in the continuously improved joint operational capabilities of the theater commands. The Chinese PLA Army held a welcoming ceremony for foreign military teams participating in the International Army Games (IAG) 2021 in Korla, northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on August 15, 2021, and all foreign teams from 6 countries have arrived in Korla on that day. (Photo by Tian Zhenbang) URUMQI, Aug. 16 -- Approved by China's Central Military Commission (CMC), the PLA Army will host three contests as part of the International Army Games 2021 in Korla, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from August 22 to September 4, and apart from the Chinese PLA, militaries of six foreign countries including Russia, Belarus and Egypt will send teams to China to participate in the three contests. The three contests to be held in China respectively are the Suvorov onslaught infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) crew competition, Clear Sky man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) crew competition, and Safe Environment nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) reconnaissance team competition. In the Suvorov onslaught, every team is allowed to dispatch 3 crews with 3 persons in each to participate in the competition, and two stages of indivicual race and relay race are set in this contest.This year, participants from China, Russia, Belarus and Venezuela will compete with each other in this event. According to Lieutenant Colonel Cui Huigang, a referee of the Suvorov onslaught, the competition, named after the Russian strategist Alexander Suvorov, is to be held on a closed track of 4.3 kilometers in total with twelve obstacles and two firing locations. The participating crews must conduct keen observation, high-speed maneuvering and rapid firing on the simulated complex battlefield, which will be of great challenge to the crew in terms of driving skills and operational tactics. In the contest of Clear Sky, MANPADS crew will compete in three stages, incluing the mastery stage, cooperation stage and combined stage, and every team consists 18 persons. This year, six teams from China, Russia, Belarus, Egypt, Uzbekistan and Venezuela will compete in this event. Except for the Russia team, which has brought their own hardware to China, teams from the other four foreign countries will use the equipment provided by the Chinese side. According to Major Zhang Cunzhou, an instructor to the Clear Sky competition, the competition this year will be more difficult than before because of the addition of firing locations in the mastery stage and cooperation stage. In this case, it requires further improvements in the operation skills of the team members, such as the missile canister holding gesture for missile launch preparation and the timing of interception, which is also a big challenge for the instructors. In the contest of Safe Environment, NBC reconnaissance teams will compete in three stages of individual race, firing match and relay race along two closed tracks with a length of 3.75 kilometers. Each participating crew consists of 3 persons well equipped with gas-tight masks and suits all through in the vehicle. This will be a great challenge to the contestants in terms of both physiology and mentality. According to Lieutenant Huang Shunxiang, a Chinese participant in the Safe Environment event, when wearing a gas-tight mask, the participants have to stand limited vision and obstructed breathing, it will be a great test for their driving and anti-chemical skill and physical fitness to get through 12 vehicle obstacles and 12 personnel obstacles with a high speed. This is especially true when it comes to sprinting a 550-meter section with obstacles in a high-temperature environment, you will feel extremely hypoxic, and the tenacious will is a must to hold on to the end. Press Release August 16, 2021 Dela Rosa wants to give relief to Filipino professionals, pushes for CPD Law repeal SENATOR Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa has sought to scrap a law which mandates registered Filipino professionals to take up and complete additional formal and non-formal learning before they can renew their professional license with the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC). In filing Senate Bill No. 2344 (SBN 2344), Dela Rosa proposed to repeal Republic Act No. 10912 (RA 10912), otherwise known as the "Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016," to unburden the professionals of undergoing the additional study. The PRC, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment, is tasked to regulate and supervise the practice of profession in the country. In the performance of its mandate, it issues and renews the Professional Identification Card for teachers, nurses, engineers, and architects, among others. The Mindanaoan Senator said that while the goal of RA 10912 is to keep all professionals abreast with the developments in their respective professions and promote their competencies and qualifications, many professionals are lamenting its practicality and the difficulty of complying with it. For instance, he said, Filipino professionals have to spend money to enroll in graduate schools or online classes, or attend seminars to acquire the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units to comply with RA 10912 and be able to continue to practice their profession. ?"However, many of our professionals cannot afford to attend these seminars and trainings because of their meager resources. At this time of global health crisis, the repeal of this law is well-timed and will immensely unburden our professionals," he said. Dela Rosa further claimed that Filipino migrant workers abroad have been complaining about the costly online CPD courses as they need to pay $40 to $50 for courses offered by universities abroad as well as additional expense to the PRC for the review of their compliance. In addition to exorbitant fees, he said the professionals are also losing income as they have to skip work for one or two days in order to attend CPD classes. He noted that another dilemma of the professionals is accessibility because of limited CPD providers, which forces those in far-flung areas to process their applications and complete the mandated requirement in major cities and incur additional expenses. Moreover, the PRC recognized the difficulty to fully implement the law due to their limited capacity and inadequate funding from the national government. "Adding to these problems, the PRC admitted that they have limited capacity to monitor the implementation of the law. Like the Filipino professionals, they are also claiming inadequate or lack of funding," Dela Rosa noted. DOH Leon Provides Week 33 Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts DOH Leon Provides Week 33 Updates on COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts TALLAHASSEE, FL --- The Department of Health in Leon County (DOH Leon) in partnership with the Florida Department of Health, Leon County government, Tallahassee-Leon County Coronavirus Vaccination Community Education and Engagement Task Force, Florida A & M University, Florida State University and other key partners, continues its mission to get all eligible Leon County residents vaccinated as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible. All of this as we continue unprecedented work to limit the spread of the virus and protect public health and safety. This week, actions to continue a proactive approach to vaccination efforts in Leon County include the following as of August 13, 2021: DOH Leon Vaccination Clinic Highlights: We have so far sponsored 54 vaccination clinics. We have directly vaccinated more than 30,000 people since activating our clinics last December. The department added an additional day for vaccinations at 1515 Old Bainbridge Road: Every Friday from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Our Tuesday vaccination clinic continues operations from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Appointments are not necessary. Those who receive a vaccination will also receive a $10 gift voucher for grocery shopping while supplies last. The Leon County Vax Map helps citizens find convenient locations that offer COVID-19 vaccinations. The online easy-to-use resource allows users to select a location from the existing map or search for a known address. In addition, local COVID-19 testing sites can also be found on the Leon County Vax Map. The DOH Leon Community Health and Planning team is working with partners to bring mobile pop-up COVID-19 vaccination events to smaller, targeted segments of our community. There will be a free COVID-19 vaccination event this Saturday, August 14, from 10:00 am. until 12:00 p.m. at The Time Saver Convenience Store in Tallahassee, 519 West Brevard Street. This is part of a back-to-school backpack giveaway celebration. Several more COVID-19 vaccine outreach events are being finalized with community and faith-based organizations. Please see informational flyers attached. COVID-19 CDC replacement vaccination record cards can be requested at the health department. Medical staff at the R & S Clinic (1515 Old Bainbridge Road) can help residents with the process during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Individuals who have lost or damaged their cards can get assistance regardless of where they received their dose. Community partners continue programs offering free rides to help people reach their COVID-19 vaccine appointments. 2-1-1 Big Bend and Lyft are offering transportation to COVID-19 vaccination sites through the Lyft Ride United Program. The project provides safe and reliable door to door rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments at walk-up COVID-19 vaccination sites to those who are eligible to receive the vaccine. Rides can be set up by calling (850) 617-6325 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additionally, Tallahassees Elder Care Services continues helping residents 60 years of age and older get to community vaccination sites. They can call (850) 921-5554 to schedule transportation. Individuals do not have to be officially enrolled in the Elder Care Services Program to take advantage of this opportunity. COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report: Leon County (August 6 - August 12): Leon County has a known total of 39,815 confirmed COVID-19 cases among Leon County residents. Our new case positivity rate has decreased to 15.8% with 2,401 new cases. Since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began in December 2020, Leon County has vaccinated a total of 147,141 people. Additionally, 55% of eligible people in Leon County have received at least one dose of vaccine. An overview of all Florida counties will be updated today and posted at: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/ COVID-19 vaccine education to our citizens remains a priority as we work to carefully address misinformation. Key messaging centers on the latest scientific data proving that the COVID-19 vaccines continue to be vital to ending the pandemic, including combating the recent case increases nationally and globally. Vaccine benefits include: Significantly reducing the risk of contracting the virus even if you are exposed. Teaching your body how to fight the virus. Reducing the risk of severe symptoms, hospitalization, and death if you contract the virus. Minimizing the ability for the virus to spread, especially to our most vulnerable populations. Fighting against emerging variants that can cause worse symptoms and spread. Homebound individuals are encouraged to sign up and receive a COVID-19 vaccine at their home. Individuals can begin the registration process by calling 833-930-3672 or email homeboundvaccines@cdrmaguire.com. Find and complete a pre-screening survey at: https://homebound.patientportalfl.com/. Only individuals who meet the U.S Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services criteria for homebound, are currently eligible for the vaccine. For any additional questions about the vaccine at this time, the State COVID-19 Call Center can be reached by calling 1-866-779-6121 or emailing COVID-19@flhealth.gov and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note that the states call center will end operations at the end of August. COVID-19 inquiries will transition back to county health departments. Leon County residents with general questions about COVID-19 or the COVID-19 vaccine can call 850-404-6300, option 1. The helpline is staffed Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. About the Florida Department of Health The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov. Follow DOH Leon on Twitter at @healthyleonfl # # # Submitted by: Pamela Saulsby | Public Information Officer Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Former Russian Deputy Agriculture Minister challenges insolvency RAPSI 10:48 16/08/2021 MOSCOW, August 16 (RAPSI) - Ex-Deputy Agriculture Minister Alexey Bazhanov has filed an appeal against his bankruptcy and introducing of related procedures against him, according to the Moscow Commercial Courts records. The Moscow Commercial Court introduced an asset sale procedure against Bazhanov in June. In February, the court initiated debt refunding as to Bazhanov. A 9.87 billion-ruble (about $140 million) claim of the Company Blago was added to the debtors creditor list. In April 2020, the Supreme Court refused to reconsider recovery of over 12 billion rubles (about $170 million at the current exchange rate) from Bazhanov ordered by the Commercial Court of Voronezh Region in September 2019. The claim to collect funds from Bazhanov has been lodged by Blago Company saying that the former official had controlled Oil Production starting the companys establishment and prior to the moment of the bankruptcy case launch. Oil Production company was declared bankrupt in July 2014. Bankruptcy proceedings were instituted against the debtor. In March 2014, the former official was put on the international wanted list. In May 2014, the Moscow City Court upheld a decision to arrest Bazhanov in absentia. Bazhanov was charged with having embezzled a 1.15-billion-ruble (about $16 million at the current exchange rate) loan issued by the Russian Agricultural Bank to the Masloproduct group of companies, which produce vegetable oil. The group was established by Bazhanov and controls about 6% of the Russian sunflower oil market. He also became a defendant in a case over embezzlement 1.1 billion rubles from Rosagroleasing Company which was set up by federal authorities to lease agricultural machinery, livestock and pedigree cattle to Russian farmers. The Interior Ministry reported that in 2008-2009 Bazhanov and his alleged accomplices stole budget funds by signing contracts to deliver equipment to the farms controlled by his group of companies. In 2009-2010, Bazhanov was a deputy to then-Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik. Lawmaker challenges ruling in defamation dispute with Russian TV star flickr.com/ Ilya Schurov 17:59 16/08/2021 MOSCOW, August 16 (RAPSI The Moscow City Duma Communist lawmaker Pavel Tarasov has challenged dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against famous Russian TV and radio host Vladimir Solovyev, the Moscow City Courts press service has told RAPSI. The court will consider the appeal on September 20. In February, Moscows Savelovsky District Court dismissed Tarasovs lawsuit. The lawmaker demanded to recognize information about him distributed by Solovyev during one of his radio airs as false. The journalist accused the plaintiff of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the claim. Moreover, Tarasov sought for compensation of moral harm in the amount of 1 million rubles (about $14,000). Northwestern tax service official put in detention for two months in graft case The press service of Moscow's Dorogomilovsky District Court 18:19 16/08/2021 MOSCOW, August 16 (RAPSI) Moscows Dorogomilovsky District Court on Monday ordered detention of acting chief Northwestern Tax Directorates anti-corruption department of Russias Federal Tax Service Maxim Rozsypalo suspected of bribery until October 14, the courts press service told RAPSI. In July, the suspect conspired with other Northwestern Tax Directorates officials to systematically take bribes from a representative of a commercial organization for non-adoption of additional measures for tax checks of the legal entity, according to investigators. The suspects alleged accomplice demanded $700,000 from the businessman for unhampered customs registration of one car, investigators claim. The mediator induced him to giving the bribe and received over 1 million rubles from him for registration of 20 cars. Later he gave the money to Rozsypalo. Russian Ombudsman, Election Commission monitor human rights during election campaign RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 12:14 16/08/2021 MOSCOW, August 16 (RAPSI) The Office of Russias Federal Ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova and Russias Central Election Commission cooperate in solving of citizens problems concerning the election campaign, the human rights commissioners press service reports. Due to the close cooperation, the revealed violations are minimized, the openness of electoral procedures is improved, the statement reads. Regional rights commissioners are also engaged in the work. They cooperate with regional election commissions, according to Moskalkova. Information sharing, collective actions, monitoring of human rights realization and protection are held on an ongoing basis, she pointed. An accident occurred near the five-eighth's pole in the last race at Batavia Downs on Sunday afternoon (August 15) after pacer Red Roll (Kyle Cummings) went down. Sizzling Summer (Denny Bucceri) and Hardts Or Bettor (Justin Huckabone) ran over Red Roll as close quarters prevented them from making a diversionary move. All three drivers were thrown from the sulky and two of the loose horses continued to run. After the race, those horses were caught and upon examination, Sizzling Summer suffered multiple lacerations and required stitches and Hardts Or Bettor appeared to be alright. Red Roll, an eight-year-old Roll With Joe gelding owned and trained by Judith Blaun, was humanely euthanized. Drivers Kyle Cummings, Denny Bucceri and Justin Huckabone were examined on site and suffered minor bruises and abrasions. None were transported to area hospitals. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Red Roll. (With files from Batavia Downs) World class harness racing continues Monday evening at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino with the third trial of The Guardian Gold Cup and Saucer. Somewhere Fancy is the early favourite in the six-horse $12,500 race where the top three will advance to Saturday nights (August 21) final. The trial is carded as race 13 with first race post time at 7 p.m. Marc Campbell picks up the catch drive behind the 2018 Gold Cup and Saucer champion Somewhere Fancy for trainer Chris MacKay and owner John Mehlenbacher of Oakville, Ont. The 10-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere was an open-length winner his last start over the CDP in 1:52.3 in line to Campbell on July 31. Legion Seelster also comes into the race off a win at Rideau Carleton Raceway outside Ottawa, where he toured the five-eighths oval in 1:51.4 for driver Richard Simard and trainer Victor Puddy. National Debt has come out on top his last three races including the Walter Dale Invitational last time at Exhibition Park Raceway in Saint John, N.B. David Dowling will drive the 73-time winner for trainer Colin Johnson. Smooth Lou has rail control for driver Jason Hughes and trainer Patrick Shepherd while Hitman Hill leaves from post five for trainer/driver Kenny Arsenault. Post six belongs to Outkast Blue Chip with Brett MacDonald flying in to drive the Trevor Hicken trainee. Peter MacPhee likes the classy veteran Somewhere Fancy to win Trial 3 in his Post Time Picks. Somewhere Fancy looked awesome in his return to P.E.I. winning in 1:52.3 and closed in a brisk :27.2. Just a reminder, hes very familiar with this track and won the Gold Cup and Saucer back in 2018 so, with Campbell at the controls, we think he visits the Red Shores winners circle again. The evening also featured the Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts with $16,200 A divisions in race nine and 11. Go to Redshores.ca for live video, race programs and information on attending Gold Cup Week 2021. Wager online at HPIBet.com. For replays and coverage of the first two trials, click here: Ideal Perception Pops In Saucer Trial. To view Monday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Monday Entries- Charlottetown Driving Park. (With files from Red Shores) Tuesday is trot night at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park with a prime match up in three-year-old action as Gold Cup Week racing continues. The 12-dash card gets underway at 7 p.m., featuring the Atlantic Sires Stakes for two and three-year-old trotters. All eyes will be on race 10 of the night as top sophomore trotters Dusty Lane Milo, Mr Finlay Ridge and A Little Go Go all draw in together in a $10,520 division. A Little Go Go is the morning line favourite after defeating his top flight foes last time out in the Atlantic Sires Stakes at Inverness Raceway in Nova Scotia. Marc Campbell trains and drives the Tad The Stud colt for owner Grayland Farm of Nova Scotia from post four. Dusty Lane Milo has never missed the top three in his career and moves into the Jeff Holmes stable with Gilles Barrieau picking up the catch drive from post two. Mr Finlay Ridge leaves from post three for trainer/driver Clare MacDonald while also sporting a perfect top-three record. The Post Time Picks tepidly place Mr Finlay Ridge in the win position. Which of these three colts will jump up and win is anyones guess but we expect Mr Finlay Ridge to find the CDP surface more to his liking. He is a big horse and when he gets rolling just watch out. The other $10,520 three-year-old trot division is in race six with Galeowind the favourite from the outside post seven with Campbell driving his trainee for owner Michael Bailey of Morell, P.E.I. Two-year-old trot action lines up in races two and four with $10,260 at stake in each split. Mr Miller (to be driven by Corey MacPherson) is favoured in race two with rail control while Up Helly Aa (Ken MacDonald) is the favourite in race four with a three-race win streak on the line. Go to Redshores.ca for live video, race programs and information on attending Gold Cup Week 2021. Wager online at HPIBet.com. To view Tuesday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Tuesday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park. (With files from Red Shores) The U.S. Trotting Association (USTA) announced Monday (August 16) that online applications for membership renewals will include an option to make a donation to the Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA). It can be made as either a part of the membership renewal application or as a stand-alone donation. A similar donation option will be added to new membership applications shortly. The online form in USTA Online Services will include an option to make a minimum donation of $10 and a maximum of $500 in one-dollar increments, which is in addition to the current option to donate to the Harness Racing Museum. Printed forms will also include these same two options for donations. The USTA Board of Directors, in March 2018, directed Chief Executive Officer Mike Tanner, with assistance from a steering committee comprised of Directors Don Marean, Jacqueline Ingrassia and Fred Nichols, to form the group. The STA operates independently of the USTA, though the USTA will provide both promotional and operational support and will have an ex officio spot on the board. The STA does not directly care for horses but accredits and provides some funding for groups that meet accreditation standards. According to their mission statement, the Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) is a non-profit organization with federal 501(c)(3) status whose mission is to accredit, inspect and award grants to approved organizations that acquire, rehabilitate, train and re-home Standardbreds." Funding is generated across the spectrum of the Standardbred industry, including regulatory agencies, horsemens groups, tracks, sales companies, farms, and individuals who participate as trainers, drivers, owners, and breeders. The STA provides partial funding to groups serving Standardbreds, ensuring donor confidence by examining the equine care and business practices of groups applying for accreditation. It is expected that the accreditation process will also assist groups in developing sustainable policies and programs. (USTA) The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has launched new professional licence system that allows 100% foreign ownership of businesses operating across 604 professional services. This includes companies operating in fields such as accounting, training, consultancy, beauty centres, computer and internet network companies, and others, as they are fully owned by foreign professional partners, reported Emirates News Agency WAM. Rashid Abdulkarim Al Blooshi, Undersecretary of ADDED, said that the professional license contributes to boosting confidence among professionals and all customers. Also, this decision sparks an incubating environment for the professional community, which in turn accelerates the transformation to the knowledge-based economy. He also pointed out that this type of license is preferable to new investors due to its low cost, and the ease of its issuance, especially if the desired activity is "consulting", where the legal form of it is either an individual establishment or group of professionals company, in case there is more than one investor. This type of licenses is easy to set up or adjust, which in turn will streamline business practice across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. ADDED indicated that a local services agent is required for most of the companies in case if there is no Emirati partner. The local service agent is responsible for managing the licensing requirements without bearing any liability for any financial obligation towards the company or its activities in Abu Dhabi or any other place. Furthermore, ADDED will issue a form of service agent agreement to demonstrate and identify the relationship between all the partners. In addition, the Department has issued a model for the professional companys Articles of Association that will be available through the Departments website. Along with the possibility of licensing a professional company, ADDED also highlighted that opening a commercial branch without prejudice to the professional license or its features could be possible if the commercial activity is consistent with or complementary to the professional activity. Additionally, existing establishments can benefit from this decision by adjusting their status from a commercial to a professional facility while maintaining their registered number in the commercial and date of incorporation. The professional work license is a specialised license in professional activities, which include any activity practiced by a professional investor within his area of experience and matching his academic or professional qualifications. Dubai-based Arzan Wealth said it had played a major advisory role for one of its clients on the acquisition of The Eempolis Office Building, a multi-tenanted office building located on top of Amersfoort Central Station, a strategic hub in the Netherlands. Eempolis is an Energy Label A office building, and with a total length of almost 400 m, it is one of the longest buildings in th country. The Dutch property entails 31,865 sq m of office space and a large underground parking garage with 350 spaces. Eempolis offers high-quality office space with an attractive leasing profile. The property has a very solid and diversified tenant base and is currently 95% occupied. Reflecting its excellent location and facilities, 67% of the rental income is leased to tenants who have been in the property for more than 15 years, with many tenants being government-related entities and healthcare companies. A company regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, Arzan Wealth said it had acted as the sub strategic advisor on the structuring and acquisition of the asset and will continue in this role during the holding period of the investment, which is projected to deliver average monthly income to clients equal to 8.75% per annum. CEO Muhannad Abulhasan said: "We are pleased to advise on the Eempolis acquisition, the latest addition to our expanding activities in the Netherlands. Amersfoort is strategically located on the major train junction of cross-country routes, making it a secondary corporate office hub with short and easy access to primary cities." "Many companies want lower rents for their space requirements, especially as they respond to post-pandemic workflows that involve more decentralization and fragmentation of office space, and are choosing transport-linked locations like Amersfoort," explained Abuhasan. "We believe that the Eempolis building will meet Arzan Wealths primary objective of protecting our clients wealth and legacies, by reducing risks and diversifying income sources for them and their future generations," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, (Seha) said it has expanded its Mezyad Healthcare Center, which is managed by Ambulatory Healthcare Services (AHS), to include a new building for specialty clinics in efforts to meet the communitys ongoing healthcare needs. The UAEs largest healthcare network, Seha said the new two-storey building comprises 14 rooms and provides a range of new specialty services, including cardiology, ophthalmology, ENT, orthopedics, premarital screening and counseling, and physiotherapy. In addition, the new building is home to the recently renovated dermatology, general dentistry, orthodontic, prosthodontics, and oral surgery clinics. AHS Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Noura Al Ghaithi said: "We are steadfast in our commitment to ensure the community of Al Ain have access to world-class, expert care as they manage their health and treatment journeys." "By expanding Mezyad Healthcare Center and adding specialty clinics, we are broadening our services and offerings in efforts to provide a seamless and holistic treatment journey for all those in neighboring areas.The Mezyad community and surrounding areas have witnessed significant growth in the recent years, and we look forward to the residents of these communities benefiting from the recently enhanced services," she noted. Mezyad, which is operational 24 hours a day, provides an extensive range of services including family medicine services, such as womens health, antenatal, well child, chronic disease, pre-university screening, preventive screening, vaccination, and travel medicine stated Dr Al Ghaithi. "The expansion of Mezyad Healthcare Center is aligned with Sehas strategy to provide specialty services throughout all communities spanning Abu Dhabi, in order to ease access to specialty care," she stated. "Over the past few months, we have significantly expanded specialty services across the network to provide comprehensive services to our community, while ensuring we implement all precautionary measures to provide a safe patient journey," she added. Agility, a leader in supply chain services, said that it expects to complete the sale of its Global Integrated Logistics (GIL) business to DSV Panalpina A/S (DSV), a Danish transport and logistics company, today (August 16). The all-shares transaction gives Agility 19,304,348 DSV shares upon full completion of the deal in all jurisdictions, representing approximately 8% of all post-transaction shares of DSV. This makes Agility the second largest DSV shareholder based on todays shareholder register. The enterprise value of the transaction is $4.775 billion and the equity value is $4.675 billion. Weve shown that Agility knows how to build and scale successful businesses. This deal affirms Agilitys global strategy and execution, and positions us for a new era of growth, said Tarek Sultan, Agility Vice Chairman and CEO. Were moving forward with a strategic investment in DSV, one of the worlds best-performing logistics providers. We will accelerate growth in the businesses we continue to operate, which historically account for around 80%of our EBIT. And we will continue investing in businesses that are driving sustainable innovation in supply chain and transportation. Our future will be built around businesses, technology and investment that expand access to global trade and make supply chains faster, smarter, greener, fairer and more efficient and resilient. Sultan said Agilitys next phase of growth will create additional shareholder value. In the last decade, Agility created almost $7 billion in value for shareholders, increasing it five fold since 2011. We are determined to sustain this momentum going forward. In addition to its stake in DSV, Agility receives a seat on the DSV board of directors. This is a chance for us to share ideas and find areas where we can collaborate with a visionary DSV leadership team that, like us, is determined to shape the supply chains of the future, Sultan said. With the acquisition of GIL, DSV becomes a global top-three player in the freight forwarding industry with an expected combined revenue of roughly $26 billion and 75,000 employees worldwide. Jens Bjrn Andersen, Group CEO of DSV Panalpina, said: I am very pleased to welcome our new colleagues from GIL on this important day. There are many similarities when you look at our two companies both in terms of the business models and services and, not least, when we look at our shared focus on local empowerment and putting customers first. DSV and GIL simply constitute an excellent match. We will now start the integration, and together, we are going to grow the business and bring even more value to our many customers, partners and shareholders than we do separately. Regulatory clearances are pending in a limited number of jurisdictions, which are not material in the context of the overall size of the transaction, an Agility statement said. TradeArabia News Service The status of the maritime industry in the Middle East will be discussed through talks on market overview, regulatory challenges, developments in ports and terminals and the impact of Sulphur 2020 at the UAE Maritime Week. Organised by Seatrade Maritime, part of Informa Markets, the Week includes Seatrade Maritime Middle East, an in-person exhibition and conference to be held at Dubai Exhibition Centre from December 12 to 16, 2021, as part of Expo 2020, a WAM report said. This year, the UAE Maritime Week, under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, will focus on several subjects of utmost importance. The event also aims to highlight the seafarers crisis through discussions on improving crewing practices, protection of crew members in charter negotiations, training and support offered to crew, and physical and mental well-being of seafarers. The event will also shed light on ocean transport and integrated logistics network, the role of data sharing in integrated logistics, offshore logistics, and supply chain integration. Building connections for a united and progressive industry The 2021 edition will introduce two new initiatives catering to both the private sector and government authorities to revolutionise operations in the industry. Through "Experience Maritime", the event aims to reach out to leading organisations in the UAE, allowing them to showcase their competencies to their clients by inviting them to their state-of-the-art facilities for a first-hand experience of operations. Another pivotal initiative is the "Maritime Leaders Forum," which is a government-to-government closed-door event. This initiative brings together decision-makers and government authorities to discuss the maritime sector in the country and its enhanced capabilities that have strengthened the UAEs status as a leading maritime hub. Elaborating on the initiatives, Chris Morley, Group Director Maritime Events, Informa Markets Maritime said, "As organisers of one of the largest industry events in the region, every year, we introduce initiatives that are aimed at the development of the industry in the region. We provide platforms to showcase and highlight excellence and innovative solutions, and we firmly believe that the "Maritime Leaders Forum" will generate some valuable discussion and solutions for the industry and governments in the region. Building on the importance and value of the Seatrade Maritime Middle East exhibition and conference, the "Experience Maritime" day will provide customers with first-hand experiences of the world-class facilities available to the global market right here in the UAE." Discussing concerns that need to be addressed Emma Howell, Director of Digital and Content, Seatrade Maritime, Informa Markets Maritime, said, "The UAE Maritime Week is a mega event in the maritime industry. Our commitment to constantly develop and expand the maritime sector is the prime reason behind our success over the years. Key stakeholders from the industry will be supporting us in our endeavour to make the industry woke about pressing concerns and new developments by participating in strategic discussions." Although the pandemic caused market disruption across the globe, it accelerated the adoption of digital solutions to ensure continuity of business activities. This will be one of the key topics of discussion. Furthermore, new regulations will also be discussed along with the usage of LNG as an alternate fuel in the Middle East to address environmental issues. In line with the IMOs decarbonisation goals, the event will also discuss zero-carbon shipping, along with the presentation of low-carbon shipping case studies.-- TradeArabia News Service The UAE has announced the launch of the first edition of the Global Media Congress, to be held in Abu Dhabi from November 15-17, 2022, which will be organised by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in partnership with the Emirates News Agency (WAM). The event will include an exhibition and conference, which will enable media organisations to discuss partnership and co-operation agreements aimed at developing their messages that will serve humanity and support communities through providing useful and credible content. At the launch, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: "The UAE is a global host and an efficient platform for the media sector because of its integrated digital infrastructure. "It also has a supportive legal and legislative environment, as well as attractive living standards for all nationalities and international companies in the media and cultural industries," he added. The event will be attended by a range of media leaders and global influencers, in addition to academics and youth. The Congress will also discuss key topics, most notably digital communication, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies and innovation in the media sector. It will host specialist sessions covering journalism, radio, television, internet, social media and international influencers. The event will serve as a platform for international companies interested in engaging in media markets in the Gulf region, the Middle East and North Africa.-TradeArabia News Service Eram Group Chairman and Managing Director Dr Siddeek Ahmed, has been officially presented with the 2021 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) by the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr Ausaf Sayeed. The presentation was done at a special ceremony held at the Indian Embassy on August 15 to mark Indias Independence Day. Conferred by the President of India as a part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conventions organised annually since 2003, this award acknowledges august members of the Indian community and their tangible contribution to social and humanitarian uplift. This year, Dr Ahmed was one of only four recipients from the Middle East and the only one representing the kingdom. The Covid-19 pandemic didnt allow for the more elaborate ceremony that is usually held in New Delhi annually every year, but the sense of occasion and sentiment was palpable at the embassy. Dr Ahmed spoke about how he extended his vision and outstanding technology in the sanitation sector with the launch of an R&D-based social enterprise, Eram Scientific Solutions, aimed at developing indigenous technology tailored to local requirements. The result was the innovative 'e-Toilet', which is an automated public sanitation solution in line with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. This initiative was duly showcased at the UN Innovation exhibition and recognised by the United Nations country representative for its game changing potential. The patented e-Toilet has had more than 12 million users till date and an average of 15,000 daily users. Eram Scientific Solutions has already won more than 44 national and international accolades for its inspiring contributions in introducing high-end, future proof and scalable technology in the sanitation space. Dr Ahmed also received the Toilet Titan award from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Safaigiri Summit in 2015, a salute to the Eram work ethos and the dedication of its 8,000 plus employees from over 20 plus countries. Lauding Dr Ahmeds unwavering commitment to addressing the critical challenges faced by humanity, Dr Sayeed noted that the companys innovative products and services had made many a Smart Cities safer, cleaner, smarter and prouder making him a worthy recipient of this eminent award. Dr Ahmed took the opportunity to acknowledge the importance of having a strong base. Thanks to strong partnerships, the unwavering commitment of our team, and their industry, Eram Scientific Solutions has installed 4,000+ eToilets across India, Kuwait, Nepal and the Mena region over the years. Being headquartered in the Middle East where foresight and change are encouraged is a plus. Initiatives like the kingdoms Vision 2030 or the UAEs hosting of Expo 2020 have buoyed Eram Groups mission and with the support of regional government entities, we are looking forward to extending our footprint in the kingdom and across the GCC with our innovative approach to infrastructure development. -- TradeArabia News Service Astana Ballet Theatre, Kazakhstans leading ballet company, will premiere its two masterpieces, The Legend of Love and Sultan Baybars, at Dubai Opera, this season. Resurrecting epics from the East, the two narrations are expected to mesmerise audience with their large-scale performances, extravagant productions and enchanting pas deux. Organised by event management and production firm Aurora Events, the performances are scheduled on October 27-28 for The Legend of Love while Sultan Baybars recital will take place on October 29-30. Tickets for both shows are now on sale on platinumlist.com. Aurora Events Founder Kairat Kulbayev said: The Astana Ballet Theatre has become the pride of Kazakh national ballet; their remarkable ovation on the world stage has made astounding contributions. Our aspiration is not only to introduce Kazakh ballet but to showcase our magnificent global experience as talented and world-class event production company. Choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich, The Legend of Love is a poetic interpretation that has received phenomenonal fame and accolades. This timeless recital of a love triangle between Queen Mekhmene, her younger sister Shireen and the handsome Ferkhad continues to mesmerise audiences 50 years on. Grigorovich transforms this dramatic saga into a powerful performance of love, sacrifice and tragedy. Captured from his homeland of Kypchak steppe and sold into slavery, a boy rises to become one of the most revered army commanders of the 13th century Middle East. Baybars Sultan narrates the story of Az-Zahir Rukin Ad-Din Baybars extraordinary diplomacy, triumphs and conquests that catapulted him on to the throne of Egypt and Syria. Choreographed by Mukaram Avakhri, Astana Ballets transformation of Sultan Baybars epitomises and captures the true spirit of the slave who became Sultan, who craved for his homeland at the height of his glory. Since its launch in 2013, Astana Ballet Theatre has had a significant impact on the cultural landscape of Kazakhstan. It has performed in New York, London, Paris, Milan, Monaco, San Francisco and others.-TradeArabia News Service LG Electronics (LG) Home Appliance & Air Solution Company has opened a new online showroom, LG HVAC Virtual Experience, as consumers and business have looked to online recourses to help influence their purchase decision, since virtual experiences have become a trend. Utilising the latest in digital technology, this interactive online showroom lets visitors get to know LGs range of residential and commercial indoor environmental solutions from the comfort and safety of their homes. "The showroom delivers an intuitive, virtual experience that lets visitors view the companys latest solutions in a variety of virtual environments to learn about the benefits they provide, such as greater comfort, improved indoor air quality and seamless control, all important in helping customers make informed and important decisions for the family or employees," a LG spokesperson said. Upon entering the online showroom, visitors can choose from a range of business and living space categories: Residential Apartment, Residential Villa, Office General, Office High-Rise, Retail and Hotel. Customers can roam the 3D environments using their mouse or touchscreen. Menus offer additional information on every model, including specifications, features, product videos and case studies. Simple to use and navigate, LGs new virtual platform is a great tool for consumers, industry professionals and partners looking to create healthier and more comfortable indoor spaces. "LG HVAC Virtual Experience is an open, engaging online resource that will give visitors a thorough understanding of LGs latest, optimised HVAC solutions for all kinds of spaces, helping them figure out which products are best suited to their specific needs," the spokesperson added.-TradeArabia News Service BMW Motorrad has agreed a long-term partnership with world-renowned British company Marshall Amplification, to raise the innovation and quality of BMW Motorrad sound systems. The legendary Marshall spirit and the development power of BMW Motorrad will in future be reflected in new innovative products for motorcycles and music, especially in the BMW Motorrad Heritage segment. For 60 years, Marshall, originally from Hanwell, London, now based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (UK), have produced legendary guitar amplifiers used by the worlds best musicians. Since 2012 it has expanded their audio quality into award winning headphones and active speakers designed for music lovers. TradeArabia News Service State oil giant Saudi Aramco is in advanced talks with India's Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) to acquire a stake in its oil refining and chemicals business for an all-stock deal, reported Bloomberg citing people with knowledge of the matter. Aramco is discussing the purchase of a roughly 20% stake in the Reliance unit for about $20 billion to $25 billion-worth of Aramco shares, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Reliance, which is backed by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, could reach an agreement with Aramco as soon as the coming weeks, the people said. Shares in Reliance extended gains to as much as 2.6% in Mumbai after the Bloomberg News report. A deal would forge closer ties between the worlds biggest oil exporter and one of the fastest-growing energy consumers. It would seal more than two years of negotiations and mark Aramcos first all-stock deal since its initial public offering in 2019. Ambani confirmed talks about a deal with an implied stake valuation of $15 billion that same year. Discussions were delayed by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and slump in oil pricesm, reported Bloomberg. A deal would help Reliance lock in a steady supply of crude oil for its giant refineries and make the Indian company a shareholder in Aramco. Based on Aramcos market valuation of about $1.9 trillion, a transaction would give Reliance a stake of around 1% in the worlds biggest energy company. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), a global cruise line with a 54-year history of breaking boundaries, has announced that its game-changing new ship, Norwegian Prima, was floated out from her drydock at Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera (Venice), Italy, marking a major construction milestone and the first time the new vessel touches water. Norwegian Prima will be the first of six vessels of Norwegian Cruise Lines new Prima Class. With voyages beginning in summer 2022, Norwegian Prima will offer guests exciting itineraries, more wide-open spaces, thoughtful and stunning design and a variety of new experiences. In keeping with maritime tradition, Norwegian Cruise Line hosted a commemorative coin ceremony to celebrate the float out construction milestone. In attendance were executives from NCL and shipbuilder Fincantieri, including Eamonn Ferrin, NCL Vice President of International Business and Emanuele Truant, Norwegian Prima Project Manager of Fincantieri. Tatiana Lazzarin, Head of Machinery Room Outfitting Technical Office of Fincantieri, was named the Shipyard Godmother during the ceremony. The float out signifies the completion of external works and painting, including the striking hull artwork designed by Italian graffiti artist Manuel Di Rita, known commonly as "Peeta." Work now continues on Norwegian Prima's interior fittings and guest accommodations, before she is officially delivered to the cruise line and commences sailing in summer 2022. "A ship's float out is always a significant milestone, but this one is particularly special," said Harry Sommer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. "Our 18th ship, Norwegian Prima represents an exciting new chapter for our Brand and the first vessel to be delivered in our groundbreaking new Prima Class. We've worked closely with our partners at Fincantieri to deliver a truly remarkable vessel. Their passion, skill and craftsmanship has brought to life one of the most stylish and innovative ships to ever set sail. I'm thrilled we're now one step closer to welcoming our guests onboard in just 12 months' time," Sommer concluded. "The float out of Norwegian Prima signifies a renewed confidence in cruise and a new era for shipbuilding," said Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the merchant ships division of Fincantieri. "We are glad to celebrate not only many months of hard work, but also the true spirit of collaboration between our brands a partnership that will lead the way for a pioneering class of ships in NCL's Prima Class." Norwegian Prima is the first of six ships in NCL's highly anticipated Prima Class, the brand's first new class of vessels in nearly 10 years. At 965 feet long, 142,500 gross tons and with capacity for 3,215 guests at double occupancy, the vessel is designed to put guests first. Norwegian Prima boasts wide-open spaces, thoughtful and stunning design, and a variety of new experiences for the brand. Laying claim to the title of the most spacious new cruise ship in the premium and contemporary categories, Norwegian Prima offers the most outdoor deck space and the most expansive accommodations of any new build. She boasts multiple company firsts, including Ocean Boulevard, wrapping around the entire deck over 44,000 sq ft, allowing guests to connect to the ocean while enjoying alfresco dining and unique experiences such as Infinity Beach, where two stunning infinity pools are positioned to take in the vastness of the ocean with uninterrupted views, and Oceanwalk, where two glass bridges will make guests feel as though they are walking on air over the water. Dining is elevated on Norwegian Prima with the addition of Indulge Food Hall, the brand's first upscale open-air marketplace offering diverse menu items from a variety of eleven different culinary venues. In addition, Ocean Boulevard hosts three restaurants; Onda by Scarpetta, Los Lobos and The Local Bar & Grill. Meanwhile The Haven by Norwegian on Norwegian Prima offers the brand's most exclusive and centralised 'ship-within-a-ship' suite complex. Spanning eight decks of suites and public areas, it is accessible via private elevators and located at the aft of the ship for the very first time. Designed to be more open to the sea than ever before, every public area in The Haven will offer spectacular views, together with a stunning new infinity pool overlooking the ship's wake and a new outdoor spa with a glass-walled sauna and cold room. Commencing summer 2022, Norwegian Prima will offer bucket-list itineraries in Northern Europe with voyages from Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Copenhagen, Denmark giving guests the opportunity to explore the stunning Norwegian Fjords and Baltic Sea. She will then sail a 12-day transatlantic voyage from Southampton to New York via Scotland's Shetland Islands, Halifax in Nova Scotia and an extended overnight stay in Reykjavik, Iceland. Through the fall and winter, Norwegian Prima will offer a variety of port-rich Bermuda and Caribbean cruises from New York; Galveston, Texas; Miami and Orlando (Port Canaveral), Fla., including calls to Harvest Caye, the company's private resort destination in Belize as well as the company's private island, Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas. - TradeArabia News Service by Aaron Haase The Yankee Air Museums Thunder Over Michigan air show took place in Ypsilanti, Michigan over the weekend of August 7th/8th 2021. Due to infrastructure construction on the East side of the airport and the Thunderbirds staging at Selfridge, this years event involved a hybrid drive-in format for visitors, who could watch the show from their vehicles, but also walk around a static ramp area to meet the crews and view some of the aircraft up close. The air show itself was spectacular. Early performer announcements included the US Air Force Thunderbirds and F-35 Lightning II aerial demonstration teams, the US Navys EA-18G Growler legacy flight team, a German Air Force A400M Atlas, along with a large gathering of North American B-25 Mitchells and a selection of other significant warbirds. Then a month before the show, the museums Kevin Walsh announced two further major additions to the air show lineup: the US Navy Blue Angels and Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II demonstration teams. Currently, Thunder Over Michigan is one of only two shows this year to have managed to land both the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds! Unusually, display flying began at 8:30AM, with an intermission to allow patrons and performers to grab lunch and explore the grounds before the afternoon performance started at 1:00PM; each display period was jam-packed with nonstop action. The morning shows started off each day with what they dubbed Mitchell Madness with all thirteen attending B-25s and the sole-surviving PBJ-1J Mitchell taking to the air. There was a rumble of building thunder as bomber-after-bomber started their engines and began pre-flight run-ups. During their performance, each Mitchell flew past air-show center three times for a strafing run, photo pass, and an open bomb bay pass. The Mitchells concluded their performance with a 9-ship flyover during the Saturday morning show and an 8-ship flyover during that afternoon and the Sunday shows. [wbn_ads_google-one] The attending B-25s included: After the B-25s recovered from their morning and afternoon portions of the show, the other performances followed a similar pattern each day: the VAQ-129 EA-18G Growler Legacy Team from NAS Whidbey Island (staging from Selfridge ANGB) took center stage with some fast passes. Following its solo display, the Growler formed up with Scott Scooter Yoak flying Jim Tobuls F4U-4 Corsair (BuNo.97143 Korean War Hero) to begin their U.S. Navy Legacy Flight demonstration. The German Air Forces Airbus A400M Atlas then made some fantastic flybys, especially during their morning performances, when they pulled copious amounts of vapor during their maneuvers. After the A400M, Louis Horschel performed a short aerobatic demonstration in TP-51D Mustang 45-11559 Mad Max. Once he landed, the Yankee Air Museums pride and joy took to the skies their magnificent Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Yankee Lady joined by four P-51 Mustangs each day: Louis Horschels Mad Max, Jack Roushs P-51D Gentleman Jim (Saturday) and P-51B Old Crow (Sunday), Tri-State Warbird Museums P-51D Cincinnati Miss, and Jim Hagedorns P-51D Old Crow. Three of the Mustangs joined the B-17 for a formation pass and then each made a few solo passes. Once these aircraft recovered, the US Air Force took center stage with the F-35 Demonstration team (staging from Selfridge ANGB) flying in the morning portion and the A-10 Demonstration team flying in the afternoon portion. The morning portion also included the crowd favorite US Air Force Heritage Flight which included the A-10 and F-35 forming up with Stuart Milson flying the Warbird Heritage Foundations P-51D Mustang Moonbeam McSwine. The finale for the morning air show segment came from the U.S. Navy Blue Angels in their new F/A-18 Super Hornets. The mornings high humidity sometimes meant the team disappeared in the incredible amounts of water vapor the team generated with their high-g maneuvers. I asked one of the Blue Angels crew members what time they had to start preparing for their morning performances, since this was highly unusual for the team, and he stated that they started prepping the jets as early as 5:00 AM! The final performance of the afternoon air show, of course, was headlined by the US Air Force Thunderbirds. The team had to stage from Selfridge ANGB due to the limited amount of ramp space available at the Willow Run Airport which resulted from the runway construction presently underway. The Thunderbirds new display routine seems to keep them lower and more in front of the crowd it also added a lot more thunder with several new passing routines with lit afterburners, including a diamond sneak pass! [wbn_ads_google-one] Saturday night also featured a photoshoot featuring P-51D Mustang Mad Max, F4U-4 Corsair Korean War Hero, and the Yankee Air Museums B-25D Rosies Reply. I was also lucky enough to take part in a B-25 photo flight, flying in the Commemorative Air Forces B-25J Show Me from which I was able to photograph the Commemorative Air Forces B-25Js Miss Mitchell and Maid in the Shade! Special thanks must go to the pilots of Show Me for allowing us to fly with them! Huge kudos, of course, go out to all of the Thunder Over Michigan personnel and staff for putting on an incredible event given all of the changes and curveballs with which they had to cope in our present circumstances. The drive-in parking grounds looked full and the speed at which the crew handled the morning and afternoon air show parking transitions was impressive to watch. Congrats to all on a well-put-together and well-thought-out event! Kevin Walsh, the Yankee Air Museums Executive Director and Director of the Thunder Over Michigan Airshow had this to say about the event: Thunder this year pushed the envelope of innovation in guest experience. We proved that quality wins out over quantity with all 4 air shows (in 2 days) being less than 2 1/4hrs. We saw the emergence of a much younger audience with a format change. And although many came to see the jet acts, they left talking about the B-25 segment. Many thanks to Aaron Haase from AirShow360 for the report and photos. For more great aviation photography, visit AirShow360 on Facebook. In a video message he speaks of an unexpected victory in speed and ease. The now ex-president Ghani justifies his flight abroad with the aim of averting martyrdom and the destruction of the capital. US forces take control of the airport, stormed by thousands of civilians trying to escape. Russia and China keep their embassies open. Kabul (AsiaNews) - "It is an unexpected victory" in terms of speed and ease and must now be followed by "humility before Allah" because this "is the moment of trial, it is about how we serve and protect our people. And how we ensure their future and the life" of the citizens of Afghanistan, now renamed "Islamic Emirate". This was the first statement tpo be made by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, considered by many the next "interim leader", a few hours after the taking of Kabul. In a video message he thanked the militiamen for the military campaign that led in a few days to the ouster of President Ashraf Ghani. From the palace, he promised "magnanimity" but, at the same time, recalled the eight years of captivity casting more than a shadow on the future of the nation and the region. The Taliban sing victory and proclaim the "liberation" of Afghanistan at the hands of the Mujaheddin less than a month after the twentieth anniversary of the Twin Towers, at the origin of the US military campaign. A flag of the jihadist movement flies over the presidential palace while a spokesman announces that "the situation is calm" and the objective is to form "an open and inclusive Islamic government". In the early hours of the day the streets of the capital appear deserted and dozens of stores and cafes remain closed; a decision taken by the owners to "defend" goods and merchandise, waiting for developments in the coming days. Meanwhile, the hasty flight of Western diplomats and foreign workers continues, especially among the representations of the United States and the European Union. The position of China and Russia is different: at least for the moment, they are keeping their embassies open and do not intend to withdraw their staff. The U.S. armed forces have taken control of the airport and repelled the onslaught of thousands of desperate people trying to flee the country. Several airlines changed routes to avoid overflying Afghan airspace. Several international airlines suspended connections to Kabul. The now former president Ghani, who has taken refuge in Tajikistan (or Uzbekistan according to other sources), in a message posted to social media has recognized the victory of the Taliban who are now "responsible for the honor, property and protection of their compatriots". He justified the departure by stressing that if he had stayed, "countless patriots would have been martyred and the city of Kabul would have been destroyed." Amid scenes of chaos at the airport and the apparent calm in the streets of the capital, Afghanistan is wondering about its immediate future, which seems to be more and more linked to the decisions taken by the Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar, who has the task of leading the transition towards the "emirate". According to some intelligence sources, he was born in 1968 in the village of Weetmak, in the province of Uruzgan and for many he was one of the most influential figures after Mullah Muhammad Omar. Since a very young age he has distinguished himself in the various wars that have bloodied the Asian nation, starting from the conflict with the Soviets in the '80s and continuing until 1994, with the foundation of the Taliban movement. After 2001 he lives for some years incognito, while rumors (false) of his death from tuberculosis follow one another; in 2009, in an interview with Newsweek, he releases a prophetic declaration: "Afghans never tire of fighting until they have liberated their country. We will continue the jihad, until the expulsion of the enemy from our land". In 2010, he was arrested by security forces in Karachi, Pakistan, in an operation considered at the time to be crucial in eradicating the Taliban insurgency. However, in October 2018 at the request of the United States, he was released to attend peace talks on Afghanistan. by NAT da Polis Dialogue and mutual knowledge between Christians, and between Christians and [the members of] other faiths, mainly our Muslim brothers here, can smooth out corners and clear up misunderstandings and fears that have no reason to exist. Istanbul (AsiaNews) A Eucharistic liturgy at the ancient Orthodox shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Sumela (Sumela), near in Trebizond (Trabzon), marked the end of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the diaconal ordination of the ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Celebrations began last Friday, 13 August, on the island of Imvros (Gokceada in Turkish), the patriarchs birthplace. The choice of places was not accidental. By starting the event on his native island to which he is very attached, Bartholomew also wanted to remember the 6,000 Greek Christians who lived on those lands before the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. With the latter, Imvros and the island of Tenedos (Bozcaada in Turkish) came under Turkish jurisdiction with Turkey required to grant full autonomy to the local population, a commitment the Turkish authorities have never respected. On the contrary, following a policy of ethnically cleansing religious minorities they forced the local population to emigrate. After the indigenous population was reduced to a few dozen people, the island was repopulated with settlers from Anatolia and lifers at a local open prison who were allowed to commit abuses against the population. In the last decade however, thanks to Bartholomew's work, the island has been repopulated with 500 Greek Orthodox from the diaspora who had retained Turkish citizenship. Thus, in 2013 a school was reopened with 43 students. Thanks to the ecumenical patriarchs work and initiatives, the mistrust between the two communities has disappeared and people are looking forward for a better shared future. The role of the Church in this case was fundamental. The monastery of Our Lady of Sumela has been a point of reference for Christians who lived along the Black Sea coast for almost 15 centuries. However, with the birth of Kemal Ataturk's Turkey, the monastery was closed, looted and abandoned to the elements. The famous icon of Our Lady, which according to tradition was painted by the Evangelist Luke, was taken by monks to Greece. Later Turkish authorities, to develop the local tourist industry, restored the site, which was in ruins. Since 2010, after almost a century, they allowed the celebration of a Mass in honour of the Assumption every 15 August. In 2015, because of further restoration, the Patriarchate was not authorised to hold Mass. In 2020, with the conclusion of the restoration work, permission was granted again to celebrate Mass on 15 August. However, the ecumenical patriarch refused to participate, sending a delegation in his place. This was interpreted as a show of displeasure towards President Recep Erdogans decision to turn Hagia Sophia and the monastery of Saint Saviour in Chora (Kariye Camii) back into mosques. In the Sumela shrine, the celebrations for the patriarchs 60 years of priesthood honoured a man who did not come from Constantinople elites, but grew up amid a thousand difficulties and privations. The son of a small village barber as he proudly describes himself, Bartholomew graduated from the theological school in Chalki, and was able to embrace the new ideas of Athenagoras and Melito on the importance of ecumenical dialogue, also thanks to his studies during Vatican II in Rome, which the patriarch defines as his second home. He is a cultured polyglot with an extraordinary ability to promote new ideas that help the development of human consciousness within the Christian tradition. His initiatives on environmental protection and interfaith dialogue are points of reference in his 30 years on the patriarchal throne in Constantinople. During last Saturdays vespers for the Dormition of the Mother of God in Trabzons Holy Mary Catholic Church, he stressed the importance for Christians of the Theotokos and on being brothers in Christ. When brothers come together, when they pray and work together, when they know how to recognise and overcome with love even the small differences that separate them, then the joy in heaven will be irrepressible. Today we certainly perceive this joy, the exultation of all those who have prayed and worked together here. This is an opportunity to commemorate before God who can do everything, the mournful event that struck this community fifteen years ago (the killing of Fr Andrea Santoro) from which came, however, new strength and ability to forgive and to engage in dialogue. Dialogue and mutual knowledge between Christians, and between Christians and [the members of] other faiths, mainly with our Muslim brothers here, can smooth out corners and clear up misunderstandings and fears that have no reason to exist. by Nirmala Carvalho The family of Omana, 68, approached the local church priest for the Hindu rite because they had no room for a funeral pyre on their land. Fr. Varghese Mathilakathukuzhy and some volunteers didn't think twice and welcomed the funeral in the Catholic cemetery. Thiruvananthapuram (AsiaNews) - A Catholic church has allowed the cremation in its cemetery of a Hindu woman. "Family members approached me and expressed their concern that they could not conduct the funeral on their own land. I didn't think twice," said Fr. Varghese Mathilakathukuzhy, vicar of St Jospeh's Church in Ramankary village, near Alappuzha. At a later date, Fr. Mathilakathukuzhy informed church council members and parishioners of his decision. "The response was unanimous, everyone said 'let's help them,'" he said. Omana, 68, had died Aug. 12. The family, which did not have the space to accommodate a funeral pyre on its grounds, approached the local church, for which the elderly woman's son had worked as a carpenter. Fr. Mathilakathukuzhy immediately mobilized a group of 25 young volunteers, the church's "special task force," which originated with the covid emergency but is active on multiple fronts. "Everyone was willing to help," the pastor said. Funeral rites were held inside the building and cremation in the cemetery. At 3 p.m., the church premises welcomed Omana's family members to pay their last respects, then volunteers lit the funeral pyre typical of the Hindu ritual in the cemetery. "Understanding and compassion for others is even more important now with covid," said Fr. Mathilakathukuzhy. "And I am proud of the way our church members have conducted themselves." by Steve Suwannarat After a failed last attempt to get parliamentary support, PM Yassin handed his mandate back to king who had sought the reopening of parliament. The decision by UMNO, which ruled the country for 60 years, was a decisive factor, as was the PMs poor handing of the pandemic. Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) The Malaysian government led by Muhyiddin Yassin has resigned. This morning, the prime minister held a cabinet meeting before going to see King Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin who accepted his resignation and reappointed Muhyiddin Yassin as caretaker prime minister. Malaysias political crisis has been dragging on for some time, but had intensified in the past month, showing not only the fragility of the ruling coalition but also of Malaysian politics in general, undermined by the need to balance too many elements. The crisis has also highlighted the contrast between political leaders and the sovereign whose constitutional role is often poorly tolerated or taken into consideration. The outgoing coalition government came into office on 1 March 2020. Its demise follows the decision of several parliamentarians from the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) to withdraw their support. For sixty years since independence, UMNO ruled the country, but suffered major losses in recent years, forcing it to take part in a fragile coalition government. Without UMNO support, the ruling coalition lost its narrow majority, opening a crisis that the outgoing prime minister did not want to acknowledge. Initially, Muhyiddin Yassin tried to avoid the reopening of parliament in a special session requested by the king for this month of August; failing this, he decided to stake his legitimacy to govern by asking parliament for a vote of confidence. This was a desperate move. In a televised appearance on Friday, he called for a non-partisan vote in his favour. However, the main opposition party, Pakatan Harapan, asked for his immediate resignation, given the PMs admission that he did not have the support of the majority of the members of the lower house. UMNO once again rejected Muhyiddin, who heads Bersatu, the largest party in the ruling coalition, claiming that he no longer enjoyed legitimacy, and slamming his willingness to talk with the opposition as an open corruption attempt. The PMs poor handling of the pandemic dragged down his government, but so did his weakness as a compromise choice for head of government. In a country weakened by crises, with 1.5 million coronavirus cases out of 32 million inhabitants and 12,500 deaths, Muhyiddin was not helped by setting off on a collision course with the sovereign who exercised his legal as well as moral authority. by Fady Noun The latest death toll stands at least 28 dead and 80 injured, plus dozens of missing. An illegal fuel tank burst into flames, an event that brings back memory of the tragedy of the port of Beirut. The incident has sparked popular protests. The parties linked to Hariri and President Aoun blame each other, while many call for the latters resignation. Beirut (AsiaNews) Pushed to the limit by record-breaking bad governance, lacking everything and affected by a shortage of petrol and fuel that is paralysing both hospitals and doctors, the Lebanese woke up on Sunday to a new tragedy. An illegal fuel tank stored in a warehouse caught fire and exploded killing 28 people in a pool of petrol on fire in the village of Tleil (northern Lebanon); at least 80 other people were hospitalised with severe burns. The incident highlights the level of incompetence and insensitivity by those in power in Lebanon, driven by personal and clientelist interests. A day of national mourning was officially proclaimed after the tragedy. This incident reminded people of the catastrophic explosion that devastated the port and part of Beirut on 4 August 2020, which killed more than 200 people and led to the resignation of the government. A year later, the latter has not yet been replaced. The explosion also triggered a wave of anger, which still cannot be measured, in a population that can no longer accept leaders who continue to procrastinate to form a government. Meanwhile, everything is in short supplies: food, medicine, work, fuel, dignity and access to savings, which a cunning and ruthless banking system controls, while accusing government authorities and the central bank of the deed. The incredible negligence by public authorities and the military is to blame for the situation. In a country angered by the lack of petrol and fuel, the tug-of-war between the central bank, political authorities and importers has placed their importation and sale under contradictory conditions. The discovery in Tleil of a private warehouse with illegal tanks served as a spark. The incredible negligence by public authorities and the military is to blame for the situation. Following orders, the military seized part of it for its own needs, then left the warehouse to be looted by a crowd deprived of everything, attracted by the windfall. Was it the deliberate act by the son of the owner of the warehouse, who used a firearm, or an accident due to the disorderly rush for the petrol? The circumstances of the tragedy have still not been clarified, although many witnesses claim that the tank fire was caused by spite. The fact remains that at around 2 am, the petrol tank blast plunged the country into mourning. The military announced that it had arrested the owner of the warehouse, accused by residents of storing petrol to resell at a higher price or smuggle it into Syria. In the early morning, three hospitals in Akkar, Tripoli and Beirut equipped to receive burn victims were invaded by the wounded and relatives of the victims, some in search of those missing. The corpses are so charred that we can't identify them, a nurse said, quoted by AFP. Some have lost their faces, others their arms. Because a number of people are "missing", DNA testing has begun. Enraged by the tragedy, young people from Tleil the morning after set fire to the villa of the owner of warehouse in which the illegal fuel tank was storied, blocking the path to the Civil Defence fire lorries that had come to put out the fire. The tragedy also triggered a virulent clash between Saad Hariri's Future Movement and President Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Current (CPL), who was urged to resign. In the evening, violent clashes broke out between protesters and security forces, near the Beirut home of Prime Minister-designate Nagib Mikati, while the flats of two lawmakers from northern Lebanon were besieged, with one vandalised. Will this tragedy hasten the formation of a new government, and the start of the reforms needed for international aid to rescue the economy, at a time when the national currency has lost 90 per cent of its value? This remains to be seen. The state of disorganisation of the government is such that the medical association and the company that maintains mobile phone services indicated that they lack fuel for their members and employees to travel. On Sunday evening, a Turkish plane landed at Beirut airport to pick up four severely burnt soldiers, Lebanons National Information Agency reported. Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan said he was in contact with Turkey, Kuwait and Jordan to transfer burn victims. Egypt has announced that it is sending a cargo ship of specialised medicines for burn victims, which are in short supply in hospitals. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Campus News Art installation recreates balcony where King was assassinated Heather Hart, Oracular Rooftops (Believe, Stop), 2014. Etching, aquatint, embossment, chine colle on paper, 15 x11 inches each. Courtesy of the artist and Davidson Gallery. UBNOW STAFF It is our responsibility as an organization dedicated to art and ideas to engage with the platform that Heather has built to reflect, study, memorialize, as well as envision coalitions and social movements for the future. Brooklyn-based artist Heather Hart will reconstruct the balcony where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in a new installation at UB Art Galleries, opening on Sept. 16 in the UB CFA Gallery. Heather Hart: Afrotecture (Re)Collection launches a new line of inquiry by the artist and will serve as a gathering space for the UB and greater Buffalo communities. It will be on view in the gallery in the Center for the Arts through May 21, 2022. The new commission is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts and partnerships with Assembly House 150 and the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center. Known for creating life-size re-creations of rooftops and porches that visitors can walk, climb and gather on, Hart brings liminal spaces of African American culture into art and museum spaces. Afrotecture (Re)Collection moves her practice to an investigation into historically specific architectural spaces of African American history and memory. Over the past two years, Hart has researched the history and architecture of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where King was assassinated in 1968. At UB Art Galleries, she will present an installation in which the motel balcony serves as a space for memorial, reflection, gathering and celebration, where visitors can move through and walk on the sculptural interpretation of the balcony. At the center of the work is a question posed by Hart and Liz Park, UB Art Galleries curator of exhibitions: How do we build a space of memory for ourselves and our communities in the future? Im even more grateful to be vaccinated, given how mild my symptoms have been, Harmon said in a statement. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated and also to not let their guard down as we try to get back to normal. Then the tacos arrived. Each single corn tortilla contained slender slices of pork heavily charred on one side, yet still juicy and succulent. Great al pastor is all about this mercurial balance. Go for too much char, and you end up with dry meat. Cook the meat too little, and the pork tastes chewy and lacks the irresistible flame-licked flavor. But when right in that sweet spot of crispy and luscious, its easy to see why al pastor makes people like me lose our minds. If youd like to know what my last meal would be, look no further. Dear K: Feeling guilty when youve behaved badly is appropriate. You and your guy conducted an extramarital affair and are now living together, despite the fact that he is still married. The guilt attached to these choices means that you two are thinking and feeling people who have behaved regrettably, but dont want to feel the discomfort attached to the consequences. Poor you! The Office of Protection is to be set up by January and, the agency said, will be an intake point for verification, assessment and assignment of complaints and concerns related to harassment, bullying and workplace hostilities. Traditionally, the districts inspector generals office has not handled allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse, so the new office will fill the gaps in reporting that typically exist, the district said. They were the youngest and oldest homicide victims in a weekend that saw at least 55 people shot, six fatally, according to Chicago police and Tribune records. Most of the shootings happened Saturday afternoon into early Sunday. They included at least one attack with four victims and several each in which two or three people were wounded, officials said. So just for someone to do this to these babies, you think about the people who are capable of such a thing. I wonder, what type of animal lives inside of people? she said. Because thats what youd have to be, an animal. What type of animal could do this? The 29-year-old Chicago police officer, widely praised for her compassion and service, was shot to death Aug. 7 during a traffic stop in the South Side neighborhood of West Englewood. Her partner was critically wounded. Chicagoans who encountered French say she made connections with people on her beat, connections that forge the kind of trust lacking for so long between cops and the communities they serve. If we had more officers like her, the community would be a lot better, Charles McKenzie, founder of a community group that works to bridge the gap between police and Englewood residents, told the Tribune. China's Long March-7 Y4 rocket, which will launch the new cargo craft of China's space station, on Monday arrived at its launch site in southern China's Hainan Province. The rocket, alongside the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft that has already been transported to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, will be assembled and tested at the launch site, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said on Monday. The manned spacecraft and carrier rocket for the Shenzhou-13 manned space mission are also undergoing preparations as scheduled at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, according to the CMSEO. The CMSEO said the facilities and equipment at both launch sites are in good condition and all systems that will be involved in the mission are undergoing orderly preparations. US (16-08-2021) Today, the buzz of kratom touches its peak and has broken all the records. It is a plant that is normally grown in southern Asia. In some places, it is considered a magical tree as it is beneficial to eliminate opioid addiction. The kratom leaves are also used by some people to eliminate pain, anxiety, and depression quickly. A majority of people are consistently using kratom to get an energetic and healthy lifestyle. There are many kratom forms available in the market, for example, Tincture, powder, capsules, pills, extract, tea, gums, and much more. These options make it easier for people to get a better way of ingestion. The demand for kratom products is boosting dramatically because of their beneficial properties. 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People also feel relaxed by using the best kratom products regularly. Individuals with expectations to know about the top kratom company and other details can feel free to visit this site. If necessary, interested people can click here or the official website for full insight Kratom. You can also contact us by providing the information below Website-: https://www.thedailyworld.com/marketplace/best-kratom-brands-review-top-kratom-vendors-and-products/ TPCC President Revanth Reddy participate in the rally on the occasion of independence day. (DC) HYDERABAD: Congress party state president A. Revanth Reddy has alleged that democracy is under threat in India under the fascist rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as also in Telangana under Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. India will get real Independence when Modi and Rao are ousted from their post, he said after hoisting the National Flag marking the 75th Independence Day on Sunday. He said only the Congress could make India a a powerful nation. Rahul Gandhi's ideology would help strengthen the nation, he said. Revanth said the Congress brought Independence for India in a democratic and peaceful manner. India had also become an inspiration for other countries in adopting the path of peace. Now, a few political parties are seeking to widen the gap between religions for their selfish interests and India has turned into an experimental laboratory for them, he alleged. Reddy said the Congress helped farmers by providing them free power, input subsidy and minimum support price. The SC, ST and other segments get rights on land due to Congress bringing in the land ceiling act. Instead, the Modi government turned farmers as slaves and brought forward anti-farmer laws in favour of industrialists like Ambani and Adani, he alleged. Modi and Rao cheated farmers, the unemployed youths and others with false promises of jobs and lands, Revanth said. An Independence Day March was held by Congressmen from the Nehru statue in Abids to Gandhi Bhavan. Revanth Reddy, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and AICC secretary Bosu Raju took part in the march. The Congress leaders felicitated 10 freedom fighters to mark the 75th Independence Day. With President Joe Biden reviving the Obama healthcare program, customers have until Sunday to take advantage of a special sign-up period for private coverage made cheaper by his COVID-19 relief legislation. Millions Signed-up Since Biden Reopens Obama Healthcare In a recently published article in MSN News, since Biden ordered the HealthCare.gov marketplace to reopen Feb. 15 to account for health insurance requirements in the pandemic, the administration claims that more than 2.5 million individuals have joined up. Then, in April, the cost of coverage decreased as a result of the COVID law's more generous subsidies, which drew in more people. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, is aiming to surprise doubters with this deadline weekend in mid-August. Moreover, across the nation, Biden's special registration session expires at midnight local time on Sunday. The normal yearly sign-up period will not begin until November 1, according to a recently published news article in Los Angeles Times. Read Also: Healthcare.gov Launches Computer Queuing System for Better User Experience Process of Application People who do not have job-based coverage may get subsidized private insurance via the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, which is accessible in every state. The Affordable Care Act also extended Medicaid for low-income people, which most states have chosen to do. According to the independent Kaiser Family Foundation, the two components cover roughly 27 million individuals. The application procedure may be lengthy, needing information on citizenship or legal immigration status, income, and family members. That is before a customer chooses a health-care plan. People may apply online, over the phone at HealthCare.gov, or via local initiatives. Biden's COVID legislation, which increased subsidies, has made a noticeable impact. With the more substantial assistance, the average monthly premium paid by new clients fell from $117 to $85 per month, a 27 percent reduction, according to ABC News. According to CMS, the median or midpoint deductible has dropped from $450 to $50, a nearly 90 percent decrease. By returning to the insurance marketplace, those who previously had ACA coverage may receive additional assistance. People who have been unemployed for a period of time are entitled to additional benefits. How to Sign-Up? Here are five basic steps on how to sign up and create an account before the deadline expires. 1. Visit the website HealthCare.gov 2. Once you are on the website, you have to select your state (the current state where you live) then input your basic information like your name, address, and email address. 3. Choose your username and password. Make sure not to share this with anyone. 4. For additional security, create and answer security questions. The website might need to authenticate your identity and this will be utilized in the future. This usually happens if the owner forgets his or her username and password. One important tip is that you should write down your answers and store them in a safe location so that you don't forget them. 5. Following it, you have to click "Create Account," Make sure to double-check all information that you enter on the website. 6. Answer questions based on information from your credit report to verify your identity. This will prevent someone else from registering in your name. It is also important to note that you will be allowed to proceed after you have answered all of the questions properly. If your identity cannot be confirmed online, you will get an email with instructions on what to do next. It is still much too difficult for individuals who work low-wage jobs to get and maintain health insurance. There is a need to increase access to cheap insurance as well as improve public awareness of the choices accessible to applicants. Related Article: Fact Check: Did Joe Biden Say Taxpayers will Fund Health Care of Illegal Immigrants? @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Talk show host Bill Maher claps back at protesting Democrats after they accuse Rep Kevin McCarthy over a half-meant joke. These onion-skinned Democrats had overreacted. It seems that they are free to call anyone what they want. Comedian Maher scathed the Democrats last Friday via his HBO show. 'Real Time.' He slammed the wayward party due to bad faith attacks on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) for what he said about Nancy Pelosi. The GOP member made a joke that drove heckles in the Republican ranks, but the Democrats took it quite sorely. However, most agreed and just laughed it off. Democrats overreacted to half-meant joke Maher talked about the foolish 'Woke Folks' who have attacked the actor, Matt Damon, cited Variety. The actor said he stopped with anti-gay slurs but later said he never spoke the word, reported the Blaze. He mentioned that the 'woke police' in 'wokeville' as reprehensible and unpalatable for denouncing the free opinion of Damon as an undemocratic parody of senseless wokeness; he added it was the bad faith arguments that were dishonest and contemptuous. Then elaborated how the Democrats were jumping up and down, very outraged with what McCarthy said two weeks earlier. The top GOP member was alleged to speak at fundraising for the party about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's gavel. He said hitting her with it is tempting, but noted Duty to America news, but he will use it anyway. It was about the mid-terms in 2022 if they win. But, the Democrats are floundering and flopping courtesy of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris well on their own. Bill Maher claps back at protesting Democrats who are part of these activities. Read Also: National Guard Denies Guardsmen Guilty Turning Backs on Presidential Motorcade in Washington DC It started over Pelosi's comment Pelosi called McCarthy a moron who caused the commotion. He added that it was the real part. The bad faith is something more detestable. Reportedly the gossip was that the top GOP remarks were misconstrued allegedly as intentional. They highlighted the jest as more than a joke. It was interpreted as violence against Pelosi. Two Democrats immediately jumped in and double-downed on the Republican, using rhetorics against GOP members. One of them, Hakeem Jeffries, immediately mentioned that it was intentional violence to women that is not funny. Next, Rep. Eric Swalwell (who was linked to Fang Fang) stated the Republicans should resign. Maher's following response is that these two just shut their mouths and keep quiet, expressing an intense dislike of Democrat lousy faith. Next, he pointed out how Jeffries and Swalwell are spreaders of bad faith against opinions. Saying that someone might think it's a threat of physical harm or that violence will be a laughing matter. Also, the interpretation is that Kevin McCarthy could be an assailant or that Matt Damon is a homophobic individual. Democrats are twisting words and meaning, not speaking the truth, the bad faith of their methodology. The 'woke' is now criticized and blasted in Maher's show. This culture that is part of the Democrats' thrust is twisting reality to get what they want. Bill Maher claps back at the protesting Democrats for their push of 'wokeness' that has poisoned more than McCarthy or Damon, allowing it to fester in the Olympics and cancel culture, even leftists who masquerade as seekers of social justice. Related Article: After Failed Conviction Pelosi Says Democrats Starting Independent Probe to Investigate Capitol Breach @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Meeting the challenge, the US Army amps up the Stryker with more weapons, including missiles and a laser to protect from battlefield threats. The army sees the need for infantry units to be adequately protected from getting the mission done. A changing battlefield needs weapons systems to be modified to take on ever-changing threats that can affect the survivability of these systems. The armored personnel carrier (APC) has several upgrades to protect troops better against drones, helicopters, and other aircraft. Combine with the speed of maneuvering infantry, which promises to be a flexible combat system on the ground, noted Warriormaven. Built to fight! With these hard-hitting upgrades, a Stryker fighting vehicle is now more lethal enough to take on enemy ground and air forces. Armed with Hellfire missiles, Stinger Missiles, and fifty-kilowatt lasers that take care of drone threats, reported the Nationalist Interest. New and improved mobile infantry vehicles are the army's fast-moving Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) program to add air defense. The program will finally integrate this capability to allow fast armor to protect itself while on the move. Daryl Youngman, deputy director for the Army's air and missile defense cross-functional team for Army Futures Command, said that the SHORAD program is going well as it progresses in development. It has achieved operation with the fast APC having guns, missiles, and capable sensors installed to find, track, and fire aerial targets. Per Military Today, the Stryker fast APC armed with the Hellfire and Stinger to shoot down an enemy plane or aerial targets. Read Also: US Army May Use These Futuristic Weapons to Face Adversaries in the Wars of Tomorrow Another technology to mount is a high-powered laser or directed energy weapon that will allow the vehicle to defend or fight. The vehicle has been tested with the fifty-kilowatt laser, an achievement in having a powerful mobile laser. One advantage of the directed energy weapon is that a shot is cheaper than firing a shell, which is also precise and less explosive. It is the weapon of choice when dealing with an enemy drone because it will not have much collateral damage from destroying it. It also limits the explosives and solid fragmentation parts of armed drones that will cause damage to civilians. The last significant change is the replacement for the Stinger missile that will be detachable by the soldiers on the Stryker. Minimal improvements are needed in the sensors, aiming, calculating, and fire control systems to control the weapons better. Other details about modernization Youngman added that the fast APCs are getting the upgrades accordingly. The army will equip about four battalions with these M-SHORAD Strykers; not having it on other weapon systems will be far from possible if there is a need for more air defense SHORAD fast armor. Support for M-SHORAD is in the Army's integrated support plan will include innovation and production, with all that is needed to get the project done, as its significance to the army grows. According to Gen. Edward Daly, the commander of US Army Materiel Command, the vehicle-mounted launchers are getting refurbished for the use of M-SHORAD other than Stryker and in developing this capability to get it going eventually for the platform. Related Article: US Uranium Tank Shells Are the Secret Weapons for Destroying Enemy Armor @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. According to a new research published in the journal Science Advances on Friday, wildfire smoke may have caused thousands of COVID-19 cases and fatalities in the West last year. Research Links Wildfire Smoke to COVID-19 Cases and Deaths In a recently published article in MSN News, from March to December 2020, Harvard University researchers examined data from 92 counties in California, Oregon, and Washington and found "strong evidence" that short-term exposure to fine particulate matter from wildfires increased COVID-19 cases and fatalities. The authors discovered that almost 20 percent of COVID-19 cases were related to a rise in wildfire smoke in several of the counties, all of which were affected by wildfires. Smoke was related to an even greater proportion of fatalities in certain areas. Wildfires are known to generate significant amounts of pollution that are potentially detrimental to human health, and previous research has connected air pollution to more severe COVID-19 symptoms. Air pollution may exacerbate COVID-19 symptoms while also increasing transmission, according to a published article in The Washington Post. Read Also: Turkey Wildfires Prompt Emergency Evacuation as Blaze Reaches Power Plant, Possible Massive Explosion Why Is Wildfire Smoke Linked to COVID-19? In a published article in National Geographic, thousands of different chemicals may be found in wildfire smoke, but particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) is one of the most common. PM2.5 is a well-known health hazard, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carefully monitors it, giving adequate data to evaluate its population effect. While traffic and industry-related PM2.5 emissions have decreased in recent years in the United States, wildfire smoke has become a significant source. According to a new study, smoke may account for almost half of particle pollution in the West and a quarter of national levels when it sweeps across the country during a wildfire. Scientists are still discovering the entire degree to which wildfires may endanger human health, but the preliminary study indicates that the smoke is potentially more hazardous than previously thought. However, it is unknown how smoke from this year's fires in California, the Pacific Northwest, and Canada may impact COVID-19 incidence rates, especially if the pandemic's deadlier and more infectious Delta form resurfaces. How Dangerous Is PM2.5? PM2.5 creates difficulties in two ways when it enters your body. "It gunks up your upper respiratory system," explains Sarah Henderson, scientific director of environmental health services at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control. Certain cells in the body contain little hairs that, like the legs of a caterpillar, are continuously pushing intruders up and out via mucus. Henderson said, "That's why you have to blow your nose," according to a published article in the Seattle Times. Second, wildfire smoke confuses your immune system, according to Henderson. Unlike bigger particles of particulate matter, PM2.5 is tiny enough to penetrate deep into the lungs of humans, triggering an immunological response. The body becomes susceptible when the immune system is overworked, and the COVID-19 virus is more likely to cause illness. Individually, the best approach to protect oneself is to be vaccinated, wear masks that protect against viruses as well as PM2.5, use air filters at home, or evacuate if there is excessive smoke pollution. Related Article: Arizona Wildfires Burn More Than 150,000 Acres; Governor Issues Emergency Declaration @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China's Association of Performing Arts on Sunday called for a boycott of a Chinese actor after photos of him at Japan's controversial Yasukuni Shrine taken in 2018 and 2019 circulated online and sparked outrage among Chinese netizens and media. The Yasukuni Shrine is seen by Japan's neighboring countries as a symbol of that country's past militarism, and remains a flashpoint for tension with China. The shrine honors Japan's war dead, including 14 World War Two leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals. China, which was occupied by the Japanese from 1937 to 1945, takes offence at visits to the shrine. "The misbehavior of actor Zhang Zhehan severely harms national feeling and brings baneful influence to his young age-group audience. Hence, we demand members not to engage him in any employment," said the association in a statement on Sunday. Zhang, 30, apologized on Chinese social media on Friday saying he is "ashamed of his ignorance". Still, state-backed People's Daily commented that Zhang should "pay a heavy price" for the "challenge of national dignity". More than 25 companies in China, including U.S. beverage maker Coca-Cola Co and Danish jeweler Pandora A/S, have announced the termination of partnerships with Zhang. Separately, China protested on Friday a visit to the shrine by Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters China was "greatly dissatisfied and firmly opposed" to the visit. The visit showed "the wrong attitude with how Japan treated its history of invasion and its malicious intention in challenging the post-war international order," Wu said. China has lodged stern representation to Japan on this matter, Wu said. (Reuters) Angry customers flock to the headquarters of Mergepoint in Seoul, demanding refunds of their pre-paid money, Friday. Yonhap FSS criticized for inadvertent response that triggers the 'bank-run' situation By Anna J. Park Financial regulators are being asked to intervene in the ongoing controversy regarding the pre-paid Mergepoint service with angry users calling for them to take responsibility over the issue. Some accused the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) of being negligent in its responses to questions on Mergepoint's activity, which have triggered the equivalent of a bank run on the firm. "This company has run this business for the past two to three years, so why is it that it was never supervised by the financial regulator? It's hard to fathom why customers must bear all the damages," an online petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website said, calling for a transparent investigation into the company. Problems erupted earlier this month, when the FSS notified Mergepoint that it was considered an electronic finance business under the relative financial law, and the firm had to register in order to conduct business. The FSS' resonse came to an inquiry by Mergepoint regarding its legal status prior to it expanding its business with further investment. Despite the company's pre-paid point business having been in operation for a couple of years since 2018, the FSS's notification earlier this month meant the company is an unregistered entity under financial laws. By August, over 1 million customers were using Mergepoint, as the pre-paid service offered a 20 percent discount on customers' purchases with points at stores. Once the FSS's position was made public early this month, most of Mergepoint's 200 member stores mostly large retailers and convenience stores which previously agreed to accept Mergepoint as a means of payment stopped accepting the points as a means of payment. So customers who had purchased Mergepoint prepayment cards asked for refunds. They are blaming the financial regulator for the situation, criticizing the FSS for failing to point out that the company did not meet legal requirements in the first place. They accused the FSS of not even understanding the legal category of the business while it was in operation. Mergepoint aims to normalize its service as soon as possible, once legal issues are solved. However, due to the uncertainty about refunds, some customers plan to file a class action lawsuit against the firm. Over 24,000 customers gathered online to take legal action against the company. The FSS's lukewarm response is also being criticized. At the start of the controversy, the FSS said it could not take action against the company because it was unregistered, according to related laws. It later said that it would compel the firm to register to normalize operations, and would closely monitor the situation. Mergepoint image captured from its website / Courtesy of Merge Point A U.S. military helicopter is pictured flying near the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Sunday. AFP-Yonhap Sunday's rushed evacuation of the South Korean Embassy staff in Afghanistan proceeded smoothly with the help of friendly countries, including the United States, a foreign ministry official said Monday. South Korea has temporarily closed its embassy in the war-torn country and evacuated most of its diplomatic staff to a third country in the Middle East amid the Taliban militant group's faster-than-expected advances to retake full control of Afghanistan. The evacuation decision came during Sunday's emergency virtual meeting where Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, Ambassador to Afghanistan Choi Tae-ho and other officials discussed the security conditions in the war-torn country, the safety of diplomats and other issues. During the meeting, Choi received a message from a friendly nation stressing the need to rush to an airport in the Afghan capital of Kabul for evacuation. "The message was about the need for diplomatic staff to move to a Kabul airport and the need to leave the country," the official said on condition of anonymity. "After the minister and the ambassador discussed the message, they decided to pull out all that can be withdrawn," he added. The official did not disclose which country gave that message, but it could be the United States or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that have been leading security operations in the country. Upon the evacuation decision, the Korean diplomatic staff scrapped classified documents and took other steps required to close the embassy, the official said. They then rushed to an airport, using a U.S. military helicopter. In the evacuation process, South Korea was able to use the U.S. military asset under a memorandum of understanding that the two countries signed earlier this year in the event of a contingency. Currently, three Korean embassy personnel, including Ambassador Choi, remain in Afghanistan in part to support the evacuation of a Korean national who has continued to stay in the country despite the government's call to depart. The Korean citizen is expected to leave Afghanistan on Monday. (Yonhap) Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan, fourth from right, hoists the country's national flag on the occasion of India's 75th Independence Day at the embassy in Seoul, Aug. 15. Given extant restrictions on social gatherings due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held in hybrid form. Cultural performances including patriotic songs and dances were performed by Indian community members, students and members of the Indian Cultural Center, and the entire event was livestreamed on the embassy's social media. Courtesy of Embassy of India in Korea Soldiers carry the remains of General Hong Beom-do, a historic Korean independence fighter, at Kyzylorda Airport in Kazakhstan, Aug. 15. Seventy-eight years after his death, General Hong's remains were finally repatriated Sunday, marking Korea's 76th National Liberation Day. General Hong is notable for leading the victory in the Battle of Bong-o-dong (Fengwudong) in China against the Japanese army in 1920. Yonhap President Moon Jae-in / Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae President Moon Jae-in instructed his government Monday to do its best for the safe evacuation of South Korea's diplomatic officials and residents in Afghanistan. He told relevant authorities to make all-out efforts so that every single South Korean national there can be evacuated to safety, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. President Moon Jae-in said it is very meaningful that the remains of Gen. Hong Beom-do, a legendary Korean independence fighter, have been repatriated to South Korea's soil, according to his office Monday. Moon conversed with the three members of his special delegation at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, the previous day. They traveled to Kazakhstan to bring Hong's remains home, 78 years after his death in the Central Asian country. Moon observed the arrival of the remains at the base during a ceremony broadcast live and had a conversation with the team led by Hwang Ki-chul, minister of patriot and veterans affairs. "It represents a very meaningful return for us," Moon was quoted as telling them. The other members of the delegation are Rep. Woo Won-shik of the ruling Democratic Party and Cho Jin-woong, an actor who starred in films on Korea's fight for liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. Woo leads a local foundation to commemorate Hong, who served as commander of Korea's independence army. The general is especially famous for leading the independence militias to a historic victory in the Battle of Fengwudong, called Bong-o-dong in Korea, in northeastern China against Japanese forces in 1920. Speaking to the actor, tapped as honorary ambassador for campaign to honor Hong, Moon requested proactive efforts to publicize his life and "noble spirit," Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said in a press release. (Yonhap) Gyeonggi Provincial Governor Lee Jae-myung announces his plan to provide universal COVID-19 relief handouts to all residents in Gyeonggi Province, during a news conference at his office in Suwon, Friday. Yonhap By Jung Da-min Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung, the leading presidential contender of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), is facing growing criticism from other presidential hopefuls of both the DPK and the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP). They say the governor is taking advantage of his post in the campaign for the presidential race, calling for Lee to quit as governor post to compete "fairly" in the next presidential election slated for March of next year. Such criticism grew especially after the governor announced his decision to offer universal COVID-19 relief funds to all provincial residents, Friday, contrary to the central government's plan to provide selective relief payments for individuals in the bottom 88 percent income bracket, endorsed by the National Assembly in late July. The Assembly passed a 34.9 trillion won ($30 billion) extra budget bill to give out stimulus checks worth 250,000 won ($214) to each recipient. But the governor of the country's most populous province, vowed to pay the same relief handouts to all provincial residents, including those who belong to the top 12 percent income bracket who have been excluded from the central government's relief grants. "The severity of the damage caused by COVID-19 varies from person to person, but everyone is suffering," Lee said during a press conference at the Gyeonggi Province Office. "All citizens who have been suffering together and actively cooperating with the government's social distancing measures, sharing the heavy burden, should be compensated equally." The governor said that the provincial government's provision of additional support to residents excluded from the support funds proposed by the central government, due to financial reasons, is to supplement and expand the central government's policy, and is also consistent with the principle of local autonomy of regional government offices. But the other presidential contenders of both the DPK and the PPP immediately slammed Lee for breaking the "consensus" reached between the parties at the National Assembly, calling him a "populist." Gyeonggi Provincial Governor Lee Jae-myung, left, bumps fists with former ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Nak-yon at a studio in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, after a YouTube livestream event to promote the policies of the DPK's presidential contenders. Yonhap Former DPK Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon, a strong presidential contender whose support rate is second to the governor's within the ruling bloc, said that Governor Lee is causing conflict by offering preferential treatment to Gyeonggi residents, and disregarding the consensus of the government, the ruling party and Cheong Wa Dae. Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, the leading presidential contender of the PPP who has often topped the polls of presidential hopefuls, said that Lee is using the governor post for his "populist cash handout plan." Rep. Yoon Chang-hyun, the director of the economic policy department of the former top prosecutor's election camp, said in a commentary, Saturday, "Is it fair for Governor Lee to pay even those in the high income bracket? . . . Lee must stop trying to misuse the people's money to support his own purposes." Critics say that Lee should either step down from the post or appoint an acting governor who could deal with both personnel issues and implementing the budget of Gyeonggi Province until the DPK's primary result comes out, to ensure fair competition. But according to the Public Official Election Act, Lee is allowed to hold the post until Dec. 9, three months prior to the presidential election, even if he wins the party primary in October. Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, the leading presidential contender of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), speaks during a conference with experts to discuss their response to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, held at his election camp headquarters in Seoul's Jongno District, Thursday. Joint Press Corps Passengers look out of the window to enjoy the view, Sunday, during a "sightseeing flight" that took them over South Korean islets in the East Sea, Dokdo, on the Liberation Day. Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye 'Sightseeing flights' to the Dokdo islets were operated for the first time on Sunday, on the occasion of National Liberation Day marking the 76th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. North Gyeongsang Province hosted the special event in a bid to promote a new Daegu-North Gyeongsang Province integrated airport scheduled to open in 2028 and another one scheduled to open on Ulleung Island near Dokdo in 2025. Dokdo has long been at the center of a territorial dispute between Korea and Japan, and the airspace over the islets is a military zone where passenger planes are usually not permitted to fly. By Kim Ae-ran "Are you a faithful Catholic?" Father Andrew Kim Dae-geon was asked this question during his interrogation in prison. By Kim Ae-ran "Are you a faithful Catholic?" Father Andrew Kim Dae-geon was asked this question during his interrogation in prison. He replied, "Yes, I am a faithful Catholic!" Overcoming the fear of death, he confessed his deep faith and willingly accepted martyrdom. This daring reply invites us to confess that God alone is everything and only faith guarantees eternal happiness. It also invites believers to declare that they bear witness to God's love and mercy and desires to be the salt and light of the world! UNESCO has chosen a universal patron who has put spiritual values into practice since 2004. "Dasan Jeong Yak-yong" (1762-1836) was chosen as a universal patron in 2012 in memory of his 250th birth anniversary. In 2013, "Dongeui Bogam," complied by Heo Jun (1539-1615) and published in 1613 during the Joseon Kingdom, was chosen at its 400th publication anniversary. This year, we celebrate the 200th birth anniversary of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon (1821-1846), the first Korean-born priest who became the patron saint of the Korean clergy. He was chosen as a universal patron in 2021. Kim Dae-geon lived for only a short time after being ordained. During his pastoral activity, he wrote twenty-one letters addressed to his father (Ignatius Kim who was martyred during the persecution of 1839), a teacher, a local government official, four missionary priests, Bishop Ferreol, and lay Catholics. Some of them were written in Latin and French, and the late Cardinal Jeong Jin-seok translated them. "Your glory in this empty field," a collection of his letters was first published by "Pauline" in 1997, and its revision in hardcover came out in 2021. Being essential for spiritual renewal, his letters testify to his strong faith. Several missionary priests in the seminary once worried about his health and lack of judgment, but he lived like a flame with the help of the Spirit of God. Among 21 letters written between 1842 and 1846, the last three letters (19th, 20th, and 21st) were written in prison, and the last letter was written in hangeul (the Korean script) for ordinary lay Catholics to encourage them to hold on to their faith, love each other and serve God as one body. Kim Dae-geon was born on Aug. 21, 1821, in a Confucian family in Solmae, Dangjin. He was baptized at 15 and traveled to a seminary in Macau, China together with Choi Bang-je and Choi Yang-up. He was ordained as a priest in Shanghai and secretly returned to his homeland after six years of study. He was assigned to arrange for more missionary priests to enter by the sea route, but he was arrested and beheaded at "Saenamteo" near the Han River in Seoul. His death came only 13 months after his ordination. Together with 102 martyrs, he was canonized in 1984 when Pope John Paul II visited Korea. On Aug. 21 this year, 1,750 Catholic Churches across the country are celebrating a Mass in memory of his 200th birth anniversary. In the upcoming September and October, various events such as the concert "The Last Letter," the creative musical "Our Friends," the street play "The Fortieth Night, the Twenty-second Letter" will be presented in some dioceses. The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (fsp.pauline.or.kr.) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication. Thorough probe, harsh penalty needed to prevent similar deaths A female Navy chief petty officer was found dead in her quarters Thursday. The military said she apparently killed herself after being sexually harassed by a senior noncommissioned officer (NCO). The alleged harassment took place May 27 while the victim and the suspect were having lunch together at a restaurant near their base on an island off the western city of Incheon. The victim promptly reported the case to her immediate superior, but asked for it to remain undisclosed. She then informed the commander of her unit about the case Aug. 7, and a formal report was filed two days later at her request. The case was reported to the top military brass, including Defense Minister Suh Wook, Aug. 11, 76 days after the harassment took place. Her death comes after the suicide of an Air Force master sergeant in May, who had accused a colleague of sexual abuse, sparked a national outcry that forced the Air Force chief to resign. What's dumbfounding is that the incident took place at a time when the military was striving to stamp out sex crimes following the death of the Air Force NCO. This is a testament to how insensitive the military is to sexual violence. The bereaved family of the victim raised suspicions of secondary damage to the deceased, revealing social media messages they had exchanged with her alleging that she appeared to have been bullied, isolated and excluded from work while not being separated from the suspect at the same unit. It's dubious whether any effort was made by the military to keep the victim from choosing to take her own life. President Moon Jae-in expressed "fury" after receiving the report on the latest case. But his words sound hollow, given that the military has become a fertile ground for sex crimes. The first step toward preventing similar deaths is a thorough investigation and harsh punishment. It's also imperative to establish a system in which sex crimes have no place in barracks. Financial authorities, shopping malls deserve flaks A dispute is escalating over digital coupon company Mergeplus, which has yet to refund many users, mostly general customers and small businesses. The company runs Mergepoint, a service model which enables subscribers to prepay cash so they can purchase goods and services at a 20 percent discount at some 20,000 franchises of 200 enterprises nationwide. For instance, if a customer pays 800,000 won ($686.69) into Mergepoint's app, they can make 1 million won worth of purchases at the contracted locations. Mergeplus began its business operations in January 2019, and has seen rapid growth, riding on the effect of "limitless 20 percent discounts." Currently, the app has 1 million subscribers, with average monthly transactions reaching 30 billion won to 40 billion won and cumulative points amounting to 100 billion won. The dispute was triggered when the company announced abruptly, Aug. 11, that it would reduce the number of participating businesses to 20 from the current 200. Hundreds of customers stormed Mergeplus headquarters in Yeongdeungpo District, southwestern Seoul, demanding refunds Friday afternoon. The current law stipulates that any company must register with the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) if it wants to issue digital coupons that can be used in more than two business categories. Yet, Mergeplus started the coupon business without being registered. The firm asked the FSS about its business feasibility, only to be rebuffed, so it abruptly suspended the use of Mergepoint in businesses other than food locations. Many users are underprivileged people who purportedly subscribed to the company's service to save money by purchasing daily necessities at discounted prices. Mergeplus should abide by its pledge to refund the customers without fail. Skepticism is growing over the Mergepoint business model regarding its sustainability in particular. The high discount of 20 percent cannot be maintained without being backed by equivalent profit models. The financial authorities said, "We never had the legal authority to supervise the company as it was not legally registered. It is actually impossible to expand supervision to unregistered companies." Yet, their explanation has failed to persuade the people. Despite their lack of supervisory authority, they should have notified the customers of the possible risks coupon services have. They should have checked and taken the needed steps over the past three years while the company expanded its business to the extent of having 1 million subscribers. Major online shopping malls such as Tmon, Wemakeprice, 11st and Gmarket also cannot avoid criticism alongside financial firms Hana Members and KB Kookmin Card. They are claiming innocence by saying there were unaware of the firm's failure to win approval from the proper authorities. This is highly irresponsible as customers might have decided to use the Mergepoint service since it had partnerships with those leading shopping malls and financial firms. A shipyard is seen in this file photo. Korea Times file New order prevails in global shipbuilding industry By Kim Yoo-chul After being paroled from prison, Samsung leader Lee Jae-yong should be able to move forward on a lot of sizable investment and mergers and acquisitions (M&As), which are seen as "major decisions" requiring Lee's signoff. The Samsung vice chairman is the group owner. Given Samsung Electronics' strengths in memory chips, top smartphones, displays and electric vehicle (EV) batteries, investors' primary focus is on how quickly Lee can resume his management, as well as if the global technology heavyweight will specify its investment targets to stay competitive in these designated four business areas. As its cash- and cash-equivalent assets totaled up to 200 trillion won as of last year, market analysts say Samsung will become more active in actualizing large-scale M&A deals to gain such hardware-driven technologies, now that Lee is able to approve major investments. Plus, any investments in Samsung's core businesses will be justifiable, as investors are seeking higher profits and more dividend payments. In semiconductors, Samsung is considering various options on how to level up its competitiveness, not just in memory chips but also in the contract-based chip manufacturing foundry business, as the demand for such advanced and high-efficiency chips will grow, on the back of driverless EVs, 5G wireless services and artificial intelligence (AI). Samsung announced earlier its intention to invest at least $17 billion to expand its foundry chip-making line in the United States, but it has yet to announce any final statements regarding the initiative. In EV batteries, its battery affiliate, Samsung SDI, was in talks with officials in the U.S. state of Illinois to establish its first battery cell-manufacturing plant in the United States. In the mobile business, the company was on track to find measures to stay afloat amid the continued rapid ascent of mainland Chinese rivals. A Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province / Korea Times file The pro-opposition group behind some of Hong Kong's largest protests announced on Sunday it had disbanded, but police vowed to press ahead with investigating it while Beijing said the outfit should not be spared from the legal consequences of its actions. Reuters-Yonhap The pro-opposition group behind some of Hong Kong's largest protests announced on Sunday it had disbanded, but police vowed to press ahead with investigating it while Beijing said the outfit should not be spared from the legal consequences of its actions. Hours after the 19-year-old Civil Human Rights Front issued a statement on its dissolution, the force said it was following up on the group's breach of the Societies Ordinance. Police had been investigating the legality of the front's operations since April, and authorities said the organisation had not provided requested information about its members, activities and finances within a designated time period. "[The front] has been operating illegally," the force said. "Police reiterate that an organisation and its members remain criminally liable for the offence committed, regardless of the disbandment of the organisation or the resignation of its members. The force will continue to go after any organisation or anybody who violates the national security law or other Hong Kong legislation." The State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) accused the front of colluding with foreign forces in staging "colour revolutions", a reference to protests in the Middle East and eastern Europe that forced governments from power. "The front realised its behaviour has severely touched the bottom line of the 'one country, two systems' principle, violated the national security law and other Hong Kong laws and is currently under investigation by police. It has gone into a cul-de-sac and thus announced it had dissolved in haste," the office's spokesman said. "But it will be dreaming if it thinks it could escape legal responsibilities." Only by going after such organisations through legal means could the city rebuild law and order, he added. Earlier on Sunday, the front said it was forced to close as no members were willing to take part in the work of its secretariat. "Over the past year, the government, in the name of the Covid-19 pandemic, has turned down protest applications by the front and different organisations. Many of our member groups are under oppression, with civil society being placed under unprecedented tough challenges," it said. While the front had originally hoped to continue to fight for its causes, the secretariat had failed to maintain its operations after convenor Figo Chan Ho-wun was jailed for 18 months in May over an unauthorised 2019 protest, the group admitted. "We have no choice but to announce our dissolution, as we have no members participating in the secretariat in the next term," it said, adding its trustee had been directed to donate its HK$1.6 million (US$205,560) in assets it owned to "suitable bodies". The front expressed gratitude to residents for their years of support, including the historic 2003 rally against proposed national security legislation, the 2014 Occupy movement and the 2019 anti-government protests. "Our calls resonated across the entire city. We let the world see Hong Kong, let the light shine in the darkness, and let democracy and freedom take root in people's hearts," it said. "Although the front no longer exists today, we believe different organisations will continue to uphold their beliefs and support civil society, without forgetting why they started." The move came less than a week after the Professional Teachers' Union (PTU), the largest for any single profession in the city, announced its disbandment amid political pressure, dealing yet another blow to the embattled opposition camp since Beijing imposed a national security law on the city in June of last year. The Post reported last Wednesday the front's member groups would discuss on Friday whether to endorse a motion on disbanding the organisation, and its latest statement confirmed the decision was indeed made at that internal meeting. Police chief Raymond Siu Chak-yee told pro-Beijing media last week the front could have violated the national security law as it had hosted a series of unlawful assemblies in recent years. He warned that authorities had gathered evidence and could take action against "unlawful groups" at any time. Joining the HKMAO's condemnation, the central government's liaison office accused the umbrella body of several crimes. "Many of the illegal assemblies and violent confrontations that took place since the city's handover to Chinese rule were actually incited, planned or organised by the front," the office said. "It has colluded with foreign forces, challenged the red line of the 'one country, two systems' principle and the city's constitutional order and severely poisoned the social atmosphere, which has pushed the city towards the abyss." Neither office issued such statements over the disbandment of the PTU last week. Earlier on Sunday, the front said it was forced to close as no members were willing to take part in the work of its secretariat. AFP-Yonhap Wu Huan speaks during an interview in a safe house in the Ukraine on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Wu claims that she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run "black site" in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a secret detention facility beyond its borders. She was on the run from the threat of being sent back to her home country because of her support of her fiance, Wang Jingyu, a perceived Chinese dissident. AP-Yonhap A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called ''black site'' beyond its borders. The woman, 26-year-old Wu Huan, was on the run to avoid extradition back to China because her fiance was considered a Chinese dissident. Wu told The Associated Press she was abducted from a hotel in Dubai and detained by Chinese officials at a villa converted into a jail, where she saw or heard two other prisoners, both Uyghurs. She was questioned and threatened in Chinese and forced to sign legal documents incriminating her fiance for harassing her, she said. She was finally released on June 8 and is now seeking asylum in the Netherlands. While ''black sites'' are common in China, Wu's account is the only testimony known to experts that Beijing has set one up in another country. Such a site would reflect how China is increasingly using its international clout to detain or bring back citizens it wants from overseas, whether they are dissidents, corruption suspects or ethnic minorities like the Uyghurs. The AP was unable to confirm or disprove Wu's account independently, and she could not pinpoint the exact location of the black site. However, reporters have seen and heard corroborating evidence including stamps in her passport, a phone recording of a Chinese official asking her questions and text messages that she sent from jail to a pastor helping the couple. China did not respond to multiple requests for comment sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its consulate in Dubai. Dubai also did not respond to multiple phone calls and requests for comment to the Dubai police, the Dubai Media Office and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Black sites are clandestine jails where prisoners generally are not charged with a crime and have no legal recourse, with no bail or court order. Many in China are used to stop petitioners with grievances against local governments, and they often take the form of rooms in hotels or guesthouses. Yu-Jie Chen, an assistant professor at Taiwan's Academia Sinica, said she had not heard of a Chinese secret jail in Dubai, and such a facility in another country would be unusual. However, she also noted that it would be in keeping with China's attempts to do all it can to bring select citizens back, both through official means such as signing extradition treaties and unofficial means such as revoking visas or putting pressure on family back home. ''(China) really wasn't interested in reaching out until recent years,'' said Chen, who has tracked China's international legal actions. ''This trend is increasingly robust.'' Chen said Uyghurs in particular were being extradited or returned to China, which has been detaining the mostly Muslim minority on suspicion of terrorism even for relatively harmless acts like praying. The Uyghur Human Rights Project tracked 89 Uyghurs detained or deported from nine countries from 1997 to 2007 through public reports. That number steadily increased to reach 1,327 from 20 countries from 2014 until now, the group found. Wu and her fiance, 19-year-old Wang Jingyu, are not Uyghur but rather Han Chinese, the majority ethnicity in China. Wang is wanted by China because he posted messages questioning Chinese media coverage of the Hong Kong protests in 2019 and China's actions in a border clash with India. Along with Uyghurs, China has been cracking down on perceived dissidents and human rights activists, and has launched a massive effort to get back suspect officials as part of a national anti-corruption campaign. Under President Xi Jinping, China's most authoritarian leader in decades, Beijing brought back 1,421 people in 2020 alone for alleged corruption and financial crime under Operation Skynet. However, the AP could not find comprehensive numbers for how many Chinese citizens overall have been detained or deported from overseas in recent years. Dubai also has a history as a place where Uyghurs are interrogated and deported back to China. And activists say Dubai itself has been linked to secret interrogations involving other countries. Radha Stirling, a legal advocate who founded the advocacy group Detained in Dubai, said she has worked with about a dozen people who have reported being held in villas in the UAE, including citizens of Canada, India and Jordan but not China. ''There is no doubt that the UAE has detained people on behalf of foreign governments with whom they are allied,'' Stirling said. ''I don't think they would at all shrug their shoulders to a request from such a powerful ally.'' However, Patrick Theros, a former U.S. ambassador to Qatar who is now strategic advisor to the Gulf International Forum, called the allegations ''totally out of character'' for the Emiratis. ''They don't allow allies freedom of movement,'' he said. ''The idea that the Chinese would have a clandestine center, it makes no sense.'' The U.S. State Department had no comment on Wu's specific case or on whether there is a Chinese-run black site in Dubai. ''We will continue to coordinate with allies and partners to stand against transnational repression everywhere,'' it said in a statement to the AP. Held in a villa Wu Huan, left, and Wang Jingyu sit together in a safe house in the Ukraine on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Wu claims that she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run "black site" in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a secret detention facility beyond its borders. She was on the run from the threat of being sent back to her home country because of her support of her fiance, Wang, a perceived Chinese dissident. AP-Yonhap Wu, a Chinese millennial with cropped hair dyed blonde, never cared about politics before. But after her fiance was arrested in Dubai on April 5 on unclear charges, she started giving interviews to media and getting in touch with overseas-based Chinese dissidents for help. On May 27, Wu said, she was questioned by Chinese officials at her hotel, the Element al-Jaddaf, and then taken by Dubai police to the Bur Dubai police station. Staff for the hotel declined in a phone interview to confirm her stay or her departure, saying it was against company policy to disclose information about guests. She was held for three days at the police station, she said, with her phone and personal belongings confiscated. On the third day, she said, a Chinese man who introduced himself as Li Xuhang came to visit her. He told her he was working for the Chinese consulate in Dubai, and asked her whether she had taken money from foreign groups to act against China. ''I said no, I love China so much. My passport is Chinese. I'm a Chinese person. I speak Chinese,'' she said. ''I said, how could I do that?'' Li Xuhang is listed as consul general on the website of the Chinese consulate in Dubai. The consulate did not return multiple calls asking for comment and to speak with Li directly. Wu said Li took her out of the police station along with another Chinese man who handcuffed her, and they put her in a black Toyota. There were multiple Chinese people in the car, but Wu was too scared to get a clear look at their faces. Her heart thumping, they drove past an area where many Chinese lived and owned businesses in Dubai called International City, which Wu recognized from an earlier trip to Dubai. After driving for half an hour, they stopped on a deserted street with rows of identical compounds. She was brought inside a white-colored villa with three stories, where a series of rooms had been converted into individual cells, she said. The house was quiet and cold in contrast with the desert heat. Wu was taken to her own cell, a room which had been renovated to have a heavy metal door. There was a bed in her room, a chair and a white fluorescent light that was on all day and night. The metal door remained closed except when they fed her. ''Firstly, there's no sense of time,'' Wu said. ''And second, there's no window, and I couldn't see if it was day or night.'' Wu said a guard took her to a room several times where they questioned her in Chinese and threatened that she would never be allowed to leave. The guards wore face masks all the time. She saw another prisoner, a Uyghur woman, while waiting to use the bathroom once, she said. A second time, she heard a Uyghur woman shouting in Chinese, ''I don't want to go back to China, I want to go back to Turkey.'' Wu identified the women as Uyghurs based on what she said was their distinctive appearance and accent. Wu said she was fed twice a day, with the second meal a stack of plain flatbread. She had to ask the guards for permission to drink water or go to the bathroom. She was supposed to be allowed to go the bathroom a maximum of five times a day, Wu said, but that depended on the mood of the guards. The guards also gave her a phone and a SIM card and instructed her to call her fiance and pastor Bob Fu, the head of ChinaAid, a Christian non-profit, who was helping the couple. Wang confirmed to the AP that Wu called and asked him for his location. Fu said he received at least four or five calls from her during this time, a few on an unknown Dubai phone number, including one where she was crying and almost incoherent. She again blamed Wang and said Fu should not help him. The AP also reviewed text messages Wu sent to Fu at the time, which are disjointed and erratic. ''I could tell she was hiding from telling me her whereabouts,'' said Fu. ''At that point we concluded that something has happened to her that prevented her from even talking.'' Wu said towards the end of her stay, she refused meals, screamed and cried in an effort to be released. The last thing her captors demanded of her, she said, was to sign documents in Arabic and English testifying that Wang was harassing her. ''I was really scared and was forced to sign the documents,'' she told the AP. ''I didn't want to sign them.'' Hub for Chinese Intelligence Wu Huan, right, and Wang Jingyu stand together in a safe house in the Ukraine on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Wu claims that she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run "black site" in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a secret detention facility beyond its borders. She was on the run from the threat of being sent back to her home country because of her support of her fiance, Wang, a perceived Chinese dissident. AP-Yonhap Fairfield Memorial Hospital Fairfield, Illinois Chief Nursing Officer Fairfield Memorial Hospital is seeking a motivated, critical-thinking Registered Nurse. BSN required. MSN or MBA is preferred. Applicant should have previous management experience in a nursing unit, hospital, or hospital system. Applicant should be someone with excellent current clinical skills to assist in leading their department managers and staff in developing and honing their skills and patient interactions. Applicants should have budgeting knowledge and experience, and be flexible with the ever-changing landscape of health care today. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of two interviews with a panel of hospital executives, and a third interview with CEO. Resumes for this position can be mailed to: Fairfield Memorial Hospital Attn: Human Resources Department 303 NW 11th Street Fairfield, IL 62837 Email: lynde.hickox@fairfieldmemorial.org To learn more about this position, contact FMH HR Director at 618-847-8270. To apply online: Click the apply button Fairfield Memorial Hospital maintains a work environment free from discrimination, one where employees are treated with dignity and respect. All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling Fairfield Memorial Hospital's commitment to equal employment opportunity. Fairfield Memorial Hospital does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We adhere to these principles in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, benefits, social and recreational programs, and discipline. In addition, it is the policy of Fairfield Memorial Hospital to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees who have protected disabilities to the extent required by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances where a particular employee works. For more information about reasonable accommodation, visit the Accommodation Request page. recblid z9piicxg4ce9ih50dowjzjhknsehz7 Combine two of the fastest-growing fields on the planet with a culture of performance, collaboration and opportunity and this is what you get. Leading edge technology in an industry that's improving the lives of millions. Here, innovation isn't about another gadget, it's about making health care data available wherever and whenever people need it, safely and reliably. There's no room for error. Join us and start doing your life's best work.(sm) Challenge brings out the best in us. It also attracts the best. That's why you'll find some of the most amazingly talented people in health care here. Bring your skills and talents to a role where you'll have the opportunity to make an impact on a huge scale. ***Position is eligible for up to 50% work at home with demonstrated proficiency and high performance, and being onsite the remainder of the time to foster team cohesion, spirit and camaraderie through demonstrating our UnitedHealth Group cultural values and protocols. As a Fortune 5 performance - based company we offer competitive pay and benefits, including a sign-on bonus for this position.*** This position will require active and unrestricted Nursing licensure in multiple US States. Selected candidate must be willing and able to obtain and maintain multiple state licensure / compact agreement (Application fees and filing costs paid for by UHG). You will be required to work an 8-hour or 10 hour shift, ending at 9:00 PM. Two weekend days each month may also be required. Primary Responsibilities: Making outbound calls and taking inbound calls to assess members' current health status Identifying gaps or barriers in treatment plans Providing patient education to assist with self - management Interacting with Medical Directors on challenging cases Coordinating care for members Educating members on disease processes Encouraging members to make healthy lifestyle changes Documenting and tracking findings Making post - discharge calls to ensure that discharged member receive the necessary services and resources 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: A current, unrestricted RN license in the State of Georgia 3+ years of RN experience in a hospital setting, acute care, direct care experience OR experience as a telephonic Case Manager for an insurance company Willingness to obtain multiple state and/or compact licensure Ability to travel to the Sandy Springs Atlanta, GA office Bilingual (Spanish / English) fluency Preferred Qualifications: BSN Oncology experience A background in managed care Case or disease management experience Experience working with Medicare / geriatric patients Experience / exposure with discharge planning Certified Case Manager (CCM) Medical / Surgical, Home Health, Diabetes or Cardiac experience or certification Computer proficiency, to include strong data entry skills and the ability to navigate a Windows environment Answer the call to use your diverse knowledge and experience to make health care work better for our patients. Join us and start doing your lifes best work.(sm) Careers with Optum. Here's the idea. We built an entire organization around one giant objective; make health care work better for everyone. So when it comes to how we use the world's large accumulation of health-related information, or guide health and lifestyle choices or manage pharmacy benefits for millions, our first goal is to leap beyond the status quo and uncover new ways to serve. Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, brings together some of the greatest minds and most advanced ideas on where health care has to go in order to reach its fullest potential. For you, that means working on high performance teams against sophisticated challenges that matter. Optum, incredible ideas in one incredible company and a singular opportunity to do your life's 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 a 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. Job Keywords: Case Manager, RN, Registered Nurse, BSN, Atlanta, GA, Georgia, Roswell, Marietta, Duluth, Norcross, Decatur Location: West Chicago, IL Make banking a Fifth Third better(R) We connect great people to great opportunities. Are you ready to take the next step? Discover a career in banking at Fifth Third Bank. GENERAL FUNCTION: Provide excellent customer care to customers regarding daily transactions, addressing inquiries, and problem resolution, in accordance with Fifth Third Bank policies. Refer customers to the appropriate business partner for products and services uncovered during business interactions and/or conversations. Function in a capacity that performs the most complex duties of a CSR, exercising considerable independent judgment. Responsible and accountable for risk by openly exchanging ideas and opinions, elevating concerns, and personally following policies and procedures as defined. Accountable for always doing the right thing for customers and colleagues, and ensures that actions and behaviors drive a positive customer experience. While operating within the Bank's risk appetite, achieves results by consistently identifying, assessing, managing, monitoring, and reporting risks of all types. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Customer Service: Promote good customer relations by consistently providing premier customer satisfaction with a friendly demeanor, can-do attitude, and willingness to help at all times. Have a developed rapport with the customer base, greet by/use name, have knowledge of account ownership, be responsive and timely with correspondence and problem resolution, and display a caring attitude. Act with confidence by answering or finding the answers to customer questions and finding solutions to customer issues. Maintain a position of trust and responsibility by keeping all customer business confidential. Follow the Bancorp Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and other related policies, maintaining ethical behavior at all times. Bank Operations/Transactions: Perform daily office responsibilities, working with the PB, FSR, or FCM, to maintain the efficient operation of the office. Cash withdrawal and check signing approvals. Approval of ace transactions. Night deposits. Dual Key Process. Maintain personally a balancing record that is in line with policy and have the ability to find and correct outages and to enlist help as needed for more difficult errors. Maintain knowledge of the bank policies and financial center procedures, and take responsibility to keep up to date on any changes. Demonstrate sound judgment in decision making, abiding appropriately to established guidelines and procedures. Perform in the role of training and development personnel for new CSRs and /or existing CSRs as needed. Help to identify any other CSRs who are capable of training new staff members. As Lead, monitor the operation behind the CSR line. Delegate work and take issues to Customer Services Manager as needed. As Lead, act as office resource personnel for CSR activity, answering questions and finding solutions to customer issues and financial center procedures; assist management in keeping CSRs up-to-date as requested. Consistently meet or exceed sales referrals as set by management. Continuously increase knowledge and skills through self-motivation, formal education, seminars and in-house training. Maintain a well-developed working knowledge of the complete line of products and services offered, taking responsibility to keep up to date and request assistance for further development needs. Initiate conversations to uncover customer needs and be capable of effectively referring customers to business partners for the selling and cross-selling bank products and services to customers, so that personal and Bank goals are consistentlymetand/orexceeded. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None. MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED: High school diploma/GED. Position requires in-depth knowledge of retail policies and procedures in order to perform the essential duties with minimal supervision, which is usually acquired with a minimum of 3 years of CSR experience. Ability to demonstrate advanced math functions. Must have the ability to interact comfortably and confidently with the public. Must present evidence of ability to communicate via written or verbal format, at a professional level common within a business setting. Work requires the ability to take initiative and utilize sound judgment in decision-making and problem resolution. Must demonstrate the ability to establish self as a leader. Must be able to work in a team environment with the ability to interact well, and in a positive manner, with co-workers and management. Need to have flexibility in scheduling. Bilingual Lead CSR/Teller - West Chicago - Full Time LOCATION -- West Chicago, Illinois 60185 Fifth Third Bank, National Association is proud to have an engaged and inclusive culture and to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status. Description The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees on Jan. 28 adopted three calendars for the next two school years, with the majority of schools set to have a traditional calendar. Click the appropriate calendar below to see your campuses schedule for the 2021-2022 School Year: Base Calendar Intersession Calendar School Day Redesign 1 School Day Redesign 2 Develop and implement lesson plans that fulfill requirements of the district's curriculum program and show written evidence of preparation as required Prepare lessons that reflect accommodations for differences in student learning styles Present subject matter according to guidelines established by Texas Education Agency, Board of Trustee policies, and administrative regulations Establish efficient classroom management procedures Establish and maintain standards of pupil behavior Establish a system of students evaluation within the guidelines prescribed in state law or adopted by the school district Continually evaluate and record various aspects of students' progress and report to parents as needed and required Teach within the course of study for the subject area at the grade level as prescribed in state law or adopted by the school district Understand and plan lessons leading to subject area objectives and assume the responsibility for written lesson plans for substitutes Provide a variety of planned learning experiences using a variety of media and methods in order to motivate students and best utilize available time for instruction Identify pupil needs and cooperate with other professional staff members in assessing and helping students resolve health, attitude, and learning problems Be available for counseling with students and parents before and after school. Share the responsibility of interpreting the educational programs to the community through such activities as open house and PTA meetings Plan and coordinate the work of aides and other paraprofessional and student teachers (when applicable) Participate cooperatively with the principal to develop the system by which he/she will be evaluated in conformance with the district's uniform guidelines for evaluation and assessment Keep accurate records of student information; compile, maintain, and file all reports, records, and other documents required by the school and district Performs all other tasks and duties as assigned Regular and punctual attendance at the worksite is required for this position WORK ENVIRONMENT: The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Travel throughout the district is integral to this job. A remote working environment /alternate work arrangement is not an option for campus-based employees/campus-based positions because regular and punctual attendance at the worksite and performing all duties at the worksite are essential job duties for all campus-based personnel. Qualifications The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required of this job: Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university; valid Texas teacher certificate with required endorsements for subject and subject level assigned. Demonstrated general knowledge of curriculum and instruction. Demonstrated knowledge of various routine tasks, duties, and procedures and the ability to follow specific instructions with little or no previous experience. Present subject matter according to guidelines established by Texas Education Agency, Board of Trustee policies, and administrative regulations. Establish efficient classroom management procedures. Demonstrated flexibility to cope with the challenges of a rapidly changing world Demonstrated willingness to remain current with the latest developments in the profession President Mnangagwa has arrived in Malawi for the 41st Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government, which runs from tomorrow to Wednesday. He was met at Kamuzu International Airport by Zimbabwes Ambassador to Malawi, Dr Nancy Saungweme; Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Frederick Shava, who was part of the advance delegation; and senior officials from the host country. In addition to taking stock of the progress made in deepening regional integration and industrialisation, regional leaders will also assess the security situation in the region. One of the key highlights of the meeting will be the election of a new Executive Secretary for the bloc after the expiry of Dr Stergomena Lawrence Taxs tenure. President Elect Hakainde Hichilema has pledged to unite Zambia and restore the one Zambia one nation motto. He said those who voted for the UPND and those who did not vote for UPND would be treated the same. Mr. Hichilema said his cabinet will reflect the motto as it will have a national character.He said tribe will not matter under his leadership as Zambians will have equal opportunities. Addressing the media at his residence in Lusaka today, Mr. Hichilema added that rising through the ranks of the civil service will be based on competence and not tribe. And Mr.Hichilema told those who will be appointed not to marginalise citizens but to be tools for inclusion, unity and creating opportunities for all. Mr. Hichilema also said now that the elections are over, its time to move on and work for Zambians saying he is here to serve. He also thanked Zambians for giving the UPND Alliance a resounding victory attributing it to the key role the youths played. Mr .Hichilema thanked his running mate Ms. Mutale Nalumango, all the members of the UPND Alliance, the candidates, the campaign teams and well-wishers who worked tirelessly on the front lines and behind the scenes. The President Elect thanked his wife Mutinta, who he said has always been by his side through thick and thin. You will make an incredible First Lady. To my children and the rest of my family, your love and enduring support has been a great source of strength, Mr.Hichilema said. Close relatives of the late music superstar Dr Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi this weekend unveiled his tombstone in Madziwa at a private ceremony held in observance of Covid-19 containment regulations. The music and cultural icon, who was declared a national hero, died on January 23, 2019. A mini service was conducted by a Methodist Church in Zimbabwe pastor before speeches were delivered by close relatives and friends. Walter Wanyanya, who managed Tuku, confirmed the development. Yes, the event was a private one with few attendees due to Covid-19 restrictions and regulations. As you know Dr Mtukudzi is a national hero and all heroes tombstones and final resting places are therefore taken care of by the Government of Zimbabwe. From the time he was declared a hero, the Government has been there with us. Nzou was a hero to many if not all of us. The unveiling was done according to plan as heroes month, he said. Wanyanya said the design of the tombstone was a tribute to the late hero. The design is a combination of a standard national heros final resting place and the Mtukudzi familys input, he said. He did not shed light on the cost of the tombstone. Speaking at the ceremony, the deceaseds friend, poet and songwriter Chirikure Chirikure said some questions were difficult to answer as it was hard and Gods case. If we try to ask ourselves about tree leaves we see in the streets or pave-way at our home, asking ourselves how the leaves got there or what, you may end up being mentally disturbed. What you need to do is just sweep the place and accept reality. If the leaves fall from a tree and be anyway just accept it. You can even use the same leaves as manure and put them on a tree and you have helped it to grow well, he explained. Chirikure said in life there were some situations that required people to simply accept and be strong. Herald Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) Five persons were killed while five others sustained various levels of injury when bandits invaded Madamai village in Kagoro Chiefdom, Kaura Local Government Area (LGA), of Kaduna State Alien Metals has been making strong progress with its iron ore and silver projects Broker Turner Pope has said that there is quite significant potential for an upward reassessment of the valuation of ( ), after drill results from the Hancock iron ore property in Australia showed clear potential for a direct shipping ore operation. With the project potentially firming up as a standalone operation, selected results include 47 metres at 61.5% iron from two metres and 78 metres at 61.2% iron from one metre, said Turner Pope. Having now defined continuous DSO grade iron ore over a strike length of 350 metres at the Sirius Extension alone, once all laboratory results are available management will have sufficient data to calculate a maiden JORC resource for the prospect. Indeed, maiden resource estimation work has already commenced and Alien is confident that the current drill spacing is sufficient to enable the delineation of a maiden JORC resource. Laboratory results from the second phase of in-fill drilling have further confirmed excellent potential for the Sirius Extension project, continued Turner Pope. Further drilling at the Western Ridges project is presently being planned as a third phase program, with expectation that this further pinpoint drilling will deliver a second, comparable sized resource. As part of this work, management is also planning for surface traverses and sampling of as yet untested parts of the tenement while also considering a further program in new areas where it now has improved access. Meanwhile, Alien has engaged specialist mining consultants Mining Plus, a global mining services provider, to deliver a high-level scoping study for the Sirius Extension prospect. Mining Plus has extensive experience with similar DSO grade projects that have recently transitioned from explorer to producer in Western Australia. This is expected to provide valuable data as a benchmark for the group, said Turner Pope, and is expected to provide robustness to the financial model even at this relatively preliminary stage. John Battista, Mining Pluss Principal Mining Consultant, also sounded a note of enthusiasm. Based on our conceptual study-level work to date, he said, the Hancock project has the potential to be developed into a niche direct-shipping iron ore producer in the heart of the world-famous Pilbara region of Western Australia. The company is in a reasonable financial position, according to Turner Pope. Alien remains reasonably well capitalised, with sufficient financial resources to provide a working runway beyond the end of 2021, the broker said. Over this period, it is expected to continue to build upon the recent exceptional run of development progress reported across its portfolio of highly prospective base and precious metals exploration projects. These include its 90% controlled high grade Hamersley Iron Ore Project and 100%-owned Elizabeth Hill Silver Project in Western Australia as well as the newly acquired surrounding Exploration Licence, Munni Munni North, while carrying out a maiden drilling programme at its 100%-owned Los Campos and San Celso silver projects in Mexico. Previously, Turner Pope has individually assessed each of Aliens continuing projects and derived a sum-of-parts upside valuation of 82.9mln. Hamersley dominated in that assessment, contributing some 61.2mln of the total. But since then Alien has successfully increased its holding in the Brockman and Hancock Ranges projects from 51% to 90% through a cash and shares transaction. Aliens most obvious albeit more advanced peer, Fenix Resources Limited is presently valued at A$161mln, some way ahead of Aliens own market capitalisation of around 28mln. The deal was funded via a combination of cash, debt and equity Quarried materials specialist ( ) PLC ( ) said its 470mln acquisition of Nordkalk has been approved by the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. Completion of the deal, which was funded from a combination of cash, debt and equity, is expected on August 31. Chief executive Max Vermorken said: "We are delighted with this swift decision from the Polish competition authority and look forward to working with our new colleagues at Nordkalk to generate value for our shareholders." On August 3, VNH announced a tender offer for 30% of the company's shares Vietnam Holding Ltd said July was a volatile month for the country, as the economic growth streak of the past 12 months was affected by the spread of the Covid-19 delta variant and regional disruption. The fund's net asset value (NAV) was down 2.6% for the month but outperformed the VNAS and other indices in Vietnam, which saw their biggest equity market declines since the pandemic. FPT remained a top positive contributor in VNH's portfolio as demand for technology and IT services continue to thrive throughout the pandemic. In response to the rising infections, the Vietnamese government plans to vaccinate 70% of the population in the capital Ho Chi Minh City, where most of the cases in the country were concentrated, by the end of August. Dynam Capital, the funds manager, also highlighted Vietnams position in the electric vehicles market following the UN climate change report earlier this month. Vietnam's first-ever domestic car manufacturer, VinFast, a subsidiary of Vingroup, sold 50,000 e-motorbikes in 2019, it points out, and has partnered with Austria-based battery tech provider, Kreisel Electric, to make batteries for electric cars and buses. Collaborations such as this offer "opportunities in logistics and industrial real-estate, which are sectors we are invested in, and we see as primed for longer-term growth", said Dynam. Tender offer VNH also reminded investors that on August 3, it announced a tender offer for 30% of the company's shares at a 2% discount to August 31 NAV. Shareholders on the register at August 2 may participate in the tender by 26 August and all are reminded to vote prior to the August 31 EGM. ( , )'s ( ) Tim Livesey joins Proactive London to discuss the latest drilling results from the Fare and Madina Bafe prospects on the Senala joint venture project in Senegal. The best results include up to 70.00 meters grading 1.46 grammes per tonne (g/t) gold from Fare and 10.00 metres grading 1.69 g/t gold from Madina Bafe. Livesey is confident this prospect has the opportunity to host a stand-alone resource and ultimately the potential to host a mine development. In a research paper, the tech giant proposed a blockchain-based system, built on the Ethereum network, that is designed to incentivise users to participate and reinforce anti-piracy campaigns Microsoft Corp ( ) is reportedly considering using the Ethereum blockchain to combat internet and software piracy. In a paper published by the tech giants research department, Microsoft said it had been studying a blockchain-based system that will incentivise users to participate and reinforce anti-piracy campaigns. The system, named Argus, is also aiming to rely on the transparent nature of blockchain networks in order to provide a trustless incentive mechanism as well as protect the data of users that report piracy. Anti-piracy is fundamentally a procedure that relies on collecting data from the open anonymous population, so how to incentivize credible reporting is a question at the centre of the problem We believe that full transparency of a campaign is necessary to truly incentivize people. It means that every role, e.g., content owner, licensee of the content, or every person in the open population, can understand the mechanism and be assured about its execution without trusting any single role, the paper said. Argus is designed to backtrace pirated content to its source using an algorithm that functions in the same manner as a watermark, its incentive system is also designed to prevent repeated reporting of pirated content by the same user. The new system will use the Ethereum blockchain network as the foundation of its network, similar to many other blockchain-based applications which in turn have fuelled Ethereums growth and the value of its cryptocurrency. In late morning trading in London on Monday, Ethereum was up 4.1% in the last 24 hours at US$3,295, while Microsoft shares were down 0.2% at US$292.28 in pre-market deals on Wall Street. The aircraft have been leased to Australian carrier Hevilift ( ) shares gained altitude on Monday after the company said it has signed new five-year leases for three ATR 72-500 aircraft with Australian airline Hevilift. The company said two of the new leases are follow-ons for aircraft already operating with Hevilift, while the third is a new lease. The firm added that the first of the three new contracts commenced on August 10. Avation said the three aircraft are all former ( ) planes that is has been remarketing since the airline went into administration and the aircraft were returned. "We are pleased to sign these long-term leases with Hevilift, an existing and valued customer. We are starting to observe a recovery in the air travel industry, notably in the regional sector where the ATR 72 is the optimal aircraft," Avation executive chairman Jeff Chatfield said in a statement. Shares in Avation rose 0.6% to 87.5p in mid-afternoon trading. The UK government has been called for intervention but it hasn't taken action yet Londons defence sector is set to become a little less British as two major names are about to succumb to international takeovers. ( ) has recommended a 6.3bn offer from US peer Parker-Hannifin Corp, although ( ) has proposed 7bn, while ( ) has agreed on a 2.5bn deal from ( ). Although based in England, Cobham is owned by US private equity firm Advent International. The acquisition sparked controversy but went ahead with promises of tight scrutiny. A year and a half after completion, Advent has sold over half of the assets it bought originally. Meanwhile, ( ) Group PLC will offload its subsidiary Frazer-Nash Consultancy to ( ) for 293mln as part of a disposal programme. It was acquired by Babcock in 2007, although it has mostly operated independently from it. The downside for UK investors is yet another part of the market is being hollowed out, reducing the breadth and diversity on offer from London-listed shares, said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. UK business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has been called for intervention and is said to be actively interested in both takeovers, although no action has been taken yet, the FT reported. Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the business secretary can stop mergers and acquisitions that could affect national security, financial stability and media plurality. However, a formal national security review could take months. Meanwhile, Meggitts chairman Nigel Rudd told The Times ministers should be ready to intervene if bidders dont commit to protect jobs and investments in the UK. The government could intervene, he said. Its the governments job to look after national interests. Ive always believed that. Its more difficult for the chairman of a public company to do that, because we have a fiduciary duty. He noted that clearly, price is important but the new owner should keep the headquarters in Coventry and keep research and development spending. Similarly, Cobham is due to sign legally binding contracts that Ultra will continue serving the UK government for national security contracts, protecting jobs and increasing investment in innovation. Looking at the rest of the defence sector, the government has golden shares in ( ) and ( ), plus some of Babcock Internationals dockyard assets. It means that any foreign takeover proposal could be blocked as a golden share gives veto powers. Last week, the Defence Select Committee said UK government should own a golden share in all defence groups critical to UK national security to stop them being taken over by overseas rivals. We expect the company to grow its cashflow further over the course of 2021 and beyond from drilling more wells than we have assumed and through securing more value accretive acquisitions, Long said. I3 Energy Plc has had its price target raised by stockbroker WH Ireland which looks ahead to greater than expected cash flow over the remainder of 2021, as its latest Canadian acquisition closes. WH Irelands fair value estimate is lifted to 29p from 27.2p versus a current market price of around 11p following Mondays upbeat trading statement which highlighted production growth which will be further elevated through the acquisition of assets from Cenovus Energy, due to complete later this week. Analyst Brendan Long noted that the effective date of the transaction is moved to April 1 which boosts the deal's economics (reducing the effective transaction cost) along with recently improved oil prices. We expect the company to grow its cashflow further over the course of 2021 and beyond from drilling more wells than we have assumed and through securing more value accretive acquisitions, Long said in a note. We had indicated that i3 Energys prior net operating income guidance of $US 75.3m was going to be materially beaten because the commodity prices assumed in that estimate were too low. The updated guidance of US$94.8mln on a next twelve-month basis reflects a material increase in commodity prices. Long highlighted the companys achievement in exceeding 10,000 barrels a day, at the end of July, and that with the acquisition and an upcoming four-well drill programme he expects the company to see close to 19,000 boepd in the coming twelve months. Crossing the 10,000 boe/d threshold, having only entered Canada in 2020 and having only deployed minimal capital in Canada, is an extremely noteworthy achievement, the analyst added. An intensely active period I3 in Mondays statement described its second quarter as another intensely active and transformational period. Second-quarter production, excluding assets in the Cenovus and Wapiti acquisitions, averaged 8,905 boepd and in the final week of July the rate was 10,031 boepd. I3 said it is forecasting full year net operating income at US$62.4mln for 2021, and for the next twelve months (starting August 1) it expects the figure will be around US$94.8mln. "The second quarter of 2021 was another intensely active and transformational period for i3 Energy, said chief executive Majid Shafiq. We commenced drilling operations in our Marten Hills and Wapiti acreage and in early July announced a strategic and synergistic acquisition in our core Central Alberta area of operations from Cenovus, which will take our production to over 18,000 boepd when completed later this month. This acquisition more than doubles our proved plus probable reserves base to 133 mmboe, in addition to materially increasing our unbooked resource portfolio. The company added that it paid a maiden special dividend of 0.16p per share, paid on August 6 2021. The company has a psilocybin trial underway and is planning to begin one using the same psychedelic compound excreted by the Sonoran Desert toad to treat depression Bufo alvarius, aka the Sonoran Desert toad, naturally produces one of the most potent psychoactive drug on earth , a private start-up focused on experimental psychedelic medicines, has drummed up 58mln from investors to fund its research programmes. Led by chief executive Cosmo Feilding Mellen, the company was born out of the research into psychoactive drugs carried out over the past 23 years at the Beckley Foundation. Some of the new cash will be used to complete an ongoing Phase 1b trial with low doses of psilocybin, best known as the 'magic' element in magic mushrooms, in patients suffering from short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks SUNHA, a rare and debilitating headache condition estimated to affect 45,000 people in the US and Europe. This study is already underway at Kings College London. Another use of the funds will be to begin a Phase 1 dose-ranging study on a novel formulation of 5-MeO-DMT, the psychedelic compound found in the Sonoran Desert toad, before starting a Phase II clinical trial in treatment-resistant depression. said the funds will also be used to help add new, unique and proprietary psychedelic compounds to the companys drug pipeline. My lifes passion has been to unlock the therapeutic potential of psychedelics as I believe these compounds could help millions of people around the world," said Feilding Mellen. The progress Beckley Psytech has made in attracting exceptional talent to the team and advancing our ambitious clinical development programmes over the past two years has been tremendously exciting. As we embark on our next phase of growth, our strong syndicate of expert investors will support us in bringing much-needed innovative treatments to patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric conditions. This financing round was led by healthcare-focused venture capitalists Integrated, with investors including Prime Movers Labs, Adage Capital Management, Delphi VC, Leafy Tunnel, Negev Capital, serial investor Jim Mellon and existing investor Bicycle Day Ventures. WATCH: Beckley Psytech developing psychedelic medicines for neurological and psychiatric disorders Originally called The Foundation to Further Consciousness when set up in 1996 by Feilding Mellen's mother Amanda Feilding, under the moniker of the Beckley Foundation since 1998, has stated its twin aims as being to scientifically investigate the effects of psychoactive substances on the brain and consciousness in order to harness their potential benefits and minimise their potential harms, as well as achieving evidence-based changes in global drug policies in order to reduce the harms brought about by the unintended negative consequences of current drug policies. Last year, when he spoke to Proactive, Feilding Mellen described the foundation as the world leaders in psychedelic research and has been for the last couple of decades. A long time before psychedelics were fashionable, or even something that mainstream media was even interested in, the Beckley Foundation was one of the initial kind of starters of the renaissance in the interest of psychedelic science. The foundation's pioneering research with many of the leading institutes in the world, such as Johns Hopkins and Imperial College, included the first brain imaging studies on LSD and psilocybin and the first-ever study of treatment-resistant depression with psilocybin. Basically Beckley Psytech is building off the foundation's early work and taking these early-stage pieces of research that now they've reached a critical mass and they're ready to increase the scale and ambition of investment, and take these substance through the full-blown pharmaceutical drug development process to become licenced pharmaceuticals for patients. Nexus has also commenced a 2,300-metre metre diamond drilling program testing the Crusader, Templar and Paint prospects. A 6000 metre drill program is well underway at the Templar prospect, which is now 80% complete. ( ) has received further broad and high-grade assay results from its Crusader Prospect within the Wallbrook Gold Project in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. The companys latest reverse circulation (RC) program has intersected 14 metres at 8.8g/t gold, including 3 metres at 21.59g/t. Other significant results include: 8 metres at 3.51g/t gold; and 18 metres at 1.08g/t. The 2021 RC and diamond drill program at Crusader is testing for depth and strike extensions to the mineralisation intersected from diamond drilling in 2021 and RC drilling in 2020. Excellent continuity of mineralisation Nexus managing director Andy Tudor said: These high grade results from the Crusader Prospect have again shown excellent continuity of mineralisation with broad, high-grade gold intersected. With highly encouraging results from the first 11 holes in this drilling campaign, we are eagerly awaiting the results from the further 8 holes drilled (including diamond tails) in the current exploration program at Crusader. Additionally, the diamond drilling currently underway at Templar is delivering some very interesting core, increasing our confidence in the Crusader / Templar 1.6km+ corridor with every drillhole. Testing for further strike extensions Gold mineralisation at the Crusader Prospect is closely associated with a quartz-goethite supergene stockwork in the oxide regolith profile, the stockwork intensity correlates closely with higher gold grades. The holes drilled were to test the zone from 150 metres to 300 metres below surface, and below known mineralisation, with every one of the 11 RC drill holes completed in this program intersecting mineralisation. High-grade mineralisation occurs within a series of steeply dipping structures defined by quartz sulphide veining of a potassic altered quartz porphyry unit within a volcaniclastic host rock. Future drill programs at Crusader will test for depth extensions to the mineralisation, as well as testing for further strike extensions to the Crusader / Templar mineralised corridor that currently extends over 1.6 kilometres of strike, constrained only by the extent of drilling completed by Nexus to date. Templar prospect Nexus 6000 metre RC drill program is well underway at the Templar prospect, which is now 80% complete. The style of mineralisation and alteration being observed at Templar is the same as that identified at Crusader, being a series of steeply dipping structures defined by quartz sulphide veining of a potassic altered quartz porphyry unit within a volcaniclastic host rock. Samples were submitted for analysis on completion of each drill hole, however, no results have yet been received from the current Templar drill program. Nexus has also commenced a 2,300-metre metre diamond drilling program testing the Crusader, Templar and Paint prospects. EIS Funding Nexus has been awarded co-funding for three deep diamond drill holes as part of the Western Australian governments Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS). The funding will be provided for Nexus to drill three diamond drill holes across the Crusader(800 metres), Templar(700 metres) and Paint (350 metres) prospects during the second half of 2021. - Ephrems Joseph More than 450,000 options that were due to expire on August 8, 2021, were exercised at 12 cents each. ( ) directors have shown their confidence in the company by exercising options and increasing their holdings in the WA-focused sulphate of potash (SOP) developer. Directors Rhett Brans, Brett Lambert and Matthew Shackleton upped their holding through both direct and indirect interest changes. The options were exercised at 12 cents per share and each of the directors officially recorded the change in interest on August 11, 2021. Options exercise Project director Rhett Barnes exercised 99,688 options for an indirect interest, extending his holding in that interest to 319,688 shares. He also holds 469,541 fully paid ordinary shares in a direct interest. Non-executive director Brett Lambert exercised 109,666 options bringing his total holding in an indirect interest to 536,279 shares. Managing director and CEO Matt Shackleton exercised 241,250 options bringing the total number of shares held in an indirect interest to almost 3.437 million shares. He also holds another 5.327 million shares in a separate indirect interest. CHMP approved In late July, Australian Potashs cultural heritage management plan (CHMP) was approved for the Lake Wells SOP Project. EPA approval was required under the ministerial statement issued in February 2021 and provides a framework for understanding the cultural context within which the LSOP will be developed. The company has made binding commitments within the CHMP focused on the preservation of Aboriginal heritage and cultural values, along with a consultative framework including Aboriginal and other stakeholders. Managing director and CEO Matt Shackleton said: We take our responsibilities in respect to understanding Aboriginal relationships with the Lake Wells country very seriously, as we believe that it is only through this understanding that we can identify and preserve cultural values. We have had the privilege of working with many of the Western Deserts most senior custodians and lore men over the past six years, with their information and assistance forming the basis of the CHMP we will work within. I look forward to continuing to develop these very important relationships over the next several years as the Lake Wells SOP project, the Laverton Training Centre, and the Laverton School STEM development and operations programs progress. The lithium oxide grades intersected are in line with other lithium mica projects in the global peer group. The companys drilling has defined extensive pegmatite dyke-vein swarms containing lithium mineralisation associated with lepidolite ( ) has received further positive assay results from three more holes completed at the Reung Kiet Lithium Project (RKLP) in Southern Thailand. The companys drilling has defined extensive pegmatite dyke-vein swarms containing lithium mineralisation associated with lepidolite. The drilling results at RKLP are highly encouraging with significant assay results include: 8.5 metres at 0.51% lithium oxide from 137.7 metres; 10.2 metres at 0.41% from 159.9 metres; 11.8 metres at 0.84% from 133.2 metres, including 5.1 metres at 1.11% from 135.9 metres; and 18 metres at 0.62% from 127.0 metres, including, 9.3 metres at 0.86% from 127 metres. Continue to deliver positive results Pan Asia managing director Paul Lock said: Our drilling activities at Reung Kiet continues to deliver positive results. As reported in mid-July, PAM moved to double shift to accelerate the infill and extensional drilling required to estimate a Mineral Resource in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 - which we anticipate later this year. We have also started preparatory work for a Scoping Study, which we are aiming to complete soon after reporting Mineral Resources. The lithium market is buoyant, and PAM is looking to add to its lithium exploration portfolio with several target exploration blocks identified. Our objective is to identify and develop projects, which have the potential to be placed at or near the bottom of the cost curve and which provide PAM the option to move past the mine gate and value add. The drilling results at Reung Kiet suggest such goals are realistic. Identified lithium indicator elements Pan Asia Metals has now completed 20 diamond core drill holes at RKLP for a total of 3,115 metres. In addition, the company has completed a closed-spaced spot hhXRF analysis of holes RKDD016-022. This has identified lithium indicator elements rubidium (Rb), caesium (Cs) and manganese (Mn) occurring in close association with observed pegmatites and varying concentrations of lepidolite. Potentially valuable by-products The dyke-vein swarm is up to 100 metres wide, contains numerous pegmatites up to 13 metres wide. Notably, the mineralised trend is about 1 kilometre long, remains open to the north and south. The lithium oxide grades intersected are in line with other lithium mica projects in the global peer group. Tin and tantalum mineralisation occur in association with lithium as well as rubidium and caesium, all potentially valuable by-products. Next steps Pan Asias management moved to a double shift (24hr/day drilling) in mid-July to accelerate the program to estimate a mineral resource in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 later this year. Drilling is ongoing with holes RKDD016-025 now completed and assay results for RKDD016-022 are expected in about three weeks. Additionally, assay results for another six holes (RKDD016-022) are expected within one month. - Ephrems Joseph The company is about to drill-test a portion of the prematurely closed Blackwood Goldfields, where economic depression, war and water combined to close down the field in the early 1900s. ( ) has started underground exploration drilling at its Blackwood Gold Project in the Central Victorian gold province. The company has used the Tyrconnel underground access to position the drill platform in the centre of the areas of interest and the drilling will be undertaken from inside the mine workings targeting the up and down plunge extensions of mineralisation accessed by historical miners. Being able to drill from the underground tunnel system provides a great advantage in terms of exploration design and cost. The completion of the mining rehabilitation work established access to the areas of interest at the project and equipped the Tyrconnel access adit ahead of plan enabling drill mobilisation before its mid-month target. Finally able to drill test this very exciting project Blackwood executive chairman Simon Youds said: It is pleasing to see the culmination of a lot of behind-the-scenes work that allows us to commence drilling. We are finally able to drill test this very exciting project. Being able to walk in the 150-year-old footsteps of many who have made a fortune in this goldfield is humbling. We are about to drill-test a portion of the prematurely closed Blackwood Goldfields, where economic depression, war and water combined to close down the field in the early 1900s. We aim to evolve our exploration activity by reviving the techniques of the old-timers and mixing it with recent advances in science. We are pleased to announce the commencement of that journey and aim to bring the community along with us on that ride. Historical high-grade gold mineralisation Cauldron is targeting historical high-grade gold mineralisation and multiple targets including materials left by historical miners as low grade and down-dip extensions of extreme high grades mined in the 1800s. This low-grade material contains gold of the order of greater than 15 g/t, which for modern-day times is considered high-grade. Cauldron has engaged privately-owned Core Prospecting, which has mobilised their Kempe compressed air drilling equipment underground and has started drilling over the weekend. Golden Triangle The Blackwood Gold Project is in Victorias highly productive Golden Triangle, having an exceptional opportunity to extend the ore shoots abandoned by past miners. In addition, there is potential to discover new ore shoots lying proximal to the underground tunnel system left by historical mining activity. 42 drill holes with a total length of 20,418 metres were used for the maiden mineral resource estimate of which 28 drill holes intersected mineralisation ( , , ) ( ) has published a maiden mineral resource estimate for its Zafar polymetallic deposit in western Azerbaijan. The deposit is estimated to have 8.47 million tonnes of mineralisation with average grades of 0.60% copper, 0.47% zinc and 0.30 grammes per tonne (g/t) of gold. The in-situ mineral resource has been put at 51,000 tonnes of copper, 82,000 ounces of gold and 40,000 tonnes of zinc, Anglo Asian said. "Zafar's maiden mineral resource estimate is extremely encouraging and will help underpin the company's future long-term production growth," said Reza Vaziri, the chief executive officer of Anglo Asian. Located in close proximity to our existing Gedabek processing plant, there are significant operational and geographical synergies which will help us rapidly develop this resource. We are now highly focused on completing the final mineral reserve estimation of the deposit by the end of the year and successfully bringing Zafar into production as soon as possible, he added. Stephen Westhead, the vice-president of Anglo Asian, also described the results as encouraging. Exploration is being fast-tracked to assess the economics of the project with a view to starting production in 2023. The team are highly motivated by this aggressive approach and are working to rapidly complete the mineral reserves and mine plan of this challenging project, Westhead said. In the vicinity of the Zafar deposit are a number of other exciting prospects where ZTEM anomalies have been defined. With the ramp-up of drilling capacity, the company looks forward to further announcements as this project develops. The geology team at Gedabek has recently been strengthened and is supported by new equipment including XRD analysers, three-dimensional core logging tools and new technical software, he added. The Takeover Panel said TransDigm has until 14 September to make a firm bid or pull out ( ) ( ) seems keen to be taken over by Parker-Hannifin Corp ( ) as it published relevant takeover documents, even though ( ) ( ) is still in the wings. On Friday, TransDigm made an unsolicited and preliminary offer of 900p per share, a week after the FTSE 250 company's board backed an 800p takeover by rival Parker-Hannifin. The Takeover Panel said on Monday that the US defence group has until 14 September to make a firm bid or pull out. The ruling was accepted by Meggitt, TransDigm and Parker-Hannifin. However, the UK target went ahead and published the scheme document for the Parker-Hannifin offer on Monday, setting out the full terms and conditions of the deal and a timetable. The court meeting and general meeting will be held on 21 September and the takeover will complete during the third quarter of 2022. Bankers advising the deal, which include Citi Group, N.M. Rothschild, ( ) and Merrill Lynch, will receive around 200mln if the Parker-Hannifin acquisition is approved. Shares were flat at 816.12p on Monday morning. The company said it is now structured into two business units, Respiratory and Specialty Products, led by industry veterans Howard Wiseman and Jean-Charles Leathead respectively With the completion of a full national sales structure for each business unit, Valeo added, its sales team has expanded to 65 professionals out of a total of 95 full-time employees ( , ) said it has completed implementation of its new corporate structure and launched full commercial activities in support of Enerzair Breezhaler triple therapy and Atectura Breezhaler dual therapy, two new asthma medications. The company said it is now structured into two business units, Respiratory and Specialty Products, led by industry veterans Howard Wiseman and Jean-Charles Leathead respectively. With the completion of a full national sales structure for each business unit, Valeo added, its sales team has expanded to 65 professionals out of a total of 95 full-time employees. The company has also recently expanded its head office and warehouse capacity to support its recent product launches. "Our Respiratory business unit has deployed full commercial coverage across Canada and we are actively engaging with healthcare professionals in support of Enerzair and Atectura", said Steve Saviuk, Valeo CEO in a statement. "Our recently completed medical team, headed by Nelly Komari, provides us with strong capabilties for our expanding portfolio of innovative drugs. Redesca, Enerzair and Atectura are important launches for us and we expect these three products to lead our sales growth. Launched in April, Redesca has quickly become our fastest growing product line and we continue to believe that it will achieve peak revenues of $30M annually". Commenting on the new corporate structure implementation completion, Frederic Fasano, Valeo's president and chief operating officer added: "We are very pleased to have been able to complete the implementation of our new corporate structure and commercially launch three transformative products in such a short period of time. This testifies to the quality of our people in place and of those recently recruited. "The successful integration of our dedicated sales teams with the related supportive head office functions will create significant operating leverage over the coming years as we continue to add strategic assets to each business unit and take full advantage of our new corporate structure and commercial platform". Valeo Pharma is a Canadian pharmaceutical company dedicated to the commercialization of innovative prescription products in Canada with a focus on Respiratory Diseases, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Oncology and Hospital Specialty Products. Headquartered in Kirkland, Quebec Valeo Pharma has all the required capabilities and the full infrastructure to register and properly manage its growing product portfolio through all stages of commercialization. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com The second quarter of the year saw a 25% increase in revenue at over $1.2 million compared to $983,496 in Q1 2021 ( , ) Wellness Inc, a CBD company utilizing the power of whole-food hemp nutrition released its 2Q 2021 financial results featuring significant growth in some key areas. The second quarter of the year saw a 25% increase in revenue, at over $1.2 million compared to $983,496 in Q1 2021. The revenue boost was also 84% higher than 2Q 2020s $670,728. The specialty hemp company also noted the three-month period saw direct-to-consumer e- commerce sales climb 37% to $334,322 from $244,255 in 1Q. Additionally, the firms website-based sales were up 54% and DTC including Amazon, Walmart and Tmall increased 23% sequentially. With year-over-year growth in net revenues of 84%, year-over-year direct to consumer e-commerce revenues up 268%, and our leading regulatory preparedness, ( , )s momentum shows it to be the right company, at the right time, to lead this new category into the future, Dr Jason Mitchell, CEO of ( , ) said in the statement. He continued: Additionally, subsequent to the quarter-end, the company closed on two accretive acquisitions and highly respected CBD brands, adding significant new distribution points and products. Other highlights included a 22% quarter-over-quarter rise in B2B net revenue and a 55% increase year-over-year. There was also a return in international sales following coronavirus (COVID-19), which grew 68% to $203,296 compared to $75,994 during the first quarter of the year. ( , ) also launched a Private Label division during the period. The division was immediately awarded a 10-product private label contract with a top publicly traded national grocery retailer, said the company. We believe this division could represent multi-million dollars in revenue within the next few years for both CBD and non-CBD products. The hemp-focused company credits the revenue growth to its strong business plan, which saw the firm launch new products and a new division, including Private Label and Probulin. The acquisitions of Sagely Enterprises Inc (Sagely Naturals) and APCNA Holdings LLC (Apothecanna) were cited as contributors to growth, helping HempFusion expand its distribution footprint to over 15,000 locations. The second quarter also saw HempFusion make significant partnerships. In May 2021, HempFusion announced an exclusive partnership with two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion, Kaillie Humphries, read the statement. HempFusion CBD and Probulin Probiotics will be Kaillies exclusive sponsors in their respective categories through Februarys Olympic Games in Beijing 2022 where she is the front-runner for gold for Team USA in both the Two-woman Bobsled and the newly introduced Womens Monobob. At the end of 2Q, HempFusion stated it was in a strong cash position ending the quarter at $11.4 million. Contact the writer at georgia@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @MissInformd The new brand identity utilizes a modified hyphen to convey its focus on a collaborative model of healthcare, metaphorically combining the medical practice with a coordinated team of expert practitioners Steven McAuley, chairman & CEO of Empower said: "The brand name showcases the evolution of the Empower Clinics network" Empower Clinics Inc has announced the launch of 'The Medi-Collective' (TMC) brand in anticipation of the opening and rollout of the company's next clinics in September. TMC is a multi-disciplinary group of medical practitioners dedicated to applying a collaborative working model with the goal of effective physical and mental community healthcare and positive wellness. "The launch of The Medi-Collective brand is a major step forward in our national clinics rollout strategy because it signals to the market that we are building a professional, unified and national brand as we prepare to launch and rollout new clinics this September and never look back" said Steven McAuley, chairman & CEO of Empower in a statement. "The brand name showcases the evolution of the Empower Clinics network. With impending locations in key cities across the country, a synergistic, patient service-oriented brand reaffirms our commitment to meeting the evolving healthcare needs of Canadians," he added. The company said shareholders can view The Medi-Collective brand on its bespoke website and various social media accounts from today. The new brand identity utilizes a modified hyphen to convey its focus on a collaborative model of healthcare, metaphorically combining the medical practice with a coordinated team of expert practitioners. Empower said it has invested a significant amount of time, research, and energy to develop a brand capable of appealing and competing with National and North American scale. Moreover, the company has invested significant financial resources to protect the new intellectual property including trademark filings for the brand, logos and tag lines. A review of the brand guide and supporting online assets demonstrates very clearly that TMC is far beyond just a new name and logo. Rather, TMC brand assets illustrate how the company is preparing for serious and significant growth of its clinics and medical centers, Empower said. "With our TMC brand we are focused on two things; clear and understandable messaging combined with unique and memorable design aesthetics, that together reflect the brand's mission of effective, collaborative healthcare. We look forward to being a part of the growth and development of TMC as it enters the real-world space and begins to take on a positive leadership role in the health and care of patients," said Rika Heywood, from Heywood Beaudry Creative Inc., creative directors of Empower. Clinics update On August 11, 2021, Empower provided shareholders with an update on its progress of opening new clinic locations that are now in various stages ranging from letters of intent (LOI's), to leases signed, construction underway, and opening dates pending. The company said it can now confirm the first new clinic launches will take place in September - location and ribbon-cutting ceremonies to be announced - with rollouts of further locations continuing on a regular basis from that point forward. Empower is an integrated healthcare company that provides body and mind wellness for patients through its clinics, with digital and telemedicine care, and world-class medical diagnostics laboratories. Supported by an experienced leadership team, Empower is aggressively growing its clinical and digital presence across North America. Its Health & Wellness and Diagnostics & Technology business units are positioned to positively impact the integrated health of our patients, while simultaneously providing long-term value for our shareholders. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com The feasibility will be carried out in a section of one of the Japanese firm's commercial greenhouses for up to 12 months Last year, Japan presented its "Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050" ( , ) has announced a commercial feasibility study of its CO2 Delivery Solutions system in Japan for an unnamed high-tech controlled environment agriculture (CEA) grower. The feasibility will be carried out in a section of one of the Japanese firm's commercial greenhouses for up to 12 months, particularly focused on assessing the system's impact on life cycle acceleration, increased biomass growth and CO2 usage. "This is our first Japanese project to showcase our CO2 Delivery Solutions benefits," noted CO2 GRO's vice-president (VP) of sales and strategic Alliances, Aaron Archibald. "In our Q1 2021 MD&A, we mentioned our 2021 objectives to include opening up Japan and Spain protected ag markets and finalizing a Mexico marketing partner, which we have now done. We are comfortable based on our ever-increasing feasibility data that our technology will provide the desired plant yield and pathogen protection while reducing their ecological footprint." Last year, Japan presented its "Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050", which means that CO2 usage will become an ever-increasing challenge for Japanese protected agriculture facilities in coming years. Like the Netherlands, the much larger 5 billion square foot (sq ft) Japanese protected agriculture market is mostly high-tech CEA, but the average Japanese greenhouse is much smaller (0.5 hectares versus 10-50 hectares in the Netherlands). GROW's proprietary CO2 Delivery Solutions technology is revolutionizing the global 600 billion sq ft protected agriculture industry. It creates a saturated CO2 solution that when misted onto plants provides growers that cannot gas with CO2, the opportunity to increase plant yields by up to 30% and profits by up to 100%. Applying saturated CO2 also suppresses the development of pathogens such as E.coli and powdery mildew, helping to reduce crop losses. Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East A day after Taliban captured power in Afghanistan, the Congress on Monday described conditions there as "extremely alarming" saying India's strategic interests are at stake. Speaking to media here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Situation in Afghanistan is extremely alarming. India's strategic interests are at stake." He said that the safety and security of our embassy and its personnel as also that of Indian citizens is at stake. "Congress Party stands solidly behind protecting India's interests and expects a mature political and diplomatic response from our government over the complete collapse of government in Afghanistan and Taliban takeover," he said. His remarks came a day after Taliban has declared that the war in Afghanistan is over after its fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Mohammad Naeem, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Doha, told Al Jazeera the group did not want to live in isolation and said the type and form of the new government in Afghanistan would be made clear soon. The Congress leader also raised questions on the silence of the government and said, "The stunning silence of the Narendra Modi government is deeply disturbing and highly intriguing, which is beyond any reasonable understanding." He said, the Modi government's refusal to set in motion a well thought out plan to evacuate our citizens is a "gross abdication" of its duty and is totally unacceptable. "Taliban and Haqqani Network connections with Pakistan's ISI and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-u-Dawa (JuD) are well known," he said. He pointed out that there is an urgent need to revisit our geo-political interests in this background and its impact on Jammu and Kashmir. "Sadly, the Modi government is oblivious of the same," he said. "Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and External Affairs Minister (S. Jaishankar) need to come out and clearly spell out our policy for safe return of our citizens, embassy personnel as also our future relationship," Surjewala said. Questioning the silence of the government, he said: "Unexplained silence at this extremely critical juncture gives rise to a reasonable apprehension that the Modi government is hiding something from the country. We are still in the dark over Modi government's role in Doha talks." "Need of the hour is that the Modi government wakes up from its slumber and protects Indian citizens in Afghanistan and tell the country how it will tackle the dangerous situation in the immediate neighbourhood," he added. The UN Security Council will discuss the situation in Afghanistan later on Monday. A few hours after former MP and Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev resigned from the Congress, she flew to Kolkata and met Trinamool Congress President Abhishek Banerjee at his South Kolkata office on Monday morning. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson Derek O' Brien is with her. Though the details of the meeting is yet to be known, highly placed sources in the party said that Deb's joining Trinamool Congress is only a matter of time. "The announcement can come anytime -- today or tomorrow," a senior party leader said. Sources also said that Deb is likely to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before announcing the final decision. Deb came to Banerjee's office with Derek O'Brien around 12.30 p.m. Derek and Deb were in the same vehicle when they entered the office. Sources in the party said that Derek was in touch with Deb for quite a long time and his presence during the meeting is highly significant. The resignation of Deb came to the fore in the morning when she changed her Twitter bio to "Former Member" of the party. Later Congress leader and the party's women's wing chief sent her resignation letter to party's interim Chief Sonia Gandhi, sources in the Congress said. Former Union Minister late Santosh Mohan Deb's daughter's resignation came two days after Dev met Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi along with the newly appointed Assam Congress team in the national capital. Senior party leaders are of the opinion that when Trinamool Congress is trying to spread its organisation in the other parts of the country particularly in the Northeastern states of Assam and Tripura, Deb's joining Trinamool congress will help in strengthening the party base in these areas. The Taliban, who on Sunday entered capital, Kabul, are on the verge of declaring that they have taken control of the country and that it is now the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, according to Press Association reports citing a Taliban official. The declaration is expected to be made from the presidential palace in Kabul following the departure of Afghanistan President, Ashraf Ghani, earlier, who apparently fled, initially to Tajikistan. His current location is unconfirmed, the Guardian reported. The Taliban are claiming to have taken over the presidential palace in Kabul, BBC reported. President Asghar Ghani left the country earlier on Sunday - but the exact situation at the palace is still unclear. According to local journalist Bilal Sarwary who spoke to two Afghans involved in direct negotiations, part of the agreement was that Ghani would join the transition of power ceremony inside the palace - but instead he and his senior aides left the country. "Palace employees were then reportedly told to leave and the palace was (left) empty," the aides said. The Taliban later told a global wire service that they had taken it over. There has been no confirmation from government officials. Two officials from the Taliban told the wire there would be no transitional government following their lighting sweep across Afghanistan that led back to the capital two decades after the group were overthrown by US-led forces. Asghar Ghani's destination was uncertain: a senior Interior Ministry official said he had left for Tajikistan, while a Foreign Ministry official said his location was unknown and the Taliban said it was checking his whereabouts. The American flag at the US embassy in Kabul has been removed, according to numerous media reports. The US Ambassador and the flag are reported now to be at the airport in Kabul, the only way out of Afghanistan with the capital surrounded by the Taliban and road crossings controlled by the extremist insurgency forces. The last reports were that the US Embassy would be closed by Tuesday and was being staffed by a skeleton-level team. The situation on the ground is not completely clear, Guardian reported. There is "pandemonium" at the airport, according to CNN's reporter in Afghanistan, Clarissa Ward. The road to the airport is choked with traffic as Afghan people desperately try to reach it to take or seek a flight out. This could account for the so-far unconfirmed and isolated reports of gunfire - ie chaos in the approach to the airport and frustration boiling over. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani had a reason to fear that his life was in danger as Taliban forces closed in on Kabul, an analyst told Al Jazeera. "President Ghani has a real reason to fear that his life was under threat," Asfandyar Mir, an expert at United States institute of peace, told Al Jazeera. "... many Afghans will be disappointed, the contradiction in his messages until yesterday. The fact that he could not hold the country together politically or put up any kind of a military resistance will disappoint his supporters," he said. Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, has posted a video to Facebook confirming that Ghani has left the country. He said that Ashraf Ghani left the people of Afghanistan in mess and misery and God will hold him accountable and the country will judge. He has asked people to keep calm and for the Afghan security forces to cooperate in ensuring security. Afghan Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi, in a tweet apparently referring to Ghani and his associates, lamented that they "Tied our hands behind our backs and sold the homeland, damn the rich man and his gang". VOA reported Ghani, along with his Vice President and other senior officials, flew out of the country on Sunday, setting the stage for Taliban insurgents to regain power in Afghanistan 20 years after a US-led military invasion ousted them. There was no comment from Ghani or his embattled administration in Kabul. In a record message on Saturday, Ghani had told the nation he was consulting with both national and international players on the situation which he called an "imposed war". Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who is said to have accompanied Ghani and the others who left, in a tweet, vowed not to bow to the Taliban, but he did not respond in the message to reports of him leaving the country. On Sunday morning, a Taliban delegation engaged prominent Afghan jihadi leaders, politicians and elders in negotiations that culminated in Ghani stepping down from office, sources directly aware of the developments told VOA. Hours after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani along with his close aides and the first lady left Kabul for Tajikistan, the Taliban entered the Presidential Palace, also known as the Arg. Afghan media reported the retreat of Afghan national police from their outposts around the capital left the city in chaos and allow the city to be looted and plundered easily. Though the Taliban earlier on Sunday had said that there is no plan to enter the Afghan capital militarily, the security vacuum in Kabul city made them decide to direct their fighters to enter Kabul and occupy the empty police outposts and police districts. The Hamid Karzai International airport was also packed with tens of passengers awaiting flights out of the country who then took to the runway but found no plane and are still stuck there. To avoid the power vacuum created after the escape of the president, head of High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, former President Hamid Karzai and head of Hezb-e-Islami Gulbadin Hekmatyar came together and shaped a temporary council. The council is aimed at transferring the power peacefully to the Taliban and asked Afghan security forces and forces of the Afghanistan Islamic Emirate to secure Kabul city and do not allow any chaos. The trio in their separate video clips delivered different messages to the people of Kabul. Abdullah accused Ashraf Ghani of fleeing the country and leaving the people in mess. He also took to the streets of Kabul and greet the people who were hugging crying and thanked him for being with them. Karzai encouraged people not to panic as he and his children are still living in the Afghan capital. Meanwhile, Hekmatyar accused Ghani of continuing the war and remaining stubborn to transfer power peacefully to a government that is acceptable to all. The Afghanistan Islamic Emirate (AIE) asked people to cooperate with them in identifying and arresting those who impersonate them and rob people and property. In several video clips shot by the members of AIE show that looters and plunderers were arrested after people call them. The night was rather quiet but there were sporadic fires and the choppers were patrolling the Afghan capital. The exact location of fugitive Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is unknown, but he is said to have travelled to Oman to escape to the US, Mehr News reported. The Taliban effectively sealed their control of Afghanistan on Sunday, pouring into the capital city of Kabul without facing any resistance even as Ghani fled the country and the government collapsed. It was initially reported that Ghani along with national security advisor Hamdullah Muhib and head of the administrative office of the President, Fazel Mahmood Fazli, left Afghanistan for Tajikistan, but Dushanbe denied that, the report said. It was then said that he had traveled to Uzbekistan. Ghani has been accused of treason by Afghans and presently, no official information is available about his location. Afghanistan Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi, in a tweet apparently referring to Ghani and his associates, lamented that they "tied our hands behind our backs and sold the homeland, damn the rich man and his gang". Head of High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, had said in a video clip that Ghani had left Afghanistan. He said that he left the people of Afghanistan in mess and misery and he will be judged in futurity. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/18/2021 -- A new business intelligence report released by Advance Market Analytics with title Global Cemetery Service Market Insights, forecast to 2027. This report provides a detailed overview of key factors in the Global Cemetery Service Market and factors such as driver, restraint, past and current trends, regulatory scenarios and technology development. A thorough analysis of these factors has been conducted to determine future growth prospects in the global market. The global market is set to witness a significant growth due to the - Advancement in Funeral Services Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/106827-global-cemetery-service-market Note: The report also covers a detailed chapter of the analysis on COVID-19 impact on this market at global and regional level in our final reports. Major Key Players in This Report Include, Service Corporation International (United States), Chemed Corp. (United States), StoneMor Partners (United States), Wilbert Funeral Services (United States), Fu Shou Yuan International Group (China), Lung Yen Life Service Corp (China), Carriage Services (United States), Nirvana Asia Ltd. (Malaysia), Professional Cemetery Services (United States), SCI Shared Resources, LLC (United States), The report is a significant source of information for investors, shareholders, industry planners, established and existing market players who are striving to improve their footprint in the current Cemetery Service market landscape. What is Cemetery Service? The Cemetery Services sector is offering burials and cremations based services. Cremations generally cost significantly lower than the burial services. The growing demand for cremations has improved over the last few years because of cost attentions, environmental reasons, religious thoughts and changing consumer preferences. As cremations contribute a low amount of revenue and profit for cemeteries, along with the growing demand for cremations has harmfully affected the industry. There is a rise in the number of cremations in FY 2018 and FY 2019, prevention a strong threat to the industry. This industry considers formations that operate sites and structures that reserved for interment activities. This industry also considers players that offer cremation based services. In Dec 2019, StoneMor Partners L.P. announced an agreement to sell Oakmont Memorial Park & Mortuary for the carriage services worth USD 33 million. This sale is a StoneMoras strategy to attract the multiple divest assets and helps in reducing debt levels, and others. The Cemetery Service Market segments and Market Data Break Down are illuminated below: by Type (At-Need, Pre-Need), Application (Adults, Senior People, Children), Services (Interment Services, Sale of Graves) Market Trend - Growing Demand of Cemetery Services Businesses in the United States Region Market Challenges - Required High Initial Investment to Enter in this Market Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/106827-global-cemetery-service-market Global Cemetery Service the manufacturing cost structure analysis of the market is based on the core chain structure, engineering process, raw materials and suppliers. The manufacturing plant has been developed for market needs and new technology development. In addition, Global Cemetery Service Market attractiveness according to country, end-user, and other measures is also provided, permitting the reader to gauge the most talented or commercial areas for investments. The report also provides a detailed synopsis of the competitive scenario, wherein complete business profiles of some of the prime companies in the market are included. Report Highlights: - Comprehensive overview of parent market& substitute market - Changing market dynamics in the industry (COVID & Economic Impact Analysis) - In-depth market segmentation (Trends, Growth with Historical & Forecast Analysis) - Recent industry trends and development activity - Competitive landscape (Heat Map Analysis for Emerging Players & Market Share Analysis for Major Players along with detailed Profiles) Geographically Global Cemetery Service markets can be classified as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa and Latin America. North America has gained a leading position in the global market and is expected to remain in place for years to come. The growing demand for Global Cemetery Service markets will drive growth in the North American market over the next few years. In the last section of the report, the companies responsible for increasing the sales in the Global Cemetery Service Market have been presented. These companies have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the application and product type introduced by each of these companies also form a key part of this section of the report. The recent enhancements that took place in the global market and their influence on the future growth of the market have also been presented through this study. Get More Information about Cemetery Service Market: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/106827-global-cemetery-service-market Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Cemetery Service Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Cemetery Service market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary the basic information of the Cemetery Service Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of the Cemetery Service Chapter 4: Presenting the Cemetery Service Market Factor Analysis Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis. Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Cemetery Service market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions. Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source Note: If you have any special requirement, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/18/2021 -- The Latest survey report on Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Market sheds lights on changing dynamics in Food & Beverages Sector and elaborates market size and growth pattern of each of Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods segments. As the shift to value continues, the producers are tackling challenges to personalized nutrition and match taste profiles. A wide list of manufactuerers were considered in the survey; to include mix bag of leaders and emerging manufacturers for company profiling that includes Amy's Kitchen, Beyond Meat, Plamil Foods, Tofutti Brands, WhiteWave Foods, Annie's Homegrown, Barbara's Bakery, Dr.McDougall's Right Foods, Edward & Sons, Galaxy Nutritional Foods, Pacific Foods, The Bridge & Vegan Made Delight. Unlock new opportunities in Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Market; the latest release from HTF MI highlights the key market trends significant to the growth prospects, Let us know if any specific players or list of players needs to consider to gain better insights Get Access to Free PDF Sample of Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Market @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/3431933-worldwide-packaged-vegan-foods-market "Consumers are increasingly aware of the food they consume and it impacts on holistic health. As affluence increases, the ability to invest in diagnostic services and premium food products to meet their expectations." To provide further guidance on how specific trends in Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Industry will have a big impact and what factored into the market trajectory and strategy planning of manufacturers in next 5-7 years is precisely covered in scope of Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Market Study. Scope of Study: The Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Market Size by Revenue in Dollar (USD) terms, Volume (Consumption, Production & Capacity) is segmented by Type (, Packaged Vegan Foods markets by type, Vegan Dairy Alternatives, Packaged Vegan Meals And Meat Alternatives, Vegan Bakery And Confectionary Products & Other), Applications (Convenience Stores, Supermarkets, Hypermarkets & Others), Materials, by Country/Region and Players. The Country Level Analysis in Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Market Study provides Breakdown as - North America (U.S. & Canada) {Market Size by Value (USD Million) & Sales (Units), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis} - Latin America (Brazil , Mexico & Rest of Latin America) {Market Size (USD Million) & Sales (Units), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis} - Europe (The U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden & RoE) {Market Size (USD Million) & Sales (Units), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis} - Asia (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia) {Market Size (USD Million) & Sales (Units), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis} - Middle East & Africa (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, South Africa, Egypt, RoMEA) {Market Size (USD Million) & Sales (Units), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis} - Rest of World {Market Size (USD Billion) & Sales (Units), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Acquire Single User PDF License of Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Market research report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3431933 Additionally, the study has given lot of attention on Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Pricing Analysis by Region (Weighted Average) & Supply Chain Metric to deliver impact analysis of downstream and upstream stakeholders (Raw Materials, Suppliers, 4Ps etc). Also, a separate chapter is added showcasing survey outcome of most significant drivers or growth initiatives that companies should consider in next one to three years. Some of the parameters considers during interview / questionnaire of Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Market survey are Product Innovations, New Sales Channel and distribution strategies, Pricing and promotion strategies, Merger & Acquisitions, entering in new market, technological advancements, new Merchandizing strategies and Changing customer dynamics. "38% expect Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods companies would increase spending on new product and services" - Says Research If you wish to customize study by adding or profiling a greater number of players / additional segmentation / adding more country level break-ups compared to standard version of Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Market Study or need to have dedicated study specific to any Region or Country; then Make an Enquire for customize Report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3431933-worldwide-packaged-vegan-foods-market Thanks for reading Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods Industry research publication; Our team is constantly studying Covid-19 impact analysis on various industry verticals for a better analysis of markets and industries. The 2020 latest edition of Worldwide Packaged Vegan Foods market report is entitled to provide additional chapter / commentary on latest scenario, economic slowdown and COVID-19 impact on overall industry and what possible measures industry players are taking to deal with current situation. you can also get individual chapter wise section or region/country wise report version like USA, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, LATAM, APAC etc. Page Content Prime Minister Hon. Silveria Jacobs said on Sunday that she was saddened when she heard about what had taken place on Saturday, August 14 in the Republic of Haiti, and the Sint Maarten Haitian community members are in her thoughts and prayers. Jacobs calls on the Sint Maarten community, citizens, the private sector and non-governmental organizations to band together to see how the nation can assist Haiti with emergency assistance and supplies. On Saturday, the Republic of Haiti was rocked by a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the south-western part of the country where the epicentre was detected. Events are still unfolding in Haiti where hundreds are injured and dead due to the massive damage caused. It was 11-years ago in 2010 when Haiti was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that left more than 200,000 dead and thousands more displaced. My deepest condolences go out to all those who have lost family and friends in Haiti. Another tragedy has unfolded, and I call on the Sint Maarten nation to pray for the people of Haiti during this difficult period. We also pray for a full and speedy recovery, Prime Minister Hon. Silveria Jacobs said on Sunday. Kosambi later theorized that the social manifestations of the class struggle in India have found religio-philosophical channels of expression. by Archishman Raju We live in very dangerous times, which carry within them crisis and opportunity. It is difficult to overemphasize the significance of the transition from what the Indian historian K. M. Panikkar called The Vasco Da Gama Epoch, or we could call the western epoch, to the epoch of humanity1. Such transitions are never smooth and we are seeing various manifestations of its difficulty including the attempts of a parasitic and oligarchic Western ruling elite to hold on to power. The caste school of race relations, which was recently re-popularized is one such attempt. It is no accident that this attempt comes at a time of intense crisis for the Western ruling elite. This elite seeks to define the concept of race on its own terms, divorcing it from its relationship to imperialism and poverty. The fact that Isabel Wilkersons book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents was advertised on the billboards of Manhattan, and considered a must-read by various liberal and business outlets should give us a hint as to what purpose the book serves. And yet the book is not alone but is part of a broader and concerted effort of the ruling class, in which regrettably many so called leftists have joined in, to define the concept of race in a metaphysical way divorcing it from any struggle of the broad masses of people. It is thus imperative upon us to look at the concept of race more closely, understand its link with imperialism and critically examine any comparisons with the system of caste. One can do no better than to turn to Oliver Cromwell Cox and his arguments against equating caste and race which retain continued relevance. Cox, Caste and D.D. Kosambi Oliver Cromwell Coxs central argument in his book Caste, Class and Race was that caste is an ancient socio-economic system, which can not be compared with race.2 He argued that racial antagonism and exploitation had only arisen in modern times, and developed along with the rise of capitalism in Europe and North America. Modern race relations, whose origins he put in the years 1493-1494 were not to do with an abstract, natural, immemorial feeling of mutual antipathy between groups, but rather a practical exploitative relationship with its socio-attitudinal facilitation.3 Hence he saw race as a political class conflict, which involved the proletarianization of a whole people and which would be resolved only by the overturning of the present system of exploitation.4 This historical materialist understanding of race is essential for our times when it is being counterposed against a metaphysical, or as Cox would say mystical understanding of race which is attempting to save our current system. The understanding of Coxs insight is furthered by a study of D.D Kosambi who remedied the methodological problems in usual studies of caste in India, which started in the context of British justification of colonialism, and from which Wilkerson also suffers. The most important of these problems is to see caste as a static and fixed system of hierarchy against which Kosambi argued it was a evolving and dynamic system. First, Kosambi argued that it is very difficult to study the history of India exclusively through a written record, particularly only of Sanskrit and English sources.5 This is because the written record is relatively recent, and ancient texts were passed through an oral and accretive tradition which makes any text very hard to date. For example, Ambedkar had argued that there was a later day forgery in the Purushu Sukta, which is a hymn of the Rig Veda often used in descriptions of caste.6 Most descriptions of caste in India refer to the Manusmriti, a text which gained importance for it was used in the colonial construction of Hindu law, but as Kosambi said no written record exists of any case tried under this heterogeneous system. 15th century saints like Kabir who were immensely popular among the people did not mention Manu or Manusmriti and only recently has attention been brought to the importance of this vernacular tradition.7 Kosambi argued that India had never had a slave-holding economy in the sense of Greece and Rome (as confirmed by Megasthenes). Thus, caste is class at a primitive level of production, a religious method of forming social consciousness in such a manner that the primary producer is deprived of his surplus with the minimum coercion.8 In its origination, caste played a progressive role and advanced production permitting the enrollment of new tribes into the Indian order. He said The two major characteristics of the caste systemprohibitions against marriage outside the group and against acceptance of food from the hands of a strangerare taboos that are typical of food-gathering tribal societies.9 He further stressed the need to examine how the caste system evolved with the rise and decline of Buddhism in India. His examination of how Buddhism transformed Hinduism, but also transformed itself is complex and enlightening and goes against the caricature of a clash between the two. To the contrary, Kosambi suggests that Buddhism and Hinduism essentially converged. On the debates he argues, It is difficult today to grasp just what the controversy was about, for the difference between the protagonists seems negligible in content.10 As Kosambi points out, state support for Buddhism in India continued till the end of the twelfth century at the time of Turkish invasions of India. A similar argument, interestingly, was made by Rahul Sankrityayan, who was the preeminent authority on Buddhism in India.11 Kosambi later theorized that the social manifestations of the class struggle in India have found religio-philosophical channels of expression. The proper historical comparison of caste is therefore, as Cheikh Anta Diop studies, with African systems.12 A comparative treatment of Africa and India carries immense potential to properly bring out the role of European colonialism in underdevelopment while at the same time examining the evolution of pre-colonial societies. Prohibitions against marriage outside the clan and other taboos are also to be found in Africa. Of course the British, who incidentally came to India as a ruling race and not as a ruling caste, promoted a theory of a unique and spiritual unchanging order for they saw themselves as the bringers of civilization and history to India. What is beyond doubt is that after their two centuries of exploitation and degradation, the ruins of civilization which survived in India had taken on an extremely oppressive and degraded character. The anti-colonial struggle in India, and its leadership by Gandhi, attempted to retain elements of our old civilization and convert it into a modern revolutionary civilization. Furthermore it attempted the construction of a socialist government, and the combined task of fighting religious and caste prejudice while uniting the country and developing the economy. It served as an example of struggle to the rest of the colonized world. Both the colonial readings of caste and imperialist readings of race are mystical. Both neglect to see the dialectical evolution of these concepts and both are designed to preserve society in a static mould, thus denying the possibility of revolutionary change. Their purpose in both cases is to hold the masses of working people as ultimately responsible for race or caste prejudice, and imperialist exploiters as progressive benefactors. They are thus meant as deeply conservative doctrines disguised as radical ones. Unfortunately, in our past two decades of counter-revolutionary assault, Indian intellectuals particularly in the West have completely consolidated their role as appendages of the Western ruling elite. They attack their own struggle and have become sophisticated justifiers of imperialism and colonialism, often repeating ideological claims that served as justification of colonial rule. These civilized representatives of the Indian peasantry are extremely reassuring to the Westerner particularly when they castigate their own people. It is not surprising then that Indian intellectuals will respond to the caste school of race relations either with applause or, since they must recognize its historical absurdity, with very polite disagreement. Cox on Race and Democracy This ruling elite needs its intellectuals as it seeks to defend a world system under the guise of defending democracy. Oliver Cromwell Cox writes If it is recognized that the internal economy of the United States is inseparably tied into a world system, then not only its progressive dependence on military expenditures but also its relationship to the extremely low standard of living in the backward countries of the system would readily become apparent.13 This world system today is at the brink. I suggest that Isabel Wilkersons book be put alongside Ibram Kendis How to be an Anti-Racist and Robin Diangelos White Fragility as well as more sophisticated endeavours like the 1619 project and even the ill-defined use of the term racial capitalism, all of which are gaining approval from the ruling class and are meant as part of the continuing attack against true democracy. While differing in details, all these theories tend to essentialize race and ignore its dialectic with class and its relationship with imperialism. In Caste, Class and Race, Oliver Cromwell Cox theorizes the meaning of democracy which then, as now, had been a war-cry of the capitalist ruling class. Examining the British, American and Russian systems he had asserted From the standpoint of degrees of development of democracy in the three great nations of the world, The United States is probably most backward and Russia farthest advanced.14 He defined democracy as a modern social system which had its origins in the rise of capitalism and not in ancient social systems of Greece or Rome. True democracy was not limited to suffrage, or the theoretical right to become part of the bourgeoisie but rather was the control of the state by the masses of people. He clearly differentiated true democracy from liberalism and saw individualism and democracy as incompatible, the process of democratic development may be defined as a continually increasing limitation of individual freedom (i.e., individualism) in favor of greater social equality and freedom for the masses.15 This positive freedom of the masses, as opposed to the individual freedoms which have become the predominant concern of the contemporary western left, could only be won by a positive program of unity between the masses, black and white.16 Thus, Cox opposed both the conservatism and fatalism of theories which held that the black workers interest was more closely bound with the ruling class than the white worker. At a time when the white masses are rebelling against the ruling elite, it is naturally to the benefit of the ruling elite to promote any theory of race which forever precludes any possibility of united action. These theories and projects are an uninhibited and dangerous attack on poor and working people, on any possibility of their unity and of transcending the system of capitalism at a time when it is in grave crisis. Today, the U.S. has degenerated further and is probably one of the least democratic countries, with an extremely powerful and undemocratic billionaire class, an entrenched bureaucracy and intelligence apparatus, a media which does not even pretend to be neutral and repeated attempts to completely render the masses powerless. This woke American ruling class is thus attempting to both suppress its own working class, get moral legitimacy on questions of race, continue its endless wars and unleash vicious propaganda against the Chinese state and people. They have a truly ambitious plan consistent with the scale of the crisis which they are confronted with. At this time of grave crisis, those who consider themselves to be left and on the side of the masses of people should return to Cox, who would have argued today that the Chinese state is more democratic than the American. They should return to Martin Luther King Jr. who would have argued for a poor peoples campaign against racism, war and poverty in the United States. It is this legacy of struggle, and not the careerism and individualism of journalists and academics, which offers hope for a brighter future and the establishment of true democracy in the world. Notes Asanga Abeyagoonasekera had pleaded with former Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to appoint him in the position at Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute. Then the Minister, according to sources, had told him to get the consent of the President. by Our Political Affairs Editor Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, who was the Director-General of the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka, an affiliated arm of the Ministry of Defence, has repeatedly pleaded the country's highest political authority to appoint him as the Executive Director of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, reliable sources said. After several requests were gone unheard, he suddenly became a critic of the government. Old days of Great Deception: Mr Asanga Abeyagoonasekera worked as the Director-General of the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka during the previous government led by Maithripala Sirisena Mr Abeyagoonasekera was ousted from the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for several misconducts including alleged violations of the management fundamentals of this august body on foreign affairs. After that with the support of the previous government, he was participated in initiating the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka and became its first Director-General. But he, according to reliable sources, has no adequate knowledge of any discipline related to national security in Sri Lanka. During the previous government, Mr Abeyagoonasekera had allegedly abused his position as the Director-General of Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka and had blatantly violated state protocol by directly communicating with foreign embassies in Colombo and some foreign institutions, claiming to be the then President's National Security Adviser. Credible sources point out that his actions have proven that he is a very dangerous swindler who plays with sensitive subject matters in this country. Subsequently, the new Government came into power, Mr. Abeyagoonasekera has screamed to become the Executive Director of Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute on several occasions. He made this request after his request to become the Consular of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Germany was rejected. He had pleaded with former Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to appoint him in the position at Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute. Then the Minister, according to sources, had told him to get the consent of the President. Therefore, he has tried to communicate with the President on a number of occasions stating that he is the best person to respond to the damage caused to the country's reputation by certain NGOs in the country. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu (the founder Executive Director of the Center for Policy Alternatives) said that Sri Lanka is becoming like Burma. He is creating a dangerous picture of Sri Lanka in the eyes of the world. This is the best time for you to appoint me as the Executive Director of Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, Mr. Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, a self-proclaimed expert on geopolitics and national security said in a message to the President. He has also been pleaded only for "two minutes" to meet with the President. His nature of communication proves immaturity and lack of capacity and a high desire to get an appointment to a certain position. His text messages and various forms of requests make it clear that the main reason for criticizing the current government is not getting the desired post. He is now propagating false news stating that he is threatened politically. We tried several times to contact Mr. Abeyagoonasekera to get a response but it was not successful. We extend an open invitation to him to comment on this and he can be reached us via our email (feed@srilankaguardian.org). Mr. Abeyagoonasekerawas a candidate of the United National Party a few years ago and was defeated. He is the son of Oswin Nandimithra Abeyagoonasekera (known as Ossie Abeygunasekera), a prominent politician who was killed in a suicide bomb by the LTTE. The Taliban have declared the war in Afghanistan over after its fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Panic and fear gripped Kabul on Monday as heavily armed Taliban fighters took control of the abandoned presidential palace and Western nations scrambled to evacuate their citizens. Hundreds of Afghans desperate to leave the country also flooded the Kabul airport. As a Taliban offensive encircles the Afghan capital, there is increasingly only one way out for those fleeing the war, and only one way in for US troops sent to protect American diplomats still on the ground: the airport. [Rahmat Gul/AP Photo] A spokesman for Talibans political office told the foriegn news agencies that the group did not want to live in isolation and said the type and form of the new government in Afghanistan would be made clear soon. Mohammad Naeem also called for peaceful international relations. Thanks to God, the war is over in the country, he said. We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people, he added. We will not allow anyone to use our lands to target anyone, and we do not want to harm others. The complete and almost instantaneous military and political collapse of the Afghan government has led to a situation where the Taliban is presiding over the panicked evacuation of its opponents from inside the capital city. The unopposed entrance of Taliban forces into Kabul marks the bitter conclusion of a 20-year long military adventure by U.S. imperialism that senselessly inflicted death and suffering on an enormous scale. The fact that the U.S.-backed Afghan government surrendered without a fight is the clearest indication that it was nothing more than an extension of U.S. imperialist power. The stark reality showed itself: either the U.S. imperialist occupation that began 20 years ago would be sustained literally forever, or this government would collapse upon the exit of U.S. military forces. The Taliban coming to power in the mid-1990s was the consequence of the CIA war against the socialist government of Afghanistan that had come to power in 1978 during the Saur Revolution. The U.S. was perfectly willing to do business with the Taliban prior to September 11 in spite of their odious policies including their prohibition on the education of girls. The hope and promise of the earlier socialist period was crushed by U.S. intervention and the later collapse of the Soviet Union. Since then, the people of Afghanistan have lived under one reactionary government after another. Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021 [Zabi Karimi/ AP] The complete and almost instantaneous military and political collapse of the Afghan government has led to a situation where the Taliban is presiding over the panicked evacuation of its opponents from inside the capital city. Since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, hundreds of thousands of Afghans died, millions were forced to flee their homes, tens of thousands of working class enlisted soldiers from the United States were killed or injured and in the end the political situation in the country is returning to a situation where the Taliban dominates the country. The U.S./NATO invasion of Afghanistan began October 7, 2001 in retaliation for the September 11 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The Bush administration refused the Taliban governments offer to hand over Osama bin Laden for trial in a Muslim country if the United States would present evidence showing that al-Qaeda was responsible for the attack. Instead, Bush declared no negotiations with terrorists and launched the invasion. The Bush administration used the September 11 attack as a pretext to launch a sweeping assault against Iraq and other Middle Eastern governments. The invasion of Afghanistan was simply conceived of as a box-checking endeavour by the neo-conservative government to wage a new round of aggression under the banner of the war on terror. This imperialist wave of aggression toppled the government in Iraq and Libya and hoped to topple the governments in Syria and Iran as well. It has been a disaster for the people of the Middle East and South Asia. The pace of the Talibans advance was stunning. In just nine days, the group took over every major city in the country and then marched into Kabul without firing a shot. This was possible because the Afghan governments forces in most cases put up virtually no resistance. Where fighting did occur, it frequently was carried out by elite special forces or local militias. When the moment of truth arrived and it became clear that the U.S. military really was leaving the country, the Afghan National Army did not fight. After the 2001 invasion, the United States spent hundreds of billions of dollars creating and supporting the Afghan governments military. But this military served a government that had no political legitimacy. Its source of authority was the U.S.-led foreign occupation of the country, corruption was rampant and it failed to develop an appreciable base of support among the countrys people. It was clear that the government would not be able to hold out for long against the Taliban, so rather than fight and die to prolong the inevitable the security forces mostly chose to step aside. The Biden administration chose not to carry out a military escalation, like a dramatic escalation of the air war, that could have halted the Taliban advance. The prevailing view appears to have been that the war was unwinnable and it would be best to abandon the government they installed, get the withdrawal over with now and focus on bigger issues for U.S. empire. But certainly the Biden administration was hoping to carry out an orderly withdrawal on its own terms. It is now suffering the humiliation of having to directly hand over control of the country to the Taliban, a major blow to the image of U.S. military might around the world. This could have long lasting implications for Bidens military and foreign policy going forward. Background to the 2001 invasion The role of the United States in Afghanistan has always been insidious. The Taliban itself came out of the counter-revolutionary insurgency organized and bankrolled by the CIA in the 1970s and 1980s that sought to overthrow the countrys socialist government. This socialist government the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was committed to the empowerment of workers and farmers, full equality for women in all areas of society, the provision of free social services like education and healthcare, and other progressive goals. The U.S. government backed far right religious armed groups to wage a deadly insurgency against the government and their Soviet allies. One faction of those fighters the Taliban won out in the aftermath of the fall of the socialist Afghan government and established themselves as the countrys rulers and enforced an oppressive political system based on reactionary theocratic principles. Any claims by U.S. officials to be concerned about the fate of womens rights or democracy or religious freedom in Afghanistan is the worst kind of hypocrisy. The U.S. politicians and generals responsible for organizing this senseless two decade long war should be brought to justice. They are ultimately responsible for the enormous loss of life that ripped apart Afghan society. The rationale for the war was nonsense there were no Afghans on board the planes that struck the Twin Towers on September 11, and the Taliban was willing to negotiate the handover of Osama bin Laden. The U.S. military and political establishment could have ended the bloodshed at any time and the outcome would have been the same. Instead they claimed that year after year it was essential that the occupation be prolonged. They should be held accountable for the crime of initiating a war of aggression. Let us take steps to obviate the prejudicial steps taken by politicians under the cover of the pandemic to act against our safety and interests! by Justice C.V.Wigneswaran Like many countries the world over, Sri Lanka too, from last year until now, has had to face the severity of the Corona pandemic and as a result lost number of human lives and suffered economic setbacks country wise & families wise. The present situation in Sri Lanka is extremely dangerous. Daily we are losing 100-150 valuable lives in Sri Lanka. Therefore we must realize that people of Sri Lanka despite speaking different languages and/ or following different religions have been equally affected by the Corona pandemic. During the Tsunami the opposing warring sides, the Sri Lankan Forces & the Liberation Tigers forgetting their differences came together for a few days to join and help those affected by the Tsunami. Therefore it is incumbent that we forget our political differences at this stage and decide together as to how to save this Country from the Corona Pandemic. The following preventive measures I believe may be helpful to all- 1. Individual safe health must be maintained in terms of advice tendered by the Health Sector. 2. Except those involved in official duties others should severely limit their outings from home. 3. If it is necessary to go out for any reason wearing of mask, maintaining social distance from others and washing your hands with soap or applying sanitizer when you return home are absolutely necessary. Today it seems best to wear two masks. The delta type of Corona Virus is playing havoc in Sri Lanka & hence we must take adequate preventive steps. Even I had been slack in maintaining these precautionary measures. But now I have woken up to the dangers of indifference in this regard. Therefore let us all make sure that we maintain these basic precautions without fail. 4. Avoiding large gatherings of persons is also important. If it is a large important family or social gathering it is best to postpone the programme for some time. 5. According to advice from Health authorities if any person has fever, cold, cough, throat pain continuously for over two days it is best for such person to consult a Doctor, hospital or medical officers of Health. 6. Those going out and returning home should in order to destroy the Corona virus in their nasal passages as well as on their throats inhale hot steam daily for some time. They could mix a little of any Ayurvedic Balm to the hot water before inhaling the steam. 7. Most important precaution to be taken is to have oneself vaccinated without fail. Trying to research as to what vaccines are good and ascertaining their brand names, finding out which country produces it, checking if certain vaccines bring side effects or waiting for the American Pfizer vaccine to come are ways of delaying your safety. Whichever vaccine is available in your area every person over 30 years must take two doses from it without delay. That would be prudent, I believe. 8. Countries like Israel, Britain and Australia had made it compulsory that every person in their respective countries must get vaccinated and strict adherence to such rule has brought good results in their countries. Let us also make it our obligation to have ourselves vaccinated at the earliest. It is the paramount duty of all of us to stand together at this stage transcending parochial differences among ourselves to save this country and the lives of its occupants and resurrect this country from the economics morass into which it has fallen today! Let us Tamils also stand firm today and save our lives, lands and assets from being expropriated by outsiders! Let us take steps to obviate the prejudicial steps taken by politicians under the cover of the pandemic to act against our safety and interests! Justice C.V.Wigneswaran is Member of Parliament, Jaffna District While the intelligence on which UK travel advisory is based is not clear, and there appears to be little imminent threat of a major terrorist attack in the country, there is a residual threat from Islamist forces and marginal elements supporting the now defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by S. Binodkumar Singh The Sri Lankan President's office on August 11, 2021, stated that the Government has filed 23,270 charges against 25 people in connection with the April 21, 2019, Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks on churches and hotels in Colombo and Batticaloa Districts, which killed 262 people. The charges framed under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), included conspiring to murder, aiding and abetting, collecting arms and ammunition, and attempted murder. Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam asked Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya to appoint a special three-member High Court bench to hear the cases speedily. Earlier, on April 5, 2021, the final report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, appointed to study the Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The Committee, appointed by the President on February 19, 2021, after studying the PCoI report at length, identified 78 recommendations. The report includes how and by which agencies those recommendations should be implemented. Meanwhile, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who returned to power in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks, exploiting the public disillusionment with the then incumbent Government, is rapidly tightening the Rajapaksa family's grip on power in Sri Lanka. On July 8, 2021, Basil Rajapaksa (70), the younger brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn as the Finance Minister in Sri Lanka's Cabinet. With his entry, the Cabinet headed by Gotabaya now has five members of the Rajapaksa family. Elder brother Chamal Rajapaksa is Minister of Irrigation and Mahinda's son Namal Rajapaksa is the Minister of Digital Technology and Entrepreneur Development. Other Rajapaksas are also clustered around the power centre. Chamal Rajapaksa's son Shasheendra Rajapaksa is the State Minister of Organic Fertilizer Production, Supply and Regulation and the Paddy and Grains, Organic Food, Vegetables, Fruits, Chillies, Onion and Potato Cultivation Promotion, Seed Production and Advanced Technology for Agriculture. Nipuna Ranawaka, son of Rajapaksas' sister Gandini Rajapaksa Ranawaka, is a Member of Parliament. Naval Officer Yoshita Rajapaksa, another son of Mahinda, is the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff. According to some estimates, about 75 per cent of the total budget of Sri Lanka is directly under the purview of Rajapaksa family Ministers in the Government. The Rajapaksas were ousted in 2015 when Mahinda lost the Presidential Election, but were back in power after the November 16, 2019, Presidential Elections, which brought Gotabaya to the Presidency. Soon, one by one, the brothers and other family members were back in the business of Government. Further, consolidating their power, the Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP, Sri Lanka People's Front) swept the August 5, 2020, Parliamentary Elections. SLPP received 6,853,693 votes (59.09 percent) and secured 128 electoral seats in a total of 225-member Parliament. After reassuming power, the Rajapaksa's have taken several steps to ensure the longevity of their rule. Indeed, in the very first meeting of the new Cabinet, held on August 19, 2020, the Sri Lanka Government decided to abolish the 19th Amendment and pushed through the 20th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, which passed into law on October 22, 2020. The 20th Amendment granted sweeping powers to the Executive President. The Amendment, in essence, advances the democratic backsliding of Sri Lanka by granting the President unfettered powers. The President can summarily appoint or dismiss Ministers, including the Prime Minister, and can modify the number of Ministries, the number of Ministers, and the functions delegated to each Minister whenever he wants. The Amendment also removed the prohibition on the President himself from holding ministerial posts. It also allows the President the power to dissolve Parliament only two and a half years into the new Parliament, compared with the former four-and-a-half-year minimum period mandated by the 19th Amendment. The Rajapaksa Government also made various institutional changes in the country, in many cases inclining towards militarization. It has placed over 30 agencies, including the Police, under the authority of the Ministry of Defense. Retired and serving military officers have been appointed to numerous key posts previously held by civilians. On June 2, 2020, President Rajapaksa established a Presidential Task Force to build a "Secure Country, Disciplined, Virtuous and Lawful Society," composed entirely of military and security officials, with loosely defined powers and the authority to issue instructions to all Government officials. On June 4, 2021, President Gotabaya issued a gazette notice naming the Counter Terrorism Investigation Unit (CTIU) as a place of detention. The gazette had been issued as a notification under Section 9 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Section 9 refers to the detention of suspects arrested under the PTA, and empowers the CTIU to use its facility to detain such suspects. On the other hand, efforts of ethnic reconciliation and trust building with ethnic Tamils have seen no progress even as demonstrations and protests by Tamils have become a regular feature. Most recently, demonstrations were carried out across the country's North-East on July 24, 2021, to mark the 38th anniversary of Black July (the common name used to refer to the anti-Tamil pogrom that occurred in Sri Lanka from July 24-29, 1983), paying tribute to the thousands of Tamils who lost their lives then. Despite Sri Lankan Security Forces (SFs) banning demonstrations in some places, protests were carried out in multiple Districts, including Jaffna, Amparai, Vavuniya and Mannar. Separately, a group of lawmakers from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) marked 'Tamil Genocide Day' at the Sri Lankan Parliament complex in Colombo on May 18, 2021, before a parliamentary session was due to take place. The parliamentarians dressed in black and lit candles by a red and yellow flag, before holding a moment of silence to commemorate the 'tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed at the hands' of the Sri Lankan state 12 years ago. On February 4, 2021, thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils marched in the northern and eastern regions to demand the release of prisoners and seek information on thousands of Tamils missing since the end of the ethnic war 11 years ago. Significantly, on March 23, 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva adopted a resolution on alleged human rights violations by Sri Lanka during the final days of the separatist war. The draft resolution A/HRC/46/L.1/Rev.1, entitled "Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka" was adopted by the UNHRC after 22 members out of 47 voted in favour of the resolution at the 46th Session in Geneva. 11 members, including China and Russia, voted against the resolution while 14 countries, including India and Japan, abstained from voting. Referring to the resolution, Chief Opposition whip Lakshman Kiriella stated, on March 25, 2021, that the UNHRC mainly focused on the anti-democratic governance of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He told Parliament that only two-and-a-half pages were focused on the war out of seventeen and a half pages of the resolution. "Many areas in the resolution focused on anti-democratic actions, a threat to media freedom and issues concerning the minority communities," he said.. Meanwhile, in its latest travel advisory for Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom has noted, Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners such as hotels, tourist sites and places of worship. Avoid crowded public places, large gatherings and demonstrations, and follow the advice of local authorities. While the intelligence on which this advisory is based is not clear, and there appears to be little imminent threat of a major terrorist attack in the country, there is a residual threat from Islamist forces and marginal elements supporting the now defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), since the beginning of the current year, 25 former LTTE cadres and sympathizers have been arrested for various plots across the country (data till August 15, 2021). There were four such arrests in 2020. Since the end of Eelam War between the Government forces and the LTTE, which officially ended on May 20, 2009, at least 371 former LTTE cadres and sympathizers have been arrested. While the state's counter-terrorism initiatives have been enormously successful, residual threats can be exacerbated by the polarizing politics that has come to characterize the Rajapaksas' politics. It is essential that the Government ensures that the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee to study PCoI, are implemented in true spirt. However, given Rajapaksa family's attempt to further strengthen their hold on Sri Lankan politics, there is a strong possibility of the Government targeting the Opposition, exploiting the adverse comments against Opposition leaders in the PCoI. It is useful to recall that the PCoI had recorded that friction and a communication breakdown between the then-President Maithripala Sirisena and the then-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were blamed for the Government's failure to act on near-specific foreign intelligence warnings ahead of the Easter Sunday attacks. Raising walls of mistrust and exclusion withing the country will eventually tend to undermine national security. The writer, Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management in India President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has reshuffled several key portfolios in the Cabinet. Accordingly, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniaarachchi has been shifted to the Transport Ministry and the portfolio held by her is being taken over by Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. Education Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris has been appointed as the new Foreign Minister while Dinesh Gunawardena is the new Education Minister. Transport Minister Gamini Lokuge has been given the subject of Power replacing Dullas Alahapperuma who has been appointed as the Media Minister. Namal Rajapaksa has been given a new ministerial portfolio of Development Coordination and Supervision in addition to his existing Cabinet portfolios of Youth Affairs and Sports. The Cabinet Reshuffle at a glance: Dinesh Gunawardena Minister of Education Prof. G. L. Peiris Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavithra Wanniarachchi Minister of Transport Keheliya Rambukwella Minister of Health Gamini Lokuge Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma Minister of Mass Media Namal Rajapaksa Minister of Development Coordination and Supervision (in addition to Youth Affairs and Sports) The Taliban victory is an utter political humiliation for US and its allies who have been spending millions in Afghanistan. by Dr SLM Rifai It is often said that no nation has managed to invade Afghanistan in its history. Neither British nor Russians managed to occupy Afghanistan except for a few years. Today, history is repeating itself in Afghanistan soil. A nation of around 30 million population is very much resilient in its struggle for its political freedom. It has been a graveyard for foreign armies and military power. US with its allies have been fighting for decades in Afghanistan. It has spent billions of dollars in Afghanistan war. US has learned its historical lessons and decided to withdraw its troops. It is a moral victory for Taliban and a psychologicaldefeat for the mighty military of USA. USA has created a mess in many Muslim countries, and it has toppled some legitimate governments in Arab and Muslim countries. It has utterly failed in its foreign policies towards Muslim countries. Nothing illustrates this failure than their phycological defeat in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters patrol a street in the city of Herat. [Reuters] The Taliban victory is an utter political humiliation for US and its allies who have been spending millions in Afghanistan. Many western experts, diplomats, and politicians have said that this is a moral, psychological, and political defeat for the west. Now, it is very much clear that Taliban will form a new government. Will the West happily accept and recognise the new government run by Taliban? What about so-called human right violation by Taliban? What about those resentments between the West and Taliban in the past? Will there be any reconciliation between Taliban and the West? Will the US take revenge from Taliban or reconciles with its? Will US put sanctions on the new Afghanistan government? It looks that the Afghanistan politics is entering a new phase. It is going to be hotspot for a new geopolitical tension between China, and USA once again. China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran will be on one side. USA, India, and the West will be on the other side of this geopolitical competition.All these countries have an eye on Afghanistan.The Western countries have spent millions on Afghanistan. Now what will they get in return? Does Taliban leadership has got enough diplomatic and political wisdom and stratagems to play around with these countries? Can Taliban do politics with all these political and geopolitical resentments and hostilities? Today no country could survive economically and politically without outside support and help. Can Taliban win over the goodwill of local and international community? Will UN recognise new government in Afghanistan?Will Taliban rule be a viable alternative? What would be the next move of Western counties on this matter. British Parliament has already allocated a day to debate this matter. Taliban has been depicted by many western governments as an evil radical group.Much has been said and written about them negatively for the last three decades and yet, today, it looks that Taliban has reincarnated with a new image in a dynamic and vibrant force. What has changed the mindsets of Taliban? What made them to change their mind set and political philosophy? Why do I say that Taliban has changed? It is reported that Taliban has captured the former War-Lord Ismail Khan and yet, Taliban leadership has protected him. Even they have given him security and let him live in his own house with all protection. Can you imagine this would have happened two decades ago with old Taliban regime? This time, people have welcomed them in all the cities they have captured, and Taliban leadership has asked their fighters not to harm any public. They have given protection for the members of army who have surrendered so far. An amnesty declaration was made by Taliban to all government officers. No one will be harmed, and no revenge will be taken. This time, Taliban have radically changed their mission and vision. People of Afghanistan have been suffering for more than 40 years now. People are frustrated with the political leaders for the last 40 years. Politicians are corrupt in Afghanistan like in many Muslim countries. So, people want to see a change in politics. They want to see a change in government. They want to free the country from the grip of corrupt political leaders. People no longer tolerate the corrupt political system in Afghanistan. That is why people are supporting Taliban.? Taliban have realised that they have made many mistakes in the past. They undermined the human right issues, education of Muslim girls, rights of different ethnic and religious minority groups and they tried to apply rigid form of Islamic rules in the past. They have realised they have made some grave mistakes in their local and international politics. They have realised that they have made some mistake in their public relation. They have realised that they have made some mistakes in their geopolitical relations, and in their hostile attitudes towards different political and military groups. For instance, some radical groups destroyed the historical monuments of Buddha status in Banyan. I do not think Taliban will make such mistakes this time. Taliban leadership knows well that geopolitics has dramatically changed today than 20 years ago. It looks that they have renewed their Islamic learning once again. It looks that they have more flexible and lenient political and religious ideologies this time. It looks that they have learned some good lessons from the past mistakes. So, I do not think that Taliban leadership will repeat the past mistakes this time. I hope that it will give freedom for girls to go to schools and it will give freedom for ladies to work. Likewise, people will be given more freedom. Moreover, their understanding of Islamic teachings too has dramatically changed. Taliban are no longer following outdated Islamic rulings rather they are reading the current socio-political, economic, educational, and religious problems from a holistic perspective of the general philosophy of Islamic law ( Maqasid al-Shariah). They go beyond the literal meanings of the texts to understand the rationale of religious texts in their application. They go beyond the legal schools of law to find the viable solutions for their religious problems. It looks that they have dramatically changed in their politics and policies. They will try to understand the social realties of modern digital world. They will try to understand the modern geopolitical realities between China and US as of today. They will try to understand the regional geopolitical tension between India and Pakistan, and they will try to understand the geopolitical tension between India and China. Taliban know the limits and limitation of applying Islamic rules in the modern world. They know well what aspect of Islamic shariah is viable today and what aspects of Islamic law is not viable today. A lot of thought transformations are taking place among Islamic groups. There are so many moderate people in the high ranking of Taliban. They are good experts in geopolitics. So, they will not be repeating the past mistakes once again. So, it is in the interest of the West to let the tree of democratic traditions grow gradually in Afghanistan . It is in the interest of neighbouring countries to promote the democracy in Afghanistan. Views expressed in this article are the author's own not necessarily reflects the views of Sri Lanka Guardian's editorial A breach of diplomatic relations generally precludes direct contact between sending and receiving States other than what is needed to effect orderly departure and some form of interim regime. by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne in Montreal Afghanistanwhere empires go to die Mike Malloy On Sunday 15 August 2021, when the Taliban had taken most of Afghanistan and were approaching Kabul, and when the armed forces of the country had little hope of preempting or preventing capitulation, Canada suspended diplomatic operations in its embassy in Kabul. CBC News reported that the federal ministers of foreign affairs, immigration and defense had said in a joint statement: "After consulting with Canada's ambassador to Afghanistan, the decision was made to temporarily suspend our diplomatic operations in Kabul," Consequently, Canada was planning to repatriate its embassy staff. The United States had already evacuated its Embassy and The United Kingdom was reported to have left behind a contingent of 100 troops to protect the compound and other diplomatic efforts in the city, on the basis that a very messy and very violent situation would unfold in Kabul if the Taliban gain control of the city Somewhat ironically, at the same time as Canadas withdrawal of its diplomatic work in Kabul, Suhail Shaheen, the spokesperson for the Taliban team in Qatar, told BBC journalist Yelda Hakeem on BBC World News that the Taliban wished everything in Afghanistan to function as before and that the diplomatic missions in Kabul should remain and keep functioning as before and no one will be harmed or discriminated upon and all would be able to carry on their work without let or hindrance. It is no triumph of lucidity to recognize that diplomatic immunity and privileges are crucial to the harmonious inter relationships between States and the Taliban at first blush will not totally alienate the international community. At least not in an overtly evident manner. The origins of diplomacy date back to the period of darkness preceding the dawn of history. It is claimed that anthropoid apes living in caves practiced a form of diplomacy in reaching understandings with their neighbors on territorial boundaries pertaining to their own hunting grounds. The Taliban flag is raised in the major southern city of Kandahar after the city falls to the armed group. [EPA] The compelling need to ensure the preservation of life of an emissary, on the ground that no negotiation could take place if emissaries, however hostile, were murdered on arrival, gave rise to the practice of diplomatic immunity, which is attributed to Australian aborigines, and is mentioned in the Institutes of Manu and in Homeric poems. In the modern world, the institution of the permanent diplomatic mission is the cornerstone of international diplomacy and comity, and the diplomat carries out the function of diplomacy which is generally termed diplomatic practice. These privileges are extremely important if diplomacy is to be effective. The overall aim and objective of diplomacy is to ensure that peace and justice prevails throughout the world and to this end, the institution of diplomacy is a pre-eminent example of the growth of modern civilization. For these reasons the advantages of diplomatic immunities and privileges override their disadvantages. The practical applicability of this philosophy is personified by the fact that, as reported in The Guardian An Afghan government delegation will travel to Qatar on 15 August to meet Taliban representatives, as confirmed by an Afghan government negotiator. The delegation will include Abdullah Abdullah, head of the Afghan reconciliation committee and the Afghan delegation was to meet with the Taliban in the Gulf state after the militant group earlier entered Kabul. An in informed source had said that the Afghan delegation and Taliban representatives would discuss a transition of power, adding that US officials would also be involved. The international treaty regulating diplomatic relations is the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. Afghanistan acceded to the treaty in 1965 whereas the United States ratified it in 1972 and the United Kingdom did so in 1964. Canada followed suit in 1966. As such, all these States are bound by the provisions of the Vienna Convention and any measures taken from a diplomatic perspective must be within the parameters of the treaty if the dignity of international law were to be preserved and support for the parties from the international community were to be expected. The Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen explicitly assured the BBC that this was the start of a new chapter of peace, harmony, and revival for the nation of Afghanistan. Therefore, all parties concerned would consider as paramount the avoidance of acrimonious and internationally unacceptable acts. In terms of severance of diplomatic relations by States with one another, the Vienna Convention does not explicitly make provision for the right to break diplomatic relations. It follows by implication from Article 2 which provides that the establishment of diplomatic relations takes place by mutual consent that if either State withdraws that consent diplomatic relations are broken. Breach therefore takes place normally in consequence of a unilateral acteven though it frequently follows a sequence of reciprocal or retaliatory moves between two States to downgrade their relations or a collective political decision by a number of States directed against another State whose conduct is regarded as unacceptable. Relations are broken from the moment of the initial action. The other State has no option in the matter. There are no legal limitations on the right of a State to break diplomatic relations with another, but the action is now invariably taken for political reasons. Practical considerations will almost always favour the continuation of relations, though not necessarily the retention of a permanent mission. This has become more obvious in the light of some cases in history where diplomatic relations subsisted even while armed conflict was taking place between sending and receiving Statesas between India and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. A breach of diplomatic relations generally precludes direct contact between sending and receiving States other than what is needed to effect orderly departure and some form of interim regime. It does not, however, preclude the sending and receiving of special missions (which may later herald a resumption of normal diplomatic relations), meetings between diplomatic representatives of the two States in a third State (for example the regular meetings in Warsaw over many years of representatives of the United States and of the Peoples Republic of China) or contacts between representatives of the two States to an international organization. Detailed rules on permissible contacts are usually provided in the internal diplomatic service regulations of each State. It is often a feature of modern diplomacy that those on occasion a much-advertised breach of relations may turn out to be only partially real. This occurs when two States, having broken off diplomatic relations, usually on the initiative of one of them, continue an active, if quiet, direct relationship despite the appointment of third States to protect the interests of each in the territory of the other State. The current action taken so far by Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom carry legal legitimacy by virtue of several provisions of the Vienna Convention. The expectations of these States of fair treatment comports with assurances given by the treaty. For example, Article 43 provides that the function of a diplomatic agent comes to an end, inter alia on notification by the sending State to the receiving State that the function of the diplomatic agent has come to an end; or on notification by the receiving State to the sending State that it refuses to recognize the diplomatic agent as a member of the mission. Article 44 goes on to say that the receiving State must, even in case of armed conflict, grant facilities in order to enable persons enjoying privileges and immunities, other than nationals of the receiving State, and members of the families of such persons irrespective of their nationality, to leave at the earliest possible moment. It must, in particular, in case of need, place at their disposal the necessary means of transport for themselves and their property. As per Article 45 if diplomatic relations are broken off between two States, or if a mission is permanently or temporarily recalled: the receiving State must, even in case of armed conflict, respect and protect the premises of the mission, together with its property and archives; the sending State may entrust the custody of the premises of the mission, together with its property and archives, to a third State acceptable to the receiving State; the sending State may entrust the protection of its interests and those of its nationals to a third State acceptable to the receiving State. The receiving State cannot discriminate between States. Given the above, and in this delicate situation, all State parties concerned, including but not limited to the States mentioned herein, must stay within the parameters of jurisdiction accorded to them under Article 2.4 of the United Nations Charter which states unequivocally: All member States shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. Rutger Bregman concludes his book Humankind: A Hopeful History with the statement: Its time for a new realism. Its time a new view of humankind. We should all wish this for Afghanistan and its brave people. The humiliation of the United States (US) is, indeed, far greater than what the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) faced at the hands of the Afghan Mujahideen, when the USSR was forced to leave Afghanistan in 1988-89. by Ajit Kumar Singh You have the watches, we have the time ~ Afghan Proverb In the evening of August 15, 2021, the Taliban captured the Presidential Palace in Kabul. Declaring the 'end of war', Taliban's political office spokesperson Mohammad Naeem stated, Today is a great day for the Afghan people and the mujahideen. They have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years. We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people. Thanks to God, the war is over in the country. Meanwhile, incumbent Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, reportedly to neighboring Tajikistan. In a Facebook post, Ghani claimed, "To avoid bloodshed, I thought it would be better to leave." Commenting on Ghani's 'escape 'Naeem said, "even those close to him did not expect it," adding "We are ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them the necessary protection". Earlier, on August 14, two of Afghanistan's regional strongmen, Atta Mohammad Noor, the former governor of Balkh Province and the ethnic Uzbek leader Abdul Rashid Dostum, fled to neighboring Uzbekistan. The duo fled after the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif city. The ouster of another "puppet Government" in Afghanistan within months of the start of the final drawdown of international troops from Afghanistan (withdrawal began on May 1, 2021) demonstrates the failure of 'superpowers' to impose their will on Kabul, with Mohammad Naeem asserting, "We do not think that foreign forces will repeat their failed experience in Afghanistan once again." The humiliation of the United States (US) is, indeed, far greater than what the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) faced at the hands of the Afghan Mujahideen, when the USSR was forced to leave Afghanistan in 1988-89. The USSR was confronted with a proxy war backed by the combined Western powers led by the US. US has lost to the Taliban backed by Pakistan alone.. Referring America's disgrace, US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell argued that "terrorists and major competitors like China are watching the embarrassment of a superpower laid low." While he blamed US President Joe Biden for what he called a "shameful failure of American leadership," Biden was only realizing what has been in the making for over a decade, certainly since Obama's incoherent "AfPak policy" of 2009, which initiated the trend of announcing withdrawal dates for US and coalition forces, signaling to the Taliban and their Pakistani backers that they simply had to wait their adversary out. As had been noted then: President Obama's AfPak strategy overwhelmingly concentrates on unrealistic short-term targets and goals, based on irrational settlements with the most dangerous elements in the region - the Pakistan Army, the 'moderate Taliban', and a powerless and unreliable political leadership in Pakistan. At the same time, the setting of hard deadlines for US withdrawal, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, encourage an extremist calculus within a protracted war framework that simply seeks to exhaust the political will of the Western leadership to remain engaged in the war. It is only when the US and the West accept and operate within the protracted war paradigm that a rational policy framework can emerge. Despite the many brave announcements of policy since then, little changed in the more than a decade that followed. The Western alliance was unwilling to commit to an open-ended engagement in Afghanistan, failed to define clear strategic goals, constantly sought a craven peace with the Taliban, and, crucially, knowingly ignored Pakistan's malicious actions that were, throughout, the very crux of conflict in Afghanistan. However,the US political and defence leadership - indeed, the world leadership - was caught unawares by the sheer pace of the developments on the ground in Afghanistan. On August 11, just four days before the final takeover of Kabul by the Taliban, an unnamed US defence official cited US intelligence as saying that Taliban fighters could isolate Afghanistan's capital in 30 days and possibly take it over within 90 days. The new assessment of how long Kabul could stand purportedly accounted for the of the Taliban's rapid gains in the preceding months.Moreover, the official further asserted that "this is not a foregone conclusion" and that the Afghan Security Forces could reverse the momentum by putting up more resistance. But there was not an iota of doubt that Taliban would eventually capture power. Indeed,on April 22, 2021,General Frank McKenzie had warned that Afghanistan's military "will certainly collapse" without some continued American support once all US troops are withdrawn.. Despite this, and despite the Taliban's contemptuous disregard of its commitments under the Doha Agreement of February 2020, the US failed to provide the necessary and continued support, even as Kabul was continuously pressurized to adhere to every nicety of the agreement to which it was not even a party. The release of around 5,500Taliban prisoners had been conditional on the Taliban's commitment that they would not rejoin the fighting - but an overwhelming majority did so immediately. Instead of holding the Taliban to account, the US continued to urge the Ghani Government to release an even larger number of prisoners than had been agreed upon at Doha. Moreover, despite the Taliban's commitment to reduce violence in Afghanistan, the Western powers never sought to hold it to account as Taliban violence escalated across the country. Eventually, as the final drawdown commenced on May 1, the Taliban rampage became unstoppable, even as the well-established devices of bribery and opportunistic shifts of loyalty - the essence of the Taliban's rapid capture of power after 1993 as well - saw province after province fall like ninepins. Unlike 1993, however, not even the pocket of resistance in the Northern areas has been left intact. The Taliban has successfully pre-empted any consolidation of ethnic resistance in these areas by bringing large areas on the North under its sway over the past year, excluding the possibilities of leverage or indirect intervention through ethnic minority proxies in the foreseeable future. Despite the catastrophic consequences that were unfolding in Afghanistan, and the colossal erosion of America's 'super power' status, the Biden Administration held stubbornly to spinelessness, 'honouring' the deal to leave the country, despite the Taliban's manifest disdain for every clause of its own commitments. The biggest and most persistent blunder of US policy has been the reliance on Islamabad. In these final stages, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, on whom the US relied to help rein in the Taliban, at least for a few months to help the US secure an 'honorable exit', was in no way going to miss the opportunity to install its proxy in Kabul, before any outbreak of civil war or consolidation of effective resistance which many experts predicted or hoped for. It needs to be emphasized that the Taliban has entered the Presidential Palace even when almost a month is still left for Washington's declared drawdown deadline of September 11, 2021. The US has now been forced to send additional troops to secure the evacuation of its own citizens in the country in scenes that are reminiscent of the chaotic flight from Vietnam. Worse, as Matt Zeller, a US veteran of the Afghan war, points out, some 44,000 Afghans who helped Washington during the conflict were outside Kabul and required urgent evacuation."This is a disaster of epic proportions," he said, warning that Afghans who helped the US military may now be "hunted down and systematically murdered by the Taliban." Meanwhile,the US along with 65 countries released a joint statement calling for facilitation of the departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wished to leave the country. With reports of civilian slaughters coming in from Taliban held territories in the Provinces, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement imploring the Taliban to "exercise utmost restraint in order to protect lives." Indeed, almost after 20 years since their invasion of Afghanistan, the US and its allies have once again abandoned Afghanistan to the mercy of the Taliban. At the time of writing there is chaos everywhere in the country. Meanwhile, the Taliban posted "the latest developments and [its] advancements" in Afghanistan, on its website on August 15. The post sought to reassure the population that "no one should worry about their life." The Taliban also "announced and amnesty" to "All those who have previously worked and helped the invaders, or are now standing in the ranks of the corrupt Administration of Kabul." The "Islamic Emirate" has also urged "Those who have recently been affected by the enemy's propaganda, displaced internally, or migrated to foreign countries, whether official or civilian, they should return to their homes and areas" The "Emirate" has also sought to "assure all our neighbors that we will not create any problems for them" or for "diplomats, embassies, consulates, and charitable workers, whether they are international or national." There has been much hopeful commentary that "Taliban 2.0" is an improved and much-civilized version of the Taliban that ruled the country between 1996 and 2001.The Taliban, however, remain unshakable in their commitment to establish "Islamic rule", with their brutal interpretation of Shariah as the law of the land. In various statements, Taliban leaders haver reiterated that this includes the restoration of punishments such as stoning to death and the cutting off of hands for various crimes. The population segment most terrified by current developments are the women and girls of Afghanistan, who had secured a measure of freedom and education, and many of whom had attained prominent positions in society. Early indications suggest that there is little possibility of such freedoms and roles remaining accessible to women in a Talibanized Afghanistan. It is much too early to assess what the regional and global outcome of the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan will be, but one thing is certain, the 'great game' is once again afoot. The 'victory of Islam' against another superpower will surely provoke significant radicalization and may catalyze terrorism in theatres across the world. But uncertainties persist. Those who are celebrating the Taliban victory in Afghanistan have their own fears and insecurities; those who are on the losing side will seek opportunities for recovery and revenge. Afghanistan's trials and tribulations are far from over. The world has changed, of course; but it remains much the same. The writer, Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management in India Torremolinos has long been known for its excellent selection of traditional bars and eateries, several of which have enjoyed more than 50 years of service. Those seeking a more authentic experience will find the most traditional Andalusian style taverns and bodegas tucked away in the tranquil plazas and winding side streets, like La Campana in Calle La Cruz, the town's oldest and most iconic tavern. Founded by Narciso Perez Texeira in 1957, the bar was one of a franchise that bore the name of La Campana. Perez Texeira, a former Malaga-based bodega, once owned 21 bars in the province of Malaga and two in Madrid, and they quickly gained a reputation for outstanding quality. Everything that was sold, with the exception of mixers and Victoria beer, was supplied by the Perez Texeira winery in Malaga, but, like nearly all of the bars, the winery no longer exists. Today, only four of the bars survive: two in Malaga; one in Torre del Mar and one in Torremolinos, although they are all now privately owned. One of the few bars left in the area that still chalks the bill on the counter-top, La Campana is renowned for the quality of its wines and sherries, and also for the variety of seafood tapas. Twelve oak barrels containing some of the most famous wines of the province line the eight-metre-long bar, and these include Pedro Ximenez, Abocado, and Pajarete, a wine that is unique and very popular in the province of Malaga. Just a short stroll from here, in Plaza La Fuente, one will discover another of the town's old establishments. La Reja is a family run tapas bar that opened in 1969 and it is still run by the same family today. Decorated with the emblematic Andalusian tiles and walls adorned with images of the Semana Santa processions and local ferias, this little gem offers a wide selection of rustic tapas. The tapas menu offers a mixture of Iberian products, along with a variety of rice and pulse-based dishes or platos de cuchara, as they are known. Boquerones (fresh anchovies) and calamaries (fried squid) are a speciality of the house, as is the homemade ajo blanco, (chilled almond soup). Bodega Guerola, which clings to the corner Calle de las Mercedes and Calle San Miguel, is a beautiful and inviting old tavern that was founded in 1962. Mediterranean cuisine and variety of wines in a cozy atmosphere with a touch of distinction are what makes this bar popular. However, the large barrel-type tables outside are the best place to watch the world go by. Scallops, stuffed mushrooms, asparagus with Serrano ham and sauteed artichokes are just a few of the mouthwatering tapas they offer, but their speciality is the king clams that come directly from the shores of Malaga. There is also a good choice of Malaga's characteristic sweet wines produced from the Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel grape varieties. The investors behind a planned luxury hotel for Malaga's port have said they remain committed to the ambitious but controversial project. Confirmation of their continued interest came just a few days after the national Ministry of Culture published a damning report on the 116-metre-tall tower which would house the 26-storey five-star hotel and conference facilities for 1,100 people. Earlier this month, representatives from Al Alfia, the Qatari-royal- family fund that wants to build, visited Mayor of Malaga Francisco de la Torre and Malaga Port Authority head Carlos Rubio, who are both also strong backers of the scheme, and said their interest has not waned. The investors have also renewed a bank guarantee, believed to be about two million euros, deposited with port bosses, who control the land. "We are 100 per cent convinced that the project can move forward with our total support and the support of those here in Malaga," said Joao Jose de Gouveia, representing the Qatari- royal-family fund The 378-room-hotel has been designed by renowned architect Jose Segui and would be built next to the cruise ship terminal, on the eastern edge of the docks. Recently the planned height was reduced by some 20 metres and the location moved slightly due to an issue with the future foundations and port walls. The expected cost has now risen to some 200 million euros. The Ministry of Culture said in its critical report published last week that the tower would have a negative impact on Malaga's historic old town, which is a protected monument, and the relationship of the city with the sea would be affected. In order for the project to go ahead, the Spanish Cabinet needs to allow a change of land use in the docks for a hotel and it is likely, but not certain, that ministers will be influenced by the negative conclusion. An illogical point of view? Malaga city hall and the Andalusian regional government (that operates the port), both of whom are headed by the conservative PP, have said they are surprised by the PSOE-Podemos government report. The mayor of Malaga said that he did not understand why large towers had been approved close to the historic centres of Seville and Barcelona in recent years while Malaga's plan had received negative feedback. Malaga Port Authority has said it will look to appeal the findings. Firefighters in Malaga have safely rescued a young man who climbed to the top of an electricity pylon carrying high-voltage cables in the El Atabal district of the city this Monday (16 August). Emergency services were called to the incident when the man was spotted making a fuss and asking for help, according to a witness. The reason for him climbing the pylon is unknown. / NITO SALAS Electricity company Endesa was asked to cut the high-voltage supply through the cables until the man was safely lowered to the ground by firefighters who scaled the 50-metre high pylon. The 27-year-old man was transferred to hospital after being safely rescued by the emergency services. A well-known Irish criminal wanted for murder, has been arrested by police in Fuengirola, following a joint, international investigation with authorities in Ireland. Gerry The Monk Hutch was detained by Guardia Civil officers under a European arrest warrant and now faces an extradition hearing. Hutch is the head of the family, considered a rival of the Kinahan drug gang, in the Irish republic. This clash between clans started in Mijas in 2015 and has continued since then, claiming more than ten lives in Dublin and other parts of the country and some sources say the number of deaths could be as high as 18. According to the Irish press, Hutch has been actively pursued by the authorities for some time, and the main charge against him is the armed assault on the Regency Hotel, in 2016, during which a man died and others were injured. Since then Hutch has been on the run, until now. Jose Luis Gutierrez Repullo, also known as 'Chico Repullo', admits that he has always been artistic and that even as a child he was particularly good with clay. THE EXHIBITION uTitle. Anarquia Geometrica. uWorks. Nineteen abstract sculptures from the Sinergia Tubular collection, created in 2008 and Entre Acordes, figurative pieces made in 2011. There is also an opportunity to use spray paint to add graffiti to a two-metre bull. uPlace. Casa Fuerte de Bezmiliana, Avenida del Mediterraneo, 149, Rincon de la Victoria. uOpening hours. Until 17 de September, from Tuesday to Saturday, 11.30am to 1pm and 6.30 to 10pm. Sundays from 11.30am to 1pm. Mondays closed. Despite studying Economics at university, he has spent most of his life working in the hotel and catering industry, running the legendary Baluma nightclub in La Cala del Moral for more than two decades, until it closed in 2007. It was then that he decided to turn to his artistic passion, sculpture, he divulged before the opening of Anarquia Geometrica, his first major retrospective exhibition, which can be seen at the Casa Fuerte de Bezmiliana in Rincon de la Victoria. The exhibition The exhibition consists of a selection of 19 pieces and is the 64-year-old artist's first since 2011 when he held an exhibition at the at the Sala Mare Nostrum in La Cala del Moral. "For me it is an honour to be able to exhibit in my town," Repullo said. He went on to say that his pieces are "abstract and eclectic, contemporary, I play with sharp edges, emptiness and matter." Repullo works with different types of steel, brass and iron and mixes other elements such as wood or recycled pieces. "It was really from 2006 onwards that I devoted myself more fully to sculpture, I have experimented a little with painting, but I prefer sculpture", he explained. Visitors to the exhibition have the opportunity to paint a two-metre long fibreglass bull sculpted by hand by Repullo, with coloured graffiti paints. "It's a work I did at one of the last Noches en Blanco in Malaga," he added. The artist has also recently taken part in a travelling exhibition to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the University of Malaga's Faculty of Economics. Entitled Economistas en el Arte, the exhibition has toured several venues in the province. In addition, last year Repullo donated a sculpture of the Boqueron de Plata (silver anchovy) awarded by the town hall to outstanding personalities. In 2020 the award went to the Malaga actor and comedian Salva Reina and this year it went to the Madrid film director Salvador Calvo. Baluma nightclub Repullo is well known in Rincon de la Victoria for running the old Baluma nightclub for more than two decades. "There are still many people who stop me in the street and ask me to reopen it", he said about the venue. On the subject of the pandemic, Repullo admitted that it has not been a good time to create new artistic work, "I need to keep my mind very calm and with the confinement and all the tension I did go back to my roots, and I've started restoring old motorbikes. I have several projects in mind." The exhibition can be seen from Tuesday to Saturday until 17 September. Injaz Al-Arab and HSBC have launched a joint initiative Saving for Good to upskill 1,950 low-income workers through financial literacy programmes aimed at alleviating job market challenges. The initiative was launched during a digital event on August 16 and will be rolled out across the GCC and Egypt. With the Covid-19 pandemic leading to abrupt job losses, leaving individuals with little resources to sustain themselves, Saving for Good aims to empower low-income workers to ensure their readiness to respond to crises such as Covid-19 in the future. The initiative will focus on helping them open bank accounts, instill saving habits and learn how to manage those savings. The virtual panel Building Better: The Importance of Financial Literacy for Low-Income Workers in The Arab World launched the programme and revealed the nature of its implementation in the targeted countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt. The partnership, built on HSBCs objectives of securing the well-being and the future of all members of the community, plans to reach 9,750 indirect beneficiaries and help 30% to 35% of the total participants open saving accounts by the end of the programme. Commenting on the initiative, Akef Aqrabawi, President & CEO of Injaz-Al Arab, said: We are pleased to collaborate with HSBC on this educational initiative. Saving for Good embodies our shared core values and aims to empower the workforce to handle the inevitable job shifts and fast-paced changes within the job market through sound financial know-how and other essential skills. We know that small measures such as routine saving and prudent management of funds can help create a robust buffer during vulnerable times. Through partnerships with the private and government/semi government sectors as well as financial partners, we have a strong base to enhance the reach of our initiative across the GCC and Egypt and provide the required support to our beneficiaries, he added. As part of the Future Skills Sustainability Strategy of HSBC that focuses on employability and financial capability, the programme aims to improve the quality of life of low-income workers, which in turn has a positive long-term impact on their nations economy. Hana Sarwani, Executive Director of Injaz Bahrain commented: The launch of the Saving for Good initiative reflects on our mission in supporting and empowering Bahraini youth with essential financial skills to tackle challenges of the real business world. The initiative will bridge the financial literacy knowledge gap among individuals in the Bahraini market by delving into strategies young people can use in building strong money management skills which comes in handy during challenging times. The programme will commence soon and will target 250 low-income workers at various organisations including public and private entities. Sabrin Rahman, Head of Sustainability, HSBC EMEA, said: Low-income individuals around the world and particularly in the Middle East are highly vulnerable to social upheaval and economic shocks, as they are often the least prepared. With the added context of the global pandemic, it is increasingly important that everyone has access to support that will help to strengthen their resilience to future shocks and stresses, without compromising their welfare. Evidence suggests that well-designed financial products and services play an important role in increasing resilience by guiding on areas such as risk, savings and investment in addition to future planning. This is exactly what we are aiming to achieve through Saving for Good. -- TradeArabia News Service Brazil-based converted plastic product manufacturers are set to showcase their sustainable products to Arab companies in a series of B2B virtual meetings from September 20 to October 7, 2021. The event will be hosted by Think Plastic Brazil, a global initiative launched by the countrys National Plastic Institute (INP) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex Brasil), in collaboration with the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). At least 15 companies will highlight their products made from recycled plastic including bathroom fittings, cleaning products, pharmaceutical packaging, toys, chairs, cables, paint rollers, and more. Arab retailers and distributors have until September 16 to register for the virtual meetings. Osmar Chohfi, President, Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said: We are proud to collaborate with Think Plastic Brazil in hosting the B2B virtual meetings. Our teams have been working together since last year, and we are looking forward to introducing more eco-friendly products to the Arab market. With this initiative, we aim to raise awareness regarding various applications of reusable plastics as we continue to boost trade relations between Brazil and the Arab world. We look forward to the event's success and more trade opportunities in the future." An increasing number of companies and communities are backing the use and manufacturing of recyclable plastic around the world. From January to May 2021, Think Plastic Brazil led an initiative that enabled member companies to expand to 57 new markets and 17 new products, boosting their export revenue to $136.5 million, a 20% increase compared to the same period last year. This also reflects an increase in volume by 4%, which is equivalent to 54,900 tonnes.-- TradeArabia News Service Pioneering seismic technology provider Stryde has announced an agreement with Africa Geophysical Services, a land seismic data acquisition and processing company in Oman, to supply 154,000 of its nodes for projects in Oman and Africa. The deal is the largest for Stryde in the Middle East and demonstrates the increasing preference for nodal systems no matter the environmental conditions or size of survey. Africa Geophysical Services, which has a presence in Oman, India, Tanzania, Egypt, Dubai, Uganda, Turkey and the United Kingdom, will use Strydes nodes, expertise and training services to obtain data for oil and gas exploration projects in Oman and Africa. Its project in Oman, which is due to commence later this year, will see the highest ever number of nodes used for seismic acquisition in the Middle East in any one project utilising high density acquisition for superior subsurface imaging. Around 130,000 nodes will be deployed via Strydes Compact system, which offers rapid, high-volume charging and data download. Provision of such high numbers of seismic inventory like this is made possible by the cost effectiveness and efficiency of the Stryde system. To handle such large inventory in the field, the Compact system will enable up to 13,000 nodes to be prepared in a 24-hour period. And once out in the field, a greater number of nodes can be deployed in a survey, at less cost, with less resource but more speed, reducing both the environmental impact of seismic imaging and the health and safety risk. Deploying more nodes creates higher trace density, which produces a much higher definition picture of what lies beneath the ground, enabling oil and gas companies to maximise their existing reservoirs. Mike Popham, Chief Executive Officer, Stryde said: This is a really exciting agreement for Stryde as we continue along the path of rapid growth and enter new territories and were delighted to be working in collaboration with AGS to help deliver high inventory, cost effective and super high-definition seismic acquisition for its clients in the Middle East and Africa. The oil and gas industry is starting to recognise that high-density seismic imaging is the only option to fully unlock the true value of a reservoir. Our highly reliable nodes, which can be quickly deployed in their tens of thousands, with minimal impact on the environment, offers exactly this; a much better picture for far better returns on reservoirs. Salim Ajib Alhajri, Chairman, Africa Geophysical Services, said: This agreement represents a significant moment for both AGS and our customers. Working with the latest acquisition technology we realise our crews can be more efficient, safer and deliver better quality data to our customers, allowing them to radically improve their geological understanding. And beyond these initial projects for which we intend to use Strydes nodes, we will offer the same high end acquisition capabilities to our clients who need to obtain high-definition seismic imaging in even more challenging terrains, such as urban areas, forests or in mountain ranges utilizing predominantly local Omani content. We are really looking forward to getting started and delivering the very best results for our clients in Oman, Africa and around the world. TradeArabia News Service The National Bank of Bahrain in strategic partnership with one of the regions leading FinTech hubs, Bahrain FinTech Bay, has launched the Digital Banking Challenge, and is accepting applications. The NBB Digital Challenge will encourage and motivate participants to develop new and creative solutions focused on NBB's new digital banking app. In line with Bahrains Vision 2030 objectives, the NBB Digital Challenge will contribute in upskilling Bahraini youth digital capabilities and enable them to explore various emerging tech trends. The programme is open to university students in Bahrain aged between 18-24. The challenge will consist of an intensive bootcamp and selection process, followed by a 6-week Digital Incubation period. During the bootcamp, applicants will get the opportunity to understand NBBs digital outlook through several technical and strategic sessions with their business teams. Following the bootcamp, shortlisted students will be matched and formed into teams according to their skill sets to initiate their ideas and further develop them during the incubation period This is in line with NBBs three-year sustainability roadmap to educate, implement and move towards a more sustainable future. Programmes such as these fall under several of NBBs sustainability pillars which are community investment; to effectively enhance their community investments through leveraging their full resources and capabilities, economic growth; contribute to the society and Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030, and responsible banking; to raise financial literacy and accessibility. The incubation period comprises three tracks; the Startup Track, NBB Track, and Mentorship Track, where students will be able to develop their ideas further into early-stage startups. During the incubation period, students will have key one-on-one sessions delivered by NBBs team from several departments including Strategy and Digital Banking, Digital Transformation, IT Team, Product Development, Marketing, Business Development, Sales & Customer Service, and Customer Relations. Students will also be part of a peer-to-peer learning environment at Bahrain FinTech Bay with weekly mentorship sessions led by the FinTech Bay team to support students at different stages of development, gain hand-on experience in building a startup and coming up with a viable solution. The program will conclude with a demo day event that will award the top 3 best ideas with prize money, incubation at Bahrain FinTech Bay and more. Khalid Dannish, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain FinTech Bay commented: We are delighted to be collaborating with NBB to deliver this unique programme and provide a platform for the kingdoms young innovators to directly shape NBBs digital efforts. Our ecosystem is defined by our talent, and young Bahrainis will have the opportunity to showcase their solutions and fast track their ideas. It is vital that we nurture talent and we are proud to be launching this joint national initiative. Yaser Alsharifi, Group Chief Strategy Officer at NBB commented: We have an inherent responsibility as one of the pioneers of banking in the kingdom to support the development and upskilling of the kingdoms youth. We want to engage with the youth and have them showcase their innovative solutions for our digital banking app. Ultimately, this serves as a direct conversation with our future users and we have a crucial role to have them be a part of our digital efforts. Furthermore, these initiatives are vital, as they allow the young talents to emerge themselves in entrepreneurial and challenging environments, enhance their skills and allow them to contribute their creative efforts towards the kingdoms growth. He added: It is our aim to shift markets towards sustainability and to maximise our impact within the kingdom, and make significant contributions to share skills, knowledge and experience with all sections of the community. The NBB Digital Banking Challenge is a prime example of one of our sustainability efforts when it comes to education, community investment and knowledge sharing.-- TradeArabia News Service Malware is widespread across the Middle East, accounting for 161 million of attacks and growing by 17% when compared to the last year figure 138 million, according to research by Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity company. The growth in each country in the region varies. Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Egypt have seen a large spike in malware attacks, increasing by 67%, 64%, 45% and 32%, respectively. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) show lower increases of 16% and 7% - however increases none the less. Maher Yamout, Senior Security Researcher for Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Kaspersky said: Even though the scourge of malware has always been of concern, the past 12-months have highlighted how hackers are refocusing their efforts to compromise consumer and corporate systems and gain access to critical data and information. Given the growth in digital transformation since last year and considering the increase in remote working resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, countries of the Middle East have become an attractive target for those looking to exploit a lack of user education or cybersecurity understanding. Interestingly, in the region, Turkey was also the only country that saw a slight decrease of 4.4% in all malware attacks in H1 2021 when compared to H1 2020.Turkey accounts for around a quarter of malware attacks in the region (44 million), followed by Egypt (42million), United Arab Emirates (34 million), Oman (14 million), Kuwait (11 million) and Bahrain (5 million). Despite the large increases in all malware attacks that we have seen in the Middle Eastern countries we monitor, it is not surprising to also see a slight decrease in some of the larger countries and like in Turkey, said Maher Yamout. We believe that this only emphasises how hackers have become more targeted with their attack strategies, focusing on advanced persistent threat (APT) type attacks aimed to stealing sensitive data. When looking at the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region, Turkey still places first when it comes to the number of overall malware attacks detected by Kaspersky. With so many people working remotely and accessing corporate networks from their personal devices, companies must contend with a rapidly expanding attack surface. These devices might not have an adequate level of protection meaning that once they are compromised and an employee logs into the network, hackers can potentially get access to sensitive data and cripple the organisation. Malware can get onto a device in several ways. For example, clicking on an infected link or advert, opening an attachment in a spam email, or downloading a malicious app. This means proactive malware protection is essential to safeguard individual users and corporates against these threats, said Maher Yamout. There are several best practices to consider when it comes to malware protection. Kaspersky recommends the following: Install anti-virus software on every device that connects to the Internet. Kaspersky recommends Kaspersky Security Cloud. Only download applications from trusted sites. Even then, always check the app permissions and, if certain things do not make sense, do not install the programme. Never click on unverified links especially when coming from suspected spam emails, messages, or suspicious-looking Websites. Keeping operation systems and applications always updated with the latest patches. Be wary of using free Wi-Fi at coffee shops, restaurants, and other places as hackers can snoop for unprotected devices. TradeArabia News Service Zain Bahrain commemorated International Youth Day 2021 by celebrating the power of young creative Bahrainis whose skills were enhanced and developed through the Zain Youth (ZY) Programme. The Zain Youth Programme is a development programme which provides Bahraini youth with practical learning experiences. The team works directly with different national entities, educational, training, and development institutes in Bahrain to achieve its purpose. As part of the programme, participants are exposed to real business world challenges that sharpen their skills and prepare them for the labour market following their graduation. The company restated its commitment to empowering a future-ready workforce in the kingdom by investing in 2,000 Bahraini youth through various initiatives, which contribute to Bahrains Vision 2030. International Youth Day is a day celebrated by the community to highlight the potential of active young members of society and some of the issues they face. With a commitment to empowering and bridging the gap between education and future market requirements, Zain Bahrain believes in targeted investment through its empowerment programme. This commitment closely aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, SDG8 to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work opportunities. Through the ZY programme and with a segment-inclusive approach, the company has successfully strengthened the skills of over 2,000 young Bahrainis, by providing them with essential practical learning experiences required to increase their employability, and advance their career paths. Fatema Haider, Manager, Sustainability & Inclusivity at Zain Bahrain, said: Young citizens of a country play a major role in its growth and development; hence it is our responsibility as corporates to contribute in inspiring and guiding them. We at Zain Bahrain are extremely proud of the initiatives we have undertaken by investing in the youth segment and witnessing the growth of each youth member who was or currently enrolled with us. As the world marks International Youth Day, we would like to celebrate the power of the Bahraini youth who represent our future leaders and the growth of Bahrain. We thank our partners in success for contributing to the growth and the success of the programme." She further added: "At Zain Bahrain, Youth empowerment is one of the key programmes that the company invests in with an intent to equip all young Bahrainis with the essential skills and mentoring required to provide them with growth opportunities needed to raise their standard of living through gainful employment. Through the ZY programmes, we aim to create an accepting, engaging, inclusive, and a dynamic environment that will educate and enrich the youth, making them financially independent at an early age. We encourage young Bahrainis to participate in the ZY programme which will aid their personal and practical development as well as help them upskill, understand the job market, and have access to different opportunities to fulfil their full potential.-- TradeArabia News Service The Ascott Limited, a leading serviced apartments group, is solidifying its presence in Africa after signing two properties in Morocco as part of its Middle East, Africa and Turkey (MEAT) portfolio. Citadines Racine Casablanca and Citadines Connect Belvedere Casablanca will add 183 keys to Ascotts existing MEAT portfolio, in line with the groups expansion plans in the region. Ascott entered into a management agreement with Life Square, a leading real estate developer in North Africa, to launch its first property in the country: Citadines Racine Casablanca in Q2 of 2022. The firm is also partnering with one of Moroccos most well established real estate conglomerates, Chrifi Alaoui Immobilier SARL to launch Citadines Connect Belvedere Casablanca. The property, slated to open in 2023, will mark the first Citadines Connect brand in the MEAT region, a company spokesperson said. Ascotts Regional General Manager for the Middle East, Africa, Turkey and India Vincent Miccolis said: With a growing demand for serviced residences and the absence of internationally branded apart-hotels in Morocco to meet the demands of international corporate travel, we are delighted to introduce Ascotts award-winning brand, Citadines in Casablanca, to contribute to the countrys growth in tourism and boost the citys hospitality supply standards. We partnered with Life Square and Alaoui Group as they have the regional insights and experience which is an essential component we look for in our partners, to better understand and service guests in the region," Miccolis added.-TradeArabia News Service UW Extension Campaign Seeks to Boost COVID-19 Vaccination Rates This Vaccinate Up Wyoming billboard is in Gillette. (UW Photo) An effort by University of Wyoming Extension and Wyoming 2-1-1 to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in Wyoming is appealing to the states individualism -- but also its reputation for neighbors looking out for neighbors. Information about Vaccinate Up is at www.uwyo.edu/uwe/vax-up. The choice to vaccinate is a personal one, but one that has communal impacts, says Kali McCrackin Goodenough in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Our work to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccination is built on the Wyoming spirit of taking care of each other and protecting one another. The campaign started with a national effort by the extension services at land-grant universities and, in Wyoming, was initially focused on at-risk populations. Since then, COVID-19 has changed, and the campaign has evolved with it, she says. The landscape is changing quickly, says McCrackin Goodenough, based in the Cent$ible Nutrition Program. We are taking a broader approach to encourage everyone to consider vaccination as well as reach at-risk populations, she says. One of the themes that keeps coming up is that, in rural states like Wyoming, people are often more trusting of the voices in their own social circles than of mainstream media or other resources. The campaign includes Wyoming residents sharing their vaccination stories in a series of videos. This effort is from Wyoming, for Wyoming, McCrackin Goodenough says. The videos will be on the WY VAX UP site, and McCrackin Goodenough says the videos are posted through UW Extension to social media platforms, such as YouTube. The campaign also encourages people to use the hashtag #WyIVaxUp to share their stories through Facebook and other social media platforms. We are looking for real voices, real Wyoming people talking about why vaccination is important and how it made a difference in their lives, she says. The campaign also includes working with Eastern Shoshone Tribal Health; creating a series of billboards; developing frequently asked questions sheets; and a youth campaign through Pandora, social media and web information. A webpage for young people and their parents is available at www.uwyo.edu/uwe/vax-up/youth-vax-up.html. About 34 percent of Wyoming residents were fully vaccinated as of Aug. 9, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). Crook and Campbell counties have the lowest rates at about 19 percent. Teton is highest at about 71 percent. McCrackin Goodenough says the UW Extension effort links to resources that already exist, such as the WDH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Wyoming 2-1-1. Wyoming 2-1-1, in partnership with the WDH, houses the Wyoming COVID-19 Aging Network focused on maintaining the health of homebound elders in Wyoming. Wyoming COVID-19 vaccine information and where vaccinations are being offered in Wyoming counties, testing sites and other COVID-19 information, such as travel and housing assistance, can be found on the Wyoming 2-1-1 webpage at https://wy211.communityos.org/covid19-faqs. The overall goal of the campaign nationally and our work locally is to create confidence in vaccination, McCrackin Goodenough says. We offer the facts and encourage Wyoming citizens to think about people they care about and how to protect them. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. BATON ROUGE, La. - Grappling with an unprecedented flood of COVID-19 patients, Louisianas hospitals are struggling to provide the public with the most basic levels of care and are quickly approaching catastrophe. We are rapidly getting to the point where we could have a major failure of our health care delivery system," Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a press briefing Friday. "Theres some people out there whose care is being delayed to the point where, for them, its already failed. If the latest and worst COVID surge doesnt turn a corner within the next few weeks, Louisianas hospitals could reach a point where care is rationed and patients are triaged. What that means is that those with the lowest likelihood of survival would be turned away and sent to hospice care. Its an unimaginably grim scenario, but entirely possible given the pandemics current trajectory, said Dr. Joe Kanter, the states top public health official. This is not something that's happened before. Weve never been to a place where not one hospital, but almost every hospital in the state, is at a point where they simply cant meet the demand that comes in, Kanter said. Hospitals are going to do the best that they can to save the most lives, do the most amount of good for the most people. There were a record-setting 2,907 patients hospitalized with COVID on Thursday, the latest day for which data is available. Some 91% of those patients are not fully vaccinated, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The current surge is creating as much of a crisis for Louisianas healthcare system as any before it. About 1 of every 1,600 Louisiana residents is currently in a hospital bed with COVID, and more are arriving each day. Those patients need intense care and monitoring, resources that would otherwise go to those suffering from other ailments or injuries. Faced with dire staffing shortages, 58 hospitals have reached out to the state asking for reinforcements of doctors and nurses. Many major hospitals can no longer accept patients transferred from smaller hospitals. Mary Lubrano, 52, of Chalmette, talks about her recovery from COVID at Ochsner Medical Center. Last weekend, a patient suffering from an acute heart attack had to take a two-hour ambulance ride, passing six different hospitals, before they could find a facility with an open bed and a specialist on hand to offer care. Every minute that care is delayed is literally heart muscle that dies, Kanter said. "These are the type of scenarios that are happening all across the state," Kanter said. If you think this does not impact you, youre absolutely wrong because these types of medical emergencies happen to everyone. Dr. Amanda Logue, the chief medical officer at Ochsner Lafayette General, which operates five hospitals in the Acadiana region, described the situation as close to a breaking point. "Taking care of our community like we would like to and like were used to is becoming a very real challenge," she said. COVID patients are taking up one-third of Ochsners Lafayette bed space, and that number keeps rising. Logue said its not uncommon for patients to wait seven to ten hours for an emergency room bed. The health system has delayed more than 100 non-emergency surgeries each week for procedures that require a hospital bed for recovery, she said. Those include procedures for people with slow-growing tumors. These are aneurysms. These are bypass surgeries, heart bypass, and hysterectomies, Logue said. Theyre certainly not minor to the person thats waiting on them. Since the beginning of July, Ochsner Lafayette General has declined nearly 70% of all transfer requests from smaller hospitals, Logue said. She described the ripple effect thats emerging in the healthcare system as major hospitals grow overwhelmed with COVID. Rural emergency rooms, unable to transfer patients, are filling to the brim. When ambulances show up, theres no space for patients, so EMTs are lining the hallways waiting for a bed to open. Then a patient out in the community calls 911 and theres not an ambulance to go to them, Logue said. Thats the fear that we all have for any one of us that might get sick and try to pick up 911 and theres not enough people to come get you. If the surge of coronavirus patients grows larger, Logue said next steps would involve shutting down clinic visits to anything but the most urgent needs so the doctors, nurses and other health care staff can go to hospital bedsides. "After that, it's uncharted territory," Logue said. "We are thinking through all the levers we could pull but we're getting close to being there already." Four of the states nine hospital regions reported their available ICU beds in the single digits on Friday: Only 3 beds were free in the Lafayette area, 4 in Lake Charles, 8 around Alexandria and there were only 9 to spare in the region covering the River Parishes, Houma and Thibodaux. Combined, that means a total of 24 beds for patients in need of the most critical care for an area of 1.6 million people stretching from the Bonnet Carre Spillway to the Texas border. And while those regions are the worst off, none of the others has more than 20% of its beds available. About 1 in 50 Louisiana residents have tested positive for the coronavirus since the fourth wave began at the beginning of July. And if the state of Louisiana were an independent country, its case growth would be among the highest in the world, Edwards noted. And yet, Louisianas pandemic restrictions are as relaxed as ever, with none of the capacity limits or curfews implemented during the first three surges. Edwards said that vaccinations and masking should be enough to stem transmission and said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn't recommended additional mitigation measures. The Democratic governor reinstated an indoor mask mandate on Aug. 4 that's set to expire at the beginning of September. "I'm not going to be more prescriptive than that right now," Edwards said. "Every time we've had a mask mandate before, you could see about two weeks after that was implemented, that the numbers got better, and I'm very hopeful that that's going to happen this time." In an attempt to boost vaccination rates among young people, Edwards also announced that the state will give away $100 gift cards to the first 75,000 college and university students who get their shots beginning Monday. Students want an in-person college experience. They want as much normalcy as possible. To safely accomplish that we need more shots in arms, he said. Edwards unveiled the incentive hours after Louisiana announced the winners of a $1 million grand prize and five $100,000 scholarships as part of the state's Shot At A Million vaccine lottery. Only 38% of Louisianas population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus illness, among the bottom five states in the nation, according to CDC data. But the numbers of people seeking their first shot has increased dramatically over the last month. Census Shows Population Growth in Paducah By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - The recent release of 2020 Census data shows that Paducah has grown by 8.44 percent from 2010 to 2020.The city's reported population in 2020 was 27,137 which is up by 2,113 people from 2010.The recent release of 2020 Census results is specific for redistricting data to be used by each state in redrawing congressional, legislative, and local district boundaries. The Census Bureau will release additional information and easier-to-use data tables this fall.Overall Kentuckys population grew 3.8 percent. Calvert City Moves Website to Government Domain By West Kentucky Star Staff CALVERT CITY - Calvert City has transitioned its city government website to a .gov domain to improve authenticity.Using the .gov domain makes it easy for users to identify official government services on the internet quickly. Residents can now access information on services from all of the City's departments by clicking here. All city officials' and employees' email addresses will change to reflect the new domain. The previous domains will remain active during the transition."Changing the domain will help identify the city as an official government agency and reassure the public that the information and services the city provides are legitimate," said John Ward, Calvert City's city administrator.Anyone with questions should call 270-395-7138 or email info@calvertcityky.gov. Hickman County Will Require, Enforce Masks By West Kentucky Star Staff CLINTON - Hickman County Schools Superintendent Casey Henderson said in a letter Friday that the Hickman County School System must require all persons entering school facilities to wear a mask and they must enforce it.Henderson's letter was posted Friday night after it was reported that some students showed up Friday morning at Hickman County High School without masks and were asked to leave.This led to a group of students and teachers walking outside, and they too were eventually asked to leave.After rumors apparently began circulating, the Hickman County Sheriff's Office posted on social media to say that there were teachers in every classroom, that students were not unattended, and that state police had not been called to the school for any reason. They urged parents to remain calm for the sake of their children, regardless of whether they chose to remove them from class.A school board meeting was scheduled for Friday night with the the board expected to discuss creating an alternate plan allowed under Kentucky House Bill 1, which could remove them from the authority of mask mandates put in place by Governor Andy Beshear or the Kentucky Board of Education.However, in Henderson's letter on Friday he said that for now Governor Andy Beshear's mandate is law and must be followed. He also said the Kentucky Board of Education's emergency regulation on all common school's requires masking indoors holds the power of law.Henderson said he knows this comes with opposition."We know this comes with much discord and personal opposition by some," Henderson wrote. "We ask that the community support us as it is something that is required of all schools in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Most important thing to everyone is that we provide great quality in person instruction to our students. With your help, our students can receive the high quality instruction everyone is accustomed to in this wonderful community." OP-ED: No One is Above the Law By Representative Richard Heath MAYFIELD -By now we are all aware that Governor Andy Beshear issued a statewide mask mandate for children over the age of two in public and private schools and child care settings. This kicked off a firestorm of protests from parents, school boards, and citizens who have grown weary of the Governors overreach. Frankly, as the person elected to craft laws on behalf of the people of the 2nd House District, I find myself wondering how this administration can consistently act like it is above the law.Before I go further, let me share that I believe there are two major issues to consider. The first, why the administration is flouting legislation enacted by the legislative branch of government, which is the only branch constitutionally authorized to make law. The second, why the governor and state board of education have failed to respect the authority of our local school boards. Does the governor actually think he can disregard the constitution and state law to act as the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government?We are all familiar with the controversy surrounding last years executive orders and emergency regulations. They resulted in multiple lawsuits and rulings in state and federal courts that found some of the Governors actions in violation of both the U.S. and Kentucky constitutions. However, the Supreme Court of Kentucky unanimously ruled that the governors actions were legal under the states emergency powers laws. As a result, legislators acted within hours of convening the 2021 Regular Session to redefine the states emergency powers to ensure current and future governors do not take advantage of a crisis to unilaterally dictate policies that carry the weight of law. The Governor vetoed the legislation (HB 1, HJR 77, SB 1, and SB 2), and then filed suit after we overrode his vetoes by an overwhelming majority on February 2.Let me be clear, we strengthened the separation of powers, oversight, and accountability. HB 1, SB 1, and SB 2 strengthened state law to better reflect the separation of powers called for in our state constitution and empowered school boards, local governments, and other entities to take actions they deem necessary to best serve their constituencies. With the passage of HJR 77, we proved that the legislature could act swiftly to address emergencies by ratifying a handful of orders that were necessary to the states COVID response.After more than six months, the Supreme Court of Kentucky has yet to act, leaving the enforcement of the laws we passed in limbo. Because of the Courts inaction, the Governor is attempting to use the executive order to enact a statewide mask mandate for children over the age of two. This order is already being challenged. Just a day after the Governors announcement, Attorney General Daniel Cameron filed a response before the Kentucky Supreme Court urging the court to require the Governor to follow the laws passed by the General Assembly.Now, the second issue at hand is the lack of respect for the authority and ability of our local school boards shown by the Governor and the state board of education. Prior to last weeks mask mandate, local school districts across the state carefully considered mandatory face coverings and made decisions regarding this issue. Many voted to require masks and face coverings, while others voted not to. Regardless of which direction they went, the decisions were made by local leaders closest to the people they represent and far more accessible and accountable to those who elected them. The Governor may not agree with their choices, but he must respect their authority. Instead, just hours before many districts were slated to open the 2021-2022 school year, he chose to issue an executive order with extremely questionable legal standing. On Thursday of last week, the state board of education added insult to injury by unanimously voting to approve an emergency regulation that could leave our school children masked until May of 2022. This vote was taken just minutes after their advisory council of superintendents asked to table the proposal and instead work with public health officials to develop a more tailored approach.Legislative leadership immediately called a meeting of the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee to review and take any necessary action on the board of educations emergency regulation, as well as one put forth by the Department for Public Health that applies to children in regulated child care facilities. Members of that subcommittee will meet on Tuesday, August 17 at the Capitol Annex.As always, I can be reached here at home anytime, or through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. Feel free to contact me via email at Richard.Heath@lrc.ky.gov. Also, visit the legislatures website at legislature.ky.gov. 7 Killed in Kabul Airport Chaos By The Associated Press AFGHANISTAN - Thousands of Afghans rushed into Kabuls main airport Monday, some so desperate to escape the Taliban that they held onto a military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths.At least seven people died in the chaos, U.S. officials said, as Americas longest war ended with its enemy the victor.The crowds came while the Taliban enforced their rule over the capital of 5 million people after a lightning advance across the country that took just over a week to dethrone the countrys Western-backed government. There were no major reports of abuses or fighting, but many residents stayed home and remained fearful after the insurgents advance saw prisons emptied and armories looted.Across the nation, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that thousands had been wounded in fighting. Elsewhere, security forces and politicians handed over their provinces and bases without a fight, likely believing the two-decade Western experiment to remake Afghanistan would not survive the resurgent Taliban.The last American troops had planned to withdraw at the end of the month.President Joe Biden will address the crisis in Afghanistan from the White House on Monday afternoon as he faces mounting questions about his administration's apparent failure to prepare for the collapse of that nation's government.Biden had remained at the wooded Camp David presidential retreat with members of his family over the weekend as chaotic images from Kabul emerged. He returned to Washington ahead of his address, which is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. It will be his first time in six days speaking in public on the matter, which has become the most serious test of Biden's foreign policy since he took office.The world is following events in Afghanistan with a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead, warned United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.As the U.S. military and others continued evacuation flights, Afghans swarmed over the international airports tarmac. Some climbed into aircraft parked on the taxiway, while others dangled precariously off a jet bridge.U.S. troops took positions to guard the active runway, but the crowd stormed past them and their armored vehicles. Gunshots rang out. As one U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III tried to take off, a helicopter did low runs in front of it to try to drive people off the runway.Videos showed a group of Afghans hanging onto the plane just before takeoff and several falling through the air as the airplane rapidly gained altitude over the city.Senior American military officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation, told The Associated Press that the chaos left seven dead, including several who fell from the flight. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said U.S. forces killed two people he described as carrying weapons in the melee.He said 1,000 more U.S. troops would be deployed to secure the airfield and back up the 2,500 already there.All flights at the airport both military and civilian were halted until Afghan civilians can be cleared from the runway, Kirby added.Late Monday night, hundreds of people remained trapped between American forces trying to push them out of the airport and Taliban forces trying to keep them in, witnesses said. An Associated Press journalist also saw what appeared to be an airstrike target two vehicles near the airport.The U.S. Embassy has been evacuated and the American flag lowered, with diplomats relocating to the airport to help with the evacuation. Other Western countries also closed their missions and were flying out staff and their citizens.In interviews with U.S. television networks, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan blamed the Afghan military for the Talibans rapid takeover, saying it lacked the will to fight.However, the ease with which the Taliban took control goes beyond military prowess, the Texas-based private intelligence firm Stratfor wrote.The speed of the Talibans final advance suggests less military dominance than effective political insurgency coupled with an incohesive Afghan political system and security force struggling with flagging morale, it said.The Taliban offensive through the country stunned American officials. Just days before the insurgents entered Kabul with little if any resistance, a U.S. military assessment predicted it could take months for the capital to fall. Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-13 22:58:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A member of an army medical mobile vaccination team arrives at a residential area to vaccinate people with limited mobility in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 13, 2021. Over 11 million first doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across Sri Lanka to date as a mass vaccination program is underway to inoculate all citizens above 30 years of age, the Health Ministry said Friday. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua) COLOMBO, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan authorities have made it mandatory for citizens above the age of 30 years old to carry their vaccination cards when they visit public places from Sept. 15 in a bid to curb the rising spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Army Commander and Head of the National Operations Center for Prevention of COVID-19 General Shavendra Silva said here Friday. In a statement, Silva said the vaccination cards, which should mention the dates of both the jabs, should be shown to officials when citizens visit public places such as supermarkets, restaurants, parks, etc. Sri Lanka is presently in the midst of a nationwide vaccination program, with over 11 million first doses administered to those above 30 years old of age. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa earlier on Friday instructed health officials to pay special attention to those aged over 60 years old and who were suffering from long-term non-communicable diseases during this pandemic and to ensure they have received the vaccines. Last month he instructed health officials to complete administering the first dose of vaccines on all those above 30 years old by September amidst a rapid spread of the virus suspected to be caused by the Delta variant. To date, Sri Lanka has 34,870 active COVID-19 patients and has reported 5,620 deaths. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 03:12:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Aug. 15, 2021 shows closed shops in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country on Sunday night, while the Taliban forces entered the capital of Kabul and took control of the presidential palace. Ghani confirmed on his Facebook page late on Sunday that he has left the country, saying the move was to prevent bloodshed. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua) KABUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani confirmed on his Facebook page late on Sunday that he has left the country, saying the move was to prevent bloodshed. "If there were still countless countrymen martyred and they would face the destruction and destruction of Kabul city, the result would have been a big human disaster in the city," Ghani said. The Taliban is now responsible for protecting the honor and wealth of the Afghan people, adding that he will continue to serve the nation, he said. Ghani did not mention his current location in the Facebook post. Media reports said he fled to Uzbekistan with his wife. A senior Interior Ministry official said earlier in the day that he was heading for Tajikistan, while a Foreign Ministry official said his destination remains unknown. Meanwhile, the Taliban has assured that all the diplomatic missions and foreign citizens in Kabul that they face no dangers. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said they are committed to ensure security in the Afghan capital. The development came as the Taliban forces entered Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday and took control of the presidential palace. The group also said they will soon declare the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, according to media reports. Reports said earlier in the day that a negotiation was underway in the presidential palace between the Afghan government and the Taliban on a peaceful power transfer. A curfew has been imposed in Kabul starting 21:00 local time on Sunday to prevent violence. Meanwhile, the United States was reported to have completed the evacuation of its embassy in Afghanistan. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 12:45:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Israeli settlers on Sunday reestablished a settlement outpost in the south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, after it was abandoned for two months, a Palestinian commission said. The National Commission to Resist the Wall and Settlements in the West Bank said in a statement that Israeli settlers, under the protection of an Israeli army force, reestablished the outpost on Palestinians' land in the village of Khirbet Zanuta south of Hebron. Two months ago, Palestinian protesters removed the outpost and obliged the Israeli settlers who had settled there to leave the site, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, adding that the settlers arrived earlier on Sunday and established the outpost again. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the total number of settlers' attacks across the West Bank in 2021 has increased by 46 percent compared to the same period in 2020. Official Palestinian figures said that more than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 13:41:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least two Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces opened fire on residents of a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, witnesses said late Sunday, according to the Alarabiya News. The Israeli border police operating in the occupied West Bank said its forces were involved in clashes, said the report. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 15:01:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The fierce rebound of COVID-19 in the United States is creating new difficulties for the country's effort to contain the public health crisis, highlighting its lamentable performance in the process. However, the situation is hardly a surprise to many, as the United States has made an array of mistakes at various levels and different stages of its anti-pandemic response, largely driven by partisanship, as well as entrenched social and cultural cleavages. The root causes, according to observers and pundits, lie in the flaws of U.S. systems and mismatched values, which have contributed to a failure to rise to the demanding fight against COVID-19 that has shaken the country to its core. OBSTRUCTIVE FEDERALISM The power of the United States is shared between federal and state governments under federalism, in which states are independent equals and are also independent from the federal government, with each having its own set of laws and rules of procedure. Due to the government structure, it is fundamentally difficult for the United States to put together a centralized response to major crises, which has proved to be effective in addressing public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, experts agreed. The White House, however, simply shied away from the creation of a national strategy by announcing in April 2020 that states would be primarily responsible for containing the virus, with the federal government playing a "back-up" role, in a move that solicited disjointed pandemic responses, which are variant and sometimes even contradictory, by state and local authorities in rolling out mitigation measures. Drew Altman, president and CEO of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, also noted in a 2020 essay that the "patchwork of responses" was "divided sharply along partisan lines." "This caused sudden, massive spikes of infections in many local outbreaks, placing enormous strain on health care systems and leaving no region untouched by the disease," an article published by U.S. science magazine Scientific American earlier this year pointed out. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told the magazine that the United States has put forward "uneven applications of public health recommendations in a way that I can't imagine any other country does." The problems of a decentralized response in the United States were further amplified by raging partisanship last year. To offload political responsibilities and fire up supporters, federal and state leaders of different parties constantly traded blame and engaged in shouting matches over the pandemic, as the consequential 2020 general elections, including the quadrennial presidential election, loomed. Though the new federal administration released a national plan shortly after taking office, its content, along with information and knowledge shared by unmuzzled top government health experts, was considered guidance and recommendations rather than mandatory directives. Hence, the divergences between the White House and some states in dealing with COVID-19 have come to the fore again as the pandemic, fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant, is rapidly spreading across the United States. In the endeavor to thwart a pandemic, the U.S. government's decentralized nature would likely have been an obstacle under any president, Gandhi concluded. "FLAWED" CAPITALISM The U.S. mode of capitalism has generated enormous wealth for the country but the system is "deeply flawed," according to Eben Shapiro, deputy editor of U.S. news magazine TIME. "It's not so good at equitably allocating it and protecting those at the bottom end of the economic ladder," Shapiro wrote in a 2020 yearender story, adding that the wealth gap in the United States "has widened sharply during the pandemic." According to the latest report by inequality.org, a project of the Institute for Policy Studies, the total combined wealth of U.S. billionaires has surged shockingly by 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars to 4.7 trillion dollars over the last 16 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. The wealth of the billionaires is twice the amount of that held by the bottom 50 percent of households in the United States combined, roughly 160 million people. The pandemic boded ill for many others. Forty-two million Americans, including 13 million children, may experience food insecurity in 2021, and an estimated 11.4 million adults living in rental housing were not caught up on rent, while 13.7 percent of the total U.S. population are projected to live in poverty, data from non-profit organizations and think tanks showed. "If this pandemic reveals anything, it's how unequal our society has become," said Frank Clemente, executive director of U.S. advocacy group Americans for Tax Fairness. Chuck Collins, director of the Institute for Policy Studies Program on Inequality, complained that "the surge in billionaire wealth and pandemic profiteering undermines the unity and solidarity that the American people will require to recover." Canadian author Naomi Klein has described the grab of profit by capitalists from crises as "disaster capitalism." Ognian Kassabov, associate professor of philosophy at Sofia University, wrote in an op-ed published on Al Jazeera's website that "the fallout of the current pandemic has allowed us to see this idea go further: while preying on disaster, capitalist forces can magnify it and create a new, much bigger one." Because of racial and economic disparities in the United States, a long-standing issue under capitalism, low wage, "essential" workers and people of color have suffered disproportionately in the compounding public health and economic crises. For example, Latinos are more likely to be infected with the virus and African Americans to die from COVID-19 than are white people, who are commonly more financially secure and enjoy more and easier access to health care. However, the minority groups got less financial support from the federal government and received vaccines at significantly lower rates than the whites in the early months of nationwide distribution. "The performance of Western capitalism in recent decades has been deeply problematic," Michael Jacobs, professorial fellow at the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute, and Mariana Mazzucato, professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London, wrote in the book Rethinking Capitalism. "The problem is that these failings are not temporary; they are structural." "RECKLESS" INDIVIDUALISM One of the world's most individualistic countries, the United States has struggled to promote preventative measures against COVID-19, including mask wearing and social distancing. A survey conducted by U.S. think tank The Brookings Institution in 2020 showed that "the number one reason given by Americans who are not wearing a mask is that it is their right as an American to not have to do so." It is an epitome of a large number of people in the United States hanging on the concept of self-reliance and refusing to look at the pandemic in a scientific, collective, and responsible perspective. Michael Sandel, a professor of political philosophy at Harvard University, said in the university's gazette that the pandemic had caught the country "unprepared -- logistically and medically, but also morally unprepared." Unfortunately, the pursuit of individualism has hamstrung the U.S. pandemic response and caused deadly results. Despite its medical and research might, the country has had by far the highest case and death count globally, with more than 36 million infections and 621,000 fatalities. It is more painful for many to know if certain measures had been followed widely, hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved, as shown in studies. "Independent spirit in the United States of people not wanting to comply with public health measures has certainly hurt us a bit," Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The Washington Post in December 2020, when the seven-day average of new COVID-19 deaths reached more than 2,000 nationwide. Though the lesson is not distant, the face mask culture war is reviving in the United States, along with the resurgence of COVID-19 overwhelming its counties and jurisdictions. As of Sunday, the seven-day average of new cases in the country has jumped to nearly 130,000, while a record high of new hospitalizations were reported in multiple states. Former California Governor and action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger recently lashed out at those who refuse to wear a mask or get vaccinated. In an article for U.S. magazine The Atlantic on Friday, Schwarzenegger revealed that some responses he received to his position "really worried me," as "many people told me that the Constitution gives them rights, but not responsibilities," and they apparently "feel no duty to protect their fellow citizens." Abraar Karan, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford University in California, criticized what he described as the "everyone for themselves" approach in an op-ed published by U.S. medical journal The BMJ earlier this month. That approach "will leave us isolated, vulnerable, and destined to fail," he stated. "We must refrain from reverting to the reckless individualism that left us ill prepared against this pandemic to begin with." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 15:03:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Four Palestinians were killed on Monday in clashes with Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian local authority said. Akram Rajoub, governor of Jenin, said that Israeli soldiers killed four Palestinian men early in the day after the soldiers stormed the city and clashed with dozens of Palestinians. He added that two of the killed were taken to hospital in Jenin, with the bodies of the other two held by the Israeli army. In a press statement, the Palestinian health ministry said that Saleh Ammar, aged 19, and 21-year-old Ra'ed Abu Seif from Jenin were killed. Two others are in serious condition and receiving medical treatment, said the statement. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the Israeli army killed four Palestinians and wounded four others during the clashes. Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that an Israeli army force stormed Jenin at predawn and clashed with Palestinian militants, adding that they heard intensive gunfire and explosions. Israel Radio reported that the Israeli army has been preparing for a military operation in Jenin following previous clashes between the Israeli army and Palestinian gunmen in the city. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 16:06:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Gao Wencheng, Wang Shoubao TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Standing at a new historical starting point, China and Iran will open a new chapter in their friendship, Chinese ambassador to Iran Chang Hua said Sunday on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In a written interview with Xinhua, Chang said over the past five decades, China and Iran, two ancient civilizations that enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges, have continuously enhanced bilateral cooperation and strengthened their traditional friendship. Noting that the two countries announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in January 2016, the Chinese ambassador said high-level officials from the two sides have since engaged in-depth discussions on multiple occasions related to bolstering China-Iran relations. On the political front, mutual trust between the two countries has been enhanced, Chang said, adding that China and Iran firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns, which has effectively consolidated the strategic trust between the two countries and steadfastly defended international equity and justice. Meanwhile, Chang said the two economies are highly complementary, and pragmatic cooperation has led to fruitful outcomes. China has been Iran's largest trading partner for years, and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative continues to progress. In addition, exchanges between China and Iran in culture, education, media, publications, and tourism have expanded over the past 50 years, with increased mutual understanding between the two peoples, Chang said. Earlier this month, Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in as the new president of Iran after an electoral victory in June. In his first press conference after the election, Raisi said there is "a lot of potential" for further development of Iran-China ties, vowing that his administration will "definitely" work to develop that potential. The Chinese embassy in Iran has carried out a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, while taking preventive measures against COVID-19. According to Chang, the Chinese embassy collected short videos telling stories about the China-Iran friendship, part of which were shown on social media platforms. Additionally, the embassy and the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly organized an exhibition of historical documents on friendly exchanges. This year, the Chinese TV series as "Together," a drama about China's fight against COVID-19, aired on Iranian TV, while many Iranian movies are shown in China. Chang noted he has been impressed by the friendship between China and Iran during the pandemic, while lauding their cooperation in addressing the public health challenge. "I believe that the beautiful tale of cooperation against the virus will lay a more solid foundation for the further development of bilateral relations," he added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 16:24:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Mounted police patrol on the grassland in Maqu County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping) LANZHOU, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- As the sun rises, a sea of pink clouds surrounds the green grassland, with shadows of a row of mounted police appearing from time to time on the golden horizon. Tse-nga and a dozen of his colleagues start their daily training on horseback. Chasing, shooting and bayoneting -- two hours of skill training every morning has become Tse-nga's "compulsory course" for 18 years to better protect about 40,000 local herdsmen in Maqu County, northwest China's Gansu Province, where the first meander of the Yellow River flows. Located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average elevation of about 3,500 meters, Maqu once experienced a long, hard time working in public security management, as residents there live in scattered places. In the early 21st century, livestock theft occurred frequently in local pastures and inter-provincial border areas, causing a huge economic loss for herders. In November 2003, the grassland mounted police force under the county's public security bureau was established, in a bid to carry out security guard patrol and management on vast grassland and inter-provincial border areas. Tse-nga, who used to be a soldier, was among the first batch of the grassland mounted police. "Carrying tents and climbing mountains, we migrated with the herders all year around at first." "As thieves were afraid to take the main roads, we had to patrol the rugged and swampy mountain roads, making horses, the most primitive means of transportation, the safest 'cars' on the grassland," he said. According to the mounted police, they would scoop a ladle of water in the Yellow River and pour it on the Zanba, a staple food for Tibetans made of highland barley flour, whenever hungry. "When sleepy, the saddle would be our pillow and the coat as a quilt." Even after 17 years, Tse-nga can still remember the first case he dealt with. "One night in 2004, a herder came to the tent where we were stationed and reported his more than 50 yaks were stolen. We then chased the suspects to the provincial border overnight and seized the gangster who hid in the grass, retrieving the lost 250,000 yuan (about 38,600 U.S. dollars)." "The role of the grassland mounted police is obvious and long-lasting," said Song Wei, a senior official with the public security bureau in Maqu County. "Three months after the establishment of the force, the local livestock theft rate reported a yearly decrease of 70 percent. As the police, who are deeply trusted by the residents, have been eating and living with herders for many years, legal awareness of the locals has been greatly promoted." In recent years, living conditions in China's pastoral areas have undergone tremendous changes, with herders moving in brick houses during the winter and the mounted police force having a fixed station. "The number of public security incidents in Maqu County has been largely reduced, and the grassland police have ushered in a new phase of anti-telecom fraud," Song said. One afternoon in early August, Tse-nga and his colleague visited herdsman Dukar's home to update his family information and knowledge concerning telecom fraud. Last year, the grassland police helped the 41-year-old Tibetan herder find his more than 20 lost yaks. "The mounted police are a 'symbol of safety' on the grassland," said Dukar's daughter Tsering Lhamo. Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 16:32:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's housing market eased slightly in July, with home price increases slowing in 70 major cities, official data showed on Monday. New home prices in four first-tier cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou -- rose 0.4 percent month on month in July, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The growth rate has slowed 0.3 percentage points from that seen in June. Prices of second-hand homes in the four cities gained 0.4 percent, down 0.3 percentage points from the growth in June. Second-tier cities saw a month-on-month increase of 0.4 percent in new home prices, slowing 0.1 percentage points from June. On a year-on-year basis, new home prices in first-tier cities rose 6 percent in July, down from the 6.1 percent growth in June, while those in second-tier and third-tier cities went up 4.7 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively. China avoided applying a deluge of stimulus policies when strengthening its macroeconomic policy adjustment. The country has taken a slew of measures to tackle housing problems in big cities to implement the principle that housing is for living in, not for speculation. China's housing authorities last month held regulatory talks with officials in Yinchuan, Xuzhou, Jinhua, Quanzhou and Huizhou, and urged them to stabilize their property markets as residential housing and land prices in these cities increased too rapidly over the first half of 2021. Beijing has also upped its efforts to combat housing speculation related to school districts, a move that will have a significant influence on the housing market in the metropolis. Loans to China's property sector saw slower expansion by the end of the second quarter, with outstanding property loans up 9.5 percent from last year to 50.78 trillion yuan (about 7.85 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of June. Second-hand homes have taken a dominant place in the housing market in the first and second-tier cities, but price regulation in the sector has been lacking. A new round of measures such as price management and control for second-hand homes were recently rolled out in several big cities, including Shenzhen. The monthly growth pace of second-hand home prices has significantly slowed, according to a real estate analyst, noting that under regulations, the price index for old homes will cool significantly in the future. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 16:46:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China respects the choices of the Afghan people and hopes for a smooth transition in the Afghan situation, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. The Taliban said on Sunday that the war in Afghanistan has ended and they will soon declare the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and take responsible actions to ensure the safety of Afghan citizens. In response, spokesperson Hua Chunying said the situation in Afghanistan has undergone major changes and China respects the wishes and choices of the Afghan people. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 16:53:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LHASA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Dawa Puncog dipped a poached shrimp into salad dressing, wrapped it with fried shredded potatoes, and shaped it into a ball. The golden shrimp balls are a dish that the 18-year-old is best at cooking. Dawa Puncog is among the 39 students majoring in cooking at Nagqu Vocational and Technical School in the city of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Entering the school last year, he has learned how to make different kinds of dishes of Chinese and Tibetan cuisine. "I have planned to find a chef job after graduation and open a restaurant together with three of my classmates," said the 18-year-old, from Nagqu's Lhoma Township. Through vocational training, many young Tibetan farmers and herders, who are no longer tied to the land thanks to modern farming equipment, have chosen to pursue their own interests and secure jobs with higher incomes. Qime Lhamo, dean of the cooking department, said the department in cooperation with a training institute in Lhasa sends the students to the regional capital for two years' training. The department was founded in 2015, and some of the first graduates now cook in railway companies or serve as instructors in other training centers. Ding Tao, Party chief of the school, said more than 260 students of the school have taken lessons at their partner schools in Guangdong and Sichuan provinces. "On the one hand, they and the local students can learn from each other; on the other hand, the young Tibetans can see a larger world in cities. The experience will be helpful for their growth," said Ding. Nagqu Vocational and Technical School now has 11 majors, including husbandry, veterinary medicine, Tibetan medicine, logistics, nursing and cooking. More than 4,000 students from across the city are currently studying in the school. To help with their employment, the school has cooperated with multiple enterprises, providing them with free workspace. The enterprises, including a restaurant and a tailor's shop, offer part-time or full-time jobs for the school's students or graduates. Changchub Wangdu, the owner of the Tibetan cuisine restaurant, said his eatery hires five graduates from the school, including two being trained as chefs. The intern chefs are paid 4,500 yuan a month. "For those who perform well, I will double their wages, hiring them as head cooks." The current head chef in Changchub Wangdu's restaurant is from Lhasa, earning 12,000 yuan a month. "The local graduates not only will help lower my hiring costs but also are more willing to stay," he said. Baima Tsogyel, a 17-year-old freshman majoring in nursing, has learned to bandage and give injections. "I hope I can find a nursing job in a hospital in Nagqu," she said. Over the past three years, more than 70 percent of the school's graduates have found jobs or entered higher institutions for further study, according to He Weibo, vice president of the school. "Some of them have started their own businesses, and secured more jobs for our graduates," He said. According to the regional government, Tibet has more than 10 public vocational institutions, with at least one in each prefectural-level areas. Private schools and colleges are also mushrooming in the region to meet the rising demand for vocational training. Dawa Cering, deputy head of the human resources and social security department of Tibet Autonomous Region, said the region has entered a new phase of high-quality development, with the rapid development of various industries. "Many companies are short of skilled talent, and it is necessary to cultivate skilled personnel that meet the market demand," he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 17:12:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MACAO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) will reopen certain recreational facilities on Wednesday as the COVID-19 situation in the SAR gradually eased, according to an instruction signed by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng. The SAR closed the recreational facilities, including movie theaters, gyms and indoor amusement parks, on Aug. 5 after four COVID-19 cases were detected earlier. As of Monday, no new cases had been reported in Macao for 13 consecutive days, easing the risk of community spread, according to the SAR government. The government also urged the recreational facilities to disinfect the venues before reopening and strictly check the health codes of customers. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 17:47:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Extremist human rights groups such as the Human Rights Watch (HRW) probably wanted Cambodian people to continue using kerosene-burning lamps in the 21st century, secretary of state and spokesman of Cambodia's Environment Ministry Neth Pheaktra said on Monday. Refuting a recent report made by the New York-based human rights group about the Lower Sesan II Hydropower Station, Pheaktra said during an interview with Xinhua that the report was "false" and "politically motivated." Situated in Sesan district of Stung Treng Province in northeastern Cambodia, the project is a joint venture among China's Huaneng Hydrolancang International Energy holding 51 percent of the stake, Cambodia's Royal Group owning 39 percent, and Vietnamese EVN International Joint Stock Company possessing 10 percent. "The description in the HRW's report about the Lower Sesan II Hydropower Station project is just part of a campaign to spread false, slanderous and inflated information against the truth and to commit sabotage against Cambodia's development," he said, adding that the report was motivated by geopolitical considerations. The spokesman said the project, which was completed in 2018, has benefited Cambodia's national economy and its people because it is empowering the Southeast Asian nation's socio-economic development with the capacity of 400 megawatts of clean renewable energy. "This project is essential to ensure Cambodia's energy security and it has been providing tremendous benefit to the whole Cambodia and its people," he said. "This is what Cambodian people want, but extremist human rights groups such as the Human Right Watch probably want Cambodian people to continue using kerosene-burning lamps in the 21st century." The Lower Sesan II Hydropower Station provided 1.59 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2020, accounting for 18.69 percent of the total generated in Cambodia. In addition to supplying reliable and cheaper energy, it brought a lot of advantages to Cambodia through creating jobs, generating tax revenue, reducing reliance on oil-fueled power plants, and alleviating poverty. The spokesman called on the HRW to work only on human rights, not to serve the geopolitical interest of any country. Speaking of helping residents during the construction, Pheaktra said the government had already provided 7,086.8 hectares of land to the people affected by the dam, and built 118 concrete houses and 471 wooden houses along with 63 reservoirs and 181 wells for them. Moreover, he said the project had constructed 12 schools and 12 kindergartens, two commune halls, three pagodas, two police stations and one military police station to serve those affected communities. Driving along National Road No. 78 in Sesan district of Stung Treng Province, one will see the orderly rows of new houses with red walls and blue roofs in the new Kbal Romeas village that the project had built for resettled villagers. Local residents said the new village has good roads, drainage system, clean water, low-priced electricity, school and health center, unlike the old Kbal Romeas village 70 km away that had none of these. "Relocation of affected families is never easy, but the government has carefully considered the costs and benefits to its people for all of its construction projects and attempts to reduce their impacts through environmental and social impact assessment tools that have clear solutions and measures," Pheaktra said. "The project has paid high attention not only to the affected people, but also to environmental protection by complying with all requirements in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) paper," he added. According to the environmental impact assessment of the project, there are 34 kinds of long-distance migratory fish in the area. In order to meet the needs of these migratory fish and maintain their diversity in the area, the company built a fishway that had been put into use since the end of 2017. The 2,900-meter-long fishway, built like a natural river to fit into the surrounding environment, serves as the way the fish come home. Local authorities also took water samples for tests, and the spokesman said the water quality of the Sesan River's upstream and downstream of the dam is good and has not changed due to the dam's presence. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 18:25:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The scheduled Air India (AI) flight that was to fly from Delhi's airport to Kabul Monday afternoon has been suspended as the airspace over Afghanistan was closed for all flights, a spokesman of the carrier said on Monday. The spokesman said earlier in the day that the AI flight would fly to Kabul as per its schedule. However, due to the reported violence at the Kabul airport leading to a couple of killings, airspace over Kabul was closed and subsequently all flights, taking off and landings, were cancelled. "Airspace over Afghanistan is declared closed, so no aircraft can operate there. Our scheduled flight to Kabul also cannot go," the spokesman said in a written message. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 18:32:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Monday lifted the ban on travel to eight countries, said a statement issued by the country's Ministry of Health. The eight countries are Uzbekistan, Argentina, Belarus, South Africa, the UK, Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus and Russia. The existing ban on Israelis flying to Brazil, Georgia, Mexico, Spain and Turkey will remain valid, while Bulgaria was added to the ban list due to the recent morbidity rise in the country. Israeli citizens and permanent residents who want to travel to the six countries must apply to an exceptions committee. Also starting Monday, all arrivals to Israel from most countries of the world are required to enter a 7-day home quarantine, including vaccinated and recovered travelers. This does not include China, Austria, Australia, Hungary, Moldova, New Zealand, Singapore and the Czech Republic, where morbidity are significantly low. Thus, those arriving in Israel from the eight countries must enter quarantine of only 24 hours at most, until a negative result is obtained from a COVID-19 test. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:00:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China respects the choices of the Afghan people and hopes for a smooth transition in the Afghan situation, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. The Taliban said on Sunday that the war in Afghanistan has ended and they will soon declare the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They will take responsible actions to ensure the safety of Afghan citizens and foreign missions in Afghanistan. In response, spokesperson Hua Chunying said the situation in Afghanistan has undergone major changes and China respects the wishes and choices of the Afghan people. China expects the Taliban to fulfill its commitment to ensure a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan, curb all kinds of terrorism and criminal acts, keep the Afghan people away from wars and rebuild their beautiful homeland, she said. In response to a question on whether China has contact with the Taliban and recognizes the Taliban regime, Hua said China has maintained contact with the Afghan Taliban on the basis of fully respecting Afghan national sovereignty and the will of all factions in the country, and has always played a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the Afghan issue. On July 28, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Tianjin with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of Afghanistan's Taliban. "We hope the Taliban will unite with all parties and ethnic groups in Afghanistan to establish a broad and inclusive political structure that suits its own national conditions to lay the foundation for realizing a lasting peace in Afghanistan," she added. On many occasions, the Taliban has expressed the hope of developing sound relations with China, saying they look forward to China's participation in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, and that they will never allow any forces to use the Afghan territory to endanger China, according to the spokesperson. She said that China always respects the sovereign independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, never interferes in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, and always pursues a friendly policy toward all the Afghan people. "China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny, and stands ready to develop good-neighborly, friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan, and to play a constructive role in the peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan," Hua said. The United States and several European countries are evacuating their embassy staff from the country. In response to a query on whether China has any plans to withdraw its embassy, Hua said the Chinese embassy in Afghanistan is still operating normally, and the Chinese ambassador and embassy staff are still performing their duties. Most of the Chinese citizens in Afghanistan have already returned to China according to arrangements made by the Chinese embassy, but there are still a few people who have chosen to stay there voluntarily. The embassy maintains close contact with them, and will continue to pay close attention to the situation in Afghanistan and provide the necessary services and assistance to all Chinese citizens in Afghanistan, Hua said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:03:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman reacts after an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Aug. 15, 2021. (Photo by Richard Pierrin/Xinhua) "Little more than a decade on, Haiti is reeling once again," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement. "And this disaster coincides with political instability, rising gang violence, alarmingly high rates of malnutrition among children, and the COVID-19 pandemic." SANTO DOMINGO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti rose to 1,297 on Sunday, and the number of injured has climbed to at least 5,700, overwhelming hospitals in severely hit areas. The miserable situation in the Caribbean nation, already mired in the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of a presidential assassination, may even worsen due to the approaching tropical depression Grace. According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake struck northeast of Saint-Louis du Sud at 8:29 a.m. local time (1229 GMT), with a 10-km-deep epicenter. The Haiti Civil Protection Agency said more than 7,000 homes were destroyed and almost 5,000 damaged. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches were also affected, forcing survivors in some areas to wait out in the open for help. People remove debris after an earthquake, in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Aug. 15, 2021. (Photo by Richard Pierrin/Xinhua) Rescue and aid work will be complicated by tropical depression Grace, which is expected to hit Haiti hard with heavy rain on Monday, said the agency, adding that the rainfall is expected to be about 75-100 ml, which could trigger landslides and cause deluges. Thousands of people sleeping on the streets will be exposed to heavy rains, with the risk of waterborne diseases rising, said Jerry Chandler, the head of the agency. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Haiti's southern peninsula is a "hotspot for gang-related violence," where humanitarian workers have been attacked, further complicating aid efforts. Following the earthquake, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared a one-month state of emergency. "We salute the dignity, the resilience effort of the victims and their ability to start over," Henry said. "From my observations, I deduce that Haitians want to live and progress. Let us unite to offer these people a living environment conducive to development." A girl receives medical treatment after an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Aug. 15, 2021. (Photo by Richard Pierrin/Xinhua) The earthquake aroused concern around the world. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday said in a statement that he "extends his deep condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Haiti." "The United Nations, together with the humanitarian community in Haiti, is supporting the government's efforts to assist those affected by the earthquake and stands ready to provide further backing to the response," said the statement. Humanitarian needs are urgent, with many Haitians in dire need of health care, clean water and shelter, said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Sunday. "Little more than a decade on, Haiti is reeling once again," Fore said in a statement. "And this disaster coincides with political instability, rising gang violence, alarmingly high rates of malnutrition among children, and the COVID-19 pandemic." The earthquake on Saturday has drawn parallels to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. That powerful 7-magnitude quake with an epicenter 15 km southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince toppled buildings across the island, killed more than 300,000 people, injured over 300,000 others, and left some 1.5 million people homeless. Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:24:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A rocket launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel was intercepted by Israel's aerial defense systems on Monday, the Israeli army said. The rocket triggered sirens in the southern city of Sderot and the area surrounding the Gaza Strip. "One rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory," an Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the Iron Dome anti-rocket system intercepted it. The fire came hours after Israeli forces shot and killed four Palestinians in Jenin in the northern West Bank during a raid. The projectile was the first rockets fired from the besieged Palestinian enclave at Israel since a fragile truce ended an 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in May. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:39:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Rescuers work at the site of a coal mine accident in Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 16, 2021. More than 900 rescuers are racing against time to search for 19 workers trapped in a coal mine flooded by mud at an altitude of more than 3,700 meters above sea level in northwest China's Qinghai Province. The accident happened on Saturday at noon when there were 21 people working in the mine located in Gangca County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, said the provincial emergency management department. (Xinhua/Wu Gang) XINING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- More than 900 rescuers are racing against time to search for 19 workers trapped in a coal mine flooded by mud at an altitude of more than 3,700 meters above sea level in northwest China's Qinghai Province. The accident happened on Saturday at noon when there were 21 people working in the mine located in Gangca County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, said the provincial emergency management department. Two miners made it to the surface, including one who was confirmed dead, while the rest remain trapped, the department said. "I ran wildly toward the exit as soon as I heard a loud noise," said the survivor Ma Wenfu with his hands still shaking. He told rescuers that they were cleaning silt in the mine. His position was the nearest to the exit. He ran for about 200 meters to flee from the mudflow. "When I looked back, the mine shaft was blocked by the sludge," he said. At the mine about 65 km away from the county seat of Gangca, various rescue forces are dredging, pumping out water and improving ventilation in the mine shaft. "We have brought all necessary equipment for the emergency rescue," said Ma Juntai, deputy head of Qinghai subsidiary of the national mine emergency rescue team. According to the rescuers, the water level in the mine surged one meter after the mudslide. Yao Jingdong, vice president of the Qinghai coal mine design institute, who has been with the rescue operation, explained the rescue plan that they have entails drilling a hole toward the mine and grouting it with cement and sodium silicate in order to build a stable cemented body at the top of the mineshaft so that the rescue work can be safely carried out. "I have been working continuously for a day and a night. But everybody here wants to work faster, as every second matters for the chance of survival of the trapped workers," said Ma Chenglong, a rescuer from a neighboring coal mine. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:47:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- Due to the government structure, it is fundamentally difficult for the United States to put together a centralized response to major crises, which has proved to be effective in addressing public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, experts agreed. -- "If this pandemic reveals anything, it's how unequal our society has become," said Frank Clemente, executive director of U.S. advocacy group Americans for Tax Fairness. -- The pursuit of individualism has hamstrung the U.S. pandemic response and caused deadly results. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The fierce rebound of COVID-19 in the United States is creating new difficulties for the country's effort to contain the public health crisis, highlighting its lamentable performance in the process. However, the situation is hardly a surprise to many, as the United States has made an array of mistakes at various levels and different stages of its anti-pandemic response, largely driven by partisanship, as well as entrenched social and cultural cleavages. The root causes, according to observers and pundits, lie in the flaws of U.S. systems and mismatched values, which have contributed to a failure to rise to the demanding fight against COVID-19 that has shaken the country to its core. A woman looks at a memorial installation for those who died of COVID-19 outside Green-Wood Cemetery in New York, the United States, June 14, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) OBSTRUCTIVE FEDERALISM The power of the United States is shared between federal and state governments under federalism, in which states are independent equals and are also independent from the federal government, with each having its own set of laws and rules of procedure. Due to the government structure, it is fundamentally difficult for the United States to put together a centralized response to major crises, which has proved to be effective in addressing public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, experts agreed. The White House, however, simply shied away from the creation of a national strategy by announcing in April 2020 that states would be primarily responsible for containing the virus, with the federal government playing a "back-up" role, in a move that solicited disjointed pandemic responses, which are variant and sometimes even contradictory, by state and local authorities in rolling out mitigation measures. Drew Altman, president and CEO of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, also noted in a 2020 essay that the "patchwork of responses" was "divided sharply along partisan lines." "This caused sudden, massive spikes of infections in many local outbreaks, placing enormous strain on health care systems and leaving no region untouched by the disease," an article published by U.S. science magazine Scientific American earlier this year pointed out. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told the magazine that the United States has put forward "uneven applications of public health recommendations in a way that I can't imagine any other country does." The problems of a decentralized response in the United States were further amplified by raging partisanship last year. To offload political responsibilities and fire up supporters, federal and state leaders of different parties constantly traded blame and engaged in shouting matches over the pandemic, as the consequential 2020 general elections, including the quadrennial presidential election, loomed. Photo taken on May 4, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Though the new federal administration released a national plan shortly after taking office, its content, along with information and knowledge shared by unmuzzled top government health experts, was considered guidance and recommendations rather than mandatory directives. Hence, the divergences between the White House and some states in dealing with COVID-19 have come to the fore again as the pandemic, fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant, is rapidly spreading across the United States. In the endeavor to thwart a pandemic, the U.S. government's decentralized nature would likely have been an obstacle under any president, Gandhi concluded. "FLAWED" CAPITALISM The U.S. mode of capitalism has generated enormous wealth for the country but the system is "deeply flawed," according to Eben Shapiro, deputy editor of U.S. news magazine TIME. "It's not so good at equitably allocating it and protecting those at the bottom end of the economic ladder," Shapiro wrote in a 2020 yearender story, adding that the wealth gap in the United States "has widened sharply during the pandemic." According to the latest report by inequality.org, a project of the Institute for Policy Studies, the total combined wealth of U.S. billionaires has surged shockingly by 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars to 4.7 trillion dollars over the last 16 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. The wealth of the billionaires is twice the amount of that held by the bottom 50 percent of households in the United States combined, roughly 160 million people. The pandemic boded ill for many others. Forty-two million Americans, including 13 million children, may experience food insecurity in 2021, and an estimated 11.4 million adults living in rental housing were not caught up on rent, while 13.7 percent of the total U.S. population are projected to live in poverty, data from non-profit organizations and think tanks showed. "If this pandemic reveals anything, it's how unequal our society has become," said Frank Clemente, executive director of U.S. advocacy group Americans for Tax Fairness. Chuck Collins, director of the Institute for Policy Studies Program on Inequality, complained that "the surge in billionaire wealth and pandemic profiteering undermines the unity and solidarity that the American people will require to recover." Canadian author Naomi Klein has described the grab of profit by capitalists from crises as "disaster capitalism." Ognian Kassabov, associate professor of philosophy at Sofia University, wrote in an op-ed published on Al Jazeera's website that "the fallout of the current pandemic has allowed us to see this idea go further: while preying on disaster, capitalist forces can magnify it and create a new, much bigger one." Refrigerated trailers are seen at a temporary morgue in Brooklyn, New York, the United States, June 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Because of racial and economic disparities in the United States, a long-standing issue under capitalism, low wage, "essential" workers and people of color have suffered disproportionately in the compounding public health and economic crises. For example, Latinos are more likely to be infected with the virus and African Americans to die from COVID-19 than are white people, who are commonly more financially secure and enjoy more and easier access to health care. However, the minority groups got less financial support from the federal government and received vaccines at significantly lower rates than the whites in the early months of nationwide distribution. "The performance of Western capitalism in recent decades has been deeply problematic," Michael Jacobs, professorial fellow at the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute, and Mariana Mazzucato, professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London, wrote in the book Rethinking Capitalism. "The problem is that these failings are not temporary; they are structural." "RECKLESS" INDIVIDUALISM One of the world's most individualistic countries, the United States has struggled to promote preventative measures against COVID-19, including mask wearing and social distancing. A survey conducted by U.S. think tank The Brookings Institution in 2020 showed that "the number one reason given by Americans who are not wearing a mask is that it is their right as an American to not have to do so." It is an epitome of a large number of people in the United States hanging on the concept of self-reliance and refusing to look at the pandemic in a scientific, collective, and responsible perspective. Michael Sandel, a professor of political philosophy at Harvard University, said in the university's gazette that the pandemic had caught the country "unprepared -- logistically and medically, but also morally unprepared." Unfortunately, the pursuit of individualism has hamstrung the U.S. pandemic response and caused deadly results. Despite its medical and research might, the country has had by far the highest case and death count globally, with more than 36 million infections and 621,000 fatalities. It is more painful for many to know if certain measures had been followed widely, hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved, as shown in studies. "Independent spirit in the United States of people not wanting to comply with public health measures has certainly hurt us a bit," Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The Washington Post in December 2020, when the seven-day average of new COVID-19 deaths reached more than 2,000 nationwide. People visit the Lincoln Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the United States, July 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) Though the lesson is not distant, the face mask culture war is reviving in the United States, along with the resurgence of COVID-19 overwhelming its counties and jurisdictions. As of Sunday, the seven-day average of new cases in the country has jumped to nearly 130,000, while a record high of new hospitalizations were reported in multiple states. Former California Governor and action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger recently lashed out at those who refuse to wear a mask or get vaccinated. In an article for U.S. magazine The Atlantic on Friday, Schwarzenegger revealed that some responses he received to his position "really worried me," as "many people told me that the Constitution gives them rights, but not responsibilities," and they apparently "feel no duty to protect their fellow citizens." Abraar Karan, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford University in California, criticized what he described as the "everyone for themselves" approach in an op-ed published by U.S. medical journal The BMJ earlier this month. That approach "will leave us isolated, vulnerable, and destined to fail," he stated. "We must refrain from reverting to the reckless individualism that left us ill prepared against this pandemic to begin with." (Video reporters: Liu Chang, Yang Yi, Feng Yiwei, Zhang Yichi, Liu Zhanwei; video editor: Zhang Qiru) Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 20:40:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on May 28, 2021 shows the U.S. Capitol building behind a traffic sign in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "Today is the culmination of President Biden's strategic error in directing the rapid and complete withdrawal of U.S. -- and thus all international -- forces and the failure to have done the planning necessary to prevent the resulting catastrophic collapse of the Afghan government," said James B. Cunningham, nonresident senior fellow in the South Asia Center and former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Days before Taliban forces entered the Afghan capital of Kabul, U.S. President Joe Biden said at a news conference that he did not regret his move to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. However, with the news of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani leaving the country and the images of the United States scrambling to evacuate staff and top officials from its embassy in Kabul broadcasted worldwide, U.S. experts said Washington should regret its premature and irresponsible troop withdrawal. "Today is the culmination of President Biden's strategic error in directing the rapid and complete withdrawal of U.S. -- and thus all international -- forces and the failure to have done the planning necessary to prevent the resulting catastrophic collapse of the Afghan government," James B. Cunningham, nonresident senior fellow in the South Asia Center and former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said in a statement. Photo taken on July 8, 2021 shows military vehicles abandoned by U.S. forces at the Bagram Airfield base after all U.S. and NATO forces evacuated in Parwan province, eastern Afghanistan. (Xinhua/Rahmatullah ALizadah) According to Cunningham, Biden made the wrong choice on troop withdrawal. "Biden could have declared that U.S. withdrawal was conditioned on a genuine peace agreement and ceasefire, and focused on that objective with an extensive diplomatic effort." In a speech in April announcing the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Biden claimed the United States had achieved its counterterrorism objectives. "We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result," Biden said then. For Daniel Fried, former U.S. National Security Council senior director, ambassador to Poland and assistant Secretary of State for Europe, even if one accepts the U.S. administration's reasoning behind the withdrawal, "the hasty execution made disaster more likely." "The White House looks feckless and ignorant about the situation on the ground and appears to have made its key decision based on bad assessments -- or no assessments at all," said Fried in a statement. "I would bet a large amount that there are many at senior levels in the Biden administration who wish they could roll back the clock a few months," said Fried. Displaced Afghan people take shelter in a public park in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 11, 2021. (Photo by Sayed Mominzadah/Xinhua) Meanwhile, online videos showed Afghans flocking to departing planes at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport after the Taliban retook the capital. On Saturday, Biden said he had authorized the deployment of roughly 5,000 troops to Afghanistan to support a personnel drawdown. However, according to Richard Engel, chief foreign correspondent for NBC News, the new deployment did little to allay chaos on the civilian side of the airport. "And the U.S. has brought in thousands of troops to secure the airport. But U.S. only focused on securing evacuation, taking place on military side of Kabul airport. Another sign of disregard for Afghans and total lack of planning," Engel tweeted. For Irfan Nooruddin, director of the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center and professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, the Biden administration's April announcement "might be the straw that broke the camel's back, but every U.S. administration since 2001 is culpable and must be held accountable." Afghan displaced children who fled from their homes during the fights take shelter in a public park in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 11, 2021. (Photo by Sayed Mominzadah/Xinhua) "The hollowness of American statements about democracy and human rights has long been understood by those outside the Washington bubble -- but the long-term damage to the credibility of American rhetoric from the disaster will be felt for years to come," said Nooruddin in a statement. According to Adam Weinstein, research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and an Afghanistan combat veteran, the real failure lies with the mistaken belief that "the United States could shape conditions and foster effective governance through the force of arms." "The chaos that follows intervention and the chaos that follows withdrawal are rooted in the same fundamental mistake -- that the U.S. thinks it can use its military to affect permanent social and political change in countries that it occupies," Weinstein said in a statement. Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 20:45:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The support rate of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's cabinet decreased by 4.1 points from a month ago to a record low of 31.8 percent, and 65.1 percent of people show their unwillingness for Suga to remain in his post, local media reported Monday. The disapproval rating increased by 0.8 points to 50.6 percent, the highest level on record since the launch of the Suga cabinet last September. According to the nationwide telephone survey conducted from Friday to Monday, 64.7 percent of respondents want the Tokyo Paralympics, which will open next Tuesday, to be held without spectators. The Tokyo Olympics, which ended Aug. 8, were held with most venues near Tokyo free from spectators due to the pandemic. Regarding the decision of the Japanese government and organizers to hold Olympic events amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 62.9 percent of the respondents expressed some degree of satisfaction about the Olympics, while 30.8 percent were dissatisfied. As an increasing number of patients in need of medical attention pressures hospitals, 79.9 percent expressed their concerns over the government's policy for treating COVID-19 patients. The COVID-19 treating policy, which Suga decided earlier this month, required hospitals in areas facing a virus resurgence only admit patients with severe cases, or at risk of developing severe symptoms. Suga later clarified that patients with moderate symptoms but at risk of developing severe symptoms will be admitted to hospitals. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 20:50:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- An outline for studying Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy has been published. The book's compilation was co-organized by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and China's foreign ministry. It was published jointly by the People's Publishing House and the Xuexi Publishing House. With 14 chapters and nearly 100,000 Chinese characters in total, the book systematically explains the significance, essence and implications of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. It fully reflects the contribution of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the arena of foreign affairs, according to the publishers. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 20:51:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The AC352 mid-sized utility helicopter has entered the phase of sub-plateau flight tests, according to the China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC). The AC352 is now conducting the flight test at an airport in Liupanshui, southwest China's Guizhou Province, at an elevation of 1,975 meters, said the AVIC. During this flight test phase totaling around 25 flight hours, the AC352 will test multiple subjects on their high-altitude performance in the sub-plateau region. The test subjects include performance in fire fighting, taking-off and landing, near-ground flight and hovering, among others. Meanwhile, the AC352 will receive flight tests by the civil aviation authorities, the AVIC said. After completing this round of sub-plateau flight tests, the helicopter will head to flight tests on its performance above plain. Then, it will also go through follow-up certification flight tests by the civil aviation authorities. These are key to the airworthiness certification of the new helicopter model. Developed by AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry, the AC352 is a mid-sized twin-engine utility helicopter. It can carry up to 16 passengers with a 7.5-tonne maximum take-off weight and a maximum range of 1,000 kilometers. The AC352 successfully conducted its maiden flight on Dec. 20, 2016, in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The new helicopter model started its flight-test journey for its airworthiness certification at the end of 2019. By now, the AC352 has completed flight tests on engine installation loss, high-temperature performance, and low-temperature performance in diverse regions across the country, the AVIC said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 21:21:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close AMMAN, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Monday dispatched a medical aid plane to Lebanon. The aid was sent by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) in coordination with the Jordan Armed Forces and the Health Ministry, the state-run Petra news agency reported. The plane is laden with medicines and medical supplies that will be sent to the concerned authorities in Lebanon to help Beirut during the current difficult conditions, JHCO Secretary General Hussein Shibli said. He added that JHCO has sent five assistance planes loaded with relief aid, power generators, food and medical items, and medicines since the explosion of the Beirut Port in 2020. On Sunday, King Abdullah II of Jordan stressed that Lebanon's stability and prosperity are pivotal to regional prosperity and progress during a meeting with visiting Lebanese Defense Minister Zeina Akar, where the king reiterated Jordan's firm support for the Lebanese people, according to a statement by the Royal Hashemite Court. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 22:12:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Monday that he will not resign and will continue to assume his responsibilities until the end of his presidency period, said a statement by Lebanon's Presidency. The statement came following remarks by citizens over the social media and TV outlets urging the president to resign to pave the way for new parliamentary elections, the appointment of a new president and the formation of a cabinet capable of undertaking necessary reforms amid the current financial collapse in the country. Aoun said he is determined to start with the rebuilding of Lebanon which would be continued later with the new president. "No one will shake my position or my willingness to finish what I have started," he said, hoping that the Lebanese who immigrated in light of the crisis would return to the country when the situation improves. Aoun also said, "We hope to rein in the current crisis through forming a new government in the next few days, despite efforts by some to obstruct this formation." Lebanon recently witnessed a fuel tank explosion which killed over 28 people and wounded 79 others, sparking anger among citizens about the failure of authorities to tackle the country's several crises including the lack of medicines, fuel and other basic commodities. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 22:48:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday vowed Iran's support to stability in Afghanistan, and urged a "national agreement" between all Afghan groups. "The military defeat and the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan must become an opportunity to restore life, security and lasting peace in the country," Raisi said in remarks quoted by the Iranian Presidency's official website. Afghans have the right to live in security, stability, and prosperity, he said in a conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Stability is Afghanistan's "first need" today, Raisi added, and Iran will strive to help establish stability in the neighboring country. Earlier on Monday, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), said that Iran will support the people of Afghanistan. "As in the last 40 years, we support the people of Afghanistan & their will," the secretary of the high-ranking Iranian institution wrote in a tweet. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday that Iran welcomes the announcement made by former Afghan President Hamid Karzai to form a "coordination council" and stands ready to "continue its peacemaking efforts." Iran welcomes the announcement by Karzai, Zarif said, adding that "we hope that it can lead to dialogue and a peaceful transition in Afghanistan." On Sunday evening, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said all activities of Iran's five representative offices in Afghanistan have been relocated to Iran's embassy in Kabul. In remarks to journalists, Khatibzadeh said Iran's offices in Mazar Sharif, Jalalabad, and Kandahar were closed "some time ago." Currently, only three guards and a few local employees are present in these three offices, he said. In Kabul, the spokesman added, the embassy's staff has been drastically reduced to a size that allows to maintain routine tasks without disruptions. The Iranian diplomats and mission staff are safe and are able to travel to Iran without trouble, but have preferred to remain at their destinations for the time being. Late on Sunday, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani confirmed he had left Afghanistan, as Taliban forces entered Kabul and announced they had taken control of the presidential palace. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 23:09:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon received on Monday an Egyptian plane carrying 1.5 tons of medical supplies in response to a fuel tank explosion occurred on Sunday, the National News Agency reported. In addition to medical supplies, the plane brought a medical team that has volunteered to help and support the wounded. Egyptian doctors said that they would check up on the conditions of the victims who have been hospitalized, tour medical facilities to evaluate the situation and provide the needed support. Lebanon has also received on Monday medical supplies from Jordan on board of a Jordanian military aircraft for the support of the military hospital in Beirut following the injury of 22 soldiers in the explosion. Meanwhile, an aircraft arrived from Turkey on Monday early in the morning to evacuate some of the injured people to receive treatment in Turkey amid a lack of medical supplies in Lebanon. A fuel tank exploded on Sunday in the town of Tleil in the northern district of Akkar, killing more than 28 people and wounding 79 others. The dead and injured included army members and citizens. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 23:48:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHONGQING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Usama Kalim, a 28-year-old doctoral student from Pakistan, felt relieved after he knew his brother in the home country had received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine supplied by China. "I was inoculated in July. The university organized voluntary vaccination for students," said Usama Kalim from Southwest University in China's Chonqging Municipality. "We brothers have both administered Chinese vaccines although we are in different countries," he said. Usama Kalim is also a young director and has made many documentaries about China. Recently, a batch of COVID-19 vaccines provided by China through the COVAX facility has arrived in Bangladesh and Pakistan. "The assistance of Chinese vaccines is a 'timely rain' for the Pakistani people," he said. Sarata Keira, a Guinean student who has been studying at Southwest University for two years, said that she feels quite good after she was vaccinated recently. "Guinea and China have close cooperation. As the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging worldwide, China has extended a helping hand to my motherland, which was very helpful to us," Sarata Keira said. Like Usama Kalim and Sarata Keira, up to now, 50 percent of the overseas students in the university have been vaccinated, said Liu Meng, Party chief of the university's International College. In order to protect foreigners working, living and studying in China and build an effective immune barrier to the greatest extent, China has included the eligible age group among foreigners in the country into the scope of inoculation with domestic vaccines. According to a recent report by the People's Daily, more than 350,000 expatriates have been vaccinated with more than 600,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in China. As of Aug. 4, China had provided 770 million doses of vaccines to more than 100 countries and international organizations, ranking first in the world. As the recent resurgence of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant has caused a surging number of infections worldwide, Usama Kalim said the international community should put aside prejudice, make concerted efforts, and strengthen cooperation to overcome the pandemic at an early date. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 23:48:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS -- Nigerian police confirmed on Monday 16 persons were kidnapped after a group of unidentified gunmen attacked a college in northwest Nigeria's Zamfara state on Sunday. Mohammed Shehu, a police spokesperson in Zamfara, told Xinhua on the phone gunmen in large numbers invaded on Sunday night the College of Agriculture and Animal Sciences in the Bakura area of the state, but were confronted by security personnel deployed to the college. (Nigeria-Security-College) - - - - TASHKENT -- An Afghan military plane was prevented from illegally crossing Uzbek airspace by air defense forces, the Uzbek Defense Ministry press service said Monday. The Afghan military plane crashed into Uzbek territory, said the ministry, adding that an investigation is underway. (Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Plane-Crash) - - - - MANILA -- Philippine government troops killed on Monday 16 armed rebels in a military offensive in the central Philippines' Eastern Samar province, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines said. Colonel Ramon Zagala said the troops conducted "ground, air, sea operations" against the New People's Army rebels in Dolores town, resulting in the death of the rebels. (Philippines-Rebels-Clash) - - - - COLOMBO -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reshuffled his cabinet, appointing seven new ministers, the President's Office said on Monday. The ministers were sworn in overseen by the president at a small ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat in the capital Colombo, the office said in a statement. (Sri Lanka-Cabinet-Reshuffle) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 00:01:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ABUJA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Three persons were killed and another was injured in an attack by gunmen in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kaduna, said a government official on Monday. The attack happened in Goran Gida, a village in the Zangon Kataf local government area of the state on Sunday night, said Samuel Aruwan, the commissioner for internal security and home affairs in Kaduna. Citing security reports sent to the state government, Aruwan said the attackers entered the village and began to shoot at residents. "One car was burnt by the assailants," the official said, adding the injured is receiving treatment at a local hospital. Security agencies are sustaining patrols in the area to restore normalcy, according to Aruwan. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 00:07:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Benedictus Robert Yota JAKARTA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The business of rooming houses, locally known as kosts in Indonesia, has been hit hard since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Kosts provide an affordable means of accommodation for Indonesian young employees, university students, and freelancers. However, some occupants have moved out of their kosts, due to a work-from-home policy for many companies as well as the study-from-home regulation for universities and schools. "Since last year, I was required to work from home. Several months after the policy was introduced, I decided to move out of my rooming house to save money," said Renaldo Steven, an employee at a startup based in Jakarta. He finally decided to move back to his parent's house in Bandung city, West Java province. It has been more than a year since Steven last went to his office. Generally, rent for Indonesian rooming houses can go from as low as 500,000 rupiahs (about 35 U.S. dollars) to as high as 5 million rupiahs (350 U.S. dollars) per month, depending on the number and quality of the facilities provided such as a private bathroom, air conditioner, internet connection, laundry, parking space and room size. As a way to keep tenants from leaving, some kost owners have cut the rents. During his last few months living in his kost, Steven's landlord gave him a 20-percent monthly rent discount, from 2 million rupiahs (140 dollars) to 1.6 million rupiahs (112 dollars). Karim Munaf, an owner of a 120-room building located in South Tangerang city, Banten province, has also given a 15 percent discount to some of his tenants. "Before the pandemic, the occupancy rate for my kost building was at 100 percent. However, it has since dropped to 70 percent during the pandemic, which was the reason we cut down the price," Munaf told Xinhua recently. Meanwhile, Irvano Putra, an owner of a 12-room kost house located in the Senayan area, South Jakarta, also mentioned that his occupancy rate has dropped during the pandemic, from also 100 percent before the pandemic to currently 40 percent. However, Putra also expressed his confidence that the business would rebound to the pre-pandemic level once the situation returns to normalcy. The Indonesian government extended public activity restrictions, locally known as PPKM, till Aug. 23 for regions in Java and Bali and areas outside the two islands. In addition, the government will evaluate and decide whether or not to extend the restrictions for regions outside Java and Bali by next week. The daily number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia increased by 17,384 on Monday, taking the total to 3,871,738, with the death toll growing by 1,245 a day to 118,833, according to the health ministry. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 00:09:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MADRID, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Rein Taaramae of Intermarche-Wanty won the third stage of the 2021 Vuelta a Espana cycle race on Wednesday, with the Estonian finishing 20 seconds ahead of Joseph Dombrowski of UAE-Team Emirates in second place. Taaramae's win was also enough to give him the overall leadership of the race, replacing Primoz Roglic of Jumbo Visma, who led for the first two days. "I am 34 years old and I have thought a lot about one day wearing a leader's jersey in a grand tour," said the rider at the finish line. Race favorite Roglic finished one minute and 48 seconds behind Taaramae and is now 30 seconds behind the Estonian in the overall classification, but his team had already commented that keeping the lead was not a key priority at this stage of the race, given the extra obligations the lead carries with it. The Slovenian may be more worried by the fact he was without support riders towards the end of the stage, which could be a factor if it happens again in the key stages later in the race. The 202.8-kilometer third stage took the race north of the city of Burgos in northern Spain from Santa Domingo de los Silos to Espinoza de los Monteros, ending with the difficult first-category climb up the 'Picon Blanco' mountain, which included ramps with gradients of up to 15 percent. For much of the race the main peloton was happy to allow an eight-man group including Taaramae, to open up a lead of almost nine minutes, knowing the final climb was the key part of the race for the overall classification. The breakaway arrived at the foot of the climb with just over four minutes lead over the peloton and as the tired escapees dropped off the pace one by one with 34-year-old Taaramae showing he was the strongest rider. In the peloton, Olympic champion Ricard Carapaz of Ineos-Grenadiers began to suffer and lost a minute time on Roglic, and other pre-race favorites, Egen Bernal, Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) and Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious). Meanwhile, Enric Mas (Movistar) showed he was feeling good and took three seconds off Roglic, Bernal and company in the final meters of the stage. Taaramae should keep the leader's jersey in Tuesday's fourth stage, a 163.9km stage from Burgo de Osma to Molina de Aragon, which should finish in a sprint without major time differences. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 00:19:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan firemen were battling on Monday a large wildfire that has burnt more than 725 hectares of forest in less than two days in the northern province of Chefchaouen. At least 520 firefighters and armed forces elements assisted by many fire tracks, four Canadair water dropping aircrafts and four helicopters are still battling the flames, official news agency MAP reported. The fire broke out on Saturday afternoon, in the mountainous forest of "Sougna" composed mainly of cork oak and pine, the report said, adding that an investigation was opened to determine the causes of the fire. Several parts of Morocco have seen temperatures of up to 49 degrees Celsius since Friday, according to weather authorities. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 00:51:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and some countries including Pakistan, Iran, Russia and India have focused their concern over the fast changing situation in Afghanistan as the Taliban retakes the capital of Kabul from the U.S.-backed government. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for efforts to uphold human rights in Afghanistan while chaos emerged around runaways at the Kabul international airport. Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Afghanistan as the Taliban are retaking the capital city of Kabul, Guterres also called for efforts to prevent the country from again becoming a safe haven for terrorist organizations. He called on the international community to be united and to utilize all available instruments to ensure the two principles -- first is to "respect and protect international humanitarian law and the rights and freedoms of all persons," and the second is to make sure that "Afghanistan is never again used as a platform or safe haven for terrorist organizations." Pakistan's National Security Committee (NSC) in a meeting Monday thoroughly deliberated on the emerging situation in Afghanistan and stressed that the principle of non-interference in Afghanistan must be adhered to, according to a statement issued by the prime minister's office. "The NSC noted positively that major violence had been averted thus far and called on all parties in Afghanistan to respect the rule of law, protect fundamental human rights of all Afghans, and ensure that Afghan soil is not used by any terrorist organization/group against any country," the statement added. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday vowed Iran's support to stability in Afghanistan, and urged a "national agreement" between all Afghan groups. "The military defeat and the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan must become an opportunity to restore life, security and lasting peace in the country," Raisi said in remarks quoted by the Iranian Presidency's official website. In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a phone discussion with his Kyrgyz counterpart Ruslan Kazakbaev on Monday over the recent events unfolding in Afghanistan and the impact on Central Asian countries. The phone conversation was held at the Russian side's initiative, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. According to a statement by Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi, the Indian government has been closely monitoring all developments in Afghanistan and was in constant touch with the representatives of Indian communities in Afghanistan. As the commercial operations at Kabul airport has been suspended, the government is now awaiting the resumption of flights to restart the repatriation process, Bagchi added. Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday in a statement that Bangladesh is carefully observing the fast evolving situation in Afghanistan, which may have an impact on the region and beyond. Calling Afghanistan a fellow member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and an integral part of South Asia, the statement said Bangladesh believes that a democratic and pluralistic Afghanistan as chosen by its people is the only guarantee of stability and development in the country. On the same day in Sri Lanka, local media reported that the Taliban has called on Sri Lanka not to consider them as terrorists but instead see them as freedom fighters. According to Daily Mirror, Taliban Spokesman and International Negotiator Suhail Shaheen said that Buddhist sites in Afghanistan would not be at risk under a Taliban-led administration. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 00:58:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ABUJA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday sent a congratulatory message to Zambia's opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema on his victory in the presidential election. In the congratulatory message, Buhari also lauded the people of Zambia who came out to exercise their civic rights and vote for the candidate of their choice. This further indicated that "the prospect of a united, stable and prosperous Africa lies in the power of the people to freely elect their leaders," read the message. Buhari commended the outgoing Zambian President Edgar Lungu for accepting the outcome of the election and pledging a peaceful transfer of power, noting that this patriotic disposition "deserves the praise of all lovers of democracy." Highlighting the close and historic relationship between Nigeria and Zambia, Buhari said he looked forward to working very closely with the Zambian president-elect for the peace, development, and prosperity of both nations. In an announcement early Monday by the Electoral Commission of Zambia, Hichilema beat incumbent President Lungu by managing to pass the 50 percent-plus-one requirements for a presidential winner with 2,810,757 of the votes, while Lungu got 1,814,201. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 01:15:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A nurse gives a woman an injection of the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Accra, Ghana, on Aug. 16, 2021. Ghana on Monday began a new round of COVID-19 vaccination with 177,700 single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines to be administered, said health authorities. The vaccines that Ghana received under the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust initiative will target persons aged 18 years and above, excluding pregnant women, at selected health points, said the authorities. (Xinhua/Seth) ACCRA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ghana on Monday began a new round of COVID-19 vaccination with 177,700 single-dose Johnson &Johnson vaccines to be administered, said health authorities. The vaccines that Ghana received under the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust initiative will target persons aged 18 years and above, excluding pregnant women, at selected health points, said the authorities. Elizabeth Acheampong, a teacher of the Ayalolo Cluster of Schools in Accra, the capital of Ghana, told Xinhua after receiving a jab that vaccination at this time was critical to protect everyone against the pandemic in the face of the third wave of infections biting hard at its victims. "Because of the way the pandemic is spreading fast in our communities, it is necessary to come and have the injection for protection," she said. "I encourage all Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians who have not had their COVID-19 jabs yet to take advantage of this period and come for it." Accra, and the Ashanti region are the two hotspots for the pandemic since the outbreak in March 2020. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 01:24:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Students attend an airing lesson in Kampala, Uganda, on Aug. 16, 2021. Uganda on Monday resumed airing lessons on radio for upper primary and secondary school levels as schools in the country remain closed. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua) KAMPALA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Monday resumed airing lessons on radio for upper primary and secondary school levels as schools in the country remain closed due the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The lessons airing on different stations across the country are expected to run through September, according to a statement from the ministry of education. "Parents and guardians are, therefore, requested to support the learners with radio sets and to also allow them time to tune in to the various radio stations in order to attend the lessons," the ministry said. Aisha Namaganda, a parent in the central district of Wakiso, said she had bought a small radio set for her daughter to enable her to attend Senior One lessons. "She is ready but the problem is that where she has not understood, she will not be able to interact with the teacher," Namaganda told Xinhua in an interview. She added that some subjects might not be easily understood through radio. Joseph Tusiime, a primary school teacher from the western district of Kyenjojo, told Xinhua by telephone that learners in urban centers are in a better position to benefit from the radio lessons. "This is planting time and children have to go with their parents in the farms. So it might not be easy to wait for lessons," Tusiime said. "Those in trading centers will follow the lessons since they have all the time. Those with educated parents will also benefit from the lessons as they will support the learners," he added. Schools were closed in May following a spike in COVID-19 cases. The education ministry has said it is working with the health ministry to ensure that learners who are 18 years old and above as well as teachers are vaccinated. The country also said it would import vaccines to inoculate children aged between 12 and 18 years old. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 02:53:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Morocco reported on Monday 3,897 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in the country to 763,353. The death toll rose to 11,119 with 102 new fatalities during the last 24 hours, while 2,356 people are in intensive care units, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health. The total number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Morocco increased by 5,886 to 673,116, the statement said. The COVID-19 fatality rate in Morocco stands at 1.5 percent while the recovery rate is 88.2 percent. Meanwhile, 16,493,799 people have received so far the first vaccine shots against COVID-19 in the country, and 11,640,441 people have received two doses. The North African country launched a nationwide vaccination campaign on Jan. 28 after the arrival of the first shipment of China's Sinopharm vaccines. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-17 02:55:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Monday called for the protection of Lebanon's children particularly amid the escalating fuel crisis, which is exerting a detrimental impact on their lives. "Hazardous materials should be stored and managed in safe conditions while ensuring that people, including children, are not exposed to such threats to their lives," the UNICEF said in a statement following the fuel tank explosion a day earlier affecting three children. The fuel tank explosion, which took place in the northern district of Akkar, killed 28 people and injured 79. One child was killed, one went missing, and another one was injured. "The tragedy leaves many children grieving the loss of a parent or a sibling," the UNICEF added. In its statement, the UNICEF urged the Lebanon's caretaker government to take action to ensure that children and all people are protected at all times and that basic services are accessible to every child and their family. It added that the UNICEF is providing emergency support to Geitawi and Rahhal hospitals by delivering essential Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) items including surgical masks, gowns and other supplies to support with the medical response to treat the injured. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-04 01:03:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YAOUNDE, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organization, said Tuesday that it has suspended work and withdrawn its teams from Cameroon's Northwest region, an English-speaking area badly affected by years of armed violence between security forces and armed separatist groups. The decision came after local authorities suspended MSF activities in the region following allegations that MSF meddled in separatists' activities. "We cannot stay any longer in a region where we are not allowed to provide care to people here," said Emmanuel Lampaert, MSF's operations coordinator for Central Africa, in a statement released by MSF. "Unfortunately, we cannot keep our staff on standby any longer, so we have no choice but to withdraw our teams." If the authorities decide to lift the suspension, MSF will resume its medical activities "as soon as possible," Lampaert added. In July, MSF rejected claims that it was providing support for separatist fighters in the region. Since 2018, MSF had provided free emergency medical care and ambulance services in Cameroon's Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest, where armed separatists want to create an independent nation, until December 2020 when authorities in the Northwest region suspended its activities. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-08 01:09:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A batch of China's Sinopharm vaccines arrive at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, Zambia, on Aug. 7, 2021. A batch of China's Sinopharm vaccines arrived in Zambia on Saturday to be part of the southern African nation's basket of COVID-19 vaccines. (Xinhua/Zhao Yupeng) LUSAKA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A batch of China's Sinopharm vaccines arrived in Zambia on Saturday to be part of the southern African nation's basket of COVID-19 vaccines. A plane of Ethiopian Airlines carrying the vaccines arrived at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on Saturday. Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie, Permanent Secretary in charge of Technical Services in the Ministry of Health Kennedy Malama, as well as officials from the United Nations agencies witnessed the arrival of the vaccines. The Chinese envoy said the donation was another important embodiment of the all-whether friendship and unity of the two governments and peoples in fighting the pandemic. He said he hoped the donation of the vaccines and syringes will support Zambia's anti-epidemic efforts, adding that unity and cooperation are important for effectively fighting the pandemic. "China is actively promoting the COVID-19 vaccine as an important measure to fight against the pandemic," he said. The Chinese envoy emphasized the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine as a global public product and called on all parties to continue their efforts to achieve the accessibility and affordability of the vaccine in developing countries. On his part, the Zambian government official thanked China for the donation, saying it will go a long way in supplementing the country's vaccination program. Malama said the country requires more support for the vaccination program as more people have not yet been vaccinated. According to him, China has been a great partner to Zambia's development process for a long time, adding that the health sector has benefited immensely from the support. Malama added Zambia has been working with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention which has provided technical and moral support. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-15 02:38:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Patients wait for free consultation and treatment by the Chinese medical team in Bangante, Cameroon, Aug. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Kepseu) by Arison Tamfu YAOUNDE, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- In the early morning of a working day, a makeshift but comprehensive Chinese clinic in Bangante, a small town in Cameroon's West region, was already full of local patients. Among them was 70-year-old Rose Nya who had been suffering from cataract for more than 10 years. "I have headache and eye problem and that is causing me to have uncontrollable running nose," said Nya, a mother of four, while waiting impatiently for a 21-member team of Chinese specialty doctors, who had arrived in the town Thursday for a two-day free consultation and treatment campaign. Bangante is surrounded by many rural communities with abundant wildlife and dispersed settlements, but without hospitals. Villagers are often troubled by such health problems as typhoid, malaria, cataract, rheumatism, but most of them, like Martin Ngamga, 68, who trekked for over 20 km to benefit from the campaign, cannot afford medical services. "I learned about the consultation on radio station and whatsApp groups. If Chinese medicine can help me better than the others I will be very happy because the medicine is free. Do you know that there are people that die because they do not have the means (to treat themselves)?" Ngamga asked as he joined Nya on the queue. As COVID-19 infections persist in the central African nation, stoking fear and anxiety in the public, Chinese medical doctors have continued to treat patients with various ailments, underlining the cordial health cooperation China and Cameroon enjoy, said Tian Yuan, head of Chinese medical team in Cameroon, at the ceremony to launch the campaign. "Our sole objective is to permit patients to benefit from high quality Chinese medical services and let them feel love from the other side of the world without stepping out of the country. We will do our best with love and efforts to help citizens in need," Tian said while addressing Nya and hundreds other patients who had congregated at the premises of Bangante council to be consulted and treated. Eric Niat, mayor of Bangante council, thanked Chinese doctors for braving COVID-19 to provide healthcare services to the local people. "Thanks to the excellent Sino-Cameroon health cooperation, we decided to invite the Chinese team of experts to help our population. This event was organized because in our country we are so behind in terms of providing health care to our populations especially in rural environment like ours. So it was necessary to organize the event with the help of China," said the 47-year-old mayor. After the launch ceremony in the day, a good number of patients from nearby villages and Bangante lined up to see doctors from various departments, who were here as members of the 21th Chinese medical team to Cameroon. Nya and Ngamga were among the first patients to be consulted. For the first time in almost 12 years, Ngamga felt relieved when his sickness was detected through an echography. Before this, he had visited doctors several times but results were not satisfactory. "I can already smile but I will not laugh yet because the doctor has told me that he has discovered what is disturbing me. He said, it is a renal cyst and reassured me that I will be fine when it's operated upon," said Ngamga, a father of eight, smiling. Nya was offered Chinese medication for her condition. "I am very happy. All this (consultation and treatment) free of charge? I thank the Chinese for coming to help. I had to travel to the hospital tomorrow but now that I have my drugs, I can only say thank you." A total of over 300 patients received diagnosis and treatments for Thursday. Mayor Niat said his people were marveled at and impressed by the kindness and efficiency of the Chinese doctors. "(I) am really thankful to China for these people (Chinese doctors) coming here. They are so great, so friendly and really taking care of our population. So it's something that we wish we gonna renew in future," the mayor said. For Wang Haijun, a 44-year-old acupuncturist, helping the people during the free healthcare campaign was fulfilling. Cameroon is his first mission post in Africa. But before arriving Cameroon, he had spent more than 13 years in Taiyuan, the capital of China's Shanxi Province, teaching about the Chinese traditional method of treatment. "I hope to transfer some of my skills to some Cameroonians before leaving," Wang said. The free clinic ran from Thursday to Friday. As part of the campaign, the medical team donated anti-COVID-19 supplies including surgical and face masks and several pieces of personal protective equipment to the Bangante council. China started to dispatch medical teams to Cameroon in 1975 and 711 medical professionals have worked in Cameroon since then. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 18:14:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Zambia's incoming governing party on Monday urged its supporters to celebrate their victory in a responsible manner instead of breaking the law. Supporters of the United Party for National Development (UPND) have gone on wild celebrations after their leader, Hakainde Hichilema, was declared winner of last Thursday's presidential election in the early hours of Monday. Shops owned by members of the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) have been destroyed in some parts of the country while makeshift stalls in the central business district of Lusaka, the country's capital, have been razed down. A popular mall, ECL Mall, in Kitwe city on the Copperbelt has had some of its shops looted, with pictures on social media showing shops with shattered windows. Offices belonging to the former ruling party at one of the busy bus stations in the Zambian capital have been looted. Major trading places in the capital have since remained closed. Police have warned that they will not tolerate the lawlessness being perpetrated by few individuals and that anyone found wanting will be dealt with by the law. Hichilema was declared Zambia's president-elect after beating incumbent President Edgar Lungu. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 18:42:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ABUJA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Gunmen have kidnapped an unspecified number of students from a college in Nigeria's northwestern state of Zamfara, local sources and the police said on Monday. Scores of gunmen riding on motorbikes entered the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, in the Bakura district of Zamfara, late Sunday, shooting indiscriminately, according to an official of the college. At least three security personnel guarding the college, including a policeman, were killed before the gunmen took away some students. "The gunmen escaped through a nearby bush, taking along the victims before the arrival of police," said the official, who requested anonymity. Shehu Mohammed, a spokesman for the police in Zamfara, confirmed the incident to Xinhua by telephone, but he did not give an exact number of students abducted by the gunmen. There have been a series of gunmen attacks in Nigeria in recent months, leading to deaths and kidnappings. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:12:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Monday conceded defeat in the elections held last Thursday. The Zambian leader said he accepts the results of the Aug. 12 elections and that he will peacefully hand over power in line with the country's constitution. Lungu congratulated President-elect Hakainde Hichilema and wished him success. He thanked people who voted for him and his party during the elections and urged them to continue supporting his party. Lungu thanked Zambians for giving him an opportunity to serve them. "All I ever wanted to do was to serve my country to the best of my ability," he said. "Together with you we did score in many areas, of course, there were challenges on the way, but what I appreciate most was your support." Hichilema won 2,810,757 votes in the polls; Lungu got only 1,814,201. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:41:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANTANANARIVO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar has named his new cabinet, retaining Christian Ntsay as prime minister. The new government is made up of 32 ministers, 21 of men and 11 women. "Gender equity and regional balance have been prioritized during the appointment of this new government," Rajoelina told an official ceremony on Sunday at the presidential palace in Antananarivo, the capital city. Andry Rajoelina dissolved the former cabinet on Aug. 11. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 22:13:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian police confirmed on Monday 16 persons were kidnapped after a group of unidentified gunmen attacked a college in northwest Nigeria's Zamfara state on Sunday. Mohammed Shehu, a police spokesperson in Zamfara, told Xinhua on the phone gunmen in large numbers invaded on Sunday night the College of Agriculture and Animal Sciences in the Bakura area of the state, but were confronted by security personnel deployed to the college. "Unfortunately, a police inspector and two other civilian guards lost their lives while 15 students and four staff were taken away by the bandits," the spokesperson said. Shehu said the police operatives while on extensive bush combing at the surrounding areas rescued three of the staff who will be medically examined before being reunited with their families. He said the police were working with other security forces to track down the kidnappers and rescue the 15 students and one staff still in captivity. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 22:28:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least three people including a catholic nun were killed in an ambush on Monday along South Sudan's busy Juba-Nimule road. "What happened on Juba-Nimule road is very unfortunate," Daniel Justine Buolo, a police spokesperson, told Xinhua in Juba. "A car was ambushed around 10:00 a.m. and as a result, three people died. One was burnt in the car and another one died on the way after being rushed to Aru-Junction hospital," Justine said, adding that no arrests have been made so far. Similar attack in last week on the same road left two dead and three others injured. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 11:23:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A snap three-day lockdown has been announced for the capital of Australia's Northern Territory (NT) after a new coronavirus case was detected. Chief Minister of the NT Michael Gunner announced on Monday that a man in his 30s who has spent time in the NT community after quarantining for 14 days on arrival in Australia from overseas has tested positive for COVID-19. In response, the Greater Darwin and Katherine area was plunged into a three-day lockdown from midday local time on Monday to limit the potential spread of the virus. "We are in lockdown until midday Thursday," Gunner told reporters, saying the positive case is a man in his 30s, who travelled to the Northern Territory for legitimate work purposes on Thursday. "As a recent international arrival, he had been in 14-day quarantine in Sydney," he said. The man left the hotel quarantine after being tested negative for COVID-19. He then transited from Sydney to Darwin through the Canberra airport. Under the lockdown, residents of the affected area will only be allowed to leave home for five reasons: essential work, medical treatment including COVID vaccinations and testing, caregiving, shopping for essentials and one hour of exercise per day. It makes Darwin the fourth capital of Australia's eight states and territories currently in lockdown, with residents of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra already subject to strict stay-at-home restrictions. The NT's borders are closed to travellers from Sydney. Gunner told reporters that the variant of the latest virus was not yet known, which they assumed as the Delta strain. They were also trying to figure out how was the man infected, whether it was in hotel quarantine or during his time at the Canberra airport. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 13:33:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A gas tank explosion in northern Vietnam's Hai Phong city has killed four people and injured another from a family, local authorities said Monday. The accident occurred in a house in Hai Phong's Thuy Nguyen district on Sunday night, local media Tien Phong newspaper quoted the municipal authorities as reporting, adding that the victims were aged between 5 and 55 years old. A further investigation is underway. In the first seven months of this year, nearly 1,400 fires and explosions happened in Vietnam, killing 67 people and injuring 93, according to the country's General Statistics Office. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 18:11:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 14,610 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,755,846. The death toll climbed to 30,366 after 27 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH added. The DOH said seven laboratories failed to submit reports. It also cited delays in the submission of COVID-19 deaths from the hospitals and the local government units. Cynthia Saloma, executive director of the Philippine Genome Center, said on Monday that the Delta variant "is rapidly overtaking the other variants of concern in the Philippines," adding that the Delta variant makes up 42 percent of the total sequences in the country. "The increase is more noticeable in Metro Manila," she told a televised press conference. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online briefing that the Delta variant was detected in almost half of the latest batch of over 300 samples subjected to genome sequencing. Vergeire said the DOH expects the COVID-19 cases to continue to rise in the coming days because of the community transmission of the Delta variant and the mobility of people amid the two-week hard lockdown that began on Aug. 6. The Philippines has confirmed 807 Delta variant cases so far, including 17 deaths. The Philippines, which has a population of around 110 million, has tested over 16.5 million people since the outbreak in January 2020. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 18:15:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Countries and international organizations closely observing the unfolding situation in Afghanistan have swiftly reacted to Taliban forces entering the capital Kabul on Sunday. The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon issued a joint statement, saying, "At present we are completing a series of steps to secure the Hamid Karzai International Airport to enable the safe departure of U.S. and allied personnel from Afghanistan via civilian and military flights." The United States will expand its security presence to nearly 6,000 troops over the next 48 hours, with a mission focused solely on facilitating these efforts, and will take over air traffic control, according to the statement. Thousands of U.S. citizens, locally employed staff of the U.S. mission in Kabul and their families, and "other particularly vulnerable Afghan nationals" would be transferred out of the country in the coming days, it said, adding, "And we will accelerate the evacuation of thousands of Afghans eligible for U.S. Special Immigrant Visas." France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs also published a statement, saying that the government had decided to relocate its embassy to the international airport in Kabul to facilitate the evacuation of French nationals from Afghanistan. The French Ministry of Armed Forces "will deploy military reinforcements and air assets to the United Arab Emirates in the coming hours, so that the first evacuations to Abu Dhabi can begin," it added. On Monday morning, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told local media that the National Security Cabinet meeting will convene to review a plan for evacuation out of Afghanistan, without providing details of the operations. Muhammad Naeem, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Qatar's capital Doha, tweeted Sunday that there is no danger to embassies, diplomatic missions and foreign nationals in Kabul, pledging that the Taliban will maintain security across the country. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday that Iran welcomes the announcement of former Afghan President Hamid Karzai about forming a "coordination council," noting, "We hope that it can lead to dialogue and a peaceful transition in Afghanistan." He added that his country stands ready to "continue its peacemaking efforts." After the Taliban advanced into the Afghan capital, the United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday morning. According to a press release issued on Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan, and urges the Taliban and all other parties to exercise utmost restraint to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian needs can be addressed. The UN remains determined to contribute to a peaceful settlement, promote the human rights of all Afghans, notably women and girls, and provide life-saving humanitarian assistance and critical support to civilians in need, he added. Also on Sunday, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the need to ensure the safety of civilians in Afghanistan, calling for a peaceful transfer of power to pave the way for a political settlement which involves all Afghan parties and achieves security and stability in the country, according to a statement on its official website. Likewise, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said that the country will continue to support a political settlement and hopes that all Afghan sides will work together to resolve the internal political crisis, according to a statement issued on Sunday. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:31:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Philippine government troops killed on Monday 16 armed rebels in a military offensive in the central Philippines' Eastern Samar province, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said. Colonel Ramon Zagala said the troops conducted "ground, air, sea operations" against the New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Dolores town, resulting in the death of the rebels. "Our troops acted on information received from the community which pointed them to the terrorists' hideout where they manufacture the explosives," Zagala said in a statement. The spokesperson said the troops also seized 19 high-powered firearms from the NPA rebels, adding more details of the clash will be provided later due to "operational security matters." Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte restarted the talks to end the decades-old insurgency when he came to power in 2016, but the negotiations faltered. The NPA rebels have been fighting the government since 1969. They concentrate their attacks in rural areas and small-scale skirmishes with the military. The NPA estimated strength is at 3,000, significantly lower than its peak strength in the 1980s. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:40:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Monday launched a national campaign against the coronavirus under the theme "Responsible Together to Prevent COVID-19 Transmission." The campaign aimed at reminding and encouraging all people to strictly abide by necessary measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, said a health ministry's press statement. "Although there is a decline in new infections and deaths in some provinces, the risk of a surge in COVID-19 due to the Delta variant is very high," the statement said. The statement said it is imperative that the guideline on the three do's and three don'ts, which was introduced in mid-December, be reinforced to suppress the virus transmission. The three do's include wearing a face mask, washing hands frequently and maintaining the physical distancing of 1.5 meters, while the three don'ts are avoiding confined and enclosed spaces, avoiding crowded spaces, and avoiding touching each other, it said. Health Minister Mam Bunheng called on people to share their knowledge of COVID-19 preventive measures with their friends, family members, relatives and neighbors in order to curb the virus transmission more effectively. He advised the governors of all cities and provinces to conduct a campaign in their respective territories to enhance awareness among the public about preventive measures of COVID-19. The minister also asked local authorities to use all means including TVs, radios, social media, mobile loudspeakers, banners and leaflets to spread the awareness to the people. Also, he urged people to report to local authorities immediately if someone returned home from high risk areas or from overseas without going into a mandatory quarantine. The Southeast Asian nation has been enduring the third wave of COVID-19 community transmission since Feb. 20. The kingdom confirmed a daily record of 593 cases on Monday, pushing the national total caseload to 86,041, the health ministry said, adding that 21 more fatalities had been recorded, taking the overall death toll to 1,704. Another 806 patients had recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 81,202, it said. The country began a COVID-19 vaccination drive on Feb. 10, targeting to vaccinate 12 million people, or 75 percent of its 16-million population, by November. To date, some 8.94 million people, or 55.9 percent of the total population, have received at least one vaccine dose, while 7.25 million of them, or 45.3 percent, have completed the two-dose inoculation. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 20:01:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reshuffled his cabinet, appointing seven new ministers, the President's Office said on Monday. The ministers were sworn in overseen by the president at a small ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat in the capital Colombo, the office said in a statement. According to the statement, former health minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi took the portfolio of the transport minister, Keheliya Rambukwella as the health minister, G.L. Peiris was appointed as the foreign minister and Dinesh Gunawardena as the education minister. In addition, Gamini Lokuge was appointed as the power minister, Dullas Allahapperuma as the media minister, and Namal Rajapaksa was sworn in as the Minister of Development Coordination Monitoring in addition to the portfolio of Youth and Sports. Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella took over the post as the country faces a rapid increase in COVID-19 infections due to the Delta variant. The new health minister said it was imperative that collective social responsibility of all citizens is needed to defeat the pandemic challenges. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 20:51:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JAKARTA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has budgeted 2,708.7 trillion rupiahs (about 185.53 billion U.S. dollars) for state spending next year, with the main focus on COVID-19 handling and social protection for vulnerable groups, President Joko Widodo said on Monday. "It covers central government expenditures of 1,938.3 trillion rupiahs as well as transfers to regions and village funds of 770.4 trillion rupiahs," Widodo added. This budget includes 541.7 trillion rupiahs for education, 255.3 trillion rupiahs for health, 427.5 trillion rupiahs for social protection, and 384.8 trillion rupiahs for infrastructure development. The Southeast Asian country estimated that it would face a budget deficit of 4.85 percent of the gross domestic product in 2022 and 3 percent in 2023. Meanwhile, the country's economic growth next year was expected to range from 5.0 percent to 5.5 percent, slightly lower than the previous projection of 5.2 percent to 5.8 percent. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 22:18:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JAKARTA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- As Indonesia will celebrate its Independence Day on Tuesday, public security across the country has been heightened to avoid possible disruptions, such as COVID-19 rule violations, terrorist acts or militant attacks. The government will hold a flag-raising ceremony in the national capital Jakarta on Tuesday morning, with limited number of attendees at the location of the event. Roadblocks have been set up and about 300 traffic officers from the city police have been deployed to boost security. The event will be live-streamed and President Joko Widodo has called on the public to celebrate the Independence Day virtually due to the current pandemic. To date, Indonesia has reported at least 3.87 million of COVID-19 cases in the country with more than 118,000 deaths. In other cities outside Jakarta, authorities have also been intensifying security as 48 terrorist suspects have been arrested in several provinces since last Thursday. On Monday, the National Police's counter-terrorism unit, Densus 88, arrested seven suspected terrorists in separate operations in North Sumatra, East Kalimantan, East Java and South Sulawesi provinces. On the day before, Densus 88 arrested four suspects in Jakarta's neighboring provinces of Banten and West Java. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 23:11:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the eastern Indian state of Bihar Monday said seven people were killed and over 4 million others were affected by the ongoing flooding. According to officials at the Bihar disaster management department (BDMD), the floods have hit the state's 26 districts including the capital city Patna. "Over 40 lakh (4 million) people spread over 26 districts including Patna, Katihar, Khagaria and Samastipur are reeling under the impact of flood," state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said. "Several rivers including Ganga, Sone, Punpun and Kosi are flowing above the danger mark and are maintaining rising trend." Authorities have pressed rescue teams belonging to disaster response forces and boats in the affected areas to carry out rescue work. "People are being ferried to safer locations in boats, besides this, we have made arrangements for proving food to the affected people in the makeshift shelters," an official at BDMD told Xinhua. Meanwhile, vehicular traffic and rail service have been disrupted in flood-affected areas. "Train services on Bhagalpur-Munger section and Kiul-Bhagalpur section have been suspended on the second consecutive day due to submergence of railway tracks at several places. Long route trains have been diverted on alternative routes," the official said. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said all possible assistance was being provided to flood-affected people. Reports said standing crops spread over 8 million hectares have also been damaged due to the floodwater. Enditem China's foreign trade maintained an upward momentum in the first seven months of the year, although uncertainties of global economic recovery have put more pressure on the country's exports. Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 20:43:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace said on Monday that British forces going back to Afghanistan is "not on the cards", after the Taliban entered the Afghan capital city of Kabul. Asked by Sky News if Britain and NATO forces would return to Afghanistan, Wallace said: "That's not on the cards that we're going to go back." The Taliban said on Sunday that the war in Afghanistan has ended and they will soon declare the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They will take responsible actions to ensure the safety of Afghan citizens and foreign missions in Afghanistan. Wallace said Britain was doing everything it could to evacuate British nationals and Afghans with links to Britain. "Our target is...about 1,200 to 1,500 exit a day in the capacity of our aeroplanes, and we'll keep that flow," he said. The British defense secretary on Friday said the U.S. decision to pull its military forces out of Afghanistan was a "mistake," which has handed the Taliban "momentum" in the country. "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 told Sky News. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that the U.S. decision to pull out of Afghanistan has "accelerated things". The British parliament will be recalled on Wednesday from their summer recess to debate the British government's response to the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 22:28:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Massive wildfires, which have ravaged Turkey's southern and western coastal regions, have also burned to ashes bee-keeping centers and apiaries, putting the country's honey production at risk. Over 200 wildfires destroyed some 1,600 square km of Turkey's forest lands in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions in late July and August. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the blazes have dealt a serious blow to honey production in Mugla, a southwestern province famous for its touristic resorts and also its precious and special pine-based honey. Mugla, especially its district of Marmaris, is home to around half of Turkey's beekeeping centers, and production projections for the future are very bleak. "Most of the production field of pine honey has been destructed. There will be a very small amount of honey production this year," Samil Tuncay Bestoy, president of the local Environment and Bee Protection Association, told Xinhua. He explained that an estimated 4,000 beehives were burned, affecting the livelihood of around 7,000 families in the Marmaris region. But the most important loss, he insisted, is that "most of the production land, which consists of red pine forests, has been destroyed and will not be fully restored in 20, perhaps 30 years." The expert explained that with a strike of timely luck, many hives were also saved because nomadic beekeepers usually do not come to Mugla until late August and are waiting in the plains. "These producers, however, do not have a pine forest to feed their bees anymore, and it is a problem," he noted. The production of this particular honey, which was registered with its geographical origin last year, cannot now continue for at least an estimated 20 years, professionals said. "We practice migratory beekeeping, but when the bees do not have the necessary terrain to produce honey, they may perish," Ahmet, a beekeeper from the region, said without providing his surname. This producer remarked that honey production will be heavily disrupted as red pine trees were damaged in fires, explaining that honeybees produce pine honey from the secretion of the Basra beetle, a scale insect that lives on red pines. Three-quarters of the pine honey produced in Turkey is derived from Mugla province alone. About 20 to 25 tonnes of this special honey is produced annually. Turkey is a major global producer and consumer of honey. Known as one of the oldest medicinal substances, the precious nectar always held a special place in Turkish culture and beyond. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 10:04:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Politics, polarization and misinformation are wrecking the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Sunday. "It's really unfortunate that politics and polarization have gotten in the way of a simple public health measure. This mask that I'm holding has somehow become a symbol that it never should have been. This is basically just a life-saving medical device," Dr. Francis Collins, director of NIH, told the "Fox News Sunday". "And somehow it's now being seen as an invasion of your personal liberty. We never should have gone there. It's heartbreaking for me as a person who's not a politician, I'm a scientist, I'm a public health person. I'm a doctor to see how masks have gotten into this very strange place with parents and others shouting about it. We never should allow that to happen," he said when asked about the ongoing debate on mask mandates in the country among politicians, teachers, parents and school boards. "Already you can see in this country, the schools that have started to open without mask requirements outbreaks are happening. And what happens then the kids are sent home for virtual learning, which was what we were trying to avoid," said Collins. He warned U.S. COVID-19 cases could break 200,000 a day as the latest surge of the virus driven by the Delta variant is "going very steeply upward with no signs of having peaked out." Collins lamented that "the most advanced technological society on the planet has somehow slipped into a space where the evidence and the basis for making decisions on facts has gotten pushed aside by politics, by social media conspiracies, and by this incredible depth of anger and grievance, that seems to be held by so many." "Our future as a nation has got to revolve around coming away from that kind of approach to everything... If I have one thing I'm worried about, it's not just the epidemic of COVID-19, it's the epidemic of misinformation, disinformation, distrust that is tearing us apart," he said. As of Sunday, the United States reported over 36.6 million infections of COVID-19, with more than 621,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 12:35:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close OTTAWA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday called a snap national vote for Sept. 20, less than two years after he led the Liberal Party to a second term in government. The announcement also came more than two years before he would be required to call an election under a fixed-election-date law. "Canadians deserve to have their voices heard ... in this extraordinarily consequential historic moment," Trudeau said, referring to the choices voters must make in terms of which party is best to lead the country toward recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, now in its fourth wave in Canada. Under his Liberal government's watch, Canada has become a global leader in vaccination rates, with almost 82 percent of eligible Canadians, aged 12 and older, having received at least one dose as of Aug. 7, and 70 percent fully vaccinated. On Friday, Trudeau's government announced that it would require travelers on domestic planes, trains and cruise ships to be fully vaccinated, and make vaccination mandatory for federal public servants and potential employees of federally regulated industries, such as banks and airlines, affecting more than a million people. The current election campaign will cost 400 million U.S. dollars, which for Canada's opposition parties, is an unnecessary expense and exercise and a raw power-grab by Trudeau to restore the majority of seats which his Liberals held in the House of Commons following the 2015 election, but which were reduced to a minority in the 2019 election. Earlier in the summer, public-opinion polls showed the Liberals were poised to regain a majority government with 170 out of the 338 seats in the Commons. But over the past week, the margin has shrunk between them and the Official Opposition Conservatives led by Erin O'Toole, now in his first election campaign to become prime minister. The left-of-center New Democratic Party (NDP) could also prove to be a wild card in the 36-day election campaign -- the minimum period required by Canadian law. Led by the popular Jagmeet Singh, the first non-white leader of a federal Canadian party, the NDP shares the progressive-voter space with the Liberals and has already promised universal drug coverage, a guaranteed livable income and a wealth tax -- campaign pledges that could attract younger voters who in 2015 threw their support behind Trudeau. Canada's 44th general election campaign will be different from any other as all political parties will be forced to adapt to the pandemic realities of limiting public gatherings. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-16 19:45:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Days before Taliban forces entered the Afghan capital of Kabul, U.S. President Joe Biden said at a news conference that he did not regret his move to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. However, with the news of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani leaving the country and the images of the United States scrambling to evacuate staff and top officials from its embassy in Kabul broadcasted worldwide, U.S. experts said Washington should regret its premature and irresponsible troop withdrawal. "Today is the culmination of President Biden's strategic error in directing the rapid and complete withdrawal of U.S. -- and thus all international -- forces and the failure to have done the planning necessary to prevent the resulting catastrophic collapse of the Afghan government," James B. Cunningham, nonresident senior fellow in the South Asia Center and former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said in a statement. According to Cunningham, Biden made the wrong choice on troop withdrawal. "Biden could have declared that U.S. withdrawal was conditioned on a genuine peace agreement and ceasefire, and focused on that objective with an extensive diplomatic effort." In a speech in April announcing the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Biden claimed the United States had achieved its counterterrorism objectives. "We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result," Biden said then. For Daniel Fried, former U.S. National Security Council senior director, ambassador to Poland and assistant Secretary of State for Europe, even if one accepts the U.S. administration's reasoning behind the withdrawal, "the hasty execution made disaster more likely." "The White House looks feckless and ignorant about the situation on the ground and appears to have made its key decision based on bad assessments -- or no assessments at all," said Fried in a statement. "I would bet a large amount that there are many at senior levels in the Biden administration who wish they could roll back the clock a few months," said Fried. Meanwhile, online videos showed Afghans flocking to departing planes at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport after the Taliban retook the capital. On Saturday, Biden said he had authorized the deployment of roughly 5,000 troops to Afghanistan to support a personnel drawdown. However, according to Richard Engel, chief foreign correspondent for NBC News, the new deployment did little to allay chaos on the civilian side of the airport. "And the U.S. has brought in thousands of troops to secure the airport. But U.S. only focused on securing evacuation, taking place on military side of Kabul airport. Another sign of disregard for Afghans and total lack of planning," Engel tweeted. For Irfan Nooruddin, director of the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center and professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, the Biden administration's April announcement "might be the straw that broke the camel's back, but every U.S. administration since 2001 is culpable and must be held accountable." "The hollowness of American statements about democracy and human rights has long been understood by those outside the Washington bubble -- but the long-term damage to the credibility of American rhetoric from the disaster will be felt for years to come," said Nooruddin in a statement. According to Adam Weinstein, research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and an Afghanistan combat veteran, the real failure lies with the mistaken belief that "the United States could shape conditions and foster effective governance through the force of arms." "The chaos that follows intervention and the chaos that follows withdrawal are rooted in the same fundamental mistake -- that the U.S. thinks it can use its military to affect permanent social and political change in countries that it occupies," Weinstein said in a statement. Enditem Apart from urging the 31-member council to be more serious, experts also advocate transparency in the management of cybersecurity funds. Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns over Nigeria's ability to respond to possible cyberthreats, questioning the efficiency of the country's lead advisory team and the management of its dedicated fund. The Cybercrime Advisory Council, led by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, was set up in 2016 and was tasked with checking rising cybercrimes and formulating the modalities for implementing the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention) Act 2015. While Nigeria is yet to face a significant cyber attack, experts say the country does not need to wait until that happens before it takes action. They argue that with growing incidents of cybercrimes globally, structures put in place to address such threats need to be functional and funds judiciously used. Nigeria lost about N250 billion in 2017 and N288 billion in 2018 to cybercrime, a Proshare report said. A Global Trend Aligning with global trend, Nigeria enacted the Cybercrimes Act in May 2015, its first law to deal with cyber crimes. The law gave strength to a 2011 ECOWAS protocol on fighting cybercrime, and to the National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy adopted on February 5 of same year. The legislation empowered the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Attorney General of the Federation to enforce its provisions, and mandated the establishment of a fund for its operations. It also made it mandatory for the government to set up a multi-agency Cybercrime Advisory Council and the National Cyber Security Fund maintained with the CBN and administered by the NSA. The fund is funded by a 0.005 per cent levy on all transactions by GSM service providers, telecommunication companies, internet service providers, banks and other financial institutions, insurance companies, and the Nigerian stock exchange. On April 19, 2016, the Buhari government set up a 31-member council made up of representatives of various establishments and civil society. With that decision, Nigeria became the fifth African country and the first in West Africa to enact the cybercrime law and set in motion strategies for its implementation. The inaugurated council was tasked with formulating the modalities for implementing the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention) Act 2015. The CBN on July 4, 2018, set up the cyber-security fund after instructing the relevant organisations to set aside required levies from online transactions made by Nigerians. Controversies However, there are concerns over the efficiency of the council and the management of the multibillion naira fund. For instance, while the legislation mandates the council to meet four times a year, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the council has only met six times since they were constituted in 2016. The last time the council meeting was on July 20, 2020. By the provisions of the law, the council should have met about 20 times at the time. There are also questions surrounding the lack of transparency in the management of the funds. A member of the council, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the council has not been serving the purpose for which it had been set up. The source said since the council has only been able to meet about six times since it was set up in 2016, its efficiency has been called to question "and members are not happy". "We should have met at least 20 times if we are to go by the stipulations of the Act but the NSA rarely calls for meetings. His excuse is that he is always busy. But we know that with the emerging cyber threats world over, this is the right time for the council to be fully functional and discharge its roles but this is not so," the source said. The source also said there needs to be more openness in the management of the funds and its disbursement should be "for only projects approved by the council" and not 'unilaterally' approved by the NSA. The mechanism through which the fund is to be disbursed is not clearly defined in the law and this has made its management at the discretion of the NSA, sources within the council argued. Section 44(5) merely says up to 40 per cent of the fund "may be allocated for programmes countering violent extremism". It is not clear if the funds have been deployed in dealing with the violence in the North-east and other parts of the country. Section 43 also says the fund will be applied "toward the functions of the Council" as well as "establishing an enabling environment and formulating general policy, which includes awarding research and graduate training grants in the cybersecurity field". One source said members were stunned recently when, after months of inactivity amid the COVID crisis, the NSA launched a National Cyber-security Policy and Strategy document "which had minimal input from the council members". The source said the NSA also early this year, perhaps in reaction to the unease among members of the council over his handling of its activities, replaced some members. The source, who was particularly concerned about the lack of transparency in the management of the fund, said "there is no accountability as per the resources that should have been utilised to meet specific timelines and projects specified in the National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy adopted in 2015". "For now, the NSA runs a 'one-man show' in which council members are now mere onlookers," the source said. "The main reason why these members were selected from various establishments was to help the NSA implement the strategy as clearly spelt out in the act and the relevant projects to help Nigeria address cyberthreats and related crimes. But now, the council is dormant and has failed to serve the purpose for which it was set up. We don't meet regularly to agree on anything." Efforts to get a reaction from the NSA on the report were not successful as his known phone line was switched off despite several attempts to connect. Two officials in the Office of the NSA initially agreed to speak on the matter on the condition of anonymity, but later failed to send a response days after an email was sent to them as requested. A subsequent reminder sent to one of the officers asked to give an official response was not responded to. Also, the director, Corporate Communications of the CBN, Osita Nwanisobi, did not respond to enquiries from PREMIUM TIMES on the status of the fund, days after he also asked that the questions are sent to him via his phone. Separately, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that banks and related financial outfits have been remitting fees from customers' online transactions into the fund, as directed by the law. A member of the council who represents the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola, told PREMIUM TIMES the council convenes whenever pertinent issues that the NSA needs assessing are brought to its (his) attention. "The most recent one to my knowledge was the updating of the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy that was concluded efficiently and on time and approved by Mr President Buhari GCFR earlier this year," he said. He said the policy and strategy document released is relevant "and all the focus should be on implementation and execution of the numerous recommendations already laid out. This is still work in progress and engagements with critical stakeholders will begin in earnest." He added that "all cyber threats are actively being monitored by all stakeholders in a collaborative manner. Cyberspace is vast and the most critical stakeholders are you and I. There is a need to raise public awareness programmes across all communities and of course, distil digital literacy to encourage safe internet usage." Set up for failure? Mr Teniola's optimism is not shared by some industry experts who want Nigerians to take more than a cursory interest in the nation's preparedness for cyber threats and how the funds are being managed. The Executive Director of the Centre for Cyberspace Studies, Nasarawa State University, Uche Mbanaso, said Nigeria is ill-prepared to handle cyber-threats, arguing that the NSA-led council is not enough. "The fund is a good initiative. This is what almost every other country does to be able to appropriately fund such a complex security terrain in cyberspace," he told PREMIUM TIMES. "However, the cybersecurity sector in Nigeria has really suffered a lot of setbacks simply because there is really no agency mapped out to take the responsibility of cybersecurity." "Cybersecurity is very vast and complex. In many instances, it is not something you can subsume under ONSA (Office of the NSA) because ONSA, for instance, doesn't have its own staff. It takes staff from security and intelligence agencies. You cannot enhance cybersecurity by ad-hoc staff. You need a consistent and sustainable workforce that can champion cybersecurity," he notes. He also said policing the cyberspace is not as easy as policing the physical space. "Before someone gets into our physical space in Nigeria, he (or she) must obtain a visa. Someone coming into your cyberspace does not need a visa. Someone coming into Nigeria also has to pass through immigration. Not so for cyberspace. These are some of the factors that make policing cyberspace a very complex and sophisticated venture." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs ICT By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He said Nigeria is not yet serious about securing its cyberspace. "UK has nothing less than six agencies that work on cybersecurity. There are different aspects of cybersecurity. Look at our critical infrastructure, for instance, it is very huge. Many countries have agencies just for the protection of critical infrastructure. They also have agencies that are dedicated to responding to threats. They have agencies that deal with research and development." The scholar, who said it was time for the nation to take practical steps to secure its cyber assets, then took a swipe at the council. "Who are those in the advisory council? How many experts are in that council? People cannot give what they don't have. The council is made up of mostly civil servants. Most of them don't have anything to offer as per knowledge in cybersecurity. This is an area that needs expertise. In years to come, our military may be procuring cyberweapons with millions of U.S. dollars and even exporting it from Nigeria will be a tug of war. Cyberweapon is more lethal than a nuclear weapon. Why not start now by creating centres of excellence? We don't want to invest... ." Ayoola Falola, a cybersecurity expert based in Abuja said the NSA-led team appears set up for failure. "Just like many other 'advisory' councils set-up in Nigeria - the law mandates ministries and MDAs to 'donate' members. There is no care if such government establishments have the right staffing and framework to support such membership," he said. "Cybersecurity is a fast-paced industry; but based on the membership representation from government agencies, the council doesn't seem to have enough theoretical and technical knowledge to support the mandate they are given. "To help make the council effective, I recommend they elect permanent members (based strictly on merit) and invest in a programme that would keep the council busy and engage the 'stakeholders' to ensure that the goals of the act are established and fulfilled." He also called for more transparency in the management of the cybersecurity funds and called for more companies to be made to contribute to it. With Shell Petroleum Development Company's increasing divestment of onshore assets, Ejiofor Alike writes that the sister company, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, should focus on the development of new deepwater assets to regain its leadership position in offshore assets and boost Nigeria's crude oil production from deep offshore projects Shell had pioneered deepwater exploration and development in Nigeria, when its deepwater arm, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) launched its 225,000 barrels per day capacity Bonga Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel in November 2005. The development of the Bonga deepwater oilfield had increased Nigeria's oil production by 10 per cent at the time and stimulated the growth of relevant support industry. The development cost to first oil for Bonga was $3.6 billion. Located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 118, formerly Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 212, the 60 square kilometre field is situated in water depths of more than 1,000 metres. The Bonga concession was awarded in 1993 during the first round of bidding for Nigeria's deepwater frontier acreage. It is operated by SNEPCo (55 per cent) on behalf of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under a Production Sharing Contract (PSC). In OPL 212, SNEPCo has a Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) with Esso (20 per cent), NAE Nigerian Agip Exploration Ltd (12.5 per cent) and Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited (12.5 per cent). Production facilities in the project had comprised one of the world's largest FPSO vessels and deepwater subsea infrastructure. The field's initial 16 subsea oil producing and water injection wells were connected to the two million barrel storage capacity FPSO by production flowlines, risers and control umbilicals. Being the first deepwater development in Nigeria, Bonga had scored firsts in many fronts. The construction of Bonga FPSO was the first time inconel clad Steel Catenary Risers was used on an FPSO anywhere in the world. It was also in Bonga that the first, largest and most technologically advanced polyester moored deepwater buoy was built in Nigeria. Shell had also achieved many other technological feats with Bonga. While Samsung Heavy Industries had constructed the 300,000 tonnes FPSO hull in South Korea, AMEC built and integrated the 22,000 tonnes oil processing topsides facilities. The FPSO vessel's capacity has since been upgraded in recent years, allowing SNEPCo to expand the field with further drilling of wells in Bonga Phases 2 and 3, and through a subsea tie-back that unlocked the nearby Bonga North West field, expected at peak production to contribute 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) to the Bonga development. Bonga Phase 3 is an expansion of the Bonga Main development, with peak production expected to be some 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Shell had also recently signed an agreement with partners in the OML 118 licence, to unlock over $10 billion in investments. Shell Lags Behind in Deepwater Projects Despite pioneering the development of deepwater projects in Nigeria, Shell did not consolidate its leadership position and has since been overtaken by other IOCs. Apart from the development and expansion of Bonga, the oil giant has not launched any other new deepwater project since Bonga came on stream in 2005. While ExxonMobil had developed Erha in 2006, Chevron had developed Agbami in 2008. To its credit, Total had also developed Akpo in 2009 and Egina in 2018. The many firsts recorded by Total and its contractor, Samsung Heavy Industries, in the development of Egina have since dwarfed the records set by Shell in Bonga. Apart from being the largest FPSO in Nigeria, the Egina FPSO is the largest FPSO built anywhere in the world by the Total Group. Chevron and ExxonMobil had also in 2012 announced the production of first oil from their joint deepwater, Usan offshore development project. Chevron controls 30 per cent stake in the project, while Total E&P Nigeria Limited is the operator on behalf of the NNPC with 20 per cent stakeholding. While Esso E&P Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited controls 30 per cent, while Nexen Petroleum Nigeria Limited has 20 per cent stake. String of Divestments of Onshore Assets While SNEPCo did not embark on aggressive exploration and development of offshore assets after its record-breaking achievements in Bonga in 2005, its sister company, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) had in 2010 opened the floodgates of assets sale by the international oil companies (IOCs) when it announced the transfer of its 30 per cent interest in Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 4, 38 and 41 to Seplat Petroleum Development Company. Total with 10 per cent and Eni with five per cent subsequently sold their stakes in the three leases to Seplat, thus raising the operator's equity to 45 per cent, while NNPC retained 55 per cent, which it later transferred to its producing arm, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC). The gale of divestments of onshore assets continued in 2011 when Neconde Energy paid $585 million to Shell, Total and Eni to acquire their 45 per cent stake in OML 42. Shoreline Energy Resources paid $850 million to Shell and its partners for their 45 per cent stake in OML 30; Eland Oil paid $154 million for Shell, Total and Eni's 45 per cent stake in OML 40; ND Western paid $600 million for the gas-rich OML 34; while First Hydrocarbon Nigeria, partly owned by Afren paid $98 million to acquire Shell's 30 per cent interest in OML 26. Also First E & P paid $300 million to Shell and partners for 45 per cent stake in OML 71 and 72. Under the divestment by Shell, Total and Agip, Erotron Consortium paid $1.2 billion for 45 per cent stake in OML 18; Pan Ocean paid $900 million for OML 24; while Creststar Consortium paid initial deposit of $100 million of the $500 million bid price for OML 25 before the NNPC came forward to exercise its right of first refusal, an action that was challenged in the court by the Canadian firm-backed consortium. The Aiteo-led consortium paid $2.562 billion to Shell, Total and Agip for OML 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunkline. Chevron, which has 40 per cent stake in the joint venture with the NNPC, was not left out in the string of divestments of onshore and shallow water assets by the IOCs as it also sold its 40 per cent stake in OML 83 and 85 to First E & P for $68 million. The company also sold its 40 per cent stake in OMLs 52, 53 and 55 to Seplat Petroleum; Belemaoil and Amni Petroleum. However, the bid value for OMLs 52 and 55 was not made public but the entire transaction was said to be worth about $900 million. Seplat paid $259.4 million for OML 53 and an additional $132 million to acquire a 22.5 per cent stake in OML 55 from Belemaoil while Amni acquired OML 52. Since then, the IOCs, particularly Shell has announced a string of other divestments of onshore assets, a development that has been misinterpreted as part of its plan to pull out from Nigeria. Shell, Total and Agip had also in early this year sold stake in OML 17 to Tony Elumelu's TNOG for $533 million Increasing Nigeria's Crude Oil Output from Deep Offshore Projects With the IOC's divestment of onshore assets, the companies should focus on deepwater projects, which are far more secured from militant attacks and oil thieves than onshore and shallow water assets. The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has removed the uncertainty in the operating environment and enthrone clearer terms for operations in the deep water. Having handed over the assets more prone to attacks to indigenous players who are better positioned to engage the restive host communities, the oil majors should invest heavily in exploration and production of oil in the more prolific deepwater to boost Nigeria's production. With their prolific nature, offshore projects will help Nigeria's quest to attain daily production level of four million barrels and also meet the country's targeted 40 billion barrels of oil reserves. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Business Petroleum By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. To this end, the first female Managing Director of SNEPCo, Mrs. Elohor Aiboni, should focus on the exploration and development of offshore assets to regain the company's leadership position in the deep offshore acreages and increase Nigeria's oil production. Elohor is the first female to lead the Shell exploration company in the more than six decades of Shell's operations in Nigeria. She succeeded Mr. Bayo Ojulari, who retired on July 31 after five years as SNEPCO MD, having served the Shell group for more than 30 years. Shortly before her recent appointment, the company had reiterated its plan to divest from its onshore and shallow waters operations to concentrate on deep offshore business. Elohor, who is on a familiar terrain, was until her new appointment, the Bonga Asset Manager responsible for overseeing end-to-end production delivery for Nigeria's pioneer deepwater FPSO vessel, Bonga, which had produced over 900 million barrels of oil since the beginning of its operations in 2005. Prior to her role as Bonga Asset Manager, Elohor had led production delivery for shallow offshore as Asset Manager for Sea Eagle FPSO in Nigeria's Niger Delta. While the previous SNEPCo MDs - Chima Ibeneche, Chike Onyejekwe, Tony Attah and Ojulari had played their part successfully in the development, production and expansion of the Bonga oilfield, Elohor should focus on new deepwater projects to regain the company's glory in pioneering offshore technology so as to also help Nigeria attain her set targets in the oil and gas industry. "We take pride in our intention of being one of the most diverse and inclusive organisations in the world, and focus on further improving inclusion and representation in critical areas, including gender," Shell's Senior Vice President for Nigeria, Marno de Jong, was quoted as saying, on Elohor's appointment. Elohor was at a time the Business Adviser to the Executive Vice President for Shell Sub-Saharan Africa, and had also managed third-party interface across several Shell assets in Nigeria and Kazakhstan. A World Health Organization Ebola vaccination team works in Butembo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in January 2019 (file photo). The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is immensely concerned after Cote d'Ivoire declared its first case of the Ebola hemorrhagic virus in 27 years, in the capital Abidjan. Officials at the Institut Pasteur had confirmed the case after testing samples taken from an 18-year-old Guinean woman, Health Minister Pierre N'Gou Demba said on RTI state television on Saturday. She had left the city of Labe in Guinea by road, arriving in Cote d'Ivoire on Wednesday, he added. "This is an isolated and imported case," he said, adding that the patient was currently being treated in intensive care in Abidjan. Cote d'Ivoire already had doses of the vaccine against Ebola, he said. People at high risk including heatlh workers who have been in contact with her and security forces on the borders will be vaccinated first. The last confirmed case of Ebola in Cote d'Ivoire was in 1994 when an outbreak among chimpanzees infected a scientist. Guinea rolls out Ebola vaccines, hoping to bring outbreak under control As struggle against Covid continues, DR Congo announces end of Ebola outbreak 'Immense concern' "It is of immense concern that this outbreak has been declared in Abidjan, a metropolis of more than 4 million people," said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's regional director for Africa, in a statement. "Much of the world's expertise in tackling Ebola is here on the continent and Cote d'Ivoire can tap into this experience and bring the response to full speed," she added. Concerned by the new #Ebola case confirmed today in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. @WHO staff in are helping the Ministry investigate the case. In addition, a team of WHO experts will arrive shortly to support all key areas of the response incl contact tracing & treatment. https://t.co/JtrCSAhPjt - Dr Matshidiso Moeti (@MoetiTshidi) August 14, 2021 Breakthrough trial shows Ebola is now curable The WHO confirmed it was sending 5,000 anti-ebola vaccines. Cote d'Ivoire borders Guinea and Liberia, which were both hard hit by the West Africa Ebola outbreak between 2014 and 2016. This year Ebola outbreaks broke out in DRC and Guinea. Guinea's outbreak was declared over on 19 June 2021. The WHO said there was no indication that the current case in Cote d'Ivoire is linked to the earlier outbreak in Guinea. Accra On one of Naomi Otua's regular trips to visit her grandson James in the town of Assin Fosu in Ghana's Central Region, she noticed something was seriously wrong. The 10-year-old's eyes were jaundiced and he had lost a significant amount of weight. Worried, Otua decided to take James to the Suhum Government Hospital. James was then referred to the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua where he remained on admission for three weeks. But his condition continued to deteriorate, and he was eventually referred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, where he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, the most common form of childhood cancer. James is one of the approximately 400 000 children and adolescents who are diagnosed with cancer every year globally. In Ghana, about 1200 children under the age of 15 are estimated to develop cancer annually. In addition to leukaemia, lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms' tumour, soft tissue sarcoma and neuroblastoma are among the most common forms in the country. Shortly after being referred to Korle-Bu and diagnosed, James began a course of chemotherapy, which he has continued for the past three months. "His condition has greatly improved," says his grandmother Otua after almost six months of agonizing visits to different hospitals. "I am very happy about that." According to Professor Lorna Awo Renner, Head of the Paediatric Oncology Unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, 80% of childhood cancers are curable. "But this is dependent on early detection and progressive treatment," she says. Although more than 80% of children with cancer live in developing countries like Ghana, only about 20% to 30% of them receive such treatment. This is often due to inhibitive costs. In Ghana, where cancer treatment is not covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme, the average expenditure for treating childhood cancer is about US $1000. In the treatment of Leukaemia, it can reach as high as $ 7000 for up to three years. This is far beyond the means of many Ghanaians. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ghana Health International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "In Ghana, about 50% of patients used to abandon treatment halfway due to lack of funds. However, this figure has been reduced to 15% with support from a number of benevolent individuals and organizations," says Professor Renner. In particular, World Child Cancer has helped to fund diagnostic investigations, purchase chemotherapy doses and cover the costs of transport and clinic appointments for numerous Ghanaian families. Meanwhile, in September 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new Global Initiative for Childhood Cancers, with Ghana among six countries selected to receive support for its implementation. "Working closely with the Ghanaian government, we have helped to build and sustain a high quality national childhood cancer programme with a target of achieving at least 60% survival rate by 2030," says Dr Francis Kasolo, WHO Country Representative in Ghana. Despite persisting resource constraints, health workers at Korle-Bu, who have received technical support in addition to monitoring and surveillance tools from WHO, go out of their way to ensure that their young patients receive optimum care. "Seeing the children smiling and playing makes us very happy. It's a sign that they are getting better by the day and that the treatment is working," says Leticia Amengor, a matron at the unit. For Professor Renner, sending children back home once they've finally been declared cancer-free provides a great sense of fulfilment. She remains hopeful that James will soon be able to beat the disease. "These children can still go on to lead full lives," she says, "I see it happen all the time." A two-year-old girl and her mother wait to see a doctor at the paediatric oncology unit at a hospital in Accra, Ghana. Nearly 30,000 children in sub-Saharan Africa are believed to have died from cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO). Drastic measures to prevent coronavirus spread, and heightened focus by health systems on cresponse, led to disruptions in other essential health services on the continent. Cancer screening and treatment, including for childhood cancers, were hit especially hard. 'Truly heartbreaking' A WHO survey found screening was affected in 46 per cent of countries, while 13 per cent reported a more than 50 per cent disruption. "We estimate that more than 28,000 children died of cancer in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020. This is truly heartbreaking as childhood cancers are curable if detected early and comprehensive care provided," said Dr. Jean-Marie Dangou, Noncommunicable Diseases Programme Coordinator at the WHO Regional Office. In Africa, the childhood cancer survival rate is around 20 per cent, compared to more than 80 per cent in high-income countries. As early diagnosis improves chances of survival, WHO stressed that significant improvements can be made in the lives of children with cancer by identifying the disease early and avoiding delays in care. The UN agency fears a significant backlog in screening and treatment due to the pandemic could lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. This would put further strain on Africa's overburdened medical resources and increase avoidable cancer deaths. Improve early detection "Substantial investment in cancer prevention and care, including quality training of medical professionals, must be made if we are to avert cancer deaths and cases, especially among children, in our region," said Dr. Dangou. "As individuals, we must take the initiative to better understand the childhood cancer warning signs to improve early detection and treatment." Naomi Otua from Ghana makes regular visits to her 10-year-old grandson, James, who lives in the Central Region of the country. On one of her trips, she noticed something was seriously wrong as the boy had jaundiced eyes and had lost a significant amount of weight. James was eventually diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, the most common form of childhood cancer. He is among the roughly 400,000 children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer every year globally. James began chemotherapy, which he has continued for the past three months. "His condition has greatly improved," said Ms. Otua, adding "I am very happy about that." Prohibitive costs While 80 per cent of childhood cancers are curable, "this is dependent on early detection and progressive treatment," according to Professor Lorna Awo Renner, Head of the Paediatric Oncology Unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, where James was treated. Worldwide, most children with cancer live in developing countries like Ghana, but only around 20 per cent to 30 per cent receive treatment, often due to cost. In Ghana, cancer treatment is not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme. The average cost to treat childhood cancer is about $1,000, and up to $7,000 for leukaemia, which is far beyond the reach of many citizens. "In Ghana, about 50 per cent of patients used to abandon treatment halfway due to lack of funds. However, this figure has been reduced to 15 per cent with support from a number of benevolent individuals and organizations," said Professor Awo Renner. Home again Back in 2018, WHO announced a new Global Initiative for Childhood Cancers (GICC) and Ghana was among six countries selected to receive support for its implementation. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Africa International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. One of the major strategic GICC partners is St Jude Children's Research Hospital in the United States, whose financial support has helped improve childhood cancer care in Ghana, Senegal and Zambia. "Working closely with the Ghanaian government, we have helped to build and sustain a high quality national childhood cancer programme with a target of achieving at least 60 per cent survival rate by 2030," said Dr. Francis Kasolo, WHO Representative in the country. The UN agency has also provided technical support to health workers at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, in addition to monitoring and surveillance tools. For Professor Renner, sending children back home once they have been declared cancer-free provides a great sense of fulfilment. She remains hopeful that James will soon be able to beat the disease. "These children can still go on to lead full lives," she said. "I see it happen all the time." document On behalf of the United States of America, I extend best wishes and hopes for a bright future to the people of the Republic of the Congo as they celebrate the 61st anniversary of their independence. The United States is committed to working with Congo and all its partners to address the climate crisis, and we recognize Congo's leadership in addressing this global challenge. We will continue to support Congo in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and our close cooperation in health, trade, and anti-trafficking efforts will remain strong. As you celebrate your independence, the continued partnership between the United States and the Republic of the Congo will help create a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future in the year ahead. A sit-at-home order recently announced by IPOB in the South-east was obeyed by many residents. The calm that returned to many parts of Nigeria's south-east region following the re-arrest of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, appears to have been short-lived. The violence in the region has now continued with the resumption of hostilities between the group and security operatives. For a few weeks after Mr Kanu was re-arrested and brought back to Nigeria in June, there was relative peace in the region as attacks by the gunmen were halted. However, the attacks have resumed, with many people, mainly members of IPOB's security arm, ESN, killed in the past few weeks during clashes with security operatives. Resumed hostilities The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Bernard Onyeuko, a brigadier general, at a media briefing on Thursday, disclosed how earlier that week, Nigerian troops and other security agencies operating in the South-east "neutralized one Commander and five other members of the ESN and IPOB during a fire-fight at Nkanu area of Enugu State while 13 other members of the secessionist group were arrested. "One ESN commander was neutralised and another apprehended. Cumulatively, a total of 6 IPOB/ESN members were neutralized and 13 criminal elements were arrested by their own troops and other security forces operating in the Zone", Mr Onyeuko said. He said those attacked were allegedly involved in the killing of a District Police Officer (DPO) at Omuma Town in Orlu East LGA of Imo State. The military spokesperson also narrated how security forces following intelligence report arrested one notorious ESN member named Obumneke Gabriel at Umueli Amaraku Town in Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State whom he said was in possession of arms and ammunition during the arrest. Another recent incident that indicates that the deadly attacks on security agencies in the South-east region may be far from over occurred on Friday in Imo State. The police spokesperson in the state, Mike Abattam, in a statement on Saturday, said some gunmen attacked the Izombe Police Division at about 2:45 a.m. on Friday morning. The official, however, noted that the police successfully repelled the attack and prevented the attackers from gaining access to the police facility. Unfortunately, two officers were killed during the attack, Mr Abattam said. Three of the attackers were killed and arms and ammunition recovered from them, according to the statement. Some of the attackers fled with gunshot wounds, he added. Earlier Killings in 2021 Government officials said between January and June, suspected ESN members killed dozens of security operatives and attacked at least 10 public buildings, including prisons and police stations. The police said ESN fighters killed 21 police personnel in Imo State alone. In response, security forces have killed dozens of gunmen, as well as civilians, in areas where the attacks occurred. Amnesty International, a human rights group, estimated that the death toll from the violence within the same period in Anambra, Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi States might run into the hundreds. IPOB's lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told PREMIUM TIMES that ESN was formed to protect rural Igbo communities against violent herders in the face of the government's alleged abdication of its duties. But ESN is doing much more than that, state governments, residents, and security officials said, accusing the group of criminal activities, including attacks on unarmed civilians, fatal assaults on the police and theft of weapons. The ESN is believed to have morphed into a paramilitary unit with broader functions including enforcing IPOB's mandates such as sit-at-home orders. The group is believed to be acting under the command of Mr Kanu who jumped bail in 2017 and fled the country following the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September of that year. Mr Kanu was re-arrested and brought back to Nigeria in June to continue facing treasonable felony trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. He also faces charges of unlawful possession of firearms and setting up of an illegal security unit - ESN. Reduced attacks Mr Kanu's arrest in June had thrown the separatist group into disarray, leading to a dramatic reduction in violence in the south-eastern region. Attacks had been quite frequent across the region since the April 6 raid of the Owerri Correctional Centre during which 1,844 inmates were set free and the building set ablaze. On April 24, gunmen set ablaze the Omuma, Oru East Local Government Area, Imo State country home of Governor Hope Uzodinma. IPOB, on the same day, also lost ESN commander, Ikonso, during a gun battle with a security force. Six other ESN commanders were also killed in the gun battle. But following the re-arrest of Mr Kanu and a further clampdown on ESN members, many members of the group are believed to have gone into hiding while attacks on public buildings, especially police stations, halted. Mr Kanu was also accused by some of his supporters of turning the organisation into a one-man show, alienating some of his most trusted followers, thereby leading to a leadership vacuum. "Money disputes and accusations that he didn't consult key stakeholders over the formation of an armed wing did not go down well with many," said the BBC Igbo's Chiagozie Nwonwu, who interviewed Mr Kanu in 2019, while in exile. One of those who fell out with Mr Kanu and left the organisation last year was his former deputy, Uche Mefor, a member of the group who took over when the leader was previously incarcerated. Controversial arrest While the Nigerian government and many Nigerians have expressed joy at the re-arrest of Mr Kanu, many others have questioned the legality of the process through which he was arrested. For instance, the Nigerian government has not officially disclosed the country Mr Kanu was arrested in before he was brought back to Nigeria. Mr Kanu was also not formally extradited from any country with many Nigerians including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka saying he was 'kidnapped by the Nigerian government and illegally brought back to Nigeria. However, Mr Kanu, through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, said he was arrested in Kenya. He said no warrant of arrest was shown to him or even mentioned. The lawyer also claimed that the IPOB leader was held incommunicado and chained to a bare floor for eight days in a nondescript private facility in Kenya. Again, at the continuation of his trial on July 26, the SSS failed to produce Mr Kanu at the Federal High Court in Abuja. While government lawyers cited "logistical problems" for Mr Kanu's absence, his lawyer told the court that he had been unable to access his client in ten days and that he believed his client's life was in danger. The case was adjourned till October. Controversial Sit-at-home order To demonstrate that it is still influential in the south-east despite the incarceration of its leader, IPOB called for a sit-at-home protest in south-eastern Nigerian cities to pressurise the government to release Mr Kanu. The group through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, on July 30, asked residents of the five south-east states to observe August 9 as "Ghost Monday" to force the federal government to release Mr Kanu. He added that the "total lockdown would continue every Monday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. until Kanu is released unconditionally from detention." But the IPOB leader's younger brother, Kanunta Kanu, in another statement, said something different. He explained that the group arrived at the decision to suspend the order, after "listening to pleas from well-meaning individuals and groups that the order be suspended to allow students in Igbo land to participate in the NECO examination." "IPOB has listened to pleas from well-meaning individuals and groups within and outside Biafra land that we consider the fate of our children who will be involved in the NECO Exam and based on that, we decided to shift grounds over the sit-at-home order," he said. Meanwhile, the governments of Abia, Enugu, Anambra and Imo states as well as the police commands in the south-east asked residents to ignore the IPOB order and go about their legitimate businesses, with the police promising to provide security to resist the order. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Legal Affairs Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, in a statement, called on residents to ignore the sit-at-home order, adding that the state government was in contact with Nnamdi Kanu's family and was monitoring the situation to ensure that the IPOB leader got a fair trial. Similarly, the chairman of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority(ECTDA), Josef Onoh, said there was no constituted authority that declared any Monday a resting or work-free day and assured residents of the state capital that there will be no molestation of anybody conducting genuine business in the state. On its part, the Anambra government directed workers in the state to ensure that they are in their duty posts or be prepared to lose their August salary. The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, said the command would back the residents of Owerri and other parts of the state with security operatives in order to resist IPOB from forcing them to sit-at-home. Despite the assurances by the government, many banks, shops and markets were shut last Monday (August 9) in many parts of the south-east in compliance with the sit-at-home call by IPOB. The exercise, however, turned violent in parts of Imo and Anambra as gunmen suspected to be members of the ESN moved around to enforce the order. There were shootings in Orlu local government of Imo and a building was reportedly set ablaze in Isiala-Amadim village, Amaifeke, in the same area, the Guardian newspaper reported. Two commercial buses were also torched at Ngwogwu, in Aboh Mbaise local government of Imo. The buses were headed to Umuahia and Owerri respectively. At least three people are believed to have died in that incident. Some buses were reportedly forced to return to Owerri. In Nnewi, the industrial hub of Anambra State, two persons were reportedly shot dead by security operatives who had accosted them for trying to mount roadblocks in the area. Many residents, who observed the sit-at-home order, said they would rather obey than put their lives at risk. Mr Buhari and members of his entourage returned to Nigeria last Friday after about two weeks in London, UK. President Muhammadu Buhari will go on isolation in line with COVID-19 protocols after spending about two weeks in London, United Kingdom, the presidency has said. Also billed to go on isolation are officials of the government who accompanied the president on the trip. They include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno (rtd) and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Abubakar. Mr Buhari and members of the delegation, who travelled to London on July 26, returned to Nigeria on Friday after about two weeks. They were received at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello, security chiefs as well as some presidential aides. Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said the officials would go on isolation in line with the guideline for international travels. "Mr President and all of those on his delegation will be isolated in line with NCDC guidelines for international travel. They all tested yesterday (Friday) and will follow up with another test in due course," Mr Shehu told the Guardian newspaper on Sunday. While in London, Mr Buhari joined other world leaders to attend the Global Education Summit. The summit, co-hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, successfully generated about four billion dollars out of the targeted five billion dollars for the transformation of the education sector in low income countries, including Nigeria. Mr Buhari appeared on a panel of discussants with a live audience alongside his counterparts from other African countries, including Mr Kenyatta, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President Faure Eyadema of Togo and President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi. The summit focused on topical issues including Education's Reset - Learning from COVID; Transforming the Child's Learning Journey; Gender Equality in and Through Education; Ripple Effect - Education's Impact on Sustainability, and Financing for Impact - Volume, Equity, Efficiency. At the summit, Mr Buhari pledged to increase the budget for the education sector in Nigeria by as much as 50 per cent over the next two years. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Messrs Buhari and Johnson, also held bilateral talks, during which the two leaders appraised the war against different forms of terrorism in Nigeria, and agreed that the judicial process be allowed to run its course. The Nigerian leader also used the opportunity of the trip to undergo a medical check-up. Mr Buhari and members of his family routinely travel to the UK for medical treatment. While he was away, members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began a strike over repeated failure of his administration to implement agreements signed with them. Before departing London, Mr Buhari visited former Lagos State governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, who is believed to be on a medical trip to London. Meanwhile, some persons whom the president interacted with in London have tested positive for COVID-19. Nigeria's High Commissioner to the UK, Sarafa Isola, and other staff of the embassy had received the president upon his arrival at the airport in London. The High Commission in Central London was shut down on Thursday for 10 days. On March 6, Mr Buhari together with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, received the first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Former Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, died of the pandemic in April 2020. press release Appointment Risks Undermining Disarmament and Recovery Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi recently announced the launch of a long-awaited Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization program, meant to encourage thousands of fighters from more than 100 armed groups to lay down their weapons. The country has needed an effective framework for decades, as removing guns from fighters, prosecuting those responsible for serious crimes, and reintegrating others into communities is critical to ending eastern Congo's cycles of violence. But Tshisekedi's appointment of former rebel leader Tommy Tambwe to coordinate the new program raises serious concerns. Tambwe was a leader of major Rwandan-backed rebel groups responsible for countless human rights abuses in eastern Congo over the last 25 years. In 2002, while he was the Congolese Rally for Democracy (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Democratie, RCD) vice-governor of South Kivu, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders alleged he had ordered the arrest of journalists he deemed to be critical of his movement. In 2012, United Nations investigators reported that Tambwe led the separatist Alliance for the Liberation of Eastern Congo (Alliance de Liberation de l'Est du Congo, ALEC) while having "found protection in Rwanda." The group was allied with the M23 rebellion, which was responsible for widespread war crimes, including summary executions, rapes, and forced recruitment. It is no surprise that many Congolese quickly raised concerns following Tambwe's appointment. Nobel peace laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege expressed his wariness and reiterated the joint call, endorsed by Human Rights Watch, for a vetting mechanism that would "exclude from public institutions those responsible for human rights violations." Dozens of groups from North and South Kivu warned that Tambwe's appointment "already bears the seeds of the program's failure." A coalition of Mai-Mai militia described it as a "disguised tactic for destabilization." Some members of parliament have also called on Tshisekedi to reconsider his appointment. Attempts at disarming, demobilizing, and reintegrating fighters into Congolese society have failed over the last two decades, despite the many millions of dollars injected by international donors. Thousands of surrendered fighters instead later returned to the bush while known abusers have been rewarded with promotions rather than held to account. To succeed, this new program needs the confidence of communities in eastern Congo. Starting on the wrong foot risks turning it into yet another missed opportunity to ensure the security of the region's population. Nairobi Political analysts and rights groups have welcomed reports that Sudan may hand former president Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court. Bashir is wanted by the court for alleged crimes in the Darfur region. Various Sudanese officials suggested this week that Sudan is ready to turn former president Omar al-Bashir over to the court. However, the final decision rests with Sudan's ruling Sovereign Council, which consists of military and civilian leaders. Hassan Khannenje, head of the Horn Institute for Strategic Studies, says sending Bashir to the ICC would help move the country forward. "It's going to play a role and enhance some confidence, especially when it comes to the victims and the rebels," Khannenje said. "Part of the agreements with the rebel groups was to hold those people who committed the crimes to account and I think it's going to go a long way in building confidence perhaps in reducing future tensions and potential conflict in the years to come." The ICC indicted Bashir in 2009 on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity on people living in the Darfur region. Bashir denies the charges. The crimes were allegedly committed as Khartoum attempted to crush an insurgency in Darfur that began in 2003. Bashir ruled Sudan for 30 years until the army ousted him in 2019 after months of mass protests. He was convicted of corruption and still faces other charges related to his seizure of power through a military coup in 1989. The former ruler is currently in a Kharotum prison. ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who visited the Sudanese capital this week, said Thursday the government needs to cooperate with the court. "Regarding an individual former president Omar al-Bashir, I have not discussed dates. I had discussions with the various parts of the government which they are aware of, they know their responsibilities and announcements will be made when decisions are taken that become public," Khan said. "In terms of the Rome statute I mentioned, I was informed that a meeting of the joint council is scheduled for next week, We will see what that brings. Ultimately the decision to cooperate and how to cooperate is one to be decided by Sudan not by me." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Legal Affairs International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Sarah Jackson is the deputy regional director of Amnesty International East Africa. She says surrendering Bashir to the court would go a long way toward providing justice to the victims in Darfur. "We are waiting to see if survivors and victims of the atrocities in Darfur will get the opportunity to see justice done," Jackson said. "This will be a very important moment for victims, for survivors and for their families in Darfur." The transitional government in Khartoum reached a peace deal with the rebels in the Darfur region last October, but the region continues to witness violence. In December, the U.S. government took Sudan off the list of state-sponsored terrorist nations and pledged to economically support the transitional government. "Peru implemented a credit policy supported by State guarantee, which although it has a future cost explains that notable growth in bank credit; it is the main variable why Peru is recovering faster than the rest of Latin America," Mendoza explained. (END) CNA/JJN/MVB Loading... Less than a day before the 200th anniversary of Peru's Independence Bicentennial (July 28), the nation's economic situation has been recovering in a remarkable manner Publicado: 27/7/2021 Titular de la PCM: Se entregara un bono de S/350 a cerca de 13 millones de personas. El subsidio sera individual y no por familia, pues no era efectivo entregar lo mismo a un hogar de 3 que de 8 personas. Uno de los criterios en evaluacion seria ganar menos de S/3500 al mes. YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. US troops fired warning shots into the air at the Kabul airport as thousands of Afghans breached onto the runway in hope of catching a flight amid the Taliban takeover, AFP reported citing eyewitnesses. The US has sent reportedly 6000 troops to the airport to fly out embassy personnel as well as Afghan nationals who assisted the Americans as interpreters or in other support roles. #US troops at #Kabul International Airport were forced to fire in the air in order to control the crowd of Afghans wanting to get out of #Afghanistanpic.twitter.com/bGnqk3L1Wq Aldin (@aldin_ww) August 15, 2021 Editing by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. On August 15, Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Armen Grigoryan participated and delivered remarks at the event dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Independence of India. In his remarks, the Acting Foreign Minister particularly said. Distinguished Dr. Sahasrabuddhe, Your Excellency Mr. Ambassador and Mrs. Deval Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends, On behalf of the Government of Armenia and my own, I would like to welcome the delegation of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to Armenia. I am also pleased to send our warmest congratulations on behalf of the Government of Armenia on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India's independence. India, with its statehood and culture, has always had a solid place in world civilization. And today we are witnessing the significant achievements of the society of India, which has a positive impact on comprehensive progress. The relations and the historical ties between Armenians and Indians derive from the depths of millennia. They have especially intensified in the 17-19th centuries, when a large number of Armenian communities were formed in a number of major Indian cities, playing an active role in the social, political, economic and cultural life of India. I would like to commend that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Armenia and India have managed to turn the centuries-old friendly relations into a warm interstate and partnership cooperation based on mutual respect and trust. In recent years, many contacts and cultural events have taken place between our countries. We have also established effective cooperation on multilateral platforms. Unfortunately, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic from January of 2020, and the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Armenia and Artsakh in September of 2020, did not allow us to implement our pre-planned programs and mutual visits. However, it is obvious that we still have a lot to do in order to utilize the untapped potential of bilateral political, security, military, economic, business, cultural and educational cooperation. We express our solidarity with the Government and the people of friendly India in completely overcoming the Covid-19. Armenia has always supported India in the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. At the same time, we appreciate the targeted statements of the Indian authorities regarding the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Artsakh, the transfer of foreign terrorist fighters to the region, as well as the encroachments on the Armenian borders. From the point of promoting economic cooperation, the work of the Armenian-Indian intergovernmental commission and the holding of business forums in the near future is very important. Cooperation between the two countries in the fields of information technologies, military, defense, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, tourism, education, culture and others also has good perspectives. Armenia closely follows India's active involvement in the International North-South Transport Corridor project and its interest in developing the Chabahar port and linking it to the above-mentioned project and is ready to be involved in the implementation of the latter. Armenia is grateful to the Government of India and the Indian people, for the caring attitude towards the centuries-old Armenian community in India and the Armenian cultural heritage. We appreciate the implementation of a number of programs in Armenia with the support of the Government of India in the fields of information technology, medicine and others. Our two peoples have a lot in common - it is first of all the human potential - diligence, purposefulness, the inclination to creative innovation, as well as the commitment to the protection of rich history, cultural heritage and value system. As the great Indian thinker and politician, Mahatma Gandhi said, whose statue was erected in Yerevan as one of the symbols of the friendship between our two peoples, "relations are based on the following four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance and gratitude." I think we have all these principles in the relations between our countries and the peoples. Ladies and Gentlemen, Today, glancing back at the development process of the Armenian-Indian relations, we can state that Armenia and India have established a dynamic format of interstate cooperation. We are determined to develop this cooperation to a qualitatively new level for the benefit of our peoples and countries. YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan says he received reports early Sunday morning that the Azerbaijani military have opened gunfire in the direction of Aravus village in Syunik province. These reports were verified by local villagers, who claimed that targeted shootings took place also at Armenian military positions, Tatoyans Office said in a statement, adding that the shooting took place in the area where the Azeri forces are deployed only a few hundred meters away from civilian homes. They are directly facing Armenian military units. According to the information gathered by the Human Rights Defenders Office, the Azeri forces stopped shooting when the Tegh municipal authorities, the command of the 1st Army Corps of Armenia and the Russian border guards arrived. Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said that these incidents prove that the Azeri military presence by itself in the vicinity of the Armenian villages and on roads between communities is a violation of the right to life of the residents. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Uruguay have very warm, friendly relations which were born in unfavorable conditions but were strengthened with hope, Uruguays Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Bustillo said at a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart, acting FM Armen Grigoryan. He announced that Uruguay has decided to open an embassy in Yerevan. First of all Id like to convey warmest greetings from President of Uruguay Luis Lacalle Pou. Uruguay has the advantage of having been able to host all talented and diligent people who arrived from various parts of the world. Armenians and the Armenian community were able to get very well integrated in Uruguay and achieve accomplishments in areas such as politics, education, sport, journalism and business, FM Bustillo said. The Uruguayan FM said that during the meeting with Grigoryan they reiterated the importance of deepening bilateral relations and bringing the activities of parliamentary friendship groups to a higher level. Weve also attached importance to all values and principles shared by the two countries, such as democracy, rule of law, human rights protection, peaceful resolution of conflicts and protection of environment, FM Bustillo added. Francisco Bustillo said that Uruguay has expressed its concern over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict to the international community, and that conflicts must be resolved without violence. Bustillo and Grigoryan also discussed several topics contributing to deepening of relations. From this perspective Uruguay will continue its confident steps in order to have clear and strong bilateral ties, which will be beneficial for both sides and will help the sides to achieve their goals by protecting bilateral interests, Bustillo said. By valuing the relations of the past 30 years, Uruguay decided to open an embassy in Armenia, the foreign minister said. Undoubtedly, our paths will go on together, with hope that we will have a vision for a common future. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian ministry of foreign affairs doesnt have any information on the presence of Armenian nationals in Afghanistan, foreign ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan said in a statement as many European countries are evacuating their citizens and embassy staff amid the Taliban takeover. He said that the foreign ministry undertook works through various channels in this direction, checked whether or not there are any Armenians in Afghanistan, but as of this moment it appears that there are no Armenian citizens there. It is noteworthy that we havent been contacted by Armenian nationals either. We continue checking, Hunanyan said. Armenians requiring assistance over the matter are advised to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at +37455620111 (also on Whatsapp and Viber), or [email protected] Editing by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, 16 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 16 August, USD exchange rate up by 0.26 drams to 492.52 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.98 drams to 580.29 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 6.71 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.16 drams to 682.48 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price up by 433.44 drams to 28088.71 drams. Silver price down by 0.28 drams to 370.3 drams. Platinum price up by 151.01 drams to 16230.76 drams. YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani armed forces once again undertook provocative actions on August 16 at about 18:10, firing at the Armenian positions from different caliber weapons in Gegharkunik section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MoD Armenia, as a result of the intensive shooting an Armenian serviceman, Arman Hakobyan, 2002, was killed. ''The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia shares the grief of the loss and expresses solidarity with the family members, relatives and co-servicemen of the fallen soldier'', reads the statement of the Defense Ministry. As a result of the retaliation actions of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani side has suffered at least 3 casualties. Another Azerbaiajni servicemen is injured. Armenia highly appreciates Uruguays principled position over the Azeri-Turkish aggression against Artsakh in 2020, acting foreign minister Armen Grigoryan said at a joint press conference with his Uruguayan counterpart Francisco Bustillo. August 16, 2021, 14:12 Armenia FM highly appreciates Uruguays condemnation of Azeri aggression against Artsakh STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 16, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: Among others, the countrys legislature condemned Turkeys involvement of mercenaries and cases of human rights violations and bombardments of civilian infrastructures by Azerbaijan during the Karabakh conflict. All this confirms that although geographically Armenia and Uruguay are far apart, the continuously strengthening connection of values and worldview between Armenians and Uruguayans gives the chance to overcome the kilometers of distance separating us, Grigoryan said. Grigoryan noted that the consequences of the war which Azerbaijan unleashed against the right to self determination and right to existence of the people of Artsakh arent yet overcome. Armenia and Artsakh are facing a security problem, Armenian prisoners of war, including civilian captives havent been returned yet. In this condition, we continue to rely on solidarity of our friends, and of course Uruguay. The US leadership has been shrugging off responsibility for its geopolitical experiments for decades, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel on Monday, Tass informs. August 16, 2021, 17:48 US does not want to be responsible for its geopolitical experiments, Russian diplomat says STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 16, ARTSAKHPRESS: In the context of the aggravated situation in Afghanistan and the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) taking over the power in the Islamic republic, after the April 14 announcement by US President Joe Biden on the withdrawal of US troops, the diplomat reiterated how the 40th US President Ronald Reagan addressed the Afghans at the end of 1983, 1984 and 1985. "Each speech contained an obligatory passage greeting freedom fighters in Afghanistan," she emphasized. The spokeswoman noted that the 40th US President called the mujahideen the movement of the native population destined to challenge the foreign military force threatening their religion and the very way of life, and that the Americans welcomed their incredible bravery and were closely following the actions of the Soviet Union in that republic. "In a sense, the battle for Afghanistan has shifted from the mountains of Afghanistan itself to the wider field of world opinion. So it is that the Soviets are prolonging the war and blacking out news about the daily atrocities which they're committing. They're waiting for world attention to slip, for our outrage to wane. Then, they believe the support which the free world has been providing to the freedom fighters will dwindle," Reagan said. "This is actually a direct quote. The historical evidence of American geopolitical experiments that they have never claimed responsibility for," the diplomat concluded. After the US announced the end of the military operation in Afghanistan and began withdrawing troops, the Taliban launched an offensive on government forces and by August 15, entered Kabul without encountering any resistance. President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani left the country. On February 14, 2003, the Russian Supreme Court declared the Taliban to be a terrorist organization. The extremist organizations activities are outlawed nationwide. As of Aug. 11, 75% of New York's 450,000 hospital workers are fully vaccinated. At Auburn Community Hospital in Cayuga County, 78% of workers are vaccinated. According to the state Department of Health, 76% of adult care facility employees and 70% of nursing home workers are fully vaccinated. Three of Cayuga County's nursing homes The Commons on St. Anthony in Auburn (74.3%), Finger Lakes Center for Living in Auburn (80.9%) and Northwoods Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Moravia (79.4%) have three-quarters of employees vaccinated. Auburn Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has a low staff vaccination rate 54.8% compared to other facilities in the county. "The data and science tell us that getting more people vaccinated as quickly as possible is the best way to keep people safe, prevent further mutations, and enable us to resume our daily routines," state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said. "This mandate will both help close the vaccination gap and reduce the spread of the Delta variant." The health department has also approved a third COVID-19 vaccine dose for immunocompromised individuals. The federal Centers for Disease Control recommended and the Food and Drug Administration authorized third doses for this population last week. It is for that reason after reviewing the recent uptick of pediatric cases and guidance from the Center for Disease Control, along with discussions with our medical team, Oswego Health recommends that all people, including children, resume masking indoors in congregate settings. I am aware that the masking of students has become a political hot button topic. The conversation centers on parental choice when it comes to sending children to school with a masking requirement. Schools as publicly funded entities must find that balance between doing what is right for the taxpayer and what is right for the education of students. I would like to think that the health and safety of students fit right in-between. This is even more personal for me as my wife is an educator and our children are elementary age. Our kids are not yet eligible for the vaccine. They have been diligent about masking when in public, congregate settings. Certainly, theyd prefer to be without masks, but they also understand the extraordinary times they are growing up in. It is that thought process that I hope people will consider as we head toward the fall and think about bringing together unvaccinated children through no fault of their own. From my desk, the biggest concern I have beyond the health and well-being of my family is what was shared with me from an ICU nurse this week. Chinese self-driving solution provider QCraft raises $100 million in series A+ funding Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese autonomous driving startup Qcraft announced on Monday it closed the series A+ financing round with $100 million raised. The latest funding was led by Yunfeng Capital and Genesis Capital, and also attracted such financing institutes as Longzhu Capital, the venture capital arm of Chinese online-to-offline giant Meituan, and IDG Capital, one of Qcraft's existing investors. QCraft's robobus fleet, photo credit: QCraft Since the foundation in 2019, QCraft has made headways in building a Super Factory for autonomous driving. According to the startup, it has formed an automation close-loop focusing to simulation technologies to efficiently utilize enormous volume of data. In addition, leveraging its full-stack technical capability, the company has launched the self-driving solution Driven-by-QCraft dedicated to handling complex urban transport scenarios and available for diverse car models. To commercialize its self-driving technologies, the company has deployed minibuses in nearly 10 cities to provide mobility services for tens of thousands residents. Under the Super Factory strategy, QCraft has rolled out the Longzhou (meaning Dragon Boat) series autonomous cars applicable to a number of scenarios like ride-hailing service, bus, and shuttle. Car numbers of the fleet are expected to exceed 100 units by 2021. The Longzhou autonomous cars are capable of 360-degree perception and carry the display system armed with 5G and V2X (vehicle-to-everything) technologies, said QCraft. The startup has so far put around 70 mini robobuses into road tests and operations in Suzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Beijing, and Wuxi. In the first half of this year, QCraft launched in Jiaxing and Xi'an the mid-/large-sized smart buses equipped with level 3 driver assistance system. Haima to focus on fuel cell vehicle business Beijing (Gasgoo)- Haima Motor has completed the development of the prototype car of its first fuel cell vehicle and it is developing its third-generation fuel cell vehicles as the companys strategic deployment turned to focus on hydrogen vehicles, the company said. Besides, the company will deploy about 2,000 fuel cell vehicles by 2025 for pilot operation. Photo credit: Haima Meanwhile, the first integrated hydrogen refueling station, which can make hydrogen from water, in Hainan will come into use this year, and Haima participated in developing the station. In the future, the automaker plans to build one hydrogen refueling stations respectively in Qionghai (east of the Hainan Island), Danzhou (west of the Hainan Island), Sanya (south of the Hainan Island), Haikou (north of the Hainan Island) and Qiongzhong (center of the Hainan Island). China has accelerated the building of hydrogen refueling station network. By the end of the first half of this year, China had a total of 136 hydrogen refueling stations, which are expected to reach 1000 stations by 2025. The contract manufacturing agreement, which Haima signed with XPeng Motors, will terminate at the end of this year, and both parties will not renew the contract. That will reduce Haimas sales and revenues, so Haima has to develop new businesses and accelerate its transformation. Toyotas China sales rise in July, while Honda, Nissan, Mazda drop at two-digit rate Shanghai (Gasgoo)- In July, three Japanese automakers, namely Honda Motor, Nissan Motor, Mazda Motor, all met double-digit slide in their China's deliveries. Apart from the longstanding chip lack, the resurgence of the virus and the torrential rain in Central China's Henan province also whittled down their sales. Toyota Motor was the only one achieving year-on-year rise last month. According to Kyodo, Toyota Motor saw its China sales inch up 2.8% from a year ago to 170,200 units in July, representing a turnaround after the monthly volume fell 2.9% in June due to the chip supply constraint. Both two joint ventures reported growth in their July retail sales. FAW-Toyota said it delivered roughly 79,000 new vehicles to score a 40% robust year-over-year increase. The sales of the Corolla and the all-new RAV4 reached around 32,200 units and 19,100 units respectively. With 12,900 units delivered, the Avalon recorded a monthly sales volume topping 10,000 units for the third straight month. Camry; photo credit: GAC Honda GAC Toyota noted its July deliveries edge up 0.76% year on year to 75,100 units, nearly 30% of which was contributed by the all-new Camry. Meanwhile, the deliveries of the Levin series rose 5.3% to 21,300 units, for the fifth month in a row surpassing 20,000 units. The premium brand Lexus also served as a sales driver to the overall deliveries, according to Kyodo's report, while the sales detail was not announced yet. Affected by the chip shortage, the China business of Honda Motor Co., faced a 20.9% year-on-year drop in July with 108,139 new cars delivered. Of those, 18,866 units were armed with the hybrid powertrain system Sport Hybrid, rising 5.9% compared to the same period of 2020. Both GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda posted two-digit decrease in July deliveries. The joint venture with GAC Group delivered 62,030 new vehicles, representing a 10.3% decline from a year earlier. Meanwhile, 46,109 consumers took delivery of Dongfeng Honda's vehicles, a 31.6% drop year-over-year. Civic; photo credit: Dongfeng Honda The downward movement in Dongfeng Honda's monthly sales is likely to appear this month as the joint venture halted the production at its three plants in Wuhan on August 3 due to the resurgence of the coronavirus cases, according to a local media outlet. With a total annual capacity of 720,000 cars, these factories produce many key models including the CR-V, the Civic, and the XR-V. Nissan Motor's China sales shrank 20.8% from the previous year to 95,783 units in July. The automaker said the decrease was attributable to such external factors as the coronavirus pandemic, shortage of raw material, and natural disaster. It is noteworthy that in Zhengzhou, which was severely flooded last month, Dongfeng Nissan has assembly lines mainly producing key SUV models like the X-Trail and the Qashqai. X-Trail; photo credit: Dongfeng Nissan Last month, Dongfeng Motor Company Limited's passenger vehicle business unit delivered 79,328 new vehicles, which were 20.3% fewer than that of the prior-year period. The deliveries of the Nissan-branded vehicles stood at 73,072 units, including 11,044 seventh-generation Altimas, 40,124 Sylphys, 4,291 Tiidas, and 11,839 Qashqais. Despite these challenges, Nissan Motor still rolled out the all-new X-Trail for Chinese market on July 30, said DFL's president Shohei Yamazaki. Mazda Motor Corporation saw its China deliveries dip 24% over a year earlier, suffering two-digit decrease in monthly sales for four consecutive months. The decrease in the year-to-date deliveries widened to 4.1%, versus the 0.5% drop in the first-half volume. Changan Mazda saw its July deliveries dwindle 8.4% to 10,025 units, while FAW-Mazda encountered a much steeper decline (-49% YoY) with a delivery volume of 3,467 vehicles. Mazda3 Axela; photo credit: Changan Mazda With 6,700 units delivered, the Mazda3 Axela was still the best-selling model in July. In the meantime, the deliveries of the Mazda CX-4 and CX-5 stood at 1,909 units and 1,872 units respectively. Mazda Motor's China unit is going through a major business change. It was reported in late July that FAW Group would acquire 5% stake in Changan Mazda, currently a 50/50 joint venture between Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. and Mazda Motor Corporation. The acquisition is considered by industry insiders as the final solution to the long-rumored business merger of FAW-Mazda and Changan Mazda. Chery, Haier build joint venture for building automotive IoT platform Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chery Holding said the strategic cooperation with Haier Group, a Chinese multinational home appliances and consumer electronics company, has been further firmed up following the registration of a joint venture. Founded on August 6, the joint venture, named Anhui Haixingyun Internet of Things Technology Co.,Ltd., involves a registered capital of 50 million yuan ($7.72 million). It is 51% owned by Wuhu Chery Information Technology Co.,Ltd., whose majority shareholder is Chery Automobile Co.,Ltd., and 49% held by Haier Digital Technology (Qingdao) Co.,Ltd. Chery Holding, Haier Group signing agreement in April; photo credit: Chery Holding According to Chery Holding, the joint venture will utilize COSMOPlat, Haier's in-house developed industrial Internet platform, to develop the first large-scale customized industrial Internet platform for automotive industry, pivoting on AI-enabled public data platform, Internet of Things (IoT) technical services, operation and maintenance of information system, data processing and storage. The company also noted the joint venture will leverage Chery's expertise and influence in digital transformation and auto manufacturing business, and make use of COSMOPlat's business models, technical capabilities, ecosystem resources, and brand familiarity for industrial Internet platform to work on the R&D, sale, operation, and maintenance of automotive IoT applications. Chery Holding and Haier Group signed in April a framework agreement for the strategic cooperation on building an IoT platform for the automotive industry. Gasgoo Daily: Nullmax finishes new financing round With Gasgoo Daily Autonews, we will offer important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. Geely denies to participate in reorganization of Zotye Geely did not participate in the reorganization of Zotye Auto, the automaker said as a response to the rumor that Geely Holding takes part in the reforming of Zotye Auto. JAC actively researching fuel cell battery JAC Motors said it is actively researching fuel cell battery. The company is trying to make strategic transformation to smart cars and smart electric vehicles. Nullmax finishes new financing round Chinese technology company Nullmax announced it had raised over RMB100 million in A1 financing round, led by FutureX Capital. The money will be used for the mass production of its products and enlarge its product portfolio to gain more market shares. Svolts production base in Huzhou start construction Construction of Svolts battery production base in Huzhou of Zhejiang province has started. The base, with a total investment of RMB5.6 billion, is expected to have an annual production capacity of 15GWh. New Geely Coolray comes into market The new Coolray from Geely came into the market on August 14. The new model offers 6 versions with a price ranging from RMB75,800 to RMB 119,800. Haima to focus on fuel cell vehicle business Haima Motor has completed the development of the prototype car of its first fuel cell vehicle and it is developing its third-generation fuel cell vehicles as the companys strategic deployment turned to focus on hydrogen vehicles, the company said. Besides, the company will deploy about 2,000 fuel cell vehicles by 2025 for pilot operation. QCraft raises $100 million in series A+ funding Chinese autonomous driving startup Qcraft announced on Monday it closed the series A+ financing round with $100 million raised. The latest funding was led by Yunfeng Capital and Genesis Capital, and also attracted such financing institutes as Longzhu Capital, the venture capital arm of Chinese online-to-offline giant Meituan, and IDG Capital, one of Qcraft's existing investors. Xiaomis auto business said to be headquartered in Beijing Xiaomis auto business will be headquartered in Beijing where it will set up its first factory, according to local media outlet Auto Business Review. BAIC BJEV July sales see YoY increase BAIC BJEVs monthly production volume continued to see a decrease compared with the same month of last year, but its monthly sales year-on-year change turned positive, according to its monthly sales report. Tesla reaches 7,000 Superchager installs in Chinese mainland Tesla launched its 7,000th Superchargers in Chinese mainland on August 14, the U.S. EV manufacturer announced via its Weibo account, a twitter-like social media platform in China, around seven years after the first China-dedicated one was built in Shanghai. Car and City: H1 registrations of Wuling Hongguang MINIEV Shanghai (Gasgoo)- For the first half of 2021 (H1 2021), the Wuling Honguang MINIEV, a mini-sized all-electric car of SAIC-GM-Wuling, was honored the best-selling locally-made new energy vehicle (NEV) model in China with an insurance registration volume of 157,218 units, according to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC). It even outnumbered the total volume of the Model 3 and the Model Y, which were the runner-up and second runner-up by H1 registrations. The popular BEV model recorded monthly registrations of over 25,000 units in five of the first six months of this year. The volume for the second quarter (Q2) amounted to 83,055 units, rising 12% compared to the first quarter. Among the cities in Chinese Mainland, Shangqiu, a city in eastern Henan province, topped the others with 3,135 Hongguang MINIEVs registered in H1. The runner-up was also from Henan. Besides, among the top 20 cities by H1 registrations of the full-electric model, there were still three cities from the province in the central part of China, namely, Zhumadian, Zhengzhou, and Nanyang. Wuling Hongguang MINIEV; photo credit: SGMW Zhejiang province also had five cities among the top 20. Additionally, Guangdong and Shandong provinces, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region all had two cities on the top 20 list. Notably, Guangxi's Liuzhou city, where the Hongguang MINIEVs are produced, ranked 7th. There were 5 provincial capitals among the top 20, namely, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, and Guangzhou. Shanghai and Guangzhou were the only two of the four cities usually seen as China's largest and most developed urban metropolisesthe other two are Beijing and Shenzhenappearing on the top 20 list, ranking 9th and 19th respectively. Bangkok Bank Relies on New Relic to Manage Explosive Growth in Demand for Mobile and Digital Banking Organizations are quickly outgrowing their homegrown monitoring tools. Now, theyre searching for an easy-to-install monitoring solution with 24/7 support. In this case study, explore how Bangkok Bank, one of Southeast Asias largest regional banks, ensured a seamless customer experience by finding the right monitoring platform. Read more here. Transformational plan to develop $2 billion North Dakota Hydrogen Hub and make Bakken Energy the largest and lowest-cost clean hydrogen producer in the USA Bismarck, ND and Westlake Village, CA, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clean energy infrastructure developer Bakken Energy (Bakken) today announced that it has reached agreement with Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) on key terms and conditions to purchase the assets of the Dakota Gasification Company (Dakota Gas), a subsidiary of Basin Electric, and the owner of the Great Plains Synfuels Plant (Synfuels Plant). The closing is subject to the satisfaction of specified conditions and expected to be completed by April 1, 2023. Located near Beulah, North Dakota, the Synfuels Plant will be transformed into the largest and lowest-cost, clean hydrogen production facility in the United States. In June 2021, Bakken and Mitsubishi Power Americas (Mitsubishi) announced they had entered into a strategic partnership to create a world-class clean hydrogen hub in North Dakota to produce, store, transport, and locally capture and sequester carbon (CO 2 ). The Synfuels Plant facility will form the nucleus of a clean energy hub designed to aggressively advance regional, national, and global decarbonization objectives through the development of clean hydrogen applications for the agriculture, power, and transportation sectors. The Synfuels Plant holds a distinguished place in American history as a pioneer in the development of alternative sources of energy. It is an established, large-scale producer of synthetic fuels and provides the existing infrastructure and processes required to accelerate its transformation into the largest and lowest-cost producer of low-carbon clean hydrogen and ammonia in the United States. This transformation will be greatly facilitated by the Synfuels Plant workforce of experienced personnel. New, world-class clean hydrogen production facilities generally require up to 10 years to begin producing hydrogen and develop regional infrastructure and applications. The redevelopment of the Synfuels Plant will cut this time in half and produce an estimated 310,000 metric tons of clean hydrogen per year. This production will use locally sourced feedstock and employ established production and carbon capture processes to produce the clean hydrogen. Story continues The project will use advanced ATR (autothermal reforming) hydrogen production technology and capture 95% of the carbon emissions. ATR technology was selected over steam methane reformation (SMR) and other technologies to maximize CO 2 capture rates and repurposing of existing Synfuels Plant infrastructure and processes. "Todays announcement that Bakken Energy has reached agreement with Basin Electric on terms to develop a world-class clean hydrogen hub in North Dakota is of historical significance for our state and nation and heralds the extension of North Dakota being home to innovative leadership in fueling and feeding the world, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said. The North Dakota Hydrogen Hub will lead to the establishment of new industries, create high-paying jobs and the development of new domestic and foreign markets. This project illuminates how the power of innovation over regulation can save versus destroy jobs. Congratulations to Bakken Energy, Mitsubishi Power and Basin Electric for their expansive vision to leverage the existing Synfuels Plant, its talented workforce, and North Dakotas abundant resources to grow our economy and achieve our shared carbon neutrality objectives. The North Dakota Hydrogen Hub is expected to be commercially operational in late 2026 with a redevelopment budget for the broader hub including carbon capture and sequestration and hydrogen storage exceeding $2 billion. Today is the dawning of the hydrogen economy in the United States of America. said Bakken Energy Chairman and Founder Steve Lebow. Rapidly establishing the viability of low-cost clean hydrogen supply to meet the acceleration of clean hydrogen demand is critical to developing our nations hydrogen economy. Lebow continues, We greatly appreciate Paul Sukut, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Basin Electric and his team, as well as the staff of Basin Electric and the Dakota Gasification Company for their hard work in charting the best possible path forward for the plant. We are excited to work with the communities that depend on the sustained and growing employment our shared successes will provide. Our vision is that the Synfuels Plant will continue its historic role as a hub of innovation and pioneering spirit for the great benefit of generations to come. The North Dakota Hydrogen Hub will create a foundation for economic growth and technical innovation extending throughout the upper Midwest, said Bakken Energy CEO Mike Hopkins. Driven by our commitment to achieve rapid and large-scale clean hydrogen production, Bakken Energy and our partner Mitsubishi Power have reimagined what is possible and identified the optimal path to leap from blueprint to clean hydrogen production in the shortest time possible. The North Dakota Hydrogen Hub will become a critically important, centrally located hydrogen complex and part of a nationwide, interconnected collection of hubs spanning the country. As part of the agreement between Basin Electric and Bakken the Synfuels Plant will continue existing operations through 2025. The transformation of the existing facility and subsequent operations of the redeveloped clean hydrogen production facility will require the same level of highly skilled employees. The announcement today represents the hard work of committed individuals at Basin Electric, Dakota Gas, Bakken Energy, and Mitsubishi Power, said Paul Sukut, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Our commitment is to get this right and choose the best option for our employees, our members, and area communities. The redevelopment of the Synfuels Plant rapidly advances Mitsubishi Powers strategic objective to deliver energy solutions that allow our customers to address climate change and advance human prosperity; delivering decarbonized hydrogen and ammonia solutions throughout the United States is central to this objective, said Paul Browning, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas. The centrally located North Dakota Hydrogen systems will connect our planned western and eastern U.S. hubs to establish a national hydrogen network. Together with our customers, we are creating a Change in Power. -###- Bakken Energy was formed from the Family Office of Founder and Chairman Steven Lebow. Previously Lebow founded and co-led Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrettes (DLJ) Los Angeles office and created and led GRP Partners, a U.S. and European venture capital firm. From almost day one, he was the primary financier for companies including Costco Wholesale, PetSmart, Dicks Sporting Goods, Envestnet, Bill Me Later (sold to PayPal) and ULTA Beauty. CEO Mike Hopkins and co-founders Curt Launer and Shane Goettle, and Chief Investment Officer Martin Murrer lead Bakken Energys development plans. Hopkins has successfully developed 54 power projects around the world, totaling more than twelve gigawatts. Launer was the number one ranked natural gas industry analyst on Wall Street for twelve years and is in the Institutional Investor Magazine Hall of Fame. Goettle is a life-long North Dakota businessman and attorney with more than 25 years of state and federal level experience. He is the former head of the North Dakota Department of Commerce and former chair of EmPower North Dakota, which develops comprehensive energy policy recommendations. Murrer has been an investment banker for more than 40 years on Wall Street and oversees the endowment at The Ohio State University. About Bakken Energy, LLC Bakken Energy, LLC, formerly Bakken Midstream Natural Gas, LLC, is an infrastructure development company with a focus on North Dakotas energy resources. Bakken Energy believes the State has the potential to become a world-class leader in clean energy. The mission of Bakken Energy is to develop and own the infrastructure needed to make the State that clean energy leader. About Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. (Mitsubishi Power) headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, employs more than 2,200 power generation, energy storage, and digital solutions experts and professionals. Our employees are focused on empowering customers to affordably and reliably combat climate change while also advancing human prosperity throughout North, Central, and South America. Mitsubishi Powers power generation solutions include gas, steam, and aero-derivative turbines; power trains and power islands; geothermal systems; PV solar project development; environmental controls; and services. Energy storage solutions include green hydrogen, battery energy storage systems, and services. Mitsubishi Power also offers intelligent solutions that use artificial intelligence to enable autonomous operation of power plants. Mitsubishi Power, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI). Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, MHI is one of the worlds leading heavy machinery manufacturers with engineering and manufacturing businesses spanning energy, infrastructure, transport, aerospace, and defense. For more information, visit the Mitsubishi Power Americas website and follow us on LinkedIn. About Basin Electric Power Cooperative Basin Electric is a consumer-owned, regional cooperative headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota. It generates and transmits electricity to 131 member rural electric systems in nine states: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. These member systems distribute electricity to about 2.9 million consumers. Learn more at www.basinelectric.com. CONTACT: Alison Ritter Bakken Energy, LLC 701-557-7545 aritter@odney.com Written by Nikhil Kumar at The Motley Fool Canada Restaurant Brands International (TSX:QSR)(NYSE:QSR) recently reported a significant jump in sales on the basis of the reduced impact from COVID-19. The restaurant company appeared to significantly benefit from higher sales in the food delivery segment. Customers appear to have ramped up purchases of take-out sandwiches and wraps. Limited-term incentive programs During the past several years, Restaurant Brands offered remodel incentives to United States (U.S.) franchisees. These limited-term incentive programs are expected to negatively impact the companys effective royalty rate until 2027. However, Restaurant Brands expects this impact to be partially mitigated as incentive programs granted in prior years will expire, and the company will also be entering new franchise agreements for Burger King (BK) restaurants in the U.S. with a 4.5% royalty rate. Lucrative development agreements For Popeyes (PLK), Restaurant Brands offers development incentive programs pursuant to which the company encourages veterans, women, or minorities to become PLK franchisees and develop and open new restaurants. As part of Restaurant Brandss international growth strategy for each of the companys brands, it has entered master franchise agreements or development agreements that grant franchisees exclusive or non-exclusive development rights. Global master franchise agreements In some cases, Restaurant Brands allow franchises to sub-franchise or to provide support services to other franchisees. In fiscal 2020, Restaurant Brands entered master franchise agreements for the Tim Hortons (TH) brand in the Middle East, including United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and for the BK brand in Switzerland and Scandinavia, including Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Multiple recurring revenue sources The franchise fees, royalty rates, and advertising contributions, paid by master franchisees or developers, vary from country to country, depending on the facts and circumstances of each market. Restaurant Brands expects to continue implementing similar arrangements for the companys brands in 2021 and beyond. Story continues Fixed and contingent rental payments Further, Restaurant Brands leased or subleased 3,586 properties to TH franchisees, 1,449 properties to BK franchisees, and 81 properties to PLK franchisees as of December 31, 2020, pursuant to separate lease agreements with these franchisees. This is another source of recurring revenue for the company. For properties that Restaurant Brands leases from third-party landlords and sublease to franchisees, the companys leases generally provide for fixed rental payments and contingent rental payments based on a restaurants annual gross sales. Strategic alliances with third parties and significant flexibility In addition, the royalty rates under licence agreements entered in connection with non-standard restaurants, including self-serve kiosks and strategic alliances with third parties, are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. This ensures that Restaurant Brands has significant flexibility to modify the terms of the agreement as needed. Triple net leases to reduce risk Franchisees who lease land only from Restaurant Brands do so on a triple net basis. Under these triple net leases, the franchisee is obligated to pay all costs and expenses, including all real property taxes and assessments, repairs and maintenance, and insurance. This reduces the risk to Restaurant Brands quite significantly. The post COVID-19 Recovery: A Top Growth Company in 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. This Tiny TSX Stock Could be Like Buying Tesla in 2001 Our team of diligent analysts at Motley Fool Stock Advisor Canada has identified one little-known public company founded right here in Canada thats at the cutting-edge of the space industry and recently completed a transformational acquisition, all while making a handsome profit in the process! The best part is that in a market where many stocks are selling at all-time-highs, this stock is trading at what looks like a VERY reasonable valuation for now. Click here to learn more about our #1 Canadian Stock for the New-Age Space Race More reading The Motley Fool recommends Restaurant Brands International Inc. Fool contributor Nikhil Kumar has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 2021 Point Roberts, Washington and Delta, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2021) - Investorideas.com, a global investor news source covering mining and metals stocks releases today's edition of Exploring Mining Podcast, featuring an interview with upper management of O2Gold Inc. (TSXV: OTGO). Listen to the podcast: https://www.investorideas.com/Audio/Podcasts/2021/081021-Mining-O2Gold.mp3 Listen to Exploring Mining podcast on iTunes Apple podcasts Listen to Exploring Mining on Spotify O2Gold Inc.'s (TSXV: OTGO) deep roots and experience in its region in Colombia, as well as in the mining sector, leave it well-positioned to begin drilling and get on track for production, according to members of the company's upper management, Jaime Nicholas Lalinde and Mateo Hernandez. Speaking with Investorideas, Lalinde described three factors that set O2Gold apart from its peers. "I think there are three key differentiators for O2Gold relative to the average exploration play: Our partners, the quality, experience, and jurisdictional knowledge of our management team, and last - but certainly not least - is the quality of the project," he said. In the first category, for instance, is Robert Allen, who is the largest individual shareholder and one of the directors of the company. Lalinde describes him as "the country's (Colombia's) Midas," who "is easily Colombia's most successful gold prospector." "Having his expertise on the board, and his investment in this project, I think speaks to the quality of the land package," Lalinde said. With regard to the company's management team, Lalinde stressed the importance of its locality and consequent familiarity with the region. "We are a Colombian management team with a global background," he said. "Our CEO (Jaime Lalinde) is Colombian and lives in Medellin near the project. This is a differentiator because we are one of only two public companies in the entire region where the CEO is in country, and near the project." Story continues "Part of the risk-reward upside of gold exploration plays in emerging markets is conditional to operational capacity. So, jurisdictional knowledge becomes extremely valuable in companies like these." Just as important, of course, is the company's actual property. Lalinde emphasized its bountiful history, and potential for future production. "We have 30,000 hectares along the prolific Otu Fault," he said. "This is a district, just along the Otu Fault, that has historically produced an estimated 17 million ounces of gold, and that's from artisanal methods - so without the use of modern techniques. That is how rich this area is." Lalinde forecasts a busy year for the company, as it is well prepared to begin drilling. "We have everything in place to begin our drilling campaign near the Aurora tunnel - drills are on the platform as we speak," he said. "We have the permitting for the construction of a processing plant in that planned project area, we have done extensive soil surface sampling throughout the brownfield and greenfield areas, and we are on track to drill at least 8,000 metres this year." "In the next 12 months, the company is anticipating a major reevaluation of its market cap as we define resources in the Aurora brownfield and publish a 43-101." In terms of production, O2Gold is obliged to meet certain minimum recuperation targets set by the mining authority in the next 12 months. The upside to this is the resulting generation of an estimated $4 million USD, which the company can reinvest into further exploration and avoid dilution. Mateo Hernandez outlined the importance of entering production. "In the Aurora tunnel we have an expectationto have a resource estimation, just in that tunnel, of a little bit over 500 koz, and our expectation is that we can have a very serious mining plan for that area with a life expectancy of 15-20 years where we can produce 25-30,000 ounces in the very short term (next 12-18 months)," he said. "In 2022 we want to start drilling extensively," he added. "If I was to say what our road map is for the next 10 years, it's to start progressively developing each of the zones, where we can have big scale production of a couple million ounces of gold per year in each independent zone." Hernandez explained that, on top of the distinguishing factors mentioned by Lalinde that O2Gold possesses, favourable relations with the government and Colombia's status as an emerging market justify an ambitious long term vision for the company. "Our vision is that, right now, Colombia is what Chile and Peru were in the 70s and 80s," he said. "Some areas that were extremely prospective, were not acceptable. And now, we have operations in exactly those areas." "Even though we are just starting in this company, and the sector is just starting as well, we're very bullish in our understanding of the geography, and our understanding of the country, and what this means for the country's development as well." O2Gold Inc. (TSXV: OTGO) is a mineral exploration company with activities in Colombia. O2 Gold is focused entirely on the exploration of the Otu Fault project, with senior management based in nearby Medellin. The team's deep roots and experience in Latin America-in both capital markets and mining-gives it the regional knowledge and operational expertise to create a world-class project. The Investorideas.com podcasts are also available on iTunes, Spotify, Tunein, Stitcher, Spreaker.com, iHeartRadio and Google Play Music. Visit the Podcast page at Investorideas.com: https://www.investorideas.com/Audio/ Research mining stocks at Investorideas.com with our mining stocks directory at Investorideas.com https://www.investorideas.com/Gold_Stocks/Stocks_List.asp About Investorideas.com - News that Inspires Big Investing Ideas Investorideas.com publishes breaking stock news, third party stock research, guest posts and original articles and podcasts in leading stock sectors. Learn about investing in stocks and get investor ideas in cannabis, crypto, AI and IoT, mining, sports biotech, water, renewable energy, gaming and more. Investor Idea's original branded content includes podcasts and columns : Crypto Corner , Play by Play sports and stock news , Investor Ideas Potcasts Cannabis News and Stocks on the Move podcast , Cleantech and Climate Change , Exploring Mining , Betting on Gaming Stocks Podcast and the AI Eye Podcast. 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More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com. Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Disclosure: O2Gold, Inc. is a paid featured mining company on Investorideas.com Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Follow us on YouTube Download our Mobile App for iPhone and Android Join our Investor Club https://www.investorideas.com/membership/ Contact Investorideas.com to be a guest or sponsor this podcast 800-665-0411 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/92969 3 rd O-RAN whitepaper focuses on O-RAN Minimum Viable Plan and commercialization O-RAN ALLIANCE sets cooperation with ETSI and TSDSI New Open Test and Integration Centers approved in Europe and Taiwan New Standards Collaboration Copyright License to simplify the open source development "D" release of open software for the RAN developed by the O-RAN Software Community BONN, Germany, August 16, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The O-RAN ALLIANCE welcomes 1&1 as its newest operator member, extending the world-wide community of 30 mobile network operators committed to deployment of open and intelligent Radio Access Networks (RAN). The Third O-RAN Whitepaper Focuses on O-RAN Minimum Viable Plan and Acceleration towards Commercialization Published on June 29, 2021, the whitepaper describes key areas to accelerate and enable the introduction of the rich capabilities of O-RAN Architecture in commercial networks. It also outlines a minimum viable set of end-to-end specifications for selected use cases to deploy a secure, multi-vendor interoperable network. The full whitepaper is available at our website. O-RAN ALLIANCE Sets Cooperation with ETSI and TSDSI To ensure compatibility and to avoid duplication of work, the O-RAN ALLIANCEs specification effort builds on common standards and values alignment with other industry bodies. On May 27, 2021, the O-RAN ALLIANCE signed a cooperation agreement with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). O-RAN ALLIANCE shares with ETSI a common objective to perform and promote regional and international standardization for 3GPP based technologies. The O-RAN ALLIANCE also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI). It expresses mutual interest in cooperation to grow open interfaces and the open RAN ecosystem in the India subcontinent region. New Open Test and Integration Centers (OTIC) On June 28, 2021, the O-RAN ALLIANCE approved three new OTICs: Story continues European OTIC in Madrid hosted by Telefonica European OTIC in Paris hosted by Orange Auray OTIC and Security Lab (Taiwan) hosted by Auray Technology The newly approved OTICs are widening the collaborative, open, and impartial working environment to ensure consistency and quality of testing of O-RAN products and solutions. See the full list of approved OTICs at our website. New Standards Collaboration Copyright License (SCCL) to Simplify the Open Source Development O-RAN ALLIANCE has introduced a new Standards Collaboration Copyright License (SCCL). The SCCL has been developed to simplify the process of producing open source SW based on standards, by defining a license that will make it easier for the open source community to use code-like sections of O-RAN specifications in their implementations. "We believe that open source will play an important role in enabling open implementations, even if an operator never deploys stand-alone open source code in its network," said Alex Jinsung Choi, Chief Operating Officer of the O-RAN ALLIANCE and SVP of Strategy and Technology Innovation, Deutsche Telekom. "The open source can help suppliers build their commercial implementations, and perhaps most importantly, it can also make it easier to achieve cross-vendor integration and interoperability between open RAN components by providing a reference implementation." The June 2021 O-RAN ALLIANCE Industry Summit Available for Replay The O-RAN ALLIANCE Industry Summit on June 29 provided valuable insights on the latest O-RAN development, especially in terms of commercialization, security and performance. The 90-minute event is available for replay on demand at our website. 4th Release of Open Software for the RAN Developed by the O-RAN Software Community The O-RAN Software Community (OSC or O-RAN SC) was formed in partnership with the Linux Foundation in April 2019, to support software development of open RAN solutions available to everyone. The "D" release delivers major enhancements including support for closed-loop processing use cases, continued evolution of Non-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Control (Non-RT RIC) platform, new and enhanced xApps for the Near-Real-Time Radio Intelligent Controller (Near-RT RIC), as well as new performance monitoring and alarm support. To deep-dive into the D release and to get the open software, please visit the O-RAN Software Community website. "With the joint efforts from the mobile carriers, traditional vendors, and more technology partners onboard, the 4th release is the first try to get the full O-RAN software stack working, and in addition we can now declare it is a smart RAN," said Chih-Lin I, the Co-chair of O-RAN Technical Steering Committee. "We are glad to see major accomplishments in the D release, and that our lab now delivers a reliable environment for the software community to continue new feature implementation and integration test verification." "Ericsson continues to be very active in O-RAN ALLIANCE making contributions to specifications and O-RAN architecture evolution," said Per Beming, Head of Standard and Industry Initiatives at Ericsson. "In the OSC D release, Ericsson has continued as the key contributor to the Non-RT RIC project by further evolving support for the A1 interface, in addition to laying the foundations for Non-RT RIC automation applications and the R1 interface. Delivering a framework which supports rApp development is a key aspect of intent based management with the A1 interface, enabling more fine-grained intelligent control and optimization decisions." "We are excited to extend our contributions to another Linux Foundation project. Our most recent contributions towards the OAM component in the D-release of O-RAN SC demonstrate PANTHEON.tech's commitment to help our customers with the evolution and adoption of open-source projects," said Miroslav Miklus, Chief Product Officer at PANTHEON.tech. "Making the RAN intelligent and context-aware is critically important for network optimization and automation. The focus of Samsung's O-RAN SC contribution has been towards enhancing the A1-Enrichment Information (A1-EI) & xAPP Framework. Overall, we believe that strengthening the O-RAN AI/ML Framework will play a big role in making operators achieve proactive closed-loop optimization and automation of RAN operations," said Dr. Sunghyun Choi, Corporate SVP and Head of Advanced Communications Research Center of Samsung Research, Samsung Electronics. "Xoriant has participated in the O-RAN Software Community by contributing code to O1/VES interface of SMO," said Girish Gaitonde, CEO of Xoriant. "We contributed to the initial implementation of the O-RAN O1/VES interface for OSC, with the idea to enable a close loop automation use-case between SMO and the other network functions such as O-DU, O-RU, O-CU and the Near RT-RIC." About O-RAN ALLIANCE The O-RAN ALLIANCE is a world-wide community of 315 mobile operators, vendors, and research & academic institutions operating in the Radio Access Network (RAN) industry. As the RAN is an essential part of any mobile network, the O-RAN ALLIANCEs mission is to re-shape the industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualized and fully interoperable mobile networks. The new O-RAN standards will enable a more competitive and vibrant RAN supplier ecosystem with faster innovation to improve user experience. O-RAN based mobile networks will at the same time improve the efficiency of RAN deployments as well as operations by the mobile operators. To achieve this, the O-RAN ALLIANCE publishes new RAN specifications, releases open software for the RAN, and supports its members in integration and testing of their implementations. For more information please visit www.o-ran.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005392/en/ Contacts O-RAN ALLIANCE PR Contact Zbynek Dalecky pr@o-ran.org O-RAN ALLIANCE e.V. Buschkauler Weg 27 53347 Alfter/Germany Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine provides the longest protection against severe infection compared to other coronavirus shots available in the Philippines, the chief of the country's vaccine expert panel said Monday. "Iyong AstraZeneca ang may pinakamahaba (AstraZeneca offers the longest protection). This is based on public data, not press releases. One year po sila," Dr. Nina Gloriani said during an interview with state-run PTV's Laging Handa. Earlier this month, the company's country president Lotis Ramin said AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine has "high level of protection against multiple variants," including the highly contagious Delta variant. According to Dr. Gloriani, antibodies from China's Sinovac wane in less than six months; both Pfizer and Moderna may also offer protection for six months; while Janssen's data showed its protection remains robust for at least eight months. "Kaya huwag tayo magmadali sa pagbo-boost," the health official said following reports that two individuals received their booster shots in Quezon City. [Translation: So let's not rush into securing booster shots.] The government has prohibited booster shots due to a lack of safety and efficacy data and an unstable supply of vaccines in the country. READ: PH officials call out individuals who brag about getting 3 COVID vaccine shots Dr. Gloriani said that while there are discussions about providing COVID-19 booster shots, the country is still short on vaccine supply to at least reach population protection. "Mayroon naman napagusapan na may ibibigay pero subject to availability nitong mga bakuna na ito. Kasi uunahin pa rin natin ang population protection kasi hindi mangyayari ang protection kung konti pa lang ang nababakunahan," she said. [Translation: There has been a talk that these vaccines will be given but subject to availability. We will still prioritize achieving population protection because this will not happen if only a few people are vaccinated.] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) - There are no new measures to address COVID-19 variants, but those already in place need to be intensified, Malacanang said Monday following the detection of the first Lambda variant case in the country. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that basic health protocols as well as present detection, isolation, and treatment measures would be enough for now. Kahit ano pa pong variant pa yan, pareho po ang ating magiging response. Kinakailangan lang siguro habang mas nagiging nakakahawa sila at nakakamatay, mas paiigtingin natin ang ating mask, hugas,iwas, at bakuna, Roque said in a Palace briefing. [Translation: No matter what variant we have, we will still have the same response. While the variant is becoming deadlier and more infectious, I think we need to strengthen the implementation of wearing of face mask, hand washing, social distancing, and vaccination.] Ang importanteng narinig natin mula sa mga tunay na eksperto ngayong araw, walang dapat ikabahalang andiyan na si Lambda variant. Kaisa-isahang kaso naman po yan at kahit anong variant yan pareho rin ang mga sandata natin, he added. [Translation: The important thing we have heard from the real experts today is that we have nothing to worry about the detection of Lambda variant. Its just one case and no matter what variant there is, we will have the same weapons.] The countrys first case of Lambda variant is a 35-year-old pregnant woman from a COVID-19 case cluster in Western Visayas. The Department of Health said the patient, who tested positive on July 22, was asymptomatic and was tagged as recovered and completing quarantine. However, the DOH said the patient would still need to undergo another RT-PCR test and officials are checking if she was already vaccinated against COVID-19. Meanwhile, health experts assured that there is nothing to worry with the COVID-19 variant first identified in Peru last year. So far, kahit sa mga countries where they found Lambda, hindi po siya na-associate sa rising cases...Mas nabahala po ako sa Delta compare sa Lambda, Dr. Cynthia Salome, executive director of the Philippine Genome Center, said during a Palace briefing. [Translation: So far, even in countries where Lambda was found, it is not associated in the rising cases...Im more worried about Delta than Lambda.] For his part, infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana said more studies are needed regarding Lambda variants effect on vaccine efficacy. Mukha po siyang may mga mutations na maaring makaapekto sa efficacy ng ating vaccines, pero hindi pa po ito proven, he said. [Translation: It seemed to have mutations that can affect the efficacy of the vaccines, but it is not yet proven.] The World Health Organization considers the Lambda variant as a variant of interest," which is a degree lower than a variant of concern like Delta. Other COVID-19 variants being detected now in the country are the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and P.3. Latest data from the DOH showed that there are 182 new cases of the more transmissible Delta variant. Editor's note: A version of this story appeared in CNN's Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country's rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here. (CNN) As China watches the chaotic scenes unfold in the Afghan capital Kabul, it is likely seeing more imminent risk than opportunity. Since US President Joe Biden announced in April a full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, there has been much talk about how China could seize the moment to fill the vacuum left behind by the US and expand its presence and influence there. Such arguments have only intensified following the high-profile meeting between Taliban leaders and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month, where Wang declared the Taliban would "play an important role in the process of peaceful reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan." But for China, a neighbor of Afghanistan with substantial investment in the region, the security challenges posed by the abrupt return of the Taliban are far more pressing than any strategic interests down the road. "China does not tend to perceive Afghanistan through the prism of opportunities; it is almost entirely about managing threats," said Andrew Small, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Washington, in an interview with the European Council on Foreign Relations. Beijing had long been wary of the American military presence in Afghanistan, which shares a 50-mile (80 kilometer) border with China's western region of Xinjiang at the end of the narrow Wakhan Corridor. But in reality, China has also benefited from the relative stability brought by the US over the past two decades. China is particularly concerned that Afghanistan would become a base for terrorists and extremists fighting for the independence for the largely Muslim region of Xinjiang a priority issue Wang raised with Taliban leaders during their meeting last month. In response, the Taliban pledged that it would "never allow any force to use the Afghan territory to engage in acts detrimental to China." But the security risks are not bound to China's borders. In recent years, China has invested heavily in Central Asia through its Belt and Road trade and infrastructure program. A spillover effect of the Taliban's rise to power on Islamist militants could potentially threaten Chinese economic and strategic interests in the wider region. "Although Beijing is pragmatic about the power realities in Afghanistan, it has always been uncomfortable with the Taliban's ideological agenda," Small said. "The Chinese government fears the inspirational effect of their success in Afghanistan for militancy across the region, including the Pakistani Taliban." That security threat was underscored last month when nine Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in Pakistan one of the deadliest attacks on overseas Chinese nationals in recent years. Islamabad said the attack had been carried out by "the Pakistani Taliban out of Afghanistan." Beijing's unease with the potential fallout in Afghanistan was reflected in statements from its Foreign Ministry, which has repeatedly criticized the US for acting "irresponsibly" in its "hasty withdrawal." But Beijing has also signaled that it has no intention in sending troops into Afghanistan to fill the power vacuum left by the US, as some analysts have suggested. In an article Sunday, the state-owned Global Times cited experts as saying such speculation is "totally groundless." "The most China can do is to evacuate Chinese nationals if a massive humanitarian crisis occurs, or to contribute to post-war reconstruction and development, pushing forward projects under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) when safety and stability are restored in the war-torn country," the article said. Chinese state media has painted the situation in Afghanistan as a major "humiliation" for the US, and used it to argue for the superiority of China's so-called policy of "non-inteference" in other countries' internal affairs part of its key foreign policy principles as laid down by former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in the 1950s. "The drastic change in Afghanistan's situation is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the US. It declared the complete failure of US intent to reshape Afghanistan," the Global Times said in an editorial published late on Sunday night. "This defeat of the US is a clearer demonstration of US impotence than the Vietnam War the US is indeed like a 'paper tiger.'" Beijing is well aware of the costs of being entangled in the security situation of Afghanistan multiple recent state media analyses have referred to the country as the "graveyard of empires." Instead of following in the footsteps of the US, China is likely to adopt a pragmatic approach toward Afghanistan. By publicizing the Taliban delegation's visit to China last month, Beijing is sending the message that it is willing to recognize and deal with a Taliban government, as long as it suits its interests. On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry said it hoped the Taliban can fulfill its promises to ensure the "smooth transition" of the Afghan situation and "curb all kinds of terrorist and criminal acts." "The situation in Afghanistan has undertaken major changes, we respect the will and choice of the Afghan people," ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press conference. Beijing's confidence in dealing with the Taliban is reflected on the ground in Kabul. As the US and its allies scramble to evacuate embassies from Afghanistan, China along with Russia appears to be staying put. In a statement Sunday, the Chinese embassy in Kabul said it had requested various parties in Afghanistan to "safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens, Chinese institutions and Chinese interests." It said it had not received any reports of injury or casualty involving Chinese nationals, and reminded them to "closely follow the security situation, increase safety precautions and to refrain from going outside." At the press conference Monday, Hua confirmed the Chinese embassy in Kabul is still in operation, adding that it had evacuated the majority of Chinese nationals in Afghanistan in advance. This story was first published on CNN.com, "For China, the return of the Taliban poses more risk than it does opportunity." (CNN) Just last week, US intelligence analysts had predicted it would likely take several more weeks before Afghanistan's civilian government in Kabul fell to Taliban fighters. In reality, it only took a few short days. On Sunday, Taliban militants retook Afghanistan's capital, almost two decades after they were driven from Kabul by US troops. Although Afghan security forces were well funded and well equipped, they put up little resistance as Taliban militants seized much of the country following the withdrawal of US troops beginning in early July. On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, abandoning the presidential palace to Taliban fighters. Already, US officials have admitted that they miscalculated the speed at which the Taliban were able to advance across the country, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying of Afghanistan's national security forces: "The fact of the matter is we've seen that that force has been unable to defend the country ... and that has happened more quickly than we anticipated." The Taliban's swift success has prompted questions over how the insurgent group was able to gain control so soon after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan -- and, after almost 20 years of conflict in the US' longest running war, what the Taliban want. Who are the Taliban? Formed in 1994, the Taliban were made up of former Afghan resistance fighters, known collectively as mujahedeen, who fought the invading Soviet forces in the 1980s. They aimed to impose their interpretation of Islamic law on the country -- and remove any foreign influence. After the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996, the Sunni Islamist organization put in place strict rules. Women had to wear head-to-toe coverings, weren't allowed to study or work and were forbidden from traveling alone. TV, music and non-Islamic holidays were also banned. That changed after September 11, 2001, when 19 men hijacked four commercial planes in the US, crashing two into the World Trade Center towers, one into the Pentagon, and another, destined for Washington, into a field in Pennsylvania. More than 2,700 people were killed in the attacks. The attack was orchestrated by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who operated from inside of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Less than a month after the attack, US and allied forces invaded Afghanistan, aiming to stop the Taliban from providing a safe-haven to al Qaeda -- and to stop al Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a base of operations for terrorist activities. In the two decades since they were ousted from power, the Taliban have been waging an insurgency against the allied forces and the US-backed Afghan government. Who are the leaders? The Taliban are led by Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, a senior religious cleric from the Taliban's founding generation. He was named as the Taliban's leader in 2016 after the group's previous leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was killed in a US airstrike in Pakistan. At the time, Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts' Network said the new Taliban leader might be able to "integrate the younger and more militant generation." Another key player is Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban co-founder, who was released in 2013 after being captured in 2010 in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. Baradar heads the group's political committee, and recently met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. What did the Taliban agree to with Trump? In 2017, the Taliban issued an open letter to the newly elected US President Donald Trump, calling on him to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan. After years of negotiations, the Taliban and the Trump administration finally signed a peace deal in 2020. The US agreed to withdraw troops and release some 5,000 Taliban prisoners, while the Taliban agreed to take steps to prevent any group or individual, including al Qaeda, from using Afghanistan to threaten the security of the US or its allies. But that didn't bring about peace. Violence in Afghanistan grew to its highest levels in two decades. The Taliban increased their control of wider swaths of the country -- and by June of this year, contested or controlled an estimated 50% to 70% of Afghan territory outside of urban centers, according to a United Nations Security Council report. The report warned that an emboldened Taliban posed a severe and expanding threat to the government of Afghanistan. The report argued that the Taliban leadership had no interest in the peace process and appeared to be focused on strengthening its military position to give it leverage in negotiations -- or, if necessary, in using armed force. "The Taliban's messaging remains uncompromising, and it shows no sign of reducing the level of violence in Afghanistan to facilitate peace negotiations with the Government of Afghanistan and other Afghan stakeholders," the report said. What do the Taliban want? The Taliban have tried to present themselves as different from the past -- they have claimed to be committed to the peace process, an inclusive government, and willing to maintain some rights for women. Taliban spokesman Sohail Shaheen said women would still be allowed to continue their education from primary to higher education -- a break from the rules during the Taliban's past rule between 1996 and 2001. Shaheen also said diplomats, journalists and non-profits could continue operating in the country. "That is our commitment, to provide a secure environment and they can carry out their activities for the people of Afghanistan," he said. But many observers worry that a return to Taliban rule is a return to the Afghanistan of two decades ago, when women's rights were severely restricted. Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, said in a tweet that hundreds of thousands were being forced to flee amid reports of serious human rights violations. "International humanitarian law and human rights, especially the hard-won gains of women and girls, must be preserved," he said. Amin Saikal, the author of "Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival," said the Taliban did not want Afghanistan to become a pariah state, and wanted to continue receiving international aid. But, Saikal said: "As far as their ideological commitment is concerned, they have not really changed." Why were the Taliban so strong against the Afghan forces? Over the past two decades, the US spent more than a trillion dollars in Afghanistan. It trained Afghan soldiers and police and provided them with modern equipment. As of February, the Afghan forces numbered 308,000 personnel, according to a United Nations Security Council report released in June -- well above the estimated number of armed Taliban fighters, which ranged from 58,000 to 100,000. Ultimately, though, the Afghan forces proved to be no match for the Taliban. Carter Malkasian, a former senior adviser to the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is also the author of "The American War in Afghanistan: A History," said the Afghan forces sometimes lacked coordination and suffered from poor morale. The more defeats they had, the worse their morale became, and the more emboldened the Taliban were. "Afghan forces, for a long period of time, have had problems with morale and also their willingness to fight the Taliban," he said. "The Taliban can paint themselves as those who are resisting and fighting occupation, which is something that is kind of near and dear to what it means to be Afghan. Whereas that's a much harder thing for the government to claim, or the military forces fighting for the government." Taliban spokesman Shaheen said they weren't surprised by their successful military offensive. "Because we have roots among the people, because it was a popular uprising of the people, because we knew that we had been saying this for the last 20 years," he said. "But no one believed us. And now when they saw, and they were taken by surprise because before that they didn't believe." Could the US have known that the Taliban would return? Just last month, senior officials in the Biden administration believed it could take months before the civilian government in Kabul fell. Now lawmakers are pressing the Biden administration for answers and demanding information on how US intelligence could have so badly misjudged the situation on the ground. Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has called the situation an "unmitigated disaster of epic proportions," while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said "everyone saw this coming" except the President, who "publicly and confidently dismissed these threats just a few weeks ago." American officials have expressed dismay at the now fallen US-backed Afghan government's inability to protect key cities and regions from the Taliban, despite laying out a strategy for doing so during his communications with Biden and other senior US leaders. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the "lack of resistance that the Taliban faced from Afghan forces has been extremely disconcerting." "They had all the advantages, they had 20 years of training by our coalition forces, a modern air force, good equipment and weapons," he said, according to sources on the call where he made the comments. "But you can't buy will and you can't purchase leadership. And that's really what was missing in this situation." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Who are the Taliban and how did they take control of Afghanistan so swiftly?" Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) Filinvest REIT Corp. (FILREIT) has another achievement up its sleeve this year: seeing net income breach the 1-billion mark. In a statement on Monday, the real estate investment trust subsidiary of Filinvest Land, Inc. reported earnings of 1.05 billion in the first semester of 2021, higher by 8% from last year. FILREIT noted it recorded higher earnings as revenues reached 1.96 billion during the period, while costs and expenses were kept at 863 million. "The increase in net income was further supported by lower provisioning for taxes mainly caused by the derecognition of projects transferred to parent company, Filinvest Land, Inc.," it explained. The latest announcement comes after FILREIT's successful debut at the Philippine Stock Exchange on August 12. Its shares closed higher at 7.02 apiece on Friday, higher than its maiden offering price of 7 per stock. "We are pleased with the results of our first-half performance considering the general economic climate. The BPO sector, which accounted for 90 percent of our tenants at the end of June 2021, remains to be resilient," said FILREIT chairperson Josephine Gotianun-Yap in a statement. FILREIT reported an 89% occupancy rate in the first six months of 2021, noting it forecasted the drop due to the further dwindling of its remaining Philippine offshore gaming operator tenants. New multinational business process outsourcing tenants, along with regional operating headquarters, are filling up the vacated areas "albeit with delays due to enhanced community quarantine restrictions," said FILREIT. (CNN) Are the supply and demand fundamentals that have governed oil markets for decades coming unstuck? In normal times, a surge in demand and rising prices would trigger supply increases. But as the past week has shown, these aren't normal times. The latest: Just two days after the Biden administration urged swift action to move towards a low-carbon economy, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan appealed to OPEC+ to increase oil production in order to curb rising gasoline prices. The glaring contradiction highlights an uncomfortable fact: the world still needs oil. But there is growing pressure on major oil companies to ditch fossil fuels, and US producers are laden with debt. That leaves Saudi Arabia, Russia and their OPEC+ alliance, which is taking a cautious approach and slowly unwinding production cuts despite a 60% surge in the price of Brent crude over the past year. That means supply could remain tight over the coming months. One big-picture reason: Investors' growing climate concerns are keeping a lid on production growth at oil companies that are answerable to shareholders, Per Magnus Nysveen, head of analysis at Rystad Energy told me. See here: Last year, global investment in oil and gas field development fell to around $348 billion, down from a peak of $740 billion in 2014, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley. They estimate that the lack of investment at public companies will start to drive their production into decline from 2024. US shale producers have also kept output relatively flat, under pressure to return cash to shareholders following the past decade's spending spree. At the same time, demand has been rising. While the recent oil price rally has lost steam amid a surge in Covid-19 cases from the Delta variant, the International Energy Agency has kept its forecast for global oil demand growth over the next year largely unchanged. In a report last week it said that the market could still be left slightly short of supply towards the end of the year, despite the decision by OPEC+ to ease production cuts. More supply could come online next year, it added. Remember: The Delta variant poses a risk to oil demand in the near term, but the global economy is still projected to grow 6% this year, expanding 4.9% in 2022, according to the International Monetary Fund. Longer term, demand is likely to prove "sticky" as the world's population grows and GDP per capita increases, Morgan Stanley commodities strategists Martijn Rats and Amy Sergeant wrote in a research note last month. "Combined, this leads to a growing supply/demand deficit from 2024 onwards," they added. What it means: A more favorable environment for OPEC and sustained higher prices. The alliance already controls more than a third of the world's oil production, rising to about 50% when non-OPEC producers such as Russia and Mexico are included. "In 10 years from now, OPEC's share of production will be higher," remarked Nysveen. Given dwindling investment by rivals, OPEC may no longer need to trade off supporting oil prices in the short term against defending market share in the long term, added Rats and Sergeant. They expect Brent to be in the mid-to-high $70s for the remainder of the year and be well above $70 a barrel throughout 2022. One big unknown: It took several rounds of negotiations for OPEC+ to agree on production increases recently and there are questions over whether alliance members will stick to output restrictions. "OPEC+ members get seduced by higher prices, which usually means a breakdown in discipline and they produce more to get higher revenues," Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at IHS Markit's Oil Price Information Service, told me. Bottom line: Notwithstanding billions of dollars of investment into low carbon energy sources, the world still needs oil. "The world oil industry is struggling to find new business models to navigate the energy transition ... while still meeting sustained oil demand," the IEA said. Cineworld wants what AMC's having AMC's rapid share price gain and loyal retail investor following appear to have caught the attention of its biggest rival. What's happening: Cineworld, the world's second-largest cinema chain, unveiled last week that it's considering a US listing. The company said it may also opt for a "partial listing" of Regal, which it bought in 2018, in a bid to tap the vast sums of cash sloshing around America's stock markets. "US equity capital markets are the largest and most liquid in the world and include a large number of publicly listed cinema companies including peer group companies," Cineworld said in a statement. "These companies are typically covered by a significant number of North American equity analysts with a wide domestic investor following." Meme stock mania? It's hard to believe that Cineworld hasn't noticed AMC's share price boon. AMC's stock is up over 1,500% this year, thanks partly to an army of retail investors coordinating on Reddit. By comparison, Cineworld has barely managed a 2% gain. The company's CEO Mooky Greidinger told the Financial Times that the mooted listing had "nothing to do" with AMC's recent stock performance. "This is only one option out of many options on the capital markets for us," he added. But the fact remains that individual investors have become a powerful new force on Wall Street and companies are embracing them. And why not? AMC was able to raise $587 million in June as meme traders piled in, even though none of the analysts who cover the company recommend buying the stock and theater attendance remains way below pre-pandemic levels. Watch this space: Cineworld said it will evaluate its options "over the coming months." If it goes ahead with a listing, Greidinger can look to AMC CEO Adam Aron's performance on the company's earnings call last week for tips on how to win over the Reddit crowd. Up Next Monday: Japan Q2 GDP Tuesday: EU Q3 GDP flash estimate; US retail sales; BHP, Home Depot, Monday.com, Roblox and Walmart earnings Wednesday: Fed minutes; Tesla "AI Day"; Tencent, Weibo, Lowe's, Target, Cisco, Nvidia and Robinhood earnings Thursday: US jobless claims; Kohl's, Macy's, Applied Materials and Ross Stores earnings Friday: Deere and Foot Locker earnings This story was first published on CNN.com, "Is the oil market broken?" Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) Overseas Filipinos sent home more money in June, pulling up total remittances during the first semester of 2021, according to data published by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Monday. Filipinos abroad remitted $2.93 billion during the month, 7.3% higher than the $2.73 billion tallied in June 2020. While June's figure marks the fifth straight month of higher remittances, the recent growth is milder than the 13.3% tallied in May. The latest turnout brought overall remittances for the first six months of 2021 to $16.61 billion, a 6.7% hike. Land-based workers with long-term contract sent home $2.32 billion in June, rising by 7.1%. Seafarers and land-based laborers with contract of less than a year made $548 million in remittances, expanding by 6.4% from the year prior. The United States topped the list of sources for overall remittances for the first semester of 2021, making up 40.1% of the total tally. It is followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Japan, said the BSP. Completing the mix are the United Arab Emirates, Canada, South Korea, Qatar and Taiwan. These countries make up 78.4% of remittances made during the period, said the central bank. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) The Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation saw higher earnings in the first half of 2021 compared to last year, it said Monday. In a disclosure to the local stock exchange, RCBC reported a consolidated net income of 3.3 billion during the period a 7% year-on-year climb. This was driven by the sustained expansion in the customer loan business which grew by 9%, even as the industry contracted by 2%, said the bank, citing growths of 10% and 17% in their corporate along with small and medium enterprise segments. RCBC also said operating expenses inched up by 1% during the period to 11.2 billion. The company also recorded 2.3 billion in impairment loss provisions from January to June. This is lower by 55% from the same six-month period last year, it said. Meanwhile, its net non-performing loan ratio stood at 3.25% in the first semester of 2021. The 28% growth in low-cost CASA deposits likewise performed better than the industry," RCBC said, referring to current account and savings account deposits. "Investment Securities rose 3.4x, and fee income surged by 47% as investments and retail transactions picked up during the period." It also cited its partnerships during the period, including one with Japanese multinational bank Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation which acquired a 4.99% stake in RCBC. The partnership will leverage on synergies to further boost the Banks digital banking capabilities, as well as its corporate and consumer finance business, the bank said. RCBC also reported triple-digit growth rates in total usage value and volume on a quarterly basis for its first Taglish and Cebuano financial inclusion super app DiskarTech. The app likewise pioneered the loans marketplace in partnership with Asialink Finance Corporation, one of the countrys premier lenders, said the bank. RCBC president and chief executive officer Eugene Acevedo assured the bank will remain committed to ramping up digitalization efforts, especially those geared towards financial inclusion. RCBC is among the top ten largest banks in the Philippines in terms of total assets as of end-March 2021, according to latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is "not yet off the hook" from other issues hounding the Health Department, even if state auditors did not make a finding on loss of funds due to corruption in the agency, a Senate leader said Monday. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon told CNN Philippines' The Source that Duque still has to address the recent findings of the Commission on Audit about the Health Department's failure to address the pandemic with its fund irregularities. "In fairness, we have not yet seen evidence of corruption but as I have said at the very start, while there is no evidence of corruption, Secretary Duque is not yet off the hook because of the finding of COA that the way the pandemic response has been conducted there are dismal inefficiencies and lack of sense of urgency demonstrating poor management and leadership," Drilon said. The Senate will hold an inquiry into the reported "deficiencies" in the management of over 67 billion of the Health Department's pandemic response funds due to non-compliance with pertinent laws. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee led by Sen. Richard Gordon will spearhead the investigation this Wednesday. READ: Senate to probe DOH for 'deficiencies' in management of 67-B pandemic funds "Isn't this criminal? You have so much of the funds which are unobligated, so much of the funds which are placed in the procurement service of the DBM (Department of Budget and Management), and yet you have lack of ventilators, you have hospital bed deficiencies, and then you have our health personnel complaining that they have not been paid their allowances?" Drilon noted. Drilon was referring to the 43 billion transferred to the procurement service of the DBM and unobligated allotments totaling P24.64 billion. Aside from the "deficiencies" over the Health Department's 67 billion pandemic response funds, COA has also called out the DOH for not spending over 59 billion from its 2020 budget. READ: DOH called out for 59-B unspent funds in 2020 budget President Rodrigo Duterte repeatedly defended Duque despite calls from senators to fire him. He even called Duque a "hero" of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. READ: Duterte: PH 'doing good' on COVID-19 response compared with other countries Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno has been diagnosed with a mild case of COVID-19, a hospital official said on Monday. The local chief executive, who was experiencing cough, colds, and body pain, was brought to the Sta. Ana Hospital on Sunday night after testing positive for COVID-19. Hospital director Dr. Grace Padilla said Moreno underwent laboratory tests and his chest CT scan result is normal, meaning there were no complications seen. "Our clinical impression: He has a mild COVID. Presently, he is maintained on oral antibiotics and vitamins as supplements. He is stable, comfortable, and sleeping well," she said in a medical bulletin. He remains under the close supervision of medical specialists. Padilla adds Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, who contracted the virus a week earlier, is also on her way to recovery. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) Necklace air purifier offers no protection against COVID-19 and could be more harmful, the Department of Health said on Monday after the Cebu Governor required drivers of public utility vehicles to use it. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the use of necklace air purifiers "might lead to complacency or false security." "Sa ngayon hindi natin nirerekomenda 'yang mga necklace air purifier, at sinasabi na ng ebidensya at mga eksperto that it's not going to provide you with protectionSana hindi na lang natin ito gamitin," she said in a media briefing. [Translation: Right now we do not recommend the use of necklace air purifiers, and evidence and experts say that it's not going to provide you with protection...I hope we do not use it.] Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia required PUV drivers to use necklace air purifiers as a measure to curb the further spread of COVID-19 in the province. Monday was the first day of implementation, but several drivers were unable to comply with the new requirement due to insufficient supply. Since many drivers feared getting apprehended, they canceled their trips. They were given until Aug. 25 to comply, otherwise they will be punished for not wearing air purifiers during their trips. PUV operators were the ones tasked to purchase the gadget for their drivers and conductors. Some PUV operators provided their drivers with soft loan, while others simply give the air purifiers for free. A driver said he bought the cheapest type of air purifier for P600, while another one said he shelled out P2,000 just to comply with the requirement. Most drivers said they understood the purpose of wearing air purifiers as a measure against COVID-19, but when asked if they believe it is effective, they only smiled. Cebu-based correspondent Dale Israel contributed to this report. (CNN) In late 2001, the rolling hills to the west of Afghanistan's Maidan Shahr were scarred with the black eruptions of high explosives, as the last few Taliban fighters were pounded by Northern Alliance artillery and American bombers. Then, as suddenly as a thunderclap, silence fell on the battlefield. Long columns of black turbaned fighters immediately began to walk peacefully towards their enemies and, walking into their ranks, were asked, "What happened?" One Talib fighter smiled broadly and explained: "We turned our turbans." Without the slightest shame, or doubt, their leaders had decided that they'd rather be on the winning side than die a pointless death. And so they'd surrendered, many opting to join the forces of the opposition. But this does not mean the hard-core gave up on the Deobandist interpretation of Islam that had helped bring them to power in 1996, which also sat comfortably with their largely ethnic Pashtun culture. The ideology originally grew among students, Talibs, of Islamic schools largely in exile in Pakistan, where refugees sought shelter from the failed Soviet invasion on their country in 1979. Fueled by money from the Arabian Gulf and backed by patrons within Pakistan's intelligence agencies, Talibs distilled their version of Islam into a purist cult. With Afghanistan torn by warlords, corruption and hatred, that cult was seen by many in Kandahar as the harsh law-and-order alternative to the horror they were living through. The Taliban rose up in their heartland in 1994, and in two years, they were able to charge through much of the rest of the country and take power. And now, 25 years on, they've done it again. Afghanistan's government was always weak, intensely corrupt, dependent on foreign forces for its survival, riven by faction fighting and polluted by warlords. So when the Afghan National Army was abruptly abandoned by the US and its allies earlier this year, the only question was: When will its commanders turn their own turbans? In 2001, the Taliban were driven from power by the Northern Alliance and collections of other warlords because many Afghans had tired of their medieval interpretation of shari'a law, tired of being dominated by the southern Pashtuns, and above all, very angry at the destruction of the extremely lucrative opium trade. Worth around $4 billion a year, it was -- and is -- Afghanistan's main export, and a business that drew in rival chieftains (khans), the police, militia, Pakistani spies, trucking mafias and the Kabul elite. In stamping it out, the Taliban made bitter enemies at home, just as it made dangerous foes of the rest of the Western world by providing al Qaeda with sanctuary before, during and after Osama bin Laden ordered the 9/11 attacks on America. But the Taliban had never had an interest in international terror. Its support for al Qaeda was grounded in shared history. Bin Laden and his cronies had fought alongside the Afghan mujahideen, who'd resisted the Soviet occupation after 1979. They were old comrades, allowed to set up training camps and allowed to remain under the Pashtunwali, a tradition of cultural law that, among other things, protects guests. During the Taliban insurgency of the last 20 years, its leadership -- which NATO, the US and Kabul government say is backed by Pakistan -- watched foreign forces get stuck in the quagmire of Helmand. They hemorrhaged, blood, treasure and public support for a distant and pointless war. Two disastrous decisions in Helmand -- first to invade it and second to try to destroy the opium trade -- guaranteed that a peaceful farming province producing gigantic wealth would become a battleground and graveyard for foreign forces. The drug khans could be relied on by the Taliban to do most of the fighting against NATO. All the Talib had to do was help out occasionally. The lesson for the students of guerrilla war was that, pretty soon, the West would lose its stomach for the fight. Since NATO had the watches, the Taliban had the time, as they liked to say -- all they had to do was wait. And take a tithe from the drug production that their fall from power allowed. According to numerous western intelligence sources involved in drug eradication attempts, the Taliban did not primarily draw their funding from drugs. Experts and the UN maintain that they had diverse sources of funding, including private donors in the Gulf, from illegal mineral extraction and from taxes in areas they controlled. Their return to power is a terrifying prospect for women. When last they ruled, females were forbidden to attend school. They were shrouded in burqas, condemned to life at home and seen as male possessions. An ultra-conservative interpretation of how pre-modern Pashtun lived was swept away amid an explosion in female education. Women in the capital, Kabul, were able to start businesses, take part in politics, even in provincial governments and run ministries. Small wonder that liberal Afghans are running for the airport now. Their only hope may rest with the reality that the Taliban may, conceivably and probably only in the short term, offer concessions on women's rights and even some protection of free speech. In some of the provinces where they've ruled over the last 20 years, they have adapted their public relations, allowing limited female rights and, above all, earned a reputation for judicial probity that the central government system never achieved. Now nearing power, the Taliban leadership may opt to follow a "Talib-Lite" approach. It's almost certain that they'll offer no succor to Islamic State militants who've largely replaced al Qaeda as the leading global brand behind international Islamist terrorism. Over the last five years, the Taliban have successfully stamped out most attempts by ISIS rivals to gain ground. While the pro-western government was in power, its intelligence leaders played up the al Qaeda threat -- but there's little evidence that the Taliban have offered it active support. There's every reason to assume that, as there's no upside to promoting international terror and no ideological support for it within their movement itself, a resurgence of al Qaeda under the Taliban is unlikely -- though a UN report recently warned the two groups remain "closely aligned." The Taliban are sweeping back to power. But they know that this is because so many have turned turbans that can be turned again. This story was first published on CNN.com, "What will an Afghanistan under the Taliban look like? Its rise to power in the '90s paints a grim picture." (CNN) -- Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), the pro-democracy group that organized some of Hong Kong's biggest protests, announced Sunday that it was disbanding -- the latest of a string of civic organizations that have dissolved in the wake of a sweeping national security law. CHRF, an over-arching organization of local pro-democracy groups, organized mass marches that drew as many as 2 million participants during the 2019 pro-democracy, anti-government protests, according to some estimates. It has long played a critical role in Hong Kong's civic society, as the organizer of the annual July 1 protests that mark the anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China. "We've aimed to advocate for the human rights and freedom of Hong Kong people. We have abided by the 'legal, peaceful, rational and non-violent' principles in organizing mass demonstrations, allowing everyone in society to have a chance in speaking up on issues they care about," CHRF said in a statement announcing its dissolution. "Unfortunately, for the past year or so, the government repeatedly used the pandemic as a pretext to reject the front and other organizations' applications to hold rallies." The group said with its leader, Figo Chan, in custody for his part in 2019's protests, and no one willing to take over, the organization had "no choice but to disband." The Hong Kong Police Department acknowledged CHRF's dissolution in a statement but said it would not absolve the group of any potential criminal liability. The statement alleged that CHRF, which was founded in 2002, broke the law because it failed to properly register with the relevant Hong Kong government departments. CHRF did not immediately respond to the police force's accusations. CNN has reached out to the Hong Kong Police Department and the government's Information Services Department for further comment. The mass marches organized by CHRF in 2019 began as peaceful demonstrations -- but clashes with police soon tipped the protests into a six-month-long political crisis that often turned violent. The protests were condemned by the central government in Beijing, which watched from across the border with growing impatience. When coronavirus restrictions put a hold on all protests, Beijing moved to promulgate a national security law in June 2020 that criminalized secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. All four crimes hold a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In the year since, national security police have arrested protesters and journalists, raided newsrooms, and censored textbooks and websites. Authorities have repeatedly denied that they are cracking down on political opposition or stifling dissent. "The National Security Law only targets an extremely small minority of criminals and acts which endanger national security, whereas human rights and freedoms enjoyed by the overwhelming majority of the citizens will not be affected at all," said Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam in a speech on July 5. But critics say the voluntary closure of the CHRF shows the law's far-reaching impact across various sectors and aspects of society. Unions and organizations dissolve CHRF is just the latest in a string of organizations and groups that have chosen to disband or leave Hong Kong in recent months, citing diminishing civil liberties and a shrinking public sphere. On Tuesday, the Professional Teachers' Union (PTU), a group of teachers and educators with more than 100,000 members, announced that it was disbanding -- a decision that came after increasing pressure from authorities. Last weekend, several Chinese state-run news outlets published articles accusing the union of poisoning the minds of children, and posing a threat to national security. Just hours later, Hong Kong's Education Bureau announced it was formally cutting ties with the union, which it called "no different than a political group," according to public broadcaster RTHK. In a letter to its members, the union said it was "deplorable" that the political environment had changed so drastically that civic groups face an untenable future, according to RTHK. The government's renouncing of the teachers' union is "absurd" for several reasons, said Joseph Cheng, a prominent Hong Kong political commentator now based in New Zealand -- one being that they are a relatively moderate group which had traditionally expressed support for government policies. "The PTU certainly has no inclination in support of Hong Kong independence," Cheng said. "They are teachers, they are moderates, cautious, they don't want to have anything to do with violent actions." "It was only when the Chinese authorities came out to attack the PTU, then the (Hong Kong) government felt it had to take action," he added. John Burns, an emeritus professor at the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong, pointed to one other reason why the government might have cut ties with PTU: to limit their influence in local elections. Subsector elections for the Election Committee -- which selects the next chief executive to lead the city -- will take place next month. "This was an announcement to the community of Hong Kong that (the teachers' union) were no longer legitimate," Burns said. "This paves the way for pro-establishment unions to take over the positions that previously the PTU seemed to fill." Other organizations that have disbanded recently include a medical workers' union, a lawyers' group, and more. Journalists' groups, too, are coming under fire. Members of the media have already faced intensifying scrutiny and tighter limits, highlighted by the raiding of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, which was forced to shut down in June after its assets were frozen by national security police. On Friday, the pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po published a blistering article against the Hong Kong Journalists Association, calling out several of its members by name, and accusing the group of inciting hostility toward the government -- raising fears that the organization could be next to fold. Ronson Chan, the head of HKJA, told CNN on Friday that the group had no plans for dissolution, and that they would continue to protect press freedom in Hong Kong. The broader impact The slew of disbandments also raises questions about whether the security law might be applied retroactively. When the law was first introduced, Beijing and local authorities assured the public -- as well as alarmed international observers and world leaders -- that it would not be. But recent events seem to suggest otherwise. In their criticism of the PTU, both Chinese state-run media and Education Bureau pointed to alleged actions in 2019 -- before the law had even been drafted. Hong Kong's police commissioner was more explicit, saying on Friday that mass rallies organized by CHRF "are suspected of violating the national security law," and that "the force will investigate thoroughly," RTHK reported. It showed that the government's promises are "certainly not true, because all these accusations are based on past actions," said Cheng. "Obviously, from PTU to CHRF, and the Confederation of Trade Unions, they feel the pressure," he added. "There is no more tolerance of civil society, there's no more tolerance of criticisms of any kind -- even moderate, reasonable criticisms." In the longer term, it could mean fewer and fewer voices in Hong Kong's formerly rich and pluralistic public sphere -- and an inching closer to the kind of system seen in mainland China. "The Communist Party uses civil society on the mainland, but their civil society is mobilized ... where you control information, and where you restrict the right to organize and to freedom of expression," said Burns. Hong Kong has for decades provided a safe space for various groups to flourish, he added -- but now, "all of these actions against unions and associations of various kinds are an attack on civil society." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Prominent Hong Kong civil rights group disbands, citing government pressure" Chapter 1 Little victims everywhere By Brendon Derr, Rylee Kirk, Anne Mickey, Allison Vaughn, McKenna Leavens and Leilani Fitzpatrick Howard Center for Investigative Journalism The convicted child rapist emerged from the tree line without warning, walked quickly past the elders who feared him and entered the Navajo home, where his 15-year-old daughter was feeding her pet rabbits. A short while later, the 6-foot-3-inch man known for being violent emerged with the girl, promising to return in half an hour. But that was a lie. Ozzy Watchman Sr. was kidnapping his daughter for the second time in six months. Alice Watchman and brother Leonard Watchman at her farm near Sawmill, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation on July 8, 2021. Alice Watchmans nephew, convicted child rapist and registered sex offender Ozzy Watchman Sr., took his 15-year-old daughter from the Watchman farm and went missing for nearly two weeks. (Brendon Derr / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) Family members pleaded with tribal authorities to issue an Amber Alert, but it never came. Nearly two weeks passed before Watchman and his daughter were found on June 30 not by Navajo police or the FBI, which has the investigative lead in such cases, but by a maintenance worker who encountered the two as they scavenged for food. Child sexual abuse is among the worst scourges on Indigenous communities in North America, yet little hard data exists on the extent of the problem. Some researchers estimate it could be as high as one in every two children. Dr. Renee Ornelas, a veteran child abuse pediatric specialist working in the Navajo Nation the largest and most populous tribe in the United States said practically every family she sees has a history of child sexual abuse. Theyre just little victims everywhere, she said. The federal government has been responsible for investigating and prosecuting major crimes in Indian Country since 1885. A century later, child sexual abuse was added to the crimes list. But not until the last decade has the Justice Department been required to publicly disclose what happens to those investigations disclosures that suggest many cases of child sexual abuse are falling through the cracks. A Howard Center for Investigative Journalism analysis of Justice Department data shows that the FBI has closed administratively more than 1,900 criminal investigations of child sexual abuse in Indian Country since 2011. Such cases are not referred to federal prosecutors because, the FBI says, they fail to meet evidentiary or statutory requirements. But child sex abuse investigations accounted for about 30% of all major crimes on reservations closed by the FBI each year more than any other type of crime, including murders and assaults, the analysis showed. The 2010 Tribal Law and Order Act mandated that the Justice Department prepare an annual report on the number of cases declined by U.S. attorneys and administratively closed by the FBI. The 2019 report is the most recent year available. (Source: Department of Justice) This chart shows the total number of child sexual abuse cases administratively closed by the FBI each year, as a proportion of all closed cases, between 2011 and 2019, according to Justice Department data. The most common reason cited for closing cases was weak or insufficient evidence. (Anne Mickey / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) Justice Department case management data, analyzed by the Howard Center, reveals that U.S. attorneys pursued charges less than half the time in child sexual abuse cases from Indian Country about one-third less often than they filed charges in other crimes. Only a small percentage of child sexual abuse defendants from Indian Country went to trial. Most cases, such as Watchmans previous child sex abuse, ended in plea bargains, which typically involve lesser sentences. There are a lot more child sexual abuse cases than are being reported, said child psychologist Dolores Subia BigFoot, who directs the Native American Programs at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Theres a lot of child sexual abuse cases that are not being investigated, and theres a lot of child sexual abuse cases that are not being prosecuted. Combating child sexual abuse is difficult anywhere. The crime is often committed by a relative or family friend, increasing the pressure on the victim to stay silent. Physical evidence is rare, and conviction can hinge on the testimony of someone barely old enough to describe what happened. But in Indian Country the problem is complicated by what one former U.S. attorney calls a jurisdictional thicket of tribal and federal authority spread across wide swaths of territory, making communication and coordination difficult. Tribal courts are limited by U.S. law in the kinds of cases they may try. The federal government must step in when the crime is considered major, such as child sexual abuse, or when it occurs on a reservation and the suspect is non-Native. On reservations in a handful of states, including Alaska and California, that authority has largely been handed over to the state. This means the first authorities on the scene must quickly determine the type and location of the crime and the tribal membership of both the victim and suspect. If one of those things is in question, investigations can grind to a halt. Crime scenes can go cold, cases get closed without consequence, and cycles of violence continue. Dr. Renee Ornelas stands outside the Tsehootsooi Medical Center in Fort Defiance, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation on July 8, 2021, where she works as a child abuse pediatric specialist. She says practically every family she sees has a history of child sexual abuse. (Brendon Derr / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) I suspect thats why theres so many adults that have these histories of child sexual abuse, said Ornelas, who runs a family advocacy center at Tsehootsooi Medical Center in Fort Defiance, Arizona, located within the Navajo Nation. Its been a problem for a long time. And theres a lot of offenders out there who get to re-offend and move on to other children in the family. U.S. attorneys and their teams of prosecutors have wide latitude in deciding which cases to take and which to decline. Justice Department guidelines require that they choose those most likely to obtain and sustain a conviction. Federal prosecutors focus mostly on major fraud and counterterrorism and dont typically prosecute violent crimes, the kind of cases that are handled by local and state prosecutors when the crime occurs outside of reservations. The bottom line is that they just focus on the cases that are, you know, relatively easier to do, said Troy Eid, former U.S. attorney in Colorado and current president of the Navajo Nation Bar Association. I think thats human nature, right, and thats how you stay funded. He also noted Indian Country doesnt have much of a political constituency, compared to the rest of the U.S. population. Insufficient evidence is the reason most often cited for closing or declining to prosecute child sexual abuse cases from Indian Country. But that can be a subjective call and theres little oversight of the cases that get closed or declined, the Howard Center found. One former FBI agent, who spoke on condition he not be named, said theres a lot of cases that have fallen between the cracks in Indian Country. I dont think a lot of people know, he said, referring to the large number of declined cases as a dark corner in Indian Country. A spokesman for the Justice Department said decisions not to prosecute were not a useful measure of outcomes in most cases. Child sexual abuse is abhorrent, illegal, and causes long-lasting damage to young lives, Wyn Hornbuckle, deputy director of public affairs, said in a statement. The Department of Justice takes its work to address violence in Native American communities extremely seriously, especially the abuse and victimization of children. We will continue to prioritize these efforts, including by working with state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to maximize and coordinate our responses to such matters. These often-unspoken crimes some elders believe talking about them invites trouble into the home are part of an ongoing legacy of sexual trauma that began with colonization and continued in the boarding school era in which thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families in a forced cultural assimilation program. Chronic alcoholism, poverty and a lack of housing all of which are widespread on many reservations are a vestige of and a contributor to the cycle of child sexual abuse, experts say. Tribal court jurisdiction expanded slightly in 2013 when the Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized to include non-Native domestic abusers. The law did not address sexual crimes against children. A 2021 draft of the reauthorization bill gives tribal authorities the right to prosecute non-Native offenders if they sexually abuse a child on tribal territory. But its unclear if that language will survive long-held concerns in Congress about further expanding tribal courts power to try and sentence non-Native offenders. We sometimes forget that the United States has this affirmative trust obligation to provide public safety or health care or other things to tribal governments and Indigenous peoples, said Trent Shores, former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma and a member of the Choctaw Nation. Thats something that our Founding Fathers agreed to and set out in treaties. And so, you know for me, there is sometimes that frustration when Indian Country is forgotten. Chapter 2 The federal trust: no justice, just unfairness Every day that Christine Benally looks out of the window of her home, shes reminded of how the federal government failed to protect her child. Some 200 yards away sits the house of the man she says sexually assaulted her son. In November 2005, Benallys then-13-year-old son told her that he had been sexually abused by a relative over several years. What happened next, based on records Benally provided to the Howard Center, was a by-the-book approach to seeking help. Christine Benally talks to reporters at her home in Little Water, N.M, on the Navajo Nation, on July 7, 2021. After years of struggling to get authorities to address her sons report of sexual abuse, she said, Theres no justice, theres just a lot of unfairness. (Rylee Kirk / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) Benally filed a crime report with the Navajo Nation Police Department in Shiprock, New Mexico, and also contacted social services. When she and her son met with police, they provided the names of those involved, including the suspect, the time frame of the incidents and location of the alleged crimes. According to Navajo police records, the suspect confessed to the allegations. In January 2006, Benally was interviewed by a Navajo police criminal investigator and, records show, both she and her son were later questioned at their home by FBI agents from nearby Farmington, New Mexico. Records from Navajo family court also say that one of the FBI agents said the suspect had confessed. But in November 2007, two years after first contacting police, Benally received a fax from an FBI victim specialist in Farmington, saying that an assistant U.S. attorney had declined the case. No reason was given. Benally is well-known in her community, in part because she refused to drop the issue and move on quietly with her life. After the suspect moved back to the family homestead in 2012, she began lobbying for the U.S. Attorneys office to reopen her sons case. She even appealed to then-President Barack Obama. In 2015 and 2017, she received three more letters from the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys office in New Mexico, restating that the case was closed for insufficient evidence, but offering no details. Benally says she still doesnt understand why the case was declined. In 2017, the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Mexico sent Christine Benally a letter stating that her son's case was declined because of insufficient evidence. (Provided by Christine Benally) Amber Kanazbah Crotty, a Navajo government official who accompanied Benally to a meeting with federal prosecutors in 2015, said she didnt know either. I do not have the clear answers on why there was a federal declination. When we spoke with the U.S. attorneys office with Christine, they had just told her in my presence that they had already told her the reasons why her case was declined. The Justice Departments handling of major crimes in Indian Country has long been a concern. In December 2010, the Government Accountability Office the investigative arm of Congress issued its findings on how often federal prosecutors were declining to prosecute cases from Indian Country, where violent crimes were running about 2.5 times the U.S. average. From 2005 to 2009, investigators found, U.S. attorneys declined to prosecute about half of all violent crimes and 67 percent of sexual abuse crimes and related matters. The report did not distinguish between adult and child sex abuse crimes. Reasons for declinations varied, but weak or insufficient evidence was most frequently cited. Amber Kanazbah Crotty, delegate to the Navajo Nation Council, stands outside the local chapter house in Sheep Springs, N.M., on July 7, 2021. Crotty, a sexual assault survivor, accompanied Christine Benally to a meeting with the U.S. attorney in New Mexico in 2015 to understand why Benally's son's case was declined. (Brendon Derr / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) Earlier that year, Congress had passed the Tribal Law and Order Act, aimed at addressing these high rates of violent crime. It expanded data collection from the FBI and U.S. attorneys about cases referred and declined for prosecution and required that information be made public annually. Those reports show consistently high levels of FBI case closures and Justice Department declinations for child sexual abuse crimes. For tribal courts that met certain judicial standards, the act increased sentencing authority from one to three years and fines from $5,000 to $15,000. And it formalized the role of tribal liaisons assistant U.S. attorneys whose job was to build relationships with tribal authorities and develop multidisciplinary teams of federal and tribal prosecutors, investigators, victim witness coordinators and others to investigate crimes such as the sexual abuse of children. By 2017, the Justice Departments Office of the Inspector General had found widespread problems with the laws implementation. We found that no Department-level entity oversees Indian country law enforcement activities or ensures the Departments compliance with the acts mandates, the inspector generals report said. There was no coordinated approach to overseeing the assistance provided, the report said. The department had not prioritized assistance consistent with its public statements or annual reports to Congress. It also needed to do more to ensure all required training was being provided. Crime data in Indian Country remains unreliable and incomplete, the report found. And despite Indian Country being a priority area, funding for federal prosecutions there had decreased by 28% from $27.6 million in 2010 to $19.8 million in 2016. The inspector general also noted that the tribal liaisons those assistant U.S. attorneys who were supposed to improve relations between tribal and federal authorities were nearly ineffective because they continued to carry full caseloads, leaving little time for tribal liaising. The lack of oversight and coordination meant that U.S. attorneys offices around the country differed in how they prioritized and implemented Indian Country obligations. More than half of the operational plans of U.S. attorneys offices with Indian Country jurisdiction lacked basic protocols for things like notifying tribes about case declinations, the report said, with some tribes never receiving notice. Thats apparently what happened in Benallys case. When she asked tribal prosecutors in 2014 to consider taking her sons case to Navajo court, they twice wrote to the FBIs special agent in charge in New Mexico asking for information on why the case was declined. Ultimately, it didnt matter. In April 2016, the Attorney General of the Navajo Nation wrote Benally acknowledging concerns about the sexual assault perpetrated against your son that you reported several years ago, but noting that the statute of limitations had expired for prosecution in Navajo court. There is no statute of limitations in federal court for child sexual abuse. Youth play at a skatepark in Pine Ridge on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota on July 22, 2021. Several former U.S. attorneys believe that tribes should be given the authority and resources to handle crimes like child sexual abuse. (Isaac Stone Simonelli / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) Where truth comes to die FBI agents are often the federal governments first representative on the scene of a reported crime in Indian Country, even though they may live and work hundreds of miles away. In Colorado, for example, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe are between a 320- and 400-mile drive from the Denver offices of the FBI and U.S. attorney. Given that the FBI has no 911-like intake process, agents are always one degree removed from any Indian Country investigation. The Justice Departments inspector general also noted that FBI agents received inadequate training, despite the unique cultural, jurisdictional and geographic challenges of working in Indian Country. High-turnover rates among agents working in Indian Country, considered a hardship post under agency guidelines, make it difficult to build relationships with tribal authorities, which ultimately affects the quality of investigations. Timothy Purdon, the former U.S. attorney for North Dakota, said there was sometimes a lack of quality investigations so that when an abuse case reached the federal prosecutors desk there was insufficient evidence for a conviction. He said he often encouraged his FBI partners to allocate more resources for investigating child sexual abuse in Indian Country: Youre constantly fighting with the Bureau to get them to prioritize these cases. The former FBI agent in Indian Country, who asked not to be named so that he could speak freely, said the decision to decline a child sex abuse case had a lot to do with a prosecutors comfort level and that U.S. attorneys were more accustomed to cases that are cut and dried. He also said there was virtually no oversight, beyond front-line supervisors, of FBI agents decisions to close cases, and senior management never ever look at (closed) cases due to insufficient evidence in Indian Country. Wyn Hornbuckle, the Justice Department spokesman, highlighted seven cases over the last six years of significant prosecution of child sex abuse in Indian Country, leading to convictions, ranging from life to less than two years. But even when such cases seemingly have everything needed for conviction, they can still fall apart. In September 2013, Leo Thompson, a member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his girlfriends granddaughter when she was 12. But before his sentencing hearing, the victim sent two letters to the court recanting her accusation. From there the case collapsed charges were dropped, and Thompson went free. Christine Benally watches her sheep in Little Water, N.M., on the Navajo Nation, on July 7, 2021. After receiving three declinations from the federal government, Benally tried to take her sons case to the Navajo Nation court, but was told the statute of limitations had expired. (Rylee Kirk / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) According to an official transcript of the dismissal hearing, the prosecutor told the federal court in New Mexico he believed that family pressure played a role in the girls decision to recant. Sometimes, sadly, the courtroom is a place where the truth comes to die, and thats what happened in this case, prosecutor Jack E. Burkhead said. Unsuccessful with prosecutors, Christine Benally sought other legal measures to help her son. He filed for a protective order against his alleged abuser in Navajo family court in 2014. It was initially denied, but in 2017 the Navajo Supreme Court granted temporary protection. The high court ruled that Benallys son did prove by a preponderance of the evidence that it is more likely than not that the abuse had occurred, even though the alleged abuser now denied it. News of that decision came in a letter from the court addressed to her son, who was by then away at college. What do they want with him now? Benally recalled thinking. The letter sat on her kitchen counter for a week before she mustered the courage to tell her son about it over the phone. He was crying, and he says, So they believe me? she said. For Benally, the acknowledgement 12 years after their first report to police, was too little, too late. Theres no justice, Benally said. Theres just a lot of unfairness. Chapter 4 Pathways to justice Despite the problems of tribal authorities and limitations on their courts, many former U.S. attorneys believe the tribal justice system would be the most effective in dealing with crimes, such as child sexual abuse. I think that tribal investigators in these cases, in many instances are as skilled, if not more skilled, in investigating them than federal agents, said Trent Shores, the former U.S. attorney in Oklahoma, who has also advised on Native American and Alaska Native issues at the federal level. An Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Corrections vehicle photographed on July 22, 2021. (Isaac Stone Simonelli / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) In addition to Shores, former U.S. attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, North Dakota and South Dakota whose territories include some of the largest reservations told the Howard Center that the long-term solution is to give tribes the authority and resources to prosecute crimes that occur on their own lands in the same way that states do. To enable this would require whats known as an Oliphant fix overturning the precedent set in the U.S. Supreme Court decision Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe, which established that tribes do not have jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders. The 2010 Tribal Law and Order Act began that shift, however slight. In addition to mandating that closure and declination rates by the FBI and U.S. attorneys offices be made public, it also offered a framework for training tribal law enforcement and increasing the sentencing power of tribal courts, provided they adhere to a set of judicial procedures aimed at ensuring a fair trial. But even the Navajo Nations justice system has yet to implement all the necessary judicial updates. Those in favor of the Oliphant fix say that steps need to be taken to increase tribal justice capacity now, and that starts with more police and judicial funding and implementing regulatory changes that ensure the constitutional rights of all defendants. Over time, we need to empower tribes locally, said Timothy Purdon, the former U.S. attorney for the district of North Dakota, in a matter of self-determination. The 2021 attempt to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which the House of Representatives passed on March 17, allows tribal jurisdiction over non-Native defendants in cases of child sexual abuse. Its not clear yet how that bill will fare in the Senate. But an effort to include children in the law during the Acts 2013 reauthorization negotiation failed to get the necessary votes, said Eid, the former U.S. attorney in Colorado. Resistance to expansions of tribal court sovereignty, such as in the Violence Against Women Act, arise out of concerns that non-Indians will be treated unfairly by tribal court systems. Racism and prejudice towards tribes in our states is alive and well, said Brendan Johnson, the former U.S. attorney for South Dakota. The idea that you could have a, you know, Native American jury or Native American judge sitting in judgment of you, some people just, you know, they cant accept that. A mural on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota is visible to traffic along Bigfoot Trail on July 22, 2021. (Isaac Stone Simonelli / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) In the void between the federal governments prosecution of major crimes in Indian Country and Native Americans limited judicial authority, tribes are taking a variety of approaches to healing and justice. Child psychologists like Dolores Subia BigFoot, an enrolled member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma with an affiliation with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana in which her children are enrolled, say that basic sexual education would go a long way toward combating the problem fundamentals like consent arent being taught to Native children. If you feel like you dont own your own body then how can we help really make a dent in understanding how to stop child sexual abuse? she asked. BigFoot also said traditional healing ceremonies can help and recalled one for a woman who was first sexually abused as a child that focused on her life and accomplishments. I think theres opportunities for healing in different ways, BigFoot said, to allow mercy and grace to overcome the part that justice doesnt. Barbara Bettelyoun, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota with doctorates in child development and child clinical psychology, agrees. She runs Buffalo Star People, a nonprofit that uses healing circles to help adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. We need to understand that when children are sexually abused, it creates a lifelong wound, she said. Dolores Subia BigFoot talks to a reporter at her sons home in Norman, Okla., on July 8, 2021. The child psychologist directs the Native American Programs at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. (Allison Vaughn / Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) Amber Kanazbah Crotty, one of only three women on the Navajo Nations 24-member legislative body, is working to revitalize the family advocacy centers across Navajo Nation, which help children who report sexual abuse. These facilities provide forensic interviewing and physical evidence collection to help with prosecution. They also offer victim services that will give children a chance to tell their story to foster self-healing. She is also working with Christine Benally and other advocates to expand the Navajo Nations three-year statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases so more cases that get federally declined can be handled in tribal court. Crotty is aware of the sensitivity surrounding the Justice Departments declination of Indian Country cases. She likens the gentle pressure used in negotiations with her federal partners to how she guides a horse to do what she needs: just put enough pressure. At every level we have to be accountable (for) whats happening to our children, Crotty said. I cannot depend on an investigator or a court system to provide or to make that person whole. Source: Giorgio Jackson Diputado / Facebook A Chilean opposition party leader has called for crypto to be officially recognized as an asset class and claimed he has ethereum (ETH) holdings although he also calls himself a crypto skeptic. Per a report from DF Mas, Giorgio Jackson, the founder of the Democratic Revolution political party, which has 10 seats in the lower chamber, plus a senate seat, explained that he owned a small amount of ETH, although he stopped short of disclosing the size of his investment. Jackson, a former engineer, was speaking at an event operated by the Buda crypto exchange. And when discussing the idea of Chile following El Salvadors lead in moving to grant bitcoin (BTC) legal tender status, said: I am not closing myself off from the possibility [of following the Salvadorian example], but I am skeptical. And there are not enough reasons right now to argue that it is ideal or optimal to have a cryptocurrency as legal tender in any country. However, he argued for legal change, stating that although a number of pending regulatory issues still blighted the sector, crypto tokens should be recognized as assets. He went on to outline these issues, mentioning the need for fraud-fighting measures, a system of consumer protection, banks rights to veto transactions and the ability to carry out traceability tests in cases of possible tax avoidance or criminal activity. Jackson added that volatility-related issues also dogged crypto adoption plans, and also opined that slow validation times, unstable trading costs and energy consumption problems could also provide barriers to mainstream adoption. Addressing such problems would not be straightforward, the political leader said, as in some cases, the cure can be worse than the disease. Regardless, Jackson said, innovation and technology require action, with fintech and crypto-related legislation needed as soon as possible. He was quoted as stating that the world of fintech was not going to be exempt from the need for government support and that we must look into how we can protect people. Jackson concluded: We have to pass a fintech law, and find a way for it to be put into place. The idea of [allowing the fintech sector] to challenge financial institutions seems to me to be fundamental. ____ Learn more: - Crypto Cheer in Chile as Exchanges Win Legal Battle - Latin American Crypto-boom in Full Swing - IMF Says Making Bitcoin a National Currency is an 'Inadvisable Shortcut' - Unconfirmed Stablecoin Report Brings Confusion Amid Bukeles Bitcoin Law - Argentinas President Calls Crypto a Hard Currency that Can Fight Inflation - Uruguay Senator Sartori Unveils Crypto Adoption and Regulation Bill Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Education featured UNT professor accused of racism continues lawsuit against the university LM Otero/AP file photo University of North Texas music theory professor Timothy Jackson, shown in his office in 2011, continues to defend himself against a claim of racism that led UNT officials to remove him from the leadership of the Journal of Schenkerian Studies. Jackson is the grandson of Jews who fled from Poland during the Holocaust, and says that his teaching career is a demonstration of his devotion to music and teaching students both white and Asian Schenkerian analysis. Courtesy photo Heinrich Schenker Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of composer Adolphus Hailstork. The attorney for a University of North Texas professor accused of racist acts and of fomenting a racist academic attack on a fellow music theorist, said depositions have weakened the universitys defense in a lawsuit. In 2020, UNT graduate students in the division of Music History, Theory and Ethnomusicology denounced Timothy Jackson, a tenured music professor and the director of the UNT Center for Schenkerian Studies on Twitter. The students also asked UNT officials to dissolve the scholarly publication he co-founded, the Journal of Schenkerian Studies. Michael Thad Allen, the attorney representing Jackson, said students and music faculty deposed by the plaintiff have admitted they gave false information to the university during its investigation, and that some didnt have firsthand knowledge of the allegations they posted online. Racist acts or a Twitter mob? In a statement circulated on social media last year, UNT students and music faculty alleged that Jackson and the journal were guilty of platforming racist sentiments in a symposium published in the journal in 2020. The symposium, made up of 15 essays (including an anonymous entry) rebutted a plenary paper by music theorist Philip Ewell that was presented at a 2019 Society for Music Theory conference. That plenary paper took aim at 20th century music theorist Heinrich Schenker and proposed that Schenker exemplified Music Theorys White Racial Frame in his work. Ewell, who is one of very few Black music theorists, said Schenker was an ardent racist whose white supremacy is reflected in his analysis of music. Ewell, who teaches music theory at Hunter College of the City University of New York, received widespread support for his work from his peers. Ewell declined to comment for this story. The students petition on Twitter led to criticism from the Society for Music Theory, which drew additional statements condemning Jackson from his colleagues in the College of Music and from faculty in other colleges across the country. The university launched an investigation of Jackson and the journal, which resulted in Jacksons removal from the journal and the defunding of the publication. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education sent a letter to UNT President Neal Smatresk and UNT College of Music Dean John Richmond last year, asking the university and college to drop the investigation of Jackson and the journal. The foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public advocacy group that defends faculty and student publications and speech from censorship. An attorney from the Foundation said Friday that UNT has yet to respond to the letter, and the foundation hasnt retracted its criticism of the university and the college. How a professor offended students, professors Specifically, critics took issue with a statement Jackson made in his paper, which was published in the symposium. While Jackson acknowledged that Black and other nonwhite Americans face barriers in classical music and music theory, he suggested that some of those barriers are self-imposed. Jackson wrote that perhaps the biggest barrier for potential Black classical musicians and music theorists lies within Black families, who largely dont profoundly value classical music. Later in his paper, Jackson discussed documented antisemitism in the Black community. In January, Jackson sued the university for violating his academic freedom and First Amendment rights. The suit also names graduate students, who attorney Michael Thad Allen said defamed the professor. We conducted a number of depositions, Allen said. Some of things that became prominent in the investigation of Timothy Im talking about things in the universitys investigation that accused Tim of extortion and racist actions, and which really amount to Timothy saying things that made them uncomfortable and hurt their feelings amount to defamation. If I accuse you... of burning a cross in someones yard and you did not do it, that is defamation in any state. The lawsuit details portions of the universitys investigations that read as dramatic, including an instance in which Jackson allegedly forced a student on the journals editorial staff into Jacksons car and coerced him not to censor submissions to the symposium the student disagreed with. In his affidavit, Jackson said he did invite the student to sit in his car to wait out a rainstorm, but said their discussion of the symposium was perfunctory, not coercive. Allen said a deposition of UNT music theory graduate student Rachel Gain was also revealing. The graduate student, Rachel these are public record this defendant admitted on record that she had no firsthand knowledge of any of these claims, Allen said. Thats a pattern with these allegations. Many of Timothys critics dont have firsthand knowledge of the claims they shared. Gain didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. Allen said the university has moved to dismiss Jacksons suit, citing sovereign immunity a legal doctrine that claims the state cant be sued in its own courts without the consent of the Texas Legislature. But the investigation of Timothy and the actions taken are a violation of his First Amendment rights, Allen said, adding the plaintiff will press forward with the case. Allen said another deposition, from UNT Music Theory professor Frank Heidlberger, showed that Jackson isnt the only journal editor who doesnt strictly adhere to a formal peer review process. Heidlberger edits a music theory journal titled Theoria. Frank Heidlberger admitted to publishing papers without peer review, and to publishing his own articles in his own journal, Allen said. These were the very things that were a complaint against Timothy. Were not suggesting that Frank or Timothy shouldnt publish their own work, work that they contribute in a field that is their specialty. But it was wrong for Timothy to do what Frank Heidlberger did? It makes no sense. And it makes no sense that its considered a conflict of interest on Timothys part, but evidently not on the part of Frank Heidlberger. Allen said Theoria also includes citation from Wikipedia, a point that caused graduate students and faculty to question the rigor and scholarship of Jacksons journal. These are the very practices that Timothy is accused of doing as editorial mismanagement, and even as evidence of systemic racism, Allen said. Has this other professor been accused of racism and investigated by an ad hoc panel? You know the answer to that is no. Smatresk hadnt responded to a request for comment by press time. Another view Kevin Scott, a Black composer, musician and conductor in New York City, has been a friend of Jacksons for years. Scott said hed followed Ewells presentation, and read the symposium in the UNT journal. Scott said its true that nonwhite students face barriers to participating in classical music. Some of the barriers are systemic, he said. And some of the barriers are much closer to the students themselves. Scott recalls growing up in a house that brimmed with jazz. My dad loved John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Art Blakey, Scott said. Duke Ellington was too highbrow. He was more into the bebop and big band. I grew up listening to this music. Then, one night, Scott was suddenly enthralled with music that concluded a popular 1960s news show, The Huntley-Brinkley Report. It was music from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and Scott said he was smitten. His love of classical music was a mystery to his father, who didnt exactly approve. Students of color who want to pursue music can start hitting snags early, he said. Part of it has to do with finding the right teacher and finding an understanding teacher who will see them as a human being and a musician, Scott said. Students need a teacher who wont see color, wont see gender, sexuality, sexual orientation or anything like that, not first. Scott wasnt ready to demonize teachers wholesale. Rather, he said, many private teachers matured in a form that is very much centered on European culture and unconsciously steeped in whiteness. You run into a lot of teachers, older teachers, who are used to one kind of student, Scott said. And a Black student or a student of color walks in, and they wonder, What are you doing here? They arent sure what brings that student into their studio. But they dont say that out loud. Because the second you say it out loud? Youre branded a racist, and it goes everywhere. The NAACP, the internet, everyone will brand you a racist. Scott said that nonwhite musicians and musical academics often encounter assumptions that they are committed to and only fluent in their own musical heritage. Gifted students who connect with a teacher, work hard and take on the competition circuit can break into professional orchestras. But for much of Americas symphonies, the bottom line is bringing in money. And that can result in programs that center on the masters, like Mozart, Beethoven and Mahler. The focus on masters means that other parts of the classical music canon including music by Black, Asian and Latino composers are neglected. Representation in the program and in the orchestra continue to skew white and Asian. Classical music is a meritocracy, Scott said, so the competition for orchestra chairs, conductor positions and composition publication and performance is fierce. And a musician who rubs an influential person the wrong way for any little reason can find it hard to get work. Black conductors have had regional success, he said, but leadership of major metropolitan orchestras has been elusive. What Ewell has pointed out, Ill give him some credit, is that there is a hierarchy that keeps some people out, Scott said. There are a lot of people in classical music who want to keep to their Euro-centric ideas, like fools. Weve always felt that the right conductor has to come from Europe, but a lot of them are not familiar with American music. They might know Gershwin, Copland, Ives, Bernstein, Barber... and maybe theyll know Duke Ellington, Scott said. So if you mention William Grant Still, Adolphus Hailstork... or Shelly Washington, they go, Who? These are great composers. Older composers know the names, but not the music. Younger conductors might not even know the names. Ultimately, Scott said he disagrees with Ewell on Schenker. Scott doesnt think Schenkerian analysis promotes racism in its structure. The only way to further his idea that white people are out to keep their music was to find a fall guy, a patsy, Scott said. Schenker said German music was the only music worth studying, with a few exceptions. Schenker thought Wagner was the end of German music. What Ewell did, he tries to introduce these hierarchy of tones, and this is the biggest piece of hogwash, that in these tones Schenker was expressing this racism. It just doesnt work. Scott said the recent interest in promoting Black art and anti-racism comes from good intentions. He said the promotion of Black artists and music can be a real contribution. The murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor changed some things, he said. The interest is there because of genuine concern. The people who do these things out of genuine concern will stay with it. People who are doing this because its the news of the moment will leave it behind in a second. Related You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The pandemic accelerated digital transformation faster than anyone could have anticipated, and service providers have needed to adapt just as quickly. In regions such as Southeast Asia, the scale of the challenge is clear a colossal population which previously had more limited internet access has suddenly shifted to conducting the majority of its business online. Data centre activity has ramped up in the region, and while enterprises have adapted, they know that the situation is constantly in flux and demand is only increasing. Against this backdrop, we spoke to Epsilons Managing Director for Asia-Pacific Warren Aw to discuss how the firms Infiny network-as-a-service platform offers companies and organisations flexible connectivity with a built-in global ecosystem. Talk us through Epsilons network-as-a-service platform why is it so relevant in SE Asia? We call it Infiny we developed it in-house three years ago, so its not new to us. We were one of the earliest organisations to provide such a service. It removes a lot of the complexities from ordering network services; traditionally when someone wants to order a network service, they have to call someone, get a quote, decide if they want to go ahead, sign an order form, there may be some back and forth and then it comes time for provisioning and this could be anything from 4-12 weeks and when its time to upgrade, this entire process has to be repeated. Infiny removes all these complexities if a customer has registered an account with us and ordered a port with cross-connect, this is essentially an order from the data centre so it will require the normal lead time. As long as those components are ordered, they can go to the platform online, pick the locations they want to connect, check the pricing, click Order, and then the service will be provisioned in near-real time. For example, if they require more bandwidth in six months time, they can go back to the Infiny portal and go through the same quick process to upgrade it. This makes things much easier by removing a lot of complexities. There are a couple of factors that make this particularly relevant in the Southeast Asia region. The first is the proliferation of cloud service providers AWS, Azure, AliCloud, etc and the second is that adoption has rapidly increased as a result of the pandemic. Two years worth of digital transformation happened in around four months, and this has hugely boosted adoption which in turn has resulted in more eCommerce firms, each with their own user base. As they gain customers, these companies need more cloud computing resources their cloud experience is only as good as their connectivity. Thats where we become relevant the key value proposition of cloud is agility and flexibility, but if you look at the connectivity space its not like that theres a traditional way of doing things, so if a provider needs to connect to the cloud theres typically a minimum 12 month contract. Infiny actually compliments the cloud service providers because its agile our contracts are flexible, with a minimum of one month. When organisations order cloud services and need connectivity to use them, they look at Infiny and realise its end-to-end and effectively pay-as-you-use. This has made the service increasingly relevant in this region. The need for scalability and agility is very important in this market. Data centre activity is also exploding in this region is this driven by the increasing prevalence of cloud service providers? Absolutely, its a chain of events with cloud adoption going up, it leads to a need for more space and power, and that requires more data centres, so organisations start building them. However, they dont exist as an island they need to be connected, and thats another area where Infiny can play a part. It has an ecosystem of 250+ data centres globally, and its connected to all the major cloud service providers and internet exchanges, so it helps customers become part of this ecosystem. Either the data centre can get connectivity the traditional way by approaching different service providers and telcos, offering rack space etc, but alternatively with Epsilon we can connect the data centre to the Infiny platform to give it immediate access to the existing ecosystem. This makes the data centre more valuable to potential customers if theyre considering collocating in a data centre, theyll want to know about its ecosystem and how easy it is to connect to their desired markets. If we look at a market like Indonesia, we can play a part by making the data centres more available to investors and potential customers, as well as making it easier for them to get more customers on board and therefore do more business. What are the key issues surrounding security in this ecosystem? The connectivity portion of Infiny is run through a Layer 2 network its not connected to the public internet, and in a sense this removes most cybersecurity threats. A lot of organisations use public internet when they begin cloud adoption; were connecting our customers directly to cloud service providers using a private Layer 2 MEF-certified network. It doesnt go through the public internet at all, and more and more organisations are looking for this kind of cloud access its something cloud providers are all offering. We use this option as cyber threats are increasing everywhere theyve risen tremendously during the pandemic, so internet connectivity increasingly requires different kinds of systems to increase the security posture. This service is essentially a private network; the customer doesnt face the public internet. How do you see Infiny evolving in the Southeast Asia market? Its really about adoption; if you look at Indonesia, the population is around 271 million. The Philippines is 108 million; Thailand around 69 million. From there, with the pandemic going on, it changes peoples lives. Theyre getting used to working and living in a different way, and once this becomes normal then going to eCommerce websites to buy food, daily necessities or indeed anything is also normalised. Once adoption of such services grows, well start to see more eCommerce organisations appearing in the region, and this will increase the need for cloud services. In turn, this creates a value chain adoption of Infiny will increase. This process is still going on, but thats for CSPs if you look at the data centre industry, you see a lot of new entrants. Theres money being put into different data centres worldwide, and this will be going on for at least the next 3-5 years and with more data centres, Infiny will only become more relevant. Its a very exciting time for Infiny - the process that was accelerated so much last year is set to continue. Spanish technology services company Lleida.net has signed contracts with the postal operators of five African countries to provide them exclusively with digital postal services and registered electronic communications technology. The national postal operators of The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea and Madagascar have committed to the framework agreement signed in July (and reported on this website) by Lleida.net, eGate (its partner in North Africa) and the Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU) to distribute the Spanish company's patented technology in Africa under the name DigitalPost.Africa. The 27th Congress of the Universal Postal Union (held in Abidjan from 9 27 August) was a backdrop to the signing. The Universal Postal Union Congress has this year welcomed 900 representatives from 190 countries. As part of the services it is offering, Lleidanet SaaS Middle East and Africa DMCC will offer its new partners digital postal services through registered electronic communications mainly registered emails, registered SMS and registered e-statements. With the signing of these five new national postal operators, Lleida.net now serves the postal companies of 11 countries, including South Africa, Colombia and the United Arab Emirates. Established in 1980, the Pan-African Postal Union is an international organisation under the African Union, created to coordinate the 55 postal services across the continent and to drive postal innovation. The Filipinos repatriated from Vietnam arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, the Philippines, August 15, 2021. Photo by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs The Philippine government repatriated 271 citizens from Hanoi and HCMC affected by economic difficulties via a charter flight Sunday. The repatriated Filipinos, 163 from Ho Chi Minh City and 108 from Hanoi, were facing economic difficulties and travel restrictions brought about by the prolonged Covid crisis, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs stated. This was the second repatriation flight from Vietnam this year, with the first having brought 144 stranded Filipinos home to their country. The Philippine Embassy in Hanoi said the Vietnamese government helped facilitate the exit visas of many of the Filipinos while assisting with the swift approval of the chartered flight, allowing all "necessary conditions for the stranded Filipinos to move through various regions in Vietnam in the midst of strict social distancing measures." Last year, the Philippines government also organized several repatriation flights to bring its citizens stuck in Vietnam home. Vietnam is currently facing its most challenging Covid outbreak so far, triggered by the Delta variant, prompting localities to impose travel restrictions or tighten lockdown measures to control the pandemic. The Philippine government earlier removed Vietnam from its list of 'green' countries and territories that have a low coronavirus risk due to rising fears of the Delta variant. In more than three months since the new wave started, Vietnam has recorded nearly 271,000 infections. Centuries ago, the British and Russian empires staged the so-called 'great game' over Afghanistan, due to its strategic positioning between the Middle East, China and India. While those empires may be gone, Afghanistan remains in place and the Taliban will need to contend with new powers such as Iran, Pakistan, and China. Iran Iran's President Raisi claimed the US defeat was an "opportunity for lasting peace," in Afghanistan. The exit of a sizeable US military presence so close to home will be welcome for the Iranian government, but there will be difficult negotiations ahead with Afghanistan's new rulers. Importantly, Iran is a Shia Muslim dominated country, and sees itself as the defender of Shia Islam in the region. Afghanistan has a sizeable Shia minority, and the Taliban are of the Sunni sect of Islam. The Taliban policy towards these minorities could prove a barrier to good relations with their western neighbor. Iran has already said they want good ties with the new Afghanistan, a pragmatic move as both countries will try and keep the US out of the region. Pakistan Pakistan and the Taliban have had a close relationship in the past, in which the IRI, Pakistan's version of the CIA, funded the Taliban before they first came to power in 1996. A friendly Afghanistan helps Pakistan in isolating India, their neighbor and regional ally. However, support for the Taliban would distance Pakistan from the US and likely prevent investment in the country. Husain Haqqani, the former ambassador to the US, wrote in Foreign Affairs that "Islamist extremism has already divided Pakistani society along sectarian lines, and the ascendance of Afghan Islamists next door will only embolden radicals at home." The inevitable refugee crisis that will arrive in the following months will be directed toward Pakistan; the countries share a long border which is very porous. Pakistan may want a cozy relationship with the Taliban, but one in which they can exert some influence. China China has already said that they are willing to work with the Taliban, and they would respect the "choices" of the Afghan people. The situation in Afghanistan has already undergone a major transformation, and we respect the wishes and choices of the Afghan people, said Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for Chinas foreign ministry. China has shown they will have pragmatic alliances with ideologically opposed parties and with their 'Belt and Road' initiative a key part of Chinese policy, a friendly Afghanistan will be needed to allow an expansion of the project. The initiatve is a Chinese trade and investment plan across the old Silk Road, from China through Central Asia to Turkey and Russia. Another aspect for China to consider in their relationship with the Taliban is the latter's relationship with China's Uighur Muslim minority. Afghanistan shares a slim border with China, and China has been determined in recent years to break up the separatism in Xinjiang. The Taliban met the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, last month when they came to an agreement that the Taliban would not sponsor terrorism in China. The Philippines on Sunday recorded its first case of a new coronavirus variant in the country, adding to concerns over the spread of the mutation after it first emerged in Peru in December 2020. By April 2021, 80 percent of new cases in the Latin American nation were attributed to the new variant, known as Lambda. As the battle against the Delta variant rages globally, scientists are increasingly concerned by the potential for Lambda to create another front. As of 16 August, there have been fewer than 5,000 cases of Lambda recorded worldwide - by contrast the UK alone has reported almost 250,000 Delta cases - but the variant has now been recorded in 41 countries and is believed to be more infectious and vaccine-resistant than other mutations. The World Health Organization has designated Lambda a variant of interest, a scale down from Delta, Gamma, Alpha and Beta, which are listed as variants of concern. A variant of interest is broadly categorized by the WHO as carrying mutations suspected of causing a change in transmissibility or causing more severe disease, but one that it is still under investigation. Is the Lambda variant vaccine-resistant? A study carried out in Chile supports the theory that Lambda may be resistant to vaccine antibodies, in addition to being highly infectious. Mutations present in the the spike protein of the Lambda variant of interest confer increased infectivity and immune escape from neutralizing antibodies, the researchers concluded. A research team in Japan reached similar conclusions about Lambdas potential ability to evade vaccine antibodies and noted the presence of two mutations, T761 and L542Q, which make the variant extremely infectious, leading senior researcher Kei Sato of the University of Tokyo to suggest: "Lambda can be a potential threat to the human society." Lambda variant may already be receding There is encouraging news, though, with several infectious diseases experts telling Reuters that Lamba may already be receding. Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California, said the percentage of new Lambda cases reported to GISAID, a database that tracks SARS-CoV-2 variants, has been dropping, a sign that the variant is waning. In a recent call with the CDC, disease experts said Lambda did not appear to be causing increased transmissibility, and vaccines appear to be holding up well against it, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who attended the discussion. Lambda variant: what are the symptoms? Symptoms of infection with the Lambda variant are the same as with any other variant of covid-19 and are listed by the UK NHS as being: Why has the US left Afghanistan? President Biden has claimed back in July that the US had accomplished its goals in Afghanistan. He said in the July 8 remarks that the goals were to get justice for the September 11 attacks and to degrade the terrorist threat that Afghanistan posed. It seems these remarks were hopelessly misjudged after the events of the last week. Osama bin Laden was caught, and executed, but not in Afghanistan. He was found hiding in its neighbor, Pakistan. While Al-Qaeda has not threatened the US in the last decade and a half, other terrorist cells have posed huge threats to global security. The return of the Taliban could put the US under as much threat as it felt from Afghanistan back in 2001, and the British defense secretary Ben Wallace thinks that Al-Qaeda "will probably come back," after the Taliban victory. In reality, the US and NATO are tired of the war. Biden claimed the US was not in Afghanistan for a "nation-building project," but a 20-year military presence undoubtedly produced some sort of nation whether it was the intention or not. Maybe senior American commanders genuinely thought the Afghans could defend their state against the Taliban on their own, but evidence such as the abandonment of Bagram airbase overnight without telling the Afghans, shows the amount of respect and trust the US felt toward their allies. The rapidly deteriorating military situation, in which the whole country collapsed in just two weeks, shows how wrong the public statements were. Although polling has not taken place since the fall of Kabul, the withdrawal of American troops was viewed overwhelmingly positively by the American electorate. A poll by Chicago Council found 70% of Americans supported leaving Afghanistan, while 29% opposed it. The pictures coming out from Kabul may swing public opinion when people are confronted with the fall out of the withdrawal. How many soldiers did the US have in Afghanistan? Despite a high-water mark of 100,000 US troops in the country, during the Obama administration in 2011, the number of combat forces was reduced in 2014 to around 10,000. This coincided with the withdrawal of other NATO soldiers, with close ally Great Britain's soldiers departing in 2014. And although there was a growth of troops to 14,000 during the Trump presidency, the signing of the Doha agreement set in motion the plan to remove all US and NATO troops and the only remaining soldiers are those assisting the evacuation. How long was the US invasion? After the September 11 attacks in 2001, former President George Bush demanded that Afghanistan, then ruled by the Taliban, surrender the head of Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, who as hiding in the country. When this was declined, the US invaded on 7 October 2001 and has been embroiled in the war ever since. Between then and the fall of Kabul on August 15, the war was waged for close to twenty years. In comparison, US involvement in the Second World War and Vietnam was under four years and eleven years respectively, making it the longest war in the United States' history. How many have died? Since 2001, there have been more than 3,500 deaths of NATO coalition soldiers. Almost 4,000 defense contractors have also been killed, and well over 30,000 members of the coalition were wounded. In addition, more than 65,000 members of the Afghani Security Forces and police have been killed. There is no official death count for Taliban fighters called. The Watson Institute estimated that around 51,000 fighters have died, but the researchers preface the figure by saying it is most likely an undercount. From the civilian side, around 71,000 Afghani and Pakistani civilians have died due to the war. The war has also led to the internal displacement of 3.2 million Afghans, with at least 2.1 million fleeing to other countries. President Joe Biden will return to the White House from Camp David on Monday to deliver remarks on Afghanistan, the White House said. Biden will speak at 3:45 p.m. (12:45 PT), it said. Latest Kabul reports AP claim that the US Central Command has been negotiating with senior Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar. They are reporting that there has been an agreement that the Taliban would not interfere with the evacuation proceedings of Afghan citizens. The evacuation has been slowed by thousands of people fleeing to the runways in hope of being taken out of the country. There have been videos showing people falling from the planes as they clung on to the wheels after takeoff. Airport evacuation US forces are working with Turkish and other international troops to clear Kabul airport to allow international evacuation flights to resume, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Monday. Kirby told a news briefing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had authorized the deployment of another battalion to Kabul that would bring the number of troops guarding the evacuation to about 6,000. Today's address will be the first time that Biden will speak publicly on Afghanistan after the Taliban's quick return to taking control in the Asian country. The address can be followed via the White House social media channels and for all the latest Afghanistan news, follow our live latest news blog. SHANGHAI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- 2020 Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition (SISIVC), a world-class violin competition hosted by the Chinese metropolis, on Friday held its quarterfinal round online after one-year postponement. A total of 25 musicians from 13 countries and regions including China, the United States, Japan and Russia participated in this round. The quarterfinal round has been scheduled from Aug. 13 to 16, while the semifinal will be held from Aug. 18 to 21, both online. The events will be broadcast globally through multiple channels. Six finalists will be announced on Aug. 22, and they will participate in person in the final round scheduled in Shanghai next year, performing with a quartet and symphony orchestra. Named after the renowned violinist Isaac Stern, the competition was first held in 2016 and has been held biennially since then. Japanese violinist Mayu Kishima won the first prize in 2016 and the 2018 event's top prize went to Nancy Zhou from the United States. Though the competition was postponed due to COVID-19, it is still titled "2020 SISIVC" as the year 2020 marked the 100th birth anniversary of Isaac Stern. Despite moving online, the competition will maintain its overall difficulty level and standard, with an authoritative line-up of jury members from the classical music industry, including well-known conductor David Stern, son of Isaac Stern. "Although affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition will still provide opportunities for potential contestants with scientific selection mechanism," said Yu Long, head of the event's organizing committee. "We hope this competition will not only bring fresh blood to the global music industry but also help spread the voice and music of China." The competition offers one of the biggest prizes among international music competitions, with the top award of 100,000 U.S. dollars. Enditem Editor: JYZ By Andrew Birse Learning Chinese is a rewarding experience as it gives you the opportunity to communicate with more than a billion people. The Chinese language has the most number of first language speakers in the world, and about 80.72 percent of China's population spoke Putonghua, or Mandarin Chinese, in 2020. Chinese is often viewed as a mysterious and difficult language in other countries, with its character-based writing system very different to the Roman alphabet. Upon beginning to study Chinese, the obscurity can disappear fast. You may find that Chinese is actually not much more difficult than learning any other language. One advantage is that Chinese does not require memorizing the kind of complex tenses found in European languages. Although there is certainly a learning curve for non-native speakers, in my experience the basics in Chinese can be picked up pretty fast. You will certainly find differences between the language as taught in textbooks and peoples everyday speech. One example of this is the difference between language on the street and written Chinese, compounded by the impact of modern lifestyles such as internet culture, which frequently produce new phrases and vocabulary. The fast pace of life nowadays means people often use short, less conversational phrases to communicate with each other. China has many provinces and dialects vary. After becoming accustomed to the Beijing dialect with its rising and falling tones and harsh r, one may find it hard to understand Shanghai dialect with its gentler tones, slipping s sounds and own unique vocabulary. Thus the language which Chinese people speak today contains many new developments, a potential obstacle for the learner, no matter how familiar they are with the textbook. I hope that one day more Chinese courses are able to incorporate real spoken Chinese, resembling the way in which Chinese people speak daily, to help bridge the gap between learners and native speakers. Being able to speak a language very different from your own may be part of the appeal for non-native speakers showing interest in the language. Another factor may be the beauty and charm of the Chinese writing system and calligraphy or shufa. Especially given Chinas recent fast economic development, many would see learning Chinese as a good opportunity and more people would certainly study it if given the opportunity at a young age, which would also pique their interest in the culture. Editor: JYZ Photo taken on August 15, 2021 shows that students queued up at the gate of a high school to register for the new semester in southwest Chinas Guizhou Province. As the new semester approaches, students in Guizhou are allowed to return in batches after schools reopen. (Fan Hui/Guangming Picture) 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. KABUL, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- With the hasty withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan, conflicts between Taliban militants and Afghan government forces have been intensifying, leading to a rapid deterioration of security in the war-battered country in recent months. Here is a timeline of the recent situation changes in Afghanistan: Aug. 15: -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has left the country, head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council Abdullah Abdullah confirmed on Sunday evening. -- The Taliban ordered its forces to enter Kabul city after encircling it for hours. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that Taliban got inside the city to provide security for the countrymen and ensure law and order. -- A curfew was imposed in Kabul starting 21:00 local time on Sunday to prevent violence. -- Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told media he could confirm there were talks with the presidential palace about a peaceful takeover of power. Aug. 13: -- Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on social media that the Taliban had seized Kandahar, capital of the southern province of Kandahar; Herat, capital of western Herat province; Qala-e-Naw, capital of western Badghis province; Qalat, capital of southern Zabul province; Lashkar Gah, capital of southern Helmand province; Pul-e-Alam, capital of eastern Logar province; Tirin Kot, capital of the southern province of Uruzgan; and Firoz Koah, capital of the western province of Ghor. By then, the group had reportedly taken 18 provincial capitals of the country's 34 provinces. -- British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace said the U.S. decision to pull its troops out of Afghanistan was a "mistake," adding that the U.S. withdrawal "causes a lot of problems and as an international community, it's very difficult for what we're seeing today." -- The Pentagon said that Afghan Taliban militants were trying to isolate the capital city Kabul and the situation on the ground is "deeply concerning." Aug. 12: -- Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, confirmed that Taliban militants had overrun Ghazni, the capital city of the east Afghan province of Ghazni, 150 km from the national capital Kabul. -- The White House announced that the United States was withdrawing personnel from its embassy in Kabul amid the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, and would deploy 3,000 troops to Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport to facilitate the drawdown. -- Representatives of countries taking part in the Doha international meeting on Afghanistan called on the Afghan warring parties to expedite the peace process, and reach a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire as quickly as possible. Aug. 11: -- Taliban militants overran Pul-e-Khumri city, capital of northern Baghlan province and Faizabad city, capital of neighboring Badakhshan province, local media reported. -- President Ghani travelled to Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of northern Balkh province. A security meeting was underway in the city. -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan told local media that Islamabad was not taking sides in Afghanistan, and that Pakistan had "made it very clear" that it does not want any American military bases in Pakistan after U.S. forces exit Afghanistan. Aug. 10: -- U.S. President Joe Biden said that Afghan troops must fight for themselves as multiple cities have fallen to the Taliban. The United States will continue to provide Afghan forces with close air support, food, equipment, and salaries, he said. Aug. 8: -- Taliban militants took control over Taluqan city, capital of Afghanistan's northern Takhar province, according to a Taliban spokesman. -- Earlier in the day, the militant group seized Sari Pul city, capital of northern Sari Pul province while it also gained ground in Kunduz city, capital of Kunduz province, in the west of Takhar. Aug. 6: -- Taliban militants captured Zaranj city, capital of Afghanistan's western Nimroz province, said a Taliban spokesman. -- Zaranj, the smallest Afghan provincial capital, was the first Afghan city seized by Taliban militants since the U.S. withdrawal from the country started on May 1. -- Afghanistan is at a historic conjuncture of war and peace, Dai Bing, charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, told the Security Council. The international community should work, following the principle of Afghan leadership and Afghan ownership, to strengthen coordination and contribute positive energy to the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, he said. Aug. 5: -- The European Union released a statement, condemning the significant escalation of violence across Afghanistan, and calling for "an urgent, comprehensive and permanent ceasefire." "This senseless violence is inflicting immense suffering upon Afghan citizens ... The Taliban's military offensive is in direct contradiction to their stated commitment to a negotiated settlement of the conflict," it said. Aug. 2: -- Ghani blamed the withdrawal of U.S. troops for the worsening situation, and revealed a six-month security plan to change the security situation in the conflict-battered country. July 8: -- An intra-Afghan dialogue held between high-ranking delegates of the Afghan government and the Taliban group concluded in Iran's capital Tehran. -- The Afghan government and the Taliban group agreed that war is not a solution to Afghanistan's political conflicts, and that they should endeavor to reach a political and peaceful solution to the differences among the parties concerned, said the statement released at the end of the meeting. -- Biden said that U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31. -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: "The United States is not just withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan: by doing that, it is admitting the failure of its mission." July 6: -- The U.S. Central Command said that the U.S. military had completed over 90 percent of the withdrawal. July 2: -- A spokesperson of the Afghan Defense Ministry confirmed that all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan have evacuated the Bagram Airfield near the Afghan capital Kabul and handed over the largest coalition base to the Afghan government troops. May 1: -- U.S. and NATO troops began to pull out from Afghanistan. Editor: WXL Investigators of the National Police of Ukraine are analyzing CCTV footage from the place of death of the mayor of Kryvyi Rih Kostiantyn Pavlov, said head of the National Police Directorate in Dnipropetrovsk region Anatoliy Shchadylo. "A detailed inspection of the scene was made. The video surveillance cameras are being analyzed. ... The information that was on the server is being processed today. We do not see other people on the video, a detailed analysis is being carried out," said Schadylo at a briefing on Monday. Law enforcement officers said that one wound from the Saiga semi-automatic rifle was found on the body of the deceased. The weapon seized at the scene was sent for a comprehensive examination. Shchadylo recalled that law enforcement officers are considering three versions of what happened - murder, suicide, and careless handling of weapons. "The version of incitement to suicide is not excluded, any version will be checked," he added. As reported, the murder of Pavlov was announced by MP and co-chairman of the Opposition Platform - For Life party Vadym Rabinovych, as well as producer general of the 112 Ukraine TV channel, ex-candidate for MP from the Opposition Platform - For Life party Artem Marchevsky. The media reported that Pavlov, according to preliminary data, committed suicide in his own house in the village of Vilne of Kryvyi Rih district of Dnipropetrovsk region, and a gun was found next to his body. Pictures from the scene published on social networks show that the deceased is lying on the threshold of his private home with the doors open. The National Police of Ukraine opened criminal proceedings into the death of Pavlov. The police confirmed the information about his death. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky intends to hear from law enforcement officers on Monday. Law enforcement officers have previously established that the death of the mayor of Kryvyi Rih Kostiantyn Pavlov occurred approximately at about 6:00-7:00 a.m., said Oleh Slypchuk, deputy head of the National Police Directorate in Dnipropetrovsk region. "In accordance with the examination with the participation of a forensic expert, we preliminarily establish the possibility of this event - this is morning, approximately 6:00-6:30-7:00 a.m. yesterday, on August 15," Slypchuk said at a briefing on Monday. As reported, Pavlov's death became known on the evening of August 15. The National Police of Ukraine opened criminal proceedings under Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (premeditated murder). The investigation is considering three main versions of the incident: murder, suicide, and careless handling of weapons. The version of incitement to suicide is not excluded. It is noted that one wound from the Saiga rifle was found on the body of the deceased. The weapon seized at the scene was sent for a comprehensive examination. Up to 50 Ukrainian citizens continue to stay in Afghanistan, diplomats are clarifying which of them wants to be evacuated, said Oleh Nikolenko, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. "According to the Foreign Ministry, up to 50 Ukrainians continue to stay in Afghanistan. Communication has now been established with almost all of them, diplomats are clarifying which of them wants to be evacuated," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. According to the spokesman, in parallel, possible ways of safe evacuation are being worked out, including using the capabilities of foreign partners. "We are keeping the situation under special control," he assured. Nikolenko also recalled that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba instructed to urgently strengthen the Ukrainian Embassy in Dushanbe, which is responsible for Afghanistan. "Now two Ukrainian diplomatic missions at once - in Tajikistan and Pakistan - are monitoring the situation and are ready to help our citizens," he explained. As reported, on the eve, the Ukrainian plane took out 79 people from Afghanistan: eight citizens of Ukraine, as well as citizens of the Netherlands, Croatia, Belarus, and Afghanistan. Extraordinary mayoral elections in Kryvyi Rih are likely to take place in March next year, deputy head of the Servant of the People faction Yevhenia Kravchuk predicts. "According to the procedure in October, this is no longer possible, since the electoral process, in particular the formation of commissions, starts at the end of August. Elections are appointed through a vote in the Verkhovna Rada, and before that a certain procedure must be followed - the decision of the town council of Kryvyi Rih, which accordingly sends a package of documents to the relevant committee, then it is considered by the committee and the MPs vote in the hall of the Verkhovna Rada. Therefore, most likely, the first date on which the elections can be scheduled is the end of March next year - March 27," Kravchuk told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. She recalled that according to the Electoral Code, regular and early elections are held on the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October. As reported, Pavlov's death became known on the evening of August 15. The National Police of Ukraine opened criminal proceedings under Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (premeditated murder). The investigation is considering three main versions of the incident: murder, suicide, and careless handling of weapons. The version of incitement to suicide is not excluded. It is noted that one wound from the Saiga rifle was found on the body of the deceased. The weapon seized at the scene was sent for a comprehensive examination. Spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko has said that some of the citizens of Afghanistan, evacuated from this country to Ukraine, asked to be granted refugee status. "If we talk about foreigners, those citizens who had the proper passport documents were immediately registered to enter Ukraine, in particular, some of the citizens of Afghanistan had a residence permit in Ukraine. Some of the foreigners, again citizens of Afghanistan, applied for protection to be granted refugee status in Ukraine," Demchenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. According to him, many of the citizens of Afghanistan later went to other countries, in particular, to France, Turkey and several other countries of the world. "Some of those who still need protection or stay and have nowhere to go, have now been transferred to representatives of the State Migration Service, who will deal with them in the future," Demchenko explained. He indicated that the placement of such citizens would be handled by the State Migration Service of Ukraine. Also, the spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service noted that citizens who arrived in Ukraine underwent all preliminary checks, since their departure from Afghanistan took place with the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. He clarified that other state bodies, including law enforcement agencies, were involved in such checks. As reported, the Ukrainian plane, which was in Afghanistan, evacuated eight Ukrainian citizens from Kabul, and also evacuated another 71 people, including citizens of the Netherlands, Croatia, Belarus, and Afghanistan. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, up to 50 Ukrainian citizens continue to stay in Afghanistan. Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) has decided to stop flying through Afghan airspace on flights to Delhi (India) as crisis in this country has aggravated. "Back on [last] Friday, the airline conducted its own assessment of the risks of flying above the territory of Afghanistan in connection with the current situation in the country. Taking into account the identified increase in the level of threat to flights, UIA decided to changed course and exited Afghanistan's airspace on flights to Delhi to ensure an adequate security of flights," the airline told Interfax-Ukraine. To date, a number of international airlines have already decided to reroute flights out of the airspace of Afghanistan. Kabul International Airport on Sunday suspended servicing commercial flights, the Associated Press reported on the evening of the same day, citing representatives of the U.S. forces. At the same time, the evacuation from Kabul secured by the U.S. forces continues. Ceasefire observed in Donbas since beginning of this day JFO HQ Since the beginning of this day, Russia-occupation forces in Donbas have been observing the terms of the ceasefire regime, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters said. "Since the beginning of the current day, there have been no ceasefire violations by Russian invaders," the headquarters said on Facebook on Monday. It notes that the Ukrainian army is in full control of the situation in the JFO area, restraining Russia-occupation forces and observing the ceasefire. On Tuesday, August 17, at 12.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Dynamics of socio-political attitudes, assessments of Ukrainian population" based on the results of a monitoring survey of Ukraine's population. Participants include Chairperson of the Board of the Social Monitoring Center Olha Balakireva, Director of the Social Monitoring Center Dmytro Dmytruk (8/5a Reitarska Street). The press conference will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot. The Housing Committee of Egypts House of Representatives decided to open a public dialogue over the law regulating the relationship between tenants and landlords, Ihab Mansour, deputy chairman of the committee, told the media on Sunday. "Following President (Abdel-Fattah) El-Sisi's comments (on Saturday), the Housing Committee has a duty to open a public dialogue over the law," said Mansour, adding that "more than 10 MPs have drafted legislative amendments over the past five years, all aiming to change the old landlord-tenant relationship to unfreeze old rents. "All these draft amendments reached deadlock because there was no response from the government," said Mansour. "Now, however, following President El-Sisi's remarks, the committee should move to change the old rent law concerning housing units, shopping stores, and offices. "But first we should open a social dialogue to listen to the viewpoints of both landlords and tenants," he added. Mansour revealed that the committee had previously discussed the law regulating the old rent of non-housing units, including commercial units and offices. "But the law was not passed because the government failed to provide the House with the necessary figures and statistics on the number of commercial units regulated by old rents," said Mansour. "Let's begin with amending the rents of non-housing units and then move on to housing units." In an open discussion with members of "the Egyptian Family" initiative on Saturday, President El-Sisi touched upon a range of economic and social issues, including the old rent law. El-Sisi said the solution is to provide more houses to the people. The president stated that there should be a balance between the needs of the owners and tenants. "The rent of some housing units in downtown Cairo stands at just EGP 20 a month though its market value exceeds millions of Egyptian pounds. This is completely unfair for landlords who should enjoy the value of their housing units," said El-Sisi. Landlords have long demanded that the law issued in 1964 to regulate the relationship between tenants and landlords be amended to change its articles freezing rents. In 1996, the government amended the law to state that rent in new buildings shall not be frozen. However, the law does not apply to buildings constructed prior to the amendment. Short link: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed to his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra on Sunday Egypts full solidarity with Algeria amid the wildfires that killed dozens and injured scores of people north of the country throughout the week. In a phone call with Lamamra, Shoukry re-extended Egypts condolences to Algeria and its people, especially to the families of the victims of the fires that have raged in many Algerian provinces, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read. Shoukry wished a speedy recovery for the injured. Algerian authorities estimate the number of deaths at 90, including many soldiers, as firefighters, civilians, and the army have been battling dozens of blazes that have ravaged the country's north since 9 August. France, Spain, and Russia dispatched helicopters to help Algeria beat the blaze. Wildfires have also been raging in other Mediterranean countries amid the blistering heat wave. The Algerian government blames the fires on arsons as well. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced the arrest of 22 suspects for arsons. Short link: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will hold talks on Monday in Cairo with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi. The ministers are expected to discuss boosting cooperation between Egypt and Japan in many fields as well as developments in regional and international issues of mutual concern. Short link: Egypt seeks to inoculate 800,000 people per day to increase the number of vaccinated citizens against the coronavirus to 35.353 million in an average of 88 days, a cabinet statement cited Health Minister Hala Zayed as saying on Monday. More than 155,000 people were jabbed on Sunday, Zayed said in a meeting of the higher committee for managing the coronavirus crisis, headed by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. Zayed said 5.788 million messages were sent to citizens who registered to receive the vaccine, the statement read. The health ministry is operating 580 vaccination centres nationwide, including 134 centres for travellers, Zayed added. The health ministry has been receiving innoculation requests from the public on its official page since March. It was noted during the meeting that more than 90 percent of the elderly at care homes have been vaccinated, the statement added. Egypt started its coronavirus vaccination campaign in January this year, starting with medical staff, while its campaign to vaccinate citizens, prioritising the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases, started in March. The government has set a goal to vaccinate 40 million citizens by the end of the year using the AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovac, Sputnik and Johnson & Johnson vaccines it has imported. Egypt this month received its first shipment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, comprising 261,600 doses. Zayed said last week that 700,000 doses of the American vaccine will be administered to the public in the coming period. Egypt also received on Friday night 1,766,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the COVAX initiative. 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. Egypt plans to produce millions of Sinovac and Sputnik doses annually to cover the local and African needs. Early in July, Zayed said the ministry seeks to produce 80 million vaccine shots this year. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus began in Egypt in February 2020, the country has reported 285,358 coronavirus cases and 16,619 related deaths, the minister said. The weekly coronavirus infections worldwide have increased by up to 6.03 percent and related deaths have risen by 3.7 percent, Zayed said during the meeting. The coronavirus infection count worldwide is expected to reach 300 million by 2022, she noted. Vaccinating university, school staff priority Madbouly noted at the cabinet meeting that the government is prioritising the vaccination of teaching staff, workers, employees and students at universities and institutes. This comes as per the directives of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to set an executive plan to vaccinate these cadres as well as school teachers before the beginning of the academic year. Vaccinating employees at the state's administrative authorities is ongoing as well, Madbouly added. Zayed said vaccination facilities at university hospitals originally allocated to vaccinate medical staff will be committed to vaccinate university workers too. Each institute and research centre will also establish its own vaccination clinic, Zayed added. The health ministry will provide these vaccination facilities with medical staff, devices required for vaccination registration, and sufficient vaccine shots, Zayed said. These vaccination facilities will be committed to administer the second shot to higher education staff before the beginning of the academic year, the minister added. University hospitals will be tasked with vaccinating higher education students during the medical examination ahead of their first school year, according to Zayed. These hospitals will also be assigned to schedule the vaccination of university students in higher grades, she noted. School staff will be able to register on the health ministrys vaccination website under a new category named workers at the education ministry, the statement cited Zayed as saying. The Ministry of Education will inform its employees to register on the website before 7 September, Zayed said. The health ministry will then send them messages with the dates to receive the two vaccine shots before the beginning of the academic year. Local vaccine production strategic choice During the cabinet meeting, Madbouly stressed the need to increase the efforts to provide the coronavirus vaccine for citizens to reduce infections, the statement read. He affirmed the need to stick to the precautionary measures against the coronavirus to avoid its spread again. The local manufacturing of vaccines is a strategic choice, Madbouly said, stressing the states continuous efforts to produce vaccines locally. He said the country is trying to bring in big companies to cooperate with Egypt in manufacturing the vaccines, making them available for local use as well as for African countries. In a meeting with Zayed last week, African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) President Benedict Oramah said the bank is willing to cooperate the Egypt to produce various types of coronavirus vaccines to protect the African peoples health. During the meeting, Oramah hailed the huge production capacity that Egyptian drug factories have in terms of producing medicines and vaccines, a statement by the health ministry read. Zayed stressed that Egypt wants to meet the vaccination needs of African states after covering Egypts inoculation requirements. Egypt is able to manufacture different types of vaccines to combat various diseases in the African continent, Zayed noted. She added that Egypt is ready to transfer its manufacturing technology to African states and to send medical teams to exchange expertise. Short link: Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Monday that Japan has agreed to cooperate with Egypt, as an influential power in the Islamic world, to ensure that the recent developments in Afghanistan do not cause further unrest. Motegi made the remarks in a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry after they met for talks in Cairo. Motegi also met earlier with Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. On Sunday, the Taliban overran the Afghan capital Kabul, leading to the collapse of the government and the flight of President Ashraf Ghani from the country. These developments took place amid the US troop withdrawal from the country after 20 years of war. Tens of thousands of Afghans have attempted to escape the city, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying on Sunday that the Talibans takeover took place more quickly than we anticipated. Motegi said he shared with President El-Sisi and Shoukry, during their Monday talks, Japan's concerns about the situation in Afghanistan. The Japanese FM urged all concerned parties to work on restoring security and order and ensure that lives and property in Afghanistan are protected. Suez Canal crisis During the press conference, Motegi thanked the Egyptian government for resolving the issue of the container ship that was stranded in the Suez Canal earlier this year. The ship, owned by Japanese firm Shoei Kisen, ran aground in the Suez Canal last March and blocked traffic in the international trade route for six days. The container ship was let go from Egyptian waters last month after the Suez Canal Authority and Shoei Kisen signed a settlement agreement ending the legal dispute that arose from the blockage. Motegi said Japan had contributed to developing the Suez Canal through various economic cooperation projects and is willing to boost cooperation in issues related to the Suez Canal. Boosting cooperation, discussing regional issues The Japanese FM said he discussed with Shoukry deepening cooperation between the two countries on the situation in the Middle East and the 8th meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8) scheduled for 2022. Motegi hailed the efforts made by Egypt to achieve peace in the Middle East, affirming determination to continue cooperation with Egypt to establish peace in the region. Motegi said he spoke with Shoukry about bilateral and regional issues, calling the discussions effective. Shoukry affirmed the presence of promising opportunities to intensify economic cooperation between Egypt and Japan, based on mutual interests. The Egyptian FM said he discussed with Motegi the Palestinian cause and the situations in Libya, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. [We affirmed] the necessity to continue coordination and joint work based on a joint vision between the two countries to achieve stability and defuse the crises, Shoukry said. The top Egyptian diplomat said he discussed with Motegi non-proliferation and global denuclearisation as well as supporting Japans endeavour in enhancing development efforts in Africa. Shoukry also thanked Japan for its efforts to organise and host the summer Olympics this year, hailing the achievements made by Japan in this regard. Short link: Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Monday a number of regional issues of common interest with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in a meeting in Cairo on Monday, the Egyptian presidency said. El-Sisi and Motegi discussed in their meeting the latest developments in the Middle East as well as the latest the developments concerning the situation in Afghanistan, the statement by the Egyptian presidency said. The Japanese official expressed his countrys support for Egyptian efforts in countering terrorism and radical thought in the Middle East, as well as the Egyptian efforts concerning the Middle East peace process and the situation in Gaza. Both the Egyptian president and the Japanese foreign minister agreed on the importance of reaching political solutions to the crises in the region. They also both agreed on the necessity of continued consultation and coordination between Egypt and Japan in different fields and international forums, especially their joint efforts to prepare for the next Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which will be held in Tunisia in 2022. During the meeting, Minister Motegi said that his country is looking forward to boosting its economic relations with Egypt and increasing Japanese investments in the country. He also expressed his appreciation for the Egyptian presidents support of Japanese companies operations in Egypt. The top Japanese diplomat also said that Japan is planning to boost its efforts in bilateral projects in Egypt especially in technology, energy and transportation, as well as in the Grand Egyptian Museum and Japanese-style schools in Egypt. Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the Japanese ambassador to Cairo Noke Masaki attended the meeting. Short link: Hundreds of firefighters were battling to control two massive wildfires in Greece on Wednesday, one raging for nine straight days, that have left hundreds homeless and caused incalculable damage. With the assistance of a huge multinational force, Greek fire crews were fighting to beat back blazes on the island of Evia and in the Peloponnese peninsula in rugged terrain. Hundreds have been left homeless and face a harsh winter, not only at the mercy of floods, but also because of their lost agricultural livelihood and income from tourism. "I think we can say that the fire fronts are slowly coming under control," Yiannis Kontzias, mayor of the Evia town of Istiaia that has been under threat for days, told state TV ERT. "Yesterday, we saw the light of the sun for the first time in days," he said, referring to giant smoke clouds that have choked residents and obstructed flights by water-bombing aircraft. 'We face extinction' But even as the immediate danger receded, Kontzias said local businesses "face extinction" in coming months in a tourism season already decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic. "We have lost the month of August, which would have sustained people here over the coming year." "(Local) tourism has been demolished, most (visitors) have left," he said. "The damage is huge, and the environmental disaster will have economic repercussions for decades," he said. Aidipsos, one of Greece's main spa towns, would normally have tens of thousands mainly Greek and Balkan visitors in August and revenue of around 15 million euros ($17.5 million), local operators say. But local hoteliers president Theodoros Roumeliotis says August reservations have collapsed by 90 percent. "It's a colossal loss," Roumeliotis told AFP. "Right now, hotels are obliged to refund one million euros in reservations cancelled," he said, adding that some operators were unlikely to survive the blow. The fire situation was more precarious on Wednesday in the mountainous Peloponnese region of Gortynia, home to dense forests and deep ravines. Christos Lambropoulos, deputy governor for the broader Arcadia region, said efforts were concentrated on keeping the fire from reaching the thickly forested Mount Mainalo. "Villages do not seem at risk at the moment... but conditions change by the hour," he told ERT. Three people have died in the latest fire wave, which came in the midst of Greece's most severe heatwave in decades. Several firefighters have been hurt, some critically. Many here admit that help from abroad has been critical in averting an even greater disaster. EU states and other countries have so far contributed 21 aircraft, 250 vehicles and more than 1,200 firefighters, some of whom were due to arrive by Friday. Forces in Gortynia were beefed up Wednesday to nearly 600 firefighters including crews from the Czech Republic, Britain, France and Germany. Another 60 firemen were tackling a smaller fire in Laconia, in the southeastern Peloponnese, the fire department said. In Evia, a presence of nearly 900 firefighters was arrayed against the wildfires including Cypriots, Moldovans, Poles, Serbs, Slovaks, Romanians and Ukrainians. Serbian, Swedish and Swiss planes and helicopters were among a fleet of seven aircraft providing support. Call for resignations There have been growing calls in Greece for the resignation of top public safety officials who as recently as June had insisted that the country was well-prepared. There was additional anger over the loss last week of much of the forest of Varibobi, one of Athens' last remaining nature reserves. Olympia, home to the ancient Olympics, also narrowly escaped destruction earlier this month. "(Our resources were) stronger than ever before. We faced an operationally unique situation with 586 fires in eight days during the worst weather phenomenon in 40 years," civil protection deputy minister Nikos Hardalias insisted on Tuesday. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis this week apologised to the nation for any possible "shortcomings" in the state's response. He is to hold a press conference on Thursday as pressure mounts for heads to roll. Short link: The head of the US Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, told Taliban officials in Doha Sunday not to attack the Kabul airport, a US defense official said. The official confirmed the meeting to reporters Monday, without providing details, as thousands of US troops took control of security at Afghanistan's main international airport to enable the evacuations of US officials. --- The Taliban will be denied access to any Afghan reserves held in US accounts, a US administration official told AFP on Monday. As US forces were evacuating Afghanistan's capital after the Taliban's swift takeover, the official said, "Any Central Bank assets the Afghan government have in the United States will not be made available to the Taliban." The central bank's gross reserves totaled $9.4 billion at the end of April, according to the International Monetary Fund. But most of those funds are held outside of Afghanistan, according to a person familiar with the matter. It was not immediately clear what share of the assets are held in the United States. - 'Security has deteriorated' - The Taliban's seizure of power comes after NATO withdrew its 9,500-strong mission on the back of a decision from US President Joe Biden to pull out his troops. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani flew out of the country on Sunday night as the insurgents encircled the capital, capping a military victory that saw them capture all cities in just 10 days. Washington also could block aid to Afghanistan from multilateral lenders like the IMF and World Bank, as it has done with other countries with governments it does not recognize, like Venezuela. The IMF in June released the latest installment of a $370 million loan to Afghanistan approved in November to help support the economy amid the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, the fund said the government had kept its economic program on track despite the fact "security has deteriorated and uncertainty has risen as the peace talks between the government and taliban stalled, with the US and NATO troops set to withdraw by September." The World Bank meanwhile has more than two dozen development projects ongoing in the country and has provided $5.3 billion to date, mostly in grants. -- Families of British soldiers who died in Afghanistan have expressed dismay at the sudden fall of the country to the Taliban. Graham Knight, the father of 25-year-old Ben Knight who was killed when his Nimrod aircraft exploded in Afghanistan in 2006, said the British government should have moved more quickly to get civilians out. The 69-year-old said the Taliban made their intent ``very clear that, as soon as we went out, they would move in.'' He said the evacuation process should have started about a week ago and voiced worry that ``some hothead American, or British hothead, will decide that the Taliban isn't behaving how they want, shoot at them and that will be it.'' Ian Sadler, whose 21-year-old son Jack died when his Land Rover struck a mine in Afghanistan in 2007, was surprised that the U.S. and its allies had so much confidence in the Afghan national army. The 71-year-old said it was left ``without any direction'' after the sudden withdrawal of allied forces. --- U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the failure of the Afghan military is to blame for the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan. Sullivan said Monday that President Joe Biden didn't want the U.S. to enter a ``third decade of conflict'' in Afghanistan and believed it was time for the Afghan army to defend the country two decades after billions of dollars of investment and training by the U.S. But Sullivan said, ``we could not give them the will and ultimately they decided that they would not fight for Kabul.'' He added that the ``worst-case scenario'' for the U.S. would be to send thousands of troops to fight in a civil war when the Afghan army ``wasn't prepared to fight itself.`` Sullivan says Biden faced ``bad choices'' on the subject. The president ultimately opted to bring U.S. troops home and leave the Afghans to fight for themselves. He says ``it's heartbreaking'' to see what's happening in Kabul but that Biden ``stands by'' his decision. Sullivan spoke Monday on ABC's ``Good Morning America'' and NBC's ``Today.'' _ DUBAI _ Doctors Without Borders says its operations across Afghanistan have not been affected by the recent developments in Kabul. While many foreigners have fled the country, the group _ known by its French initials, MSF _ continues to have some international staff on the ground. It also has more than 2,300 Afghan colleagues spread out across five Taliban-held provinces: Kandahar, Herat, Kunduz, Khost and Helmand. Filipe Ribeiro, MSF's country representative in Afghanistan, told The Associated Press that the group's female medical practitioners in these provinces have resumed work and were already veiled or in the sky-blue burqas before the Taliban takeover, in line with local norms and customs. ``We do not face any impediments with regards to female staff coming to work,'' he said, referring to MSF-run projects in those provinces. As the Taliban pushed to takeover Helmand and Kunduz, MSF staff tended to large numbers of people wounded in the fighting, he said. Speaking from his base in Kabul, Ribeiro said the capital's streets were quiet and calm on Monday, despite scenes of chaos unfolding at the airport. The group halted its main operation in Kabul after May 2020 following an attack on a maternity ward that was blamed on the Islamic State group. Ribeiro said the focus remains on supporting Afghanistan's welfare. ``We have to keep in mind the health system was already dysfunctional beforehand, and nowadays it's important to keep supporting the Afghan population and to guarantee that the medical services will continue,'' he said. ___ BERLIN _ Leading German opposition members have expressed criticism of what they perceive to be a slow and uncoordinated evacuation of German and local Afghan embassy personnel from Kabul and other parts of the country. Annalena Baerbock, the Green Party's candidate for chancellor in national elections next month, said Monday that ``all those people and employees who have supported the NATO troops on the ground in recent years, whether as interpreters, engineers, freelance journalists, who have reported on the situation in Afghanistan, or women's rights activists who have campaigned on the ground for girls to be able to go to school, must fear for their lives.'' She called for their quick evacuation and said that ``it is more than overdue that the German government finally does everything to evacuate the people.'' Sevim Dagdelen, a senior lawmaker with the opposition leftist Die Linke party said in a statement Monday that ``the government has completely failed when it comes to the crisis in Afghanistan and apparently, in a misjudgment of the real condition, not made any emergency plans for evacuations.'' Dagdelen added that: ``It is a shame that after weeks of inactivity and blockades now thousands of helpers are being left behind in Taliban-controlled regions and must fear for their lives.'' ___ BRUSSELS _ European Union foreign ministers will hold emergency talks Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, after the president fled and the Taliban seized control of the capital, Kabul, over the weekend. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a tweet Monday that he decided to convene the extraordinary videoconference so the ministers can make ``a first assessment'' of developments. Borrell says that ``Afghanistan stands at a crossroad. Security and wellbeing of its citizens, as well as international security are at play.'' European nations have been caught by surprise at the speed of the takeover. They've been evacuating embassies and leaving the strife-torn country in recent days. The EU has small diplomatic mission in Kabul. It's one of Afghanistan's biggest aid donors. ___ GENEVA _ The U.N. humanitarian aid coordination agency says it and partners ``are staying and delivering to people in need'' despite a complex security situation in Afghanistan following a sweep by Taliban forces across the country. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, or OCHA, says in a note: ``The humanitarian community _ both the U.N. and nongovernmental organizations _ remains committed to helping people in the country.'' OCHA said thousands of internally displaced people who have been identified in recent weeks have received assistance including food, cash, health care, water, and sanitation support. ``While the security environment is highly complex, humanitarian agencies are staying and delivering to people in need,'' OCHA said. Even before the upheaval, some 18.4 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, OCHA said, and its $1.3 billion humanitarian response plan for the country is only 38% funded. ___ BERLIN _ The German government has called on the Taliban to show restraint, protect the lives of the Afghan people and make sure needed humanitarian aid can reach them. A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said Monday that Germany ``is concerned about the fates of individual Afghans as well as the development of the entire country.'' Steffen Seibert said Monday that ``these are bitter developments, when looking at them against the background of the years-long missions of the western community of states.'' The government also said it is personally contacting all embassy staff, including local hires, whom they are trying to evacuate out of Kabul. A spokesman for the country's foreign ministry warned people not to independently try to reach the airport because of the volatile and dynamic situation there. Christofer Burger told reporters Monday that the embassy is calling and emailing everyone who is on evacuation lists and giving them personal instructions. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark - The staff with the Finnish Embassy in Kabul have fled to a neighboring country. The Finland daily Helsingin Sanomat reported Monday that the country's armed forces took part in the evacuation and according to the newspaper's sources, the staff flew out on an American plane. In Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Danes ``are working round the clock. We are in the process of evacuating,'' adding the work was done ``in extremely difficult conditions.'' _ MOSCOW -- Moscow will decide whether to recognize the new Taliban government based on its conduct, the Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan said in an interview Monday. Zamir Kabulov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station that ``no one is going to rush'' the decision. ``Recognition or non-recognition will depend on the conduct of the new authorities,'' Kabulov said. Russia labeled the Taliban a terrorist organization in 2003, but has since hosted several rounds of talks in Afghanistan, most recently in March, that involved the group. Moscow, which fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with Soviet troops' withdrawal in 1989, has made a diplomatic comeback as a mediator, reaching out to feuding Afghan factions as it has jockeyed with the U.S. for influence in the country. Kabulov said Monday the Taliban was ``deservedly'' declared a terrorist group in Russia two decades ago. ``The Taliban have learned this lesson well. If they haven't learned it in full, they will have to face great difficulties in relations not only with Russia, but with the entire global community,'' Kabulov said. _ BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Slovakia's Prime Minister Eduard Heger says his country will give asylum to 10 Afghan nationals who have intensively cooperated with European Union member states in recent years. Heger says his country is providing a military plane to transport them to Slovakia together with several Slovak nationals who have asked for it. _ BEIJING _ China says its embassy remains open in Kabul and expressed a willingness to support its reconstruction. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying did not answer explicitly when asked whether Beijing would recognize the Taliban as the new government but said that China would respect the choice of the Afghan people. She noted the Taliban pledges to negotiate the establishment of an inclusive Islamic government and to ensure the safety of both Afghans and foreign missions. China, she added, hopes that would ``ensure a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan.'' __ LONDON -- A leading British lawmaker from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party is calling the mayhem at Kabul airport ``Saigon 2.0,'' comparing it to U.S. evacuation of South Vietnam's capital in 1975. Tobias Ellwood, a former defense minister and British Army captain. said the images of the mayhem Monday at Kabul airport echoed the evacuation of the South Vietnam capital after North Vietnamese troops entered the city. The advance of the North Vietnamese prompted the U.S. to evacuate thousands of its nationals and troops as well as South Vietnamese civilians who had helped during the war. The most dramatic images involved the evacuation of people from the roof of the U.S. Embassy. ``If this is not Saigon 2.0, I don't know what is,'' Ellwood said. ``Is this how we thought we'd depart Afghanistan? I repeat my call for a U.K. inquiry.'' U.S. President Joe Biden's decision earlier this year to announce the timeline for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan led the other nations in the NATO coalition, including the U.K., to announce their own departures, two decades after they first arrived in Afghanistan. --- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday called for national reconciliation in neighboring Afghanistan. The official IRNA news agency quoted Raisi as saying Iran will support efforts to restore stability in Afghanistan as a first priority. He called Iran ``a brother and neighboring nation'' to Afghanistan. He also described the Americans' rapid pullout as a ``military failure'' that should ``turn to an opportunity for restoring life, security and stable peace.'' Iran shares nearly 600 miles of borders with Afghanistan and is home to about 800,000 registered Afghan refugees and more than two million undocumented Afghans. The influx began after Soviet forces entered Afghanistan in 1979. _ MOSCOW _ Russia will evacuate some of its embassy staff in Kabul ``in order not to create too big a presence,'' the Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan said Monday. Zamir Kabulov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station that some of roughly 100 Russian embassy staff ``will be placed on leave or evacuated in some other fashion just in order not to create too big a presence.'' Kabulov said that the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov will meet a Taliban representative on Tuesday to discuss security for the diplomatic mission, adding that the outside perimeter of the embassy is already being guarded by the Taliban. Kabulov also said that the Taliban's swift takeover of the Afghan capital was ``somewhat unexpected.'' He said Russia was ``too optimistic in our assessment of the quality of the armed forces trained by the Americans and NATO.'' Kabulov said of those forces, ``They dropped everything at the first shot.'' --- MOSCOW -- The Uzbek Defense Ministry has confirmed that an Afghan military plane crashed in Uzbekistan on Sunday, but wouldn't reveal the details of the accident. Ministry's spokesman Bakhrom Zulfikarov told Russia's state news agency Tass on Monday that the plane crashed in the Surkhandarya region in southeastern Uzbekistan and that ``the details of the accident are currently being studied, information about it will be revealed later.'' Uzbek media reported that the plane went down Sunday evening in the southeast of the country not far from the border with Afghanistan. At least one person was reported injured. --- Australia is sending three transport and air-to-air refueling jets with 250 military personnel to repatriate more than 130 Australians and their families from Afghanistan, officials said on Monday. Australia is also working to evacuate an undisclosed number of refugees, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement. The support comes as the U.S. and other nations scramble to evacuate diplomats and Afghan employees and their families from Kabul. The Taliban a day earlier toppled the Western-backed government. An Airbus A330 airliner modified for aerial refueling would support U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan later this week, Australia's Defense Department said in a statement. Two C-17A Globemaster heavy transport aircraft would also be sent to the Middle East, the statement said. Australia shut its Kabul embassy in May and withdrew the last of its troops from Afghanistan in June. More than 39,000 Australian military personnel have served in Afghanistan since 2001, and 41 died there. _ Portugal's defense minister says his country is prepared to take in 243 Afghans, and their families who worked with Portuguese forces stationed in the country. Defense Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho said NATO is coordinating the evacuation of the Afghans because Portugal doesn't have the military capacity to do so. He told public broadcaster RTP late Sunday he is not aware of any Portuguese citizens living in Afghanistan. Portugal had a small detachment of fewer than 200 troops stationed at Kabul airport, as part of the NATO mission in the country. The last ones pulled out at the end of May. _ Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said Monday that 19 embassy employees had been evacuated from Kabul to Doha, Qatar and they'll eventually flown to Sweden. Earlier Monday, Norway and Denmark said that the bulk of the embassy staff were out of Afghanistan. Norway Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said for the sake of the Norwegians it was done overnight. Denmark's Defense Minister Trine Bramsen told Danish broadcaster DR that while most Danish diplomats had been evacuated, there are still Danes, and others in the country still to be flown out. Challenges include being able to land at Kabul's chaotic airport, he said. But there's a struggle, too, to get people to the airport, a very difficult operation, Bramsen was quoted as saying. _ British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says the government is planning to fly out 1,500 more people from Afghanistan over the next two days. The first flight carrying British nationals has landed in the U.K., he said Monday, as countries scrambled to evacuate their diplomats, Afghan employees and their families from the chaotic airport in Kabul. Wallace expressed hope that the government will be able to evacuate around 1,000 people a day, including Afghan nationals who have helped British citizens. He told the BBC that work is under way to remove any bureaucratic barriers to make sure people who pass screenings are able to be flown to the U.K. He said the British government sent more than 600 troops over the weekend to Kabul to help secure the airport and to effectively process, manage and escort people onto our flights to get them out of Afghanistan. Wallace said one of the biggest regrets with the speed of the collapse of the Afghan government is that the timetable to remove Afghans and British people from the nation by Aug, 31 has had to be shortened. --- Pakistan's state-run airline says it has halted all flights to Afghanistan's capital of Kabul because of the ``uncertain security situation'' there. Spokesman Abdullah Hafeez said Monday that Pakistan International Airlines decided to protect passengers, the crew and the planes after consulting the Afghan civil aviation authorities. He spoke as embassies scrambled to evacuate personnel and Afghan employees through the airport. On Sunday, Taliban militants ended two decades of Western-backed government after a blitz through Afghanistan. Videos on social media showed chaos at Kabul International Airport overnight, with the crack of occasional gunfire and hundreds of panicked Afghans running across the tarmac. By morning, advisories sent by civil aviation authorities announced the ``civilian side'' of the airport had been ``closed until further notice.'' Early Monday morning, flight-tracking data showed no immediate commercial flights over the country. _ MILAN - Italy's has evacuated 70 embassy staff and Afghan employees from the capital city of Kabul. The plane was scheduled to arrive in Rome on Monday. Video taken at Kabul's international airport and released by the Italian Defense Ministry shows people walking up a mobile staircase to board the plane in darkness. The evacuation is part of Italy's Operation Aquila Omnia (Eagle Ready for Anything) to quickly evacuate Italian diplomatic staff, citizens and Afghan employees and family members. Italy had one of the largest contingents in Afghanistan before the pullout. Italian journalist Francesca Mannocchi, who was on the plane, said that it was carrying 20 Afghan embassy employees and their families, including women and children. Prior to the Taliban advance, 228 Afghanis and their families had been transferred to Italy. Officials declined to give number of how many remained, but Italian media reported over the weekend that some 390 Afghan citizens and their family members were awaiting evacuation. __ The first Czech evacuation flight has taken off from Kabul's international airport and landed in Prague. Prime Minister Andrej Babis said 46 people were on board Monday's flight. They included Czech nationals, the Afghan staffers at the Czech embassy and Afghan interpreters who helped the Czech armed forces during NATO missions together with their families. Babis didn't immediately provide more details. It's not clear how many such flights will follow. Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamacek tweeted that given the deteriorating situation at Kabul's airport, it was ``a miracle'' that the Czech flight managed to take off. Local media reported that thousands of people were gathered at the Kabul airport to leave the country. In an earlier joint statement, the U.S. Pentagon and State Department said the American military would take over air-traffic control at the airport. __ Saudi Arabia says it has evacuated all its diplomats from its embassy in the Afghan capital, and New Zealand's government is sending a plane to help its people leave the country. Saudi Arabia said all staff were evacuated from the embassy in Kabul on Sunday due to the changing conditions on the ground, joining other countries that have also shuttered their embassies as the Taliban advance on the Afghan capital. New Zealand's government says its sending a C-130 Hercules military transport plane to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of 53 New Zealanders and dozens of Afghanis and their immediate families who helped New Zealand troops when they were stationed there. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said they had so far identified 37 Afghanis who had helped, but the number of evacuees would be in the hundreds once dependents and others were included. Defense officials say they have planned for a monthlong mission involving at least 40 military personnel tasked with servicing and protecting the plane. Ardern asked that the Taliban allow people to leave peaceably: ``The whole world is watching,'' she said. ___ WASHINGTON _ Dozens of nations are calling on all involved in events in Afghanistan to respect and facilitate the departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country. More than 60 nations released a joint statement Sunday night citing what they call ``the deteriorating security situation'' in Afghanistan. The statement says that those in power and authority across the country ``bear responsibility _ and accountability _ for the protection of human life and property, and for the immediate restoration of security and civil order.'' The nations' statement also says that roads, airports and border crossings must remain open, and that calm must be maintained. The statement concludes: ``The Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security and dignity. We in the international community stand ready to assist them.'' The statement was distributed to U.S. media by the State Department. ___ SEOUL, South Korea _ South Korea's Foreign Ministry said it has ``temporarily closed'' its embassy in Kabul and evacuated most of its staff to an unspecified third country in the Middle East. The ministry said a few diplomats, including Ambassador Choi Taeho, remain at a safe location in Afghanistan to support the evacuation of a South Korean national in the country and that the Seoul government is closely working with the United States and other countries to ensure their safe evacuation. Afghanistan has been on South Korea's travel ban list since 2007. There were reportedly around five South Koreans living in Afghanistan before the Seoul government in June called for all of them to leave the country within 10 days as the United States and NATO proceeded with troop pullouts. ___ WASHINGTON _ A State Department official says the American flag is no longer flying at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul amid evacuations from Afghanistan's capital. The official tells The Associated Press that nearly all embassy personnel have been relocated to the city's international airport. The official says the flag itself is with embassy personnel, who are among thousands of Americans and others waiting for flights. The official was not authorized to discuss the details publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity In a joint statement Sunday night, the State Department and the Pentagon say they are taking steps to secure the airport for safe departures by way of civilian and military flights. The statement says the U.S. security presence will have expanded to nearly 6,000 troops over the next two days and will take over air traffic control. Those leaving include American citizens who have been living in Afghanistan, locally employed staff of the U.S. mission in Kabul and their families, and other particularly vulnerable Afghan nationals. Also part of the departure plan are thousands of Afghans eligible for U.S. special immigrant visas. Nearly 2,000 of those with special visas have arrived in the United States over the past two weeks. ___ WASHINGTON _ President Joe Biden and other top U.S. officials have been stunned by the pace of the Taliban's nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan, as the planned withdrawal of American forces urgently became a mission to ensure a safe evacuation. The speed of the Afghan government's collapse and the ensuing chaos posed the most serious test of Biden as commander in chief, and he was the subject of withering criticism from Republicans who said that he had failed. Biden campaigned as a seasoned expert in international relations and has spent months downplaying the prospect of an ascendant Taliban while arguing that Americans of all political persuasions have tired of a 20-year war, a conflict that demonstrated the limits of money and military might to force a Western-style democracy on a society not ready or willing to embrace it. By Sunday, though, leading figures in the administration acknowledged they were caught off guard with the utter speed of the collapse of Afghan security forces. The challenge of that effort became clear after reports of sporadic gunfire at the Kabul airport prompted Americans to shelter as they awaited flights to safety. ___ UNITED NATIONS _ U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging the Taliban and all other parties to exercise ``utmost restraint'' in order to protect the lives of Afghans and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Sunday that ``the United Nations remains determined to contribute to a peaceful settlement, promote the human rights of all Afghans, notably women and girls, and provide life-saving humanitarian assistance and critical support to civilians in need.'' The U.N. humanitarian office said members of the humanitarian community _ both from the U.N. and non-governmental organizations _ remain committed to helping the millions of Afghans needing assistance and are staying in the country despite the ``highly complex'' security environment. The office, known as OCHA, said in a statement Sunday that more than 18.4 million people were already in need of assistance before more than 550,000 people were displaced by conflict this year, a figure that doubled since May. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan _ A Taliban spokesman and negotiator tells The Associated Press that the militant group is holding talks aimed at forming an ``open, inclusive Islamic government'' in Afghanistan. Suhail Shaheen spoke to the AP after the Taliban overran most of the country in a matter of days and pushed into the capital, Kabul, as the United States scrambled to withdraw diplomats and other civilians. Earlier, a Taliban official said the group would announce a new government from the presidential palace, but those plans appear to be on hold. ___ WASHINGTON _ The United States is sending another 1,000 troops to Afghanistan, raising the U.S. deployment to roughly 6,000. A defense official tells The Associated Press on Sunday that 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne are going directly to Kabul instead of going to Kuwait as a standby force. The defense official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a deployment decision not yet announced by the Pentagon. On Saturday, President Joe Biden authorized the U.S. troop deployment to rise to roughly 5,000 by adding about 1,000. Since then, the Taliban have entered the capital of Kabul and Afghanistan's president has fled the country. Helicopters have been evacuating personnel from the U.S. Embassy, and several other Western missions also are preparing to pull their people out Short link: Related How did the Taliban take over Afghanistan so quickly? AFP report Iran calls for safety of diplomats in Taliban-seized Herat Iran's new ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday said that the "defeat" of the United States in Afghanistan must usher in a durable peace in the neighbouring, war-wracked country. "The military defeat and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan should offer an opportunity to restore life, security and lasting peace in that country," Raisi said, quoted by his office. The presidency statement came after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, but it did not mention the Taliban nor the fall of the Afghan capital. Raisi, who made the remarks in a call with outgoing Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said the Islamic republic wanted good relations with Afghanistan. Iran was "closely monitoring the evolution of events in Afghanistan" and wants good neighbourly ties with it, he said. Raisi tasked Zarif and Iran's Supreme National Security Council to give him updated reports on the situation in Afghanistan, the statement added. Iran shares a 900-kilometre (560-mile) border with Afghanistan, and hosts nearly 3.5 million Afghans, according to the UN refugee agency. In 1998, Taliban troops entered the Iranian consulate in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, killing several diplomats and an official news agency journalist. The Taliban later said they had been killed by individuals acting independently, but Tehran held the movement responsible for the deaths, which sparked outrage and nearly triggered an Iranian military intervention in Afghanistan. Analysts say Tehran is taking a pragmatic stance on the Taliban's resurgence in Afghanistan. On Sunday the Iranian foreign ministry said it had reduced its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. The announcement came shortly after the Taliban reached the outskirts of the Aghan capital. Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said a skeleton staff remained at Iran's Kabul embassy and that employees had been also evacuated from three of out of five diplomatic missions in other Afghan cities. Zarif meanwhile held Monday a meeting in Tehran with China's special envoy for Afghanistan Yue Xiaoyong, the foreign ministry said. The talks focused on the situation in Afghanistan, it said. Zarif on Sunday said that "Iran stands ready to continue its peacemaking efforts" in Afghanistan. "Violence and war -- like occupation -- never solve problems," he wrote on Twitter. His talks with the Chinese envoy come as a government spokeswoman in Beijing on Monday said China was ready to deepen "friendly and cooperative" ties with Afghanistan Short link: Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is planning to deploy soldiers to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of German nationals and Afghans in danger from the Taliban, parliamentary sources said Monday. The government is planning to seek a mandate from parliament to allow the deployment of as many as "several hundred soldiers", the sources told AFP, citing a briefing by Merkel to leaders of parliamentary groups late Sunday. Short link: France will evacuate its first nationals from the fallen Afghan capital Kabul to a base in the United Arab Emirates by Monday evening, defence minister Florence Parly said. "We are planning to carry out the first rotation between now and the end of this Monday," Parly said on France Info radio, adding there were several dozens of French citizens to be evacuated along "with people under our protection." Short link: Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan will meet with the Taliban in Kabul on Tuesday, foreign ministry official Zamir Kabulov said. "Our ambassador is in contact with the Taliban leadership, tomorrow he will meet with the Taliban security coordinator," Kabulov said in a interview to the Ekho Moskvy radio station on Monday, adding that Moscow will decide on recognising the new government based on its "conduct". Short link: Italy's has evacuated 70 embassy staff and Afghan employees from the capital city of Kabul. The plane was scheduled to arrive in Rome on Monday. Video taken at Kabul's international airport and released by the Italian Defense Ministry shows people walking up a mobile staircase to board the plane in darkness. The evacuation is part of Italy's Operation Aquila Omnia (Eagle Ready for Anything) to quickly evacuate Italian diplomatic staff, citizens and Afghan employees and family members. Italy had one of the largest contingents in Afghanistan before the pullout. Italian journalist Francesca Mannocchi, who was on the plane, said that it was carrying 20 Afghan embassy employees and their families, including women and children. Prior to the Taliban advance, 228 Afghanis and their families had been transferred to Italy. Officials declined to give number of how many remained, but Italian media reported over the weekend that some 390 Afghan citizens and their family members were awaiting evacuation. Short link: As the Taliban enter Kabul, they are promising a new era of peace in Afghanistan, with amnesty for those they have been battling for two decades and a return to normal life. But Afghans who remember the Taliban's brutal rule and those who have lived in areas controlled by the Islamic militants in recent years have watched with growing fear as the insurgents have overrun most of the country while international forces withdraw. Government offices, shops and schools are still shuttered in areas recently captured by the Taliban, with many residents either lying low or fleeing to the capital, Kabul. But already there are indications of a return to the harsh version of Islamic rule Afghans lived under from 1996 until 2001, when the U.S. drove the Taliban from power after the 9/11 attacks. Many fear the Taliban will roll back two decades of gains by women and ethnic minorities while restricting the work of journalists and NGO workers. An entire generation of Afghans was raised on hopes of building a modern, democratic state _ dreams that seem to have melted away before the Taliban's relentless advance. As the insurgents reached the capital early Sunday, a photo circulated on social media showing the owner of a beauty salon painting over posters depicting women. Young men raced home to change out of their jeans and tee-shirts and into the traditional shalwar kamiz outfit. Shops, government offices and schools remain closed in cities seized by the Taliban in recent days, with residents staying indoors or fleeing to Kabul because of security fears. Many appeared to be lying low until they see what kind of order the militants impose. A 25-year-old university graduate who works for a local NGO in the western city of Herat, which fell to the Taliban last week, said she hasn't left home in weeks because of the fighting. From speaking with other residents, she said there were few if any women out on the streets, with even female doctors staying home until the situation is clearer. I can't face Taliban fighters, she said by phone from Herat, asking that her name not be used for fear of retribution. I don't have a good feeling about them. No one can change the Taliban's stance against women and girls, they still want women to stay at home. She had planned to begin a master's program this year at Herat University, where women make up more than half of the student body. I don't think I would be ready to wear a burqa, she said, referring to the all-encompassing blue robe women were forced to wear under Taliban rule. I can't accept it. I will fight for my rights, whatever happens. The Taliban have issued statements aimed at reassuring Afghans. They say there will be no revenge attacks on those who worked for the government or its security services, and that life, property and honor will be respected. They are urging Afghans to remain in the country and have pledged to create a secure environment for businesses, embassies, and foreign and local charities. But some of their actions send a different message. Last month, after capturing the Malistan district of the southern Ghazni province, Taliban fighters went door to door looking for people who had worked with the government, killing at least 27 civilians, wounding 10 others and looting homes, according to the semi-official Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. After capturing Herat, Taliban fighters paraded two alleged thieves through the streets with black makeup on their faces. That's considered a warning, while repeat offenders risk having a hand cut off. The Taliban have also been known to stone suspected adulterers and carry out public executions in accordance with their harsh version of Islamic law. During their earlier rule, the Taliban barred women from working outside the home or attending school. Women were required to wear the burqa and had to be accompanied by a male relative whenever they went outside. These days, the Taliban leadership says it is open to women's education, but rights groups say the rules vary depending on local commanders and the communities themselves. Afghanistan remains an overwhelmingly conservative country, especially outside major cities. The gap between official Taliban statements on rights and the restrictive positions adopted by Taliban officials on the ground indicates that the Taliban are far from an internal consensus on their own policies, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report last year. One issue on which they seem to be in agreement is intolerance of dissent. Human Rights Watch says the Taliban routinely threaten and detain journalists, particularly women and reporters who are critical of the group. The Taliban and the government blamed each other for a recent string of killings of journalists, some of which were claimed by the more radical Islamic State group. On Friday, the Taliban commandeered a radio station in the southern city of Kandahar and renamed it the Voice of Sharia, or Islamic law. It's unclear whether the insurgents purged the station's employees or allowed them to return. But the station will no longer broadcast music, which is banned in Taliban-run regions. The Taliban also closed a radio station in the southern Helmand province that offered women's programming, but the insurgents said it was a temporary decision. Fear is running especially high among the ethnic Hazara minority, Shiite Muslims who were persecuted by the Taliban and made major gains in education and social status over the past two decades. They are seen as having been deeply invested in the Western-backed government, which could open them up to reprisals following its demise. In recent years, the Sunni extremists of the local IS affiliate have carried out a wave of horrific attacks targeting Hazaras. An attack on a maternity ward last year killed 24 people, including mothers and their newborn babies. The Taliban have condemned such attacks and engaged in turf wars with the IS affiliate. But it remains to be seen whether, once in power, the Taliban will crack down on such groups, which share some their ideology and include former Taliban fighters. Short link: America's top general said the United States could now face a rise in terrorist threats from a Taliban-run Afghanistan. That warning comes as intelligence agencies charged with anticipating those threats face new questions after the U.S.-backed Afghan military collapsed with shocking speed. Less than a week after a military assessment predicted Kabul could be surrounded by insurgents in 30 days, the world on Sunday watched stunning scenes of Taliban fighters standing in the Afghan president's office and crowds of Afghans and foreigners frantically trying to board planes to escape the country. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told senators on a briefing call Sunday that U.S. officials are expected to alter their earlier assessments about the pace of terrorist groups reconstituting in Afghanistan, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. In June, the Pentagon's top leaders said an extremist group like al-Qaida may be able to regenerate in Afghanistan and pose a threat to the U.S. homeland within two years of the American military's withdrawal from the country. Two decades after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan because the Taliban harbored al-Qaida leaders, experts say the Taliban and al-Qaida remain aligned, and other violent groups could also find safe haven under the new regime. Based on the evolving situation, officials now believe terror groups like al-Qaida may be able to grow much faster than expected, according to the person, who had direct knowledge of the briefing but was not authorized to discuss the details of the call publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The Biden administration officials on the call with senators - among them were Milley, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin _ said U.S. intelligence agencies are working on forming a new timeline based on the evolving threats, the person familiar with the matter said. Current and former intelligence officials on Sunday pushed back against criticism of what was widely seen as a failure by the agencies to anticipate how fast Kabul could fall. One senior intelligence official said that a rapid Taliban takeover was always a possibility, adding: As the Taliban advanced, they ultimately met with little resistance. We have always been clear-eyed that this was possible, and tactical conditions on the ground can often evolve quickly. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. But President Joe Biden didn't suggest such an outcome at a July 8 news conference, when he said the likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely. The reduced U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan _ down to 2,500 troops at the end of President Donald Trump's term _ may have hindered intelligence efforts in Afghanistan. Retired Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, who led the Defense Intelligence Agency until October, said having fewer Americans embedded with Afghan forces meant there was less insight into how those forces would perform. It's very, very difficult to gauge the morale down at the unit level because you're just not there anymore, Ashley said. And I wouldn't be surprised if Afghan leaders would tell us only what we want to hear anyway. Monitoring terrorism threats in Afghanistan will be even more difficult with U.S. troops withdrawing and the Taliban in control. Intelligence agencies in Afghanistan work side by side with troops. Without the same military presence, spies are severely limited in what they can collect about the morale of Afghan troops or support for the Taliban. If they leave, which they did, that means we leave as well, said Marc Polymeropoulos, who held several roles related to Afghanistan during a 26-year career in the CIA. And that certainly affects our intelligence gathering footprint. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that once evacuations are settled that our focus is going to shift toward intelligence and counterterrorism activities. The U.S. will have to ensure it has the ability to track whether Al Qaeda is reconstituting there, he said in an interview. The Taliban has lots of reasons to honor their agreement with the United States and keep al-Qaida at bay. And our mission now is to put ourselves in a position where we can monitor and verify that that commitment, he said. U.S. national security officials also briefed House members and tensions ran high. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy became furious after the administration officials would not confirm that President Ashraf Ghani had left the country, according to a person who participated in the meeting. Why are we doing this now? McCarthy asked. Ghani flew out of the country as the Taliban insurgents closed in on Sunday and posted on Facebook that he had chosen to leave the country to avert bloodshed in the capital. He did not say where he had gone. Rep. Michael Waltz, a Florida Republican and Green Beret who served in Afghanistan, sharply criticized the briefing as a regurgitation of the president's statement from Saturday. Waltz said Austin blamed the Afghan forces' lack of will to fight, while Blinken cited the deadline set by former President Donald Trump's administration for an American withdrawal. There was no discussion of a path forward except some vague reassurances that they'll protect the homeland, Waltz said. Short link: 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. As the Taliban in a lightning offensive recapture much of the country before the United States' Aug. 31 deadline for ending its combat role, and the U.S. speeds up American and Afghan evacuations, here's a look at the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, by the numbers. Much of the data below is from Linda Bilmes of Harvard University's 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. 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 DON'T 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. Short link: Like much of the world, European countries have looked on with dismay as two decades of a U.S-led Western campaign in Afghanistan collapsed within hours. Britain and other European nations say they will not recognize any government formed by the Taliban and want the West to work together on a common stance. But U.K. and European leaders have so far not spoken forcefully on Afghanistan, and their hands are tied in many ways: They have little leverage over the Taliban, and they are deeply reluctant to publicly criticize the withdrawal decision by the United States, their powerful NATO ally, or comment on their own role in the failed intervention. NATO countries were left with little choice but to pull out the roughly 7,000 non-American forces in Afghanistan after President Joe Biden announced in April that he was ending the U.S. involvement in the war by September, 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of London's Royal United Services Institute, said that Britain -- which for much for the war contributed the second-largest number of troops to the mission -- ``was especially upset that the Biden administration didn't consult it more fully about the decision to withdraw this summer.'' ``That is water under the bridge, but the fact that there wasn't a coordinated alliance approach to the withdrawal makes it even more important now to coordinate a Western response _ starting with the question of recognition`` of a Taliban government, he said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday ``we don't want anybody to bilaterally recognize the Taliban.'' His government aims to work with allies in the U.N. Security Council and NATO on that, he said. ``We want a united position among all the like-minded, as far as we can get one, so that we do whatever we can to prevent Afghanistan lapsing back into a breeding ground for terror,'' Johnson said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman echoed that sentiment Monday, saying any question on whether there can be a dialogue with the Taliban needs to be discussed internationally. ``We do not have any illusions about the Taliban and the essence of their movement,'' said Steffen Seibert, the spokesman. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week that the Taliban ``need to understand that they will not be recognized by the international community if they take the country by force.'' EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has also warned that the militant group would face ``isolation'' and ``lack of international support.'' Borrell is expected to chair an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss Afghanistan on Tuesday, while NATO envoys will also hold talks. Meanwhile, Russia's envoy on Afghanistan said on Monday that Moscow will decide whether to recognize the new Taliban government based on its conduct. Chalmers said ``Western influence on the Taliban is very limited'' compared with that of Pakistan, Iran and China. And Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, said that warning the Taliban that they face international isolation is a threat ``unmoored from reality.'' ``It is part of the Taliban's ideology to reject modernism and the international community _ and the reputation won by forcing the U.S. to leave is worth far more than aid budgets,'' he wrote for the Center for European Policy Analysis think tank. ``Indeed, having earned a reputation for abandoning its mission, its friends, and its allies, it is the United States that may actually feel more isolated,`` Volker added. The U.K. has repeatedly alluded to how it had been put in a ``very difficult position'' to continue the mission once the United States announced its decision to pull out, and British leaders have spoken with a tone of resignation as the situation deteriorated rapidly after NATO's exit. ``I think it's fair to say that the U.S. decision to pull out has accelerated things, but this has been in many ways something that has been a chronicle of an event foretold,'' Johnson said Sunday. Other European allies have made veiled criticisms of NATO's most powerful member country. Asked Monday whether France and the U.S. were responsible for the collapse of the armed forces and the unfolding humanitarian crisis, Defense Minister Florence Parly told France-Info radio that ``France hasn't been in Afghanistan since 2014. There's no parallel to make with the U.S. involvement.'' Briefing reporters last week about the crisis in Afghanistan, a senior EU official said that ``the decisions which were made in this respect were made in NATO.'' He did not single out the alliance's most influential member, but the criticism was implicit. Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni was much more direct. Taking specific aim at the United States, she said: ``Let's give a welcome back to the cynical Obama-Clinton-Biden doctrine: `If you can't win, create chaos.''' Western governments have also appeared to be caught off guard by the stunning speed of the Taliban's advance on Kabul. For months, European ambassadors at NATO and the EU have been unable to answer questions from reporters about what security arrangements might be in place in Afghanistan should the situation deteriorate. Questions about how to protect embassies and the Kabul airport, where chaos reined Monday as scores sought to flee the country, were never unanswered. In the past few days, U.S., British and other Western governments have scrambled to evacuate their embassies, citizens and Afghans who have helped with their military mission as the Taliban seized power. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace choked up during an interview Monday as he expressed deep regret that some of those people will be left behind. ``It's sad and the West has done what it's done,`` he acknowledged. ``We have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations and 20 years of sacrifice. . It is what it is.'' Short link: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide a $50 million loan to Qatar National Bank (QNB) ALAHLI to boost small businesses and green investments in Egypt, the EBRD announced on Monday. The loan, which includes $7.5 million of concessional finance from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), will be used for on-lending to households and local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) will support the financing to QNB ALAHLI with up to 5.128 million of EU funds for incentive payments to projects that are successfully implemented and verified, said the EBRD. It also declared that the EU will also provide a comprehensive technical assistance package of up to 6.2 million for all participating financial institutions and their clients, as well as for policy dialogue. QNB ALAHLI is the first bank in Egypt to benefit from a loan under the GCF GEFF Regional Egypt Framework, the second Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF II) introduced by the EBRD in the country. The cooperation portfolio between the EBRD and QNB ALAHLI includes various projects worth more than $720 million cumulatively, with a special focus on SMEs, women-led businesses, and green financing. The EBRD clarified that QNB ALAHLI is expected to extend the EBRDs financing to private sub-borrowers, including individual households and SMEs operating in the residential, agribusiness, industrial, commercial, and service sectors, who are developing green projects that are energy, water, and resource efficient, as well as produce renewable energy. This will promote the use of high-performance technologies and services in climate-mitigation and climate-adaptation activities and will help with the transition to a greener economy. This is the first programme of its kind to have both a retail and residential segment in Egypt and the southern and eastern Mediterranean region, according to the EBRD. We are very happy to roll out GEFF II in Egypt with the EU and GCFs support to promote green investments, in line with our Green Economy Transition strategy. Through our partnership with QNB ALAHLI, we have been able to support small businesses and trade and to increase finance for greener projects, said Heike Harmgart, the EBRDs managing director for the southern and eastern Mediterranean. Egypt is a founding member of the EBRD. The bank has invested more than 7.7 billion in 132 projects in the country since the start its operations there in 2012. The EBRDs areas of investment include the financial sector, agribusiness, manufacturing, and services, as well as infrastructure projects such as power, municipal water and wastewater services, and contributions to the upgrade of transport services. Short link: The Biden administration is willing to conclude its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by 11 September, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. But this is no longer news. Instead, the whole world is waiting to see what the country will look like after no foreign troops are present on its soil. The Taliban, which hosted Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and formed a regime the Americans ousted after invading the country in 2001, is too impatient to wait beyond this date, giving out mixed signals. On the one hand, it keeps moving forward with peace talks, planning to submit a written proposal to the government to which the Americans are transferring by August, just as they did in Bagrams Air Base. On the other hand, it is resorting to violence on an enormous scale. This could be very similar to Vietnam, said Thomas Johnson, a research professor of national security Affairs at the Monterey-based Naval Postgraduate School. In April 1975, even though there were the Paris peace negotiations - a political theatre just like that of Afghanistan - the US-backed South Vietnamese army disappeared in the woodwork in six days, the minute the last helicopter left the US embassy, said Johnson, who authored a book called Taliban Narratives: The Use and Power of Stories in the Afghanistan Conflict. The South Vietnamese army was highly professional and had 500,000 men and a tremendous air force, explained Johnson. The ex-senior political and counter-insurgency adviser to the Canadian forces in Afghanistan thinks that the Taliban is getting ready for assaults on cities, taking district centres and controlling areas that are only 20 miles away from Kabul. Once this happens, I believe the vast majority of the Afghan national police, which we already know is an extractive institution, will disappear; and I can give you many examples for this. So I am extremely pessimistic. He pointed out that, two weeks and a half ago, a US intelligence community report estimated that the Taliban would overtake the country within six months. I think thats overly optimistic. It will happen in six weeks if not six days. Since 1 May, people are saying that the Taliban captured 46 areas. But my information from Washington suggests that they captured 80 new districts. Many US Republicans, such as the Houses Foreign Affairs Committee Congressman Michael McCaul, are concerned about the situation in Afghanistan: they are blaming Biden for the withdrawal. But Afghanistans neighbours too seem to be thinking about it the same way. On Monday Turkey and Iran decided to suspend their consulates in Afghanistans Balkh province due to government-Taliban clashes. Pakistan, which vowed to close its border with Afghnistan if the Taliban managed to rule the country once again, saw three of its soldiers killed on Monday in North Waziristan. This is an area where Pakistani Taliban militants regularly attack the army. Yet Michael OHanlon, a Brookings expert and ex-member of the external advisory board at the Central Intelligence Agency, said its not likely that the Taliban would manage a complete takeover of Afghanistan. OHanlon believes that it will be very hard for them in parts of the Tajik-dominated north in particular. I think they may wind up with about half the country, maybe three fifths. Responding to a question on whether the US withdrawal from Afghanistan will pave the way to greater Turkish, Iranian and Pakistan roles, he said, Perhaps, but thats not my main concern. OHanlon highlighted, rather, Afghanistans stability and the broader global counterterrorism efforts. By those metrics, the US decision to leave is regrettable, I think. But this is now how Johnson, who fears a proxy war in Afghanistan, sees it. He stresses that Pakistan and China are now extremely close, conducting joint business that will reach almost $80 billion in the next few years. A lot of people believe that the Taliban are proxies for the Pakistanis, which is incorrect. The Pakistanis for sure have an influence, and they give them refuge. But while the Pakistanis want the Americans to stay, the Talibans greatest wish has always been to get the US out. Johnson referred to India, which he expects will also be involved, being close to Russia. Finally, he spoke about Iran having had a long, decent relationship with Afghanistan that has never been quite understood. Johnson argued that its more of an enemy of my enemy is my friend relationship although there is a small Shia community in the country. Actually, during the anti-Soviet Jihad, the Iranians deployed helicopters and gave weapons to the Shias who were fighting. Most European forces including those of Germany, Italy and Poland have already left. So, except for government forces, arguably no one is left there to back the Americans. According to the CNN, the Biden administration is still thinking about whether to carry out drone offensives and commando raids after the troops leave as tools of a post-withdrawal, counterinsurgency strategy. Last month, moreover, Biden met with Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani at the Oval Office to express support for him amid the growing fight against the powerful Taliban groups. It is yet to be seen to what extent the Americans will do so after they leave and how domestic events will unfold in the war-torn country. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: There is a consensus among pundits, experts, and diplomats that the stakes of the Iraqi parliamentary elections this October are a major test of Iraqs ability to conduct a free-and-fair vote. Indeed, the stakes may go well beyond these crucial elections if there is to be any hope of restoring the Iraqis confidence in their state after so much damage over nearly two decades. Yet, while the contest remains consequential, many Iraqis do not see voting as a way to bring about the drastic changes their beleaguered nation needs, and many have even called for a boycott of the elections. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi has called for parliamentary elections to take place on 10 October in response to demands by pro-reform activists who led large-scale protests in 2019 and forced then prime minister Adel Abdel-Mahdi to quit. The parliamentary vote is set to be held under a new electoral law that reduces Iraqs governorates-based system to 83 electoral districts and eliminates list-based voting in favour of votes for individual candidates. The autumn balloting is Iraqs sixth since the US-led invasion in 2003 that toppled the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein. The elections were meant to make Iraq a trailblazer for democracy and pluralism in the largely autocratic Middle East. Instead, the oligarchs who took power have held periodic elections to enhance their legitimacy and have monopolised the countrys resources, controlled the public sphere, and manipulated state institutions to ensure that they remain in power. In each of these elections since the first post-Saddam elections in 2005, voting has been rigged and irregularities have been widespread, and they have produced parliaments paralysed by divisions and dysfunctional governments. All these successive governments have failed the Iraqi people, and this oil-rich country has been marred by corruption, inefficiency, a lack of basic public services, human-rights abuses, and poverty. Now, an already battered nation is being asked to make its choice of a new parliament among the same ruling cliques, with fraught political stagnation exacerbated by the worst public-health crisis in living memory and an economic slump that has cost millions of Iraqis a decent standard of living forming the background. Al-Kadhimi has repeatedly promised that the poll will be free and fair. He has also urged pro-reform activists to organise themselves politically and to participate in the upcoming elections. But the biggest and most pernicious whoppers doing the rounds today have come from UN officials and western diplomats in Baghdad, who have been trumpeting the vote as the advent of a new and more democratic future for Iraq. UN Special Representative for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has pledged that the world organisation will assist the Iraqi authorities in making the upcoming elections transparent and credible. Western envoys in Baghdad are publicly underlining their governments commitment to supporting the aspirations expressed by Iraqi citizens for the rule of law and reforms through free, fair, and credible elections in Iraq. The UN mission in Iraq has been promised millions of dollars in contributions by the United States, the European Union, and Japan to support the UN-led project to monitor Iraqs upcoming elections. Why the UN, the US, and western governments continue to provide sustenance to the power-greedy Iraqi leadership that has turned democracy into a farce remains a mystery. As Iraqis know to their cost, elections often do not function smoothly even with all the enthusiasm and opportunities given by the world to establish civil governance and democracy. Elections in their present form appear to be a fading shadow of democracy that does not only undermine the political system, but also endangers the fragile Iraqi state itself. The reason why this contest is more consequential than the critical elections held in Iraq in 2005, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 is that the country is currently in a shaky state, and these elections could be a tipping point for its future. Key among the expectations is that the next elections will constitute an opportunity to reverse the stagnant political order in Iraq and be an instrument of political reform and legitimation. But the malign forces the ruling oligarchs in Iraq have summoned up over nearly two decades have already done so much damage to the institutions of the countrys nascent democracy that their re-election could damage forever the prospect of establishing a functioning state. This setup has cast doubts on whether Iraqs 2021 elections will indeed be free and fair and whether they will open up politics to wider participation, which is why many Iraqis have stopped taking the poll seriously. According to Iraqs Independent High Elections Commission (IHEC), as of 7 July there were 25,182,594 registered voters in Iraq, being people who have entered their names and other personal data into the system through a biometric registration form. Basic statistics on Iraqs population and eligible voters have been lacking as successive governments have postponed a national census, arguing that after years of wars and changes in demographic distribution any survey would be likely further to deepen ethnic divisions. With fewer than two months to go before the elections, it is not clear how many biometric voter cards have been issued by the IHEC to eligible voters, as required by law, and how many have been received. Independent NGOs, however, have reported that only 17 million eligible voters have updated their biometric registration cards, and only 13 million have received their cards. The IHEC has added further confusion to the process by announcing that it is issuing temporary voter cards to those who missed the deadlines, a measure many believe could jeopardise the ballots legitimacy. A final list of candidates published by the IHEC shows that some 3,249 candidates and 21 coalitions have been approved to run in the elections. Most of the candidates do not enjoy the influence that the well-established groups have, making it harder for independent newcomers to gain a platform and make political claims on the state. The holding of early elections was a key demand of the nationwide anti-corruption protest movement that has railed against Iraqs inefficient ruling oligarchs and the rising Iranian influence in Iraq. Many leaders of the youth movement who were aspiring to participate in the early elections have been threatened, intimidated, or kidnapped. Some have even been hunted down, leaving a chilling effect on the elections campaign. Significantly, an announcement by the populist Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr that his mass Sadrist Movement that leads the largest political bloc in parliament will boycott the elections has thrown the entire electoral process into disarray. Several other groups have also decided to stay out of the poll, citing concerns that a free-and-fair vote is not possible due to the continued political crisis in Iraq, and this could throw the elections into further chaos. With voters staying away from registration and political tensions on the rise, fears of a low turnout in the elections could make them look irrelevant in the eyes of growing numbers of Iraqis. One scenario is that the elections will be postponed, throwing the whole political process into question at a time when the stability of Iraq depends upon a legitimate government. Another scenario is that a new parliament and a new government dominated by pro-Iran political groups and militias will usher in the end of Iraqs fragile political system based on a kind of power-sharing and consensus-making. A third scenario is that Al-Sadr will return to take part in elections that he has cast as rigged and fraudulent, resulting in another dysfunctional parliament in Iraq and another stalemated government. These stark perspectives put into question the uptick of statements of support, particularly from UN officials and western diplomats, for Iraqs October elections, reducing them to political naivety, if not total absurdity. All this means that the elections will be taken less seriously, meaning that hopes of the vote rescuing Iraq from its current deadlock are likely to be a pipe dream. Moreover, the failure of the elections to end the deadlock raises the worrying possibility of further instability in the country. *A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: It has been seven years since four Israelis were captured in the Gaza Strip, including two soldiers taken during operations by Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, during Israels 2014 war on Gaza. Tough negotiations sponsored by Egypt to reach a prisoner exchange deal continue. What makes this deal even more elusive is the gaping difference between Hamass demands and Israels perspective, the current political and security climate on the two sides, and the fact that each is putting as much pressure on the other. Since the end of Israels most recent war on Gaza in May, Israel has asserted a condition to which it often alluded but has never stipulated, namely that progress in the prisoner exchange deal and the return of Israeli prisoners is a prerequisite for allowing the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure in Gaza. Since the end of that war, Israel has tightened its siege on Gaza to increase pressure on Hamas, in power in the Gaza Strip, to agree to this condition. Meanwhile, Hamas insists on its own terms that de-escalation, ceasefire and reconstruction of Gaza are issues that should be discussed separately from the captured soldiers and a prisoner exchange deal. An Israeli negotiating team came to Cairo more than three times in two months to discuss a prisoner exchange deal, according to the Israeli Broadcast Corporation. Israels Channel 12 News recently revealed that Hamas made a new offer of a prisoner exchange in two phases. First, the release of two Israeli civilian prisoners, Avera Mengistu and Hisham El-Sayed, followed by the two soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul (whom Israel believes are dead; Hamas will not show proof of life until the first phase is complete). The second phase will include talks on the return of the missing soldiers in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners, including key Fatah figure Marwan Barghouti. Hamas is also demanding the release of 800 Palestinian prisoners and all 300 Palestinian female prisoners, in exchange. After Israeli media leaked the alleged offer by Hamas, a member of Hamass politburo accused Israel of procrastinating with mediators on reaching a prisoner exchange deal. He accused the Israeli government of refusing to work with international mediators and rejecting suggestions by international players. There has been no progress on the issue of Israeli soldiers held in Gaza in recent months, the politician said, reiterating a previous declaration by the group:: The deal will be made when Israel is ready to pay the price for the freedom of its captured soldiers in the Gaza Strip. Repeated accusations on both sides are met with media pressure to embarrass the other side. A month ago, Hamas made a television broadcast of an audio recording of one of the prisoners it is holding without identifying who it was. This increased pressure by the families of captive Israelis on the Israeli government to bring their sons home. The Al-Qassam Brigades released a statement on the anniversary of the capture of Goldin on the outskirts of Rafah in southern Gaza, stating that the Israeli government will not receive a morsel of information about the life or fate of its soldiers until it pays the price. The statement continued, After seven years of Israeli war on Gaza, and the data concealed in its black box of information, the Israeli side remains confused and is trying to use intelligence techniques to find out about its soldiers in Gaza. Palestinian and Israeli analysts believe that pressure on both sides will result in everyone agreeing that a deal must be made; each side is trying to buy as much time as possible in order to be in a better position to impose its vision. In Israel, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett wants to make progress on the issue, but is worried about widespread criticism of his fragile cabinet should he release a large number of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, especially those Israel describes as having blood on their hands, in reference to prisoners who participated in operations that killed Israelis. Although experts on Israeli affairs believe a prisoner exchange deal was more likely when Binyamin Netanyahu was in power, they agree that Bennett is invested in striking a deal. On the Palestinian side, Hamas has a clear vision that a prisoner exchange would greatly boost its popularity on the Palestinian street, which is disconcerting for Israel. At the same time, Hamas is worried about compromising on the conditions it made and declared in the media as parametres for a new prisoner exchange deal, most notably the release of all prisoners who were part of the Egypt-brokered deal to release Gilad Shalit in 2011. Israel released 1,050 Palestinians in exchange for Shalit but then turned around and rearrested some of them after their release. Mustafa Al-Sawwaf, a political analyst, said signs indicate that the viewpoints of Israel, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on a prisoner exchange within the next few months are converging. Sawwaf noted however that this progress is moving very slowly right now due to Israel rejecting Hamass demands and trying to impose its own formula on the deal. He said the conditions both sides want to impose are complicating the role of the Egyptian mediators. Right now, progress that would lead to an exchange deal between the two sides through Egyptian mediation is not apace, he said. Especially with Hamass demand to release prisoners who were recaptured after the Shalit deal, which is a crippling condition for Israel. Sawwaf noted Egypts critical role in bringing together Palestinian and Israeli viewpoints. Egypt is exerting an exceptional effort on this front. No other country could play this role or have such influence on Hamas and the Israeli government, he asserted, due to Egypts strategic relations with each side. Egypt is trying to make progress on this issue, despite Israels attempts to take advantage of Egypts role to achieve gains, he explained. He also noted that the change of government in Israel may have negatively impacted the possibility of reaching a prisoner exchange deal. Despite diverging views on the likelihood that a deal will be made, the ambiguity and secrecy of all involved and the lack of accurate information about the course of negotiations, make it likely there could be surprise and rapid progress. The same occurred in the previous prisoner exchange agreement, known as the Shalit deal. *A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: 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 hasnt 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 worlds 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 dont 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 werent sent because countries didnt 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. Short link: Who could have predicted or even imagined for a second that after 20 years of war in Afghanistan the Taliban would be more entrenched than ever in the country and gaining in the international legitimacy that was denied them before the US decided to topple them by military force in October 2001 in revenge for the September 11 attacks by the Afghanistan-based Al-Qaeda? In less than a month from today, all US and NATO forces will have been withdrawn from Afghanistan, a country that faces uncertainties as to its security, political stability, and its future as a state worthy of the name. The other day while on an official visit to India US secretary of state Antony Blinken said that if the Taliban take power by force in the country Afghanistan will become a pariah state. However, what has been taking place on the ground in Afghanistan over the last few months with the accelerating withdrawal of US forces, and apparently without close coordination from a military and a political point of view with the Kabul government, has been the Talibans taking power by the use of military force all over the country. In parallel with its military victories, neighbouring powers have been warming to the Taliban. China received a delegation from the Taliban two weeks ago. India, once an avowed adversary of the Taliban, has opened channels of communication with them. Russia, although it has deployed additional forces near the Afghan border to the north, has been trying not to antagonise the Taliban and is encouraging political dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban. The Russian special envoy to Afghanistan said a week ago that the Taliban do not present a threat in the near future to the security of the countries of Central Asia. He added, surprisingly, that the mere presence of the Taliban along the frontiers of Afghanistan with some former Soviet Central Asian republics was a guarantee that threats from terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State (IS) and other smaller terror groups he referred to 20 of them that are no less brutal than IS would be held in check by the Taliban. In the meantime, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan organised joint military exercises from 5 to 10 August with the aim of maintaining closer cooperation to meet new emerging threats in the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, the forces taking part in these exercises are training to destroy terror organisations that decide to send their fighters across the border. On 6 August, the Taliban seized control of Zaranj, the capital of the Nimroz province, which is considered to be a major border crossing and a transit point for trade between Afghanistan and India through an Iranian seaport. Controlling the border crossing will give the Taliban new revenues in the form of customs duties. This is not the first border crossing that has fallen. They have already captured one in the north of the country and another one to the east along the Afghan-Pakistan border. In addition, it seems that they are bent on seizing major cities before 11 September in order to encircle Kabul and are waiting for the Kabul government either to fall or to surrender to them. A US intelligence officer assigned to the Indo-Pacific region told the Washington Examiner on 4 August that Zaranj was the first Afghan provincial capital to fall to the Taliban and it carried with it what he termed significant symbolism. This symbolism is dangerous as it could discourage Afghan soldiers from carrying on the fight against the Taliban. Already the Taliban are carrying out brutal acts against captured Afghan soldiers in the fighting against government forces in order to demoralise other units defending major cities like Kandahar and Herat that the Taliban want to capture. If they succeed, their next objective will be Kabul. This week, the US diplomat in charge of the Afghan peace talks he could be called their godfather told the Radio Azadi radio station that the Taliban is a reality that the government cannot eliminate. Likewise, the Taliban cannot establish by force a government that would be accepted by the majority of Afghans and the international community. I wonder how the thousands of Afghan, American, and European families whose sons lost their lives in the killing fields of Afghanistan over the 20-year war in the country will react to such a statement by the US top diplomat to the Afghan peace talks. It is as if the last 20 years did not happen. But even so, the war will have cost US taxpayers more than $2 trillion including veteran care and interest payments on war borrowing, according to the Costs of War Project at Brown University in the US, which also estimates that more than a 170,000 people died in the conflict, counting Afghan fighters and contractors. The figure includes 2,400 US troops and 40,000 civilians who have died fighting the Taliban over the last two decades. The above figures are quoted in an article by journalist Megan K. Stack that appeared in the US magazine the New Yorker on 4 August. She wrote that the US will end the longest foreign war in its history, and few can articulate what it was for. No one would argue against this, even as they witness the return of the Taliban, not only in Afghanistan, but also on the international scene and now having unprecedented respectability. General Austin Scott Miller the longest-serving general in Americas longest foreign war, said during the handover of command in Afghanistan to the commander of Central Command, General Kenneth F. McKenzie, who will oversee Afghan operations from Tampa, Florida, our job now is not to forget, and it will be important to know that someone remembers, that someone cares, and that we are able to talk about it in the future. These are very somber words. It is a tragedy that the war against terror has failed utterly in Afghanistan. With the return of the Taliban, and Al-Qaeda still operating, there can be no guarantee that the two will not resume their cooperation and coordination, this time benefiting from 20 years of experience in resisting the mightiest military force on the planet, the US military. In the wake of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, Al-Qaeda believed that it could take on the US. It planned and carried out the attacks on the US on 11 September 2001. After the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, I wonder what conclusions Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other terror organisations such as IS will draw and what their strategy will be? One thing is certain: all terrorist organisations and groups have been emboldened by the latest turn of events in Afghanistan. If the Taliban seize power in Kabul, they will conclude that persistence in fighting established governments in the name of Islam has been vindicated by the second precedent of the Taliban. The first precedent was in 1996 when they became the masters of Afghanistan for the first time. *The writer is former assistant foreign minister. *A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: The League of Arab States was created in 1945 with the aim of strengthening and coordinating political, cultural, economic, and social programmes for its members and to mediate disputes among and between them. As an outgrowth of Pan-Arabism, the prospect in which the league was built during the post-world war decolonisation period largely contributed to its structure, vision, mission, and goals, some of which are no longer applicable to the Arab world today. The region has undergone a myriad of incidents that prompted its progression into modernised nation-states, yet the institutional embodiment in the Arab League cannot cope with this change. While establishing the league as a collective Arab association, member states repudiated the idea of founding a federation, or a state above the states, and accordingly, they undermined any prospects for an empowered supranational body in order to preserve the national sovereignty of the newly independent Arab states. According to Rakha Hassan, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs; the Arab League was established 75 years ago in very different circumstances. What it desperately needs now is greater financial support to help it carve out a viable role, and a mechanism by which resolutions can be taken by a majority and be binding on all members. (1) It is no surprise that to this day, the Arab League has been titled a glorified debating society to denote its ineffectiveness and insufficient role in dealing with the political, economic, and military issues pertaining to its member states. Arab League summits tend to end with big declarations, no decisions, and no plans for action, making it less viable for member states to remain contingent to the League (Musmar, 2020). Member states contest the legitimacy of the league and fail to abide by its charter due to the absence of an enforcement mechanism, consequently leading to its non-fulfillment as a regional mediator in conflict resolution. Thereby, the aim of this paper is to assess the role of the Arab League as a regional organisation, and more specifically, to demonstrate its failures in dealing with conflict resolution as well as to locate and identify the organisational characteristics that are affecting its performance. Considering that other regional organisations have faced similar ambiguities while reaching their maturity phase, an insight into the integrative process of the European Union (EU) and the conflict resolution mechanism of the African Union (AU) will be taken into account as an inspiration to the stagnant condition of the Arab League. The Role of the Arab League as a Regional Mediator According to the leagues charter, mediation can only occur with the consensus of member states and cannot be arbitrarily imposed. Consequently, for most conflicts in the Arab world, mediation by the league was rejected under the auspices of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Since the creation of the Arab League in 1945 until 2008, the organisation mediated in 19 out of 56 conflicts that developed in the region, achieving full success only on 5 occasions (Nasur, 2017). Intervention by the league is frequently contested considering that in the past decades, the Arab world witnessed two wars against Iraq (1991-2003), a civil war in Somalia (1991), two wars in Gaza (2008-2012), two wars against Lebanon (1982-2006), political turmoil in Yemen, a military coup in Mauritania (2008), a civil war and a secessionist movement in Sudan (2011), the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Arab Spring, the Syrian civil war, a failed state in Libya, the creation of ISIS, and the blowout of terrorism. In the past 10 years particularly within the context of the Arab Spring intervention by the league has been negligible in Libya, Syria, and Yemen; and the major players involved were mostly foreign powers and the UN. Despite being the first international body to stride into the Syrian civil war, the league was incapable of enforcing any of its decisions, and none of these conflicts have witnessed an effective reaction on behalf of the organisation. The league also failed to address terrorism and radicalism in the region, and critically stalled to confront the refugee crisis resulting from the regions unsettled conflicts. The most serious shortcomings of the Arab League emanate from certain organisational characteristics that are inconveniencing its performance, typically incorporated in its mandate, decision-making process, organs, and operational capacity (Mencutek, 2014). Article 5 of the leagues charter stipulates that it is prohibited to resort to force in order to resolve conflict disputes between member states; as long as states do not give permission for the league to intervene, it shall not impede or infringe on states sovereignty. The latter enthused the inevitability of dealing with a lack of an enforcement mechanism among member states, which has been hindering all preceding and prospective efforts of the league. Member states have a solid stance against any form of violation or threat to state sovereignty. This has been emphasised in all treaty provisions, statements, and practices as an organising principle of the league. Yet, it has been a significant impediment in taking an active role in regional affairs, especially in intrastate conflicts. The League has only anticipated interstate conflicts in its charter, and its legal instruments and protocols were thus tailored around it, completely neglecting the conditions around intrastate conflicts, once again because of its overemphasis on state sovereignty. The leagues involvement in conflict resolution and the use of force are authorised under very strict conditions. The council may become involved in arbitration if the dispute does not involve the independence of a state, its sovereignty, or its territorial integrity and if the two conceding parties apply to the council for the settlement of this dispute. Although there is great emphasis on the peaceful settlement of disputes and non-use of force, the league does not establish mediation mechanisms, nor does it have bodies or procedures to determine whether violations have occurred or not. Article 6 mentions that in case of aggression, the council should decide on the appropriate measures to deal with violations, however, it fails to specify what exactly is presumed as aggression and does not establish specific mediation mechanisms. Irrevocably, such conditionalities encumber the involvement of the League, especially when it comes to resolving crises within member states. Besides its failure in conflict resolution, the league has also failed to generate cooperation and integration between member states in the political, economic, and social spheres, although the latter were the basis on which the league was formed under the auspices of Pan-Arabism. To this day, areas of cooperation have been very limited. It has performed inadequately in terms of economic cooperation, with limited inter-Arab trade and insignificant intra-regional capital movements within the Arab world, not to mention that the roots of integration attempts in the region can be traced back to the 19th century. The European Union: Integration and Cooperation Since the most distinguished example of integration and cooperation can be delineated from an organisation such as the EU, the Arab League can stimulate its integrative prospects by reflecting on the previous efforts of the EU. The integration process of the EU is taken as the first and most successful example serving the function of regional integration because it exemplifies how a regional organisation transformed from being simply an instrument for economic cooperation to being a political actor and creating a zone for peace (Mencutek, 2014). According to a 2007 publication by the EU Commission (2), the integrative aspect mainly derives from a collective desire to manage members joint interests based essentially on economic integration. This framework has been proven when the architects of the EU assumed that once the process of economic integration was to be established, political integration would follow through a spillover mechanism that would produce more cooperation and more supranational rulemaking. Nonetheless, it is essential to highlight that the supranational nature of the EU does not signify a state above all states, but rather refers to two decisive characteristics of this organization: 1) supremacy and 2) direct applicability of its rights in relation to the national rights of its member states. Meaning that, if the EU adopts a rule, it becomes binding on all member states, and if these rules were not abided by, a proceeding against that state may be initiated before the judicial body of the union. In this context, the frequently contemplated question for sovereignty advocates is: How does the EU preserve the national sovereignty of its member states if policies become binding on all? The remedy is quite simple: the EUs competences are set out in the EU treaties, which provide the basis for any actions the EU institutions take. The EU can only act within the limits of the competences conferred on it by the treaties, which is how EU member states preserve their sovereignty, by abiding to the treaties they voluntarily sign. It can be said that in one sense, the EU is a product of state sovereignty because it has been created through voluntary agreements among its Members (Imamovic and Skrbic, 2017). This is the agenda in which the Arab League should adopt in order to maintain a successful regional organisation convoyed by integration among its member states as well as the natural manifestation of an enforcement mechanism. The solution to the leagues failure to comply with its institutional framework could be dealt with by allocating efforts in reinforcing the low politics of the Arab League in order to make it indispensable to higher politics. In other words, if sovereignty obsessed states still insist on monopolising high politics issues of diplomacy, conflict, and war the league can invest in integrational low politics issues such as those of economy, science, technology, culture, and civil society concerns such as projects implemented in collaborated with the UNDP to address water scarcity and food insecurity. That way, it will not only demonstrate its utility at the street level but it will also help the Arab order mitigate its crippling double logic and will force states to abide by its policies because it cannot detach from such indispensable projects that will also limit foreign intervention and debt (Korany, 2011). The African Union: Conflict Resolution and Post-Conflict Reparations The AU was officially launched in 2002 following the decision of dissolving the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to create a new continental organisation to build on its work; since African leaders conceded that in order to realise the regions potential, there was a dire need to refocus on new priorities, considering that decolonization and apartheid were no longer the main concerns of the continent. Instead, they believed Africas focus should be repositioned towards increased cooperation and integration among African states, endeavouring growth and economic development. Conversely, the Arab League is still trapped within the ideals of the twentieth century, with the archetypes of Pan-Arabism still leading the objectives of the league, even though it is no longer relevant to the Arab world today. Unlike the Arab League, the AUs charter explicitly committed its member states to intervene in civil wars inflicted in African states. Formerly, the OAUs charter used to clearly prohibit intervention in the internal affairs of member states and preserved sovereignty as a constituent aspect just like the Arab League. However, reforms through the creation of the AU dissolved this concept. Additionally, the AUs right of intervention derives from the ideal of Pan-Africanism and the principle of non-indifference. Those principles stipulate that African countries can no longer remain indifferent to the conflict and suffering that occurs within their states and that African countries have the primary responsibility for establishing and maintaining the peace and security architecture on the continent (Murithi, 2009). Although the AU still suffers from structural impediments, it is yet considered an active regional player in conflict prevention and resolution between and within African states. The main security organ of the AU is called the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and its responsibility is outlined in Article 3 of the AU Protocol. The PSC consists of 15 members, and it is the AUs pivotal decision-making body on conflict and crisis. The continental bodys peace and security architecture includes a Panel of the Wise, which promotes extensive mediation efforts, a rapid reaction African Standby Force (ASF) built around five sub-regional brigades, a Continental Early Warning System (CEWS); a Military Staff Committee (MSC); and a Peace Fund. The AU has adopted an all-inclusive approach to peace building that seeks to link peace, security, and development, and emphasises the importance of national ownership of post-conflict reconstruction efforts (International Colloquium Report, 2012). They are serviced and supported by the AUs Peace and Security Directorate (PSD), tasked with putting in place the architecture to ensure more effective African management of crises. The AU also has a significant contribution of African troops and police (Ezeibe and Oguonu, 2014). In cases of non-compliance of member states with the PSCs decisions, the PSC adopted more coercive mechanisms to secure compliance with its stated objectives, namely sanctions. Sanctions serve many purposes: they can signal dissatisfaction, stigmatise the target, act as a substitute for armed conflict, and potentially change political behavior. The AUs sanctions were meant as symbolic messages within a broader and more effective peacemaking strategy (Williams, 2011). What makes the African Union a more functional regional organisation is its ability to employ an enforcement mechanism that member states uphold and abide by, as opposed to the Arab League where state sovereignty preservation hampered all prospects of effective intervention and resolution by the league. For it to become a functional and prosperous organisation, the league should bridge the gap between narrative and practice, however, this can only happen through structural reform such as that of the AU and the integrative approach of the EU. The league was founded in the 1940s as a product of state sovereignty and Arab nationalism. By time, the consolidation of state sovereignty and the decline of pan-Arabism have shaken and diverted the institutional purpose of the league, leaving it in crisis. A more robust and dynamic Arab League could pave the way for increased intra-Arab cooperation in areas of trade, cultural and scientific exchange, and regional security, all currently part of its official mandate, but never pursued in earnest. It is with no doubt that an economic base coupled with a politically united voice could be the solution to the current issues of the Arab League. ---------- Sources (1) El-Bey, Doaa. The Arab League: What Chance Reform? Ahram Online (2021) (2) Archick, Kristin. The European Union: Questions and Answers Congressional Research Service (2021) ---------- *The writer is a researcher at the BUC Centre for Global Affairs at Badr University in Cairo Short link: KYODO NEWS - Aug 17, 2021 - 01:04 | All, Japan Japan and Egypt agreed on Monday to cooperate in ensuring stability in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of Kabul and other major cities in the country. Speaking after separate talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi called on "all parties concerned" in Afghanistan to restore peace and order in the country, urging them to protect lives and property. "We shared concerns about the current situation in Afghanistan and agreed to cooperate so that it will not become a further destabilizing factor," Motegi told reporters. Egypt possesses influence in the Islamic world, he said. Japan has been actively involved in Afghanistan's reconstruction process from the U.S.-led military campaign that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. Tokyo hosted meetings in 2002 and 2012 that brought donor countries and international organizations together to spur development of Afghanistan. Since 2001, Japan has provided some $6.8 billion in reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan. Japan has also announced $720 million in additional aid for a period between 2021 and 2024. In addition to Afghanistan, Motegi and the Egyptian leaders discussed ways to promote peace between Israel and Palestine, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The Japanese minister said he and the Egyptian leaders also affirmed closer coordination in fighting the novel coronavirus and advancing the international order based on the rule of law. Motegi is on the first leg of his 10-day Middle East tour that will also take him to Israel and Palestine, where he is expected to urge both sides to maintain a ceasefire and resume peace talks. He is likely to show Japan's commitment toward the reconstruction of Gaza as well. Related coverage: China effectively accepts Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan Taliban back in control of Afghanistan 20 yrs after 9/11 attacks U.S. warns of "acts of violence" around 20th anniv. of 9/11 attacks New Delhi: Roman Catholic Bishop from Jalandhar Franco Mullakal, who is facing rape charges by a nun in Kerala, has been summoned by the Kerala Police on , a senior official said . On , the Kerala Police had said that the Bishop could be summoned for questioning this week. Also read | UK court to review video of Mumbai jail where Vijay Mallya would be lodged post extradition Further action would be taken after clearing doubts as there were a lot of contradictions in the statements given by the nun, witnesses and the accused, the police said. The complainant had accused that Mullakal had raped her and had unnatural sex with her multiple times between 2014 and 2016. Also read | Surgical Strikes: Lt Gen Nimbhorkar reveals why Indian troops carried leopard urine According to preliminary investigations, the Bishop abused his position and repeatedly raped the nun. The police, however, rejected the allegations that the police were helping the accused Bishop. (With inputs from agencies) Beijing: The death toll has risen to eleven with another 44 people hospitalized after a man allegedly drove an SUV deliberately into a crowd in central China before jumping out and attacking victims with a dagger and shovel, local authorities said on Thursday. The Hengyang city government said the suspect in the case had previous convictions for crimes including drug trafficking, theft and assault and, acting alone, had sought to get revenge on society. That appeared to rule out terrorism, although vehicles have previously been used in attacks blamed on militant Muslim separatists from the Uighur ethnic minority group. Also Read | After 'unpadh-gawaar' remark on Modi, Sanjay Nirupam says PM is not God in democracy Police identified the suspect as 54-year-old Yang Zanyun from Hengyangs Hengdong county in the largely agricultural province of Hunan. Tuesday nights attack happened in a public square where Chinese typically gather to dance in groups or enjoy the cool evening breezes. The SUV apparently appeared without warning, jumping the curb before plowing into the crowd. China has experienced violent attacks in public places in recent years, including bombings and arson of buses and buildings. Occasionally, the attacks are attributed to militant separatists, though such incidents have become less common in recent years amid a stifling security crackdown. Read More | Open your eyes, Kulsoom: Nawaz Sharifs last video with wife goes viral In 2013, an SUV plowed through a crowd in front of Beijings Forbidden City before crashing and catching fire, killing five, including the vehicles three occupants. Police blamed the attack on Uighur extremists inspired by jihadi ideology. More commonly though, the motivation is identified as mental illness, alienation from society or a desire to settle scores. Chinese law restricts the sale and possession of firearms, and mass attacks are generally carried out with knives or homemade explosives. Many of those incidents have occurred at schools, including several in 2010 in which nearly 20 children were killed, prompting a response from top government officials and leading many schools to beef up security. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Westminster Magistrates' Court in London will decide on December 10 if fugitive tycoon Vijay Mallya will be extradited to India to face trial on charges of fraud and money-laundering amounting to around Rs. 9,000 crore. On Wednesday, the court reviewed a video of the cell in a Mumbai jail where he might be lodged once he is deported. While hearing Indias appeal for Mallyas deportation to India, the judge had asked for the video to see if the condition of Indian jails meets the standards of Europe's Human Rights Commission. Mallya had argued that Indian cells do not have proper air ventilation and light. The 62-year-old former boss of now-grounded Kingfisher Airline is wanted in India for defaulting loans of state-run banks worth around 9,000 crore. Earlier in the day, Mallya claimed that he had met the finance minister before leaving India to settle matters. "I met the finance minister to settle matters before I left. The banks had filed objections to my settlement letters," news agency ANI quoted Mallya as saying outside the Westminster Magistrates Court in London. #WATCH "I met the Finance Minister before I left, repeated my offer to settle with the banks", says Vijay Mallya outside London's Westminster Magistrates' Court pic.twitter.com/5wvLYItPQf ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2018 Arun Jaitley was the Union finance minister when Mallya left in 2016. He is also the current finance minister. Jaitley, however, rubbished Mallya's statement, saying he never gave him an appointment since 2014 but the fugitive liquor baron misused his position as Rajya Sabha MP to accost him in Parliament. In a Facebook blog, Jaitley said Mallya's statement was "factually false" and "does not reflect truth". "Since 2014, I have never given him any appointment to meet me and the question of his having met me does not arise," he wrote. But Mallya being a Member of Rajya Sabha, occasionally attended the House. "He misused that privilege on one occasion while I was walking out of the House to go to my room. He paced up to catch up with me and while walking uttered a sentence that 'I am making an offer of settlement'. "Having been fully briefed about his earlier 'bluff offers', without allowing him to proceed with the conversation, I curtly told him 'there was no point talking to me and he must make offers to his bankers'," Jaitley said. The finance minister said he did not even "receive" the papers that he was holding in his hand. "Besides this one sentence exchange where he misused his privilege as a Rajya Sabha Member, in order to further his commercial interest as a bank debtor, there is no question of my having ever given him an appointment to meet me," he added. Also Read | Watch: Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya having high old time in UK Mallya, who had arrived at the court for the hearing, said that he had made a comprehensive settlement offer before the Karnataka High Court that will help in paying off all his dues. "As far as I am concerned, I have made a comprehensive settlement offer before Karnataka High Court. I hope the honourable judges will consider it favourably; everybody gets paid off and I guess that's the primary objective, he told reporters gathered outside the court. Also Read | Surgical Strikes: Here's why Indian troops carried leopard urine According to Mallya, he and the United Breweries Group (UBHL) have filed an application in the Karnataka High Court on June 22, 2018, setting out available assets of approximately Rs 13,900 crore. (With inputs from PTI) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Increasing worldwide competition to attract international students has led to a sharp fall in the number of Indian students coming to UK universities, a new report commissioned by the government warned on Tuesday. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) had been tasked by the UK Home Office to study the impact of international students in the UK and recommend any changes to the countrys visa regime that might be required. But while it acknowledged the sharp drop in Indian student numbers in recent years, it sought to blame that largely on adverse media coverage. The UKs market of students from India has fallen sharply in recent years, while remaining stable for those students from China? the number of students from India fell from a peak of 24,000 in 2010-11 to fewer than 10,000 in 2016-17, the report notes, which it says reflects a fall by 11 percentage points since 2010. This is probably connected to the ending of some sponsor licences and the change in the post-study work offer. There has also been adverse coverage of the UK as a place to study in the Indian press, it adds. It recommended an overall easier transition from student to work visas for talented applicants, including extending the limited post-study leave period from the current three to six months for Masters students. But it dismissed the need for an exclusive post-study visa route, seen as central to attracting students from countries like India. University chiefs have been campaigning for a dedicated post-study visa route, most recently with representative body Universities UK proposing a new Global Graduate Talent Visa to allow qualified international students to work in a skilled job in the UK for a period of two years after graduation. Prof Janet Beer, President of Universities UK, said the organisation, which represents the countrys 136 leading universities, was disappointed with the reports main recommendations. The ability to work in a skilled job for a limited period after graduation is, for many prospective international students, an important part of the overall package when deciding where to study? improved post-study visa would put us on a par with what is offered by countries such as the US, Canada and Australia, she said, warning that growth in student numbers will only be possible if the UK adopts a more encouraging immigration system. In another controversial move, the MAC report also concluded there was no case for international students to be removed from the governments annual migration targets. If there is a problem with students in the target, it is with the target itself rather than the inclusion of students in the target, said MAC Chairman Professor Alan Manning in his Foreword to the report. Campaigners warn that while the UK continues to count international students as long-term migrants in its net migration target, there is continued pressure to reduce their numbers and adds to the perception that overseas students are not really welcome in the UK. The good thing it (MAC) does do is to explicitly call out that the governments net migration target is a political target, and therefore a problem in itself. But it shoots itself in the foot by then recommending that students stay within this target, said Sanam Arora, Chair of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, which has been campaigning for a friendlier visa regime for Indian students. The post-study work visa is the key thing required ? so what is the point of issuing recommendations and reaffirming findings we all already know if youre not going to do anything about it, she questioned. A British Chambers of Commerce spokesperson added, Business communities around the UK will be bitterly disappointed not to see support for the removal of overseas students from the immigration statistics. The MAC report recognises that there will be cross-sector disappointment by its recommendation on post-study work visas, but says that demand for UK education should not be based on work rights. Its recommendations will now be considered by the UK government in any future changes to the immigration policy. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended the house arrest of five left-leaning activists till September 17 when it will hear a plea challenging the Maharashtra polices action and seeking their release. Hearing the petition filed by historian Romila Thapar and four others, a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra adjourned the matter till Monday after it was submitted the defence counsel was busy in another court. Also Read | Rafale jets will help in filling gap of combat capabilities of IAF: Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa Earlier in August, five left-leaning activists Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonzalves and Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bhardwaj and Gautam Navalakha were taken into custody by Pune Police after multi-city raids. The police had claimed that the activists were linked with banned Maoist groups and one of them was also involved in the alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Also Read | Chinese PLA troops intrude 3.5 km into Indian territory in Uttarakhand Last week, citing evidence from the computer and mobile phones of the activists, the Maharashtra Police had told the Supreme Court that they were taken into custody for "serious criminal offences" and not because of their political ideologies. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Battered by the centurys worst floods, the Kerala government on Thursday sought Rs 4,700 crore as compensation from the central government for the damage caused by the monsoon fury, officials said. The massive floods in Kerala, which hit 14 districts of the state, since the onset of the Southwest monsoon on May 29 had left over 491 people dead and caused untold loss across the state. Also Read | Centre will provide all possible support to flood-hit Kerala: Nadda The Kerala government has sent a memorandum to the Home Ministry giving details about the loss of human life, properties, infrastructure and crops and sought about Rs 4,700 crore as compensation, a senior government official said. The official added that, In case of any natural calamity beyond the coping capacity of a state, the state government submits a detailed memorandum indicating sector-wise details of damage and requirement of funds for relief operations of immediate nature. Accordingly, the Kerala government sent the memorandum. According to the guidelines, the centre provides its allocations to State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) of each state in advance in two installments. In case of any natural calamity, the state meets the expenditure of relief and rescue from the State Disaster Response Fund already available at its disposal. Also Read | IMD erred in predicting extreme heavy rainfall for Kerala On August 21, the Centre had released Rs 600 crore to flood-ravaged Kerala as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Rs 500 crore) and Home Minister Rajnath Singh (Rs 100 crore) during their visits to Gods Own Country, which was in addition to Rs 562.45 crore already made available in State Disaster Relief Fund of the state. (With PTI inputs) Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was admitted to a private hospital at Candolim in North Goa district on Thursday evening. Sources in the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) confirmed that he has been admitted to hospital but refused to divulge details about his health. Deputy Speaker and BJP MLA Michael Lobo said he met Parrikar at the hospital and the chief minister was fine. Parrikar returned from the United States in the first week of September after undergoing medical treatment. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh government orders early release of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Earlier this year, he was admitted a hospital in the US for nearly three months for a pancreatic ailment. Since his return last week, Parrikar has not attended any official meetings. CMO officials had said he was clearing files from home and would start attending meetings and functions after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which began Thursday, is over. Amid the ongoing tense situation in Afghanistan, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is in Oman after Tajikistan denied landing yesterday. He is likely to head to the US. Former NSA Mohib is also with Ghani in Oman. Earlier, Ashraf Ghani took to social media to announce that he left the country to avoid bloodshed. The President had left the country after the Taliban invaded and took over Kabul. Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai and head of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah are trying to negotiate with the Taliban for an inclusive government. It remains to be seen how the Taliban respond. Former vice-president of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh was in Panjshir before going to Tajikistan. In the last few days, the Taliban fighters have swept through most parts of the country, seizing control of around 25 of 34 provincial capitals including cities such as Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad -- and finally took over the country on Sunday. Pakistan PM Imran Khan convenes meeting to discuss situation in Afghanistan Texas Supreme Court blocks orders allowing masks Delhi to Mumbai and Delhi to Howrah in just 12 hours, know what is railway plan Saif Ali Khan is celebrating his 51st birthday today. Kareena and Saif are currently in the Maldives with their two sons. In fact, he had left Mumbai recently and it was during that time that the first picture of his son Jeh came to light. Kareena-Saif has arrived for the first time on a holiday with their son Jeh. Kareena has now recently shared pictures from the Maldives with her family on her social media and wished Saif a happy birthday. You can see Kareena shared two pictures. Saif Ali Khan, Taimur, and Jeh are seen alongside Kareena in the first picture. Yes, in fact, you can see everyone sitting near the pool in the resort. Kareena is in a floral print dress while Saif Ali Khan is wearing white kurta pajamas when it comes to looks. Taimur is posing looking at the camera while Jeh is lying down. Also in the second picture, Kareena and Saif are in the pool and they are looking at the sea. You can see Kareena shared both these photos and wrote in the caption: 'Happy Birthday to the love of my life. For eternity, you have with you everything I want. On the other hand, Malaika Arora commented on these pictures of Kareena and wrote, 'Happy Birthday My Dear Saifu.' Similarly, many people have commented. However, Saif Ali Khan's birthday is being celebrated in the Maldives these days and now photos are also coming out of there. Video: 'Pray to Allah that American forces leave Afghanistan and we kill Hindus' Madhya Pradesh: Election Commission website hacked case mastermind Armaan Indian Idol 12 winner Pawandeep to give away his trophy and car for THIS reason Ace Bollywood actor Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif to take Tiger 3's shoot to global destinations after having shot at YRF studios in the city. Recent information suggests Salman and Katrina are all set to fly to Russia for an international shoot schedule on August 18, 2021. Salman, Katrina along with crew will be flown by Aditya Chopra via charter. Not just this, it is learnt that the shoot will go on for 45-days and after Russia, they will be heading to 5 other International destinations including Turkey and Austria. "YRF is chartering everyone including Salman, Katrina, director Maneesh Sharma, the entire cast and crew for this intense international leg that will see the team pull off some spectacular shooting schedules! Team Tiger takes off on 18th August21! The direction team under Maneesh has prepped for months for this schedule and Aditya Chopra is clear that the shoot needs to happen smoothly," informs a highly placed trade source. Well, let us tell you that the duo surely is all set to shoot the action stunts on International locations amid the bio bubble being ensured by the producer Aditya Chopra and director Maneesh Sharma. Tiger also stars Emraan Hashmi as the antagonist and fans are eager to see his face off with Salman. Emraan has been training like a beast at the gym and his photos from his workout sessions have seriously given fans all the excitement that they need. On the other hand, a few weeks back, Salman casually announced the film in a workout post and claimed that he is prepping for Tiger 3. Since then, fans are eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of Katrina, Salman and Emraan in action. India administers 55 crore Cumulative Covid vaccine doses: Govts statement Rahul Gandhi unveils Mahatma Gandhi's statue in his constituency Wayanad Journey Possible To Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Howrah in 12 Hours: Indian Railway Weather Alert HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT... ...STORM SURGE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT * LOCATIONS AFFECTED - Huntington - Smithtown - Port Jefferson * WIND - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Below tropical storm force wind - Peak Wind Forecast: 20-30 mph with gusts to 35 mph - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for wind 58 to 73 mph - The wind threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Plan for dangerous wind of equivalent strong tropical storm force. - PREPARE: Efforts to protect life and property should now be underway. Prepare for significant wind damage. - ACT: Act now to complete preparations before the wind becomes hazardous. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Significant - Some damage to roofing and siding materials, along with damage to porches, awnings, carports, and sheds. A few buildings experiencing window, door, and garage door failures. Mobile homes damaged, especially if unanchored. Unsecured lightweight objects become dangerous projectiles. - Several large trees snapped or uprooted, but with greater numbers in places where trees are shallow rooted. Several fences and roadway signs blown over. - Some roads impassable from large debris, and more within urban or heavily wooded places. A few bridges, causeways, and access routes impassable. - Scattered power and communications outages, but more prevalent in areas with above ground lines. * STORM SURGE - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Localized storm surge possible - Peak Storm Surge Inundation: The potential for 1-3 feet above ground somewhere within surge prone areas - Window of concern: early Sunday morning until Sunday evening - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for storm surge flooding greater than 1 foot above ground - The storm surge threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Plan for storm surge flooding greater than 1 foot above ground. - PREPARE: Efforts should now be underway to prepare for storm surge flooding, especially in low-lying vulnerable areas. - ACT: Take actions to protect life and property. Prepare to leave if evacuation orders are given for your area. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Limited - Localized inundation with storm surge flooding mainly along immediate shorelines and in low lying spots, or in areas farther inland near where higher surge waters move ashore. - Sections of near shore roads and parking lots become overspread with surge water. Driving conditions dangerous in places where surge water covers the road. - Moderate beach erosion. Heavy surf also breaching dunes, mainly in usually vulnerable locations. Strong and frequent rip currents. - Minor to locally moderate damage to marinas, docks, boardwalks, and piers. A few small craft broken away from moorings. * FLOODING RAIN - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: - Peak Rainfall Amounts: 1-3 inches, with locally higher amounts - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for moderate flooding rain - The flooding rain threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Emergency plans should include the potential for moderate flooding from heavy rain. Evacuations and rescues are possible. - PREPARE: Consider protective actions if you are in an area vulnerable to flooding. - ACT: Heed any flood watches and warnings. Failure to take action may result in serious injury or loss of life. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Significant - Moderate rainfall flooding may prompt several evacuations and rescues. - Rivers and streams may quickly become swollen with swifter currents and may overspill their banks in a few places, especially in usually vulnerable spots. Small streams, creeks, canals, and ditches may overflow. - Flood waters can enter some structures or weaken foundations. Several places may experience expanded areas of rapid inundation at underpasses, low lying spots, and poor drainage areas. Some streets and parking lots take on moving water as storm drains and retention ponds overflow. Driving conditions become hazardous. Some road and bridge closures. * TORNADO - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: - Situation is unfavorable for tornadoes - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Tornadoes not expected - The tornado threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Tornadoes are not expected. Showers and thunderstorms with gusty winds may still occur. - PREPARE: Little to no preparations needed to protect against tornadoes at this time. Keep informed of the latest tornado situation. - ACT: Listen for changes in the forecast. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Little to None - Little to no potential impacts from tornadoes. * FOR MORE INFORMATION: - http://scoem.suffolkcountyny.gov - https://weather.gov/nyc - https://ready.gov/hurricanes FCW Insider: August 16, 2021 The administration is getting a head start on releasing a permanent, multilingual, mobile-friendly tool for non-filers to sign up for its expanded CTC program with the help of the civic technology non-profit Code for America. The Navy wants to fortify its cyber resilience to keep pace with rapid software development needs, but changing workforce habits has to come first. The Senate version of the annual intelligence authorization bill, which passed out of committee last week, includes a warning to DHS' intelligence arm to distinguish more carefully between its foreign and domestic missions. Quick Hits *** The Washington Post reported that federal employee unions are unhappy with a plan to establish a new innovation and research agency at the Department of Transportation as part of the new infrastructure bill. The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Infrastructure (ARPA-I), modeled on similar operations at the Department of Defense and in the Intelligence Community, would not be covered by traditional civil service rules. *** House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told lawmakers on Friday that because of the continuing public health emergency from coronavirus, remote voting will continue to be permitted until Oct. 1, 2021. *** The rapid adoption of smart-city technology risks encroaching on residents' civil liberties, according to a report from Harvard Kennedy Schools Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Technology and Public Purpose Project. Get more on this story from GCN. BALTIMORE, Aug 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Urological Association (AUA) announced today new updates to its clinical guideline on the management of lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia. American Urological Association (PRNewsFoto/American Urological Association) Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms or LUTS is an all-encompassing term used to describe various symptoms men may experience as they age. These symptoms can include nocturia, urinary incontinence or other bladder related issues. Causes of LUTS can vary, but a leading one is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlargement of the prostate gland. The updates within this guideline aim to further support urologists and other health care professionals in the effective, evidence-based management of male LUTS/BPH. As such, new evaluation and preoperative testing statements have been recommended, as well as a new section added on the medical management of BPH to include guidance on alpha blockers, 5-ARIs, PDE5s, combination therapy and acute urinary retention outcomes. "The prevalence and the severity of LUTS in the aging male can be progressive and is an important diagnosis in the healthcare of patients," said Lori B. Lerner, MD, chair of the guideline development panel and associate professor, urology, Boston University School of Medicine. "We believe this revised guideline will provide a useful, evidence-based clinical reference for the medical and surgical management of lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia." BPH and ensuing LUTS is a significant health issue affecting millions of men each year. Understanding the nuances of this health issue presents significant opportunities for future discovery, including understating the role of inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, obesity, and environmental factors in etiology on this health issue, as well as the role of behavior modification, self-management, and evolving therapeutic algorithms in both the prevention and progression of disease. Story continues The full text of the amended clinical guideline is now available online at www.AUAnet.org/Guidelines. Members of the BPH Guideline Panel: Lori B. Lerner, MD; Kevin T. McVary, MD; Michael J. Barry, MD; Anurag Kumar Das, MD; Manhar C. Gandhi, MD; Steven A. Kaplan, MD; Tobias S. Kohler, MD; Leslie Martin, MD; J. Kellogg Parsons, MD; Claus G. Roehrborn, MD; John T. Stoffel, MD; Charles Welliver, MD About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 23,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. Media Contact: Teri Arnold, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager Cell: 757-272-7002, tarnold@auanet.org Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-urological-association-announces-updates-to-clinical-guidance-for-management-of-lower-urinary-tract-symptoms-attributed-to-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-301355202.html SOURCE American Urological Association Funding round led by Hanaco Ventures, with Dexcel Pharma, Peregrine Ventures, and existing investors. BrainQ's investigational neurorecovery technology granted FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, set to be trialed in a multicenter study for stroke patients in select US hospitals. JERUSALEM, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Israeli stroke therapy technology startup, BrainQ, today announced a $40 million funding round led by Hanaco Ventures, along with Dexcel Pharma, and Peregrine Ventures, bringing the total raised by the company to over $50 million, adding to support already secured from existing investors OurCrowd, Norma, Sailing Capital, IT Farm, Millhouse and Qure. The funding will be used to support a multicenter pivotal trial for its groundbreaking technology for ischemic stroke survivors in selected US hospitals. This year, BrainQ received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation allowing the company to work closely with the FDA to expedite development plans and premarket clearance, with access to the new Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology pathway. BrainQ Co-Founder and CEO Yotam Drechsler said, "We've seen great advancements in increasing stroke survival rates, but it remains the leading cause of long-term disability. With new funding and strong research partners, we're entering our pivotal study aimed at significantly increasing the window of opportunity for reducing disability and enhancing recovery potential." A leading causes of disability, strokes affect 800,000 people annually in the US alone. Following a stroke, the brain attempts to repair damaged neural pathways and develop new ones to restore function, often with limited success. This results in chronic disability for 50-70% of survivors. BrainQ's investigational technology aims to reduce disability and promote neurorecovery for stroke victims. Using a Brain Computer Interface-based approach, the company's frequency-tuned low intensity electromagnetic field therapy is designed to operate based on biological insights retrieved from brainwaves using explanatory machine learning tools. These insights are aimed at imitating the natural processes of neural network synchronization and promoting recovery processes. The system is designed to allow for scalable and decentralized care via a portable, non-invasive wearable device that is cloud-connected with integrated telemedicine tools that enable remotely monitored sessions through an app. Story continues BrainQ also announced the addition of a new board member, Stacey Pugh, Chief Commercial Officer of Butterfly Network, and until recently SVP and President of Medtronic's Neurovascular business. Over the past decade, Stacey has led efforts to bring clinical evidence and products, including thrombectomy devices, one of the greatest advancements in stroke care, to markets around the world. Stacey commented, "While I've had the privilege to be closely involved in some of the largest efforts for influencing stroke care, when it comes to long term recovery there is still much that can be done to restore patients' health and abilities. I've been watching BrainQ's development of their technology and clinical data for a while, and I believe their therapies have the potential to make a real difference for stroke sufferers and their families." Pasha Romanovski, Co-Founding Partner of lead investor Hanaco Ventures, added: "Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability in the US, affecting nearly one million people yearly. BrainQ is on the path toward developing therapies that target these disabilities caused by damaged neural networks to facilitate neurorecovery. We firmly believe in the company's innovative technology and talented team, and are happy to support them on their amazing venture." About BrainQ BrainQ is pioneering a novel therapy for reducing disability and enhancing recovery potential for stroke victims at home. BrainQ's team includes a multidisciplinary group with vast backgrounds in neurology, neuroscience, data science and machine learning. The BrainQ technology is limited to investigational use only and is not approved or available for sale in the United States. BrainQ makes no guarantees regarding clinical trial outcomes or regulatory approval for its technology. About Hanaco Ventures Hanaco Ventures is a New York and Tel Aviv-based venture capital fund investing in emerging and late-stage start-ups from the global tech ecosystem. Hanaco partners with founders around the world, helping them become category leaders beloved by their customers. Our focus areas include Agtech, Agrifood, Foodtech and Digital Health, and software companies in the SaaS, Cyber and Fintech industries. Media contact: Madeleine Truitt Madeleine.truitt@brainqtech.com Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breakthrough-israeli-stroke-therapy-technology-brainq-announces-a-40m-funding-round-301355694.html SOURCE BrainQ CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Cellular IoT Market by Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), Technology (2G, 3G, 4G, LTE-M, NB-LTE-M, NB-IoT, and 5G), Application, Vertical and Geography(North America, Europe, APAC, South America & MEA) - Global Forecast to 2027", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Cellular IoT Market is projected to grow from USD 3.9 billion in 2021 to USD 15.4 billion by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25.7%from 2021 to 2027. MarketsandMarkets_Logo Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=232497754 The key factors fueling the growth of the market include the increasing deployment of cellular IoT modules in smart city infrastructure and building automation verticals, and growing demand for cellular IoT in agricultural automation and environmental monitoring. Additionally, increasing application of cellular IoT modules in medical wearables, and Increasing applications for cellular IoT modules in vehicle telematics and fleet management is expected to create a growth opportunity for the cellular IoT market. The hardware segment is projected to account for the largest share of the cellular IoT market during the forecast period. Hardware components such cellular IoT modules and chipsets form the basis of the entire cellular IoT ecosystem. The increasing deployment of cellular IoT modules in wearables and connected healthcare devices as well as smartcity infrastructure, and building automation projects is expected to fuel the growth of the hardware segment during the forecast period Browse in-depth TOC on "Cellular IoT Market" 150 Tables 58 Figures 232 Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=232497754 The market for wearable devices segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period Increasing demand for medical wearables during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to fuel the growth of the wearable devices segment during the forecast period. Story continues APAC region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. China, Japan, India, and South Korea are the major countries contributing to the growth of the cellular IoT market in APAC. Rapid deployment of smart city projects and increased demand for connected health wearable devices during the COVID-19 pandemic are driving the growth of the regional market. The key players operating in the cellular IoT market include Quectel (China), Thales Group (France), Fibocom Wireless (China), Telit Communications (UK), and u-blox Holding (Switzerland) Related Reports: Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) Chipset Market with COVID-19 impact, by Device (Smart Meters, Smart Parking), Deployment (Guard, In-Band, Stand-Alone), Vertical (Energy & Utilities, Infrastructure, Building Automation), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 IoT Chip Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Hardware (Processor, Connectivity IC, Sensor, Memory Device and Logic Device), Power Consumption, End-use Application (Wearable Devices, Consumer Electronics, Building Automation and Retail) and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/cellular-iot-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/cellular-iot.asp Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cellular-iot-market-worth-15-4-billion-by-2027--exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-301355020.html SOURCE MarketsandMarkets BEIJING, Aug 15 (Reuters) - China's Association of Performing Arts on Sunday called for a boycott of a Chinese actor after photos of him at Japan's controversial Yasukuni Shrine taken in 2018 and 2019 circulated online and sparked outrage among Chinese netizens and media. The Yasukuni Shrine is seen by Japan's neighbouring countries as a symbol of that country's past militarism, and remains a flashpoint for tension with China. The shrine honours Japan's war dead, including 14 World War Two leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals. China, which was occupied by the Japanese from 1937 to 1945, takes offence at visits to the shrine. "The misbehaviour of actor Zhang Zhehan severely harms national feeling and brings baneful influence to his young age-group audience. Hence, we demand members not to engage him in any employment," said the association in a statement on Sunday. Zhang, 30, apologised on Chinese social media on Friday saying he is "ashamed of his ignorance". Still, state-backed People's Daily commented that Zhang should "pay a heavy price" for the "challenge of national dignity". More than 25 companies in China, including U.S. beverage maker Coca-Cola Co and Danish jeweller Pandora A/S , have announced the termination of partnerships with Zhang. Separately, China protested on Friday a visit to the shrine by Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi. Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters China was "greatly dissatisfied and firmly opposed" to the visit. The visit showed "the wrong attitude with how Japan treated its history of invasion and its malicious intention in challenging the post-war international order," Wu said. China has lodged stern representation to Japan on this matter, Wu said. (Reporting by Muyu Xu and Yew Lun Tian; Editing by Christopher Cushing) - Chester, Lancaster counties latest to use company's Site Readiness Program to help prepare high-quality industrial locations. - Company has powered Palmetto State and its economy for more than a century through significant business recruitment, retention efforts. GREENVILLE, S.C., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy has selected two properties in South Carolina for participation in its 2021 Site Readiness Program to enhance the readiness of the sites for business and industrial development. The locations of the sites in Chester and Lancaster counties continue to highlight the economic advantages for industry relocating to and expanding in the Palmetto State along the highly attractive Interstate 77 corridor. Through the Site Readiness Program, Duke Energy identifies high-potential sites and partners with county officials and local economic development professionals to develop a strategy for getting the sites fully ready to market to industrial projects. The program has helped prepare nearly 80 properties that have won 18 major projects in South Carolina since the program started in 2005, resulting in nearly 3,000 new jobs and more than $1 billion in capital investment. "Despite the challenging environment through the pandemic, Duke Energy remained fully committed to economic development and our Site Readiness Program," said Stu Heishman, Duke Energy's vice president of economic development and business recruitment. "We are seeing a significant increase in project activity across the Carolinas, and demand for qualified industrial sites has never been stronger. Our team will continue to work with local and regional partners to aggressively advance the readiness of our prime industrial sites." Duke Energy worked with major site selection firms to evaluate the sites, including Strategic Development Group and Site Selection Group. Based on consultant recommendations, Duke Energy will collaborate with county leaders and local economic development professionals to develop an improved strategy for marketing these sites. Additionally, each site is eligible to apply for a $10,000 matching grant from Duke Energy to help prepare it to attract projects. Story continues After each site's state of readiness has advanced, Duke Energy's business recruitment team strategically markets each of them nationwide to companies looking to expand or relocate their operations. Team sport South Carolina is home to a bustling economy that continues to recruit national and international industries. These efforts are even more critical to the many rural areas of the state, including Chester and Lancaster counties. These efforts are paying off, capturing significant capital investment and bringing residents of the region many years of gainful employment. "Duke Energy has been instrumental in the recruitment of significant industry to Chester County," said Robert Long, Chester County economic development director. "You don't get Giti Tire, you don't get Roseburg Forest Products and you don't get Gallo Winery to come to Chester County without their help, and we are grateful to have such a great community partner that truly understands economic development." Like Chester County, Lancaster County has worked to maximize its potential by utilizing tools like the Site Readiness Program to drive industrial growth and recruit new businesses to the county, including Haile Metals Lab, Fancy Pokket Bakery and Don Construction Products. "Lancaster County greatly appreciates Duke Energy selecting the property for the Duke Site Readiness Program," said Jamie Gilbert, executive director for the Lancaster County Department of Economic Development. "The information and analysis generated through the program has already played a pivotal role in our efforts to market the sites and attract the interest of sizable industrial projects." Site descriptions Chester County The Interstate Business Park is located on the southwest corner of Interstate 77 at Exit 65 with interstate visibility. It is situated adjacent to Giti Tire along the growing Highway 9 industrial corridor that is home to dozens of top-tier manufacturers, including the recently announced E. & J. Gallo Winery. It is located just 40 minutes from Charlotte and 50 minutes from Columbia. The labor force exceeds 485,000 within a 45-minute drive of the site. There are a total of 109 acres with full utilities available. There are two access points to Highway 9, one of which is already signalized. The existing centrally located pond could be turned into an amenity. This site would be ideal for a business park or industrial flex development. It could accommodate seven to nine buildings and is more than 1 million square feet. Lancaster County The 571-acre Lancaster Air Rail Park Phase 2 is a strategically important industrial park capable of accommodating a variety of large-scale manufacturing projects. Located in Lancaster's Highway 9 industrial corridor, significant electric and natural gas capacities are available at the site. Logistically, the property is served by the L&C Railroad, which connects to CSX and Norfolk Southern, and Interstate 77 is just a 15-minute drive via Highway 9. Economic impact For more than 100 years, Duke Energy has powered South Carolina and its economy through significant business recruitment and retention efforts. Duke Energy's economic development efforts are perennially recognized by Site Selection magazine in the publication's annual list of "Top Utilities in Economic Development." Through these efforts, Duke Energy helped recruit $640 million in capital investment in South Carolina and more than 1,200 jobs for the state in 2020. In addition to the significant efforts by the company to recruit and retain business in the state, the company has a sizable economic presence in South Carolina as a major local employer investing heavily in the region currently with an impact of $7.6 billion annually. While those impacts are highest around the three nuclear stations that power more than 50% of the state's carbon-free electricity, Duke Energy's economic impact extends to 42 of South Carolina's 46 counties. That's 16,645 jobs across the Palmetto State producing $1.2 billion in annual labor income that would not exist otherwise. Duke Energy Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 7.9 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 51,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,500 people. Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy strategy to create a smarter energy future for its customers and communities with goals of at least a 50 percent carbon reduction by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company is a top U.S. renewable energy provider, on track to own or purchase 16,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2025. The company also is investing in major electric grid upgrades and expanded battery storage and exploring zero-emitting power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2021 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Media contact: Ryan Mosier 800.559.3853 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-helps-south-carolina-communities-prepare-sites-to-bring-investment-jobs-to-rural-regions-301355967.html SOURCE Duke Energy Leading transplant surgeons, nephrologists, and scientists help guide Eurofins in the development of novel diagnostics to address unmet needs in transplantation with the goal of improving long-term outcomes. FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eurofins Transplant Genomics ("TGI"), the transplant rejection diagnostics company committed to improving organ transplant outcomes worldwide, announces the formation of their 2021-2022 Scientific Advisory Board. The Scientific Advisory Board brings together diverse expertise in transplantation scientific development and clinical study execution to enhance the value of novel biomarkers for the transplant community. (PRNewsfoto/Transplant Genomics Inc.) The members will be tasked with providing independent advice on the unmet clinical needs in transplantation to guide the evolution of TGI's product pipeline through clinical studies, ongoing research and development, and potential acquisition of additional disruptive technologies into the Eurofins Transplant portfolio. Covering the breadth of institutions within the United States market, the board welcomes: David A. Axelrod, MD, MBA; Transplant surgeon, University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics Jonathan S. Bromberg, MD, PhD; Professor of surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine Anil K. Chandraker, MD, MBChB; Medical director, kidney and pancreas transplantation, Brigham and Women's Hospital Matthew Cooper, MD; Director, kidney and pancreas transplantation, MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute Gabriel M. Danovitch, MD; Medical director, kidney and pancreas transplantation, Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA Robert Fairchild, PhD; Professor, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Bruce Kaplan, MD; Visiting Professor, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Emilio Poggio, MD; Associate professor, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Vinaya Rao, MD; Professor, Medical University of South Carolina Fuad Shihab, MD; Medical director, kidney and pancreas transplantation, University of Utah Hospital and Clinics In addition, Dr. Michael M. I. Abecassis, MD, MBA, Dean, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, will serve as the executive consultant for the advisory board. Story continues The Scientific Advisory Board will hold their first meeting on August 16, 2021, in Chicago. For more information: Branden Morris Eurofins Transplant Genomics, Inc. e) brandenmorris@eurofins-tgi.com p) 510-745-4707 About Eurofins Transplant Genomics, Inc. Transplant Genomics, Inc. ("TGI") is a personalized diagnostics company committed to improving organ transplant outcomes worldwide through innovative tests that detect early signs of graft injury, differentiate among actionable causes, and enable the optimization of therapy. Working alongside the transplant community and within the Eurofins family, TGI is commercializing a suite of tests enabling diagnoses and prediction of transplant recipient immune status. TGI was acquired by Eurofins in 2019. Learn more about Eurofins Transplant Genomics at http://www.transplantgenomics.com About Eurofins the Global Leader in Bio-Analysis Eurofins is Testing for Life. Eurofins companies are global leaders in food, environment, and pharmaceutical product testing. They are also market leaders in testing and laboratory services for genomics, discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences and has a rapidly developing presence in highly specialised and molecular clinical diagnostic testing. With over 50,000 staff across a network of more than 800 laboratories in over 50 countries, Eurofins' companies offer a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods. Eurofins Shares are listed on Euronext Paris Stock Exchange. Learn more about Eurofins at https://www.eurofins.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eurofins-transplant-genomics-announces-2021-2022-scientific-advisory-board-301356126.html SOURCE Eurofins Transplant Genomics NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BizVibe has made available 100+ company profiles for the lab services category on its B2B platform. Companies listed in this category are primarily engaged in providing various types of lab services (such as diagnostic lab services, mobile lab services, lab equipment calibration services, etc.). Snapshot of BizVibe's lab services company profiles and categories. Get Free Access to These 100+ Profiles Each profile is free to view and packed with high-quality insights, providing businesses with detailed company information. Users can take advantage of these insights to identify, target, and connect with the right companies who provide lab services. This company information includes employee insights, company competitors, the impact of emerging trends and challenges, the latest news, and more. Free Insights Included for all Lab Services Company Profiles: List of product and service category offerings and primary operating industries Risk of doing business score across four different metrics List of key executives and their roles within the company Company financials and general organizational information Global, national, and regional competitors List of key clients Top trends and challenges within operating industry and expected influence on business impact Latest company news with the ability to sign up for timely news alerts Get Started to View Free Company Insights Lab Services Companies on BizVibe BizVibe's platform contains 10M+ company profiles, spanning across 200+ countries, categorized into 40,000+ products and services. There are 100+ company profiles related to lab services on BizVibe, covering 15+ related categories. Each company profile contains detailed insights dedicated to helping procurement and sales teams find trusted suppliers and target sales prospects. Examples of lab services profiles that can be discovered on BizVibe include companies that specialize in: Diagnostic lab services Mobile lab services Lab equipment calibration services Lab automation services Collaborative lab services Get Free Company Profile Access for all Categories Story continues Company Profiles for Buyers and Sellers BizVibe's modern B2B platform is designed to help both global buyers and sellers. Powered by the latest best-in-class solutions, BizVibe provides outstanding product features for both category managers and sales professionals. Features for Buyers: Quickly discover the right suppliers Create short lists and custom alerts Mitigate supplier risk and evaluate suppliers Send RFIs/RFPs Learn how BizVibe helps buyers: https://www.bizvibe.com/find-suppliers Features for Sellers: Target the right sales prospects Qualify leads Analyze buyer potential API integration and data enrichment Learn how BizVibe helps sellers: https://www.bizvibe.com/sellers About BizVibe BizVibe has been conceptualized and built by a team based out of Toronto, Bangalore, and London. We are a branch of Infiniti Research and have dedicated units in all three locations. BizVibe helps buyers find the most relevant suppliers from around the world and help sellers target prospects who need their products and/or services. For more information, please visit www.bizvibe.com and start for free today. Contact BizVibe Jesse Maida Email: jesse@bizvibe.com +1 855-897-5880 Website: https://www.bizvibe.com/ BizVibe (PRNewsfoto/BizVibe) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/evaluate-and-track-lab-services-companies--view-company-insights-for-100-lab-services-providers--bizvibe-301355149.html SOURCE BizVibe Award-winning employer to host national hiring week in September for open roles nationwide BATAVIA, Ill., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ALDI is hiring more than 20,000 new store and warehouse employees to support its continued growth across the country and prepare for the busy holiday season. Available positions include store associate, cashier, stocker and warehouse associate at the grocery retailer's more than 2,100 stores and 25 warehouses across the country. ALDI will host a National Hiring Week from Sept. 20-24, during which stores and warehouses will have interview events to fill available positions. ALDI Logo (PRNewsFoto/ALDI) (PRNewsfoto/ALDI) Known for its competitive pay, ALDI now offers even higher wages, having recently increased pay for store and warehouse employees. The new average national starting wages for open store and warehouse positions will be $15 and $19 per hour, respectively, based on market and position. ALDI employees are also eligible for a range of benefits, including health care and retirement plans, financial wellness and employee assistance programs, and generous paid time off. "As an award-winning employer, we know the importance of investing in our people," said Dave Rinaldo, co-president, ALDI U.S. "Employees come to ALDI for the competitive pay and opportunity to work for a growing national brand. They stay for the career potential and satisfaction they feel knowing their work makes a difference in the communities they serve." ALDI cares deeply about its employees, customers and the communities it serves. The sense of community among ALDI employees, coupled with the company's millions of passionate fans, makes it an exciting place to work. Team members take pride in working at ALDI, which is why the company has been named a National Top Workplace by Energage from 2017-2021 and has been honored by Forbes as one of America's Best Large Employers six times since 2015. ALDI also recently received a 2021 "Great Place to Work" certification, which is based on an employee survey about company culture and confirms the company's commitment to a positive employee experience. Story continues Interested candidates can view open positions in their area and apply at careers.aldi.us/now-hiring . About ALDI U.S. ALDI is one of America's fastest-growing retailers, serving millions of customers across the country each month. With more than 2,100 stores across 37 states, ALDI is on track to become the third-largest grocery retailer by store count by the end of 2022. When it comes to value, ALDI won't be beat on price. For 10 years running, ALDI has held the esteemed title of Value Leader among U.S. grocery stores according to the latest Market Force Information U.S. Grocery Competitive Study,* and ALDI has been No. 1 for price according to the Dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index Report for four years running. Since 1976, ALDI has offered a unique shopping experience where customers Shop differentli and never have to compromise on quality, selection or value. In fact, 1 in 3 ALDI-brand products are award-winning.** Customers can save time and money by conveniently shopping in-store or online at shop.aldi.us . ALDI also proudly serves as a Feeding America Leadership Partner, donating 30 million pounds of food each year in an effort to end hunger in America. For more information about ALDI, visit aldi.us. *According to annual surveys of U.S. consumers conducted 2011-18 and 2020 by Market Force Information. **As of January 2021, based on a survey of everyday nationally distributed ALDI-exclusive branded products (excluding produce). Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fueled-by-aggressive-growth-aldi-plans-to-hire-more-than-20-000-employees-increase-wages-ahead-of-holiday-season-301355323.html SOURCE ALDI NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GenNx360 Capital Partners ("GenNx360") is pleased to announce GenServe's acquisition of LJ Power, Inc. ("LJ Power" or the "Company"). GenServe is a portfolio company of GenNx360, a New York-based private equity firm investing in middle market business services and industrial companies. (PRNewsfoto/GenNx360 Capital Partners) GenServe's field service staff will grow to 100 technicians across three regions GenServe is the largest independent provider of scheduled and emergency power generator maintenance, repair and sales in the North Atlantic region serving primarily commercial customers in various industries. Based in Austin, Texas, LJ Power provides maintenance and repair services to generators and backup power solutions as well as generator and related equipment sales and rentals. The Company is a key player in the southeast and south-central generator market with nine locations across Texas and Florida and serves a diverse set of customers in the municipal and commercial end markets. "The Company has an attractive mix of municipal and commercial customers and equipment, maintenance, and service revenue streams. We are excited to partner with LJ Power's outstanding leadership team and continue our dynamic growth trajectory. GenServe's field service staff will grow to 100 technicians across three regions and this increased scale and integrated team will provide new opportunities to serve and grow our customer base," said Fred Smagorinsky, GenServe CEO. "We are excited to partner with the GenServe team and leverage GenServe's best-in-class reputation, operational expertise and industry experience to increase LJ Power's market share in the southeast and south-central region," said Larry Davis, President of LJ Power. "We are very pleased about completing GenServe's sixth strategic acquisition and remain highly focused on the continued execution of our buy-and-build strategy. The partnership with LJ Power provides a robust platform to support future add-on acquisitions and increase our presence in the south," said Daphne Dufresne, GenServe Board member and Managing Partner at GenNx360. Story continues About GenServe GenServe is a leader in the sale, maintenance and repair of industrial generators and backup power solutions. The Company has the largest team of EGSA certified technicians in its core service area of Metro-NY, Long Island, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania. GenServe is a one-stop shop provider of comprehensive emergency power supply system solutions to protect companies against the high cost of power failure. For more information on GenServe Inc., please visit www.genserveinc.com About GenNx360 Capital Partners GenNx360 Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on acquiring middle market business services and industrial companies. GenNx360 partners with companies having proven and sustainable business models in expanding industries with the objective of implementing and supporting value-enhancing organic and inorganic initiatives to accelerate growth, deliver cost efficiencies, and generate strong financial returns. Target industries include industrial machinery and components, logistics and supply chain solutions, industrial and environmental services, food and agricultural products and services, infrastructure equipment and services, specialty chemicals, packaging, and aerospace and defense. GenNx360 was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in New York City. For more information on GenNx360 Capital Partners, please visit http://www.gennx360.com. For media inquiries about this press release, please contact: GenNx360 Capital Partners Carmen Rojas, Director of Investor Relations Email: investorrelations@gennx360.com Tel: +1 212.257.6772 (PRNewsfoto/GenNx360 Capital Partners) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gennx360-capital-partners-announces-genserves-sixth-acquisition-lj-power-301355781.html SOURCE GenNx360 Capital Partners PARIS & LONDON, August 16, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--H.I.G. WhiteHorse, a credit affiliate of global investment firm H.I.G. Capital ("H.I.G."), announced today that it has arranged a financing package for Groupe Astek ("Astek" or the "Group"), which includes a significant growth capital component. Founded in 1988 and still controlled by its founder Jean-Luc Bernard, Astek is the last independent and fully private global French engineering & IT consulting specialist. It is headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France with over 500 employees operating in 17 countries. Led by Julien Gavaldon since 2013, the Group has grown significantly through a mix of organic and external growth, with six targeted acquisitions completed over the past two years. H.I.G. WhiteHorse has arranged a 170 million financing package, which will be used to refinance the Groups existing indebtedness, finance the buy-out of several minority shareholders, and provide additional capital to finance growth, supporting the Groups expansion, especially through its active buy-and-build strategy. H.I.G. WhiteHorse, through some of its affiliates, acted as the sole arranger. Jean-Luc Bernard, Founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Astek, said: "With this financing, Astek will continue to build upon its strong performance to reach its billion-dollar turnover target." Julien Gavaldon, Chief Executive Officer of Astek, said: "I would like to thank H.I.G. for their confidence in helping us reach this new milestone in the development of Astek. Based on the skills and commitment of our teams, we plan to keep up the momentum, driven by our ability to innovate and support our customers in their digitalisation efforts." Pascal Meysson, Head of H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe, said: "Astek has grown significantly in recent years, including in 2020, despite the Covid-19 crisis. Today, Astek is well-positioned in a market with strong growth prospects, driven by an increasing need for digitalisation among businesses and a fragmented market that continues to consolidate. We are excited to contribute to the future success of the group with our tailored financing." Story continues About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. is a leading global alternative assets investment firm with $45 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/value-added approach: H.I.G.s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve- outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. * Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005319/en/ Contacts Pascal Meysson Head of H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe pmeysson@higcapital.com Charles Bourgeois Principal cbourgeois@higcapital.com T +44 (0) 207 318 5700 F +44 (0) 207 318 5749 www.higeurope.com Hubb is one of four Elevate Capital portfolio companies to exit in the past five years. PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Elevate Capital , one of the nation's first inclusive venture capital fund that supports diversity and inclusion by targeting underserved entrepreneur investments is excited to announce that Hubb, LLC , an Elevate Inclusive and Capital Fund portfolio company since 2016, has been acquired by Intrado Digital Media . Elevate Capital is a Pacific Northwest-based venture capital firm that invests nationally in early-stage underrepresented entrepreneurs, that includes women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and veterans. Visit elevate.vc for more information. "Hubb joining Intrado Digital Media brings together two leading platforms in the industry, to offer the world's largest, most effective, and comprehensive event management platform," said Allie Magyar, Hubb's Founder and CEO and now Intrado's Chief Product Officer. "This strategic acquisition will provide access to new tools and functionality, as well as speed up our ability to roll out new products for event planners that make your lives easier and help you achieve your goals." Check out Hubb's blog post and Intrado Digital Media's news release for more information. "Hubb is a phenomenal product that reinvents the way people experience virtual, onsite, and hybrid events. The main reason we invested in Hubb five years ago is because of Allie Magyar," said Nitin Rai , Elevate Capital's Founder and Managing Partner. Additionally, both TiE Oregon Angels and the Oregon Tap Fund led by Rai also co-invested in Hubb. "When one of our portfolio companies successfully exits, that's when we create substantial value with wealth creation in the community and economy. As a lead investor in 2016 and board member of Hubb, we're thrilled that this investment exit from Elevate Capital allows Allie to take her brand to a higher level by partnering with Intrado Digital Media," Nitin Rai adds. "Allie's focus, drive, and leadership made Hubb a huge success. Hubb is a powerful attendee engagement tool that brings brands to life." Story continues "Nitin Rai and the Elevate Capital team have been with Hubb from the start of our journey to where we are now," said Allie Magyar. "In the early stages, it's really about getting some of the rhythms of business items in place. I learned so much from Nitin about how to manage cash flow, and when to think about raising our next round of funding. Not only has Nitin been there to help with the growth and strategy of how to scale, but he's also been a strategic advisor." Since 2016, Elevate Capital Fund I has invested $10 million in 30 startups. In less than five years, it has returned over 75% of capital in four exits since 2018. Nearly 60% of those investments were in women-led companies. In January 2021, Elevate Capital launched Fund II to expand its mission of inclusive investing, and to date, it has raised more than $30 million of the $40 million total. Since January 2021, Elevate Capital has announced 10 new portfolio companies in Fund II, with a total of 18 investments. To date, 53% of the Elevate Capital Fund II portfolio companies are led by Black founders and executive teams, and 71% are led by women. About Elevate Capital Elevate Capital is a Pacific Northwest-based venture capital firm that invests nationally in early-stage underrepresented entrepreneurs, that includes women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and veterans. Visit elevate.vc or follow Elevate Capital on Twitter , Facebook , and LinkedIn . Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hubb-an-elevate-capital-portfolio-company-is-acquired-by-intrado-digital-media-301355547.html SOURCE Elevate Capital VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Kenorland Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: KLD) (OTCQX: NWRCF) (FSE: 3WQ0) ("Kenorland" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that its common shares have commenced trading on the OTCQX under the trading symbol "NWRCF". The company will continue to trade on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") under the symbol "KLD" as well as the Frankfurt Stock Exchange ("FSE") under the symbol "3WQ0". Kenorland Minerals Ltd. Logo (CNW Group/Kenorland Minerals Ltd.) Zach Flood, President and CEO, commented, "We're very excited to be trading on the OTCQX, which will expand the company's visibility and accessibility to current and prospective U.S. and global shareholders." About the OTC The OTC offers early stage and developing U.S. and international companies the benefits of being publicly traded in the U.S. without the complexity and cost of a U.S. exchange listing. The OTC Market provides brokers a platform for transparent trading with the goal of enhancing liquidity, achieving fair valuation and providing efficient access to U.S. investors. Investors can find real-time quotes and market information for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. About Kenorland Minerals Kenorland Minerals Ltd. (TSX.V KLD) is a mineral exploration Company incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Kenorland's focus is early to advanced stage exploration in North America. The Company currently holds three projects in Quebec where work is being completed under joint venture and earn-in agreement from third parties. The Frotet Project is held under joint venture with Sumitomo Metal Mining Canada Ltd. (SMMCL), the Chicobi Project is optioned to SMMCL, and the Chebistuan Project is optioned to Newmont Corporation. The Company also owns 100% of the advanced stage Tanacross porphyry Cu-Au project as well as an option to earn up to 70% from Newmont Corporation on the Healy Project, both located in Alaska, USA. Story continues Further information can be found on the Company's website www.kenorlandminerals.com Kenorland Minerals Ltd. Zach Flood President and CEO Tel: +1 604 363 1779 zach@kenorlandminerals.com Kenorland Minerals Ltd. Francis MacDonald Executive Vice President Tel: +1 778 322 8705 francis@kenorlandminerals.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects', "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing these forward-looking statements are reasonable based upon the information currently available to management as of the date hereof, actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kenorland-begins-trading-on-otcqx-301355535.html SOURCE Kenorland Minerals Ltd. U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures settled marginally lower on Friday as traders assessed reports from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which gave conflicting appraisals of the future demand situation. On Friday, October WTI crude oil futures settled at $68.21, down $0.69 or -1.00% and October Brent crude oil futures finished at $70.59, down $0.72 or -1.02%. Meanwhile, crude oil remained supported by improved demand in the worlds top consumer, the United States and other nations where the COVID-19 vaccination rate is higher. Traders were also saying that OPEC and its allies could adjust production levels in September to meet lower demand. IEA Says COVID-19 Delta Variant Weighing on Demand; OPEC Sticks with Forecast Rising demand for oil abruptly reversed course in July and is set to proceed more slowly for the rest of the year due to the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, the International Energy Agency (EIA) said on Thursday. Growth for the second half of 2021 has been downgraded more sharply, as new COVID-19 restrictions imposed in several major oil consuming countries, particularly in Asia, look set to reduce mobility and oil use, the Paris-based IEA said. We now estimate that demand fell in July as the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant undermined deliveries in China, Indonesia and other parts of Asia, it said in its monthly oil report. Meanwhile, OPEC struck to its forecast for a rebound in global oil demand this year and further growth in 2022, notwithstanding the rising concern over surges in COVID-19. US Drillers Add Most Oil Rigs in a Week Since April Baker Hughes U.S. Energy firms added the most oil rigs in a week since April as the total rig count more than doubled from a record low a year ago amid a recovery in crude prices. The combined oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, was up for the second week in a row, increasing nine to 500 in the week to August 13, its highest since April 2020, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday. Story continues U.S. oil rigs rose 10 to 397 this week, also their highest since April 2020, and up from 172 a year ago, which was their lowest since 2005 before the shale boom boosted activity. For a look at all of todays economic events, check out our economic calendar. This article was originally posted on FX Empire More From FXEMPIRE: RADNOR, Pa., Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Piedmont Lithium Inc. f/k/a Piedmont Lithium Limited (NASDAQ: PLL) (Piedmont) on behalf of those who purchased or acquired Piedmont securities between March 16, 2018 and July 19, 2021, inclusive (the Class Period). Deadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or acquired Piedmont securities during the Class Period may, no later than September 21, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation please contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453; toll free at (844) 887-9500; via e-mail at info@ktmc.com; or click https://www.ktmc.com/piedmont-lithium-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=piedmont Piedmont engages in the exploration and development of resource projects. Piedmont primarily holds a 100% interest in a lithium project covering 2,322 acres in the North Carolina. Throughout the Class Period, Piedmont informed investors regarding its plan for completing necessary permitting and zoning activities required to commence mining and processing operations in North Carolina. The truth began to emerge on July 20, 2021. Before market hours, Reuters published an article entitled In push to supply Tesla, Piedmont Lithium irks North Carolina neighbors which reported the following, in pertinent part, regarding Piedmonts regulatory issues in North Carolina: (1) Piedmont had not applied for a state mining permit or a necessary zoning variance in Gaston County, just west of Charlotte, despite telling investors since 2018 that it was on the verge of doing so; (2) five of the seven members of the countys board of commissioners, who control zoning changes, said they may block or delay the project; and (3) Piedmont had been set to meet with commissioners in March, but canceled with three days notice, further straining the relationship. Story continues Following this news, Piedmont shares fell $12.56 per share over the trading day, or nearly 20%, to close at $50.52 per share on July 20, 2021. The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Piedmont had not, and would not, follow its stated steps or timeline to secure all proper and necessary permits; (2) Piedmont failed to inform relevant people and governmental authorities of its actual plans; (3) Piedmont failed to file proper applications with relevant governmental authorities (including state and local authorities); (4) Piedmont and its lithium business did not have strong local government support; and (5) as a result, the defendants public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. Piedmont investors may, no later than September 21, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class members claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP James Maro, Jr., Esq. 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 (844) 887-9500 (toll free) info@ktmc.com To NASDAQ Copenhagen Executive Board Lers Parkalle 100 DK-2100 Kbenhavn www.rd.dk Telephone +45 7012 5300 Telefax +45 4514 9622 16 August 2021 Prepayments, Realkredit Danmark A/S Pursuant to 24 of the Capital Markets Act, Realkredit Danmark A/S hereby publishes prepayments as at Friday 13 August 2021. Please find the data in the attached file. The information will also be available on www.rd.dk . Yours sincerely The Executive Board Any additional questions should be addressed to Hella Gebhardt Rnnebk, Chief Analyst, phone +45 4513 2068. Attachments According to WSJs report, Sir Richard Branson has sold around $300 million worth of shares in Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (NYSE: SPCE) to raise funds for other parts of his pandemic-hit global business. Virgin Group sold 10,416,000 shares on Thursday, reducing the stake to 18%. Bransons business in airlines, cruise ships, hotels, and gyms has been badly hit by the pandemic-related economic slowdown. Virgin Group currently owns 51% of the airline, with the US-based Delta Air Lines owning the rest. In April, the airline reported a pretax loss after passenger numbers dropped by 80%. Virgin Atlantic is exploring a possible listing on the London stock market to raise money for its airline business. The company survived the pandemic with a rescue of $2.08 billion between September 2020 and March 2021. However, Virgin Galactic Holdings and satellite-launch company Virgin Orbit are performing well. Last month Branson successfully flew into space as a passenger on the Unity 22. The flight was the fourth crewed trip by the company and another step in taking its 600 future astronauts to space. Each will pay $200,000 to $250,000 for a seat on the spacecraft. In May, Virgin Group sold out shares in Virgin Galactic to raise money for the wider business. According to the company, Virgin Group continues to be the largest single shareholder in Virgin Galactic. The pandemic resulted in a loss for the company of 659 million pounds for 2020. Photo: Virgin Galactic visits the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate its listing. Richard Branson rings The First Trade Bell. See more from Benzinga 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. By Alexander Marrow MOSCOW (Reuters) - Tsargrad TV, a news channel owned by a sanctioned Russian businessman, said it had abandoned talks with Google to have its YouTube account unblocked and on Monday accused the U.S. group of dragging its feet in negotiations. Google is the subject of a Moscow court order obliging it to unblock the YouTube account of Tsargrad TV, a Christian Orthodox channel owned by Konstantin Malofeev, who is under U.S. and EU financial sanctions, but in May it appealed the ruling. The appeal hearing was due to take place on Monday but has now been postponed to Sept. 20, both parties to the case said. Tsargrad TV said the postponement was to give the court more time to familiarise itself with new documents brought by Google. The dispute with YouTube is one of a number of cases in which U.S. tech and social media giants have drawn the ire of the Russian state. Russia has fined Google and others over failing to delete content it deems illegal, as well as other offences, including failing to localise user data. Tsargrad TV on Monday said Google's lawyers were not engaging with constructive conversation. "There was a feeling that Google was deliberately prolonging any negotiation process and dragging its feet," it said in a statement. In response to a request for comment, Google (part of Alphabet Inc), said only that the hearing had been postponed until Sept. 20. Tsargrad TV said YouTube had blocked its account in July 2020 without providing a reason. Google said at the time it has a policy of suspending accounts found to violate sanctions or trade restriction rules. In April, the Moscow Arbitration Court said Google must restore Tsargrad's account or face a daily 100,000 rouble ($1,363) fine, which would double each week that Google failed to comply. Those fines have not yet been levied pending the outcome of the appeal. Malofeev was placed under U.S. and EU sanctions in 2014 over accusations that he funded pro-Moscow separatists fighting in Ukraine, which he denies. Russia considers such Western sanctions illegal. (Reporting by Alexander Marrow; Additional reporting by Anton Kolodyazhnyy; Editing by David Holmes) Same-day delivery service is taking the guessing game out of back-to-school shopping by tapping the people who know the list best: teachers BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shipt knows that after a whirlwind year, parents may need a little extra help when it comes to shopping for school supplies for their kids, especially after a year of at-home learning. That's why the same-day delivery service went straight to the source and surveyed 1,000 teachers1 on what students really need this back-to-school season plus, all of it can be delivered in as soon as one hour via a network of trusted, personal shoppers. Shipt Teacher Approved Seal Teacher-approved tips for a great back-to-school season include: The ABC's of Back-to-School Buys. More than half (54%) of teachers said pencils will be the number one item to restock: "My students NEVER have enough pencils to do their work." Not surprisingly, more than half of respondents indicated parents will need to constantly restock hand sanitizer (67%) and tissues (64%) throughout the year. However, many teachers say books and book covers are the top two traditional school supplies that should be left on shelves to collect dust (hello, e-books!). Teacher Hacks. Highlighters are so last season. About one in ten teachers claim sticky notes as their number one teacher hack to help even the most forgetful students keep organized. Additionally, dry erase markers and whiteboards seem to be a big hit with teachers this year, so say goodbye to chalk. And the top three supplies teachers advise parents to get this year: USB drives (23%), calculators (21%) and dictionaries (21%). Don't be that parent that lets these pro tips fly under the radar! Make Lunchtime Extra Fun. 58% of teachers recommend leaving a note in the lunchbox is the little extra fuel kids crave during lunchtime, so don't forget to stock up on note cards and markers to have on hand. Need some additional inspiration on what to include in the lunchbox? During last year's back to school season, members used Shipt's delivery service to order more than 71,000 Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers and 45,000 cups of Yoplait Original French Vanilla Yogurt. For top purchased lunch items by state, head to Shipt.com . Story continues Stick to a Routine. Getting back into a routine is going to be more important than ever. 13% of teachers recommend developing a morning ritual to allow for a smooth transition for children heading back into the classroom, starting with a good night's sleep and early breakfast. Parents listen up! The same amount said it's crucial for parents to get involved by exemplifying a positive attitude to set the tone with students. And for those on the PTA board, several teachers recommend school uniforms to help limit decision-making on what to wear (hey, we're just the messenger, kids!). "As a busy mom, I know back to school shopping is an added stress for parents each year and, especially now, we might need some extra help with what our children need for the year ahead," said Rina Hurst, Chief Business Officer at Shipt. "At Shipt, we want to take the stress out of going back to school. By listening to those who know it best, we were able to create a list of 'Teacher Approved' items so parents can shop like an expert and get everything they need delivered on the same day, eliminating some of that chaos we all feel at this time of year." Shipt connects parents to all the back to school necessities and everyday essentials like after-school snacks, fun and functional supplies and lunchtime favorites brought right to their door. Shipt partners with more than 120 retailers across multiple categories, including grocery, office supplies and home goods, to provide custom delivery solutions powered by a community of 300,000 trusted, personal Shipt Shoppers. To purchase these 'teacher approved' items and restock throughout the year, visit www.Shipt.com or @Shipt on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. For visuals and media assets, download our press kit here . Media Contact: press@shipt.com About Shipt Shipt brings the store to your door. Through a community of Shipt Shoppers and a convenient app, Shipt provides personal shopping and delivery and is available to 80% of households in more than 5,000 U.S. cities. Shipt Shoppers go above and beyond, communicating in real time about preferences and substitutions. A curated marketplace of retailers, Shipt offers access to a variety of stores and product categories including fresh foods, household essentials, wellness products, office and pet supplies. Shipt is an independently operated, wholly owned subsidiary of Target Corp. Founded and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Shipt also maintains an office in San Francisco. For more information, visit Shipt.com . Back to School Food Favorites by State: Alabama : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Arizona : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Arkansas : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers California : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Colorado : Kraft Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese Connecticut : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers District of Columbia : Yoplait Original Strawberry Yogurt Delaware : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Florida : Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips Georgia : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Hawaii : Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips Idaho : Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Original Illinois : Yoplait Original Strawberry Yogurt Indiana : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Iowa : Jack's Original Thin Crust Pepperoni Frozen Pizza Kansas : Lunchables Lunchable Extra Cheesy Pizza Kentucky : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Louisiana : Lunchables Ham + American Cracker Stackers Maine : Yoplait Original French Vanilla Yogurt Maryland : Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips Massachusetts : Annie's Shells & White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Michigan : Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Original Minnesota : Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Original Mississippi : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Missouri : Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Original Montana : Stouffer's Frozen Macaroni & Cheese North Carolina : Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips North Dakota : Hot Pockets Frozen Garlic Buttery Crust Pepperoni Pizza Sandwiches Nebraska : Lunchables Ham + American Cracker Stackers Nevada : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers New Hampshire : Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips New Jersey : Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips New Mexico : Santitas White Corn Tortilla Chips New York : Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips Ohio : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Oklahoma : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Oregon : Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Original Pennsylvania : Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips Rhode Island : Lunchables Turkey & Cheddar With Crackers South Carolina : Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Cheddar South Dakota : Jack's Original Thin Crust Pepperoni Frozen Pizza Tennessee : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Texas : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Utah : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Vermont : Yoplait Original Strawberry Yogurt Virginia : Lunchables Turkey & American Cracker Stackers Washington : Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Original West Virginia : Campbell's SpaghettiOs With Meatballs Wisconsin: Jack's Original Thin Crust Pepperoni Frozen Pizza 1 Survey conducted through SWNS of 1,000 teachers from Kindergarten through 12th grade Shipt Logo (PRNewsfoto/Shipt) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shipt-surveyed-the-experts-to-help-parents-shop-like-a-teacher-301355332.html SOURCE Shipt Businesses will pass through the response, recovery, and renewal phases. Stair lift market will have 101 Mobility LLC, Acorn Stairlifts Inc., and AmeriGlide Inc. as major participants during 2021-2025 NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest market research report on stair lift market from Technavio, the market is expected to expand at a healthy CAGR of 3.69%. The report enlists vendors based on their dominant and strong positions in the market. Some dominant vendors include 101 Mobility LLC (US), Acorn Stairlifts Inc. (US), AmeriGlide Inc. (US), Ascent Mobility (US), Bruno Independent Living Aids Inc. (US), Handicare Group AB (Sweden), Harmar (US), Savaria Corp. (Canada), Stannah Stairlifts Inc. (US), and TK Elevator GmbH (Germany). Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Stair Lift Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Enterprises will go through the Response, Recovery, and Renew phases. Download a Free Sample Report The stair lift market will witness a neutral & inferior impact during the forecast period owing to the widespread growth of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per Technavio's pandemic-focused market research, market growth is likely to increase in 2021 as compared to 2020. With the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, organizations across the globe are gradually flattening their recessionary curve by leveraging technology. Many businesses will go through response, recovery, and renew phases. 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. This post-pandemic business planning research will aid clients to: Addressing Potential Impacts by Facilitating changes in Process Designs Focusing on agile execution of proposed and approved changes. Assessing Impact on Critical IT infrastructure and Software System Download the Post-Pandemic Business Planning Structure 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 Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports by using Story continues Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Top 3 Stair Lift Market Players 101 Mobility LLC The company offers different types of products such as stairlifts, mobility and accessibility products, and others. The company provides three types of stairlifts such as straight, custom curved, and outdoor. Acorn Stairlifts Inc. The company provides different types of stairlifts under the brand name acorn 130, Acron 180, and others. AmeriGlide Inc. The company caters to the industrial machinery industry by offering three types of stairlifts such as rave 2 stairlift, platinum curved, and horizon outdoor. 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/stair-lift-market-industry-analysis Stair Lift Market 2021-2025: Segmentation Stair lift market is segmented as below: End-user Geography The stair lift market is driven by the growing prevalence of disabilities, technological advances, and the increasing number of healthcare facilities. The residential segment was the highest revenue-generating end-user segment in 2020. In terms of geography, Europe is anticipated to account for 37% of the overall growth during the forecast period mainly due to vendors focusing on developing innovative stair lifts for aged and disabled people. These factors such as are expected to trigger the stair lift market toward witnessing a CAGR of over 3.69% during the forecast period. Unlock the Stair Lift Market Report Statistics through Our Sample Report- https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR70764 Reports that might interest you: Artificial Lift Systems Market by End-user, Type, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Elevator and Escalator Market in Germany by Product and Service - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Handling and Lifting Equipment Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2020-2024 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: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Technavio (PRNewsfoto/Technavio) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stair-lift-market-2021--2025-acorn-stairlifts-inc-and-ameriglide-inc-emerge-as-dominant-playerstechnavio-301355318.html SOURCE Technavio NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit Finance Fund's board of directors has appointed Trella Walker, J.D. as the organization's Interim CEO and President. She will continue to lead the organization along with her colleagues, Executive Transition Team co-leads Andrea Briscoe and Kristin Giantris, while NFF conducts a search for permanent leadership through the remainder of 2021. Trella Walker, Interim CEO and President, Nonprofit Finance Fund Walker previously served as NFF's Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, guiding the evolution and ongoing implementation of NFF's strategy to better support nonprofits led by and serving people of color. In addition, Walker leads NFF's Social Innovation and Equity Council, an enterprise-wide group of staff members who are dedicated to supporting the organization and holding it accountable to its equity commitments both internally and externally. "Trella is a valued member of NFF's leadership team with the experience, relationships, and deep commitment to guide NFF as it continues its strategic transformation during this period," said NFF Vice Board Chair and Executive Search Committee member Georgette Wong. In June, CEO Antony Bugg-Levine announced that he was stepping down after nearly a decade leading NFF. Since the announcement, Walker has shared responsibility for NFF's day-to-day leadership with Briscoe and Giantris. Walker has more than 20 years of nonprofit sector experience across a variety of fields including youth and social services, healthcare, arts and culture, education, veteran affairs, and law. "My colleagues and I are proud to steward Nonprofit Finance Fund during this period of growth as we strengthen our commitments to communities of color," said Walker. "Our decades of work with and support from nonprofits, foundations, investors, and finance industry peers give us a solid foundation for pursuing bold goals, even as we navigate change." Walker assumes leadership of an NFF that is well-positioned to advance its strategic goals and help nonprofits and their funding partners support community aspirations. Over the past ten years, NFF has increased its loan portfolio by 400 percent, built a diverse team with a broad range of expertise, and has $43 million of unrestricted net assets to invest in its mission. Story continues NFF is undertaking a nationwide search for a permanent CEO who will continue to advance its commitment to racial equity and inclusion, and expects to announce permanent leadership in early 2022. Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) is a nonprofit lender, consultant, and advocate. For more than 40 years, we've worked to strengthen nonprofit organizations and improve the way money flows to social good. We are committed to building a more equitable and just social sector, and to helping community-centered organizations led by and serving people of color access the money and resources they need to realize their communities' aspirations. Based in New York City with offices in Boston, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Philadelphia, we've provided over $1 billion in grants, loans, and federally supported New Market Tax Credits, as well as financial consulting, to thousands of nonprofit groups since our formation in 1980. To learn more, visit https://nff.org/ Media Contact: Tricia McKenna 617.784.3192, press@nff.org Nonprofit Finance Fund (PRNewsfoto/Nonprofit Finance Fund) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trella-walker-takes-helm-as-nonprofit-finance-funds-interim-ceo-and-president-301355903.html SOURCE Nonprofit Finance Fund Key Prominent Players Covered in the US Hearing Aids Market Research Report Are Sonova,Demant A/S,GN Store Nord A/S,Cochlear Ltd,WS Audiology,RION Co., Ltd.,Starkey,MED-EL,Other Prominent Players. Pune, India, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The US Hearing Aids Market is set to gain momentum from the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in these devices. Patients nowadays are moving towards them because of their ability to provide novel and personalized services. AI-enabled devices can learn what noise the patient wishes to focus more on by detecting the environment. Starkey, for instance, developed Livio Edge AI in February 2020. This information is given by Fortune Business Insights in a report, titled, US Hearing Aids Market, 2021-2028. As per the report, the market size was USD 2.53 billion in 2020. It is projected to grow from USD 2.65 billion in 2021 to USD 4.48 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 7.8% in the forecast period. COVID-19 Pandemic: Declining Patient Volume to Hamper Growth in the U.S. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the demand for hearing aids on account of the low patient volume. Sonova, for instance, experienced a 23.58% decline in revenue in the first half of 2020 from the Hearing Instruments segment. The pandemic has also lowered visits to outpatient settings and emergency care to prevent transmission. Our reports will help you get a clear picture of this industry and adopt strategies accordingly. Significant Industry Developments of the US Hearing Aids Market Include: November 2020: Demant, a leader in the industry, introduced its latest hearing aid technology in four brands, namely, Sonic, Bernafon, Philips Hearing Solutions, and Oticon. It would help the company to offer life-changing hearing health to patients suffering from hearing loss. August 2018: William Demant signed a licensing agreement with Philips to broaden the definition of hearing healthcare. This collaboration would enable the former to bring Phillips novel solutions to the U.S. hearing aids industry. Story continues Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/u-s-hearing-aids-market-105653 Hearing Devices Segment Held Dominant Share in 2020 Backed by Rising Prevalence of Hearing Loss By product, the market is bifurcated into hearing implants and hearing devices. Amongst these, the hearing devices segment generated the largest US Hearing Aids Market share in 2020. The surging prevalence of hearing loss among the general population is set to contribute to this growth. As per Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, every year, around 14.3% of the total population in the U.S. suffers from some degree of hearing loss. Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/u-s-hearing-aids-market-105653 Presence of Favorable Regulatory and Reimbursement Policies to Boost Growth Favorable regulatory and reimbursement policies are set to propel the US Hearing Aids Market growth in the upcoming years. The U.S. has been showcasing various changes in its regulatory policies in recent years for providing patients with better access to hearing loss assistive products. In August 2017, President Trump, for instance, signed the FDA Reauthorization Act that also contains the Over-the-counter Hearing Aid Act. It was developed to deliver greater public affordability and accessibility with OTC hearing aids. However, the high cost of these devices may hamper growth of the market. Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/queries/u-s-hearing-aids-market-105653 List of Manufacturers in the US Hearing Aids Market include: Sonova (Stafa, Switzerland) Demant A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark) GN Store Nord A/S (Ballerup, Denmark) Cochlear Ltd (Sydney, Australia) WS Audiology (Lynge, Denmark) RION Co., Ltd.(Tokyo, Japan) Starkey (Minnesota, U.S.) MED-EL (Medical Electronics) (Innsbruck, Austria) Other Prominent Players Global US Hearing Aids Market Segmentation: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Key Industry Developments - Acquisitions, Mergers, and Partnerships Penetration of Hearing Aids New Product Launches Epidemiology of Hearing Loss - USA Prevalence of Hearing Loss, by States, U.S, 2019 Number of Audiologists, Hearing Aid Specialists, Retail Outlets Partnerships Between Manufacturers and Third party Referral Companies/ Vendors Impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. Hearing Aids & Implants Market Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/u-s-hearing-aids-market-105653 SECONDARY RESEARCH IS CONDUCTED TO DERIVE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: Details such as revenues, market share, strategies, growth rate, product & their pricing by region/country for all major companies Details in relation to prevalence, incidence, patient numbers, distribution of patients, average price of treatment, etc. Number of end user facilities by region/country and average annual spending or procurement of devices by type of end user facility Number of procedures and average price of procedures Replacement rate and pricing of capital equipment Market dynamics in relation to the market under focus Drivers, restraints, trends, and opportunities Market & technological trends, new product developments, product pipeline. About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2021 / Labaton Sucharow, a nationally ranked and award-winning shareholder rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Zymergen Inc. ("Zymergen" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:ZY) common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus issued in connection with the Company's April 2021 initial public offering ("IPO"). Zymergen investors have until October 4, 2021, to file a motion to serve as lead plaintiff. On August 3, 2021, less than four months after its IPO, the Company issued a disappointing business update and revised its financial forecast citing "issues with its commercial product pipeline." Additionally, the Company announced that its CEO Josh Hoffman would be stepping down from his role, effective immediately. On this news, the Company's stock price plummeted over 70%. The Company now stands accused of issuing a registration statement that was materially false and misleading and omitting to state material adverse facts. If you purchased stock of ZY and want to receive additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please contact David J. Schwartz using the toll-free number (800) 321-0476 or via email at david@labaton.com. About the Firm Labaton Sucharow LLP is one of the world's leading complex litigation firms representing clients in securities, antitrust, corporate governance and shareholder rights, and consumer cybersecurity and data privacy litigation. Labaton Sucharow has been recognized for its excellence by the courts and peers, and it is consistently ranked in leading industry publications. Offices are located in New York, NY, Wilmington, DE, and Washington, D.C. More information about Labaton Sucharow is available at labaton.com. CONTACT: David J. Schwartz (800) 321-0476 david@labaton.com Story continues SOURCE: Labaton Sucharow LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/659560/ZY-ALERT--Labaton-Sucharow-Announces-the-Filing-of-a-Securities-Class-Action-Against-Zymergen-Inc-Investors-Encouraged-to-Contact-the-Firm Afghanistan's Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) has advised commercial air traffic to reroute and avoid transiting the country's airspace after the military was given sole access to departures and arrivals as countries scramble to evacuate their citizens from Kabul. The ACAA said on August 16 that any transit through Kabul airspace, which covers all of Afghanistan, would be "uncontrolled." On August 15 Taliban militants seized the capital, surprising Western countries, which are now scrambling to evacuate their citizens from an increasingly chaotic Kabul airport. The German airline Lufthansa said soon after the ACAA announcement that it was rerouting all overflights "until further notice." The flight tracking website FlightRadar24 noted on its Twitter feed that an Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi had changed course and exited Afghanistan's airspace shortly after entering, while a Terra Avia flight from Baku to Delhi was also changing course. With reporting by Reuters and AP A senior Russian official says the country's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, will hold talks with Taliban representatives on August 17 to discuss the security of Russian citizens and embassy personnel. Russian presidential envoy Zamir Kabulov told the radio station Ekho Moskvy on August 16 that Zhirnov will meet Taliban representatives in Kabul on how the group plans to provide security for the Russian Embassy in the Afghan capital. Though Moscow initially said it would not change personnel numbers at the embassy, Kabulov said some staff at the embassy will be given either paid leave or be evacuated to reduce the number of people present during the turmoil. Zhirnov said that the Taliban militia was already guarding the Russian Embassy. "Today the Afghan national security military who guarded us left. Taliban representatives assured us again that they will not touch a hair on the heads of Russian diplomats there, saying, 'You can safely continue working,'" Zhirnov said in a televised interview with Rossia-24. Russia is estimated to have a staff of around 100 people at the embassy. On August 15, the Taliban announced it had taken control of the Afghan capital, Kabul, after weeks of capturing large swaths of the country in offensives timed with the announced August 31 departure of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Based on reporting by Ekho Moskvy, Rossia-24, and Interfax Thousands of Taliban militants encircled Kabul as fear and panic swept through the capital, its residents bracing for a bloody takeover of the city and a return to an oppressive life under the militant Islamist group. Amid the chaos on the clogged streets and the teeming airport in Kabul, key government and political leaders were locked in tense negotiations with the Taliban over a peaceful transfer of power. But President Ashraf Ghani was nowhere to be seen. His ministers were frantically trying to contact him but could not reach his office. Hours earlier, the embattled Afghan leader had secretly slipped out of the sprawling presidential palace in central Kabul with a cohort of his closest aides and boarded a plane to an unknown country and away from the turmoil in his country. Ghani, who had pledged just days earlier that he would not leave the country, had unceremoniously fled on August 15 during the countrys hour of need. Yet he had not even informed key members of his cabinet, including acting Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi. They tied our hands from behind and sold out the country, Mohammadi wrote on Twitter as stunned officials found out their commander in chief had fled the country. Curse Ghani and his gang, said Mohammadi, referring to the presidents two closest confidants -- national-security adviser Hamdullah Mohib and Fazel Fazly, Ghanis chief of staff -- who had fled with him. Abdullah Abdullah, a longtime rival and the second ranking official in the government, said God should hold him accountable. WATCH: Desperate Afghans Cling To U.S. Military Plane To Flee Taliban Hours after his escape, Ghani wrote on Facebook that he left the country to prevent a "flood of bloodshed." Some reports said he flew first to Tajikistan or Uzbekistan -- though both countries denied it -- before leaving for an unknown third country. His whereabouts are unknown as of late on August 16. Ghanis escape from Kabul, as the city came under Taliban rule without resistance, marked the end of his tumultuous, polarizing seven years in power. Analysts say the 72-year-olds abrasive and authoritarian leadership style, which alienated key power brokers, contributed to the rapid collapse of Afghanistans security forces and the unraveling of the government. The Taliban had cascaded through the country since launching a blistering military offensive that coincided with the start of the final withdrawal of foreign troops on May 1. The militant group captured many of the countrys cities in just over a week, with government forces surrendering or retreating by the thousands. His divisive and unpopular leadership affected the management and planning of the war, said Ali Adili, a researcher at the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent think tank in Kabul. Ghani fired and replaced the countrys security leadership on several occasions. He had also sidelined crucial power brokers, including influential former warlords who held sway in the provinces, particularly in northern Afghanistan. The failure of resistance in the northern provinces against the Taliban in recent weeks was partly a result of Ghani alienating key figureheads and weakening local structures of power, said Hameed Hakimi, a research associate at the London-based Chatham House think tank. Rise And Fall From Power Ghani, a former finance minister, rose to power in 2014 when he won a presidential election marred by widespread allegations of fraud and vote rigging. Ghani, an ethnic Pashtun from the eastern province of Logar, has always had the qualifications for the highest political office in Afghanistan. He had worked for the World Bank and the United Nations, and even wrote a book on how to fix failed states. But he lacked the grassroots support of many of his rivals and Ghani's lengthy exile in the United States also earned him a reputation for being out of touch with ordinary Afghans. He surrounded himself with a cohort of Western-educated aides and advisers and isolated himself from key domestic stakeholders. Ghani was also accused of ethnic favoritism and of stoking tensions among the country's many ethnic groups. Hakimi described Ghani as a classic Afghan populist who appealed to what he believed his audience wanted to hear. WATCH: Taliban Afghan Takeover A Calculated U.S. Foreign Policy Failure, Says Political Analyst His shallow populism was in part his hubris as someone who believed he had the academic and anthropological understanding of the society he wanted to rule, he said. He was also an irascible president who was unable to control his temper or his tongue when given facts he disagreed with, or worse: when challenged, Hakim added. Torek Farhadi, a former government adviser who worked with Ghani, described the president as an insecure leader who was unwilling to compromise or cede power. His political moves were calculated to retain power, said Farhadi. In this process he alienated many stakeholders, be it traditional leaders or technocrats. 'Stole The Opportunity For Peace' Ghani refused to stick to the terms of a power-sharing agreement he signed with his electoral rival, Abdullah, in 2014 that led to the creation of an unwieldly national unity government that was characterized by bitter divisions and bickering. Ghani won the 2019 presidential election that was plagued by record-low turnout and allegations of fraud. Foreign powers and domestic power brokers had pleaded for him to postpone the vote in favor of peace talks with the Taliban. But he refused. In 2018, the United States had opened direct negotiations with the Taliban in Qatar without the presence of the Afghan government. Eighteen months later, the sides signed a bilateral deal that paved the way for foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan. The deal undermined Ghanis government, which was not a party to the accord. It also committed his administration to free 5,000 Taliban fighters. Ghani initially balked at the mass release but grudgingly accepted it, staggering the freeing of the inmates in a way that delayed the peace talks by months. Once intra-Afghan peace talks began in September 2020, Ghani was accused by critics of repeatedly stalling and undermining the peace process to retain power. Almost one year later, Ghani did not oversee peace in Afghanistan but rather the end of 20 years of democratic rule as the Taliban seized power in Kabul. Ghani will be remembered as the president who stole the opportunity for peace from the people of Afghanistan, said Farhadi. Uzbekistan says its armed forces have shot down an Afghan military plane after the aircraft illegally entered the Central Asian nation's airspace. An Uzbek Defense Ministry official said on August 16 that the anti-aircraft defense forces "prevented an illegal crossing into Uzbekistan's air boundaries by a military plane from Afghanistan" the previous day in the Sherobod district of the southern Surxondaryo region. According to the ministry, two Afghan pilots survived and are currently in hospital in serious condition. There were no reports of other casualties. The statement came after Taliban militants took control of Kabul causing a mass exodus from the Afghan capital. Hundreds of Afghans, including soldiers and local police, have reportedly fled into other neighboring Central Asian countries in recent weeks as Taliban forces seized power in many provinces, especially in the northern border regions. Based on reporting by TASS, Podrobno.uz, Gazeta.uz, RIA Novosti, and Interfax Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Tips Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers these tips for wildlife viewing: Go in the early morning or early evening, when animals are most active. Observe from a distance for the safety of you and the animal. Use binoculars and zoom functions of camera. Move slowly and causally, never directly toward wildlife. Stay quiet and still. Leave pets at home. They could provoke. Do not feed animals. Wear earth-tone clothes, such as gray, khaki and olive green that better blend into natural surroundings. Look to landscape edges, such as where trees meet meadows. Animals spend time in these edges. Heidi Ganahl is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, author and at-large member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents, to which she was elected as a Republican in 2016. Social media pundits boast of burning their MyPillow products to protest the owners social views. They wont eat at Chick-fil-A because of th Colorado Politics senior political reporter Joey Bunch is the senior correspondent and deputy managing editor of Colorado Politics. His 32-year career includes the last 16 in Colorado. He was part of the Denver Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 and he is a two-time finalist. The goals of the Turkish occupying state in the Middle East in general and in Syria and northeastern Syria in particular are no longer vague, but, according to many politicians and locals, Turkey, through its expansion and plans in the Middle East, is reviving the Ottoman Empire in the Arab world, as its ancestors have done. During the meeting with ANHA, Vice- co-chairmanship of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Hamdan al-Abd, saying" Syria has become a den for terrorism and the interference of regional and international states, but these interferences have become a clear to worldwide, particularly the Turkish occupying state in Syria, Iraq, Libya and other Arab countries." Adding" AKP contributed to support terrorist groups in many countries, amid at reviving the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East." He went to say" AKP attracted what the so-called of foreign opposition and made them as clients, they operate under its orders in dark rooms of Turkish Intelligence "MIT", and support several terrorist factions, such as Heyat Tahrir Sham, IS/Daesh, that is classified as terrorists, adding" Turkish occupying state has occupied Afrin, Ras Al-Ain and Tal Abyed, and supported terrorist factions in Hama, Aleppo and Damascus also, in the end it established in Idlib province a den for attracting terrorism in Afrin, and settling them in Afrin, after displacing of its indigenous residents." Regarding Turkey's goals in Syria, "the Turkish occupation state continues its attacks on Syria in general and north and east Syria in particular, with the aim of destabilizing security and stability and sowing chaos in the region." And about the occupation expansion that the Turkish occupation state is working on, Al-Abd said, "We saw that the Turkish occupation state moved during the past year towards Libya." "Until this moment, we have not seen that the Arab League has acted positively towards these attacks and plans, and has not made any statement condemning these actions or warning against Turkey's ambitions in Arab countries," al-Abd asked. "I always say that the modern Ottoman state wants to reconquer the Middle East and restore the old Ottoman Empire in the name of the Justice and Development Party, as it entered in the past from Marj Dabiq," al-Abd continued. "The Turkish occupation state wants to control the Arab Islamic decision in Libya, Syria and others in the name of the Islamic Caliph, and Islam is innocent of them and claims that it comes to protect peoples, and if we go back to history, the Ottoman occupation left behind nothing but ignorance, crimes and massacres," Al-Abd stressed. Al-Abd added, "Currently we are addressing the Arab League and all members of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council to demand that Turkey stop these barbaric attacks in the areas it occupies." Al-Abd added, "Turkey is not a friend of the Arabs, as it claims. It is nothing but an occupying country that intends to occupy and control many areas, including Syria, which occupied many of its cities located on the border strip." He added, "Turkey is not a peace-loving country." Al-Abd concluded his speech by saying, "The Arab League and all concerned must stop these Turkish attacks and thwart its plans that it intends to implement in the Middle East." T/S ANHA Mumbai, Aug 16 (PTI) Mumbai reported 190 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the lowest daily count since April 2020, and three fresh deaths due to the infection, a civic official said. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said with this, the tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 7,39,526, while the death toll jumped to 15,992. Notably, the daily COVID-19 cases have dipped below the 200-mark in Mumbai for the first time since April 2020, whereas for the third time this month, the city logged three fatalities in a day. Earlier on August 3 and 9, the city had reported three fatalities on each day. Also, for the third consecutive day, slums and 'chawls' (old row tenements) in Mumbai remained free of containment zones, while the number of sealed buildings came down to 21. The civic body seals buildings or declares containment zones if at least five residents there test positive for coronavirus. The financial capital witnessed a marginal drop in the daily COVID-19 cases and the fatalities as compared to Sunday when it had reported 267 cases and four deaths. With 26,484 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, the cumulative number of tests reached 86,78,746, the official said. The overall number of recovered patients increased to 7,18,354 with the discharge of 271 patients from hospitals in the last 24 hours, he said. Mumbai now has 2,749 active cases. The city's COVID-19 recovery rate is 97 per cent, the official said. According to the BMC official, Mumbai's case doubling rate has climbed to 1,966 days, while the average growth rate of COVID-19 cases for the period between August 9 and 15 was 0.04 per cent. This year, Mumbai reported the highest daily cases at 11,163 on April 4, while most deaths in a day - at 90 - were witnessed on May 1 during the second wave of the pandemic. PTI KK RSY RSY Representative Image Kabul [Afghanistan], August 16 (ANI): Pakistani soldiers clashed with hundreds of stranded Afghans who were fleeing for safety amid a Taliban offensive at the Durand-Crossing in the Chaman area. According to reports, the altercation took place after an old man who was waiting for the reopening of the gate to enter into Afghanistan, passed away due to a heart attack, reported Afghanistan Times. People began throwing stones at Pakistani forces after the man's death. According to reports, the stranded Afghans were not receiving a positive reply from the Pakistani officials, reported Afghanistan Times. With the Taliban overrunning the Spin-Boldak port and Pakistan government's decision to block the port, many Afghans were left stranded at the Durand crossing for several days and have been struggling with a shortage of food and living materials. On August 6, the Taliban had announced the closure of the border as Islamabad had ended the visa-free travel for Afghan people. The terror group last month captured the Chaman crossing through its aggressive offensive against the Afghan government forces. The gate was reopened on Saturday morning, reported Afghanistan Times. This decision to reopen was taken following a meeting between Pakistani and Taliban officials, Dawn newspaper reported. The Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing is Afghanistan's second busiest entry point and main commercial artery to Pakistan. Before the seizure of the border by the Taliban, nearly 900 trucks used to pass through the Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing daily. (ANI) 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. Vote View Results COVID-19 Cases Increase by 875% Since June, U.S. Hospitals Sinking under the Load Aug. 15, 2021 (EIRNS)The need for a fully functioning modern hospital system, where an infected person can go to be treated by medical staff, rather than deteriorate at home, is once again coming to the fore in the United States. It is even more true in the developing world, where facilities are very limited, and often outdated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the nations 7-day average of daily new cases was 113,357, as of Aug. 11. That is a 24% increase from the week before and a 876% jump from the lowest case average in June. The CDC also reports that the delta variant makes up 97% of new U.S. COVID cases. This is like a vise being applied against the U.S. hospital system. In Oregon, as of Aug. 13, the states COVID-19 hospitalization rate reached 16 per 100,000 residents, an increase of 128% in the past 14 days, and the fifth largest increase among all states. If you come to our hospital for any reason, we might not be able to help you, Amanda Kotler, RN, vice president of nursing at Asante Rogue Medical Center in Medford and Asante Ashland Community hospital told an Aug. 12 news conference. In Mississippi, state health officials are asking for federal help because the states hospital system is on the brink of failure. More than 1,500 people in the state are hospitalized with the virus, filling nearly 400 intensive care unit beds, with no new beds available. Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center is transforming part of its parking garage into a 50-bed field hospital to meet demand, said Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs. Jones further said, If we track a week or so when we look at the case positivity rate, the rate of new cases, the rate of hospitalizations ... [if] we continue that trajectory within the next 5 to 7 to 10 days, I think were going to see the failure of the hospital system in Mississippi. In Tennessee, the crisis is intense in some locales. Dr. Geoff Lifferth of Summer Regional Medical Center of Gallatin, a Nashville suburb, wrote, As an ER doc and a healthcare administrator, the past week has been one of the most exhausting and disheartening of my career. The delta variant has burned through us with a ferocity thats hard to describe. In six weeks, Nashville hospitalizations are up 900%. As for the United States as a whole, COVID patient hospitalizations surged from 12,600 to 77,700, between June 11 and Aug. 13, a leap of over 500%. While deaths for the vaccinated may not be high, most of the patients are unvaccinated, for whom the delta strain can be deadly. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021 On the LaRouche Legacy Foundation Seminar, Panel 2: Earths Next Fifty Years Aug. 15, 2021 (EIRNS)The rapidly shifting situation on the ground in Afghanistan gives increasing urgency to developing an understanding of the work of Lyndon LaRouche, who laid out, with increasing insight, his vision for the Earths next fifty years, and beyond. As the delta Covid variant lays bare the inadequacy of health care throughout the world, we see the profound need to develop a platform of productivity capable of sustaining billions more people with standards of physical and cultural life adequate to the creative potential of the human race. The second panel of the LaRouche Legacy Foundations event So, Are You Finally Willing to Learn Economics? took up the topic of LaRouches vision of Earths Next Fifty Years, with a view towards the efforts led by Helga Zepp-LaRouche to realizing those revolutionary objectives. Moderator Megan Dobrodt, Secretary-Treasurer of the LaRouche Legacy Foundation Board of Directors, launched the panel with a video of the LaRouches close friend and collaborator, Norbert Brainin, the lead violinist of the legendary Amadeus Quartet. Brainin began a 1995 master class in Dona Krupa Castle, Slovakia, by introducing the concept of Motivfuhrung, or motivic thorough-composition, an approach to classical composition developed by Haydn and refined by Mozart and Beethoven, of thorough composition according to principle. Brainin explained to the class that he often talked about Motivfuhrung with professional colleagues and students who recognized the term, but that the only person who understood it completely was Lyndon LaRouche. LaRouche often said that Brainin had introduced this concept to him, but he recognized it as a universal process for developing, not only great music, but natural and human compositions of any kind. Knowing this, Brainin explained that true classical composers are scientists. This was followed by a recording of LaRouche addressing the issue of human creativity at the July 3, 2011 European Schiller Institute conference. He asserted that human beings were the only known creative species, and explained that classical artistic culture can be transferred to the department of physical science, in the words of Riemann. LaRouche explained that he determined to build a movement, when he realized that no one but himself understood the disaster the financial disruptions of the 1960s were creating. He started by visiting universities and discussing his ideas. He briefly identified his understanding of his fundamental principle: You get a demonstration of that in the department of Classical artistic composition, in which the mind is experimenting with the attempt to discover principles, and expresses the yearning for that experimental result as the incentive of creativity for the human mind. That is creativity. It is getting outside the ordinary habits, or habituation, of life.... He concluded with the simple statement, Its not magic: Its really humanity. The first guest on the panel was Jacques Cheminade, a long-time LaRouche associate, President of the Solidarite et Progres party in France, and a former Presidential candidate. He described how, as a French diplomat, he first encountered LaRouche at an event in Manhattan and, while studying LaRouches writing, was confronted with a New York Times supplement in which he saw a photo of French soldiers in World War I with the caption, Once again triageWhos going to live? Who is going to die? Several pages later, there was a picture of an Ethiopian mother and child with their skin floating off, with the caption, Who will be fed and who will die? This led him to decide that, despite his prospects as a young diplomat, Well, these are my people, even if to join them I have to pay a dear price. He described his collaboration with LaRouche in writing a book, in French and English, titled France After de Gaulle (La France apres de Gaulle), promoting the idea of getting France back on the path of republican development as characterized by General Lafayettes engagement with the American Revolution. Maurice Allais, the only French citizen ever to win a Nobel Prize in Economics, wrote Cheminade a letter on November 27, 2009 saying that he was fully associating myself to LaRouches efforts to generate a wide public debate to radically rebuild the credit system and the international monetary system, and authorized Jacques to make this public. Former Prime Minister Michel Rocard, Cheminade said, also shared LaRouches economic outlook. In 1983 Lyndon LaRouche and his wife Helga Zepp-LaRouche led a Club of Life event in Paris, which had been founded in October 1982 by Mrs. LaRouche as a counter to the radical Malthusian Club of Rome. The Paris event was attended by world-famous oncologist Georges Mathe, resistance heroine Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, and de Gaulles associate, World War II hero, General Jean-Gabriel Revault dAllonnes. All of these later wrote to request LaRouches freedom, when he was politically incarcerated in 1989. LaRouches universal appeal was demonstrated by support from leading members of the French Communist Party, as well as the Under Secretary of the Foreign Ministry under President Valery Giscard dEstaing, Pierre-Christian Taittinger. Following Cheminade, two representatives from Argentina, Roberto Fritzsche and Eduardo Fernandez, used discoveries of the great Russian biogeochemist Vladimir Vernadsky to explain LaRouches concept of relative potential population density in relation to energy flux density and improvements in living standards. Mans role in this complex was explained in relationship to Vernadskys concept of three realms of existence: the lifeless lithosphere; the living biosphere; and the realm of cognition called the noosphere. Man is the master of all three, and, as LaRouche has explained, also participates in a fourth realm, that of cognition that we can recognize in the design and growth of the Universe, but, as yet, do not know its source in the way we know how humanity can discover concepts and laws of the Universe. They use Vernadskys calculations and more advanced knowledge to demonstrate that, with new energy sources which are on the horizon, the Earth could support a human population of 3 trillion. This was followed by greetings from Carlos Gallardo, President of the Christian Democratic Party of Peru. Harley Schlanger, also a long-time leader of the LaRouche movement, followed with an ironically revealing behind the scenes report on the origins of Richard Nixons disastrous August 15, 1971 announcement. It happened that on January 23, 1983, a dozen years after the event, John Connally of Texas, who had been Secretary of the Treasury under President Nixon, was present as his, Connallys, possessions were being sold off at a bankruptcy auction, and agreed to an interview. Schlanger asked about the Aug. 15, 1971 decision, and Connally proudly declared it to have been his decision, and a great success. When Schlanger challenged him with LaRouches declaration that the decision was the cause of the subsequent disasters, which were, among other things, the cause of Connallys personal demise, he became despondent, and eventually slinked away. Daisuke Kotegawa, formerly a top official in Japans Ministry of Finance and Japans Executive Director at the IMF, sent a greeting backing LaRouches distinction between investments in the real economy as opposed to speculation, and called for restoring Glass-Steagall. Fred Huenefeld, an agricultural economist who has served in multiple government positions in Louisiana, and a long-time board member of the Schiller Institute, gave an animated description of his years of agitating for LaRouches ideas and hounding the U.S. Congress to wake up. Former South Carolina State Senator Theo Mitchell, a leader in the Democratic Party and a board member of the Schiller Institute, discussed his work to expose the FBIs misjustice in the prosecution of LaRouche and in the Fruhmenschen campaign which targeted Black elected officials, including himself. The concluding section, on LaRouche in the Universities, gave youth leaders of the LaRouche movement an opportunity to discuss their commitment to getting LaRouches work into universities and elsewhere. Gretchen Small, a leader of the Ibero-American branch of the LaRouche movement and President of the LaRouche Legacy Foundation Board of Directors, began this session with video segments of the notorious 1971 City University of New York debate between LaRouche and top Keynesian economist Abba Lerner, in which LaRouche induced Lerner to admit that Nixons economic policy, and his own, were in keeping with those of Hitlers Reichsbank governor and Minister of Economics Hjalmar Schacht. Sidney Hook, a top academic philosopher of the day and an intelligence community operative responsible for stifling unwanted discussions, told a LaRouche supporter after witnessing his impact on the downed champion, Lerner, that LaRouche would never be permitted another such contest. The first youth speaker was from the Philippines, Carlos Itos Valdes, the son of Carlos Butch Valdes, the founder and leader of the Philippine LaRouche Society and many other organizations. Itos Valdes gave a sincere and moving description of how his understanding of the movement changed his life, beginning in childhood with his familys involvement in the LaRouche movement, and continuing with his organizing others through the ideas of Plato, Leibniz, FDR and LaRouche Carolina Dominguez, an extraordinary leader of the movement in Mexico and throughout Ibero America, spoke about the campaign to make the work of LaRouche available throughout the university system, and presented videos of young colleagues from Mexico and Colombia. She described the problem by exposing an economics professor who said the purpose of education was to help students become part of the wealthy 50%, rather than to lift the poor 50% out of poverty. Jose Vega of the Bronx closed the presentations with a video he had made discussing LaRouches policy for the next 50 years, including his idea of a Space Civilian Construction Corps modeled on FDRs Civilian Conservation Corps, to recruit youth to a revitalized space program. The presentations were followed by a profound discussion among the panelists and participants on the significance of what had been done and what must urgently be accomplished. Jacques Cheminade briefly highlighted the secret to LaRouches success. He said he was delighted to see three generations of LaRouche Youth Movements in action: the early 1960s campus recruit, Paul Gallagher; people in their 40s and 50s who were recruited by LaRouche in the 1990s-2000s, now playing a leading role in the movement; and those in their early 20s who are ripening as a highly effective force. The first panel was covered yesterday in EIR Daily Alert. Both panels of the conference are posted to the LaRouche Legacy Foundation website. The U.S. space agency NASA says new data from observations of the asteroid Bennu still suggests that the object could one day hit Earth. But, the scientists studying the asteroid predict in a new study there is very little chance that Bennu will strike Earth in the coming centuries. Bennu and other asteroids are considered near-Earth objects (NEOs). Scientists identify such objects as those having the possibility of coming within 50 million kilometers of Earths orbit. Bennu was discovered in 1999. It is believed to have formed in the first 10 million years of our solar systems history more than 4.5 billion years ago. It moves into near-Earth space because of gravitational interactions with other planets. It also takes in heat from the sun that provides added push. Bennu makes its closest pass to Earth every six years. The latest data on Bennu was collected by NASAs Osiris-Rex spacecraft, which spent more than two years observing the asteroid. Last October, Osiris-Rex also successfully collected samples from Bennu. The spacecraft is now on a trip back to Earth, with NASA expecting its arrival in September 2023. The main goal of the Osiris-Rex mission was to collect the samples. Scientists say they hope the material can help them better understand how planets formed and how life began on Earth. But new data from Osiris-Rex also permitted scientists to get a better idea about Bennus current and future movements, including the chances that it could strike Earth. The new details recently appeared in a study in the publication Icarus. One of the studys findings is a prediction that Bennu will make a close pass to Earth in 2135. At that time, scientists say the asteroid will pass Earth within half the distance of Earth to the moon. Before the Osiris-Rex mission, researchers put the chances of Bennu hitting Earth through the year 2200 at 1-in-2,700. With the new data, scientists believe the chances are 1-in-1,750, through the year 2300. Even though the new prediction increases the chances of a hit by Bennu, NASA researchers who spoke to reporters about the finding said people should not be overly concerned. We shouldn't be worried about it too much, said Davide Farnocchia, the lead writer of the study. He is a scientist with NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. Farnocchia noted that the risk from Bennu is smaller than from the undiscovered population of objects of similar size. He added that overall, the situation has improved because scientists now have a much better idea of Bennus path. Lindley Johnson is NASAs planetary defense officer. He was asked about the destruction that could result from a possible strike by Bennu. He said a hit would not destroy all life on Earth. But the event would create a crater about 10 to 20 times the size of the asteroid. Bennu is thought to be about 500 meters wide. Johnson added that the total area of destruction from a hit would be much larger, covering an area up to 100 times the size of the crater. He noted that there could be other, yet undiscovered objects out there that could present more of a threat. "We are still looking for what we don't know out there -- the objects that haven't been found yet," Johnson said. He noted that researchers were also studying ways to redirect the orbit of an asteroid should it ever become necessary to do so. But Johnson added: "We really don't think we need to do anything about Bennu." Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on reports from NASA, The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Icarus. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Quiz - NASA: New Data on Asteroid Bennu Still Suggests Possible Threat to Earth Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ___________________________________________________ Words in This Story asteroid n. one of many large rocks that circle the sun sample n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from mission n. a flight by an aircraft or spacecraft to perform a specific task crater n. a round hole made by an explosive force such as a bomb or an object falling from the sky Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Robert Nichols is the state senator for Senate District 3. First elected in 2006, Nichols represents 19 counties, including much of East Texas and part of Montgomery County. He can be reached at 699-4988 or toll-free at (800) 959-8633. His email address is robert.nichols@senate.texas.gov. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The American College of Physicians (ACP) said today that, in agreement with recent recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) masks should be required in schools as part of a comprehensive public health strategy to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. "As a country, we have all been watching the number of COVID-19 cases rising precipitously over the past month. We need to ensure that we are availing ourselves of the public health measures available to us to combat this spread," said George M. Abraham, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA, president, ACP. "This should include requiring all individuals, students, teachers, and staff, to wear masks in schools." Earlier this year ACP issued a Policy Statement on Wearing Masks in Community Settings. That policy recommended that governors require the wearing of masks in public facilities in their respective states, including schools. This recommendation is in agreement with guidance on masks in AAP's COVID-19 Guidance for Safe Schools. "Masks are a key public health tool in keeping everyone in our school communities safe," continued Dr. Abraham. "Especially with such a large segment of our schools' populations unable to yet access COVID-19 vaccines, masks remain a necessity in our fight to control the COVID-19 pandemic." Chlamydia trachomatis inclusion bodies (brown) in a McCoy cell culture. Credit: public domain A review of evidence by researchers at the University of Bristol and University of Edinburgh has suggested a possible new means by which chlamydia could lead to an increased risk of cancer and ectopic pregnancy. The hypothesis also provides a possible explanation for how pelvic inflammatory disease may be triggered in some women. The review, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, looked at evidence from lab-based studies, animal models and clinical studies on the role of chlamydia in diseases of the reproductive tract. The researchers' analysis of the studies' findings suggests that chlamydia induces a particular type of change in reproductive tract cells known as 'epithelial to mesenchymal transition' (EMT), which can lead to inflammation and cell growth. Their hypothesis is that this chlamydia-triggered cell change contributes to the development of further disease. "Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that stimulates EMT, which may persist after the chlamydia infection has cleared," explains Dr. Paddy Horner from the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation at University of Bristol, who led the review. "We think that the association of chlamydia with ovarian and cervical cancer could be explained by the persistence of EMT changes in combination with DNA damage caused by chlamydia following chlamydia infection," he said. "Also, we know that EMT cells impair the integrity of the lining of the infected reproductive tract cell, making it more susceptible to invasion by other bacteria. This increases the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease from those invading bacteria. "Furthermore, epithelial (barrier) cells in the fallopian tube that have previously been infected with chlamydia have more receptors on their surface, which are associated with an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. There is evidence that these cell surface receptor changes could be caused by EMT. "If our hypothesis about the role of EMT following chlamydia infection in women is correct, it could help explain some of the recent epidemiological observations about chlamydia and reproductive disease which are difficult to account for using current concepts about the immune response to chlamydia. "It would also support the English National Chlamydia Screening Program's shift to earlier testing of women, as the shorter the duration of infection, the lower the risk of developing EMT changes. Further down the line, this could lead to the development of new tests for identifying women at increased risk of ovarian cancer and ectopic pregnancy and interventions that could reduce these risks. "Obviously a lot more research is needed before we can be sure that our hypothesis is correct, but the evidence from this review suggests that further research in this area would be fruitful and could have important benefits both for patients and in the prevention of chlamydia-induced disease in the long-term." Munira Oza, director of the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, said: "This analysis helps to further our understanding of one of the possible risk factors for ectopic pregnancy and we would welcome more research in this area. "It also highlights the importance of the change of focus of the National Chlamydia Screening Program to opportunistically making proactive offers of a chlamydia test to young people without symptoms to reduce the risk of reproductive harm. "With early detection through the screening program and much-needed education to reduce the stigma of chlamydia, we hope that many women and families might be spared the health risks and heartache of ectopic pregnancy. We encourage young women to screen when given the opportunity." Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide. If left untreated, it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, tubal factor infertility, and chronic pelvic pain due to tubal scarring. Explore further USPSTF urges screening young women for chlamydia, gonorrhea More information: Patrick J Horner et al, Is There a Hidden Burden of Disease as a Result of Epigenetic Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Following Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Tract Infection?, The Journal of Infectious Diseases (2021). Journal information: Journal of Infectious Diseases Patrick J Horner et al, Is There a Hidden Burden of Disease as a Result of Epigenetic Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Following Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Tract Infection?,(2021). DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab088 Credit: www.shutterstock.com There's a rush to vaccinate vulnerable remote Aboriginal communities in New South Wales after spread of the coronavirus out of metropolitan areas has led to a state-wide lockdown. So focus is turning to how quickly we can get COVID-19 vaccines over vast distances, far from vaccine warehouses in the cities, into remote Australians' arms. Anger as slow vaccine rollout leaves western NSW Aboriginal communities exposed to COVID #auspol https://t.co/FExyibLyDJ Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) August 12, 2021 But transporting vaccines to remote Australia isn't new. Nor are the challenges that must be overcome to keep vaccines at the right temperature on the long and bumpy journey to remote clinics. Here are some of the practical issues nurses, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners, community health workers, pharmacists and others face when vaccines are transported vast distances by road, air or on water. It's a long way The vast distances and isolated communities of remote Australia pose significant challenges to transporting vaccines. Then there are the environmental extremes, with freezing winter nights and scorching summer days, plus monsoonal rains and cyclones often interrupting transport services and making regions inaccessible for weeks. Keeping vaccines at the right temperature over large distances, over days and weeks, can be challenging. But vaccines are temperature-sensitive products, and their effectiveness is dependent on correct storage. If a vaccine is too hot or too cold it may be damaged and not work as well. So it's critical to keep vaccines at the right temperature to ensure their safety and efficacy. For non-COVID vaccines and the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine, the recommended cold chainbetween 2 and 8must be maintained from the place of manufacture to administration in the community. However, transport and storage requirements for the Pfizer COVID vaccine are different. Unopened vials of the vaccine need to be stored and transported at domestic freezer temperatures, between -25 and -15, for up to two weeks. Unopened vials may also be stored at domestic refrigerator temperatures, between 2 to 8, for up to five days. Once a Pfizer vaccine has thawed it should not be re-frozen. Keeping vaccines in the recommended temperature range over long distances often means styrofoam boxes and regular eskies are inadequate, particularly when the transit time is likely to be three to four days. Transporting vaccines to remote Australia requires special infrastructure, including dedicated vaccine fridges and insulated containers. If there's a cold-chain breach, when vaccines are exposed to temperatures outside the recommended range, the vaccines may become damaged and might need to be thrown away and replaced. Such breaches are estimated to have cost the Australian health system at least A$25.9 million in replacement vaccines over a five-year period. This estimate is pre-COVID, so the figure is likely higher if we take into account any cold-chain breaches with COVID vaccines. There is a significant risk of this happening in remote Australia. All staff need to be aware All staff involved in the vaccination process, from manufacture to transport to administration, must understand the need to maintain the cold chain and the risks associated with cold chain breaches. This includes knowing the correct way to pack the vaccines in an insulated container (such as a vaccine cold box, esky or styrofoam box), using temperature monitors, and what to do when there's a cold-chain breach. However, there are few training materials dealing with vaccine cold chain in remote Australia. And with high staff turnover, it's difficult to know everyone in the chain has the right training. Vaccine Story follows an esky full of vaccines from the city to remote Australia. We made a video A team at Flinders University collaborated with Irene Nangalaa Pintupi elder and director of Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation (Purple House), an Aboriginal community controlled organization in Alice Springsto make a short educational video called Vaccine Story. The video depicts the journey a vaccine takes from a supply center to a remote Australian community in a culturally appropriate manner. This freely available video is especially useful for non-clinical staff, who may not otherwise receive professional training or updates. Transport is important The video also looks at the importance of transport in maintaining the cold chain, especially in the "last mile" of vaccine logistics. For remote Australia, variable and unreliable transport add extra logistical challenges. Freight to remote communities is often limited with infrequent or non-existent services. So local clinics and supply centers need to be adaptable and resourceful to ensure vaccine supply. The right transport option for one day might not be the best for another. Staff need to ask: is there a bus traveling to the community today? can the visiting specialist team take the esky with them on the plane? can the patient-transport driver pick up the vaccine from the pharmacy? how are the roads today? Each of these options presents new challenges. Non-clinical staff may have to be trained in how to handle vaccines and the importance of maintaining the cold chain. For example, the esky needs to be safely secured in the car. If it bounces around, the ice bricks may come into direct contact with the vaccines, which can cause them to freeze (the vaccines are generally separated from the ice with packing materials). Staff will have to consider the temperature in a car, bus, the hull of a plane or on a barge. Vaccines will have to be handed over to the right person, not left on the runway or on the clinic doorstep in the sun. There must be good lines of communication so everyone knows where the vaccines are. The electricity's out Vaccines need to be stored in dedicated vaccine fridges when they reach the clinic in remote Australia. However, challenges in maintaining the cold chain don't stop there. It's common in remote communities for electricity outages that mean vaccine fridges go off. Clinic staff need to be trained in how to manage these situations. It's a long road Despite these significant logistical challenges, vaccines have been successfully shipped to remote Australia for years before COVID vaccines became urgently needed. But with the latest COVID cases in remote NSW, we're reminded just how different the vaccine cold chain is in the bush compared with the city. So all eyes are on looking after this precious cargo, including maintaining the cold chain. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Researchers at CDDEP, University of California, Berkeley, and the Government of Tamil Nadu recently published 'SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality during the first epidemic wave in Madurai, South India: a prospective, active surveillance study' in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The study examined data from a large-scale surveillance program in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, to assess predictors of COVID-19 infection and mortality, and to probe the completeness of epidemiological reporting. The authors had previously published the largest COVID-19 contact tracing study in Science in 2020. As of August 8th, 2021, India reported over 428,000 COVID deaths. While this is a significant burden, it represents a lower overall fraction of fatal cases than what other settings have shown. There are few large-scale studies examining SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality in India, and this has hindered efforts to compare COVID-19 epidemiology against observations from other settings. Several studies across the world have reported on the predictors of COVID-19 infection and mortality among individuals. However, none differentiate the outcomes of symptomatic or asymptomatic infection, or use community-based surveillance efforts to assess predictors of infection and mortality. This study reports on comprehensive surveillance data collected from over 440,000 SARS-CoV-2 tests undertaken through clinical and community-based outreach testing during the first wave of the pandemic in Madurai, India. It characterizes differences in risk factors for symptomatic and asymptomatic infection as well as impacts of differences in India's demographic structure on the distribution of cases (symptomatic and asymptomatic) and deaths. Overall, the authors observed: Increased odds of symptomatic infection among men and older age groups and among individuals with comorbid conditions (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory disorders). By contrast, the risk for asymptomatic infection did not differ among children and young adults but increased at ages 40 years and older. Older age, male sex, and a history of cancer, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, other chronic circulatory disorders, respiratory disorders, and endocrine disorders were each independently associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 mortality. After age standardization, authors identified a higher risk of mortality among patients in Madurai than those in the U.S., Europe, China, and South Korea, even though 63% of individuals tested in this study were asymptomatic. Based on the seroprevalence studies, only 14% of infections were ascertained by surveillance. Only 11% of deaths among individuals aged at least 15 years and older, which would be expected based on seroprevalence in Madurai and IFR estimates from other settings, ascertained by surveillance. According to the study's lead author, Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan, Director, CDDEP, "The data collection in Madurai was exceptional and permitted a study of scale and scope unlike any from other parts of the world. The findings clearly show a major role for non-communicable disease control as part of a long term COVID-19 containment strategy." Explore further Two doses of BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine highly effective More information: Ramanan Laxminarayan et al, SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality during the first epidemic wave in Madurai, south India: a prospective, active surveillance study, The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2021). Journal information: Lancet Infectious Diseases , Science Ramanan Laxminarayan et al, SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality during the first epidemic wave in Madurai, south India: a prospective, active surveillance study,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00393-5 Provided by Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy A Texas A&M nursing student prepares a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Credit: Mark Guerrero/Texas A&M Division of Marketing & Communications The highly contagious Delta variant has caused a surge in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, largely among the unvaccinated. This latest development in the coronavirus pandemic has renewed debates about masking, vaccines and public health protocols as Americans continue to return to offices and schools. Texas A&M Today spoke about the current state of the pandemic with Dr. Gerald W. Parker, director of the Pandemic & Biosecurity Policy Program within the Bush School of Government and Public Service and associate dean of Global One Health at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital. At Texas A&M University, Hotez was a 20192020 faculty fellow with the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study and is a senior fellow emeritus at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at the Bush School. What's your assessment of where we are at this stage of the pandemic in the United States, given the percentage of the population that is fully vaccinated and the surge in COVID-19 infections? Parker: The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to move through the population worldwide, adapting with new variants to favor its own survival and continued transmission to vulnerable individuals. The good news: the biomedical research enterprise and vaccine industry were able to accelerate the development of safe and effective COVID vaccineswithout cutting quality, safety and efficacy cornersin only 11 months after the first genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 was published. That was a remarkable public health achievement that was followed by the largest and most complex mass vaccination campaign in public health history. The vaccination campaign was understandably bumpy at first until vaccine production stabilized, healthcare systems vaccinated front-line health care providers at highest risk of exposure, and state and local authorities geared up mass vaccination sites in urban centers and other means to reach underserved communities and rural areas across Texas and the United States. As vaccine coverage increased from January to May, new daily COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths dropped precipitously from their January 2021 highs. As of Aug. 9, there are have been 407,560,705 vaccines delivered and 351,933,175 vaccine doses administered. Fifty percent of the United States population is fully vaccinated with over 80 percent of the most vulnerable, 65 years of age and older, fully vaccinated. The bad news: vaccination uptake slowed significantly from May through July, 50 percent of the United States population remains unvaccinated, and a new highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 variant, Delta, emerged in India last spring spreading globally. Delta became the predominate strain circulating in the United States and Texas during the summer of 2021. During July, the incidence of daily new cases and hospitalizations coinciding with Delta's emergence have increased rapidly. COVID hospitalizations and ICU cases in Texas are surging. As of Aug. 9, we are 66 percent (9,546) of the peak 14,218 hospitalized patients that occurred in January 2021. Across the United States, hospitalizations are 43 percent of the January peak. Hotez: We've underachieved terribly in vaccinating the South, especially among younger people. When you look at the difference (in vaccination rates) in the North and the South, among those over the age of 65, it's not that much different: it's maybe 80 percent versus 95-99 percent (in the North). Where the bottom falls out is among young people. We're looking at maybe 20 to 25 percent of adolescents in many Southern counties who are vaccinated, compared to over 70 percent in Massachusetts and Vermont, and similar although somewhat higher percentages among young adults. So the big vulnerability in the South right now are all the unvaccinated young people. And that's what we're seeingCOVID-19 is just ripping through the Southern states, and we're seeing lots of young people going into the hospital now. The CDC now advises that people in high-transmission areas wear masks in indoor public spaces, even if they've been vaccinated. Why has the Delta variant prompted this change in mask guidance? Parker: CDC changed their mask guidance because of the evolving nature of SARS-CoV-2 and the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. New data show there are increasing breakthrough COVID-19 cases in fully vaccinated individuals. Even though breakthrough cases leading to hospitalization or death are rare, new data also show that fully vaccinated individuals who become infected could be contagious and a source of transmission putting immune compromised and unvaccinated people at risk. Hotez: It has to do with the fact that the amount of virus in the nasal passages and the mouth appear to be higher from Delta compared to previous lineages, and that even if you're vaccinated and you have some virus-neutralizing antibodies, you could still be asymptomatically shedding virus. But the truth is there's some new numbers saying even if that's true, the amount of time you spread the virus may still be very limited, so that you might be shedding viruses for a shorter period of time. But all of this information is still very preliminary and mostly unpublished. Ultimately, I still think the vast majority of virus transmission is coming from unvaccinated individuals, and that's why you're not seeing a big surge in the North. Essentially most, or in some cases almost all, the adolescents and adults are vaccinated, and this has the collateral benefit, whereas with the low vaccination rates among young people in the South, there's a lot of virus transmission going on. Under what circumstances would you advise people to wear a mask? Parker: The CDC guidance advises individuals, unvaccinated and vaccinated, to wear a mask while indoors around other people and where there is high community SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Cases and hospitalizations are surging in many Texas communities. If you live in a community with high transmission, particularly with a surge in hospitalization and ICU cases, I recommend you follow CDC guidance. If you are unvaccinated, you should consider getting vaccinated. Vaccines are readily available and are by far the most effective tool we have in our toolkit to limit community transmission and reduce the risk of severe disease and death. Hotez: Clearly, if you're unvaccinated you should be wearing a mask at all times in indoor settings. And if you're vaccinated: I'm still avoiding big indoor crowds, and in which case I'm wearing a mask if I have to be indoors. I don't go to stores a lot. I'm basically going from work to home most of the time. The only difference now is on the weekends we would take our youngest son and his girlfriend out to dinner and I wouldn't wear a mask inside the restaurant. Now, with this level of virus transmission, I'm thinking twice about that and starting to go back to DoorDash again. What do breakthrough infections tell us about the effectiveness of the currently available vaccines? Parker: To date, the COVID vaccines authorized by the FDA for use in the United States continue to work well, but no vaccine is 100 percent effective. Reports of vaccine breakthrough cases are increasing as new variants emerge and time duration increases from the initial date of completing the vaccination series for many people. The Phase 3 clinical trial results for Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines showed 95 percent and 94 percent efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 illness caused by the original SARS-CoV-2 strains in circulation during the fall of 2020 after two shots. Johnson & Johnson's vaccine showed 66 percent efficacy against moderate COVID-19 illness and 85 percent efficacy against severe illness after one shot. The clinical trials did not measure protection against asymptomatic infection or potential to transmit SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination. Nonetheless, the Phase 3 clinical trial results were extraordinary, far exceeded the FDA efficacy threshold of 50 percent, and gave hope that vaccines could control the most severe outcomes of the pandemic. As of Aug. 9, more than 350 million vaccine doses have been administered and 166 million people were fully vaccinated, 50 percent of the United States population. CDC has received reports of 7,525 hospitalizations or deaths in vaccinated people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to over 35 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. In about 25 percent of the breakthrough cases, patients were asymptomatic, or their diagnosis appeared secondary to primary cause of hospitalization. This indicates what we knew when the vaccination campaign started and what we know now: vaccine breakthrough cases are expected. To date, available data show vaccine breakthrough cases leading to hospitalization or death appear rare and only represent a small percentage of COVID cases. Vaccine breakthroughs are more likely to occur in congregate settings, such as nursing homes, and in populations at risk of vaccine failure (immune compromised, elderly and others). But CDC's data has limitations because they are dependent on passive reporting from states on vaccine breakthroughs that led to hospitalization or death and does not include asymptomatic or symptomatic mild to moderate infections. Population-based studies are needed to gain an understanding of estimated rates of breakthrough cases against mild to moderate infection, vaccine effectiveness against emergency variants, and durability of immunity. Clinical trials and real-world studies confirm the safety and effectiveness of the Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech COVID vaccines. Through the end of July, the data tells us Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna COVID vaccines remain remarkably effective at reducing risk of hospitalization, severe disease and death for individuals, even for the Delta variant. Hotez: The vaccines are still really robust. They still give high levels of protection, they're keeping you out of the hospital and preventing you from symptomatic illness. But there's increasing information regarding breakthrough cases, and new information in a preprint publication from the Mayo Clinic that protection from non-hospitalized COVID infection may have decreased to the 40-50 percent range for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with similar data from Israel. Moreover, when the breakthrough cases happen, they're associated with higher virus loads. But that's new information. We don't know if this represents true waning immunity versus decreased virus neutralizing antibody against the Delta variant. It's also important to remember, the way the vaccines were designed was they were tested on their ability to stop symptomatic infection, hospitalization and death, and that mostly still holds. We haven't lost that, so we should be very mindful that the vaccines still work well. What challenges are officials seeing with vaccination rates? Are there methods that could be implemented to reach more people? Parker: Vaccine rates have increased as cases and hospitalizations surge due to Delta, but not enough. Vaccines are readily available and continue to work remarkably well to reduce risk of hospitalization, severe disease and death. Public health authorities and community leaders should approach the importance of vaccination with more reasoned, calm and reassuring discussions about vaccine safety and effectiveness to gain public confidence in vaccines for those who remain undecided. The recent change in the CDC mask guidance was prudent and in line with good public health action, but the way the message was delivered caused confusion, controversy and unnecessary arguments, largely because the data underlying the mask guidance change was not made publicly available and discussed in a reasoned approach until several days later. Unfortunately, the ensuing controversy lost focus on the reassuring message about vaccine safety and effectiveness. I encourage everyone to talk with their health care provider, family physician, or other trusted people in your community to obtain the best information available from trusted sources when trying to reach a decision to get vaccinated. Data on COVID vaccine safety and effectiveness is reassuring compared to not being vaccinated. SARS-CoV-2 can take a life away in mysterious and sometimes unpredictable ways. COVID vaccines authorized for use in the United States remain remarkably effective against the most severe clinical outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection, including Delta. COVID vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and colleagues. Finally, I think it essential that the FDA expedite their final review and grant full Biologics License Approvals for the COVID vaccines. Hotez: I'm quite worried about the schools because there's so much transmission now in the Southern region, and the vaccination rates among adolescents are really low. Everyone's talking about mask mandates for schools, but I think we need to move toward vaccination mandates, and that's going to be really important if we're going to have a successful school year. Otherwise, we're already seeing so many kids getting COVID as schools start to openit's just going to shut everything down. I think we need to reprioritize getting kids safely through the school year and in-person classes, and that's going to mean both vaccine and mask mandates. Even though that's not popular, I don't see another way around it. The anti-vaccine aggression is still pretty high. We still need to address the disinformation that still dominates the media and social media. Has the Delta variant affected the threshold for herd immunity? Is that still the goal? Parker: Unfortunately, I do not have a good answer for herd immunity, nor do I believe anyone has a good answer beyond predictive modeling or predictive speculation. I do not believe the SARS-CoV-2 virus is going away anytime soon. We cannot eliminate SARS-CoV-2 by human interventions, but human interventions can reduce the virus's impact. We should anticipate that the virus will become endemic with new variants emerging beyond Delta. But that does not mean the pandemic will go on forever. The pandemic will not go on forever if we can mitigate the most severe clinical outcomes even if SARS-CoV-2 becomes endemic. Other viruses, like influenza, are endemic and we learn how to manage riskthat includes annual vaccinations. The current COVID vaccines remain remarkably effective in reducing the risk of severe disease and death, even against the highly contagious Delta variant. More people should take advantage of this life saving measure. The United States and other high-income countries must take more action to increase global vaccine access. The WHO reports that less than 2 percent of people living in low-middle income countries are fully vaccinated. Finally, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are conducting new clinical trials with vaccine candidates designed against new variants and are prepared to pivot manufacturing boosters against specific new variants, like we do every year for seasonal influenza. National public health authorities must likewise be prepared to make timely and decisive decisions for the pivot to be effective. Hotez: I don't even use the term herd immunity anymore because it's been so twisted by people with political agendas. What I say is once vaccination coverage gets to about 75 percent among the whole population, we start to see a slowing in transmission, and that's the goal. Based on the reproductive numbers of this virus, if we're serious about stopping transmission, ultimately we have to get 85 percent of the population vaccinated. That's all of the adults and adolescents. It's a pretty high bar, but I think we could do it. Explore further New data shows the power of COVID vaccines Credit: CC0 Public Domain Fully vaccinated people in England will from Monday no longer be required to self-isolate if they have had close contact with a coronavirus case, as restrictions continue to be eased. Instead of self-isolating, those double jabbed and the under 18s will be advised to get a free polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test if they are identified as being in close contact with a case. The change was announced last month, as part of step four of the government's plan to open up after more than a year of rolling lockdowns. Anyone who tests positive following the PCR test will still be legally required to self-isolate. Britain is still battling another wave of the virus, with the emergence of the Delta variant. Although cases are down around 50 percent from their peak, the number of people catching the disease has been rising slightly over the last two weeks, with around 100 people a day dying from the disease. Britain has been one the countries worst hit by the virus, recording more than 130,000 fatalities, but has been able to ease restrictions thanks to a successful vaccine rollout, with 75 percent of adults receiving both doses. Before Monday, people who were "pinged" by the National Health Service app, warning them that they had come into close contact with a positive case, were required to self isolate for 10 days. England officially fully opened up again on July 19, but millions were subsequently contacted by the country's test-and-trace scheme, forcing them to stay away from family, friends and the workplace. The so-called "pingdemic", which even grounded Prime Minister Boris Johnson, severely disrupted businesses and critical services, hampering efforts to kickstart the ailing economy. "Asking the close contacts of people with COVID-19 to self-isolate has played a critical role in helping us get this virus under control, and millions of people across the UK have made enormous sacrifices by doing this," said health minister Sajid Javid. "Getting two doses of a vaccine has tipped the odds in our favour and allowed us to safely reclaim our lost freedoms, and from Monday we can take another huge step back towards our normal lives," he added. Removing self-isolation for under 18s comes three weeks before thousands of pupils and students return to school and college, and they will no longer be required to socially distance. Explore further UK says braced for 100,000 daily COVID cases 2021 AFP Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Greece has recorded the first death of a fully vaccinated patient from COVID-19 without underlying symptoms, an official at one of the country's leading hospitals said Sunday. "We have the first death of a fully vaccinated patient... it was the first among (about) 13,000 deaths in Greece," Nikos Kapravelos, director of one of the intensive care units of Thessaloniki's Papanikolaou hospital, told Open TV. The man, described by Greek media as a 70-year-old dentist, had no underlying health symptoms, Kapravelos said. The man had followed all precautions and his wife and children had also been vaccinated, he said. Over 13,200 people have died of the virus in Greece, with an average age of 78 years. There is concern that the return of hundreds of thousands of vacationers to cities in the autumn will spark a fourth pandemic wave in the country. New COVID-19 cases have jumped this past week, hitting over 4,000 on Wednesday from around 2,800 the previous week. Some infection spikes have been noted in Greek islands. Mykonos went into curfew in July after a flurry of cases. Similar restrictions were imposed in Zakynthos and in two cities in Crete in recent days. 2021 AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain Ivory Coast's first recorded case of deadly Ebola disease in nearly three decades is of "immense concern", according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The Institut Pasteur had confirmed the case after testing samples taken from an 18-year-old Guinean woman, Health Minister Pierre N'Gou Demba told RTI state television late on Saturday. She had left the city of Labe in Guinea by road, arriving in Ivory Coast on Wednesday, he added. "This is an isolated and imported case," he said. The patient was being treated in intensive care in Abidjan. Ivory Coast already had doses of the vaccine against Ebola, which will be given to anyone who had been in contact with her. Vaccinations started on Sunday for "target groups", health sources said. And in a cross-border response, Guinea handed over 5,000 more doses of the vaccine with WHO support, the country's health security agency said in a tweet. Prime Minister Patrick Achi had chaired an emergency interministerial meeting earlier on Saturday, the minister added. Appealing for calm, he said the authorities had already activated an emergency plan that included the identification and surveillance of anyone who had come into contact with the patient. The WHO said it was the first case of Ebola in Ivory Coast since 1994. Chances of survival On June 19, the WHO declared an end to a four-month outbreak of Ebola in Guinea that claimed the lives of 12 people there. But a statement from WHO Africa on Saturday said: "There is no indication that the current case in Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is linked to the earlier outbreak in Guinea. "Further investigation and genomic sequencing will identify the strain and determine if there is a connection between the two outbreaks," the statement added. "It is of immense concern that this outbreak has been declared in Abidjan, a metropolis of more than four million people," Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's Africa regional director, said in the statement. "However, much of the world's expertise in tackling Ebola is here on the continent and Cote d'Ivoire can tap into this experience and bring the response to full speed." Ebola causes severe fever and, in the worst cases, unstoppable bleeding. It is transmitted through close contact with bodily fluids, and people who live with or care for patients are most at risk. In four decades, periodic Ebola outbreaks have killed around 15,000 people, all in Africa. The fatality rate in past outbreaks has varied between 25 and 90 percent. But the WHO pointed out: "There is now effective treatment available and if patients receive treatment early, as well as supportive care, their chances of survival improve significantly." Explore further ICoast records first case of Ebola: health minister 2021 AFP A scanning electron micrograph of Ebola virus budding from a cell (African green monkey kidney epithelial cell line). Credit: NIAID Ivory Coast began a roll-out of vaccinations against Ebola on Monday, after the country recorded its first known case of the disease since 1994, the health ministry said. "Health workers, close relatives and contacts of the victim" were the first to be vaccinated, getting jabs from 5,000 doses sent from Guinea, spokesman Germain Mahan Sehi said. Ivorian health workers had previously said that vaccinations of "targeted groups" had already begun on Sunday. The single identified case of Ebola in the country was identified over the weekend in Abidjan, Ivory Coast's economic hub, in an 18-year-old Guinean woman who had arrived in the country on Wednesday after travelling by road from Labe in Guinea, the authorities said on Saturday. The World Health Organization (WHO) said genetic sequencing of a virus sample would determine whether the case was linked to a recent flare-up in neighbouring Guinea. The fact that it had occurred in a conurbation of more than four million people was of "immense concern," it said. Ebola causes severe fever and, in the worst cases, unstoppable bleeding. It is transmitted through close contact with bodily fluids, and people who live with or care for patients are most at risk. The death rate varies from 25 to 90 percent, according to past outbreaks, although the chance of survival rises significantly if the disease is spotted at an early stage. Combatting Ebola outbreaks mainly involves the time-honoured technique of tracing and isolating people who have been in contact with patients. This has recently been joined by a vaccine that was extensively deployed against an epidemic that ran in eastern DR Congo from August 2018 to June 2020, claiming more than 2,200 lives. The discovery in Ivory Coast comes nearly two months after the UN's health agency declared an end to Guinea's second outbreak of Ebola, which started last year and claimed 12 lives. Five WHO experts have been sent from Guinea to help train several dozen Ivorian health workers in using the vaccines. 2021 AFP Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Most children with COVID-19 last year had mild cases, didn't require medical care and made a full recovery within weeks of infection, according to new research. Two studies led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) in 2020 found children with COVID-19 experienced milder symptoms and less severe health complications compared to adults. Research, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal, found of the 171 children aged under 18 years who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Victoria in the seven months to October 28, 2020, 58 percent had mild disease, 36 percent were asymptomatic and 5 percent had moderate disease. MCRI Dr. Shidan Tosif said all children recovered well and the common long-term symptoms of a cough and fatigue did not persist beyond eight weeks. "Unlike adults who can experience ongoing and serious health issues such as fatigue and lung problems, even with a mild case COVID-19, we are yet to see any long-term effects beyond two months in these children," he said. MCRI Dr. Laila Ibrahim said her study, published in The Medical Journal of Australia, which involved 16 hospitals across Australia, found children were less likely to be affected by COVID-19 in comparison with adults. The data, tracked through the Pediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) network, involved children who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, in the seven months to September 30, 2020. Of 426 hospital presentations, 393 children tested positive for COVID-19 and most had mild cases that did not require medical intervention. Only one child had severe COVID-19 and another two children developed Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome, temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS). The study found just 12 percent were admitted to the hospital with 4 percent treated at home remotely by a Hospital-in-the-Home program. "Hospital admissions were generally brief, for observation or fluid rehydration," Dr. Ibrahim said. "On average, children tested positive after two days of having symptoms such as fever, runny nose and a cough and many had household contacts who were also positive for COVID-19." MCRI Professor Franz Babl said grouping patients in emergency departments into "high risk" and "low risk" categories based on symptoms may provide false reassurance. "Our study showed that occasionally children with COVID-19 will be missed in the emergency department as some infants only had lethargy as a symptom," he said. "There is also a high proportion of repeat presentations to the hospital. Ambulatory monitoring or the Hospital-in-the-Home program may reduce re-attendance to emergency departments and transmission risks." More information: Daniela Say et al, Post-acute COVID-19 outcomes in children with mild and asymptomatic disease, The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health (2021). Daniela Say et al, Post-acute COVID-19 outcomes in children with mild and asymptomatic disease,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00124-3 Laila F Ibrahim et al, The characteristics of SARSCoV2positive children who presented to Australian hospitals during 2020: a PREDICT network study, Medical Journal of Australia (2021). DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51207 Journal information: Medical Journal of Australia Credit: CC0 Public Domain Preterm birth has been shown to increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders and other developmental problems, particularly in males. The more premature a baby is, the greater the risk of either motor or cognitive deficits. What does the preterm baby lose that is so critical to long-term outcomes? A new study, in mice, suggests that one factor may be the loss of a placental hormone that the developing brain would normally see in the second half of pregnancy. The study is the first to provide direct evidence that loss of a placental hormone alters long-term brain development. In the study, researchers in the laboratory of Anna Penn, MD, Ph.D., now at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and previously at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., found that reducing amounts of a single hormone, called allopregnanolone (ALLO), in the placenta caused brain and behavior changes in male offspring that resemble changes seen in some people with autism spectrum disorder. The study also found that both brain structure and behavioral changes in the mice could be prevented with a single injection of ALLO in late pregnancy. "Our study provides new and intriguing insights into how the loss of placental hormoneswhich happens in preterm birth or if the placenta stops working well during pregnancycan lead to long-term structural changes in the brain that increase the risk for autism or other neuropsychiatric disorders," says lead author Claire-Marie Vacher, Ph.D., assistant professor of neonatal sciences in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. "What's encouraging is that these disorders may be preventable if diagnosed and treated early." The study was published online August 16 in the journal Nature Neuroscience. The placenta is an organ that provides the fetus with oxygen and nutrients and removes waste products. It also produces hormones, including high levels of ALLO in late pregnancy that may influence brain development. Penn, now the L. Stanley James Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and chief of neonatology at Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, coined the term "neuroplacentology" to describe this new field of research connecting placental function to brain development. About one in 10 infants is born prematurely (and is thus deprived of normal levels of ALLO and other hormones), and many more pregnancies have poor placental function. For this study, the researchers created a mouse model in which they were able to selectively decrease the production of ALLO during pregnancy so that some developing pups were exposed to sufficient placental ALLO while others were not. Although male and female fetuses were both subjected to ALLO deficiency, only male mice showed autism-like behaviors after birth. Working with collaborators in Washington, D.C., France, and Canada, the Penn laboratory analyzed brain development and long-term behavioral outcomes in the offspring. ALLO reduction led to cerebellum changes, autism-like behaviors The male mice that lacked placental ALLO had structural changes in the cerebellum, a brain region that coordinates movement and has been linked to autism, while their littermates did not. "In particular, we observed thickening of the myelin sheaths, the lipid coating that protects nerve fibers and speeds up neural signaling," Vacher says. The same type of thickening is also known to occur transiently in the cerebellum of some boys with autism. The degree of myelin thickening in juvenile male mice correlated with abnormal behavior, the researchers also found. The more the sheath was thickened (as measured by myelin protein levels), the more the male mice exhibited autism-like behaviors, such as decreased sociability and repetitive activities. "Our experimental model demonstrates that losing placental ALLO alters cerebellar development, including white matter development. Cerebellar white matter development occurs primarily after birth, so connecting a change in placental function during pregnancy with lingering impacts on later brain development is a particularly striking result," says Penn. "The findings provide a new way to understand poor placental function. Subtle but important changes during pregnancy or after delivery may set in motion neurodevelopmental disorders that children experience later in life." Similarities with human tissue To determine if similar changes occur in infants, the researchers also examined post-mortem cerebellar tissues from preterm and full-term infants who had died soon after birth. Analysis of these human tissues showed similar changes in brain proteins when cerebellum from male babies born preterm were compared to male full-term babies. "This study is an important first step in understanding how placental hormones may contribute to specific human neurobehavioral outcomes. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Dr. Penn and her team to help define how cerebellar neurons and glia respond to environmental factors, including placental function, that can compromise the developing brain," says study co-author Vittorio Gallo, Ph.D., interim chief academic officer at Children's National Hospital and interim director of the Children's National Research Institute. Hormone injection reduced autism symptoms ALLO's therapeutic potential was then tested in the preclinical model. Male offspring of mice given a single injection of ALLO in late pregnancy had fewer autism-like behaviors, the researchers found. Similar results were seen after an injection of muscimol, a drug that enhances the function of GABA receptorsthe same receptors that respond to ALLO. Myelin protein levels in the developing cerebellum also normalized with the treatment. "Identifying when key hormone levels are abnormal, and figuring out how and when to adjust these levels, provides an opportunity to intervene," Penn says. "Performing additional studies with our mouse model, and measuring hormone levels in moms and babies, may lead to earlier treatment to reduce or prevent long-term cognitive and behavioral impairments in high-risk fetuses and newborns." The study is titled "Placental endocrine function shapes cerebellar development and social behavior." Explore further Autism spectrum disorder risk linked to insufficient placental steroid More information: Placental endocrine function shapes cerebellar development and social behavior, Nature Neuroscience (2021). www.nature.com/articles/s41593-021-00896-4 Journal information: Nature Neuroscience Placental endocrine function shapes cerebellar development and social behavior,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00896-4 Credit: Shutterstock Money, doughnuts and beer. As high-tech and effective as our COVID vaccines are, getting enough people to take them to achieve herd immunity may come down to some very Homer Simpson-esque tools of persuasion. Across the US, governments and private organizations are trying out carrots to lift flagging vaccination rates. California, for example, has tried a US$116 million incentive program offering US$50 gift cards for every first vaccination and 10 prizes of US$1.5 million. On the other side of the country, New Yorkers have been offered US$100 as well as inducements such as the chance win a full university scholarship. It's a smorgasbordfor behavioral researchers to pick over, with lessons for nations such as Australia, which is now at the point of discussing incentive options. These include the federal Opposition's proposal to pay the fully vaccinated A$300 and the Grattan Institute's proposal for a national lottery giving away ten $1 million prizes a week for eight weeks from Melbourne Cup Day to Christmas. But are these really the right approaches? Data from the Melbourne Institute shows cash incentives of up $100 would only marginally increase vaccination rates. The researchers aren't confident $300 will make that much difference. And while economic research in the past strongly endorses lotteries as an incentive, there are questions about their effectiveness with COVID vaccination rates. An analysis of Ohio's vaccination lottery, for example, found no evidence it was associated with increased rates of adult COVID-19 vaccinations. While the researchersfrom the Boston University School of Medicineconcede their study may be "underpowered," they do make a strong point that more evidence is needed to support the "widespread and potentially costly adoption" of such incentives. According to Joshua Liao, head of the Value & Systems Science Lab at the University of Washington: "Financial incentives can be pragmatic and effective, and good design may help reduce the potential problems with cash prizes. But we should be careful not to confuse short-term effectiveness (more vaccination now) with longer-term goals (greater engagement in vaccination into the future)." This warning would seem to apply doubly to vaccination inducements such as free doughnuts and free beer. There is a strong relationship between vaccine hesitancy and ideas of purity. As one study participant put it: "It's about creating a good energy in your life, creating good energy with your relations, with your work and giving yourself good food which comes from the earth, not from a packet. All of those things contribute to health; it's not just about vaccinating." Given such views, the problem with gimmicks like doughnuts and beer should be evident. Making it easy, attractive, social, timely So what to do? This seems the right time to turn to the four principles identified by the UK's Behavioral Insights Team for shifting behavior through "nudges." A nudge works differently to an incentive. In the words of nudge theory's great popularisers, Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, a nudge is: "any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people's behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives. To count as a mere nudge, the intervention must be easy and cheap to avoid. Nudges are not mandates. Putting fruit at eye level counts as a nudge. Banning junk food does not." The Behavioral Insights Team's four principles, known the EAST framework, are fairly straightforward. Make it easy. A common way to make a behavior easy is to make it the default. Organ donor schemes that require opting out, for example, have dramatically higher participation rate than those requiring donors to opt in. Make it attractive. An example is painting flies on urinals to improve males' aim and reduce cleaning costs. Make is social. An example is the nudge hotels give you to reuse your towels, with a message along the lines of: "Most other guests staying at this hotel reuse towels." Make it timely. This involves prompting people when they are most receptive such as when moving house to consider change their energy account, or at the beginning of the new year to join a gym. The personal approach How to apply these principles to the COVID vaccines? One possibility is demonstrated by a large experiment (involving more than 47,000 participants) showing simple messages could nudge people to get an influenza shot. At the cost of two text messages to patients prior to their next doctor's appointment, researchers found one message themeletting the patient know a flu shot was "reserved" for themincreased vaccinations by 11% . These type of personalized approaches won't necessarily translate to COVID, of course. If someone believes a COVID vaccine is an experimental gene therapy that might change their DNA and render them sterile, there's probably nothing that can be done to change their opposition. But key to all nudges is recognizing context matters. As the Behavioral Insights Team notes: "Something that works well in one area of policy might not work quite so well in another." We need more personalized approaches. Too much of our discussion about vaccine hesitancy has been imagining the problem in rational terms. But perceptions about COVID-19 and vaccines are driven by emotion, not reason. The more we factor that emotion in, the better our responses will be. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A new study has revealed first responders and healthcare workers experienced lower levels of psychological distress than the general population during the first lockdown. The research led by Professor Nicola Gray and Jennifer Pink, from Swansea University, and Cardiff University's Professor Robert Snowden, compared levels of distress between different occupational groups and the general population in Wales during June and July 2020. The study involved 12,989 participants and was supported by many public and private sector organizations including all seven Welsh health boards, the four police forces in Wales, the Welsh Ambulance Trust, and the Fire & Rescue Service. It not only found first responders and healthcare workers experienced lower levels of distress, it also identified higher levels of psychological resilience in fire and rescue employees and police staff when compared to the majority of other worker groups. After accounting for factors of gender, age and deprivation index (which are all associated with psychological distress), fire and rescue employees were still half as likely to have experienced distress during this time. Professor Gray, from the College of Human and Health Sciences, said: "We compared measures between different keyworker occupations and the general population and found some surprising results. Police, NHS healthcare workers, and fire and rescue workers all reported lower levels of psychological distress than the general population." Professor Gray said that, while the data painted a relatively positive picture of psychological functioning in first responders and healthcare workers during the beginning of the pandemic, this may have been a temporary situation. A key theory of emotional functioning during disaster situations forecasts an initial increase in psychological wellbeing immediately following the impact of a disaster. This is particularly associated with people who help others, and who have a role in being able to help others cope with adversity. However, this "heroic phase" of improved wellbeing is frequently followed by a large psychological decline in wellbeing, which maps onto a period of disillusionment and feelings of hopelessness. Follow-up research is investigating if this drop has happened to the first responders and health care staff. Researcher Jen Pink said: "In disaster situations, being productively helpful and selfless brings psychological benefit, elevating levels of emotional wellbeing. However, during the first phase of lockdown the restrictions placed on the majority of the Welsh population to remain home and minimize social interaction prevented them from performing these positive acts, and thus from benefitting emotionally during this difficult time. "In contrast, those in public-facing first responder and healthcare roles were able to help others, be helpful and altruistic and therefore gain a boost in psychological wellbeing." The research, titled "Psychological distress and resilience in first responders and healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic," has just been published in the British Psychological Society's Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. Future research will now look at data in later stages of the pandemic to see if there are different points in the trajectory of a disaster and whether this impacts different occupational groups differently. Professor Snowden said: "Given the important relationship which resilience has when maintaining psychological wellbeing, these findings underline the importance of fostering resilience across occupational groups, in particular for those who may face particularly challenging situations on a daily basis and whom we rely upon for helping us navigate the challenges of the COVID pandemic." Explore further New survey reveals toll COVID-19 is taking on mental health in Wales More information: Jennifer Pink et al, Psychological distress and resilience in first responders and health care workers during the COVID19 pandemic, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (2021). Jennifer Pink et al, Psychological distress and resilience in first responders and health care workers during the COVID19 pandemic,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/joop.12364 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Serbia will offer a third "booster" COVID-19 shot to its population from Tuesday, as the country battles an uptick in cases, largely among unvaccinated citizens. The Balkan nation had a strong initial vaccine rollout, but rates dropped off after around 40 percent of the population was vaccinated, with many citing vaccine hesitancy. Daily virus cases are on the rise in Serbia, which epidemiologists have blamed in part on the highly-infectious Delta variant, largely striking the unvaccinated. "After more than six months of mass vaccination in Serbia, the vast majority of hospitalised patients are unvaccinated citizens," the government said in a statement Monday. That should "encourage those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so", it added. Booster shots will be recommended for vulnerable groups, including immunodeficient and elderly citizens, healthcare workers and frequent travellers. But the government said anyone who received a second jab more than six months ago will be eligible to receive a third shot. Citizens can choose which vaccine they would like to receive for their third shot, regardless of which jab they initially got. Thanks to early deals with a range of pharmaceutical companies, Serbia acquired millions of vaccine doses from Russia, China and Western firms, though the majority were Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccines. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the country of seven million has registered more than 7,100 deaths and over 732,000 coronavirus cases. Explore further Israel to offer 3rd COVID booster shot to older citizens 2021 AFP (HealthDay)In just 24 hours, four teachers in Broward County, Fla., died from COVID-19. At least three of the teachers were unvaccinated, CBS News reported. "Within a 24-hour span, we had an assistant teacher pass away, a teacher at her school pass away, an elementary teacher pass away and another teacher at a high school," Broward Teachers Union president Anna Fusco told CBS News. The deaths were announced a few days after Broward County's school board pushed back against Governor Ron DeSantis' ban on mask mandates in schools that was signed into effect on July 30. The board voted 8-to-1 to require students to wear masks in school, saying it would help keep students and teachers safe. Those with legitimate concerns or health issues can opt out, CBS News reported. Fusco said news of the teachers' deaths was "extremely frightening," but too common. "I hear this every day. Whether in Broward or elsewhere," she said. As schools around the country prepare for students to fill the halls again, Fusco said she's grateful for the Broward County School Board's decision. "We got a little bit of relief, keeping mask protocols, hand sanitizer, extra sanitizing," she said. With the Delta variant surging throughout the country, Florida has been breaking records for new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, CBS News reported. K-12 students and staff returning for in-classroom learning should wear masks, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend. Explore further Florida board reverses mask mandate, complies with DeSantis More information: Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on COVID vaccines. Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Jennifer Surtees and Donald Yergeau, associate director of genomic technologies in the Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, work together on genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV2. Credit: University at Buffalo Any Western New Yorker who tests positive for COVID-19 almost certainly has contracted the delta variant, University at Buffalo scientists reported today. Given the ubiquity of the delta variant nationwide, that's not surprising, but the UB scientists expressed concern at the speed with which the delta variant became dominant in the region. They noted that it is another sign that more people need to get vaccinated and that masking and social distancing are increasingly important. "What was really striking to me was that in May, of the cases we sequenced, 1 percent were delta, and in June 25 percent were delta. Then starting early July, every case except one was delta," said Jennifer Surtees, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB and co-director of the Genome, Environment and Microbiome Community of Excellence. She and her colleagues at UB's New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences have been conducting the only genomic sequencing of COVID-19 samples in Western New York. Of the samples that the UB team sequenced from early July, the one that wasn't a delta variant was B.1.621, a variant first seen in Colombia, which now represents about 10 percent of cases in South Florida. There isn't much data on this variant yet, but Surtees said it has mutations that are concerning and is increasing worldwide. "UB's sequencing efforts are an important part of our local and regional disease surveillance," explained Gale Burstein, MD, Erie County Commissioner of Health and clinical professor of pediatrics in the Jacobs School. "The delta variant's overwhelming prevalence in our area helps to explain the recent, exponential increase in COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related hospitalizations. However, our area's relatively high vaccination rates have helped to counter the delta variant's higher transmissibility. I recommend that anyone who has not received the COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated. This will protect you, your family, and our community." Delta has quickly become dominant The speed with which the delta variant has become dominant demonstrates how much of a threat the delta variant poses, Surtees said. "The fact that delta became dominant here so quickly tells us that the selective advantage of delta is dramatic," she said. "It's the same virus but it's a more robust version. This is how evolution works and it's happening so quickly because people are continuing to be infected. "The inability to contain this virus constitutes what is essentially a gigantic evolutionary experiment on a global scale," Surtees explained. This virus will continue to evolve as long as significant numbers of people continue to get infected. Getting vaccinated and taking other mitigation measures like masking and social distancing are effective actions we can take to slow the spread of the virus and save lives." Surtees noted that the number of samples sequenced in early July from infected people in Western New York was small. She expects to see many more cases of the delta variant next week when she and her UB colleagues will sequence about 100 more samples. The increased transmissibility of the delta variant has been seen worldwide and is now playing out nationally, with some areas experiencing the highest levels of infections they have seen throughout the pandemic. Surtees noted that an early sign of how significant a threat the delta variant is came when reports from the United Kingdom indicated that a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine wasn't enough to protect individuals from getting sick. Vaccines still protect against severe illness, hospitalizations "People infected with the delta variant are shedding about 1,000 times the viral load that people infected with earlier variants were shedding," Surtees said. "The vaccines remain very effective and are strongly protective against serious illness and hospitalizations," she said, "However, because this virus is more transmissible and we are still learning about it, it's important to add other mitigation approaches, such as masking and distancing, hand-washing, isolating, getting tested if you are symptomatic and avoiding large gatherings, especially indoors. "In the course of 18 months, we have gone through multiple iterations of this virus, which are increasingly transmissible and increasingly dangerous," she said. "And there's no reason to think it's going to stop without containing the virus. So all of these approaches are important." She noted that it's especially important that parents and other adults who routinely come into contact with children under 12 who cannot yet be vaccinated, be vaccinated themselves because that provides some protection for the children. "It is heartbreaking that some pediatric intensive care units across the South are filling up with children infected with COVID-19, cases that didn't have to happen," she said. "The importance of getting vaccinated is clear. It makes everybody safer." Surtees continued, "One of the frustrations throughout this pandemic has been that it has been difficult for people to evolve in their thinking. Over the past 18 months, as we learned more about the virus, our knowledge base and the virus have been changing. When we get new information and new guidance based on that new information, that's not flip flopping, it's not necessarily that we were wrong, it's that the situation has changed, we have learned more and we need to adapt our policies and behaviors." Explore further Scientists find the highly transmissible delta variant in New York state The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, today announced the award of 1 million in grants to 13 aquaculture enterprises under his Departments European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme. The grant awards will support total investment in these businesses of 2,917,572. The grants are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and are subject to terms and conditions. Announcing the grants, Minister McConalogue said: I am delighted to announce today 1 million in grant awards to a further 13 aquaculture investment projects, bringing the total awards in 2021 to 3.8 million to 57 aquaculture enterprises, supporting 10 million of investments in our aquaculture sector. With these latest awards, the 30 million allocated to the aquaculture sector in my Departments EMFF Programme is now fully committed. However, a new Seafood Development Programme for the 2021-27 period is being prepared and I have already put in place arrangements for an interim Seafood Capital Investment Scheme to ensure capital grants to aquaculture, fisheries and seafood processing enterprises continue to be available pending the completion and adoption of the new Programme. I understand that BIM intend to open that scheme to the aquaculture sector very shortly. Note to Editors: Irelands EMFF Operational Programme 2014-2020 is dispersing 240 million in funding to the seafood sector (fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing). The Programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. Two EMFF Programme support schemes are available to the aquaculture sector. The Knowledge Gateway Scheme promotes and supports innovation, technological development and disease management in the aquaculture sector, together with support for professional advisory services. The Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme supports capital investment by aquaculture enterprises to sustainably grow production and reduce environmental impact of aquaculture. The grant awards announced today are under the Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme. Both of the above schemes are now closed. BIM will shortly open an Interim Seafood Capital Investment Scheme under the forthcoming Seafood Development Programme 2021-27 (see below), providing on an interim basis capital grants to fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing enterprises on the basis of the rules applying under the existing EMFF schemes. The new EU Regulation establishing a European Maritime, Fisheries & Aquaculture Fund for the 2021-27 period was enacted on 14 July 2021. The EMFAF will provide EU co-funding to Member States programmes for the development of their seafood sectors. Ireland is to be allocated 142 million. The overall development budget will be determined by the extent of Government co-funding, which is yet to be agreed. Minister McConalogue is preparing a Seafood Development Programme 2021-27 to disperse these funds. The new programme will allow the Minister to implement various support schemes for the fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing sectors and for coastal communities. Grant Approvals - Sustainable Aquaculture Grant Scheme Beneficiary | Project | Location | Total | Investment | Grant | Comhlucht Iascaireachta Fanad Teo Installation of a mooring system, pens, poles & enviro technology Donegal 2,144,590 643,377 Seal Harbour Enterprises Upgrade & modernise mussel grader, safety railing and storage container. Cork 32,210 12,884 Malin Head Oysters Purchase of a forklift to enable efficient transport of oyster harvest on sites. Donegal 31,250 12,500 Northern Bay Oysters Limited Capacity building (Purchase of new grader) Donegal 82,930 33,172 Bells Isle Seafood Limited Irish Speciale Brand Advancement (investment in trestles, purification unit, baskets, hopper elevator & seawater pump). Donegal 99,680 39,872 Brian McCarthy & Dan OMahony Development of grading, depuration and packaging facilities Kerry 131,125 52,450 Rodeen Fish Farm Ltd Expansion of 9 new mussel longlines Cork 69,859 27,943 Teahan Partners Production & Collection Equipment Kerry 17,000 6,800 Bia Mara (Deise) Capacity building of an oyster farm. Waterford 134,550 53,820 Oisiri O'Mordha Teoranta Capacity building of a new oyster farm. Donegal 36,697 18,349 Redrose Development Capacity building on a seaweed farm. Mayo 102,000 51,000 Oisri Oilean Croinin Teo Capacity building to increase production. Donegal 29,081 11,632 Derrylea Holdings Limited Organic Certification of Farmed Atlantic Salmon Galway 7,500 3,750 Total 2,918,472.60 967,549.84 ENDS David Hood, right, and Marianas Coffee's Chuck Jordan shake hands after the purchase of Marianas Coffee Company. Guam entrepreneur Beaudy Marea Gogue Camacho shows copies of the collaborative book "When Women Heal." In the book she shares her past stories of abuse and finding her work passion and success. Network operators are waiting from six months to over a year for the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) to process routine licence transfer requests. This is according to a statement issued by the Internet Service Providers Association of South Africa (Ispa) on Monday. Companies like Internet service providers need a licence from Icasa to roll out network infrastructure or offer telecommunications services. Ispa has called on the industry regulator to reconsider the extent to which it micromanages telecommunications companies. It acknowledged that Icasa has an important role to play in transforming the ICT sector through the application of the ICT Sector Code and regulations mandating transformation through equity ownership. However, when it comes to commonplace business transactions within the industry, we believe the regulator is over-regulating by inserting itself into and delaying commercial deals involving the transfer of a licence or transfer of control over a licence, said Ispa regulatory advisor Dominic Cull. Cull said that transfers of ownership of or control over licences take Icasa up to 180 working days to process and cost an applicant in the region of R70,000 per licence. Ispa members have told the industry association that they have experienced delays of more than a year to get Icasas approval for changes to internal shareholder arrangements. In practice, parties may reach a commercial agreement but must then wait for up to 180 working days to get approval from a regulator, said Cull. This is clearly at odds with reasonable commercial practice and acts as an impediment to growth and transformation of the sector by disincentivising investment and entry into the sector. Ispa said that this kind of micromanagement may have been appropriate when the number of licensees was limited, but it is no longer necessary now that there are more than 500 individual licensees authorised to deploy networks and provide services across South Africa. The Competition Commission is well aware of levels of concentration of ownership and control in the sector and already plays the role of ensuring that transfer of ownership or control of a licence does not have anti-competitive effects there is no need for ICASA to adopt an expansive attitude to its role, stated Cull. Ispa announced that it will lobby for any legislative changes which may be required to reduce Icasas role, but requests that Icasa in the meantime consider measures it can take to reduce the time needed to process applications for transfer of ownership or control over licenses. Now read: ICASA needs four new councilors As Covid-19 surged last year, governments worldwide touted the hope of herd immunity, a promised land where the virus stopped spreading exponentially because enough people were protected against it. Thats now looking like a fantasy. The thinking was that the pandemic would ebb and then mostly fade once a chunk of the population, possibly 60% to 70%, was vaccinated or had resistance through a previous infection. But new variants like delta, which are more transmissible and been shown to evade these protections in some cases, are moving the bar for herd immunity near impossibly high levels. Delta is spurring widening outbreaks in countries like the U.S. and U.K. that have already been walloped by the virus, and presumably have some measure of natural immunity in addition to vaccination rates of more than 50%. Its also hitting nations that have until now managed to keep the virus out almost entirely, like Australia and China. This month, the Infectious Diseases Society of America estimated that delta had pushed the threshold for herd immunity to well over 80% and possibly close to 90%. Public health officials like Anthony Fauci have drawn controversy by shifting the goalposts over the past year, increasing the number of people who need protection before hitting herd immunity. Meanwhile, vaccine hesitancy and supply issues mean most countries wont get close to even the original numbers. Will we get to herd immunity? No, very unlikely, by definition, said Greg Poland, director of the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Even a vaccination rate of as high as 95% wouldnt achieve it, he said. It is a neck and neck race between the development of ever more highly transmissible variants which develop the capacity to evade immunity, and immunization rates. Nature isnt going to solve the problem, either. Its unclear how long natural immunity gained from surviving Covid-19 will last, and whether it will be effective at fighting off new strains. Future variants, including some that could evade immunity even more efficiently than delta, raise questions about how and when this will be over. If it was as simple as getting the infection once means you are immune for life, that would be great, but I dont think thats the case, said S.V. Mahadevan, director of South Asia Outreach at the Center for Asian Health Research and Education at Stanford University Medical Center. Thats a troubling problem. Already there are signs that some people, and some places like Brazil and other countries in South America are being battered a second time by newer strains. Without herd immunity, the virus could linger for decades in some form, possibly forcing the worlds most powerful nations to adjust their diverging strategies on opening borders and economies. Countries like China that have pursued tight, so-called Covid-Zero policies by attempting to wipe out every infection, may eventually have to consider a looser stance. Others like the U.S. and U.K. which have opened up despite a resurgence of the virus run the risk of wave after wave of infection. Vaccines so far havent been the quick fix some had hoped for. Israel, among the most vaccinated countries in the world, has already started administering booster shots, amid evidence that the current immunizations arent offering the protection that was hoped. Last week, the U.S. said Americans with weakened immune systems will get a third dose. The most powerful vaccines, including the mRNA shots from Pfizer Inc., BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc., would make it easier to reach high levels of immunity since they are so effective. Yet breakthrough infections cases in the immunized are possible with even these shots. Other vaccines, including those made by Chinas developers, AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson, may offer even less protection. Herd immunity is a real thing, protecting much of the world against viral threats from the measles to polio. Scientists credit it for helping eradicate smallpox. Having herd immunity as a goal likely helped the world embrace measures like wearing masks and social distancing. But it also created a false narrative. The focus on herd immunity has, in my view, been quite damaging, said William Hanage, an epidemiologist and expert in communicable disease dynamics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It presents people with an unrealistic vision of how the pandemic comes to a close and doesnt account for the evolution of either the virus or the nature of disease in reinfections. Some countries learned the shortfalls of herd immunity the hard way. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson originally planned to use it as the primary approach to Covid-19, suggesting some of his constituents could take it on the chin with natural infections before the magnitude of the coronavirus force became apparent. Others are now throwing in the towel, with Indonesia most vocally leading the way. The worlds fourth-most populous nation determined that it would be impossible to stop the virus even if everyone in the country was immunized. Its redoubling its efforts to promote mask wearing and social distancing, while continuing to boost the still-low vaccination rate. Meanwhile, Singapore and Australia are easing cautiously toward reopening, promising they will do so as they hit sufficiently high vaccination levels. Populations in Covid-Zero nations usually have lower levels of natural immunity built through previous infections. Despite evidence that it will be difficult or impossible to reach herd immunity, many public health officials arent willing to give up on it. Governments worldwide are focused on widening inoculation programs. Yet the individualistic approach of many countries, and vaccine shortages, are contributing to the global problem. The risk of the virus remains for everyone, as long as any nation is experiencing massive outbreaks. The world is unlikely to put the pandemic behind it until 2022 at the earliest, experts say. And that target could be pushed back if the virus mounts another metamorphosis to become even more transmissible or even better at evading resistance. There is hope for new vaccines and other approaches that could stop transmission more dramatically, but none of those are in human trials yet. It will be a few years before they are a real possibility. Instead, the virus has a high likelihood of remaining entrenched globally, causing outbreaks that are hopefully mitigated partly by vaccinations, masking and other public health-driven interventions. Delta is not something we will be able to eradicate, Hanage said. Even alpha would have been hard. However with sufficient immunity, ideally achieved by vaccination, we can expect it to become a much milder illness. The Spanish flu of 1918 shows how Covid may play out, the Mayo Clinics Poland said. Its likely that variants will continue to emerge, forcing the use of boosters or routine immunizations, targeted to the newer strains. Then, if we are lucky, what is likely to happen is that this will become something more akin to influenza, where we will always have it, Poland said. Itll become more seasonal, just like the coronaviruses that are already circulating, and we will just have to keep immunizing. An eighth continent, called Zealandia, is hidden under New Zealand and the surrounding Pacific, Business Insider reported. About 3,500 feet under the south Pacific sits a piece of land 2 million square miles in sizeabout half as big as Australia. But scientists can't agree on whether this submerged land mass, called Zealandia, is a continent or not. A team of geologists declared it one in 2017, but not all researchers are convinced. "It's not like a mountain, country, or planet. There is no formal body to approve a continent," Nick Mortimer, a geologist from New Zealand's GNS Science who led 2017 group, told Insider. While the definition of a continent is contentious, Mortimer's group suggested that a continent should have clearly defined boundaries, occupy an area greater than 386,000 square miles (1 million square kilometers), be elevated above the surrounding ocean crust, and have a continental crust thicker than that oceanic crust. Zealandia meets all those stipulations. "If you were to drain the oceans, Zealandia would stand out as a well-defined, high-standing plateau above the ocean floor," Mortimer said. He considers it "the thinnest, most submerged and smallest continent." The problem, however, was that until recently, the oldest crust and rock ever sampled from Zealandia was just 500 million years old, whereas all the other continents contain crust that is 1 billion years old or more. But a recent study found that part of the submerged continent is twice as old as geologists previously thought, which could boost Mortimer's argument. "This new study ticks that final continental box," Rose Turnbull, a New Zealand geologist who co-authored the study, said in a press release. "There is no longer any doubt that we live on top of a continent." Zealandia, a term geophysicist Bruce Luyendyk coined in 1995, is made up of New Zealand and a collection of submerged chunks of crust that broke off an ancient supercontinent called Gondwana about 85 million years ago. About 94% of it is underwaterZealandia sunk under the waves about 30 million to 50 million years after it broke off Gondwana. So it's a challenging land mass to study. The geologists behind the recent research looked at 169 chunks of Zealandia granite, which were found under New Zealand's South and Stewart Islands. Granite forms when magma crystallizes deep within the Earth's crust. By extracting microscopic crystals from the granite, the team was able to determine both the age of the crystals themselves and of the crust in which they formed. The results showed that crust was once part of another supercontinent known as Rodinia, which formed between 1.3 billion and 900 million years ago. In other words, Zealandia's geologic history starts far earlier than 500 million years ago. Part of Turnbull's mission is to create a 4D map of Zealandia's western coastto visualize what that boundary looks like in three dimensions and how it has changed over time. Last year, Mortimer helped map the shape and depth of the ocean floor surrounding Zealandiawhat's known as a bathymetric map. The map, part of a global initiative to survey the planet's entire ocean floor by 2030, also revealed Zealandia's size and coastlines in unprecedented detail. In addition, Mortimer's team created a tectonic map showing the locations of the continental and oceanic crusts that make up the submerged land mass. These new, detailed maps, paired with the discovery that parts of Zealandia are older than geologists realized, offer further evidence that it should be considered the eighth continent, according to Mortimer. "We hope that Zealandia will eventually make its way onto general world maps, be taught in schools, and become as familiar a name as Antarctica," he said. YEREVAN. Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Armen Grigoryan on Sunday participated and delivered remarks at the event dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Independence of India, informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. In his remarks, the Acting Foreign Minister stated as follows: Distinguished Dr. Sahasrabuddhe, Your Excellency Mr. Ambassador and Mrs. Deval Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends, On behalf of the Government of Armenia and my own, I would like to welcome the delegation of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to Armenia. I am also pleased to send our warmest congratulations on behalf of the Government of Armenia on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India's independence. India, with its statehood and culture, has always had a solid place in world civilization. And today we are witnessing the significant achievements of the society of India, which has a positive impact on comprehensive progress. The relations and the historical ties between Armenians and Indians derive from the depths of millennia. They have especially intensified in the 17-19th centuries, when a large number of Armenian communities were formed in a number of major Indian cities, playing an active role in the social, political, economic and cultural life of India. I would like to commend that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Armenia and India have managed to turn the centuries-old friendly relations into a warm interstate and partnership cooperation based on mutual respect and trust. In recent years, many contacts and cultural events have taken place between our countries. We have also established effective cooperation on multilateral platforms. Unfortunately, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic from January of 2020, and the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Armenia and Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] in September of 2020, did not allow us to implement our pre-planned programs and mutual visits. However, it is obvious that we still have a lot to do in order to utilize the untapped potential of bilateral political, security, military, economic, business, cultural and educational cooperation. We express our solidarity with the Government and the people of friendly India in completely overcoming the Covid-19. Armenia has always supported India in the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. At the same time, we appreciate the targeted statements of the Indian authorities regarding the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Artsakh, the transfer of foreign terrorist fighters to the region, as well as the encroachments on the Armenian borders. From the point of promoting economic cooperation, the work of the Armenian-Indian intergovernmental commission and the holding of business forums in the near future is very important. Cooperation between the two countries in the fields of information technologies, military, defense, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, tourism, education, culture and others also has good perspectives. Armenia closely follows India's active involvement in the International North-South Transport Corridor project and its interest in developing the Chabahar port and linking it to the above-mentioned project and is ready to be involved in the implementation of the latter. Armenia is grateful to the Government of India and the Indian people, for the caring attitude towards the centuries-old Armenian community in India and the Armenian cultural heritage. We appreciate the implementation of a number of programs in Armenia with the support of the Government of India in the fields of information technology, medicine and others. Our two peoples have a lot in common - it is first of all the human potential - diligence, purposefulness, the inclination to creative innovation, as well as the commitment to the protection of rich history, cultural heritage and value system. As the great Indian thinker and politician, Mahatma Gandhi said, whose statue was erected in Yerevan as one of the symbols of the friendship between our two peoples, "relations are based on the following four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance and gratitude." I think we have all these principles in the relations between our countries and the peoples. Ladies and Gentlemen, Today, glancing back at the development process of the Armenian-Indian relations, we can state that Armenia and India have established a dynamic format of interstate cooperation. We are determined to develop this cooperation to a qualitatively new level for the benefit of our peoples and countries. The US troops at Kabul airport reported security incidents, but did not take part in hostilities, CNN reported, citing an anonymous Pentagon representative. The US military has not opened fire and has not come under fire. The Pentagon representative added that he did not know whether the Turkish troops, which also provide security at the airport, had entered into a battle. The source said that there are currently about 3,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan, and additional troops will soon be sent to Kabul airport, too. Both military and civilian flightsdespite interruptions and delays in the lattercontinue to operate at the airport. The US military is instructed to consider the fact that hundreds of Afghans are trying to reach the airport. In addition, possible attacks by the Taliban and the chaos at the airport are also taken into account. According to the source, the military can stay as long as it takes to evacuate the Americans and Afghans. Armenia Security Council Secretary fails to answer question whether Turkey is enemy or not Armenia Security Council Secretary: We suspended trilateral talks since there was a need, now we see opportunity Armenia Security Council Secretary states condition for conclusion of peace treaty with Azerbaijan Armenia President sends Catholicos of All Armenians message a day before his birthday Armenia's defense and high-tech industry ministers meet with representatives of military industrial enterprises Armenia health minister: COVID-19 has rejuvenated Armenia Police disciplinary committee decides to dismiss two officers Armenian police-border guards leave for military posts 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 Putin, Merkel begin talks at Kremlin 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 Armenia PM paying working visit to Kyrgyzstan (PHOTOS) Missing soldiers relatives meeting with Armenia National Security Service director Armenia MOD asks not to disseminate false information about causes of incident of killed soldiers 559 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia 12 killed at Kabul airport since Sunday Russia peacekeepers in Artsakh provide drinking water to more than 200 families Missing servicemens families protesting outside Armenia National Security Service building Armenia MOD on reports about sabotage at military outpost: What happened has nothing to do with adversary Shots fired in Yerevan, one injured (PHOTOS) Armenia 1st deputy FM is appointed Security Council chief Armenia parliament ex-speaker is appointed FM Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Armen Grigoryan on Monday delivered remarks during his joint press statement with visiting Foreign Minister of Uruguay Francisco Bustillo. Grigoryan stated as follows: Dear colleagues, I am honored to host my counterpart from Uruguay, Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo, who is on an official visit to Armenia. This visit reiterates Armenian-Uruguayan warm relations and strong friendly ties. Next year, Armenia and Uruguay will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In this regard, today we had a meaningful conversation about achievements of the past, present opportunities and future prospects. Of course, our traditional cooperation with friendly Uruguay, the ties between the Armenian and Uruguayan peoples have a comprehensive history. We remember that Uruguay was the first state to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1965, thus reaffirming its reputation as an advocate of universal values and fundamental human rights. You know that many Armenians who survived the Genocide found refuge in the hospitable land of Uruguay. And the Uruguayan-Armenian community, which has always been under the care of the Uruguayan state, contributes to the development of that country, also playing the role of a unique bridge in the relations between our countries. Armenia greatly appreciates Uruguay's principled position regarding the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] in the fall of 2020. Inter alia, the country's legislature condemned the involvement of mercenaries by Turkey in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, cases of human rights violations by Azerbaijan, and the shelling of civilian infrastructure. All this confirms that although Armenia and Uruguay are geographically distant, the ever-strengthening shared values and mindset between Armenians and Uruguayans allows us to overcome the thousands of kilometers that separate us. Dear colleagues, Unfortunately, the consequences of the war unleashed against the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and the right to life have not yet been completely overcome. Armenia and Artsakh are facing security problems, Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians have not been repatriated yet. In this case, we continue to rely on the solidarity of our friendly countries, and of course, on Uruguay. During our meeting today, we commended the relations between Armenia and Uruguay, which are dynamically developing. Mutual visits and contacts at various levels are frequent, both in bilateral and multilateral formats. We work closely together in the framework of international organizations and our views on important issues on the global agenda largely coincide. Inter-parliamentary ties have traditionally been active and have played an important role in our relations. During the conversation we stressed the importance of the activities of friendship groups in the parliaments of the two countries. We agree that there is a great untapped potential in the economic sphere, and we are willing to undertake practical steps towards promoting cooperation in areas of interest. I would specifically like to underline the areas of information technologies, banking, water resources management and renewable energy. In this regard, I want to mention that Mr. Bustillo will have a number of meetings, during which the issues of developments in economic cooperation will be discussed. I would also like to emphasize that there is a visa-free regime between our countries, which is an additional tool for promoting business contacts and increasing the number of tourist visits. To conclude, I would like to express my gratitude once again to Mr. Bustillo and give the floor to him. Thank you. It's being called a tech exodus. A growing number of prominent companies and investors are making the decision to relocate their businesses from established tech hubs around the country to Miamia now emerging marketplace for big tech. As the City of Miami continues to see unprecedented momentum on this front, the University of Miami is onboard with supporting Mayor Francis Suarezs vision for building and sustaining an innovation and technology ecosystem. In partnership with Venture Miami, the mayors initiative to help guide the Miami Tech movement, the University has appointed Kelly Montoya, a key member of the public affairs and communications team, to represent the University and assist with moving these efforts forward. Kelly Montoya Montoya joins the Venture Miami team as senior advisor for strategic engagement. This is an opportunity for us to embrace the moment as an institution during a time when Miami keeps on growing and thriving, she explained. There is a large influx of tech opportunities and resources in Miami right now, and this new collaboration will help the University of Miami develop strong, enduring relationships with the citys existing players in this space, as well as engage with newcomers looking to invest in the region. The Venture Miami portfolio team was assembled by and reports directly to Suarez. Their focus is making Miami the capital of capital with an innovative technology ecosystem and economy that delivers for everyone. Venture Miami officially has its newest member, and Im so glad to be bringing on another perspective to the teamespecially through adding a voice from the University of Miami. This team is the bread and butter of what homegrown talent looks like, said Suarez. The Venture Miami team seeks to provide concierge support for funders and founders; connect talent to jobs; meaningfully promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; bridge connections between new to market entities and the existing innovation ecosystem; and support regional collaboration among other local governments, economic development agencies, and organizations. University President Julio Frenk said the University is committed to playing a stimulating role in the citys rapid development. We applaud Mayor Suarez for bringing together the intellectual capital and interdisciplinary resources to elevate the regions visibility and impact in this exciting frontier by placing education at the heart of technological innovation and implementation, said Frenk. Rudy Fernandez, senior vice president for public affairs and communications and chief of staff to the president, said that he thinks this new opportunity is a great way to leverage the Universitys intellectual capital. UM is already doing so much in the innovation space, and we embrace the opportunity to showcase the amazing talent, research, and outreach that is happening at the U and throughout our greater network of alumni around the world, Fernandez said. Creating these synergies in the community and helping forge these relationships will enhance our institution and the City of Miami. As the Universitys representative with Venture Miami, Montoya will work closely with university partners to strategically align university tech efforts under the public affairs, communications, and Office of the President umbrella. Other partners in the Venture Miami team include Florida International University, Miami Downtown Development Authority, Krillion Ventures, and the City of Miami. Montoya is proud to have this opportunity to represent the University, which is also her alma mater. Having diverse generational representation at the table helps everyone. I am honored to play a meaningful role within Mayor Suarezs initiative and support his vision to propel Miami into the city of the future, she said. The citys potential in the innovation and tech space had been underrated and seeing this type of exposure is exactly what we needed for Miamians to thrive. Montoya wants to use her skills as a communicator and connector to bridge the gap between the University and all the new career opportunities that are continually coming to the city. My goal is to always deliver a thoughtful approach to the ideas and opportunities that arise, so they are inclusive and accessible to everyone. I want to deepen our sense of community around tech and create an inclusive atmosphere for all, Montoya pointed out. Theres a common misconception that this realm is only for people with certain skill sets. But in fact tech is for everyone, and its here to stay. To discuss opportunities for engagement and collaboration, connect with Montoya via Linkedin, Twitter, or email at k.montoya@miami.edu. Hong Kong reports three imported Covid cases Hong Kong has recorded 12,036 cases since the pandemic. Image: Shutterstock The Centre for Health Protection on Monday reported three new coronavirus cases, all of them imported. Health officials said they involve three men aged between 42 and 50 who returned from Switzerland, Japan and Malaysia. They said the man who returned from Japan had received two doses of BioNTech vaccine in May. Hong Kong has recorded 12,036 cases in total. Govt tightens quarantine arrangement for 16 countries The government says the new quarantine arrangements for arrivals will take effect on August 20. File photo: RTHK Dr Leung Chi-chiu speaks to Violet Wong The government on Monday announced tighter quarantine arrangements for people arriving in Hong Kong from 16 countries, including the United States, citing the threat from the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant. Officials said 15 countries will be upgraded from medium risk to high risk, meaning travellers have to be vaccinated and undergo quarantine for 21 days when they arrive here. They are Bangladesh, Cambodia, France, Greece, Iran, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the US. Australia, meanwhile, will be moved from low risk to medium risk. People coming from medium-risk countries can spend as few as seven days in quarantine if they are fully vaccinated and their antibody test is positive. Other arrivals will be quarantined for 14 or 21 days. The new arrangements will take effect from August 20. A government spokesman said there's a need to upgrade the risk grouping of the 16 countries in order to "uphold the local barrier against the importation of Covid-19." "The global Covid-19 epidemic situation is under serious threat from the Delta variant, with acute surges in the number of confirmed cases within a short period of time in many countries," he said. Respiratory disease specialist, Leung Chi-chiu, said the authorities should also order those who recently returned from the newly added 15 high-risk regions to undergo 14 days of quarantine. "Some of them may still be in their quarantine period, and some of them may have gone into our community, and that will pose a risk," he said. The government's quarantine policies have come under scrutiny after a foreign domestic helper who recently returned from the US and spent seven days in isolation tested positive for the virus. Tech, autos drag down Hang Seng Index The Hang Seng Index started the week in the red on concerns over China's economic growth and regulatory overhaul. Image: Shutterstock Hong Kong and most regional shares dipped on Monday after new economic data from Beijing disappointed investors who were already unsettled by the outbreak of the Delta coronavirus variant. The Hang Seng Index opened slightly lower and was pulled further down by tech shares. It lost as many as 344 points before wrapping up the day down 210 points, or 0.8 percent, at 26,181. Market turnover was HK$133.9 billion. Sentiment took a hit after industrial output and retail sales on the mainland fell well short of expectations in July. Mainland automakers were the biggest losers on the benchmark. BYD Company slumped 7.2 percent and Geely Auto sank 6.7 percent. Tech shares underperformed after a commentary from China's top radio station called for "zero tolerance" towards online games that distort history. The Hang Seng Tech Index slid 2.6 percent. Meituan lost 4.6 percent. Tencent declined 3.3 percent. Xiaomi dropped 2.4 percent. Alibaba retreated 1.9 percent. Techtronic Industries continued to surge, jumping 3.7 percent to become the best performing blue-chip, after a number of brokers raised their target price on the power equipment maker following its results announcement. HSBC eked out 0.3 percent of gains after the British lender announced that it is buying AXAs Singapore insurance business. On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index was unchanged, while the blue-chip CSI300 index edged down 0.1 percent. The Shenzhen Composite shed 0.6 percent. Shares in Taiwan gave up 0.7 percent. Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei declined 1.6 percent to log a third straight session of losses as rising coronavirus infections continued to dampen sentiment. The Kospi in Seoul fell 1.2 percent. Australian stocks trimmed 0.6 percent. Singapore was about 0.6 percent weaker. * Merkel says Germany may need to evacuate up to 10,000 * Senior CDU official vows no repeat of 2015 migrant influx (Releads with Merkel news conference) By Andreas Rinke BERLIN, Aug 16 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Monday that Afghans fleeing from the Taliban to neighbouring countries could make their way to Europe, in a repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis, if they don't get sufficient humanitarian assistance. Speaking to reporters after talks with ministers on plans to evacuate thousands of Afghans for whom Germany has responsibility, Merkel said the fall of Kabul to Taliban insurgents was a bitter development. "Since the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan we have had to watch the Taliban, with breathtaking speed, province for province, town for town, reconquer the entire country," she said. "This is an absolutely bitter development: Bitter, dramatic and awful, especially for the people in Afghanistan." Germany opened its borders six years ago to more than 1 million migrants, mainly Syrians and Iraqis, fleeing war and poverty - a bold move that won Merkel plaudits abroad but which proved controversial at home and eroded her party's standing. "We need to make sure that the many people who have big worries and concerns, even though they have not worked with German institutions, have a secure stay in countries neighbouring Afghanistan," Merkel said. "We should not repeat the mistake of the past when we did not give enough funds to UNHCR and other aid programmes and people left Jordan and Lebanon towards Europe." Cuts to international funding were blamed as one of the factors that prompted the exodus of Syrian refugees from camps in Lebanon and Jordan in 2015. Merkel, in power since 2005, plans to stand down after Germany's Sept. 26 federal election. Armin Laschet, the chancellor candidate of the Christian Democrat (CDU) party who will most likely succeed Merkel, said Afghanistan was NATO's biggest fiasco since it was formed. Story continues AIR BRIDGE Merkel had earlier told a closed meeting of the CDU that those needing evacuation included 2,500 Afghan support staff as well as human rights activists, lawyers and others whom the government sees as being at risk if they remained in the country, up to 10,000 altogether. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Germany was seeking to evacuate as many people at risk as it could, adding that NATO allies had misjudged the situation when they thought Afghan government forces could hold back the Taliban unaided. "We want to get as many people out of the country as quickly as possible," Maas told reporters outside the Foreign Ministry, in remarks echoed by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz. Scholz, who like Maas is of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, said: "The goal is an air bridge to save as many people as possible. The international community must now stand together to support neighbouring countries of Afghanistan. A large refugee movement will begin soon." (Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr and Michael Nienaber, writing by Thomas Escritt, Caroline Copley and Paul Carrel; Editing by Alex Richardson and Philippa Fletcher) File. An actor has been arrested in connection with the 6 January Capitol riots. (Meidas Touch/YouTube) An actor accused of being in the mob that stormed the Capitol building on 6 January has been arrested in Burbank, just outside of Los Angeles, federal officials have said. Michael Aaron Carico, 33, was seen in numerous photos and videos during the Capitol riots and was taken into custody on 11 August. Mr Carico was seen, in the images released by the Department of Justice, wearing a camo-patterned shirt and dark green baseball cap with the word NAVY written in black. He was also seen climbing a media tower installed outside of the building ahead of the 20 January inauguration ceremony. He has listed actor as his profession on his Facebook page. On IMDb.com, he is credited for roles in several TV series including Hack my Life and The Inbetweeners, as well as the movies In Full Bloom and Alienated. Mr Carico was also heard using explicit words for Nancy Pelosi during the 6 January riots. Hey Nancy, Carico says into the camera, adding Go [expletive] yourself. He was arrested and held in lieu of $20,000 bail. He made his first court appearance on Wednesday before Judge Jacqueline Chooljian at the Edward E Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles, reports said. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Meanwhile, according to a federal agents statement who was outside the Capitol building Mr Carico was telling the crowd that he had just been inside. A woman in the group asked for his Facebook account, and he replied michaelaaroncarico. Reports said that this led the officials to his Instagram account, which contained pictures of him including a shirtless selfie at the top of Runyon Canyon. That appeared to match images of a person captured in multiple videos feeds from the riot at the Capitol, according to court documents. The federal agents also served a search warrant on Google for data from Mr Caricos Gmail account, which included photos and videos that appeared to have been taken during the 6 January riots. The GPS information found by the agents indicated that the device associated with the account was in the restricted Capitol grounds between 2.18 and 3.55pm that day, according to court records. Story continues Read More Carli Lloyd: Team USA soccer player resigns after splitting with teammates in anthem protest Holocaust researchers in Poland win libel case on appeal New York mandates vaccines for all museums Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol. Samuel Corum/Getty Images Michael Aaron Carico, a 33-year-old actor, was arrested Wednesday in Burbank, California, on suspicion of participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday. Federal officials said Carico was charged with entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct. An informant who attended the riot told the FBI she heard Carico boast about being inside the Capitol building, court documents state, and when another person asked how he could find him on Facebook, Carico replied, "michaelaaroncarico." Investigators found Carico's Instagram account, and saw that he appeared to match a person captured in several videos from the Capitol riot, court documents said. After receiving a search warrant for data from his Gmail account, investigators discovered photos and videos seemingly taken during the assault on the Capitol, including one where Carico, in an apparent message to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), looks at the camera and says, "Hey Nancy, go fk yourself." Court documents state that a device linked to Carico's Gmail account was in restricted Capitol grounds from 2:18 to 3:55 p.m. on Jan. 6. On his IMDb page, Carico's film credits include roles in My Daddy's in Heaven, The Inbetweeners, and In Full Bloom. On Sunday, a reporter for the Times called a cellphone number registered to Carico, but when asked for comment the person who answered hung up. You may also like How sociology shows 'policy makers have been looking at vaccine refusal all wrong' Actor suspected of participating in Capitol attack arrested in California 2020 Census data shows U.S. population is more diverse and urban Afghan President Ashraf Ghani slipped out of his country Sunday in the same way he had led it in recent years a lonely and isolated figure. Ghani quietly left the sprawling presidential palace with a small coterie of confidants and didnt even tell other political leaders who had been negotiating a peaceful transition of power with the Taliban that he was heading for the exit. Abdullah Abdullah, his long-time rival who had twice buried his animosity to partner with Ghani in government, said that God will hold him accountable for abandoning the capital. Ghani's destination was not immediately known. In a social media post from an unknown location, he wrote that he left to save lives. "If I had stayed, countless of my countrymen would be martyred and Kabul would face destruction and turn into ruins that could result to a human catastrophe for its six million residents Ghani wrote. Abdullah, as well as former President Hamid Karzai, who had beaten a path to Ghani's door on numerous occasions to plead with him to put compromise above retaining power, were blindsided by the hasty departure. They said they had still been hoping to negotiate a peaceful transition with the Taliban, said Saad Mohseni, the owner of Afghanistan's popular TOLO TV. He left them in them lurch, he said. Earlier Sunday, Karzai had posted a message to the nation on his Facebook page, surrounded by his three daughters, to reassure Kabul residents that the leadership had a plan and was negotiating with the Taliban. Just hours later, he discovered the presidential palace had been abandoned. Ghanis inability to unite the country and his proclivity to surround himself with his cadre of Western-educated intellectuals brought Afghanistan to this point, said Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a U.S.-based research institute. As Afghanistan collapsed, he refused to deal with the problems and further isolated himself from the power brokers he needed to deal with the problem, and the Afghan people as well. Story continues Ghani's style of rule was often characterized as cantankerous and arrogant, rarely heeding the advice of his government and often publicly berating those who challenged him. He was accused by ethnic minorities of championing the ethnic Pashtuns, like himself, seeing himself as a counter to the Taliban, who are mostly from the same ethnic group. He alienated other ethnic minorities and the gap between Afghanistan's ethnic groups grew ever wider. As he campaigned for the presidency in 2014, Ghani was taking an anger management course. It seemed to have faltered as multiple tribal elders in meetings with the president have spoken of his verbal lashings. Ghani's critics say his heavy-handed leadership style is to blame, to some degree, for the rapid disintegration of the Afghan army and an anti-Taliban alliance of warlords who fled or surrendered to the insurgents rather than fight for a widely unpopular president. His downfall was his insistence on centralizing power at all costs and a stubborn refusal to bring more people under his tent, said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the U.S.-based Wilson Center. "Later on, his inability to develop a clear strategy to address the Taliban insurgency and perceptions that he was obstructing the peace process hurt him as well. Ghani, 72, spent most of his career overseas as a student and academic before returning to Afghanistan in 2002. He arrived with a powerful set of economic credentials. He was attractive to the West with his World Bank background and was seen as a possible solution to Afghanistan's crumbling and corrupt economy. He was finance minister for two years until 2004. He survived cancer. In 2014 he fought his first presidential race. It was criticized as deeply flawed and allegations of widespread fraud threatened to destabilize the still fragile nation. Both Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory. In the end, the United States brokered a compromise and divided power between the two men and even created a new position of chief executive. The next election in 2019 fared the same. Again, accusations swirled of deep corruption and both Ghani and Abdullah declared themselves president. They eventually ended months of bickering and Abdullah became head of the National Reconciliation Council that was to bring Afghanistan's warlords and political leaders together to put a united face before the Taliban. But Ghani's belligerent operating style undermined him again. "He worked with a very small circle of yes men and got filtered news about the country from them, said Torek Farhadi, a former adviser to the Afghan government. Others didnt dare talk truth to him. He replaced all experienced people in the army and the government with junior people beholden to him. In a traditional country, Ghani was the guy who governed upside down. As the Trump administration opened negotiations with the Taliban in 2016, Ghani was asked by U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to cobble together a strong united team __ one that could conduct tough negotiations with the Taliban. Efforts quickly faltered. In April a frustrated U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Ghani to forge a united stand. He warned the president that he had to expand his circle and be inclusive. Unity and inclusivity .... I believe is essential for the difficult work ahead, Blinken wrote. Even with the continuation of financial assistance to your forces from the United States after an American military withdrawal, I am concerned the security situation will worsen and that the Taliban could make rapid territorial gains, Blinken warned. Roggio, of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said there are many reasons for the government's collapse, but Ghani was not the man to lead Afghanistan during its darkest hour. A photo showing Joe Biden meeting with his national security team sparked theories about why the clocks were wrong. (The White House) A photo of President Joe Bidens situation room showed the wrong times for London and Moscow, setting off a flurry of online theories. The White House released a photo of Mr Biden meeting virtually with his top national security advisers to discuss the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. The world clocks showed the time in London as 16.29, and Moscow three hours behind at 19.29. The clocks showed a three-hour time difference between Moscow and London (The White House) The time difference between the cities has been three hours since the United Kingdom put its clocks forward in March. Boris Epshteyn, a former adviser to Donald Trumps 2020 election campaign, was among the first to notice the faulty time difference. Real question. Why is Moscow time wrong in this photo? Time difference between London and Moscow is only 2 hours, it hasnt been 3 hours since March, Mr Ephsteyn wrote on Twitter. Twitter users quickly weighed in with conspiracy theories about whether the photo was staged, or if the photo was taken before March in order to maintain security. Everyone has a clock that never gets reset when daylight saving changes, looks like the WH is the same, one wrote. Another said it was tradecraft to protect the identity of officers deployed in the USs Middle East command centre in Doha. Use old photos to avoid blowing the *current*, eg, Doha teams cover. What sort of incompetents do you take them for? The most plausible explanation seemed to be that the military and Nato set their clocks to a time zone system called Zulu, which doesnt change for daylight savings. Military time is based on Zulu UTC, or a universal standard, in which the difference between London and Moscow is always 3 hours. The real reason why the clocks were out? (Twitter) Afghanistan has been plunged into chaos in recent days as the US withdrew after a 20-year occupation, with a resurgent Taliban taking over every major city including Kabul in just a few days. On Sunday, the Taliban took control of the presidential palace in Kabul and assumed control of the Afghan capital. American diplomats have been evacuated from their embassy by helicopter to the airport while thousands of people rushed to the airport, desperate to leave the country. Story continues Read More Taliban seize Afghanistan live: Evacuation flights halted Who are the Taliban and how have they taken control of Afghanistan? Taliban take over Afghanistan: What we know and what's next By Lucy Marks (Reuters) - In the chaos and uncertainty of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, legislator Farzana Kochai says she fears for her life first and her freedom next, but that Afghans will not tolerate a return to the harshest forms of Islamist rule. Like other Afghans, she is laying low at home, with no idea how the situation will pan out for elected representatives such as her - or anyone else - under a group that imposed strict Islamic mores and punishments on society when last in charge. "As an MP, as a female, as someone who is coming from civil society, activism and human rights, women's rights, coming from this background for sure I am afraid for myself, my life, my freedom to work and my freedom to speak up," she said by Zoom. Blindsided by the speed of events, the 29-year-old, who was born in the northern province of Baghlan and has represented nomadic Afghans for more than two years, fires off the questions churning in her mind. Will the Taliban's sweep through the country, sealed with their entry into Kabul on Sunday, end up in any kind of peace deal with a government that has spent 20 years battling them? Will there be civil war again? And what are the hardline Islamists' plans for women? For the latter, Kochai sees two scenarios: one, where women can study and work, but with some limitations. This is the one outlined by Taliban representatives, who say women must wear headscarves but not be fully veiled and will be free to work and learn. The second scenario would see women "removed from society" - as Kochai put it - not allowed to leave home without a male escort, barred from employment and school beyond a certain age. This was the way of life was when the Taliban ruled from 1996-2001, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday there were already accounts of mounting human rights violations against women and girls. Kochai said the generation that has grown up since 2001 would no longer tolerate hardline rule. Story continues "If we can't make a good deal with the Taliban, if Taliban can't make it to satisfy the people of Afghanistan somehow or a little bit, then there would be a resistance," she said, seeing the potential for more conflict. "I'm afraid of these things," she said. "First of all my life ... and after that my freedom." (Reporting by Lucy Marks in LONDON; writing by Philippa Fletcher; editing by Alex Richardson) The U.N.-backed Khmer Rouge Supreme Court began an appeal trial on Monday for the last surviving leader of the fallen regime. Khieu Samphan, who is now 90, is a former Khmer Rouge president. He was sentenced to life in prison for genocide and various crimes against humanity. His defence team have argued the verdict failed to provide sufficient reasoning. Heres the courts chief judge, Kong Srim. "Today is the first day of the appeal trial of the accused person Khieu Samphan. This appeal was made by the accused person Khieu Samphan against his verdict from the lower court, on case 002/02 dated from 16 November 2018, and later issued on 28 May 2019." Villagers from a nearby province say they traveled here to know about the truth of what happened. Close to 1.8 million people were killed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 rule of Cambodia. Most died of starvation, torture, exhaustion or disease in labour camps, or were bludgeoned to death during mass executions. Guilty verdicts have so far been reached against three former top members of the regime, but several have died while on trial or before indictments were made. Samphan has expressed regret over the years, but has maintained that he was only a figurehead and knew nothing about the atrocities committed. His defense lawyer said that he plans to speak, but that he will wait until the last day of this week. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Armenia's defence ministry said in a statement that an Armenian soldier was shot dead by a sniper from Azerbaijan on Monday, as border tensions between the countries continue. Armenia last month proposed that Russia station border outposts along the length of Armenia's border with Azerbaijan. (Reporting by Anton Kolodyazhnyy; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Hugh Lawson) N'DJAMENA (Reuters) -Around 11,000 people fleeing clashes between herders and fishermen in northern Cameroon arrived in neighbouring Chad at the weekend, a provincial governor in Chad said on Monday. About 20 people have been killed in what officials say is Cameroon's worst ethnic violence nL8N2PJ6ND in recent memory. Clashes broke out last week between fishermen and herders from different ethnic groups over a dispute about holes the fishermen dug in the ground. "Yesterday, our social services received nearly 11,000 refugees who came with almost nothing. They don't have bedding, a change of clothes or food," Gayang Souare, the governor of Chari Baguirmi province in northwestern Chad, told Reuters. "There are wounded among them who require immediate medical care and children who are without their parents," he said, adding that local capacity to provide for the refugees was quickly being overwhelmed. The violence in Cameroon's Far North region is taking place in a zone where the army has for years been battling Boko Haram and, more recently, militants linked to Islamic State. Local officials say it is the worst ethnic violence they have seen, with one of the reasons being that residents have acquired weapons in recent years in response to insecurity caused by Boko Haram and local bandits. (Reporting by Mahamat Ramadane; Writing by Cooper Inveen and Aaron Ross, Editing by Timothy Heritage) VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria, which has insisted that it plans to keep deporting illegal immigrants back to Afghanistan even as the Taliban seized Kabul, on Monday suggested setting up "deportation centres" in nearby countries as an alternative. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's conservatives have made a hard line on immigration central to their agenda, and they have won every parliamentary election since the 2015-2016 migration crisis, in which the small country took in more than one percent of its population in asylum seekers. Austria was one of six European Union member states that warned the European Commission last week against halting the deportation of rejected Afghan asylum seekers arriving in Europe despite the Taliban's advances. Since then, three of the six - Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands - have reversed course. "If deportations are no longer possible because of the restrictions imposed on us by the European Convention on Human Rights, alternatives must be considered," Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. "Deportation centres in the region around Afghanistan would be one possibility. That requires the strength and support of the European Commission. I will suggest it at the council of interior ministers," Nehammer added, referring to an online meeting of EU interior ministers on Wednesday. He and Schallenberg also suggested the meeting be expanded to include foreign ministers so as to coordinate policy on Afghanistan. Soon afterwards, however, the bloc's foreign policy chief called a foreign ministers' meeting on Afghanistan for Tuesday. Kurz's conservatives govern in coalition with the left-wing Greens, many of whom oppose continuing deportations of Afghans. At the same time, the far-right Freedom Party has accused the conservatives of false firmness, saying Austria has not deported any Afghans in two months. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; editing by David Evans) Authorities on Monday identified the man who was stabbed to death in a Loring Park apartment last week. Omar A. Hirsi, 27, was stabbed in the chest Thursday morning in a third-floor residence in an apartment building in the 300 block of Oak Grove Street, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office said. A man was arrested at the scene. His identity has yet to be released. Hirsi, of Minneapolis, was stabbed about 6:15 a.m., and was taken by paramedics to HCMC, where he died about 7:40 a.m., Minneapolis police said. Police have yet to disclose the circumstances leading up to the stabbing or how the two men knew each other. Paul Walsh 612-673-4482 The Taliban has declared victory in Afghanistan after seizing most of Kabul Sunday, forcing Ashraf Ghani to flee the country and the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy. Why it matters: The U.S.'s exit from the country was the opposite of the orderly withdrawal that President Biden had promised when he announced the full military withdrawal earlier this year. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Thousands of Afghans who aided U.S. and coalition forces have yet to be evacuated from the country. The Biden administration is still attempting to find countries to temporarily house Afghans who risk retaliation from the Taliban if they stay in the country. What they're saying: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.): "The Taliban must know the world is watching its actions. We are concerned about reports regarding the Talibans brutal treatment of all Afghans, especially women and girls." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): " The Biden Administrations botched exit from Afghanistan including the frantic evacuation of Americans and vulnerable Afghans from Kabul is a shameful failure of American leadership. The United States had the capacity to avoid this disaster." House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.): "There will be much analysis of our Afghanistan experience, but right now, I am gravely concerned for the safety of our Afghan partners who served side-by-side with our troops, our diplomats, our development professionals, and our partner forces to carry out our mission." House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.): "What will unfold in Afghanistan will be a humanitarian crisis. The regime that is taking power is one that routinely violates human rights, particularly the rights of women." Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) : "Foreign policy matters: After 20 years of U.S. effort, the loss of 2,448 soldiers and a trillion spent, Afghanistan was left with a corrupt government and an ineffectual military. At this moment, we must do everything we can to evacuate our allies and open our doors to refugees." Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.): "To say that today is anything short of a disaster would be dishonest. Worse, it was avoidable. The time to debate whether we stay in Afghanistan has passed, but there is still time to debate how we manage our retreat." Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.): "[O]ur top priorities must be the safety of American diplomats and other citizens in Afghanistan, and the extraction of Afghans who are at greatest risk, including those who bravely fought alongside our forces since 2001. The world must know that the United States stands by her friends in times of need, and this is one of those times." Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.): "The mission at this point ought to be simple: bolster American troops and firepower until we can get flights running around the clock. The Taliban must not dictate when every last American, our courageous Afghan partners, and their families are off the tarmac. The big picture: Biden blamed former President Trump for the Taliban's rapid conquest of the country, saying he empowered the militant group and left them "in the strongest position militarily since 2001." He added, however, that he had to make a choice and that he would not pass on the war to a "fifth" U.S. president. Story continues The U.S. and over 60 countries issued a joint statement Sunday saying Afghans and international citizens who wish to leave the country should be allowed to do so, with airports and border crossings remaining open. Go deeper: In photos: Scenes from Afghanistan after the Taliban takes control Editor's note: This story will be updated with additional comments. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free With the first day of school about two weeks away, districts across the state are releasing updated reopening plans that reveal changed guidelines around COVID-19 quarantining procedures, learning models and cleaning protocols. Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to release further guidelines on school reopening sometime this month, but with the school year fast approaching, many districts are relying on interim state recommendations published in late July, as well as updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of early August, the CDC recommends all students and staff wear masks in schools, regardless of vaccination status. Lamonts existing executive order requiring masks in school remains effective through the end of September, according to interim education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker. Changing quarantine rules Fully vaccinated students and staff who were in close contact to a positive COVID-19 case are not expected to quarantine if they are asymptomatic, the CDC said in July. However, in an Aug. 4 update, the national agency said that fully vaccinated people in addition to unvaccinated people who have had a known exposure to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case should be tested between three and five days after contact, regardless of whether they have symptoms. Citing the CDC, the state said in the interim school reopening recommendations released in late July that any students seated at least 3 feet away from another student diagnosed with COVID-19 do not need to quarantine, as long as they are not showing symptoms and masks were worn properly and consistently in the classroom. The infected student would still be required to quarantine. The state guidance also said schools should encourage an emphasis on identifying individual close contacts instead of quarantining an entire classroom when positive cases do arise. When asked whether the district was concerned about parents choosing to pull their children from school in the event of a positive case in the students classroom, West Hartford Superintendent of Schools Tom Moore said in an email: We really hope that parents will work with us, and follow the CDC guidance. Story continues It is important that children are in school, as we know that much was lost last year when we were not all able to be in school together. It is important that we continue to have trust and transparency, on all sides, he wrote. The definition of close contact between students in a K-12 classroom setting has also adjusted, according to the CDC. Farmington Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Greider explained to families in a recent letter that in a classroom, students are considered to be in close contact if they were within 3 feet of each other for more than 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. But outside a classroom setting, students are considered to be in close contact if they were within 6 feet of each other for more than 15 minutes over a 24-hour period, Greider said. This same rule applies in situations of student to adult contact, as well as adult to adult contact, inside or outside a classroom. In Farmington schools, if an unvaccinated individual came in close contact with a positive case, they would be required to quarantine, she noted. Figuring out whos vaccinated But because the coronavirus is a relatively new disease, local officials in some towns may face issues when attempting to figure out who exactly in the school community is vaccinated against it. Under state law, schools require vaccination records upon enrollment for diseases like measles and polio, but there is not a similar system in place for monitoring coronavirus vaccinations, Patrice McCarthy, deputy director and general counsel of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, said earlier this summer. COVID [vaccines] are only available for 12 and older, and only on an Emergency Use Authorization basis, so its not on the state-mandated list for school attendance, she explained. In Hartford, the public school system is relying on staff and students to report their COVID-19 vaccination status. About 70% of all staff members including 80% of teachers have submitted images of their vaccination cards as proof that they are fully vaccinated to the district, but only about 10% of students have done so. Weve done outreach and families have told us: Ive not gotten to giving you our vaccination status or our vaccination card. So, we know that 10% [of confirmed student vaccinations] is higher than that, Hartford Superintendent of Schools Leslie Torres-Rodriguez said during a recent press conference. In Glastonbury, the district has not asked students if they are vaccinated against COVID-19, Superintendent of Schools Alan Bookman said. But through the state health department, they can see what percentage of residents are vaccinated by age group. Were not asking them: Have you been vaccinated? However, if we have a case of COVID in the secondary level, grades 6-12, and we have to quarantine people, that would be the question, Bookman said. If it becomes necessary, the schools may ask for proof of vaccination, but that has yet to be determined, he said. Although the district, like others, has published return to school guidelines, Bookman noted that changing circumstances and adjustments have been the norm throughout the pandemic. Its not anybodys fault ... and the delta variant has changed things again, so more guideline adjustments in the coming weeks wouldnt be a surprise, he said. Less reliance on remote learning With the state education department no longer requiring a remote learning option, Connecticut schools are planning to reopen for full in-person learning. But some districts are planning to keep online learning models as a backup plan, in case of student quarantines or another surge in cases. We break learning into three categories, said East Hartford Superintendent of Schools Nathan Quesnel. First is the traditional in-person learning model, with students and teachers in the classroom together, he said. Second is virtual learning, which involves an individual student in quarantine or isolation at home attending classes online, while the teacher and other students are in the school building. Third is remote learning which refers to instances in which an entire class or school may need to quarantine, he said. In such circumstances, the teacher would likely teach from the school building, while students are at home. Thats kind of the worst-scenario situation, but something we want to make sure we keep in place when we need it, he added. Were trying to keep our kids engaged and moving along. Of course while we believe in-person learning is obviously the most effective way to learn, not learning at all is least effective. The state interim guideline also said continuous spot disinfection of frequently touched surfaces is no longer necessary, since the CDC said surfaces are not a significant COVID-19 transmission risk. However, schools and buses should still be cleaned daily, and restrooms should be cleaned and disinfected at least once a day. Amanda Blanco can be reached at ablanco@courant.com. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium will send military planes to Kabul to evacuate Belgian citizens and Afghan staff, news agency Belga reported on Monday. Foreign affairs minister Sophie Wilmes told Belgian daily Le Soir that evacuation was being organised for 47 Belgians and more than 20 Afghans who worked for the Belgian embassy, Belgian Defence, the European External Action Service, or the EU's Directorate General for Economy. Belgium will send three military transportation planes, one Airbus 400M and two Lockheed C-130, Le Soir reported. (Reporting by Marine Strauss @StraussMarine; editing by Foo Yun Chee) The White House has hastily updated President Joe Biden's schedule after mounting pressure for him to speak following the fall of the Afghan government. Biden will address the public from the White House East Room at 3:45 p.m. on Monday, according to the White House. INDEPENDENTS COOLING ON BIDEN SPELLS TROUBLE FOR DEMOCRATS IN 2022 Biden was originally meant to remain at Camp David, the presidential country retreat outside of Washington, D.C., until Wednesday. He has not spoken publicly about Afghanistan for six days, though he did issue a written statement over the weekend. Flights out of Hamid Karzai International Airport in the capital of Kabul are temporarily on hold after seven people died during chaotic evacuations. The White House has been criticized for underestimating the speed at which the Taliban would take over after the withdrawal of troops. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The Taliban seized control of the capital on Sunday after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Video emerged of insurgents wandering around Ghani's presidential palace shortly afterward. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Biden, Biden Administration, White House, Joe Biden, War in Afghanistan, Afghanistan Original Author: Naomi Lim Original Location: Biden to return to the White House to address nation amid Afghanistan collapse Mark Cuban said on Sunday that he personally owns dogecoin worth only $500. The billionaire recently said dogecoin's community makes it the strongest medium of exchange. Cuban said in May that he and his son owned 3,250 dogecoins, worth about $1,700 at the time. Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell. Mark Cuban disclosed that he owns less than $500 worth of dogecoin, despite praising the cryptocurrency as the strongest medium of exchange. The billionaire investor and "Shark Tank" star has previously said his NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks, is the meme-inspired token's largest merchant after it began accepting dogecoin as payment for tickets and merchandise. "The Mavs have what we sold in merch," he said in a tweet on Sunday. "I personally own $494 worth of DOGE." Cuban was responding to a Twitter user who asked whether the billionaire's portfolio includes more of dogecoin, or bitcoin. He has a net worth of $5.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The entrepreneur told CNBC Make It only last week that dogecoin is the strongest cryptocurrency because of its community, a claim backed by Elon Musk. "The community for doge is the strongest when it comes to using it as a medium of exchange," Cuban said. He thinks bitcoin is better as a store of value, rather than a currency. Yet, he said in a March podcast that his crypto portfolio consists of 60% in bitcoin, 30% in ether, and 10% in other unnamed coins. The tech billionaire has built his fortune through a lifetime of business deals, including the $5.7 billion sale of his streaming site Broadcast.com, and his ownership of the Mavericks. "Between the Mavs and my personal account, its let than $15k in DOGE," he tweeted on Sunday, suggesting his team hasn't sold too much merchandise in exchange for dogecoin. Read more: A 15-year professional trader breaks down why bitcoin could surge to $45,000 in the next 2 to 3 weeks before dropping to the $32,000 to $35,000 range - and lays out 3 trades for ethereum and 2 altcoins as he predicts similar moves Story continues Earlier this year, Cuban said he and his 11-year-old son owned 3,250 dogecoins that were worth about $1,700 at the time. Dogecoin was then trading around 50 cents per coin, but has plunged 34% since then to around 33 cents as of Monday. Still, the cryptocurrency is up about 7,000% so far this year, according to data from Tradingview. If Cuban and his son still owned 3,250 dogecoins, their holdings would be worth about $1,100. The investor's latest disclosure suggests either they sold some coins, or Cuban isn't counting his son's coins in his calculation. Cuban has also said Amazon and Netflix are his biggest holdings, with "close to a billion dollars" in Amazon stock alone. He was asked on Twitter why he chooses to only cheer dogecoin, and not his other investments. "I don't pump anything other than Mavs merch," he tweeted. "BUT, the DOGEsphere is fun. Their memes are great. They have fun. They make fun of themselves. It's fun to be part of." Read the original article on Business Insider jack_woolley_750x422_.png A bisexual Irish Olympian was the victim of a brutal assault by a gang of up to 12 young men and women in Dublin on Friday. Jack Woolley, the first athlete to represent Team Ireland in the Olympic taekwondo event, said he was "sucker-punched" after an evening on the town. According to a report in the Irish Examiner, Woolley, 22, was taken to a hospital where he was received stitches to close a wound on his upper lip, although he said he will require plastic surgery in the future. He later posted graphic pictures to his Instagram account where he explained what happened to him. After thanking those who had sent him messages expressing concern about his condition, Woolley revealed he had enjoyed dinner with a friend when they decided to get a couple of drinks. "Heading back along the River Liffey a gang of roughly 8-12 men and women in their 20s began violently attacking people along the boardwalk," he wrote. "Unfortunately I was victim to these random attacks as I was just walking by I was punched in the face by one of these group members. Only one punch and followed by 'my mistake wrong person' then they continued to run off down the road attacking more civilians minding their own business." Despite his injuries, Woolley was able to "stay conscious" and "phone an ambulance" which took him to James Hospital. He went on to say he felt "lucky this is all that happened as there were a handful of us hospitalized and two men stabbed." Local leaders expressed concern and outrage about the lack of policing in what they describe as a high crime area. Clir Burke told the Sunday World the area was one of many in Dublin "abandoned" by the Irish National Police, the Garda, and that violence and "open drug dealing" were common in some areas, saying the police wouldnt allow such lawlessness in the nicer, more privileged areas of town. "This is allowed to happen in working-class city areas but this would be stamped out rapidly in middle-class areas like Ballsbridge or Mount Merrion," Burke said. Story continues A Garda spokesperson appeared to brush aside concern about the crime rates in the area where Woolley was brutally assaulted over the weekend. "Senior Garda management is satisfied that an adequate policing service continues to be delivered and that current structures in place meet the requirement to deliver an effective and efficient policing service to the community," a senior Garda spokesperson was quoted by the Sunday World. "This situation is continually reviewed." Woolley was the first Irish athlete to participate in the Olympics in taekwondo where he competed in the 58kg division, but was eliminated in the first round. Woolley will require further surgery to repair his wounds, but the scars may take longer to heal. "Its been a tough couple of months," Woolley admitted, adding, "WHAT A DAY." RELATED | Two Gay Men Brutally Attacked by Gang of Ten Homophobic Teens We now know some people in the U.S. are going to get additional doses of COVID vaccines after the CDC and FDA signed off on shots for the immunocompromised last week. The big picture: As Andrew Badley, chairman of Mayo Clinic's COVID-19 research task force, put it to Axios: "Its not the end of the story." Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. "The question thats on everyones mind and studies are underway is is there a role for booster vaccines to augment waning immunity" for everyone else? NIH Director Francis Collins told Fox News' Chris Wallace on Sunday the Biden administration is looking closely at that question about boosters for the broader U.S. population, but there isn't enough data yet. But he did say concern the vaccine may start to wane in its effectiveness over months "may mean we need to begin with health care providers as well as people who are in nursing homes" in the next few months. Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna, told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that breakthrough cases are emerging differently across vaccines as a result of the Delta variant after six to nine months. "I think that suggests we are going to need booster vaccines to get through the winter." Officials made a distinction between a third shot for those who are immunocompromised and a "booster" dose that addresses waning immunity in healthy individuals. The third shot is aimed at those undergoing active or recent cancer treatments, those who've received a solid tumor transplant, or have advanced HIV infection. It may also include those undergoing treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites or tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and certain chronic conditions such as renal disease. They're estimated to comprise 2.7% of U.S. adults, or about 7 million adults. What we're watching: If it turns out we all need boosters, it raises some complex questions. For instance, who will be first in line? Will individuals be required to get the same brand of shot they got in their first series and, if so, how will they get it? Story continues "We're looking at it on a daily and weekly basis in cohorts not only in the United States, but in other countries to determine if, when and to whom we should be giving this," NIAID Director Anthony Fauci told CBS News over the weekend. The first boosters would likely be prioritized for those vaccinated early in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccinations including nursing home residents, those 65 years and older and health care personnel, according to CDC materials distributed Friday. "So if it turns out as the data come in, we see we do need to give an additional dose to people in nursing homes, actually, or people who are elderly, we will be absolutely prepared to do that very quickly." But, but, but: The CDC workgroup said the greatest health impact will continue to come from the primary series of the vaccine. Decisions for boosters need to focus on the prevention of hospitalization and death, including ensuring global vaccine availability. "What really matters for a vaccine is preventing symptomatic disease, hospitalization and death. And the currently approved vaccines in the U.S. do that very, very well," Badley said. Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. 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. A 16-year-old behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz was shot in the head in a Brooklyn drive-by early Monday that also wounded two young women, police said. The shooting left the boy in critical condition. The victims were stopped at a red light at Atlantic and Schenck Aves. in East New York when a car pulled up and someone inside opened fire on their black SUV about 12:30 a.m. The boy was taken to Brookdale University Hospital, where he is clinging to life. The other victims, an 18-year-old woman grazed in the left arm and a 19-year-old woman struck in the right thigh, were taken to the same hospital in stable condition. Cops have made no arrests. . At least five people have been killed and 42 others were injured in shootings across Chicago this weekend, according to authorities. Chicago police said nine teenagers and two young girls were shot in the city from Saturday afternoon into Sunday. Around 3 p.m. Sunday, a 7-year-old girl was killed and her 6-year-old sister was wounded in a shooting in the Belmont Central neighborhood on the city's Northwest Side, police said. CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER DRAGGED BY VEHICLE IN HIT-AND-RUN The girls were sitting in a parked vehicle when someone opened fire, according to the Chicago Tribune. The 7-year-old was shot in the chest and taken to Loyola University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The other girl was shot in the chest and armpit and stabilized at the same hospital. The first homicide of the weekend occurred at 5:15 p.m. Friday in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side. A man, 18, was in the middle of the street when someone drove by in a vehicle and shot him. On Friday evening, one person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting on the Eisenhower Expressway, police said. Two people, aged 21, suffered life-threatening injuries, and a 17-year-old boy died, Chicago's WBBM-TV reported. Around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, four people were shot while standing outside a residence in the Grand Crossing neighborhood. A woman, 30, and a man, 31, were each shot in the leg, police said. Two other men, 35 and 45, were shot in both the arm and leg. They were all taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, and listed in fair condition, the Tribune reported. A few hours later, a woman was injured and a man was killed in another shooting in the Chatham neighborhood around 2 a.m. The man, 33, and woman, 34, were in a group standing outside when they were shot, police said. The man was shot in the chest and he was pronounced dead at a local area hospital. The 34-year-old woman was shot in the leg and was taken to a local area hospital in fair condition. Story continues Around 2:25 a.m. Sunday, two teenagers and a 23-year-old woman were shot while driving in Mayfair, on the citys Northwest Side, according to the paper. CHICAGO MAN ON BAIL FOR GUN CASE WHEN HE ALLEGEDLY SHOT, KILLED 21-YEAR-OLD A woman, 18, was shot in the hip and lower backside and was in serious condition, while a man, 18, was shot in the stomach and listed in critical condition. The 23-year-old woman suffered a graze wound to the head and was in fair condition. Police said two men in their 30s were also shot in the Douglas Park neighborhood around 3 a.m. A man, 32, was shot in the chest and stomach and another man, 37, was shot in the chest and lower back. The men arrived at Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, the Tribune reported. A Chicago police officer was also involved in a hit-and-run Friday night. Officers stopped a black Chevy Impala at around 7:30 p.m. in the Englewood neighborhood when the driver reversed his car and dragged an officer, pinning him between the offenders vehicle and a viaduct, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) told Fox News. The hit-and-run occurred just a few miles from where Officer Ella French was shot and killed, and her partner badly injured, during another traffic stop the previous weekend. At least 13 people were killed and 73 were injured last weekend, police said. Taliban fighters stood outside the Interior Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 15, after the militant force encircled and took over the city. Stringer/Reuters China's social media users said Afghanistan's "power transition" was smoother than that in the US. Hu Xijin, the editor of the Global Times, part of China's state media, tweeted that "Chinese netizens" were joking about the transition. Hu referenced posts on Weibo, China's Twitter, comparing the Capitol riot to the Taliban's takeover. See more stories on Insider's business page. China's social media users mocked the US troop withdrawal in Afghanistan, saying the Taliban's takeover of the country was smoother than the presidential transfer of powers in the US. Hu Xijin, the editor in chief of the Global Times, a state-affiliated media outlet in China, tweeted that "Chinese netizens joked that the power transition in Afghanistan is even more smooth than presidential transition in the US." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Hu was referencing posts made on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter. People made posts saying that the Taliban takeover was "peaceful" compared to the US Capitol riot on January 6, when a pro-Trump mob swarmed the Capitol, sieged the building, smashed and damaged property, and forced lawmakers into lockdown. Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani left Afghanistan for Tajikistan on August 15, leaving his presidential palace open to the Taliban fighters entering Kabul. On Sunday, fighters were seen inside the presidential palace, holding assault weapons and posing behind desks. Ghani, who became president in 2014, made a Facebook post upon his departure. He said he "thought it was best to get out" to avoid a "flood of blood" in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital and largest city. The Taliban is now positioned to formally take hold of power in the country once again and declare it the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, following a complete withdrawal of American troops and the evacuation of US diplomats. "What a joke. In Kabul today, the new government takeover was even more stable than when the US changed presidents," wrote Chen Zhen, a Weibo user. Story continues Some Weibo users also poked fun at the blame game unfolding between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on who should take responsibility for the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan's major cities. They also made predictions about "what will happen next" in US politics. One user with the ID DiGuaXiongLaoLiu wrote: "The script should read like this from here on. Step one: Trump asks Biden to resign and take responsibility for Afghanistan. Step two: Biden refuses to resign, and states supporting Trump will say if Biden doesn't resign, they'll leave the US! Step three: Two years later the US government dissolves itself and becomes the Ameri-Russian Government." Read the original article on Business Insider BEIJING (AP) Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu was arrested Monday on suspicion of rape in a high-profile case that followed an accusation the singer had sex with a 17-year-old while she was drunk and lured young women into sexual relationships. The prosecutors office of the Beijing district of Chaoyang said in a one-sentence statement that Wus arrest was formally approved but gave no details of the charges. Wu, 30, earlier denied the accusation by a teenager that he had sex with her while she was drunk. The accusation prompted an outpouring of sympathetic comments online for the teenager and criticism of Wu. The teenager said seven women contacted her to say the former member of Korean boy band EXO seduced them with promises of jobs and other opportunities. She said some were under 18 but gave no indication whether any were younger than Chinas age of consent of 14. Wu, known in Chinese as Wu Yifan, denied having sex with partners under 14. Wu was detained Aug. 1 while police conducted an investigation in response to comments online that he repeatedly lured young women to have sex, according to a police statement at that time. Wu grew up in Guangzhou in China and in Vancouver, British Columbia. Police have said he is a Canadian citizen. The teenager publicized her accusations on social media and later in an interview with the internet portal NetEase. A day after that interview appeared, at least 10 brands including Porsche and Louis Vuitton broke off endorsement and other deals with Wu. Aug. 16NEW LONDON Crowds lined State Street on Sunday in a fusion of green and yellow uniforms and Puerto Rican flags, the city coming together to celebrate its diversity, champions, and, above all, its Whaler pride. India Pagan, who played on the Puerto Rican women's basketball team in the Tokyo Olympics, and members of the Babe Ruth and Little League state championship baseball teams were all recognized Sunday afternoon in a parade and ceremony. "New London is a city of champions," said Efrain Dominguez, president of the city council, during the ceremony. "We're here to honor and celebrate each other." Taking part in the parade were community leaders, New London High School's NJROTC, the nonprofit Community Level Up, the New London fire department, the baseball teams, and Pagan driven in a convertible sitting atop a trailing Puerto Rican flag. Members of the community, friends and relatives took photos and videos, shouting and clapping along the sides of State Street and Parade Plaza. Shanae Lancaster said she was proud of her son, Jevon Clarke, the Little League baseball coach, and said she thought the parade was "awesome" for the town and community. One of the Babe Ruth coaches, Jesus Sanchez, said the team was an amazing group of boys. "We told them in the beginning, 'We want you to be like family,'" he said. "And they did that. They don't want to let each other down." Despite being runners-up in the New England championships and the "slight disappointment" they faced, Sanchez said they persevered and proved they could bounce back. On Saturday, the Babe Ruth team won the 16u Division championship for the East Shore Wood Bat League. Ethan Chavez, one of the Babe Ruth captains, has been playing with the team for seven years. He said the parade was a blessing and that it felt nice to be acknowledged. During the ceremony, state Rep. Anthony Nolan presented the baseball teams with state proclamations. He said it was because of them that New London was on the map. On behalf of the city, coaches of the baseball teams were given trophies and the players were given plaques for their achievements. Story continues Pagan's parents were recognized for their devotion and sacrifice in accompanying her and her sister Taina in all their travels and games. Alongside Pagan, they were given medals and flowers. The Puerto Rican women's basketball team made its Olympic debut this year. They played three games but did not qualify for the quarterfinals. Before accepting her award, Pagan stepped up to thank the city for their support. "I'm an Olympian but always a Whaler," she said. j.vazquez@theday.com Across the country, school districts are passing resolutions to "ban" critical race theory. On Thursday, the Alabama Board of Education passed a resolution (by a 7-2 vote) that critics say is aimed at banning critical race theory in K-12 instruction. That same day, Colorado Springs School District 49 voted 3-2 to pass a similar resolution opposing critical race theory. These resolutions were met with some resistance, namely the argument that critical race theory is not being taught in K-12 schools. According to AL.com, Alabama NAACP chapter president Benard Simelton told the Alabama Board of Education that the resolution has no merit since no one was teaching critical race theory in public schools. One District 49 board member who voted against the ban on critical race theory even told Fox News that it was a solution to a problem that does not exist." However, these critics claims are false. Critical race theory is indeed being taught in public schools. So much so that the National Education Association has made a written commitment to it, according to the Washington Examiner's Kaylee McGhee White. Not only are these two boards acknowledging this, but they are also approaching the contentious issue correctly. As I have written before, the question of "banning" critical race theory in public schools is a difficult one, especially for those of us who care about academic freedom. Successfully creating a policy to tackle such a divisive ideology is made more challenging when some argue that conservatives simply want to stifle historical discourse. However, both Alabama's and District 49s resolutions address these concerns. First, both resolutions contain explicit free speech protections. District 49s resolution reads, in part, "Nothing in this resolution shall be construed to restrict any expressive activities protected under the Constitution, including academic freedom or student political speech." Story continues The Alabama boards resolution recognizes the right to express differing opinions, foster and defend intellectual honesty, engage in freedom of inquiry, and honor freedom of speech as required by the First Amendment. Second, both resolutions do not prohibit schools from teaching about slavery and historical racism. Alabamas resolution recognizes that slavery and racism are betrayals of the founding principles of the United States. The resolution goes on to say that students should be encouraged to engage in a marketplace of ideas, subject to developmental appropriateness. District 49s resolution recognized that good education includes age-appropriate, critical thinking about the history including pertinent instruction regarding the founding ideals of our nation as well as the history of racism and inequality in America. So, what do these two resolutions actually do? They target the pernicious and discriminatory practices of critical race theory. District 49 prohibited schools and instructors from asking individuals or groups of students to participate in class or complete assignments based on their racial identity. And after affirming the equal rights of all students, regardless of race, the Alabama board prohibited disrespectful treatment due to race or sex. It also barred government agencies and schools from conducting training that faults or blames students and staff due to their race or sex. Attacking discriminatory practices, not merely woke ideas, in K-12 schools will help advocates avoid claims of censorship and revisionism that a wholesale ban on critical race theory would inevitably face. By targeting the discriminatory practices of critical race theory, these school boards are setting a good example for others to follow. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: Critical Race Theory, Race and Diversity, Woke culture, Education, Alabama, Colorado Original Author: Samuel Kim Original Location: Critical race theory resolutions done right The open waters await the cruise lines. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) launched from its homeport of Miami on Sunday its first ship from Florida since the pandemic hit 17 months ago. The sailing of the Norwegian Gem to the Caribbean which follows a win against the administration of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over vaccine passports marked the third ship to return to service for Norwegian. While Norwegian Cruise Line's long-time CEO Frank Del Rio views Florida's stance on vaccine passports (DeSantis doesn't want them) as "shameful," he is beginning to look forward to hopefully calmer waters in 2022. Early data suggests Del Rio and investors have reason for guarded optimism. "I think the back half of 2022 could be the best back half the company ever had. That is how good bookings are for the future. That's how strong pricing is," Del Rio said on Yahoo Finance Live. The Norwegian Gem cruise ship is shown docked, Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, at PortMiami in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) The wild card here is the Delta variant, which Del Rio concedes has weighed on near-term booking trends as consumers become a bit more cautious. "There is no hiding it. The spread of the Delta variant has got consumer confidence lower," added Del Rio. Here is how Norwegian Cruise Line performed in the second quarter compared to Wall Street estimates when it announced results last week: Net Sales: $4.37 million vs. $10 million Adjusted Loss per Share: $1.93 vs. $1.97 Norwegian Cruise Line shares are down 3% year-to-date compared to an 18% gain for the S&P 500. Shares of rivals Carnival and Royal Caribbean have each notched 5% increases on the year. Despite the uncertainty around the Delta variant and how it impacts cruise demand, Wall Street is mostly staying bullish on Norwegian Cruise Line's stock. The general thesis by analysts is that the company stands to materially improve cash flow in 2022 as people return to cruises, allowing it to reduce some $12 billion in debt on the balance sheet and in turn improve earnings. Del Rio told Yahoo Finance Live he thinks Norwegian will reach breakeven cash flow by late in the first quarter of 2022. Story continues "We continue to see Norwegian Cruise Line as a high quality portfolio of assets and brands within an industry experiencing tremendous pent-up demand for its specific product/experience. Near-term headwinds remain palpable, though longer term fundamentals continue to improve, and following a 26% pullback from June 2021 highs (and back to December 2020 levels), and shares at just 7.8x 2023E EV/EBITDA, we see significant value for patient investors, and therefore remain overweight," said J.P. Morgan analyst Brandt Montour. Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn. Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit The Department of Defense invested $128 million last year through its participation in the Chesapeake Bay Programs efforts to restore the Bay. The department operates 138 installations and annexes in the Bay watershed, covering more that 400,000 acres. In its annual report on the Bay, DoD said that it planted 189 acres with 54,956 trees and restored 9,251 feet of shoreline and streams that feed the Bay. Both are aimed at slowing or blocking the flow of pollutants such as nitrogen or phosphorus that create low-oxygen dead zones. Some 232 projects aimed at diverting polluted stormwater run off from 358 acres of parking lots and other impervious surfaces from flowing directly into the Bay and its tributaries. Since 1984, DoD has been a committed partner in Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration. said Rear Adm Charles W. Rock, commander of the Navys Mid-Atlantic Region. Rock, the defense departments lead agent for the Chesapeake Bay Program, a combined effort of federal and state governments as well as nonprofit groups, said DoD personnel kept their focus on Bay restoration despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. The biggest chunk of DoD spending, $105 million, went for clean water programs. In addition to stream and shoreline restoration work, last years effort saw the start of construction of a new wastewater treatment plant at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. DoDs $10 million abundant life program spending boosted its protected wetland acreage to 43,833 and restored underwater grasses acreage to 8,636. These efforts included Joint Base Langley-Eustiss treatment of 80 acres of wetlands along the Back River last year in its continuing effort to keep invasive Pragmites reeds from choking out native wetlands plants along the Back River. This push has two big effects. It provides habitat for 14 fish species, and it also reduces the risk of wildfires that could interfere with flight operations. DoDs $12 million investment in land conservation efforts added some 3,935 acres through a cost-sharing program with state and local governments as well as private conservation groups. Over the years, this effort has protected some 42,528 acres from development that could allow more pollutants to reach the Bay and encroach on military bases. Story continues These investments included $1 million awarded for Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and its partners effort to restore some 900 feet of living shoreline and 3.5 acres of near-shore salt marsh, oyster reef and shallow water habitat. Besides sustaining wildlife, including crabs and oysters, this effort will help the base cope with rising sea levels, the DoD report said. Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com A man accused of committing multiple crimes Sunday was shot and killed by a deputy he was charging toward following a violent car chase that damaged at least 10 cars, Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said. The crime spree that included a carjacking, multiple crashes, and a high-speed chase began at about 5:30 p.m. in Laurens County, Foster told The State on Monday. Phillip John Walden was identified as the man who was killed, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said. The 40-year-old Taylors resident was shot multiple times in the upper body, according to Fisher. Walden appeared to have a disabled vehicle and was seen walking on Interstate 26 when a couple that Foster called Good Samaritans stopped to offer help. Thats when he produced a weapon and tried to take their car, Foster said. While that couple drove off, Walden returned to his vehicle and took off down I-26, according to Foster. Soon after, 911 calls began coming into emergency dispatch about an accident, Foster said. The sheriff said the accused carjacker had wrecked his vehicle and rolled it down an embankment near the 60 mile marker, which is close to the Laurens-Newberry county line. More people stopped and tried to offer assistance, and the man assaulted them and tried to take their vehicles, according to Foster. While first responders were on their way to the crash, more 911 calls came in about a man who was bloody and armed with a weapon, Foster said. Descriptions of the weapon varied, as some callers said it was a knife, others claimed it was scissors, and some said it was a gun, according to the sheriff. The man tried and failed to carjack two other vehicles, before he got access to another car and drove off, Foster said. The original driver of that vehicle escaped and ran away, as the carjacker headed toward Columbia, according to Foster. A Newberry County deputy spotted the stolen vehicle near Exit 72 on I-26 and attempted to stop it, but the car sped off, Foster said. Story continues The speeding car hit several other vehicles, according to the sheriff. Deputies told Foster the collisions were intentional, as was the carjackers collision with a second deputy, which drove the patrol vehicle into a guard rail. After wrecking the deputy, the carjacker hit more vehicles before getting off I-26 at Exit 97, which is the junction with U.S. 176 in Richland County. The carjacker then returned to the interstate, now heading back toward Newberry, according to Foster. At Exit 91, the connection with Columbia Avenue in Lexington County, the carjacker again left I-26 and went into a parking lot for a Taco Bell/gas station and hit a trailer and another vehicle, Foster said. The carjacker then crossed over the highway and returned to I-26, but was now heading west in the eastbound lanes, according to the sheriff. Both a sheriffs deputy and a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper got in front of the carjackers vehicle, and he rammed the deputy, Foster said. The deputy was able to divert the carjackers vehicle into a jersey barrier on I-26, disabling the car and ending the high-speed chase, according to Foster. But the confrontation was not over. While both the deputy and Highway Patrol trooper exited their cars, the man also got out of the carjacked vehicle and started moving toward them, the sheriff said. The law enforcement officers used Tasers, but the man was not incapacitated and then charged at the Newberry County deputy, who then shot Walden, according to Foster. I dont know if he was armed, but no shots were fired at the deputy, Foster said. The man died at the scene, according to Foster. The sheriff did not know how many shots the deputy fired, but he said the weapon was turned over to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is leading the investigation into the shooting. The deputy has been placed on administrative leave until SLEDs investigation is completed, Foster said. At least 10 vehicles were hit by the carjacker, not counting the two patrol vehicles, according to Foster. Two people were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Foster said. Further information on their conditions was not available. No deputies or Highway Patrol troopers were injured in the 40-plus mile chase, according to the sheriff. Ive been doing this a long time and this is the largest crime scene Ive had to deal with, Foster said. Its still a fluid situation several hours later. A stretch of I-26 was closed for hours following the crash near Exit 91, according to South Carolina Department of Transportation. The incident remains under investigation and officers are working to determine the mans motives beginning with the first incident in Laurens County that sparked the chase, according to Foster. This was the 26th incident this year in South Carolina where a law enforcement officer was involved in a shooting, according to SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby. In 2020, there were 49 shootings involving law enforcement officers in South Carolina; and one involved the Newberry County Sheriffs Office, according to SLED. This is a developing story; check back for updates. Twitter/TOLOnews Less than 24 hours after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, scenes of chaotic desperation played out at Kabuls main airport as people climbed onto the wings and sides of departing military jets and clambered up gangplanks to try to get onto the last flights out of the capital. At least five people were reported killed after the U.S. military, which has control of the airport, opened fire. It was yet unclear on Monday if they were shot by a stray bullet or crushed in a panicked stampede. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Several people also appeared to be on the jet wings as they took off. The Washington Post analyzed video posted on social media that showed at least one person falling from the sky and landing on a rooftop as the giant aircraft ascended. An Afghan journalist who worked with American mediaand who is therefore almost assuredly in the Talibans sightstold The Daily Beast as gunfire echoed in the background that he and eight family members had been trying to get out of Kabul since before city fell. There is fear and panic among everyone: men, women, children desperate to get out, he said. There is zero chance to do so but still people rushing to airport. The journalist, who The Daily Beast is not naming to protect his safety, described watching U.S. military helicopters buzz the tarmac to scare off crowds who risked being crushed by landing aircraft. Hundreds more people chased jets down the runway as massive jets filled with the lucky ones departed. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The journalist was being aided by his main publication, but said he did not feel optimistic he would make the cut. He said he saw two corpses on the tarmac, but he wasnt sure exactly how they died. On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the rounds on morning TV, repeating the Biden administration that, This is manifestly not Saigon. Kimberley Motley, an international human-rights lawyer who spent 13 years in Afghanistan, told The Wall Street Journal instead, This is like Saigon on steroids. Story continues The Taliban, meanwhile, worked to cover up any images of women on billboards and storefronts, essentially erasing progress that had been made in the last two decades. CNNs Clarissa Ward was interviewing Taliban fighters on the street when she was told blatantly to step to the side. Its because Im a woman, the veteran war correspondent, who has reported from the country on numerous occasions, said as she complied. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Images of evacuations and chaos filled social media. One video, showing U.S. military dogs being escorted to an awaiting jet, drew scorn from Afghan citizens who seemed to suddenly realize their place on the pecking order despite many risking their lives to help the U.S.-backed efforts. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. A Taliban spokesperson told CNN that they would leave the Kabul airport under U.S. controlat least for the moment. They want to ensure that all foreigners get out of their country, they said. They likely also know that the U.S. would not hesitate to return any fire aimed at them, and even though the militant group now has a substantial military power from the spoils of war, they are no match for the American troops still on the ground. On Monday, the Talibans new Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority warned airlines to avoid its airspace because the air-traffic control system had been released to the military, according to Reuters, even though many commercial airlines had already rerouted. It wasnt immediately clear if the notice was a reference to the fact that the U.S. military now controls air traffic over Afghanistan while they work feverishly to evacuate foreign nationals. The Associated Press also confirmed reports that a U.S. military general met face-to-face with a Taliban commander on Sunday to negotiate a temporary non-interference arrangement while evacuations are underway. Kabul airspace has been released to the military. Advise transit aircraft to reroute, the notice warned, according to Reuters. Any transit through Kabul airspace will be uncontrolled. Surrounding FIRs (air-traffic control regions) have been advised. A senior official in Afghanistans now-defunct government told The Daily Beast that he was frustrated by the international communitys response and its near total abandonment. The fall of Kabul dishonors the sacrifice of over 150,000 Afghan lives, over 3,000 of NATO soldiers lives, 20 years of reconstruction efforts and over a trillion U.S. dollars, he said. It is the beginning of hopelessness and bottomless uncertainty for the long suffering Afghans. May Allah protect us because all the worldly superpowers came, killed us, failed and left us in lurch. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. 16 Air Assault Brigade arriving in Kabul as part of a 600-strong UK-force sent to assist with Operation PITTING to rescue British nationals in Afghanistan amidst the worsening security situation there Dominic Raab was accused of being missing in action as it emerged he was abroad on holiday when the Afghanistan capital of Kabul fell to the Taliban. The Foreign Secretary was returning to the UK from overseas on Sunday as he faced criticism from the Tory as well as Labour benches for not speaking up more in the last week. Parliament was recalled on Sunday for a special single day sitting, with MPs due to debate the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan on Wednesday. Boris Johnson will interrupt his own summer holiday plans, delivering the opening statement to Parliament for that debate, which is expected to see fierce criticism of the Government. One Tory MP called the Afghanistan collapse the biggest single disaster of British foreign policy since Suez, the 1956 crisis that saw then prime minister Anthony Eden resign. Questions are mounting for Mr Raab over whether he should have called off his overseas holiday sooner than Sunday and about the extent of his engagement on the Afghan crisis this week. Taliban behind the table of Ashraf Ghani A well-placed source told The Telegraph that Mr Raab had not talked to any of the UK ambassadors in the countries surrounding Afghanistan by Sunday afternoon. The countries listed by the source were Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan. The source also said that Mr Raab had not talked to the foreign minister of Pakistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan, until Sunday, the day the Taliban entered Kabul. Approached for comment about the two claims last night, a Foreign Office spokesman did not deny either. Instead the spokesman said Mr Raab has been in touch with key partners throughout the crisis. It is unclear where Mr Raab has been on holiday. His break was not made public at the time and on Sunday the Foreign Office did not give a location. Criticism of his absence was mounting from both Conservative and Labour figures on Sunday night. Tom Tugendhat, the Tory chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee who served in Afghanistan, questioned why Mr Raab had not spoken in public about the worsening situation in Afghanistan. Story continues Mr Tugendhat said: "We haven't heard from the Foreign Secretary in about a week, despite this being the biggest single foreign policy disaster since Suez, so I don't know what the Foreign Office is thinking." Lord Robertson, the Labour peer and former defence secretary who once served as secretary general of Nato, said: It is stunning that the Foreign Secretary would stay on holiday as our mission in Afghanistan disintegrated. "The horrors unfolding with every minute demand focused attention from the top. The urgency involves both the evacuation of British citizens but also what is now to happen to the people of Afghanistan. The fact that the Foreign Secretary is missing in action shows graphically the lack of purpose in our governments attitude to what we set out to do 20 years ago. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The Foreign Secretary is personally overseeing the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office response, and engaging with international partners. He is returning to the UK today, given the situation. In recent days former UK ambassadors to Afghanistan, former military figures who helped lead Britains military efforts in the country and ex-soldiers who served there have been severely critical of the Governments handling of the withdrawal. Johnny Mercer, the Tory MP and former veterans minister who served in Afghanistan as a British soldier, expressed his frustration at the situation on Sunday. Mr Mercer told Sky News: I never thought Id see the day either as a serviceman or as a member of the Conservative Party where we would essentially surrender to the Taliban and leave these people to their fate. But that day has come. MPs will be scrambling to cut short their own holidays to make it back to Parliament for the debate on Wednesday, with in-person attendance being encouraged by the parliamentary authorities. The Prime Minister last night urged MPs to contribute to the debate, though fell short on calling for all contributors to attend Parliament in person to speak. Mr Johnson said: It is an important moment, it's a big moment. I think it's right that Parliament should debate it. I think MPs will want to have their say. It is also, of course, probably a logistically difficult moment for many MPs who would have made long-standing commitments. But as you know, the wonders of Zoom technology are there and if MPs cannot get in person into the House [of Commons] then I'm sure they will be wanting to tune in and express their views. (Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk was acting as a proper chief executive officer as Tesla Inc. weighed the purchase of power provider SolarCity in 2016, his longtime ally and fellow Tesla director Antonio Gracias told a judge. A two-week trial over the billionaire CEOs role in the $2 billion transaction wrapped up on Monday, and now Judge Joseph Slights III must decide whether Musk -- who was the solar companys chairman and largest shareholder at the time -- properly removed himself from the deal to avoid conflicts of interest. Gracias, the last witness, was questioned by Musks attorney about the 50-year-old chiefs role in the acquisition. He emphasized that Musk removed himself from the deals pricing and from voting on the acquisition but had a legitimate part to play. Hes recused from the deal, but not from doing his job, Gracias testified under questioning by Daniel Slifkin. He said he and Musk made themselves available to Teslas board for any questions on the purchase. The shareholders who sued Musk say the purchase was tainted by his influence with his board and his ties to the solar company. In addition to his own role there, its CEO was Lyndon Rive, his cousin. Gracias, head of tech investment firm Valor Equity Partners, was one of the early investors in Tesla and also owned SolarCity stock and served on the solar companys board. Under questioning by Christine Mackintosh, a lawyer for pension funds suing over the deal, he said he had to decide which side of the deal to work on and chose Tesla over SolarCity. At one point Mackintosh said board minutes showed both Musk and Gracias were present when other directors were discussing how much to pay for SolarCity. If thats what the minutes say, thats correct, said Gracias, who is set to leave Teslas board in October. He said he didnt pay attention to the pricing discussion since, like Musk, he was recused from considering the issue. The judge, who heard the complex case in Delaware Chancery Court without a jury, may take months to decide whether to make Musk dig into his pocket and return the money Tesla paid for SolarCity. So far Slights has homed in on Musks recusal, questioning Teslas chair, Robyn Denholm, at length last month about her knowledge of Musks activities as board members gathered information on the deal. Story continues It appears from the evidence there were some discussions occurring between Mr. Elon Musk and Mr. Rive outside the board process, Slights said, according to a transcript of the trial. Im not surprised, to be honest, Denholm replied, but I know it didnt affect what the negotiation was, because Elon never spoke to me about what he thought we should -- you know, whether we should take something into account or not take something into account. Denholm testified that Musk and Gracias were excused from the votes, in terms of the board but added that actually we welcomed them, in terms of input, into some deliberations. Read More: Musk Wraps Up Trial Testimony Defending Role in SolarCity Deal Musk, who was on the stand for two days and was the first witness, denied playing a substantial role in the SolarCity buyout and noted that Denholm, as the lead Tesla director on the deal, set the price and the terms. I was active in providing materials to the board necessary to make a decision, he told the court. I believed that would be my duty. As the worlds richest person, with a net worth of roughly $195 billion, Musk will still be in pretty good shape if he loses the case and must hand back hundreds of millions, or even the full $2 billion, to the electric vehicle maker. And an adverse ruling isnt likely to transform the way he operates, said Larry Hamermesh, a University of Pennsylvania law professor and expert on Delaware corporate law.I dont think a loss in this case is going to immediately change Elon Musks personality or his approach to corporate governance issues, Hamermesh said. People break fiduciary duties all the time and have to pay for it. For some people, its just a cost of doing business. Still, $2 billion is $2 billion. Musk on the Stand: Cool, Combative and Holding Firm on SolarCity Slights has already said Musk, despite holding far less than a majority stake in Tesla, currently at 17%, used his visionary persona and ties to other Tesla directors to smooth the deals path. One central question the judge must resolve is whether, as Teslas largest shareholder, Musk so dominated the board that final approval was a foregone conclusion. In a colorful and sometimes irreverent stint on the witness stand, Musk testified that he tried to be helpful to the board as it weighed the deal but never sought to steamroll it. To be honest, I dont want to be the boss of anything, he told Slights. I dont want to be CEO. I tried not to be CEO of Tesla, but I had to or it would die. I rather hate being a boss. Im an engineer. Perception of Influence Musk acknowledged helping hire lawyers to shepherd the acquisition through board confirmation and holding weekly meetings to light a fire under the due-diligence process. In addition, he said the solar company was on solid financial footing but wrote internally that it needed to solve its liquidity crisis. It turned out SolarCity was hemorrhaging cash and in danger of defaulting on its debt. But he dismissed claims of impropriety, having recused himself from deliberations over the deal and been barred from the Tesla directors final approval vote. That may not have been enough, said Charles Elson, a University of Delaware professor who studies board behavior and is former director of the schools John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance. Conflicted directors need to step all the way out of a deal to free it from even a hint of influence, he said.When you have a controller like Mr. Musk involved in organizing an acquisition, and putting together the information the board will use to approve it, you raise very serious questions about the independence of the whole process, Elson said. Nature of Recusal Its those questions the plaintiffs raised, pointing to a 2020 Chancery Court ruling criticizing recused directors for not removing themselves completely from the acquisition process. Among the judges questions for Denholm was whether she had a clear sense of how the recusal was to work in the SolarCity deal. The former Australian telecom executive said she had barred Musk and Gracias from any vote in terms of the transaction happening or not happening, and also the price.Many of the meetings were by phone, Denholm testified, but when we would get to the point where we had discussed the matters we needed input from Elon or Antonio on the technical side or anything like that, then we would ask them to leave. The case is In Re Tesla Motors Inc. Stockholders Litigation, No. 12711, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington). Read More Musk Says He Turned Down Wall Street Jobs to Focus on TechTeslas Solar Roof Rollout Is a Bust And a Fixation for MuskTesla Is Plugging a Secret Mega-Battery Into the Texas Grid (Corrects title of University of Delaware professor Charles Elson in second-to-last section.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. LONDON (AP) European leaders said Monday they will press for a unified international approach to dealing with a Taliban government in Afghanistan, as they looked on with dismay at the rapid collapse of two decades of a U.S.-led Western campaign in the country. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron Monday, stressing the need for a common stand, both on recognizing any future Afghan government and to prevent a humanitarian and refugee crisis. Both leaders agreed to cooperate at the U.N. Security Council, and Johnson also said he will host a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven leaders on Afghanistan in the next few days. Johnson said on Sunday, We dont want anybody to bilaterally recognize the Taliban. German Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman echoed that sentiment Monday, saying the question of whether there can be a dialogue with the Taliban needs to be discussed internationally. We do not have any illusions about the Taliban and the essence of their movement, said Steffen Seibert, the spokesman. The French leader said in a speech to the nation Monday night that the fight against Islamist terrorism in all its forms would not end. Afghanistan cannot again become the sanctuary for terrorism that it was, Macron said. He stressed that the U.N. Security Council is the forum for a coordinated response, and added, "We will do everything so that Russia, the United States and Europe can cooperate efficiently because our interests are the same. Macron also raised fears of uncontrolled migration to Europe by Afghans, saying that France, Germany and other European countries would work to swiftly develop a robust, coordinated and united response. As far as the crisis inside Afghanistan, European leaders' hands are tied in many ways: They have little leverage over the Taliban, and they are deeply reluctant to publicly criticize the withdrawal decision by the United States, their powerful NATO ally or comment on their own role in the failed intervention. Story continues NATO countries were left with little choice but to pull out the roughly 7,000 non-American forces in Afghanistan after President Joe Biden announced in April that he was ending the U.S. involvement in the war by September, 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of Londons Royal United Services Institute, said that Britain -- which for much for the war contributed the second-largest number of troops to the mission -- was especially upset that the Biden administration didnt consult it more fully about the decision to withdraw this summer. That is water under the bridge, but the fact that there wasnt a coordinated alliance approach to the withdrawal makes it even more important now to coordinate a Western response starting with the question of recognition" of a Taliban government, he said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week that the Taliban need to understand that they will not be recognized by the international community if they take the country by force. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has also warned that the militant group would face isolation and lack of international support. Borrell is expected to chair an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss Afghanistan on Tuesday, while NATO envoys will also hold talks. Meanwhile, Russias envoy on Afghanistan said that Moscow will decide whether to recognize the new Taliban government based on its conduct. Chalmers said Western influence on the Taliban is very limited compared with that of Pakistan, Iran and China. And Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, said that warning the Taliban that they face international isolation is a threat unmoored from reality. It is part of the Talibans ideology to reject modernism and the international community and the reputation won by forcing the U.S. to leave is worth far more than aid budgets, he wrote for the Center for European Policy Analysis think tank. Indeed, having earned a reputation for abandoning its mission, its friends, and its allies, it is the United States that may actually feel more isolated," Volker added. The U.K. has repeatedly alluded to how it had been put in a very difficult position to continue the mission once the United States announced its decision to pull out, and British leaders have spoken with a tone of resignation as the situation deteriorated rapidly after NATO's exit. I think its fair to say that the U.S. decision to pull out has accelerated things, but this has been in many ways something that has been a chronicle of an event foretold, Johnson said Sunday. Other European allies have made veiled criticisms of NATOs most powerful member country. Asked Monday whether France and the U.S. were responsible for the collapse of the armed forces and the unfolding humanitarian crisis, Defense Minister Florence Parly said France hasnt been in Afghanistan since 2014. Theres no parallel to make with the U.S. involvement. Briefing reporters last week about the crisis in Afghanistan, a senior EU official said that the decisions which were made in this respect were made in NATO. He did not single out the alliances most influential member, but the criticism was implicit. Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni was much more direct, saying: Lets give a welcome back to the cynical Obama-Clinton-Biden doctrine: If you cant win, create chaos. Western governments have also appeared to be caught off guard by the stunning speed of the Taliban's advance on Kabul. For months, European ambassadors at NATO and the EU have been unable to answer questions from reporters about what security arrangements might be in place in Afghanistan should the situation deteriorate. Questions about how to protect embassies and the Kabul airport, where chaos reigned Monday as scores sought to flee the country, were never unanswered. In the past few days, U.S., British and other Western governments have scrambled to evacuate their embassies, their citizens and Afghans who have helped with their military mission as the Taliban seized power. All of us, the government, the intelligence services, the international community, all of us misjudged the situation, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas admitted Monday. Neither we nor our partners and experts did foresee the speed with with the Afghan security forces withdrew and capitulated. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace choked up during an interview as he expressed deep regret that some of those people will be left behind. Its sad and the West has done what its done," he acknowledged. "We have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations and 20 years of sacrifice. It is what it is. ___ Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Colleen Barry in Milan, Angela Charlton and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report. The claim: Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 only benefits the vaccinated person As Americans continue in their fight against COVID-19, controversy and misinformation about vaccines persist. One viral image falsely argues that the decision on whether to get vaccinated yourself does not impact other people. Im vaccinated but how can it be a civic duty to get the C19 vaccine when it only benefits me? I can still become infected and transmit C19 to the vaccinated and unvaccinated, the tweet claims. The choice to vaccinate should remain a personal one. Fact check: 6 of the most persistent misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccines The image, shared on Instagram on Aug. 11, shows an Aug. 10 tweet from a doctor. The account frequently tweets support for taking ivermectin to protect against COVID-19, which is not a proven treatment and can be dangerous.. But experts say this approach is wrongheaded. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 protects the vaccinated, those who choose not to get vaccinated and those who are not eligible to be vaccinated. Andres Veloso, 12, gets the first dose of the Pzifer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Monday in Miami. Florida is reporting a surge of cases caused by the highly contagious delta variant. USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user for comments. The Twitter user could not be messaged. Getting vaccinated protects members of your community Experts say getting vaccinated has benefits on a personal and community level. Getting vaccinated reduces individuals' risk of both getting COVID-19 and giving it to someone else, said Emily R. Smith, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at The George Washington University's Milkin Institute School of Public Health. Getting vaccinated benefits both you and the people in your community!" she said in an email. "Vaccinated people are way less likely to get COVID-19 in the first place. The most recent (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates suggest that vaccinated people are 800% less likely to get COVID than unvaccinated people. If you don't get COVID, you can't spread COVID to someone else. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, similarly said that vaccines protect vaccinated individuals by greatly reducing their risk of infection, illness and death. That individual vaccination then protects the broader community by making the vaccinated person less likely to become a host. Story continues This benefit is most evident when the majority of persons in a community are vaccinated, Hassig said. "The virus, if introduced, has nowhere to go, and dies out. Cannot spread, cannot mutate. Fact check: COVID-19 vaccine mandates don't violate Nuremberg Code The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said this concept, often called community or herd immunity, works to protect members of a community that cannot get vaccinated or for whom the vaccine is less effective, including children and those with certain medical conditions. Francesca Anacleto, 12, receives her first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shot from nurse Jorge Tase, in Miami Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. The way we protect newborn babies from life-threatening diseases in the first few months is by those around them being vaccinated, Hassig said. It is not just about the individual, but about also protecting others. Failure to vaccinate yourself, especially for a disease as easily transmitted as Covid, places others in harm's way. Currently, kids under 12 cannot yet be vaccinated. Fact check: Pfizer CEO fully vaccinated, canceled Israel trip in March Exactly when we will reach herd immunity is up for debate. The reality is that we dont know when herd immunity will occur. We havent had this disease before. We cant say for sure what percentage of the population needs to be reached, Dr. Manisha Juthani, an infectious diseases specialist, told Yale Medicine in May. There is not a certain number or cut-off; its a gradient, meaning well know weve reached it if we see the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths go down. An overall improvement of our numbers will tell us we are reaching that threshold. Getting vaccinated prevents hospitals from being overwhelmed Smith told USA TODAY that getting vaccinated also benefits others by greatly reducing the likelihood that a vaccinated person who does get a breakthrough infection will become critically ill and need to be hospitalized. The CDC estimates vaccines are 93%-100% effective in preventing hospitalizations even with the delta variant. This prevents the health care system from becoming overwhelmed. Keeping COVID cases out of the hospitals helps others in your community because hospital beds and resources are available for those who need to be in the hospital for other reasons, she said. When hospital beds are filled with COVID patients, things like elective surgeries are canceled. An ICU worker checks on a COVID patient at the San Roque Hospital in Cordoba, Argentina, on July 06, 2021. Our rating: False Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 only benefits the vaccinated person. Epidemiologists agree that getting vaccinated benefits individuals by reducing their risk of contracting COVID-19 and spreading it to other people. This protects those who cant be vaccinated and those for whom the vaccine is less effective (those with other medical conditions and children under 12). Vaccinations also prevent individuals from getting critically ill and hospitals from being overwhelmed. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: COVID-19 vaccines work to protect others Kaiva and Arthur planned an intimate family wedding in June 2020 (Collect/PA Real Life). "I feel like I'm drowning" is usually said when you've got too much admin to do. But for Kaiva Locmele, 30, it's the absolute truth. She suffers from a medical condition known as craniocervical instability, which regularly causes the sensation of lack of oxygen to the brain. It became so bad that Locmele cancelled her long planned wedding to her driver fiance Arthur Picacelma, 35, because she was too ill to walk down the aisle. Locmele's alarming symptoms include dizziness and vertigo, passing out and fluid on the brain. Craniocervical instability involves excessive movement between the skull and the two top vertebrae, which can injure the spinal cord, brain stem, vertebral artery or vagus nerve. Watch: Weddings: Has the pandemic changed them forever? Locmele, of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, whose condition means she can no longer work, said: The most upsetting thing of all was not being able to marry the love of my life. We had planned to tie the knot in June 2020, but by the February, my condition had deteriorated and I just wasnt well enough." The couple had planned to marry in Latvia, but a new date has not yet been set, as they are throwing all their efforts into fundraising for a 'miracle cure' at the Caring Medical facility in Florida. Its heartbreaking," said Locmele. "While Im trying to stay positive, my condition means I can barely move. Having been a lifelong sufferer of dizziness, by April 2011 Locmele's symptoms had worsened to include fatigue and severe vertigo, but doctors were baffled. I had no energy and was exhausted. I went to the doctors who said I was stressed and overworked," said Locmele. Kaiva has been left bed ridden after her condition worsened in 2019 (Collect/PA Real Life). I had a physically tough job as an Amazon packer. But despite some time off, I still felt the same. All my test results were normal. So doctors felt it was psychological and that I was depressed. But she says, I didnt feel unhappy, but with no other explanation, I quit my job at Amazon and worked hard to improve my mental health. Story continues She met Picacelma via mutual friends in 2013, and in 2014 he proposed on a romantic walk by Rutland Water, a picturesque reservoir in the East Midlands. Sadly, Locmele's condition was now affecting her life permanently. I went back and forth to the doctors, but they couldnt find anything wrong." Yet she was sure the doctor's mental health diagnosis was wrong. Arthur and I got engaged in 2014 and I loved our life," she said. "Everything was great, we had good friends and would have so much fun. I couldnt work out how I was being told I was depressed when my symptoms felt so physical. "By 2018, my airways would feel blocked with liquid, it felt like I was drowning. Some days I could barely lift my head. I was constantly dizzy. Read more: Henry is seven. He raised so much for charity, they named a train after him Kaiva and Arthur were forced to cancel their wedding due to her health (Collect/PA Real Life). Desperate to find a solution, Locmele took up meditation and changed jobs multiple times. I tried my best to get better, as I wanted to be healthy," she said. "I even walked the Camino de Santiago trail (the pilgrims' way in Spain). I walked for six weeks, it was really hard, but I thought that I was going to find myself and feel better. Sadly, though, nothing changed." Locmele started a new job as a payroll clerk two years ago, but though she loved her work, "the hour long commute triggered my condition. I started passing out in the car. It was really scary, there were a lot of near accidents. So, after three months, I had to leave. life edit Further scans in October 2019 found a build up of fluid on her brain putting paid to her wedding plans. "It was so bad I couldnt work and was completely bedridden, she said. Thats when I had an MRI scan showing I had cerebrospinal fluid build up in the cavities of my brain. "But despite draining the fluid and numerous medications, my condition didnt improve and I rapidly started to become more unwell. I started to get brain fog on top of my other symptoms. I couldnt remember something straight after Id read it. My head would become too heavy and I wouldnt be able to hold it up. "I became too scared to be on my own outside in case I fainted and I had to wear sunglasses all day every day, as the brightness would physically hurt. Doctors found fluid on Kaiva's brain in October 2019(Collect/PA Real Life). In February 2020, jut before the pandemic struck, the couple made the decision to postpone their June wedding in Latvia. The pandemic and my condition just made it impossible. I could barely shower on my own let alone walk done the aisle," said Locmele. "I tried to focus on getting better, but the medication I was given no longer worked and I stopped taking my pills. Feeling hopeless, Locmele turned to online communities for advice, and came across Caring Medical in Florida, a specialist clinic treating joint conditions. After an online consultation with a specialist, she was diagnosed with Craniocervical Instability, causing a vertebra in her spine to obstruct fluid moving from the brain, as well as causing pressure on the surrounding nerves. Read more: Fundraiser for family of pregnant nurse who died from coronavirus raises tops 100,000 It was amazing to finally have answers, she said. "I started looking online at my symptoms and contacted this American clinician who specialises in treating this condition. "I talked through my symptoms and she agreed that I probably had Craniocervical Instability, but wanted to confirm the diagnosis once I came to the clinic in Florida. Offered a space this month for 12 weeks of treatment, Locmele finally has hope that she can be cured. "My treatment plan will change once theyve worked out which vertebra is blocking my blood flow, and Ill probably have prolotherapy, an injection into the joints, combined with a chiropractic neck curve a specially designed pillow that supports the joints in the neck. Kaiva started to fell unwell 10 years ago (Collect/PA Real Life). It felt so good to have some answers, but we discovered the treatment would cost 40,000 - it was a huge price tag. "I cant get this treatment anywhere else, so we have no choice but to raise the money. Locmele, Picacelma and their friends and families have launched an appeal to raise the funds she needs to fly to Florida and get better. "I just hope to go back to the life we lived before I became really ill." she said. I cant shower or even go for a walk on my own anymore. I need someone with me 24/7. If it wasnt for Arthur and my family Id be completely lost. But Im still full of hope that Ill get better and I cant wait to walk down the aisle and finally marry the love of my life. Go to: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/lets-bring-Kaivas-life-back Watch: UK teen with learning and physical difficulties raises 28 through acts of kindness The New York Times PALO ALTO, Calif. In 2014, Scott Hassan, known by some as the third Google founder, sent Allison Huynh, his wife of 13 years, a text message that their marriage was over and that he was moving out of their home. Nearly seven years later, the pair are still locked in litigation over how to divide an estate with tech investments and prime California properties estimated to be worth billions of dollars. A trial expected to start Monday will offer an unusual, public peek into the details of a big- A $10,000 GoFundMe effort has been established to help support mourning mother Erica Thompson. A Florida woman is demanding justice after her newborn baby died shortly after the infant was delivered in a jail cell. Erica Thompson was arrested on Monday, Aug. 9, on felony violation of probation and failure to appear on a traffic charge. She was six months pregnant when she was placed in the Alachua County Jail. Thompson told CBS 4 that she told an attending nurse at the time she was having contractions. Im steady like, Im going to have my baby. Im screaming. Im going to have my baby, please get me out of here. I feel like Im going to have my baby,' Thompson said. When I said that, I felt like all bets were off, everybody needs to be coming in here trying to check on me and see whats going on. Ive had kids before, so I know exactly how it feels. Im about to have my baby, Im not just talking. A $10,000 GoFundMe effort has been established to support mourning mother Erica Thompson (above), who also goes by the name Heaven, created by Florida Prisonser Solidarity. (CBS 4) She told the news outlet she gave birth to a girl in her jail cell alone last Monday. She said a nurse cut and clamped her umbilical cord, and she was then transported to a local hospital. There, at the hospital, Thompson said, doctors provided no aid to the premature newborn. They didnt even put her in an incubator, she contended. They just had her in the crib. So they wrapped her up, and they told me shes too small. We dont think we can save her, were not going to be able to do anything. Thompson said it was hours later that her daughter died. I basically held my baby all night, she tearfully asserted, until she died, until she turned blue. According to the Alachua County Sheriffs Office, there is an ongoing investigation into the death of the child. A spokesperson, Kaley Behl, said, Our entire agency is very saddened by what Ms. Thompson had to experience. We absolutely realize how traumatizing and heartbreaking it is to lose a child, and we are deeply saddened, and we grieve with her in the loss of her child. We are confident that the investigation will be completed in its entirety, and it will be given a full review, and if there are any concerns they will be addressed. Story continues Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump tweeted his support of Thompson, writing, Erica Thompson gave birth ALONE in an Alachua County Jail cell after staff members ignored her screams for help! By the time EMS arrived, it was too late & unfortunately, her daughter later died at the hospital. This tragedy should have NEVER happened! This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Adam Christensen, a Florida candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, penned a thread about the story on Twitter, where he opined, 1. Arresting an extremely pregnant woman and putting her in jail because she is poor (couldnt afford bail) shows the extreme rot of the system. 2. The only way that this could happen is if staff at the jail are untrained and do not consider their inmates to be human. A protest occurred at the jail last week. Im so hurt, Thompson said, and just still in disbelief that I had to have my child in jail in my bunk all by myself. A $10,000 GoFundMe effort, created by Florida Prisoner Solidarity, has been established to support the young woman, who also goes by the name Heaven. Nothing can make up for baby Ava being murdered by NEGLECT and ABUSE at the Alachua County Jail, it reads, but Heaven needs our support right now. The organizer seeks donations to help pay for Thompsons food, transportation and postpartum care while the community will need to wrap our arms around Heaven and hold her tight while she tries to heal physically, emotionally, and spiritual from this loss. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today! The post Florida mom says newborn died after officers ignored her during jail delivery appeared first on TheGrio. Roya Rahmani , the first female Afghanistan Ambassador to the U.S, appeared on The Mehdi Hasan Show Sunday where she spoke about the deteriorating conditions in the country as the U.S. continues its pull-out and the Taliban continues to seize power. I feel betrayed. I feel a loss. I feel hopeless. I feel very disappointed, Rahmani said. Most importantly, it's just hard to pull it together and collect your trust again. That's how I feel. Rahmani expressed particular concern for the rights of women, which she fears will be rolled back after making significant gains with the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. Womens empowerment was the most real and tangible achievement of the international community's intervention over the past 20 years and yet, unfortunately, also the most vulnerable one, Rahmani said. The best indicator to what happens in Afghanistan moving forward is what happens to its women. What happens to its women is telling you what happens in Afghanistan. Video Transcript ROYA RAHMANI: I feel betrayed. I feel in loss. I feel hopeless. I feel very disappointed. KYLIE MAR: Former Afghanistan ambassador to the US, Roya Rahmani, appeared on the "Mehdi Hasan Show" Sunday, where she spoke about the deteriorating conditions in the country. As the US moves forward with its plan to leave and the Taliban continues capturing large portions of Afghanistan, Rahmani is concerned about women's rights. ROYA RAHMANI: Women empowerment was the most real and tangible achievement of the international community's intervention over the past 20 years. And yet, unfortunately, also the most vulnerable one. KYLIE MAR: As women across the country bear witness to a bleak future under Taliban rule, Rahmani says their fate will tell the story of Afghanistan. ROYA RAHMANI: The best indicator to what happens in Afghanistan moving forward is what happens to its women. What happens to its women is telling you what happened in Afghanistan. KYLIE MAR: And Rahmani is understandably concerned about her loved ones still in the country. ROYA RAHMANI: I'm extremely worried. They are stranded. They are confused. As you pointed out earlier, there is no money in the banks. They don't know what the future will hold for them. They are just hopeless. Fox News Fox News co-host Kayleigh McEnany parroted the GOPs recent attempt to memory hole the Trump administrations role in the destabilizing collapse of Afghanistan, loudly declaring on Monday that the Taliban quickly seizing control of the Afghan capital of Kabul would have never happened under President Donald Trump. Since the Talibans sweeping takeover of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American troopswhich has resulted in the chaotic evacuation of American diplomats and Afghan refugeesa number of former Trump officials (including Trump himself) have sought to lay all of the blame solely at the Biden administrations feet. The chastising and finger-pointing has taken place despite the fact that it was the Trump administration that negotiated the historic peace agreement with the Taliban that called for the total withdrawal of American troops by May 1. (The Biden administration actually extended the withdrawal until the end of August.) Kabuls Evacuation Crisis Has People Falling from the Sky Furthermore, Team Trump also agreed to the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners, many of whom immediately rejoined the fight. The former president also negotiated the release of Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar from a Pakistan prison three years ago, believing Baradar could help broker peace with the Taliban. Baradar, who posed in pictures with ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just nine months ago, is now poised to be the new leader of Afghanistan. During Mondays broadcast of Fox News midday panel show Outnumbered, however, McEnany and Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner both suggested that the situation in Afghanistan would be far different if Trump was still in office. Kayleigh, this is not how the last president left the situation, Faulkner said, adding: It would have been nice to get all our people back quickly. Instead, this is protracted. Let me be categorical in saying this, McEnany, formerly Trumps White House press secretary, replied. This would have never happened under President Donald J. Trump! It would not have! Story continues After citing the Trump administrations military responses in Iran and Syria as reasons why she believes the Talibanwho endorsed Trump for re-election because they felt he would quickly withdraw troopswould have respected our commander-in-chief, she claimed we do not have a commander-in-chief right now. Faulkner, meanwhile, noted that President Joe Biden was scheduled to speak to the public about the situation in Afghanistan later in the afternoon, wondering aloud if that changed McEnanys view at all. No! Too little, too late, McEnany exclaimed. McEnanys alternative history lesson on Afghanistan comes as the Republican Party itself just recently scrubbed a webpage that praised Trump for reaching a historic peace agreement with the Taliban. The statement also boasted that while Trump has championed peace, then-presidential candidate Biden had pushed endless wars. The page also claimed the former president had taken action to defeat ISIS and eliminate dangerous leaders. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's vaccine advisory committee updated its guidance on Monday to recommend that all children and adolescents aged 12-17 be given a COVID-19 vaccine, citing further safety data and increased risks posed by the more infectious Delta variant. The committee, known as STIKO, had previously recommended that only children and adolescents with pre-existing conditions be given a coronavirus vaccine. STIKO said its recommendation was based on new surveillance data from the vaccination programme in the United States, as well as mathematical modelling showing children were at significantly higher risk of infection by the Delta variant. "After careful evaluation of these new scientific observations and data, the STIKO has come to the conclusion that, according to the current state of knowledge, the advantages of vaccination outweigh the risk of very rare vaccination side effects," the committee said. (Reporting by Caroline Copley, editing by Thomas Escritt) BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany may need to evacuate as many as 10,000 people from Afghanistan, Chancellor Angela Merkel told party colleagues on Monday, according to party sources. That includes 2,500 Afghan support staff as well as human rights activists, lawyers and others whom the government sees being at risk if they remain in the country after the Taliban seized Kabul. She also said that Germany should cooperate with countries bordering Afghanistan to support those fleeing from the country now. "This topic will keep us busy for a very long time," she said, according to the party sources. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Thomas Escritt) Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., speaks at a news conference held by members of the House Freedom Caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 29, 2021, to complain about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. and masking policies. Andrew Harnik/AP Images GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert compared Biden's exit from Afghanistan to the US's withdrawal from Vietnam. Boebert, who's pushed for the US exit, suggested Biden left Afghan partners in the lurch. But Boebert vote against a bill last month that would increase the number of US immigration visas for Afghans. See more stories on Insider's business page. Many Republicans, including those who supported ending the US occupation of Afghanistan under former President Donald Trump, were quick to attack the Biden administration's withdrawal from the country as Taliban forces swiftly took control over the weekend. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, slammed the administration's exit in a series of tweets over the weekend and compared the military's evacuation of Americans from the embassy in Kabul to the US's rushed exit from Saigon as the North Vietnamese took over in 1975. "Joe Biden was in the Senate when America pulled out of Saigon in 1975," Boebert tweeted on Sunday alongside a photo of American military and civilians evacuating from Vietnam. "He didn't learn." By drawing a comparison with Saigon, Boebert, who's pushed to end the 20-year-long war, suggested that President Joe Biden's rapid exit left US partners in Afghanistan in the lurch. Many others have made a similar comparison, arguing that the US should have done more to help protect and evacuate Afghan civilians who've allied themselves with the US and many of whom are now targets for the Taliban. But last month, Boebert opposed increasing aid to Afghans who worked with the US military. The congresswoman was one of 16 House Republicans who voted against a bill introduced by her fellow Colorado representative, Democrat Jason Crow, to issue an additional 8,000 immigration visas to Afghans who helped the US military over the last two decades. The bill passed the House with 407 votes in favor and awaits a vote in the Senate. Story continues Crow criticized Boebert in his own tweet on Monday. "Wait a minute. A few weeks ago you were 1 of only 16 members of Congress who voted against my bill to expand and speed up the visa program to evacuate and save our Afghan partners," he wrote. He was responding to a tweet in which Boebert wrote: "Joe has a 48 year history of making bad decisions. Add this weekend's foreign policy decisions to the list." Boebert said she supports "keeping America's promises" to Afghan allies, but voted against Crow's bill because it wasn't fully vetted, was overly generous, didn't include stringent enough requirements for applicants, and didn't contain "sufficient anti-fraud measures." "I could not vote for Rep. Crow's bill because it did not go through the standard legislative process with a hearing, markup, or expert witness testimony," she said in a statement to Insider. "If it would have, perhaps we could have resolved serious issues, including the fact that it lowers the standards for people to qualify, so that Afghans who put their lives on the line in the war will see others placed ahead of them in line." Crow's "ALLIES Act" aims to increase the number of special immigration visas given to Afghans from 11,000 to 19,000 - expanding a program Congress originally created in 2008. Critics say the bureaucratic process for receiving an SIV is far too burdensom and slow. Obtaining an SIV currently involves a 14-step process handled by at least six US government agencies and takes, on average, three years, but some Afghans have been waiting for their applications to process for a decade. "For 20 years, Afghan interpreters, guides and other partners have served alongside U.S. forces, helping us complete our mission," Crow, an Afghanistan war veteran, told The Denver Post last month. "I may not be here today were it not for the bravery and sacrifice of the Afghan men and women who worked with me during my service." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. When the Biden administration announced it would keep US troops in Afghanistan past the May withdrawal deadline the Trump administration established, Boebert suggested the government should exit sooner. "We've been in Afghanistan for more than half my life," she tweeted. "We need to end the endless wars." In another tweet, the freshman congresswoman mocked the Biden administration's tagline by claiming, "The Taliban are the only people building back better." Biden, for his part, supported the US's full withdrawal from Vietnam in the 1975 and criticized "careless military involvement abroad." Read the original article on Business Insider Gunmen have killed three people at an agricultural college in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state and kidnapped 15 students among others, school officials and police said Monday, in the latest in a wave of mass abductions. Armed kidnappings for ransom now make almost daily headlines in Africa's most populous country, seven years after Boko Haram extremists shocked the world by taking 276 girls from Chibok. Schools targeted by criminal gangs in the north and centre of the West African country are usually in remote areas where students stay in dormitories with only watchmen for security. On Sunday at the College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Bakura, "unknown gunmen attacked the school around 10 pm (2100 GMT)," registrar Aminu Khalid Maradun told AFP. They killed a policeman and two security officers, "and abducted 20, including 15 students," he said. The five other abductees are staff and family members, he added. Another school official confirmed the attack. "The gunmen forced themselves into the school through the pedestrian gate and took away the hostages," Abdullahi Aminu, in charge of accommodation at the school, told AFP. "They killed three security personnel in a shootout." The official said the school received a phone call early Monday from the kidnappers, saying they were holding 20 hostages. Police said on Monday afternoon that 15 students were kidnapped in the attack but said only four staff were taken -- and three were later "rescued". "15 students and 4 staff were abducted by the bandits," local police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said in a statement, adding that police operatives rescued three staff while searching the area. The bandits were "heavily confronted" by security officers during the Sunday night attack, Shehu added, but a "police inspector" and two "civilian guards lost their lives." - 950 abducted since December - Story continues A recent school graduate, Usman Usman, also confirmed the incident. "I left the school on Sunday around 5:30 pm... This morning my friend called me and said that some bandits attacked the school in the night. They killed people and kidnapped many," said Usman, 22. The UN estimates that at least 950 students have been abducted across Nigeria since December. Most have been released after negotiations with local officials, although some are still being held. The latest mass abduction was in July, when gunmen kidnapped 121 students from the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna state. Heavily armed criminal gangs known locally as bandits have terrorised communities in the region for years. They usually attack villages to loot, kill and steal cattle. Military deployments and peace deals have failed to end the violence, and bandits who hide in camps in the Rugu forest straddling Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and Niger states continue to launch attacks. Since late last year, the gangs have increasingly targeted schools and colleges to squeeze out ransom cash. Bandits chase financial gain and have no known ideological leanings, but there has been growing concern among security experts and officials over potential ties with jihadists in the northeast of the country. Kidnappings are just one of the challenges facing Nigeria's security forces who are battling a grinding Islamist insurgency in the northeast and separatist tensions in parts of the south. abu-lhd/pvh Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, Global Atomic (TSE:GLO) shareholders have done very well over the last year, with the share price soaring by 265%. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt. So notwithstanding the buoyant share price, we think it's well worth asking whether Global Atomic's cash burn is too risky. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. Check out our latest analysis for Global Atomic When Might Global Atomic Run Out Of Money? A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. As at June 2021, Global Atomic had cash of CA$10m and such minimal debt that we can ignore it for the purposes of this analysis. In the last year, its cash burn was CA$8.8m. Therefore, from June 2021 it had roughly 14 months of cash runway. That's not too bad, but it's fair to say the end of the cash runway is in sight, unless cash burn reduces drastically. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. How Is Global Atomic's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Whilst it's great to see that Global Atomic has already begun generating revenue from operations, last year it only produced CA$868k, so we don't think it is generating significant revenue, at this point. Therefore, for the purposes of this analysis we'll focus on how the cash burn is tracking. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by a very significant 78%. Oftentimes, increased cash burn simply means a company is accelerating its business development, but one should always be mindful that this causes the cash runway to shrink. Global Atomic makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth. Story continues Can Global Atomic Raise More Cash Easily? While Global Atomic does have a solid cash runway, its cash burn trajectory may have some shareholders thinking ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Since it has a market capitalisation of CA$412m, Global Atomic's CA$8.8m in cash burn equates to about 2.1% of its market value. That means it could easily issue a few shares to fund more growth, and might well be in a position to borrow cheaply. Is Global Atomic's Cash Burn A Worry? On this analysis of Global Atomic's cash burn, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap was reassuring, while its increasing cash burn has us a bit worried. Cash burning companies are always on the riskier side of things, but after considering all of the factors discussed in this short piece, we're not too worried about its rate of cash burn. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 4 warning signs for Global Atomic you should be aware of, and 2 of them don't sit too well with us. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. ROME (Reuters) -A first plane carrying Italian diplomats and their Afghan assistants arrived in Rome from Kabul on Monday as Prime Minister Mario Draghi vowed all Afghan citizens who assisted Italy's mission in the country would be protected. Around 70 people were aboard the KC767 military aircraft that flew into Rome as part of a massive international airlift underway after the Taliban swept into the Afghan capital. Draghi said in a statement that Rome was working with its European partners to find a solution to the crisis in Afghanistan which would protect human rights, particularly those of women. "Italy's commitment is to protect the Afghan citizens who helped us in our mission," he said. The Italian ambassador to Kabul was on the flight along with roughly 20 Afghan citizens. One of them was Alif Uriake (phonetic spelling), a doctor, who called the situation he had fled in his country "a total disaster." "We have left thousands of people and families who risk their lives. ... I launch an appeal to all the community that these people we have left in Kabul are saved," he told reporters at Rome's Fiumicino airport. Domenico Frontoni, who works as a logistics advisor at an Italian agency for overseas cooperation, said he hoped to reunite soon with his former colleagues in Afghanistan. "Awful, it is just awful," he said. "Those of us in Afghanistan shared part of our lives (with the locals) and that remains in our hearts," he said. Thousands of civilians desperate to leave Afghanistan thronged Kabul airport on Monday and five people were killed in the chaos. The Italian foreign ministry has said it is planning other such flights, but has not given any details. "It's a desperate situation. ... We saw the fear in the faces of our colleagues, they were afraid they will be persecuted and badly treated or even, in the worst case, killed," said Pietro Del Sette, who also works at the Italian overseas cooperation agency. (Reporting by Giulia Segreti, Crispian Balmer, Gabriele Pileri and Angelo Amante; Editing by Gavin Jones and Jonathan Oatis) Jeff Bezos Joe Raedle/Getty Images Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will see NASA in court. The Amazon founder's space company filed a complaint against NASA in federal court on Monday, taking issue with the agency for awarding a $2.9 billion contract to SpaceX earlier this year, CNBC reports. "This bid protest challenges NASA's unlawful and improper evaluation of proposals," Blue Origin lawyers reportedly said in the court filing. NASA previously announced that Elon Musk's SpaceX had been selected for "development of the first commercial human lander that will safely carry the next two American astronauts to the lunar surface" in a nearly $3 billion contract. Originally, NASA pledged to offer more than one contract, CNN notes. In response to complaints from Blue Origin over the decision, the Government Accountability Office said in July that NASA "did not violate procurement law or regulation when it decided to make only one award," noting that the agency concluded "it only had sufficient funding" for one. But Blue Origin said it filed its lawsuit to "remedy" alleged "flaws in the acquisition process," per Axios, adding, "We firmly believe that the issues identified in this procurement and its outcomes must be addressed to restore fairness, create competition, and ensure a safe return to the Moon for America." This lawsuit, The Verge wrote, could potentially result in a "new lengthy delay to NASA's race to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024." You may also like Actor suspected of participating in Capitol attack arrested in California How sociology shows 'policy makers have been looking at vaccine refusal all wrong' For the 1st time, federal government declares Colorado River water shortage WASHINGTON The image is hauntingly familiar: an American helicopter above an abandoned building in a war-torn capital as terrified citizens beg to be flown to safety. It was Kabul on Sunday as President Joe Biden ended the Afghanistan war and Saigon in 1975 at the close of the Vietnam War. As photographs and video from Kabul race across the globe, more than a few lawmakers and foreign policy analysts began talking about "Biden's Saigon" images of defeat that will haunt the president as he pursues a foreign policy based on the notion that "America is Back." "This is Joe Bidens Saigon," said Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., chair of the House Republican Conference. "A disastrous failure on the international stage that will never be forgotten." Republicans weren't the only people to see parallels: It does feel like the fall of Saigon today," Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., told MSNBC. "Im not going to lie. Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected the comparison in a series of talk show appearances "this is manifestly not Saigon," he said on ABC's "This Week" and argued that the United States has done its duty over two decades in Afghanistan. "Remaining in Afghanistan for another one, five, 10 years is not in the national interest," Blinken said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." More: After two decades and billions spent, Afghan government collapses as Taliban takes Kabul More: Biden sends 5,000 troops to Afghanistan as the Taliban captures key northern city More: Defense secretaries in their own words: US 'invented reasons' to stay in Afghanistan Some analysts said that what's happening in Afghanistan is far worse than what happened in Vietnam. Its an absolute unmitigated disaster for our counterterrorism efforts, said Brett Bruen, who was director of global engagement in President Barack Obama's White House. Story continues Bruen said the withdrawal is "setting us back over two decades, into a position where you will see in the coming months increasing threats and, I fear, increasing attacks by extremist groups who are emboldened from what has taken place in Afghanistan. Kabul in 2021, Saigon in 1975 It's one of the most famous photos of the Vietnam era: A snapshot on April 29, 1975, of people on a rooftop in Saigon, lining up to board a U.S. chopper as the North Vietnamese prepared to roll into the city. That image hung over Biden officials for days as they constantly updated plans this month to evacuate U.S. Embassy personnel and local allies from Kabul. Biden himself made reference to Saigon on July 8, saying the final withdrawal in Afghanistan would be much smoother: "There's going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a embassy in the of the United States from Afghanistan. It is not at all comparable." On Sunday, users flooded social media with photos of a U.S. chopper in Kabul. Critics said the fall of Saigon ushered in an era of foreign policy isolation for the United States. Allies came to doubt U.S. resolve in the Cold War, although it would be the Soviet Union that fell apart by the end of 1991. A "Vietnam syndrome" permeated angry American debates over the use of military force, even as the United States acted to expel Saddam Hussein and his Iraqi army from Kuwait in 1991. Of course, the U.S. also led an invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11, and it invaded Iraq in 2003 to depose Hussein. Both operations produced long-term costs that now include the Saigon-like evacuation from Kabul. "Our foreign adversaries are emboldened, that being Russia, China, Iran," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Biden administration rejects Saigon comparisons Biden's advisers said staying in Afghanistan would have kept the United States in the middle of a civil war and Biden made the "hard decision" to end America's role there, despite warnings of the Taliban's resurgence. In rejecting the Saigon comparison, Blinken told CNN the United States long ago accomplished the mission it set out to do in Afghanistan: rout al-Qaida, the terrorist group that attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, from its haven in Afghanistan. Biden and his advisers have repeatedly said the Afghan security forces backed up by more than $80 billion in U.S.-funded training and equipment were better positioned militarily than the Taliban. On Sunday, however, Blinken said the Afghan military apparently lacked the will to take on the insurgents. Unfortunately, tragically, they have not been able to defend the country," Blinken said. "And I think that explains why this has moved as quickly as it's moved. A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Helicopters are landing at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles leave the compound amid the Taliban advanced on the Afghan capital. Torek Farhadi, a former adviser to the Afghan government, said many of the estimated 300,000 soldiers were on paper only. He said the U.S. effort to train the Afghan security forces like so many other American endeavors there was rife with corruption and failure. America funded schools that never materialized and paid soldiers who turned out to be ghosts, he said. People felt more and more disenfranchised to such a degree that now the Taliban walk into some provinces without a shot being fired. "Afghans arent rising up against the Taliban because the U.S.-backed Afghan government has not improved their lives. Vietnam and Afghanistan To be sure, there are major differences between the withdrawals in Afghanistan and Vietnam. The evacuation from Saigon took place more than two years after the signing of peace accords that ended American combat operations in Vietnam and led to the withdrawal of U.S. military forces. The removal of personnel from Kabul took place as the United States was preparing to leave the country ahead of an Aug. 31 timeline Biden had set. More: A timeline of the US withdrawal and Taliban recapture of Afghanistan More: US Embassy in Kabul instructs Americans to 'shelter in place' amid reports of gunfire at airport In 1975, President Gerald Ford and his administration took heat for not authorizing the American evacuation from Saigon quickly enough as the North Vietnamese approached the capital they would rename Ho Chi Minh City. Biden and his aides are being criticized for underestimating the Taliban. Intelligence estimates which catastrophically were faulty predicted it would take months for the militant group to reach Kabul. But the Taliban's rapid advance forced the administration to scramble to get people out. Politically, Ford did not suffer much for the failures in Vietnam. After all, direct U.S. involvement in the war had ended in 1973. Ford, who took office when Nixon resigned in August 1974 over the Watergate scandal, faced a poor economy and other challenges when he lost the 1976 presidential race to Democrat Jimmy Carter. (The Congress of those years included a first-term senator from Delaware named Joe Biden.) The political repercussions for the current president of today's chaotic exit remain to be seen. Human rights activists urged the administration to evacuate Afghan allies who served with U.S. forces. If President Biden hoped to avoid a reprise of the fall of Saigon, his administrations approach to evacuation is failing miserably, said Jennifer Quigley, senior director for government affairs at the nonpartisan international organization Human Rights First. Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War, drew parallels to the American defeat there. U.S. leaders in both countries failed to understand the historic and cultural context in which they operated, he said, and sought to remake the government and military in the American image. "I was in one of those wars in Vietnam," Hagel said. "We stayed too long there. And we stayed too long in Afghanistan. We just took over everything. We took over their economic structure, certainly their security and military." 'Vietnam on steroids' Bruen, the Obama administration's director of global engagement, said whats happening in Afghanistan is far worse than what happened five decades ago. This is Vietnam on steroids, he said. Biden was fixated on the symbolism of pulling our people out. He lost sight of the fact that the Afghans weren't ready and that our people weren't ready to pull up the stakes. Bruen blames what he believes is a national security team that is too insular, saying it failed to heed warnings about the Taliban's plans to retake the country. They are, unfortunately, far too arrogant and not adapting to conditions on the ground, including in Afghanistan, he said. Marine Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, top commander for U.S. operations in the Middle East, told a Senate committee in April that he was concerned about the ability of the Afghan military to hold on after we leave. But Biden, in early July, was defensive when reporters pressed him on the likelihood that the Afghan government would collapse. Is a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan inevitable? Biden was asked. No, it is not, he said. Hadnt his own intelligence community made that conclusion? That is not true, he said. Did he see any parallels between the withdrawal and what happened in Vietnam? None whatsoever. Zero, Biden said. The Taliban is not the North Vietnamese Army. Theyre not remotely comparable in terms of capability." Daniel Davis, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army who served two combat tours in Afghanistan, said he is perplexed by what he said was a refusal by the administration to concede reality. This is worse than Saigon, said Davis, who believes the U.S. should have withdrawn its forces years ago. In Afghanistan, he said, we didn't even get the military out, and Taliban fighters have taken control of the capital. "You just can't sugarcoat this, and you just can't cover it up. I mean, it's blatantly there for anyone to see, he said. Davis said the Biden administrations failure to anticipate the Talibans swift takeover of Afghanistan "they were completely taken off guard by this" serves as an exclamation point on two decades of U.S. miscalculations in the war under four presidents. There's got to be a reckoning here, because this has just exposed 20 years of lying, he said. Failures stretch back decades Rosa Brooks, a Defense Department official in the Obama administration, tweeted in a long thread on Sunday that the Kabul withdrawal "almost certainly" could have been handled better. "But," she added, "Biden is not wrong to think that whatever we did was probably just postponing the inevitable, at continued cost to the US. Like Davis, she argued that the U.S. failures in Afghanistan stretch back two decades and are rooted in years of American cynicism, stinginess and self-delusion. For 20 years, US military leaders pretended the Afghan military they were supposed to be building was far more capable and cohesive than they knew it to be, wrote Brooks, who now teaches national security and international law at Georgetown University. She added: "And US civilian leaders pretended to believe them, because it would have been too embarrassing for everyone to admit that we were screwing it up. Harry J. Kazianis, senior director at the nonpartisan Center for the National Interest, said Biden does not bear the entire blame for Afghanistans rapid collapse. But criticism is justified for the haphazard way in which U.S. forces left Afghanistan with very little thought to what happens after to the population we spent nearly two decades defending. The collapse of Afghanistan will always be a stain on the Joe Biden presidency, Kazianis said, one that he will find nearly impossible to wash away. Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Images from Kabul draw comparisons to US exit from Saigon in 1975 PARIS (Reuters) -Islamist militants will seek to benefit from the turmoil in Afghanistan, said French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, adding that France would do all it could to ensure Russia, the United States and Europe responded with a common purpose. Afghan cities fell in just days and on Monday civilians thronged Kabul's international airport after President Ashraf Ghani fled, saying he wanted to avoid a bloodbath, and the Taliban seized the capital. "Afghanistan must not become the haven for terrorists that it once was," Macron said in a national address. "It is a challenge for peace and international stability, against a common enemy. We will do everything we can so that Russia, the United States and Europe can cooperate efficiently, because our interests are the same. "The United Nations' security council will have to come up with a common and united answer." There was a risk that a wave of migrants would sweep towards Europe, Macron said. France would continue to protect the most vulnerable and would play its part in an organised and fair international effort to share the burden, he added. France, Germany and some other European countries would take the initiative to build a "robust, united, and coordinated response" with the help of transit countries, Macron said. (Reporting by Richard Lough, Writing by Benoit Van Overstraeten, Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Alex Richardson) Greene claimed Joe Biden should be impeached for his handling of the Afghan withdrawal (Real Americas Voice) Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed the Biden administration was handing over weapons to the Taliban, and bizarrely suggested this should bolster Americans Second Amendment rights. In a conspiracy theory-laden interview with Donald Trumps former strategist Steve Bannon, Ms Greene laid out her thoughts on the security nightmare unfolding in Afghanistan. She appeared to suggest that the US had gifted military hardware to the Taliban through its support of the Afghan Government. I wouldnt be surprised at all if [the Biden administration] are paying the Taliban, Ms Greene said. After all, they are paying them with weapons, vehicles, Blackhawk helicopters because the Afghan army is handing them over as fast as possible. The Georgia congresswoman said the Democrats had bungled the withdrawal, and that gave Americans the right to resist any effort to restrict ownership of assault weapons. Anytime any Democrat ever speaks to America about gun control again, and they want to talk to you about your AR-15, you tell them right now how many weapons and how many semi-automatic weapons did you hand over to terrorists in Afghanistan, to the Taliban, ISIS and possible Al-Qaeda before you ever talk to Americans about gun control, she told Mr Bannons Real Americas Voice podcast. In its haste to depart, US forces left behind thousands of vehicles, buildings and weapons behind, having spent billions of dollars propping up Afghan forces. Expectations among US military commanders were that the Afghan forces would use the weaponry to mount a meaningful resistance against the Taliban. Ms Greene went on to say her team was writing up articles of impeachment to try to remove President Joe Biden from office over his handling of the crisis. Because Im so disgusted with Joe Biden. You know Ive already filed one set of articles of impeachment. But his failure as a president is unspeakable. President Trump right now is more presidential and hes not even in the White House than Joe Biden can ever be or stand up to in the past seven months, she said. Story continues Mr Trump also tried to apportion blame for the chaotic Afghan withdrawal on his successor. The former president claimed the USs withdrawal was the most embarrassing military outcome in the history of the United States. However, Mr Trump set the terms and timing for the withdrawal in an agreement reached with the Taliban while he was still in office. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast Mary Trumps first book Too Much And Never Enough sold millions of copies worldwide and put Trumps niece on the map as both a hero of the liberal resistance and a key enemy of the MAGA movement. Now shes back with her second book, titled The Reckoning: Our Nations Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal, in which she examines the state of the country after living through four years of the Trump administration. Never write a book about trauma while you are being actually traumatized, the Trump niece said in a wide-ranging chat with The Daily Beast in which she discussed life after Trump, her feud with Meghan McCain (whom she described as awful and a coward), the medias double standard in its coverage of Andrew Cuomos and her uncles sexual-misconduct scandals, and the fallout from having secretly recorded her aunt Maryanne Trump. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity. THE DAILY BEAST: This book is somewhat different from your first book Too Much and Never Enough. Youve widened the lens from the patientyour uncle Donaldthat you were examining in the first book to a wider look at things. Why did you want to do that? TRUMP: I started thinking about writing this book back in September/October, when it became really clear that the last administration wasnt going to do anything to stop the spread of COVID and was going to worsen the fallout. And it was also really close to the election and as I was writing my book proposal, I realized that I had to sort of like a choose your own adventure. Things were really up in the air. Just the fact that Donald had a 0.01 percent chance of staying in office was terrifying. What I didnt tell publishers was if Biden had lost, I would be disappearing to some undisclosed location in the Caribbean. So then I broadened my focus away from the fallout of COVID, from a mental health perspective, because how am I going to speak to that in a way thats helpful? I cant write 330 million individual treatment plans. So it really then came down to How did we get here? Seriously, what happened that made this country so vulnerable to people like him, Donald, and to a political party that has done nothing over the last 40 years but convince people to vote against their own self interests? Story continues And very much like the first book, I found these through lines that helped make sense of how this is all unfolded, and why were still in a lot of trouble. The book argues the U.S. is suffering a national trauma, that the country is literally and metaphorically on firethats how you write it. And we have seen that manifest in rising levels of racism and domestic terrorism, even an advance of fascism. Can this country heal? It seems bitterly divided following your uncles presidency. That depends in large part on two things. Are the Democrats going to understand just how serious this is? Are the Democrats in the media going to start using words accurately? Fascism is not an overstatement. Its not melodramatic. Its not to stir stuff up. Its an accurate description of whats going on with the Republican Party right now... Republicans run around all the time calling us communists, socialists, Marxists. And nobody asked them to explain how we are. I can explain [how they are fascists] exactly. Many, many people who know more or less a lot more about this stuff than I do can explain why thats a legitimate label to hang on them. And the Democrats arentby playing politics, by being polite, by pretending the bipartisanship still exists, by pretending that theres a rulebook anymore. They are doing a huge disservice to the American people, because honestlyand I mean, Im not calling out the Democrats, like its their fault. Its not. Its pretty much down to the Republicans at this point. I think that were literally on the brink of the end of American democracy to the extent that it's ever existed, but [the Democrats] are the only people who can do anything about it. So if they keep pulling punches by pretending that the filibuster is a good thing, or that the Republicans are interested in governance of any kind, then its over. Revealed: The Family Member Who Turned on Trump When we think about Trump, some people actually dont really see him as strong, perhaps they connect somehow to his weakness, which is covered up by bravadothats why they get so emotional about him, its almost a sense of protectiveness. How do you sever the emotional ties people have to him? The first step is understanding that its notand Ive struggled with this, tooits not that they admire things in him that we just cant see, but would admire if we could find them. There's nothing to admire in him from my perspective. The things they admired in him are things I revile: his mendacity, his willingness to cheat. One of the things they most admire about him is the fact that he gets away with everything. And they identify with his weakness. This is a weak man who has still managedI dont like to use the word accomplished, because he has cheated at every turn and been enabled at every turnbut he got away with it. And I think people love it. They also love his cruelty. So I don't know. The problem is that at the beginning, it would probably have been like 22 to 25 percent of the population. But the disease metastasized when the Republicans controlled everything from 17 to 19. So its more people now. I think the only way to do it, short of having families send them for deprogramming, is for the Democrats and the Biden administration to make it possible to govern and to demonstrate to people that government's not the problem. The problem is people in government who want to undermine its ability to be effective, because, you know, people have been convinced that the government is some hostile alien force. You write in the book about Donald returning to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after he had COVID, and that really struck me, because you said you recognize the facial expressions that he put on from your grandmother. You wrote that he was Doing his best Mussolini imitation, he took off his mask in a macho display of invulnerability. He clenched his teeth and jetted out his jaw just as my grandmother did when she was baiting back anger or clamping down on her pain. In Donald, I saw the latter. Why do you think it was so important to him at that moment, when he was clearly gasping for air, not to admit to the American people that he's in pain? Pain, experiencing pain, is expressing weakness. And that to me is probably the best demonstration of my grandfathers sociopathy. You can make some allowances because of the way things were culturally back then, for thinking an alcoholic is weak. That was it for decades, its like youre an alcoholic, youre weak-willed or you're lacking in moral fiber. But physical pain, physical illness that was beyond the pale, too A lot of stuff with Donald happens unconsciously. But for him to be in a situation that mirrored a situation hes seen his mother and his brother in considering how weak the family considered [them] must have been mortifying, and it meant that he had to counteract any perception of weakness with some grandiose display. He also walked up the stairs, which was probably really painful. I have asthma, I know what it looks like when somebody is having trouble breathing. I know what its like to have to do something physical. Its agony. So that whole thing just showed the depth of the desperation and the pathological fear of being seen as weak. And how fucked up it is. Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned last week over allegations from at least 11 women that he engaged in unwanted groping, kissing, or making inappropriate comments. Your uncle faced allegations of sexual harassment and assault from at least 26 women and didnt miss a beat. Why do you think there is this double standard? The New York Times never asked for Donalds resignation under any circumstances. And he basically tried to overthrow the frickin government. I mean, I think the double standard exists partially because of the media. You know its insane that the paper of record did not see fit at any point along the way to call for his resignation. But Cuomo, yes, must resign immediately. Hes horrible. But I think Donalds worse, hes killed a lot more people. So the double standard is because the Republicans accept that the Republicansand again, I think theres this, you know, identifying with the aggressor, identifying with the perpetrator kind of reminds me of the Catholic Church. How can you allow these people to keep getting away with it if you dont, on some level, identify with them? You touched on the media there. What responsibility do journalists like myself or those at The New York Times or CNN have for the rise of Trump? You cant say across the board, of course, but it often seems like the more powerful outlets are often the most wrong, and often the most on the most wrong side of things. Like, the Times and Iraq, the Times and the Pentagon Papersyou know, its mostly just the Times. Kidding. But even cable news: how long did it take MSNBC, CNN, broadcast news, to call a lie a lie and to call racism racism? Im going to have great grandchildren before they start using the word fascism, even though its perfectly applicable and its their responsibility to explain why. I think its intimidation from the right, but its also because, and I dont know when this happened, because Im not an expert in media, but sometime in the last few decades, being fair meant giving both sides equal time, no matter how much one side might be lying If youre letting insurrectionists on the Sunday shows to deny that there was an insurrection, what purpose does that serve? How is that constructive? And how does that help the American people make sense of things? It doesnt. Mary Trump Free to Dish on Her Family and Tell-All Book, Judge Rules In your first book there was a lot of material that relied on recordings that have since come to lightrecordings you surreptitiously made of your aunt Maryanne Trump Barry. Have you spoken to any member of the family since then? Sorry, sorry Maryanne [laughing]. I was on the Upper East Side, she lives up there. I was blocks from her. I was like, Huh, I think Ill go stop by and say hello. They would never have me. Im suing them, too, so thats a no-no. But part of me, if I ever have the chance to see her I would say, Come on, were all playing the same game here. Did you seriously think that I could keep letting this go? When nobody else was doing anything about it? And you had the power to do something and you did it? And did you seriously think I was just gonna let you keep getting away with having stolen my money? Come on! Do you think Donald will face criminal prosecution? He should. I mean he needs to. The problem is, its like the least bad thing he's done. He's directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. We are going to be over a million [deaths from COVID]. Why is he not in leg irons and an orange jumpsuit in The Hague? If he gets away with that, if he gets away with trying to overthrow the government in a violent insurrection by inciting it, then we will have to be satisfied with financial crimes and if hes not actually charged, and goes to trial, and convictedbecause this country seems really incapable of doing that kind of thingthen we might have to settle for his being impoverished, which would be lovely. But its not enough. And it sets yet another horrific precedent. And then you get somebody like Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, getting in there and being smarter and just having learned from Donald. The one thing, I think, that he brought to the tablethe only thing probablywas the strategy of pushing the envelope and not caring about lying and not caring about the decorum and not caring about institutions. You get somebody like Hawley, Cruz, whatever, its over. Do you think he will run again in 2024? When I was asked this question back in November/December, I would have said absolutely not. Because he got so humiliated by his massive loss to Joe Biden. Notice how Im emphasizing just the historically enormous failure of his, and how much of a loser he is. He never would have put himself in a position like that. Again, I wasnt anticipating that the Republicans were going to let him spread the Big Liespreading it for him, pretending that the insurrection was a good thing. I didnt anticipate that we would be looking at hundreds of voter suppression bills that are being pushed through. So because Donalds a coward whos never won anything legitimately in his life, if he gets the message that if you run, youre guaranteed to winwhich I think is what happened in 2016why wouldnt he? What do you think he was saying in the White House last summer when your first book hit and the revelations started pouring out in The Daily Beast and other outlets? I mean, maybe one of the first things he said was Mary, who? [laughs] because hes Donald. I'm pretty sure he remembers who I am, or even at the time remembered who I was. His first thought was probably how ungrateful I am. And how disloyal I am. Because in his mind hes always done everything for everybody. And he deserves their undying loyalty. I'm sure he was quite angry about it. When all this blew up last summer, how were you dealing with all the attention? How did you deal with threats on social media? I think you hired security and took other precautions, for example. Can you tell me a bit about that? Probably the only good thing about COVID is that it kept everybody inside. So I wasn't really out in the world dealing with anything. The reason I took security was because I know my family are very vicious people. What they did is they sued me, however I was not so sanguine about his followers. And I didnt know what was going to happen. So I got security around the clock. And after a month, I mean, I had it until my daughter went back to school, and I made sure everything was OK at school. I had one death threat, it was fairly serious one, but it was only one and it got cleared up pretty quickly. Why did Meghan McCain seem to avoid appearing on The View whenever you were booked on the program? I think shes just really kind and wanted to help me sell more books. [Laughs]. No, thats not it. I think shes a coward. And shes afraid of people who are not only willing but able to call her out. Im pretty sure she probably remembers our first meeting. It was the first time in an interview somebody had been rude to me, and pushed back. And thats great for me, that really helps me be sharper. And it was also sort of a confidence booster because I realized that I can do that. I can deal with stuff like that. I literally cant remember the last time somebody was that disrespectful to me. I've done nothing to her. And I just thought Im going to eviscerate her somehow. And then I find out shes not going to be on my segment even though Id spoken to her producer for like half an hour. I thought I needed to find a way to drag her into this. Because, you know, she's awful. I mean, shes just a nonentity. If your father, Fred Jr., was still around, what do you think he would say about his brother Donald? I think my dad would say No kidding. This is exactly who this person is and has been since he was a child. I think it would make him really sad. But it wouldnt surprise him. I think somehow I intuited that because thats how I felt. It didnt surprise me, but wow, its heartbreaking that it got this far. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Employees' mental health is quickly becoming a top concern for companies as they try to hold on to workers through the pandemic. Why it matters: The firms that confront mental health are poised to win the war for talent. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. "These days there are worker shortages everywhere," says Chris Swift, CEO of The Hartford, a financial services and insurance company. Mental health is a massive contributor to that, he says. What's happening: The pandemic has dragged on, and people are dealing with even more loss and isolation at the same time that America's opioid crisis has gotten worse. Burnout and addiction are seeping into the workplace. Despite the fact that we've gotten used to pandemic-era living, workplace burnout is rising. 44% of workers say they feel fatigued on the job, up from 34% in 2020, per a study conducted by the human resources consulting firm Robert Half. Drug overdose deaths spiked 30% in 2020 to nearly 100,000 and the bulk were opioid overdoses, Bloomberg reports. The deaths and drug addictions are contributing to the overall worker shortage. It's harming workplaces. A whopping 52% of U.S. employers say they are experiencing significant workplace issues with substance misuse or addiction by employees, according to a new survey from The Hartford. That's up from 36% in March 2020. 31% of U.S. employers say workforce mental health is having a severe or significant financial impact on the company, up from just 20% in March 2020. Employers can help by providing resources, like mental health days and online therapy sessions. But middle managers must also play a key role, experts say. Managers should regularly check in with workers and should themselves be responsible for fostering an environment in which workers feel comfortable discussing personal problems, Kelly Greenwood and Natasha Krol of the workplace mental health advocacy nonprofit Mind Share Partners write in the Harvard Business Review. But, but, but: Helping workers is not so simple. 72% of U.S. employers say stigmas associated with mental health and addiction are keeping workers from seeking help, per The Hartford's study. The more we talk about it, the faster the stigma goes away, Swift says. Story continues What's next: As workforces transition to remote or hybrid, it'll be even more essential for managers to check in on employees' mental health, says Bryan Hancock, who leads McKinsey's global talent practice. Without chance encounters at the water cooler, we can slip into the habit of only discussing work matters with colleagues. Managers will have to explicitly schedule time with their workers to ask how they're doing. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free By Andreas Rinke BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Monday that Afghans fleeing from the Taliban to neighbouring countries could make their way to Europe, in a repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis, if they don't get sufficient humanitarian assistance. Speaking to reporters after talks with ministers on plans to evacuate thousands of Afghans for whom Germany has responsibility, Merkel said the fall of Kabul to Taliban insurgents was a bitter development. "Since the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan we have had to watch the Taliban, with breathtaking speed, province for province, town for town, reconquer the entire country," she said. "This is an absolutely bitter development: Bitter, dramatic and awful, especially for the people in Afghanistan." Germany opened its borders six years ago to more than 1 million migrants, mainly Syrians and Iraqis, fleeing war and poverty - a bold move that won Merkel plaudits abroad but which proved controversial at home and eroded her party's standing. "We need to make sure that the many people who have big worries and concerns, even though they have not worked with German institutions, have a secure stay in countries neighbouring Afghanistan," Merkel said. "We should not repeat the mistake of the past when we did not give enough funds to UNHCR and other aid programmes and people left Jordan and Lebanon towards Europe." Cuts to international funding were blamed as one of the factors that prompted the exodus of Syrian refugees from camps in Lebanon and Jordan in 2015. Merkel, in power since 2005, plans to stand down after Germany's Sept. 26 federal election. Armin Laschet, the chancellor candidate of the Christian Democrat (CDU) party who will most likely succeed Merkel, said Afghanistan was NATO's biggest fiasco since it was formed. AIR BRIDGE Merkel had earlier told a closed meeting of the CDU that those needing evacuation included 2,500 Afghan support staff as well as human rights activists, lawyers and others whom the government sees as being at risk if they remained in the country, up to 10,000 altogether. Story continues Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Germany was seeking to evacuate as many people at risk as it could, adding that NATO allies had misjudged the situation when they thought Afghan government forces could hold back the Taliban unaided. "We want to get as many people out of the country as quickly as possible," Maas told reporters outside the Foreign Ministry, in remarks echoed by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz. Scholz, who like Maas is of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, said: "The goal is an air bridge to save as many people as possible. The international community must now stand together to support neighbouring countries of Afghanistan. A large refugee movement will begin soon." (Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr and Michael Nienaber, writing by Thomas Escritt, Caroline Copley and Paul Carrel; Editing by Alex Richardson and Philippa Fletcher) National security adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday denied the swift Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was a "worst-case scenario" as U.S. forces scramble to evacuate embassy personnel and others from the embattled nation. Taliban leaders stormed the presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday as the group swept through much of the country, despite assurances from President Joe Biden and others that the Afghan National Army, which was trained and equipped by U.S. military authorities, would be able to handle itself if an attempted coup took place. Chaos has since ensued at Kabul's airport as thousands rushed to U.S. planes in desperation. When pressed on the events, Sullivan claimed that "adding back" a number of troops to the country would be worse than what is already unfolding. US OFFICIALS TEMPORARILY HALT EVACUATIONS AT KABUL AIRPORT AS AFGHAN CITIZENS FLOOD TARMAC Actually Savannah, I think the worst-case scenario for the United States would be a circumstance in which we were adding back in thousands and thousands of troops to fight and die in a civil war in Afghanistan when the Afghan army wasnt prepared to fight in it itself," he told NBC's Today host Savannah Guthrie. That was the alternative choice Joe Biden faced, and what weve learned over the course of the past two weeks is that if we had stayed one more year or two more years or five more years or 10 more years, no amount of training, equipping, or money or lives lost by the United States was going to put the Afghan army in a position to be able to sustain that country on its own," he added. Guthrie lashed out against Sullivan after she aired a clip of Biden from July 8 in which he indicated there would be "no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from Afghanistan." Recently released images from the country showed those exact events playing out. Mr. Sullivan, friends and foes alike are calling this withdrawal a fiasco, a debacle, and it is one that apparently the administration did not fully appreciate or see coming," she said. Story continues How do you explain getting this so wrong?" the host asked. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Savannah, to be fair, the helicopter has been the mode of transport from our embassy to the airport for the last 20 years," Sullivan responded. Guthrie fired back, But you know the larger point is not the helicopter ... not the mechanism. Its the last minute scramble. Sullivan then admitted: It is certainly the case that the speed with which cities fell was much greater than anyone anticipated, including the Afghans, including many of the analysts who looked hard at this problem. The national security adviser indicated that the fall of Afghanistan into the hands of the Taliban was not inevitable as he railed against the Afghan army's lack of "will" to push back against the violent group. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER It was not inevitable," he said. "There was the capacity to stand up and resist. The capacity didnt happen. The national security adviser later told Good Morning America that Biden would be addressing the nation on the matter "soon" as criticism mounts over his public absence. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Jake Sullivan, Afghanistan, Taliban, Military, Joe Biden, Biden Administration Original Author: Jake Dima Original Location: National security adviser Jake Sullivan denies Taliban takeover in Afghanistan is 'worst-case scenario' A photo uploaded to Twitter by the White House on Sunday, featuring President Joe Biden meeting virtually with intelligence officials, has many on social media asking questions about the security or accuracy of the photo. Amid the growing crisis in Afghanistan, Biden met with Vice President Kamala Harris, CIA officials, and Doha Station, who were all photographed on the video call, though the names of the officials were not visible in the image. There were no security concerns regarding anyone in the photograph, a United States official familiar with the call told the Washington Examiner. "This morning, the President and Vice President met with their national security team and senior officials to hear updates on the draw down of our civilian personnel in Afghanistan, evacuations of SIV applicants and other Afghan allies, and the ongoing security situation in Kabul," the White House captioned the photo. BIDEN TO RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO ADDRESS NATION AMID AFGHANISTAN COLLAPSE This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Former CIA Clandestine Service member John Sipher responded to the post, saying, "I hope none of those people on the screen are under cover." Several other users commented with similar responses, while some dismissed the claims, arguing that the photo would not have been posted if it were outing undercover individuals. Twitter users also questioned why a clock time depicted in the White House's image showed incorrect times. The photo shows the time in London as 4:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m. in Moscow, though there is only a two-hour time difference between the cities after the clocks went forward for the United Kingdom in March. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ON THE AFGHANISTAN CRISIS "Time difference between London and Moscow is only 2 hours, it hasnt been 3 hours since March ," Boris Epshteyn, a strategic adviser for former President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign, said. Some users dismissed the inconsistency with the time, suggesting the photo might have been a stock image to convey the seriousness of the administration's efforts to confront the situation in Afghanistan. Others said the error might have been a simple mistake caused by failure to change the clock times. Story continues This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Biden is expected to address the nation on Monday afternoon regarding the military withdrawal and evacuation efforts in his first public address since last week, amid the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan that was cemented over the weekend. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Joe Biden, National Security, United States, Presidents, Donald Trump, Taliban, Afghanistan Original Author: Kaelan Deese Original Location: Photo of Biden in national security meeting raises accuracy and security questions WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's ambassador to Israel has been recalled until further notice, the foreign ministry said on Monday, in a further sign of the deteriorating relations between the countries after Warsaw introduced a law affecting World War Two property restitution. On Saturday, Poland's president signed a bill that would set limits on the ability of Jews to recover property seized by Nazi German occupiers and retained by post-war communist rulers, bringing into law regulations that Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid branded "anti-Semitic and immoral". Lapid said the head of Israel's embassy in Warsaw was being called back immediately. "In response to the recent unjustified actions of the State of Israel... the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that the Polish Ambassador to Israel will remain in the country (Poland) until further notice," the foreign ministry said in a statement. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he had decided to provide safe transport back to Poland for the children of Ambassador Marek Magierowski, amid what he called "an increased hatred of Poland and Poles" in Israel. In response to a request for comment, the Israeli foreign ministry sent a statement from Lapid originally released on Sunday in which he said, "We do not fear anti-semitic threats, and have no intention of turning a blind eye to the shameful conduct of the anti-democratic Polish government." Before World War Two, Poland had been home to one of the world's biggest Jewish communities, but it was almost entirely wiped out by the Nazi Germans. Jewish former property owners and their descendants have been campaigning for compensation. Up to now, Jewish expatriates or their descendants could make a claim that a property had been seized illegally and demand its return, but Polish officials argued this was causing uncertainty over property ownership. Story continues In 2015 Poland's Constitutional Tribunal ruled there should be specific deadlines after which administrative decisions over property titles could no longer be challenged. Changes to the law were adopted by the Polish parliament last week. The bill sets a 30-year limit for restitution claims. (Reporting by Alan Charlish in Warsaw and Rami Ayyub in Tel Aviv; editing by Jonathan Oatis) WARSAW (Reuters) - An appeals court ruled on Monday that two historians accused of tarnishing the memory of a Polish villager in a book about the Holocaust need not apologise, overturning a lower court ruling that raised fears about freedom of academic research. In February, a Warsaw court ruled that Barbara Engelking and Jan Grabowski, editors of "Night without end: The Fate of Jews in Selected Counties of Occupied Poland", must apologise for saying villager Edward Malinowski gave up Jews to the Nazi Germans. Some academics said at the time that the ruling could deter impartial research into Poles' actions during World War Two. Grabowski told Reuters that Monday's ruling was "a huge thing not only for myself and my colleagues, but for the entire profession of humanities here". Poland's ruling nationalists say studies showing complicity by some Poles in the killing of Jews by Nazi Germany are an attempt to dishonour a country that suffered immensely during the war. The case had been brought by Malinowski's niece, Filomena Leszczynska, and funded by the Polish League Against Defamation, which opposes allegations of Polish involvement in the murder of Jews. The appeals court judge dismissed her claims against the historians, underlining the importance of freedom of academic research and the need to avoid a chilling effect that could stop further studies. "This is of particular importance in matters that constitute an important element of public debate, raising important social issues regarding the history of a given state and nation," the judge said. The head of the Polish League Against Defamation, Maciej Swirski, wrote on Twitter that Leszczynska planned to "fight on" and file an extraordinary appeal to the Supreme Court. Poland's 3.2 million Jewish population was the largest in Europe at the start of World War Two. Almost all were killed during the war, many of them in death camps, and a further 3 million non-Jewish citizens also died under Poland's Nazi occupation. A significant body of research suggests that, while thousands of Poles risked their lives to help Jews, thousands also participated in the Holocaust. Many Poles do not accept such findings. (Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk and Alan Charlish; Editing by Timothy Heritage) WASHINGTON President Joe Biden said Monday he made the right call to pull American troops out of Afghanistan even though he said the Taliban's swift seizure of Kabul unfolded faster than expected. "I stand squarely behind my decision," Biden said during a speech at the White House. Biden said Afghan officials including former President Ashraf Ghani had assured him Afghan forces would fight the insurgents. The truth is, this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated, Biden said. Without specifying any particular mistakes that were made, Biden said the withdrawal process has been "hard and messy and yes, far from perfect." But Biden emphasized he is honoring the commitment he made when he ran for president to bring the military involvement to an end. The president interrupted a working vacation at Camp David to make his first public comments about the Taliban's takeover of the country, a foreign policy debacle particularly for a president who came to the office with decades of foreign policy experience. He took no questions and quickly went back to the presidential retreat. His full address: A transcript of what President Joe Biden said More: Visual story: Kabul's airport chaos and the Taliban advance, explained with maps and graphics David Axelrod, who was a top aide in the Obama administration, said Biden made a compelling case for why the U.S. is leaving Afghanistan that will resonate with many Americans. "He didnt do as well taking responsibility for HOW we got out, and the obvious failure to anticipate events," Axelrod tweeted. Experts had warned that the Afghan military might not be able to hold on after the the U.S. left. Taliban fighters completed their sweep of the country by seizing control of Afghanistans capital Sunday as American troops scrambled to evacuate thousands of U.S. diplomats and Afghans from the U.S. Embassy. Biden said there have been "gut-wrenching" scenes in Afghanistan. He defended efforts to close the embassy and secure the airport to fly people to safety. Story continues Addressing criticism about why the evacuation of Afghanis didn't happen sooner, Biden said some didn't want to leave because they were still hopeful about the outcome. He said the administration didn't want to trigger a crisis of confidence. He said he followed through on a troop withdrawal plan developed during the administration of President Donald Trump. "I know my decision will be criticized," he said. Claiming "my share of responsibly" for what happened, Biden said he did not want to pass along an unsolvable problem to yet another president. I cannot and will not ask our troops to fight on endlessly in another country's civil war, he said Biden said there "was never a good time to withdraw US forces." Afghan security forces dissolved as the Taliban raced to Kabul in days. Protesters blocked access to the airport. Dozens of people jogged beside and in front of a military transport plane, trying to prevent it from taking off. Some clung to the plane and fell to their deaths as it ascended. Before Biden's speech, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban "an embarrassment for our country and a victory for terrorists around the world." McConnell said the United States "abandoned the women and children of Afghanistan to these barbarians" and left behind thousands of Afghan allies. "We turned our backs on our friends and left the country in chaos," said the Senate's top Republican. Republicans and other critics said Biden did too much finger-pointing and not enough accepting responsibility for the mess in Afghanistan. "Bidens surrender strengthens our terrorist enemies, hands them a massive new caliphate, abandons our allies & ensures a longer, costlier war for years to come," tweeted Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. In a brief statement, Trump said, "It's not that we left Afghanistan. It's the grossly incompetent way we left!" Democrats generally stood behind Biden, but said little about the problems with the withdrawal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., cited the president's warnings to the Taliban about their behavior, saying, "The world is watching its actions. We are concerned about reports regarding the Talibans brutal treatment of all Afghans, especially women and girls." Others said there's plenty of blame to go around. "I blame both Trump for this moment coming, and Biden for this botched ending," tweeted Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill. "Im not picking sides, because both sides have failed you. Its the truth about #Afghanistan." Before Biden made his brief return from Camp David , national security adviser Jake Sullivan made the rounds of the news shows to defend the administration. The president had to make the best possible choice he could, and he stands by that decision, Sullivan said on NBCs Today" show. But the Biden comments that much of the media highlight are the presidents previous optimistic statements that it was highly unlikely that the Taliban would overrun the entire country after the U.S. withdrew from its 20-year involvement. Afghan people climb atop a plane as they wait at the Kabul airport in Kabul on Aug. 16, 2021, as thousands of people mobbed the city's airport trying to flee the group's feared hardline brand of Islamist rule. Republicans called for Biden to as Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., put it come out of hiding, and take charge of the mess he created. President Biden needs to man up, Sasse tweeted. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was equally blunt. Mr. President, McCarthy tweeted, along with video of Afghans climbing aboard a taxiing U.S. Air Force jet, do your job and address the nation. Biden, who left Washington on Thursday, had been scheduled to be in Camp David in Maryland through Wednesday. He had been out of sight save for an image of him participating in a videoconference that was released Sunday by the White House. In this White House handout, U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris (on screen) hold a video conference with the national security team to discuss the ongoing efforts to draw down forces in Afghanistan. Biden's speech in the East Room on Monday afternoon came about five weeks after he got defensive on whether it was inevitable that the Afghan government would collapse. Biden said Afghan troops were "as well-equipped as any army in the world." "The likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely," he said. On ABCs Good Morning America, Sullivan defended Bidens assertion. He thought the Afghan national security forces could step up and fight, Sullivan said. On NBC's "Today," Sullivan acknowledged how much that assessment was off. The speed with which cities fell," he said, "was much greater than anyone anticipated." National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing of the White House on June 7, 2021. On CBSs This Morning, Sullivan said Biden was not prepared to usher in a third decade of war and put U.S. troops in harms way, fighting and dying to try to hold Afghanistan together when its own armed forces would not fight to hold it together. This is about hard choices, Sullivan said, and the choice he made he believes was in the national security interest of the United States. Contributing: Courtney Subramanian Is Kabul 'Biden's Saigon? Images of chaotic exit evoke comparisons to retreat from Vietnam This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden says he stands by decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has set up working contacts with representatives of the new authorities in Afghanistan to ensure the safety of the Russian embassy in Kabul, the foreign ministry said on Monday. The ministry said the situation in Kabul was stabilising and it called on all sides to refrain from violence. (Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Starbucks told NBC10 that it had fired the employee. Scott Olson/Getty Images A Starbucks customer said an employee hit her in the face with a wet rag after she complained about her drink. The employee denied the accusation, and told NBC10 that the customer started the fight. Starbucks said that it fired the employee after an investigation. See more stories on Insider's business page. A Starbucks customer in Philadelphia said that an employee smacked her in the face with a wet rag after she complained that her drink was made incorrectly. The employee denied the accusation, telling NBC10 that he had instead "waved" a wet rag in the customer's face, and that the customer had then started a fight. The customer was "swinging at me," he said, adding that he'd been left with a black eye and bruises. A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed to Insider that the employee was fired after the company investigated the incident. The altercation took place in a Starbucks store in Philadelphia city center on Saturday afternoon, NBC10 reported. The customer, who spoke to NBC10 on the condition of anonymity, said that she planned to file charges. She said she asked staff to remake her drink, and that an employee "caught an attitude." "When he remade it he had an attitude about it. Filled my cup halfway with caramel and slammed it on the counter." The customer told NBC10 that she asked staff to speak to a manager, but was told there wasn't one nearby. She said a male employee then smacked her in the face with a wet rag. She didn't say whether or not this was the same employee who remade her drink. She told NBC 10: "He took his wet rag, smacked me in my face with it, and he swung at me. So we started fighting. I was shocked for a second. Then he swung at me so I swung back. "What he did should not have happened at all. You don't do that at all." Read more: Stitch Fix was supposed to revolutionize retail, but some stylists say it's losing its way and doesn't have enough trendy clothes for clients Story continues The employee told NBC10: "I waved a wet rag in her face that I had in my hand. Not trying to hit her or anything and she proceeded to jump across the counter swinging at me. And at that point my fight or flight response kicked in. "If anybody was left with more damage it was me." The Starbucks spokesperson told Insider: "Starbucks is a place where everyone should feel welcome. We've separated the partner (employee) after our initial investigation and connected with the customer, apologized and will be meeting with her in person to make things right. "The type of behavior described in this incident is not indicative of the type of dignity and respect we want our partners and customers to show when in our stores." Do you work at Starbucks? Got a story to share? Email this reporter at gdean@insider.com. Always use a nonwork email. Read the original article on Business Insider A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Helicopters are landing at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles leave the compound amid the Taliban advanced on the Afghan capital. AP Photo/Rahmat Gul Photos from amid the evacuation of the US embassy in Kabul echo the US withdrawal from Vietnam. The Taliban has swept across Afghanistan and entered the capital city on Sunday. Some are calling the race to evacuate US personnel, as well as partners, Biden's "Saigon moment." See more stories on Insider's business page. As the Afghan government crumbled and the Taliban offensive that swept across the country reached Kabul, an Associated Press photographer captured photos of a US military helicopter flying by the US embassy, where a hasty evacuation effort was underway. A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Helicopters are landing at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles leave the compound amid the Taliban advanced on the Afghan capital. AP Photo/Rahmat Gul For some observers watching developments in Afghanistan, the images echoed scenes from the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. Such scenes include the photo of a CIA employee helping Vietnamese partners gathered on the roof of a building near the US embassy in Saigon onto an Air America helicopter and the photos of last-minute evacuations at the US embassy as North Vietnamese forces quickly overran the South Vietnamese capital. In this April 29, 1975 file photo, a helicopter lifts off from the U.S. embassy in Saigon, Vietnam during last minute evacuation of authorized personnel and civilians. AP Photo Photos like these came to symbolize America's failings in Vietnam. It remains to be seen if this will prove true for the images coming out of Kabul. Secretary of State Antony Blinken dismissed comparisons to the end of the Vietnam War Sunday on ABC's "This Week," saying, "This is manifestly not Saigon." After launching an aggressive nationwide offensive, the Taliban have routed Afghan forces, seizing city after city and erasing gains won at great cost by Afghan soldiers and NATO troops over the past two decades. The insurgent forces entered the capital on Sunday. In early July, President Joe Biden argued for a withdrawal negotiated under the previous administration, stating in a press briefing that "the likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely." Biden also told reporters that the world would not see a situation similar to the chaos that was seen in Vietnam, saying "there's going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a embassy." Story continues The US currently has thousands of troops, which were rushed back into Afghanistan, on the ground in Kabul as the military moves to evacuate US diplomatic personnel, as well as local partners. American embassy operations have been moved to the local airport, where evacuations are ongoing. "We are working to make sure that our personnel are safe and secure," Blinken said Sunday. "We're relocating the men and women of our embassy to a location at the airport. It's why the president sent in a number of forces, to make sure that as we continue to draw down our diplomatic presence we do it in a safe and orderly fashion." Retired Army Col. Jack Jacobs, who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Vietnam, told MSNBC on Friday that the situation in Afghanistan "looks just like Vietnam in 1975." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, called the events unfolding in Kabul "President Biden's Saigon moment," according to The Hill. "It's a very dire situation when you see the United States Embassy being evacuated," he said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "In fact you just had President Biden a few days ago saying you wouldn't see helicopters evacuating the embassy like Saigon, and yet here we are," Scalise said. "This is President Biden's Saigon moment and unfortunately it was very predictable." In a statement Sunday, Sen. Jim Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma and the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, slammed the president, saying "President Biden owns this mess - the blood is on his hands. He had a choice." The senator described the US activities in Afghanistan as a "chaotic retreat," a "disgraceful exit that will cap off a total failure." Read the original article on Business Insider TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan has rejected an application for the emergency use of UBI Pharma's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the government said on Monday, though the president said she would get a separate domestic shot in a show of support for the scheme. Although Taiwan has ordered millions of Moderna and AstraZeneca shots, developing a local vaccine has been a major goal and it is due next week to start administering its first domestic vaccine, made by Medigen Vaccine Biologics. The health ministry, explaining the rejection of the request for emergency use authorisation (EUA), said the antibodies triggered by UBI's candidate did not match up with those of the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, the ministry said, UBI planned Phase III trials in India. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung expressed regret that the EUA had not been granted. "We still have to follow certain standards," he told reporters. UBI, whose share price closed 30% down on Monday following the rejection, said in a statement to the stock market it saw a limited financial hit from the decision and that it would re-evaluate the "benefit assessment" of the phase three clinical trial. It did not elaborate. In June, the company had said it would seek an EUA in Taiwan and that Phase II tests showed no major adverse effects for its candidate, which, it said, generated a good immune response. The government has drawn criticism from opposition parties after President Tsai Ing-wen initially pledged to start administering domestically developed vaccines in July, before results of second clinical trials were released. Later, Tsai said Taiwan would strictly scrutinise the process according to global scientific norms and put safety first. Writing on her Facebook page, Tsai said she would be getting her first shot of Medigen's vaccine next Monday. About 40% of Taiwan's 23.5 million people have received at least one dose of the two required by the vaccine regimen. Unlike some other parts of Asia, Taiwan faces no huge pressure to accelerate its vaccination drive, as it is recording only a handful of domestic infections a day. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne & Simon Cameron-Moore) Taliban fighters have been seizing territory across Afghanistan. Allauddin Khan/AP The Taliban's leadership, though often divided in the past, has managed to orchestrate the group's resurgence to power. The organization is led by a supreme leader and three deputies who control its political, military, and terror branches. Here's a breakdown of the Taliban's key leaders and figureheads. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Taliban leadership has long been obscure and secretive, even during its five-year reign of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Despite previous reports of infighting and political fragmentation, the hardline Islamist group once again took control of Afghanistan when its troops entered the capital of Kabul on Sunday. It seized the presidential palace, marking the final stage of its months-long push across the nation, during which it claimed city after city while US forces withdrew under a 2020 peace deal. "The war is over," Taliban leaders declared on Monday. Some were resistance fighters who allied with the US to battle a Soviet invasion in the 1980s, but later fled overseas after being toppled by American-led forces in 2001. Others are sons of the famed original generation who led Afghanistan's militant groups in the past. Here's a breakdown of the top brass that claimed victory in Kabul this week. The supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada This undated photo of Akhundzada was posted on Twitter in 2016. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Social Media/Reuters Islamic legal scholar Haibatullah Akhundzada became the Taliban's new chief in 2016 when his predecessor Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was killed in a US drone strike the same year. Known as the "leader of the faithful," he's mostly a religious leader instead of a military commander, but he wields final authority in both fields. As a spiritual figure, he issues the Taliban's fatwas, or formal rulings on Islamic law. His rise to power was smoothed by Mansour naming him as a successor before his death. He was also backed by top officials, though some did not show up at a meeting to appoint him out of fear they would be attacked, reported the BBC in 2016. Story continues Following his appointment, Akhundzada had to contend with a few splits in the organization that threatened to fragment the Taliban further. Still, the infighting wasn't enough to quash his authority, said the BBC. Before his ascension to the top, he preached and taught at a religious school in Pakistan attended by many top Taliban officials. He was a deputy to Mansour before the latter's death and one of the resistance fighters against the Soviet military campaign in the 1980s. He is believed to be around 60 years old, reported Reuters, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. The founder's son Mullah Yacoob Mullah Yacoob is the eldest son of the Taliban's revered original leader - Mullah Omar. Mullah Omar was the revered leader of the Taliban regime, and was declared dead in 2015. REUTERS/National Counterterrorism Center/Handout via Reuters He is the Taliban's chief military leader and is reported to be in Afghanistan. Because of his line ague, Yacoob was given some backing in the Taliban's succession struggle in 2016, but he supported Akhundzada instead because he felt he was inexperienced and too young, reported RadioFreeEurope. Unlike Ibrahim Sadar, the man who ran the Taliban's military before him, Yacoob is said to have supported a peaceful takeover of Afghanistan. In comparison, his predecessor Sadar rejected peace talks and wanted to continue fighting government and US forces. Yacoob enjoys something akin to celebrity status within the Taliban due to his family background. But as someone who was raised and trained in Pakistan, not Afghanistan, he's not necessarily admired by his peers in the leadership, per RadioFreeEurope. Afghan intelligence and security officials described him as "self-centered," "entitled," and "unaware of the realities in Afghanistan." He is believed to be in his 30s, reported Reuters. The negotiator Abdul Ghani Baradar Taliban deputy Abdul Ghani Baradar attending the Afghan peace conference in Moscow, Russia in March. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo A deputy leader under Akhundzada, Abdul Ghani Baradar heads the Taliban's political office and oversaw the withdrawal agreement with the US in 2020. Baradar was one of the founders of the Taliban and fought alongside Mullah Omar against the Soviets. He is said to have played a key role in orchestrating the military victories that helped the Taliban conquer Afghanistan in 1996, and handled several military and administrative responsibilities during the group's rule, according to The Guardian. After the Taliban was removed from power in 2001 and its leaders fled to Pakistan, western diplomats saw Baradar as one of the group's more moderate leaders, and thus one of the best to negotiate with, per The Guardian. He was captured by Pakistani and American forces in 2010 but was released in 2018 at the US's request to help lead peace negotiations. Baradar signed the 2020 Doha agreement that introduced a ceasefire with US troops amid their withdrawal, paving the way for the Taliban's return to rule. He is said to be traveling to Kabul from his office in Doha, reported The Guardian. The guerilla fighter Sirajuddin Haqqani A wanted poster issued by the FBI for Sirajuddin Haqqani. FBI/Handout via REUTERS The third of Akhundzada's deputies is Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network, a US-designated terror group that is believed to have introduced suicide bombing in Afghanistan. His father, the warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani, created the network and was a lifelong friend of Osama Bin Laden. In the 1980s, he helped the US defeat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Since then, the Haqqani network has been accused of assassinating top Afghan officials, coordinating major suicide bombing attacks, and kidnapping Western citizens. Sirajuddin Haqqani leads the day-to-day affairs of the group, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. He is believed to be in his late 40s or 50s, per Reuters. Read the original article on Insider CAIRO (Reuters) -The spokesman for the Taliban's political office on Sunday declared the war was over in Afghanistan and called for peaceful relations with the international community. Spokesman Mohammad Naeem said in interviews with Al Jazeera TV the Taliban did not want to live in isolation and the type of rule and the form of regime would be clear soon. The group respected women's and minorities' rights and freedom of expression within Sharia law, Naeem added. Naeem said the Taliban wanted to have peaceful relations and was keen to develop several channels of communication it had already opened with foreign countries. "We ask all countries and entities to sit with us to settle any issues", he said in an interview with Al Jazeera TV. Taliban insurgents entered Kabul on Sunday and President Ashraf Ghani left Afghanistan saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed, bringing the Islamist militants close to taking over the country two decades after they were overthrown by a U.S.-led invasion. Naeem said that no diplomatic body or headquarters was targeted in the Taliban's approach and the group would provide safety for citizens and diplomatic missions. Ghani's escape was unexpected and "even those close to him did not expect it," Naeem said. "We are ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them the necessary protection," he told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV. The Taliban was seeing the fruits of its efforts and sacrifices for 20 years, he said, and would adopt a policy of non-interference in others' affairs in return for non-interference in Afghanistan. "We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people," he said. "We will not allow anyone to use our lands to target anyone, and we do not want to harm others." "We do not think that foreign forces will repeat their failed experience in Afghanistan once again." (Reporting by Nayera Abdallah, Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Diane Craft and Jane Wardell) The Taliban's lightning-fast offensive across Afghanistan has placed intense pressure on the U.S. security establishment to explain the rout of the Afghan military, which the U.S. spent billions of dollars to train and equip in a war that cost thousands of American lives. The Taliban, a force of 75,000 militants, overwhelmed a U.S.-trained army numbering about 300,000 at times without a single bullet fired. While U.S. military officials had warned that the Taliban had the momentum in the 20-year war, the pace and manner of their victory two decades after being toppled has exposed how badly prepared U.S.-trained troops were. The rushed evacuation of U.S. Embassy personnel in Kabul over the weekend has drawn comparisons to chaotic images of Americans being airlifted from the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam, in 1975. It is clear that the Biden White House did not see it coming. On July 8, President Joe Biden said "the jury is still out" on what would lie ahead as the Taliban made significant progress, but he said "the likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely." Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics On Sunday, as the Taliban entered Kabul, Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the militants' progress came much more quickly than the U.S. had anticipated. Defense officials fear that a Taliban takeover could give Al Qaeda a chance to rebuild and grow its numbers. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and overthrew the Taliban, which had sheltered Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "The puzzle for me is the absence of contingency planning: If everyone knew we were headed for the exits, why did we not have a plan over the past two years for making this work?" retired Army Gen. Douglas E. Lute, who led Afghanistan strategy at the National Security Council for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said in an interview with The New York Times published Saturday. Story continues 'Without firing a single shot' National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. was not able to give Afghan forces the "will" to fight for their country. "We could not give them the will, and they ultimately decided that they would not fight for Kabul and they would not fight for the country," he said Monday on NBC's "TODAY" show. U.S. officers have long worried that rampant corruption would undermine the resolve of badly paid, ill-fed and erratically supplied front-line soldiers. Ashley Jackson, co-director of the Center for the Study of Armed Groups, a London-based think tank, said the Taliban took the opportunity to overcome an army lacking resources, leadership and resolve. Afghans crowd into the Herat Kabul Internet cafe seeking help applying for Afghan Special Immigrant Visas on Aug. 8, 2021, in Kabul. (Paula Bronstein / Getty Images) "Ultimately, you can have all of the capacity-building, all of the supplies, all of the things, but if you have a system that doesn't work, that's corrupt, and you have a lack of political leadership, those forces aren't worth very much," she said. So while the Taliban have sought to portray each of their victories as a "capture," not every prize was hard-won, she said. Afghan forces and political leaders often opted to strike deals and surrender to the militant group rather than fight what many probably felt was a losing battle. As they captured one strategic post after another, the militants were often met with little resistance, with even the Taliban fighters surprised by the speed of their advance. The Taliban had previously told NBC News that they had signed deals with local administrations when they started seizing control of districts in the rural areas and used the help of local tribal elders to convey their message to local authorities, offering general amnesty in exchange for no resistance. Where deals were not cut, Afghan forces still appear to have melted away. "It worked very well, and we captured more than 150 districts in a few days without firing a single shot," said a Taliban commander in the southeastern city of Ghazni. Intelligence officials, meanwhile, have been pushing back against the charge that they should have been able to anticipate the rapid collapse of the government and the Taliban advance. Accounts differ about when, exactly, the spies expected that to happen. Afghan people climb atop a plane as they wait at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Aug. 16, 2021. (Wakil Kohsar / AFP - Getty Images) Doug London, a former senior CIA officer who ran counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan before he retired in 2018, said it was well understood within the intelligence community that Kabul could fall within weeks if the U.S. withdrew the bulk of its military and intelligence assets. A Western intelligence official, who would not be named speaking about sensitive matters, added: "There absolutely was intelligence reporting that it could happen this fast. This was not a surprise." The official said it was always clear that the military could not hold up without U.S. air support and that President Ashraf Ghani accelerated his own downfall by disregarding the advice of U.S. and British officials who urged him to make deals with potential allies. Meanwhile, a U.S. official said: "We knew the Taliban would take over. "We knew most Afghans wouldn't fight. It was faster than expected, but not that much," the official said. The official added that Afghans who are now in fear of their lives because they helped the U.S. military "were not part of the calculus." But a congressional official briefed about the matter, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said that while intelligence officials always warned of a potential catastrophic implosion of the military, no U.S. agency warned that it could happen in days. A senior defense intelligence official said the worst-case scenario in an intelligence assessment from last month indicated that Kabul could fall before Sept. 11. "No official estimate has been pessimistic enough" for how this has played out, the official said. Relatives of Kentravis Vaughn said they tried to track him down across Memphis once they learned of his shooting, but could not do so before he was pronounced dead at an intersection. The Texas Supreme Court sided with Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday in a legal fight centered in Dallas and Bexar counties over the governors order prohibiting mask mandates across the state. On July 29, Abbotts executive order prohibited cities, counties, school districts and public health officials from requiring face masks to be worn indoors. With COVID-19 cases rising and the school year about to begin, Dallas and Bexar counties filed and were granted temporary restraining orders against Abbotts orders last week. Judge Clay Jenkins in Dallas and health officials in San Antonio issued mandates requiring masks to be worn in schools and buildings. But the Texas Supreme Court in a move that overturns the orders of lower courts blocked the restraining orders Sunday. The move once again makes mask mandates off-limits for local leaders. Trial court hearings are scheduled for Monday in San Antonio and for Aug. 24 in Dallas on whether to issue temporary injunctions that would allow mask mandates. We wont stop working with parents, doctors, schools, business + others to protect you and intend to win that hearing, Jenkins tweeted Sunday evening. Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a tweet the San Antonio and Dallas mask mandates are illegal under the governors order. Let this ruling serve as a reminder to all ISDs and Local officials that the Governors order stands, he tweeted. Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said Wednesday afternoon he had no plans to enact mask requirements indoors or in public places. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker also said she would not require masks. However, Fort Worth school district Superintendent Kent Scribner issued a mask mandate order for schools last week. A judge granted the petition of four FWISD parents and issued a temporary restraining order against Scribners mask requirements. The school board called a special meeting for Tuesday to discuss mask requirements. On Sunday, the Tarrant County health department reported 1,155 new COVID-19 cases and a community spread level of high. We knew Google was readying another phone ahead of its new own-chip Pixel 6 flagships, but the companys cheaper A series might reappear earlier than we thought. The Pixel 5a could appear any day now, according to the latest reports from, of all places, repair shops. The latest rumors include a larger battery (4,680mAh battery up from 3,800mAh) and an August 17th release date which would be tomorrow. Google Pixel 4a 5G back from review Were already expecting the Pixel 5a to land with a dual-camera system and a headphone jack, the latter of which is rare in 2021. Older rumors suggested the 5a might cost $450, a hair less than the Pixel 4a 5G but well above the $350 of last years Pixel 4a. Ive said it before, but Googles Pixel A series is often a more compelling device than its highest-priced phones, striking a good balance between specs and performance especially when it comes to camera performance. Similarly priced phones may look the same on paper, but the Pixels imaging capabilities, which lean hard on AI and software, typically produce great images in most situations. Im sure the Pixel 5a is likely to continue this winning formula even if it lacks that homemade Google chip. Mat Smith NASA sends a 3D printing system for lunar soil to its space station It could help plan for future Moon and Mars habitats. Render of NASA astronaut holding Moon regolith NASA's latest International Space Station resupply mission included a machine meant to demonstrate 3D printing regolith (loose soil or rock) on the Moon and similar extraterrestrial surfaces. The Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) project will work in tandem with an existing printer system (ManD) to try 3D printing simulated regolith. If that succeeds, the ISS crew will gauge the strength of the resulting material to see if it can handle the harsh conditions beyond Earth and work as a possible building material for future habitats. Continue reading. You can watch yourself on screen with Hugh Jackman, kind of. Story continues Reminiscence The promo for Warner Bros. upcoming Reminiscence movie uses deepfake technology to embed you into a short video sequence with its star, Hugh Jackman. You can upload the photo of anybody you want, and the experience will conjure an animation for the face in it. You might have to wait your turn, however. When I tried it out, I got stuck at the waiting screen for a while. Test it for yourself here. Continue reading. The one smart home standard to rule them all. The Connectivity Standards Alliance has delayed Matter's rollout from late 2021 to the first half of 2022. Smart home standards (and a lot of smart home news) can be a snoozy affair, but Matter could be what we need to get anything with WiFi and/or Bluetooth to speak to each other in our homes. Amazon, Apple, Google and many smart home device makers (such as Nanoleaf and Signify) are already committed to it, so you can see why a smart home standard like this might matter. Continue reading. The first time this has happened in 33 years. Every game on Famitsu's August 8th weekly Top 30 chart was a Switch title, ranging from Super Mario Maker 2 in 30th place to Minecraft at the top. It's reportedly the first time a platform has swept the chart since November 1988, when Nintendo's own Famicom (the NES for the rest of us) dominated the list. Continue reading. The big news you might have missed These 'vaccine passports' are why we can have nice things Disney says it found ways to compensate talent in the wake of 'Black Widow' lawsuit ICYMI: We listened to Samsung's $150 Galaxy Buds 2 How a radio telescope cost this West Virginia town its modernity Engadget Deals: Apple's AirPods Pro fall back to $180 Huawei accused of pressuring US firm to install a data backdoor WASHINGTON They are hiding in their homes, destroying evidence of any association with the U.S. government and secretly pleading with advocates in America for help. Over the last 24 hours, Afghan women, journalists, human rights advocates and former translators for the U.S. military have flooded U.S.-based refugee groups with desperate messages seeking a way out of their country now that the Taliban have taken control. Theyre really sitting ducks, said Gayatri Patel, the vice president for external relations at the Womens Refugee Commission. Patel and other advocates have been working feverishly to assemble a master list of potential evacuees, even as they watch in horror at the chaos unfolding at the Kabul airport, where panicked Afghans have rushed the tarmac and tried to grab ahold of departing planes. They led the war in Afghanistan: Now, defense secretaries say the U.S. 'invented reasons' to stay in Afghanistan. "Weve been getting names and feeding them to the folks at the State Department," she said. "This is such an urgent process ... Everybody is terrified for their friends and colleagues" who are stuck in Afghanistan. Krish OMara Vignarajah, president and CEO of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said her staff has been overwhelmed with gut-wrenching requests for help. "It is emails, calls, texts, twitter DMs (direct messages) of people desperately seeking to flee a country being overtaken by the Taliban," she said. "In some ways we feel so powerless because at this point the situation on the ground is just constantly changing, and what were seeing on TV and hearing on the ground is complete chaos." The Lutheran immigration service is specifically focused on helping Afghans who worked for the U.S. military during the war a group that Vignarajah says numbers about 80,000 assuming the Afghans bring multiple family members with them to the U.S. Is Kabul 'Biden's Saigon'?: The haunting images of a chaotic exit out of Afghanistan are evoking comparisons to Vietnam Story continues Afghan women team walk together in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in October 2019. The Biden administration has already evacuated about 1,200 Afghans who served alongside American troops to Ft. Lee, a base in Virginia. The Pentagon is looking for two additional military bases in the United States to house additional evacuated Afghans, said spokesman John Kirby. As many as 22,000 Afghans may be housed at those bases. State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday the Biden administration will continue to evacuate people as long as the airport is secure. He said the U.S. is prioritizing American citizens, then Afghan nationals employed by the now-closed embassy, Afghans who worked for the military and then other at-risk Afghans. We will be working around the clock to relocate as many eligible individuals as we can, Price said, though he declined to estimate how many people the U.S. could get out because the situation remains fluid. "We are going to maintain a presence on the ground for as long as it is responsible and safe for us to do so." Patel's group is working to help women's rights defenders, while other groups are scrambling to assist Afghan journalists. On Aug. 9, suspected Taliban fighters killed an Afghan radio station manager in Kabul and kidnapped a journalist in southern Helmand province, according to Reuters. The militant Islamic group has a long history of targeting reporters. "They have a target on their backs," said Gypsy Guillen Kaiser, advocacy and communications director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, which runs an emergency assistance program for journalists in danger. "Its become really acute at this point," she said. "We have hundreds of journalists who are in desperate need of relocation." In addition to about 300 journalists the group has vetted, she said another 400 new email requests have come in over the last 24 hours. Guillen Kaiser said the majority of the committee's priority cases are female reporters who have reported on issues of gender equality. "That makes them really, really vulnerable." She said it's also vital to protect those reporters who want to stay and to ensure Afghanistan maintains an independent press. "We will not understand the depth of this humanitarian crisis, in its full blown reality, unless journalists who remain in Afghanistan are able to report the news," Guillen Kaiser said. Vignarajah and others have spent weeks flooding congressional offices, the White House, and the State Department with requests on behalf of vulnerable Afghans. Those efforts dramatically ramped up over the last 24 hours as the Taliban entered Kabul and the U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed. "Weve been screaming from the rooftops for months now that these allies needed to be moved to Guam," said Vignarajah. But she said the Biden administration wasted precious time trying to negotiate agreements with third countries to accept the potential refugees while the State Department vetted their applications. She blasted that decision as "outsourcing our moral obligation." 'Were all of our sacrifices wasted?': War veterans react to stunning Afghanistan collapse U.S. troops on Monday sought to gain control of the international airport in Kabul after thousands of Afghans rushed through the civilian side and swarmed the military landing strip. At least seven people have died in the mayhem. Senior U.S. military officials say the dead include some who fell from a departing American military transport jet, according to the Associated Press. Videos show people clinging to the sides of a U.S. military plane as it taxied, as well as falling from a plane as it took off. In a joint statement issued Sunday evening, the Pentagon and State Department said U.S. officials were working to secure the airport to allow "the safe departure of U.S. and allied personnel from Afghanistan via civilian and military flights." U.S. officials have not said how many Afghans they will evacuate. In the coming days, "we will be transferring out of the country thousands of American citizens who have been resident in Afghanistan, as well as locally employed staff of the U.S. mission in Kabul and their families and other particularly vulnerable Afghan nationals," the statement said. Exclusive analysis from Susan Page: President Biden's biggest defeat: Afghanistan war ends amid chaos and broken promises The Biden administration is also scrambling to evacuate of thousands of Afghans who worked with American troops and are eligible for special immigrant visas. Advocates say it may be too little, too late. "It feels very bleak," Patel said. She said congressional pressure will be key in trying to make sure the Biden administration doesn't end the evacuation campaign before every vulnerable Afghan is out. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is among those working on the issue and pressing the White House to ramp up its efforts. "Without swift, decisive action from the administration, Afghan civilians will suffer or die at the hands of the Taliban," she said in a statement Monday. She called on the administration to expedite some steps in the visa process for Afghans who worked with the U.S. military, as well as women, journalists and others. "And there must be an immediate expansion of the refugee program for Afghan women seeking asylum, whose lives are in jeopardy as the Taliban resumes control and turns back the clock on 20 years of progress for womens rights," Shaheen said. "A failure to act now will seal their fate." Trump on Afghanistan: Trump claims Afghanistan withdrawal would have been 'much more successful' if he were president. Would it? Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook and Michael Collins Three Afghan women in burqas in 1996 after the Taliban religious army took over Kabul. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Afghan women, journalists, translators seek help from US groups Former President Donald Trump called on President Joe Biden to "resign in disgrace" on Sunday amid the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban's takeover of the country. After about a weeklong military surge that led to the Taliban capturing nearly all of Afghanistan, Taliban forces closed in on Kabul on Sunday, prepared to take over the capital and declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. "It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan, along with the tremendous surge in COVID, the Border catastrophe, the destruction of energy independence, and our crippled economy," Trump wrote in a tweemail. "It shouldnt be a big deal, because he wasnt elected legitimately in the first place!" PENTAGON AUTHORIZES ANOTHER 1,000 TROOPS TO KABUL The former president's statement came hours after diplomats and other U.S. citizens working at the embassy in Kabul were directed to the airport then ordered to shelter in place after reports the airport was under fire. The developments lead the Pentagon to authorize an additional 1,000 troops to Kabul, amping the temporary U.S. troop count in the country to around 6,000 troops. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ON THE AFGHANISTAN CRISIS Trump has repeatedly slammed Biden for his handling of the troop withdrawal, calling the situation "not acceptable" and that it should've "been done much better," on Thursday, adding that his removal of troops would have been a "conditions-based withdrawal. Biden shot back at Trump on Saturday, saying the former president's deal "left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001 and imposed a May 1, 2021 deadline on U.S. forces." He added that "Shortly before [Trump] left office, he also drew U.S. forces down to a bare minimum of 2,500." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Biden has underscored his decision to withdraw from the country, noting the "endless American presence" in Afghanistan for the past 20 years was not acceptable and that he would not pass on the decadeslong war to a fifth U.S. president. Story continues Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Presidents, Afghanistan, Taliban Original Author: Kaelan Deese Original Location: Trump calls on Biden to 'resign in disgrace' amid Afghanistan withdrawal One young girl was killed, and another was seriously injured after both were shot while sitting in a car on Chicago's northwest side Sunday, according to authorities. Serenity Broughton, 7, and her sister Aubrey, 6, were shot while sitting in a parked vehicle around 3 p.m. after someone opened fire on the car, police said. LOSING THE VICTORY OVER CRIME Serenity was hit in the chest and died. Aubrey was hit in the chest and right underarm. She is in stable condition. Regina Broughton, the girls' grandmother, wants justice for her grandchildren. "I'm lost. I'm lost ... I mean, they were my life, my everything," she said. "How do you prepare yourself for something like this? She was a beautiful child. Her spirit was beautiful, innocent everything about her was innocent." Sadness could not begin to describe the tragedy, Chicago Police Chief Brian McDermott said. "To say I'm saddened and outraged is an understatement," he said. "I only hope every resident in this city is as angry, saddened, and outraged as I am at this time." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. One resident and community activist, Andrew Holmes, said a $2,000 reward is being offered to anyone with information about the shooting that leads to an arrest and conviction. "It's not about the money," Holmes said. "It's just about catching these individuals before they strike and hit another child. Stop killing our children." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER "Too many young people have lost their lives to senseless gun violence in Chicago," McDermott said. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Chicago, Police, shooting, Crime Original Author: Luke Gentile Original Location: Two young sisters shot while sitting in a car in Chicago Britain's interior ministry on Monday asked police to review the social media accounts of people applying for gun licences and revisit existing permits, after the country's worst mass shooting since 2010. On Thursday Jake Davison, 22, shot and killed five people -- including his mother and a three-year-old girl -- in Plymouth in southwest England before taking his own life. His social media accounts revealed misogynistic views and an interest in right-wing politics, guns and violent video games. But the local police restored Davison's gun licence and his weapon in July months after they had been removed following an assault allegation -- a decision now being scrutinised by the police watchdog. The UK government is planning to publish guidance on firearms licensing applications that will affect all 43 police forces in England and Wales. "Incidents such as Thursday's horrific events in Plymouth are thankfully rare, but their impact is profound," an interior ministry source said. "Today, as a matter of urgency, we are asking the police to review their practices and whether any existing licences need to be looked at again. "This will help reassure people that all necessary checks have been made to keep them safe." Britain has low gun crime rates and strict controls on the ownership of firearms, with most police unarmed. Only four percent of homicides were caused by shooting in England and Wales in the year to March 2020, according to the latest government figures. Licences are granted for sporting rifles and shotguns only after stringent background checks, including character references and mental health assessments. Private ownership of firearms is banned in nearly all cases. Plymouth observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims at 11:00 am (1000 GMT). imm/phz/jxb LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will evacuate hundreds of British nationals and eligible Afghan nationals every day, and flights out of Afghanistan will continue for as long as it is safe, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said on Monday. "I'd say at least hundreds every day will be leaving (on) the flights, but obviously this is a fluid situation," the spokesman said. Asked how long Britain planned to keep such flights going, he said: "We want to obviously continue to do this as long as we are able to do so and as long as it is safe to do so." The government COBR emergency response committee will meet later on Monday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. (Reporting by William James and Elizabeth Piper; editing by Michael Holden) Freddy Guevara (left) was met by his father upon his release Venezuelan opposition politician Freddy Guevara has been released from jail two days after the government of President Nicolas Maduro and opposition representatives met in Mexico. Mr Guevara had been arrested in July and charged with treason and terrorism. The release of political prisoners was one of the demands made by the opposition at the start of talks aimed at ending Venezuela's political crisis. Mr Guevara is expected to form part of the opposition's negotiating team. The 35-year-old broadcast a live video of his arrest on 12 July on social media. He was stopped while driving on a highway in the capital, Caracas, and ordered out of his car by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin). Officials alleged that he had links to a gang behind a deadly shoot-out in the capital which left dozens dead days before his arrest. Mr Guevara is a former student leader and close ally of opposition leader Juan Guaido. His lawyer argued that his arrest was purely political and denied that his client had links to any gangs. His lawyer added that he had not been granted access to Mr Guevara while he was in detention. Upon his release, Mr Guevara told journalists that he had been held in isolation and therefore had no information about whether he would be allowed to join the opposition negotiating team in Mexico. Fresh attempt at resolution His release is thought to be the first concession made by the Maduro government after entering into fresh negotiations with the opposition. The first meeting - hosted by Mexico and facilitated by Norway - was held on Friday between the government representative, Jorge Rodriguez, and opposition negotiator Gerardo Blyde. The opposition is demanding that guarantees be given so that free and fair elections can be held. The Maduro government wants economic sanctions imposed by the US and other countries lifted. Mr Maduro came to power after the death of his mentor, President Hugo Chavez, in 2013. He was re-elected in 2018 in polls which have been widely dismissed as neither free nor fair. Story continues Shortly after Mr Maduro was sworn in for a new six-year term in January 2019, Mr Guaido - the leader of the National Assembly - declared himself interim president arguing that Mr Maduro lacked legitimacy. Mr Guaido was recognised by more than 50 countries, however, Mr Maduro remained in the presidential palace and in control of the military. The two men and their followers have been at loggerheads ever since and the talks are an attempt to find a resolution to the impasse. You might be interested in watching: CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Freddy Guevara, who was released from jail over the weekend, would be welcome as a delegate at the negotiation process underway between the government and opposition, President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday. (Reporting by Brian Ellsworth and Vivian Sequera; Writing by Luc Cohen) Guest host: Lee Cowan COVER STORY: 11 days in August How Afghanistan fellThe rapid fall of the Afghan capital, Kabul, to Taliban fighters last week has shocked the world, most especially the United States, which saw 20 years' worth of blood and treasure collapse in a matter of days. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports on how Islamic militants surged past Afghan security forces and routed the sitting government. One of the top-rated archers in the country, Matt Stutzman, was born without arms. / Credit: CBS News SPORTS: The armless archerOne of the top-ranked archers in the country is 38-year-old Matt Stutzman of Fairfield, Iowa, who has medaled in a sport that many would have thought beyond his reach: he was born without arms. Lee Cowan finds out how, with a simple bow and arrow, a man who just wanted to provide for his family became an inspiration. (This story was originally broadcast on November 3, 2019.) For more info: Matt Stutzman, Team USAMatt Stutzman, worldarchery.orgFollow @ArmlessArcher on Twitter and FacebookThe sports documentary "Rising Phoenix" on Netflix The nearly-40,000-sq.-foot M.S. Rau Antiques, in New Orleans. / Credit: CBS News ART: An antique store like no otherIn the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter is a small sign for a store with a big reputation. Owner Bill Rau wants nothing less than for M.S. Rau Antiques to be the best art, antique and jewelry gallery in the world. Correspondent Anna Werner checks out just some of the priceless objects that can be found there. For more info: M.S. Rau Antiques, New OrleansChristies, New York City Correspondent David Pogue with Marty Cooper, inventor of the handheld cellular mobile phone. / Credit: CBS News TECHNOLOGY: The father of the cell phoneIn the 1970s Marty Cooper, a former Navy submarine officer, engineer and executive at Motorola, maker of two-way radios, fought against archrival AT&T by proposing a network of transmitters that made possible the explosion in cell phones. Correspondent David Pogue talks with the visionary Cooper, now 92, about the world's first public cellphone call, on April 3, 1973, and about his unbridled optimism for the future. For more info: "Cutting the Cord: The Cell Phone Has Transformed Humanity" by Martin Cooper (Rosetta), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon and IndieboundFollow Martin Cooper (@MartyMobile) on Twitterdynallc.com Story continues PASSAGE: In memoriam The mining town of Cerro Gordo, in the Inyo Mountains above Death Valley, was formed in the 1860s after silver was discovered there. Long abandoned, the ghost town is now home to Brent Underwood. / Credit: CBS News U.S.: A ghost town's caretakerHave you been socially-distancing? Not as much as Brent Underwood, who has lived during the COVID lockdown as the sole resident of a ghost town on the edge of Death Valley: the abandoned mining community of Cerro Gordo, California. Correspondent Luke Burbank talks with Underwood, who bought the 380-acre Cerro Gordo in 2018, and has featured it on his YouTube channel, "Ghost Town Living." For more info: Cerro Gordo Mines, Cerro Gordo, Calif.Friends of Cerro Gordo (Facebook)"Ghost Town Living" (YouTube)"Cerro Gordo: Images of America" by Cecile Page Vargo and Roger W. Vargo (Arcadia Publishing), in Trade Paperback, available via Amazon and Indiebound HARTMAN: TBD Anne-Sophie Mutter and John Williams recording their album, MOVIES: Composer John WilliamsComposer John Williams is one of America's most celebrated musical talents the best-known creator of music for films. He has written the scores for such revered classics as "Jaws," "Star Wars," "Superman" and "Schindler's List." In a story originally broadcast September 22, 2019, Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with Williams, and with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who collaborated with the composer on an album of works for violin and orchestra adapted from his film scores, "Across the Stars." AUDIO GALLERY: The classic film scores of John WilliamsListen to audio samples of some of the composer's best scores! EXTENDED TRANSCRIPT: John Williams on Spielberg, "Star Wars," and the power of music For more info: "Anne-Sophie Mutter and John Williams: Across the Stars" (Deutsche Grammophon), available on CD (Amazon, Barnes & Noble), Vinyl (Amazon, Barnes & Noble), Digital Download (Amazon, Google Play, iTunes) and Streaming (Spotify)John Williams' music on CD and downloads:- John Williams on iTunes- Intrada Records- Varese Sarabande RecordsTanglewood Learning Institute NATURE: In Utah, it's raining fishFish stocks in hundreds of isolated lakes high in the Utah mountains are replenished via a novel approach from the air. Correspondent Conor Knighton profiles the team responsible for delivering fresh fish by airplane. For more info: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources COMMENTARY: Afghanistan wasn't all for nothing, says Army vetStaff Sgt. Travis Mills, who was severely injured by an IED during his third tour in Afghanistan, sums up the contribution and sacrifices of American and NATO forces in the country over the past two decades: We did good. For more info: travismills.org A scene from the 1961 Italian period epic HEADLINES: Fake News Alert: Trojan Horse found!"Sunday Morning" is always on the lookout for fascinating stories and last week a doozy floated up on the internet: wooden planks from the legendary Trojan Horse had been excavated in a remote part of Turkey. Naturally, it was too good to be true. Lee Cowan reports. For more info: Gregory Nagy, Center of Hellenic Studies in Greece, Harvard University NATURE: TBD The Emmy Award-winning "CBS Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison. DVR Alert! Find out when "Sunday Morning" airs in your city "Sunday Morning" also streams on CBSN beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET and again at 11:30 a.m. ET. Full episodes of "Sunday Morning" are now available to watch on demand on CBSNews.com, CBS.com and Paramount+, including via Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon FireTV/FireTV stick and Xbox. Follow us on Twitter (@CBSSunday), Facebook, Instagram (#CBSSundayMorning), YouTube, and at cbssundaymorning.com. You can also download the free "Sunday Morning" audio podcast at iTunes and at Play.it. Now you'll never miss the trumpet! 11-year-old girl is on a mission to save the bees COVID poses high risks for pregnant women, study shows Death toll rises after devastating Haiti earthquake A judge ordered a temporary injunction on Act 1002 Arkansas' law that bans public entities from requiring masks meaning the law cannot be enforced for now. Yes, but: Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced Friday that she plans to fight the injunction. What's happening: With only about a week between the decision and school starting, local school districts have been scrambling to decide what their policies should be. The four largest NWA school districts' rules are: Bentonville: Masks required for students ages 3 and up. The school board will revisit the issue at each regular monthly meeting until further notice. Staff and faculty will vote to decide whether they'll have a mask requirement. Rogers: Masks required for students, faculty and staff for at least 30 days. Springdale: Masks required for students in K7; optional for grades 812, faculty and staff. Fayetteville: Masks required for students in K12 and faculty and staff. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Smaller NWA school districts are requiring masks with a notable exception Siloam Springs. What they're saying: Cam Patterson, chancellor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, wrote last week in a Twitter thread that schools should be closed unless everyone is masked and as many eligible people as possible are vaccinated. "If we need to delay school opening, let's do that. Otherwise, some kids will die," he tweeted. Threat level: Arkansas Children's Hospital and Children's Northwest had a total of 31 COVID-19 patients on Friday, an increase from 21 on Aug. 2, spokesperson Hilary DeMillo tells Axios. The youngest patient hospitalized in NWA for COVID-19 is under 12, according to a statement from the hospitals. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free A US military helicopter is pictured flying above the US embassy in Kabul on 15 August 2021. (AFP via Getty Images) The Biden administration has defended chaotic scenes of airlift evacuations in Afghanistan after President Joe Biden recently declared that there would be no hasty rush to the exits. The scenes from over the weekend and on Monday showed desperate Afghans clinging to the side of US air force jets as they tried to taxi down the runway at Hamid Karzai airport in Kabul. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan responded to NBC News question on Monday about Mr Biden promising to avoid people being airlifted from the US embassy in Kabul by helicopter by awkwardly defending doing just that. To be fair, the helicopter has been the mode of transport from our embassy to the airport for the last 20 years, Mr Sullivan said. Last month during a press conference on the US withdrawal, Mr Biden said: Theres going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a embassy in the of the United States from Afghanistan. Read More The Afghan people need our help many are at risk from the Taliban Taliban take control of another provincial capital The Taliban are storming prisons holding thousands of militants We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The fire last time. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Twitter is a place for attention-addicted depressives to mine dopamine from pixels. So, its never been the happiest app on Earth. But in recent days, as the Delta variant spread through bastions of anti-mask identity politics like an anthropocentric wildfire and the IPCC released its latest politically impotent prophecy of the coming ecological eschaton the mood in Twitters left corner grew especially dour. For U.S. progressives, maintaining faith in humanitys capacity to avert catastrophic climate change was challenging enough before the pandemic. Optimism of the will has proven even harder to muster while watching ICUs overflow as vaccines expire. It was in this gloomy context that the leftist historian David Austin Walsh posed a question to the Twitter-verse: Who is the most thoughtful liberal intellectual of our time? He then clarified that, by thoughtful liberal, he meant one who is genuinely trying to come to grips with our broader global social, political, and economic crises. The socialist commentator Jeet Heer replied, Trick question you cant be aware of the extent of the crisis and be a liberal. Some liberals might have taken exception to that remark. Matt Yglesias wasnt one of them. In a much-discussed newsletter, Yglesias argued that Heer was almost right: Liberals of his ilk are not fully aware of the crisis, because it doesnt actually exist. In what he billed as a case against crisis-mongering, Yglesias wrote that the notion that we are living through some acute global social, political, and economic crises is fundamentally false. In reality, he contended, we are living through problems that are serious and difficult but not necessarily any more serious or more difficult than the problems of the past, and certainly not serious in a way that should cause one to doubt the basic tenets of liberalism. In fact, our age is a relatively peaceful and prosperous one; global poverty has fallen massively over the past half-century. Writers who ignore this reality while yammering on about crises do so primarily out of parochialism and boredom. And their self-involved catastrophizing threatens to inspire overreactions analogous to Americas Global War on Terror, while undermining the prospects for incremental reform. This is not a comprehensive summary of Yglesiass post (he also suggested that American democracy is pretty secure and that the threat of right-wing authoritarianism has been overhyped, arguments that stand in some tension with his own past commentary). But it covers the arguments Im most interested in interrogating here. I think Yglesias makes some fine points. In todays attention economy, there really are strong incentives for partisan commentators to engage in alarmism and ahistoricism. I know that Ive overreacted to the news cycles ephemera on more than one occasion. And it is also true that life for humanity as a whole has been getting better, not worse, over the past four decades, and that this reality often gets short shrift in the left-wing discourse of post-industrial countries. But none of these points are inconsistent with the notion that the world is facing a profound, historically novel crisis. I dont think its fair or accurate to attribute left Twitters agitation to ennui alone. Were living through both an unprecedented ecological emergency and a globe-spanning resurgence of reactionary nationalism. Liberalism has yet to prove itself equal to either of these scourges. And that fact calls the viability of the liberal vision of progress into doubt. This said, I dont think liberalism is exceptional in its plight. And I have trouble seeing how an alarmist reading of contemporary conditions would necessarily lead one to embrace socialism, as I take Heer to be implying. If Matt Yglesiass formula for human flourishing has seen better days, Karl Marxs has too and for many of the same reasons. Just because the world is getting better doesnt mean it isnt ending. We are indeed living in the golden age of human civilization. We are also on the precipice of an unprecedented global catastrophe. For the bulk of our speciess history, nearly half of all people died by age 15. In 1950, that figure still stood at 27 percent; today, it sits below 5 percent. Between 1981 and 2019, the share of the global population living in extreme poverty fell from 42 percent to 10 percent. Human existence remains a trying experience for all, and a waking nightmare for many. And there is something to be said for declinism: We have reason to believe that the advent of agriculture was a catastrophic mistake, and that the median prehistoric hunter-gatherer was happier than the median 21st-century industrial laborer. Nevertheless, by post-Neolithic standards, 2021 is fairly close to as good as it gets. (Although, 2019 was, of course, quite a bit better.) But that doesnt mean things arent about to get incalculably worse. Portents of a bleak tomorrow are in the air, literally and otherwise. In recent weeks, California suffered wildfires so massive, their smoke made breathing difficult for East Coast asthmatics. Similar conflagrations swept across Turkey, Greece, and Siberia, as heat wave after heat wave tormented the Northern Hemisphere. The new IPCC report confirms that this confluence of natural disasters was neither coincidental nor strictly natural. The evidence that humanitys burning of fossil fuels has increased the prevalence of extreme weather events is now overwhelming. Meanwhile, the Paris Agreements signatories are not transitioning off fossil fuels at anywhere near the rate necessary for limiting warming to 1.5 degrees. And that official target is itself arbitrary. We do not actually know how hot is too hot for averting a tipping point that irreversibly exacerbates ecological conditions. Already, a large part of the Greenland ice sheet is on the brink of entering a self-reinforcing melting process, while climatologists are seeing signs that the Gulf Stream is slowing down. Even in the best-case scenario, the coming decades will witness displacement on an unprecedented scale. In 2017, 22.5 million people were uprooted by sudden onset weather events. By 2050, the World Bank expects that 143 million residents of Latin America, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa will be displaced as a direct result of climate change. Humanitys collective technical capacity is vast. It remains quite possible that our species will be much better off in the future than it is today. Advances in biotech (such as mRNA vaccines) are poised to eradicate a wide array of medical scourges. Renewable energy and battery technology could allow us to enjoy the benefits of industrial society without inhaling little bits of poison all the time. But all utopian visions for the 22nd century are contingent on decarbonization in the coming decades of the 21st. And its not at all clear that weve got a handle on that globe-spanning collective-action problem. At present, the forces of eco-cosmopolitanism appear less potent than those of reactionary nationalism. In the worlds most powerful nation, the OECDs most unabashedly pro-carbon party has secured itself a large structural advantage in national elections. In the worlds largest democracy, the ruling Hindu supremacist party appears more concerned with consolidating its power and persecuting Muslims than with greening its economy. And in the worlds most populous country, an increasingly authoritarian, more-or-less genocidal one-party state is preparing to add 247 gigawatts of coal power (or nearly six times Germanys entire coal-power capacity) to its grid. In my view, all this means that we live in a time of crisis; or, in the words of good ol Merriam-Webster, an unstable or crucial time in which a decisive change is impending, especially one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome. This crisis also seems unique in kind (humanity has never confronted these ecological, economic, or geopolitical conditions before) and at least potentially in severity (humanity is at risk of irreparably degrading its collective quality of life). Liberalism and its discontents. Im not sure that Yglesias would actually contest much of the above. The dispute between the SlowBoring blogger and his leftist interlocutors is ultimately about ideology, not semantics. Whether we should describe the worlds contemporary problems as a unique crisis is of less concern than whether those problems constitute a crisis for liberalism. And its hard for me to see how they dont. The word liberalism has acquired a wide range of conflicting meanings over the course of its long life. But in the American context, it generally describes a governing philosophy that prizes freedom of expression, pluralism, due process, democratic elections, and a mixed economy comprised of a large private sector, flanked by a social safety net, regulatory state, and system of labor protections. Or at least, I think this is what Yglesias means when he uses the word (he offers no definition in the piece). These are trying times for liberalism in a few different respects. For one thing, tensions between the creeds disparate commitments are high and rising. In the wake of the 2008 crash, Barack Obama disavowed bank nationalization on the grounds that private capital should be responsible for fulfilling the core investment needs of this country. In so doing, he articulated the main principle that divides American liberalism from democratic socialism. Yet reconciling this principle with liberalisms concern for social welfare and political democracy has grown increasingly challenging. As Thomas Piketty famously demonstrated, the capitalist mode of production has a penchant for generating ever-greater inequality. Liberalism managed to keep this tendency in check for a good portion of the 20th century (with the aid of a couple wealth-eviscerating world wars). Today, however, the postwar period of shared prosperity looks distressingly anomalous. Over the past four decades, income and wealth inequality have increased in capitalist nations the world over (albeit at quite different rates). In many national contexts, this development has reduced social trust and with it, support for redistribution. Rising inequality also appears to be implicated in the authoritarian rights global ascent. A 2014 analysis of survey data from 40 different countries found that higher levels of economic inequality reduce support for democracy amongst all social classes. A 2016 study from Michigan State University yielded similar findings. Beyond eroding popular satisfaction with democracy, wealth inequality also threatens to nullify its substance by enabling monied interests to dominate policy debates through campaign spending, lobbying, and the cultural prestige they derive from their wealth. The problems that capitalism poses for liberalism in the present moment arent limited to the formers impact on inequality. When the bulk of investment is entrusted to profit-maximizing entities, a lot of national resources end up being squandered on productivity-reducing social-media apps, financial speculation, and predatory ventures, even as many vital forms of economic activity are inadequately financed or compensated. Of course, no economic system built by mortals will ever be entirely free of waste and irrationality. But demographic and climatic trends are raising the salience of liberal capitalisms failings. In the coming decades, eldercare will be one of the largest sources of working-class employment in the U.S. It was possible for private firms to provide the blue-collar manufacturing workers of yesteryear with comfortable salaries and benefits, while still turning a profit. But private capital cannot do the same for todays pink-collar working class. The labor of those who tend to non-affluent boomers in their infirmity is both socially indispensable and inescapably unprofitable. For this reason, the 21st-century U.S. economy cannot work for its working class unless the state assumes a much larger role in directing investment and income flows than American liberalism has heretofore tolerated. Such an expansion in the states economic role is also necessary for accelerating decarbonization. The scale of investment required for a rapid-energy transition far outstrips private capitals appetite for green equities. And of course, the private sector also lacks the legal authority for promoting urban density through zoning reform and expansions of mass transit. Yglesias himself concedes this shortcoming of actually existing liberal capitalism, writing: We should have had more aggressive mitigation efforts for the past 20-30 years, starting with pricing but including land use reforms and industrial policy and much larger R&D investments. We should have sunk a couple trillion into grid upgrades, wind farms, EV charging, and mass transit rather than into invading Iraq Every physicist working at a hedge fund rather than on next-generation batteries or modular nuclear reactors is a tragedy. Nevertheless, Yglesias insists that this reality does not reflect any conceptual or technical deficiency of liberalism. Rather, he suggests it is a product of contingent policy mistakes combined with the voting publics hostility towards policies that raise the cost of carbon energy. Put simply, whatever they say in opinion surveys, voters demonstrably value the maintenance of their carbon-intensive lifestyles in the immediate term over the comparatively abstract concern of long-term ecological sustainability. There is some empirical basis for this claim. Voters in deep-blue Washington state have repeatedly rejected a carbon tax at the ballot box, and presidential approval has often risen and fallen with the price of gas. And yet, to say that the political economy of liberal capitalism will not tolerate an adequate response to climate change is to name a deficiency in liberal capitalism. In his case against crisis-mongering, Yglesias is most concerned with defending liberalism from its critics on the democratic left. But the most potent ideological challenges to liberalism today comes from authoritarian quarters. The worlds ascendant great power shares liberalisms affinity for the mixed economy (with Chinese characteristics). What it rejects is electoral democracy. Chinese state media argues that competitive, confrontational Western politics sows social divisions by polarizing the public into disparate partisan camps. Endless political backbiting, bickering, and policy reversals ensue, rendering efficient policy making and implementation impossible. (This is, incidentally, somewhat similar to Yglesiass own critique of Americas contemporary political environment. He writes that we are being torn apart by a hysteria of mutual accusations against each other that serves to make it difficult to do normal political things like agree to disagree about some stuff while collaborating on some other common problem.) In recent weeks, China has demonstrated the relative efficiency of one-party rule by rapidly remaking its tech sector in a manner that advances its national objectives, and antagonizes well-heeled interests. Of course, Chinese communism has not proven itself to be any more eco-friendly than American liberalism. But if liberal democracies fail to facilitate expeditious decarbonization, an epoch of ever-deepening ecological instability is liable to be a favorable one for top-down systems of government. In times of acute crisis, such as World War 2, liberal states have themselves tended to suspend democratic norms and expand executive power. Much political science research suggests that electorates grow more authoritarian and less tolerant of social difference under conditions of felt insecurity or scarcity. Within the West, illiberal right-wing parties derived electoral benefit from the Syrian refugee crisis. It isnt hard to see how an unstable climate characterized by routine natural disasters, agricultural failures, and mass displacements could put wind in the sails of authoritarian reactionaries, who could in turn ensure worsening climate conditions in a vicious cycle. In any case, I agree with Yglesias that there is no reason, in principle, why liberalism cannot mount an adequate response to the challenges of this era. Over the past decade, it has facilitated major advances in green technology. And in the U.S., it is on the cusp of securing a massive increase in climate investment and social welfare spending. Liberalism works in theory. Whether it will work well enough in practice to avert ecological catastrophe or sustain popular faith in democracy, contain inequality, and keep its other promises to itself remains to be seen. Regardless, this is an unstable and crucial time for the creed. The left is not alright. As indicated above (and in some of my other writings), I think liberalisms finest ideals can only be realized under an economic order that is, at the very least, drastically more socialistic than our present one. This conviction is not based on mere idealism, but also on the considerable economic and social achievements of the Nordic social democracies. Nevertheless, I dont share Jeet Heers conviction that one cannot simultaneously recognize the full extent of the worlds present crises and identify as a liberal. This is not only because, in my estimation, facts cannot dictate values. More critically, I think an unsparing read of present conditions could reasonably lead one to deem liberalism a more viable approach to 21st century challenges than (actually existing) socialism is. After all, socialism in the Global North faces many of the same headwinds as liberalism: declining social trust, faith in democracy, and civic engagement. Socialists understandably deride nationalism as a force that inhibits transnational, class-based solidarity. In many contexts today, however, national solidarity is devolving into even smaller circles of fellow feeling, be they ethnic, regional, or partisan. Social democratic parties have been a poor bulwark against rising sectarianism. In fact, some have opted to swim with the tide: Denmarks Social Democrats have waged a brutal crackdown against asylum seekers while forcibly removing nonwhite Danes from their homes in order to prevent any given neighborhood from becoming more than 30 percent non-Western. More fundamentally, the principal agents of socialist change trade unions are in bad decline almost everywhere. Leftists can justly blame liberal parties for some of that decline. But todays political economy is what it is. And as organized labor has receded, working-class voters have drifted sharply right. In many Western countries, the ostensible mass base of socialism is now an actual base of the center-right. If liberalism has failed to organize ecologically sustainable economic development, the same can be said of socialism. Communist states were and are heavy polluters. Social democratic Norway is currently expanding oil and gas production. One can argue that socialism is a necessary but insufficient condition for rapid decarbonization. And certainly, a robust green transition requires a central state with the power and capacity to engage in ambitious economic planning. But no ideological faction can orchestrate a timely response to climate change without attaining state power imminently. And unlike liberals, democratic socialists have little near-term prospect of commanding national power in any of the world systems dominant states. None of this is to say that socialists should learn to stop worrying and love liberalism. My aim here is mostly just to encourage liberals and leftists to try a bit harder to see the world through each others eyes. Socialists who decry the state of the world on Twitter are not all bored crisis-mongers who are indifferent to reductions in global poverty. To identify as a liberal is not to declare ones ignorance of the 21st centurys harsh realities. Ultimately, at least in the United States, the disputes between liberals and leftists are of little near-term political relevance. Tammy Baldwin and Bernie Sanders have very similar voting records. The Squads support base and Elizabeth Warrens are not terribly distinct. If you replaced every single self-identified liberal or progressive in the U.S. Congress with a DSA member, Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, and the Problem Solvers Caucus would still have veto power over all federal legislation. There is scant evidence that the socialist left has a formula for near-term electoral dominance that liberal Democrats refuse to use. To flip Heers thesis, one might say that you cant be aware of the extent of the crisis and think that liberals are the obstacle to socialist reform in the United States. So instead of being torn apart by a hysteria of mutual accusations, liberals and leftists should agree to disagree about the means of production, while collaborating on climate mitigation and the Republican Partys disempowerment. You may wish bourgeois society stood at a different crossroads, but the choice before us is popular frontism or barbarism. Anti-vaxxers in Swampscott, Massachusetts. Photo: M. Scott Brauer/Redux In the middle of August, as the Delta variant began driving coronavirus caseloads back to levels Americans believed they would never see again, Missouri senator Josh Hawley introduced an amendment to the Senate budget resolution addressing what he sensed to be one of his partys most urgent priorities. Hawley called for restricting federal funding to K12 schools that mandate COVID-19 vaccines for students, mandate students wear masks, or do not resume in-person instruction. As school districts around the country scramble to figure out how to reopen, Hawleys plan for public education is to demand in-person schooling while banning any efforts to make it safe. (Hopefully, nobody will tell Hawley about ventilation lest he ban that too.) Hawley is merely following a partywide stampede into a new form of COVID denialism, and Republican officeholders are jostling with one another to stake out the wildest stance. Seven Republican-led states have banned schools from requiring masks in the classroom. Ted Cruz and fellow Republican senator Kevin Cramer have two new bills banning mask and vaccine mandates. Texas governor Greg Abbott and Florida governor Ron DeSantis have banned mask and vaccine mandates, and DeSantis even tried to prevent cruise lines from requiring passengers to be vaccinated. Its worth recalling that in the early days of the pandemic, Republican COVID denialism began as a largely reflexive partisan instinct. President Trump was too upset by the emergence of a pandemic, at a moment when he believed he had seized a decisive campaign advantage, to admit that he was facing a serious crisis that required action. And so he began insisting the virus would disappear quickly, or that it could easily be cured by hydroxychloroquine, or that people should simply tough it out and not let it dominate their lives. The Republicans original premise for these beliefs was that Democrats were hyping up the pandemic as a pretext to shut down the economy and thereby to harm his chances of reelection. If Joe Biden won the election, Cruz sagely predicted a year ago, I guarantee you the week after the election, suddenly all those Democratic governors, all those Democratic mayors, will say, Everythings magically better. Go back to work. Go back to school. Suddenly the problems are solved. And since COVID was an exaggerated threat concocted to advance a nefarious Democratic agenda, it followed that the measures public-health authorities were recommending against it, including masks and vaccines, were also unnecessary. That entire conspiracy theory has collapsed. And yet the beliefs it spawned that masks and vaccines were unnecessary have remained in place. As the Delta variant spreads, in no small part owing to right-wing resistance to vaccination, Republican COVID denialism has mutated into an altered form. It is now organized around sanctifying and protecting the absurd and false mythology that Republicans spread under Trump. Until COVID came along, not even doctrinaire libertarians opposed government vaccine mandates. For decades, institutions like the military and schools have routinely required a long list of vaccines. HuffPosts Jonathan Cohn cites the works of libertarian writers such as Jessica Flanigan (A Defense of Compulsory Vaccination, 2013), Jason Brennan (A Libertarian Case for Mandatory Vaccination, 2018), and Ilya Somin, all of whom supported vaccine mandates before COVID existed. But even if you were such a libertarian extremist that you opposed vaccine requirements, theres no conceivable justification for banning private business from requiring vaccinations. When Cruz insists, No one should force anyone to take the vaccine including the federal government or an employer, he is trampling on property rights and freedom of association, principles a small-government conservative like Cruz usually defends fanatically. Suppose, for instance, you want to enjoy a cruise with the peace of mind that everybody onboard has gotten a vaccine, and a cruise line wants to sell you that experience. A traditional conservative or libertarian would describe that as a capitalist act between consenting adults. DeSantis believes the heavy hand of government should step in and make that contract illegal. Lets not pretend Republicans would care about rights for anti-vaxxers if their ranks didnt include disproportionate numbers of Republicans. Only the identity-politics aspect of the anti-vaxx, anti-mask crusade has driven Republicans to turn against their customary reverence for freedom of contract. DeSantis hinted at the logic in unusually revealing terms two weeks ago. Im sick of the judgmental stuff. Nobodys trying to get ill here, he lectured reporters. Lets not indulge that somehow its their fault for not [getting vaccinated]. Of course nobody wants to get sick. Nobody wants to die in a car crash or go to prison, either, but some people drive drunk or commit felonies anyway, and generally people like DeSantis judge their behavior. The idea DeSantis is expressing in his plea for withholding judgment is that the feelings of people who believed Trumps lies deserve special protection. Since Trump left office, so much of the Republican energy has been organized around protecting his followers from any social, political, or legal consequences. What principle grants somebody the extraordinary right to walk onto another persons property and spread a deadly virus? The principle that they should pay no price for having followed their president. DeSantiss Florida represents a test case of the Republican political theory. By flouting precautionary measures, DeSantis has successfully branded the state as an outpost of mask-free, very vaccine-optional living. He has benefited as well from being the object of factually shaky attacks a 60 Minutes segment depicted his decision to distribute vaccines through the Publix drugstore as corrupt, state employee Rebekah Jones accused him of falsifying COVID deaths, and when neither charge panned out, Republicans flocked to him as another victim of the liberal-media conspiracy. National Review published two articles demanding the national media apologize to DeSantis, whose martyrdom thrust him to the top of the list of potential nominees if Trump decides not to run. But Florida has become the kind of national petri dish of disease DeSantiss critics have long feared. By mid-August, according to some estimates, the states COVID hospitalization rate soared to levels higher than New York had at the peak of its outbreak. DeSantis and his fellow Republicans are not telling people not to get vaccinated or wear a mask indoors. Instead, they quietly urge people to get the vaccine while loudly demanding freedom for those who refuse, treating the choice to opt out of vaccines and go anywhere you wish while potentially carrying a deadly transmissible disease as a fundamental right. DeSantis has simultaneously said These vaccines are saving lives while selling merchandise plastered with the slogan DONT FAUCI MY FLORIDA. It is tempting to assume this reflects a devious strategy. But 70 percent of adults in the U.S. have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and, according to one survey, more than 60 percent of parents of school-age kids think unvaccinated students and staff should have to wear masks. There is no clever plan here just politicians so desperate to cater to the pathologies of their base that they chase one another to adopt the most politically toxic and socially hazardous position available. Donald Trumps heirs have tested the political marketplace and arrived at a morbid conclusion: His supporters would rather die than admit they were wrong. *This article appears in the August 16, 2021, issue of New York Magazine. Several years ago, a major US electric utility, wrote in its 10-K , a document filed annually with federal securities regulators, that it could not currently estimate the financial impact of climate policies or litigation alleging damages, but admitted they could require material capital (FirstEnergy, 2018 10-K. Fast forward to the 2020 document, FirstEnergy said it could not predict timing and ultimate outcome.. of environmental actions. Not much progress.) Was that cautionary verbiage a hint? (Not being forthcoming in documents like the 10-K carries significant legal penalties, so take it seriously.) Next point of information: a long, detailed report, Utilities Knew: Documenting Electric Utilities Early Knowledge and Ongoing Deception on Climate Change from 1968-2017 issued by the Energy and Policy Institute, an organization with explicitly progressive political aims. The study's authors combed through decades of corporate and industry information. The Policy report paints a disturbing picture. US electric utilities had plenty of warning, beginning in the 1960s during the Presidency of Lyndon Johnson, that greenhouse gas emissions could adversely affect the climate. However, rather than take corrective action, they joined in lobbying efforts to discredit those conclusions and support research that would engender skepticism about the GHG-climate connection. We doubt that we are the only ones thinking that this behavior resembles that of the Tobacco Institute in enlisting MDs to discredit the link between smoking and lung cancer. The US Surgeon Generals report connecting smoking to lung cancer was issued in 1964. Roughly thirty years later, the tobacco industry settled the health claims for about a quarter of a trillion dollars. Virtually all the states Attorneys General sued the tobacco companies on the grounds that they caused the medical harm to smokers, so they should pay for the remedies. Imagine what will happen when a state hands the bill for its trillion dollar climate remediation program to the local utilities stating, You guys caused the problem, you (and your investors) pay for it. There is a difference, though, between an electric utility and an oil company that knew about GHG- climate linkages, but chose to pretend otherwise and actively issue disinformation. The utility is a regulated entity with a public service obligation. We are not lawyers, but we suspect that actively deceiving state regulatory officials about potential problems, especially problems that affect the operations and viability of the biggest and cheapest fossil-fueled power plants, has ethical if not legal implications. It will certainly have adverse financial implications as well. Regulators are obliged to pass on to customers the utilitys prudently incurred costs. They expect and can tolerate reasonable mistakes. But what about investment decisions made where the full adverse implications for the climate were never fully disclosed? Regulatory repercussions may well occur if regulators angrily ask, You built that coal-fired power plant when you already knew that climate change was a serious matter, and you didnt tell us? And now that you have to close it down prematurely, you want us to charge consumers for the loss on the plant? Related: Is Carbon Neutral Oil Really Possible? The bigger risk, as in the tobacco settlements, is if the various litigants adopt the same position vis a vis the utility industry: you caused the harm, (denied it for decades) and now you have to pay remediation costs. That logic could lead to a multi-trillion dollar exposure. Therefore, are some investor owned utilities compromised and financially exposed, as were the tobacco companies and as may be the oil companies? We believe that lawsuits are inevitable. The question is: How much increased financial exposure do utilities incur from this litigation overhang? We could find out at the moment when increasing economy-wide electrification could jumpstart a relatively safe but traditionally low-growth industry. If the Utilities Knew report is correct, then It wasnt simply that electric utility officials were wrong about CO 2 and climate change, but rather that they were right, and they misled the public and their regulators about its harmful effects. There are multiple avenues of redress here, none of them positive for investors in the US utility industry. Lastly we are reminded of another public interest crusader from a previous generation. Large corporations attempted to humiliate and otherwise silence him but Ralph Nader ultimately prevailed over GM. Seat belts and vehicle passenger safety are no longer subject to debate. In the Netherlands recently, public interest lawyers for Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and others prevailed over oil giant Royal Dutch Shell in a landmark climate case. The court linked the companys activities to harmful climate change and stated that they could be more aggressive in limiting the environmental harm that use of their fossil fuel products were causing. European courts obviously provide no definite guidance for the U.S. However, lawsuits like this encourage others to follow suit. In short, suspicions lead to lawsuits, which in turn lead to discovery, which dredges up old emails and barely decipherable notes at the bottom of file folders and who knows what else? Even if Utilities Knew is only partially accurate in its allegations, U.S. utility investors could face a level of financial risks not even remotely priced into present valuation levels. Buckle up. By Leonard Hyman and William Tilles for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil prices dropped by more than 2 percent early on Monday, as weak data about China's economy and ultra-low U.S. consumer confidence weighed on the immediate global oil demand outlook. As of 9:06 a.m. EDT, WTI Crude was down 2.54% at $66.65, and Brent Crude traded down 2.28% at $68.94, as the market continues to fear that the COVID resurgence will hit fuel demand and slow down economic growth in the world's top oil importer, China. Today, economic data out of China for July was bearish for the oil market and prices. The country's industrial production rose by 6.4 percent annually in July, but that was below analyst expectations. So was the reading for the retail sales, as China felt last month the impact of flooding due to a typhoon in several areas and the start of a new COVID-19 wave. Authorities are cracking down on the virus spreading with lockdowns and suspension of public transportation services and flights, which has already started to dent fuel demand in recent days. China also reported the lowest refinery throughput in July since May 2020, as independent refiners cut on fuel production amid lower second-half import quotas and weakening profit margins. The Chinese refinery throughput last month saw its first annual decline since March 2020, when COVID-19 hit demand. The Chinese data from Monday adds to the bearish U.S. consumer sentiment report from Friday when the University of Michigan said that "Consumers reported a stunning loss of confidence in the first half of August." The preliminary consumer sentiment index is at its lowest since 2011. "Consumers have correctly reasoned that the economy's performance will be diminished over the next several months, but the extraordinary surge in negative economic assessments also reflects an emotional response, mainly from dashed hopes that the pandemic would soon end," said Surveys of Consumers chief economist, Richard Curtin. The weak Chinese and U.S. data "support IEA's latest downgrade to demand for the months ahead as a resurgent delta coronavirus variant is impacting demand across the world," Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, said on Monday. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: An attack with an explosive device on an oil field in the northern Iraqi region of Kirkuk was blamed on Islamic State militants, according to an unnamed source who spoke to Turkey's Anadolu Agency. No damage was done to the field, Bai Hassan, according to the source. Earlier this year, suspected Islamic State militants blew up two oil wells at the Bai Hassan field, killing at least one security officer and setting the oil wells ablaze. The Bai Hassan field that can produce around 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil has more than 120 oil wells. Based on these reports, it is an attractive target for the Islamic State, which despite international efforts, is alive and well in Iraq and Syria. A recent report by VOA News cited intelligence agencies as saying that the terrorist group remained resilient and ready to spring back out when the U.S. implemented its plans to "recede deep into the background." "The group has evolved into an entrenched insurgency, exploiting weaknesses in local security to find safe havens and targeting forces engaged in counter-ISIL operations," a report by the UN sanctions monitoring team said. "Attacks in Baghdad in January and April 2021 underscore the group's resilience despite heavy counter-terrorism pressure from Iraqi authorities," the report also said. Islamic State "is likely to continue attacking civilians and other soft targets in the capital whenever possible to garner media attention and embarrass the Government of Iraq." Based on what we are currently witnessing happening in Afghanistan, the deeper in the background the U.S. recedes, the more emboldened IS will become, which could mean more attacks on oil fields in the oil-rich Kirkuk region. This would interfere with OPEC's second-largest exporter of crude with plans to boost its production considerably once the OPEC+ agreement expires. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The largest oil companies have significantly raised their share of crude oil production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in recent years, while smaller firms have been weighed down by the pandemic and the suspension of licensing for drilling in federal waters, executives and analysts tell Reuters. The merger and acquisition wave in the U.S. oil and gas industry has not been limited to the shale patch in recent months and years. The Gulf of Mexico has seen Big Oil pump a growing share of crude from the offshore region compared to just a few years ago. The ten biggest producers in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico have produced as much as 86 percent of the average 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) pumped in the area so far this year, according to Reuters estimates based on data from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Back in 2017, this percentage was around 75 percent. Some smaller producers filed for bankruptcy after the markets crashed in 2020, while new investors are hesitant because of the moratorium on oil drilling licensing in federal waters and on federal land, which the Biden Administration introduced earlier this year. The halt in the offshore oil auctions has certainly chilled any potential investors, Michael Minarovic, chief executive officer at privately-held Arena Energy, told Reuters. Arena Energy has just emerged from bankruptcy, for which it filed last year. Meanwhile, the top dogs, including supermajors BP, Shell, and Chevron, are boosting their activities in the Gulf of Mexico. Chevron is preparing to drill at a super-high pressure field. Royal Dutch Shell announced last month the go-ahead of its Whale deepwater project in the Gulf of Mexico, its 12th project in the region. Shell is a leading deepwater oil and gas producer in the Gulf of Mexico, producing 150 million barrels of oil equivalent per yearwhich is about half of Shells total U.S. oil and gas production. A month earlier, BP said it had started up the Manuel project, which includes a new subsea production system for two new wells tied into the Na Kika platform 140 miles off the coast of New Orleans. BP and Shell each hold a 50-percent working interest in the Manuel development. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Demand for cobalt is rising globally because of its use in electric vehicle batteries. As such, China Molybdenum (CMOC) is planning to invest as U.S. $2.51 billion to further augment output from its Tenke Fungurume mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Reuters reported, citing the companys announcement. China Molybdenum to make $2.5B investment in DRC CMOC is the second-largest global cobalt feedstock producer after Switzerlands Glencore. Its TFM mine producing 15,400 tons of cobalt & 182,600 tons of copper in 2020. The new project will come up at its Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt mine (TFM) in the Congo. China Molybdenum has an 80% stake in Tenke Fungurume, one of the worlds largest copper-cobalt deposits. The DRCs Gecamines owns 20%. News agency Reuters reported the Chinese firm had stated in a filing that the investment will go toward building three ore production lines. As a result, average annual copper output at the mine would rise by 200,000 tons. In addition, cobalt output would rise by 17,000 tons. The company expects to complete the project and put into production in 2023. TFM has copper resources of 24.9 million tons and cobalt resources of 2.5 million tons. In 2016, CMOC acquired the mine from U.S.-based base metals mining firm Freeport-McMoRan. According to a statement put out earlier by the company, the TFM mine had started trial production on July 16 this year. In Q1 2021, the Company completed investment of RMB684 million in capital projects, up 37% year-on-year, including in the expansion projects both at TFM in the DRC and NPM in Australia that are planned to be put into production in Q2, upon completion of which further release of production capacity and continued efforts in cost optimization will render the Company a better position to capture the upsides in metal prices and achieve stronger profitability, China Moly said in its Q1 2021 results report. Cobalt demand Currently trading at around U.S. $50,000 a ton, cobalt is a critical component in electric vehicle batteries. EV sales will likely continue to rise in the coming years as the world strives to reduce carbon emissions. A world leader in cobalt production, the DRC has created an entity called EGC to buy artisanal cobalt from the countrys miners and sell it to unregulated middlemen. Cobalt prices have been volatile and hit decade highs of nearly U.S. $100,000 a ton in 2018 (almost double the current price). The battery materials market has been growing at a rapid pace over the last few years. The increase in the usage of lead-acid and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, plus a surge in demand from the consumer electronics and automotive industries, are some of the major driving factors of the global battery material market. According to Allied Market Research, the global battery material market is expected to reach $80.5 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 5.9% from 2021 to 2030. By AG Metal Miner More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of Russian gas giant Gazprom, will be able to swiftly raise its crude oil production in line with the OPEC+ deal for unwinding the collective cuts, one of Russias top oil-producing companies told Reuters in an email on Friday. Gazprom Neft has many oil wells, at which it had reduced production because of the OPEC+ production quotas. In addition, some oil wells have been sitting idle since last year, the company told Reuters. Last year, Gazprom Neft reduced its liquids production by 4 percent because of the OPEC+ deal. But the company is also one of the key drivers of Russias potential to raise production because of its plan to boost output at several oilfields. Russia, the leader of the non-OPEC group in the OPEC+ alliance, currently pumps somewhere around 9.6 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and another roughly 900,000 bpd in condensates, which are not included in Russias quota. Russia saw its oil production rise for the first time in three months in July as OPEC+ continued to ease the production cuts and planned maintenance at some Russian oilfields ended. Russias compliance with the OPEC+ deal will be around 100 percent in July, Deputy Prime Minister and chief oil negotiator, Alexander Novak, said earlier this month. Russia can boost its oil production in August by 100,000 bpd, as per the parameters in the OPEC+ deal agreed in July, Novak added. The deputy prime minister said after OPEC+ sealed the deal that Russia could return to pumping 10.5 million bpd by May 2022, and at a later stage, raise crude production to 11.5 million bpd, depending on the global oil market. Some Russian analysts, however, told Reuters that they doubt the country could be able to reach and sustain a crude oil production level of 11.5 million bpd. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has added several people and businesses to its Iran sanctions list, alleging that they were involved in an oil smuggling network that worked to fund the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, or IRGC-QF. The IRGC-QF is using revenues from its Iranian petroleum sales to fund its malign activities at the expense of the Iranian people, the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea M. Gacki said in a statement. These sales rely on key foreign intermediaries to obscure the IRGC-QFs involvement, and Treasury will continue to disrupt and expose anyone supporting these efforts. One of the individuals added to the blacklist is an Omani national, Mahmood Rashid Amur Al Habsi, who, according to the Department of the Treasury, facilitated the sale and shipment of Iranian oil through his companies to obscure the IRGC-QFs involvement. Al Habsis companies have transported shipments worth tens of millions of dollars. Moreover, As part of his oversight of shipping operations, Al Habsi has tampered with the automated identification systems that are onboard vessels, forged shipping documents, and paid bribes, circumventing restrictions related to Iran. Obscuring the positioning devices on tankers carrying Iranian oil is a common practice to hide the destination of the shipments, which is most often China. In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. was considering ways to choke off Irans crude exports to its biggest customer by targeting the shipping networks that were assisting Iran with its China oil sales, U.S. officials said. The latest move comes as indirect talks between the United States and Iran on a revised nuclear deal continue to stall. The Hill reported recently that besides the new additions to the sanction list, Washington also planned to target Irans missile and drone programs to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The oil boom over the past decade, which made America the worlds top crude oil producer, made a small rural county in North Dakota the fastest-growing county in population between 2010 and 2020, U.S. Census Bureau data showed. North Dakotas McKenzie County was the fastest-growing county in America in the past decade, according to the decennial U.S. census, as carried by the Associated Press. The Bakken boom, which began early in the 2010s, contributed a lot to the fastest-growing county in America. The numbein r of residents in McKenzie County more than doubled over the past decade, jumping from 6,360 residents in 2010 to 14,704 residents 2020, according to the U.S. census. The growth was whopping, Census Bureau demographer Marc Perry said during a press conference, as quoted by the AP. Williams County, also in North Dakota, registered an 83-percent surge in the number of its residents over the past decade, to 40,950 people in 2020. Several counties in west Texas and east New Mexicohome of the top-producing U.S. shale basin, the Permianalso saw large growth in population between 2010 and 2020, the census showed. U.S. oil production has started to recover from last years market crash that led to many curtailments, deferred drilling programs, and prioritization of debt and shareholder repayment to production growth. Total U.S. crude output is nowhere near the 13 million barrels per day (bpd) just before the crash in March 2020, but North Dakota has seen flat production recently, due to a shortage of workers, Lynn Helms, director of North Dakotas Department of Mineral Resources, told the Bismarck Tribune last month. Its going to take higher pay and housing incentives and that sort of thing to get them here, Helms said, noting that many workers had moved to Texas. Meanwhile, the Midland basin in Texas produced an average of 1.68 million bpd of crude oil last year, accounting for 15 percent of all crude output in America, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said earlier this week, citing data from Enverus. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Absa Group Ltd., one of Africas largest financial services providers, reported an increase in interim earnings and resumed dividend payments as the economic effects of the pandemic eased in the first half of 2021 compared with the same period a year earlier. Group headline earnings grew five-fold to R8.6 billion, which is higher than pre-pandemic levels, supported by resilient pre-provision profit growth and a significant decline in impairments. While earnings increased strongly, the improvement is off a low base a year earlier. Absa generates most of its income from its operations in South Africa. These results are testimony to the decisions that we took during the crisis around supporting our customers and taking a cautious approach to preserving capital and liquidity, said Jason Quinn, Absa Interim Group Chief Executive. The Group further strengthened its capital reserves during the period and maintained a strong liquidity position in the first half. Pleasingly, our headline earnings exceeded pre-COVID levels and our common equity tier 1 capital ratio strengthened further to the top end of our target range, said Punki Modise, Absa Group Interim Financial Director. The Groups balance sheet remains resilient and returns are now above cost of equity. The recovery was broad-based as all business units reported strong growth from a low base in the prior year. Retail and Business Banking (RBB), which generates most of the Groups income, grew headline earnings eight-fold to R4.2 billion. The benefit of a lower impairment charge was partially eroded by a 15% decline in pre-provision profit, given high claims and reserving in the life insurance business and customer-centric fee reductions. RBB has invested heavily in digital and has made considerable progress in this area, including launching Apple Pay recently. Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB)s headline earnings more than doubled to R4 billion, driven by solid growth across the franchise, most notably in the Global Markets business and the Investment Bank. This helped to offset low credit appetite from corporate clients. The Group refined its operating model after an internal and external review found that the Group structure was sub-optimal relative to its growth ambitions and the scale of the opportunity across the continent. The major reporting units, RBB and CIB, will be accountable for their product lines across the continent, complemented by a strong, focused and lean ARO central capability and fully enabled country leadership teams. Absa continued to play a role in society this year, building on last years substantial efforts to support customers, staff, communities and stakeholders in difficult times. Absas response to the pandemic and more recent incidents in South Africa has continued to be comprehensive, compassionate and reflective of the best of Absas values, said Quinn. Absa announced R500 million of pricing relief for customers in South Africa in February and reinstated its Siyasizana payment relief programme in August to assist retail customers (individuals) with existing credit facilities after they were impacted by unrest and looting in July. Absa extended tailored credit solutions to business banking customers and made donations totalling R12.5 million to assist with immediate needs such as food relief and infrastructure restoration in affected areas. Absa made significant progress in a number of key areas during the reporting period, including in sustainability. Absa published its first Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report in March and it was the first South African bank to announce sustainable finance targets. The Group aims to finance or arrange more than R100 billion for environment, social and governance-related projects by 2025. Outlook Absa foresees a number of risks to the Groups growth forecasts in the remainder of the year and recognizes that the impact of COVID-19 remains a significant uncertainty. Absa currently expects the South African economy to grow 4% this year from last years 7% decline, a slightly improved outlook compared with the 3% growth forecast in March. We are now confident, in hindsight, and considering the improvements in our financial momentum, that most of the key strategic calls made in 2018 were good decisions, which have been delivering against and which and remain very relevant today, said Quinn. Its also clear that much opportunity still remains and the management team has a strong sense of urgency around re-anchoring and refreshing our strategy against the latest market context and executing against our priorities including making further and deliberate progress on our culture journey. 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 Zambia's incumbent president has described Thursday's elections as "not free and fair". Early results show President Edgar Lungu trailing his main opponent, businessman Hakainde "HH" Hichilema. The president said election officials from his party Patriotic Front had been chased from polling stations, leaving votes unprotected. In response, Mr Hichilema said the statement was the "desperate final act of an outgoing administration". Mr Lungu, who is seeking a second term, also said that violence in provinces where he lost votes had rendered "the whole exercise a nullity". The party, he added, was considering its next course of action. Zambia's electoral commission is yet to respond. Violence had broken out in Southern province, North-Western province and Western Province, the president's statement said. Mr Lungu referenced the killing of a Patriotic Front chairman in North Western province and of another young party activist in clashes earlier this month. When the deaths occurred, the president brought in army reinforcements. Source: BBC 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 Government's Agenda 111 initiative, which is aimed at building 111 district hospitals across the country will commence on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Accra on Sunday afternoon, August 15, 2021, said the project will include two specialised hospitalspsychiatric hospitals. The specialised hospitals, he noted, one will serve people in the middle belt of the country whilst the other will serve those in the northern belt. He also mentioned that through the Agenda 111, the Accra Psychiatric hospital will be redeveloped, as well as the development of six new regional hospitals. Mr Oppong Nkrumah noted further that government will also develop an additional regional hospital in the Western Region. In President Akufo-Addos eighth address to the nation on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation in April last year, he announced that some 88 hospitals would be constructed in districts across the country. Mr Oppong Nkrumah explained that each of the hospitals will take 12 months to complete, that is, when the construction is commenced. He said, so far, the planning committee for the project, chaired by the Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, had been able to secure 88 sites for the project. Source: graphiconline.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 The Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) has developed a regional charter which will serve as a catalyst to ensure the realisation and sustainability of the Lets Make Accra Work initiative. The charter, titled The Accra Bible seeks to address the complex challenges affecting the region, particularly, the business districts and congested areas. It will serve as a blueprint that provides guidelines on how to overcome the myriad of challenges in the region to enable Accra become a world-class capital and rub shoulders with other capitals. The guidelines cut across traffic regulations, security issues, sanitation, education, land sales, among others, as well as the general vision of the region. Consultations The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey, who disclosed the introduction of the charter in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the GARCC was currently engaging with stakeholders including the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to fine-tune the charter. After getting the green light, he said it would be passed on to all the assemblies in the region for ratification after which it would be gazetted to pave the way for its full implementation. This Accra Bible contains strategies that will guide my office and ensure that all my successors will have a manual to guide them to help achieve the ultimate goal of making Accra work, he said. He noted that the Lets Make Accra Work initiative, since its launch in May this year, had brought a lot of development, particularly in the highly populated areas of the region. For instance, he said the initiative had improved the sanitation condition of some areas, and also led to a decongestion exercise, which had greatly improved the ease of doing business and movement in the region. Reclaimed land The Regional Minister said the successful implementation of relocation of the onion sellers and scrap dealers from Agbogbloshie to Adjen Kotoku which led to the reclamation of 18.3 acres of land, was a clear indication that the initiative had come to stay. Mr Quartey said the land had currently been reduced to ground zero and the GARCC was working hard to put the land to good use. Prior to the exercise, he said the National Youth Authority and the Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly (ACMA) had plans for the area and currently, discussions were still ongoing for the redevelopments of the site. Aside from that, he said portions of the land had been allocated to the ACMA for the construction of a district hospital. For the rest of the land, talks are still ongoing and we are going to use it for something which will benefit the region and country as a whole, Mr Quartey said. Reviving bye-laws Going forward, he said the GARCC would continue to engage with the assemblies to revive some of the bye-laws which had become dormant to tackle various problems confronting the region. Key among them, he said, were bye-laws on sanitation, road traffic as well as those on the operation of motorbikes and tricycles. Touching on the tricycles, popularly known as aboboyaa, the minister observed that most of them were used for refuse collection activities but had no proper disposal mechanisms. Due to that, he said, most of them ended up dumping the refuse along principal streets, thus, adding up to the already existing insanitary situation in the region. In view of that, Mr Quartey said the council was in the process of instituting a bye-law to ban all tricycles from using principal streets and highways in the region. However, in order not to create a situation that would lead to unemployment, he said waste management companies had been instructed to have transfer sites in their respective assemblies to ensure that the tricycles that engaged in waste collection continued to operate. Mr Quartey disclosed that a draft had already been prepared by the Attorney-Generals Department and would be launched on August 24 this year. We have met with all the stakeholders to deliberate on this draft; we are currently waiting for the announcement of the MMDCEs and once that is done, we will collaborate with them and start enforcing it, Mr Quartey said. Source: graphiconline.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 At least 21 people have died after their vehicle plunged into a collapsed bridge during heavy rains and floods in the northern Nigerian state of Jigawa. The police spokesperson in the state, Shisu Lawan Adam, told the BBC that the victims included nine military job seekers who were returning home. Witnesses said floods caused by heavy rains swept away the bridge but the travellers seemed to have been unaware. Shortly after their vehicle plunged into the flooded bridge, another vehicle with two occupants then rammed into it. It happened in the early hours of Sunday as they travelled in a commercial vehicle from the north-western state of Kano to the north-eastern Adamawa state. One person survived the accident with a broken thigh. Many parts of Nigeria have been experiencing massive flooding in recent weeks leading to the destruction of homes, farmlands and bridges. A number of people have also died as a result of floods across the country. Source: BBC 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 Some youth of Nzema has cautioned groups and individuals working against the former Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Catherine Afeku to immediately put an end to their dubious action. According to them, the former minister served with dexterity while in office, bring dignity, identity, and unity to the people of Nzema through the sponsorship of the celebration of the Kundum Festival. In a statement dated August 14, 2021, and signed by the Secretary of the Nzema East Youth Forum, Isaac Gyabbi - the youth contends that the sponsorship of Kundum Festival by the former tourism with state money amounting to GH200,000.00 was justified and a step in the right direction since the people Nzema and Ahanta deserve better. The statement further said that madam Afeku, recognizing the culture and or traditions and customs of the people of Nzema and Ahanta took the right decision to sponsor the Kundum Festival just like other festivals in the country have been sponsored with the country's oil money. "We find certain comments from individuals, the NDC, and some media houses as very unfortunate and a total affront, disregard, and disrespect to the traditions, customs, and total culture of we the people of Nzema descent. We say so because Axim is undoubtedly the heartbeat of the Kundum festival which is celebrated Nzemas and Ahantas of the Western Region of Ghana. Let's ask ourselves, how has the Kundum festival been supported and sponsored to unearth and experience the full eruption of the festival over the years? We in the Western Region pride ourselves with all the Minerals in the enclave but how has the corporate entities, institutions, and organisations sponsored our festivals?" portion of the statement questioned It added, "For the people of Nzema to see a lady who brought dignity, identity, and unity for our people to be seen ridiculed because of a budgeted GH200,000.00 sponsored package for the Kundum Festival is rather unfortunate". The remarks of the youth was in reaction to the 2018 Auditor-General's report that had cited misapplication of funds on the part of the former Tourism Minister for sponsoring Kundum festival with an amount of GH200,000.00. 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 The Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has called for stronger collaborative efforts to deal with the high emerging risk associated with the maritime domain as a result of the rising profitability in the seas of the Gulf of Guinea region. According to him, piracy, illegal bunkering, IUU fishing, and other illicit activities have been on the rise in the Gulf of Guinea within the last decade. For instance, he said, available records by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) indicate that in the first quarter of 2021, the Gulf of Guinea recorded 38 reported incidents of piracy activities. The Q1 2021 IMB Piracy Report further revealed that the Gulf of Guinea accounted for 43% of all reported incidents, including both fired upon incidents as well as hijacking. The region also accounted for all 40 crew kidnapped and crew fatality, he added These, he noted, have resulted in Insurance Companies charging higher insurance premiums, making the cost of maritime operations very expensive within the region. We have to work and plan together because now our maritime domain is becoming more profitable. Once your maritime domain is becoming more viable, it means the risk is also high. So, we need to work together and see how best we can minimize this risk to our advantage. Insurance Premium in our maritime domain is one of the highest in the world simply because of this risk associated with the maritime domain, he noted. Owing to the seriousness of the situation, the Minister said the Ministries of National Security, Defence, Interior, Transport, Energy, and Communications are in talks to see how they could make the Gulf of Guinea safe for smooth operations. He also added that he is aware of a Harmonised Standard Operating Procedure (HSOP) for Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies being developed by the National Maritime Security Committee with funding from the UNODC. This document is expected to improve operations between the plethora of agencies with mandates within the maritime domain by making it seamless, efficient, and more effective. Mr. Asiamah made this observation on Thursday, August 12, 2021, when a team from the Center for Maritime Law and Security (CEMLAWS) led by Dr. Kamal Deen-Ali, paid a courtesy call on him to congratulate him on his reappointment as the Minister for Transport and as well, recognize the good works that he is doing for the country. The call on the Minister by the think-tank Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) was also meant to strengthen its relationship with the Ministry of Transport, having worked with the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) for some years now. Commenting further, Mr. Asiamah said it is only through a harmonious working relationship between the Ministry and CEMLAWS that their research findings could be adopted to influence policy decisions at the national level. If you dont have the right information, you cant make the right decisions. We are not an island. About 90% of international trade is done on the sea and it is important for us to create an atmosphere that will enable us to engage multinationals to come into the maritime domain for us to also benefit from them. About 30 years ago, we hadnt found oil, so, we were not much concerned about the risk associated with other countries. Nigeria was having its own problems. We thought that it will never catch up with us. Today, it has. Once the maritime domain becomes profitable, the criminals would like to take advantage of it. About 90% of pirate activities in the world happen in the Gulf of Guinea. Are we going to sit down for them to take over our businesses? We need to run faster because if we dont, they will catch up with us. But if we work together, we will all reap the benefits of it, he underscored. A Research Assistant at CEMLAWS, Stephanie Lolk Larsen, speaking on the matter, gave a brief about how they have been working with the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), an agency under the Ministry of Transport, in the areas of legal reforms in the maritime industry as well as that of the National Integrated Maritime Strategy. She said the research think-tank body has also completed a study in the Niger Delta about the modus operandi of pirates, with their work covering areas such as how it cost to lead an operation for pirates; how much pirates gain from their activities; and what are the networks of the pirates among other things. These types of studies or research are very important to really target both our laws and operations at sea, she noted. Dr. Kamal-Deen enthused about the enormous work that has gone into the countrys maritime domain, presented a plague to the Minister in recognition of his good works for the maritime industry; and that of Ghana in general. The Ag. Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport, Mrs. Mabel Sagoe, contributing to the discussions, said all the research findings of CEMLAW will help the Ministry in its policy decisions. 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 Two family members of a 10-year-old boy who was found hanging on a noose at Atonsu S-Line in Kumasi have been picked up by the police at Asokwa in the Ashanti Region to assist in the investigation sorrounding the boys death. Paul Okyere Boateng was found in his room last Saturday with his neck in a noose tied to a ceiling fan in their house in the Asokwa Municipality in the Ashanti Region. The police has since begun investigations into the matter to unravel the circumstances sorrounding the boy's death. One of the suspects has been identified as Yaw Akuoko Sarpong, the 33-year-old brother of the deceased, who reported the matter to the Asokwa police a day after the incident happened. Police statement The Assistant Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Godwin Ahianyo, had earlier told the Daily Graphic that one Yaw Akuoko Sarpong, 33, an elder brother of the deceased, went to the police station on Monday, August 9, 2021, to lodge a complaint about his brothers death. He said the complainant informed the police that on his return from work around 3 p.m. that day, he found the lifeless body of his brother hanging on a rope tied to a ceiling fan in one of the rooms in their house at Atonsu S-Line. ASP Ahianyo appealed to residents, who might have any information surrounding the death of the boy, to relay it to the police to help in their investigations. Suspicion The Assembly Member of the area, Mr Owusu Brempong, who was with the police when they first went to see the boys body, told a local radio station: "We suspect foul play in the death of the boy. When we went into the room that day with the police, there was nothing that showed that, indeed, the boy committed suicide". Source: graphiconline.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 A British national stuck in a UN safehouse in Afghanistan says he has accepted his fate and feels abandoned as the country falls to the Taliban. Miles Routlege, 21, from Birmingham says he visited the country because he thought it'll be safe to visit because the country would not fall to the Taliban for several months. However, on Sunday, August 15, Taliban troops rolled into the capital, seizing power as president Ashraf Ghani ran for his life. Miles, whose ambition is to visit some of the worlds most dangerous places, claims he was stopped by insurgents near Kabul international airport who asked him where he was from. He said he told them Wales because he didnt want to say the UK and they didnt know where that was so let him go. Miles, a student at Loughborough University, said he had called the British embassy but feels ignored. He said to The Times: I was fully prepared for death, I accepted it. This trip has been a test of God. Im very religious so I believe Ill be looked after. Before I left I wrote a letter to my friends saying that if I died, not to feel guilty, that I would die happy and religious and proud. He also hopes his American Express card, which gives his names as Lord Miles Routledge, might help keep him safe. He added: The Taliban may see that as reason enough to keep me alive, thinking it may hold some negotiating power as theyll think Im important. Before the Taliban took over, he shared pictures of himself in a local market with guns. Miles, told The Times he decided to take the trip after spending the summer working as an intern for a wealth management firm. He also shared photos of his plane ticket to Kabul to prove to doubters he was really in the country. He said: I like risk, Im a banker, so it makes sense. I hate lying around on a beach so I wanted to do something a little bit different. After graduating Ill have a full-time job and maybe a family so wont have the opportunity to do things like this again. I thought [Afghanistan] looked quite nice, the food seemed amazing and it was dirt cheap. The UK Government has announced it is currently trying to rescue the 4,000 British nationals who are still in the country. 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 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as part of measures to tackle the ravaging health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic will on Tuesday 17th August 2021 observe the commencement of the construction of the 111 standard hospitals in the country. The Project is part of a grand vision for Ghanas healthcare sector by the Akufo-Addo administration, the realization of which will ensure that 101 outstanding districts will be provided with hospitals in addition to 10 selected regional and specialized hospitals. Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah who made this known at the Ministers Press Briefing on Sunday, August 15, 20201, said the President will personally observe the commencement of works at Trade in the Ashanti Region with other contractors in other districts expected to commence works afterwards. He said agenda 111 is programmed to take 12 months to complete from the commencement of each unit with a funding of $100 million from the government through the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF). The project is budgeted at nearly $17 million each of the district and specialized hospitals with funding from the Government of Ghana (GoG) with the construction of the 6 new regional hospitals sort under an Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) arrangement. This the Minister said the construction of the 111 hospitals will lead to Ghana becoming a Centre of Medical Excellence and a destination for medical tourism in the West African sub-region. He said: the project is expected to deepen healthcare delivery at all district levels and ensure that the Ghanaian can access high-quality healthcare at all district levels. It will also provide thousands of jobs for the healthcare staff to be recruited and posted to all these 111 facilities as well as their ancillary workers in these communities. The housing and local services associated with these projects are also expected to add a new layer to local economic activities in service of the local communities. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah called on all and sundry, especially the local beneficiary communities, traditional leaders, youth, and all actors in the local health sector to rally behind the agenda and give their full support as the government rolls out the project in full. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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. Featured Video Choirmaster, the husband of actress Beverly Afaglo has hit the malls of America shopping for the s*xiest panties for his wife who lost her belongings in a fire disaster. Sharing the video of himself in the shop, Eugene Choirmaster asked his lady followers to help him choose the best for the love of his life. According to the musician, he is making sure he restores her favourite underwear. He wrote making sure I restore my favorite underwears. Ladieeeeeeees! I need Your HeLP. Beverly Afaglo lost her entire belongings including her passports, clothes, and business documents that runs into millions of cedis when her house in Tema went up in flames days ago. She shared a video of what was left of the house on her Instagram page with the caption; everything gone, my passports, clothes, shoes, bags, wigs, jewellery, perfumes, my furniture, my kitchen everything gone. My kids room and all their clothes everything is gone. Im left with what I wore out thats all. Beverly revealed in a radio interview that she does not even have panties to wear, that sad situation pushed her friends to start raising funds to help restore some of the things she lost in the fire. Her colleague Yvonne Nelson has set up a GoFundMe account to raise some $20,000 for her. The campaign has seen some Ghanaians donate undisclosed amounts to fund her. Eugene, who was out in the states when the incident happened, has set out to buy every lost underwear for Beverly. View this post on Instagram A post shared by C H O I R M AS T E R G H (@choirmastergh_) Source: instagram/ghanacelebrities 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 Global climate change is warming the Arctic Ocean and shrinking sea ice. Here, the blue-white ice cap shows the coverage of sea ice at its smallest extent in summer 2020, and the yellow line shows the typical Arctic sea ice minimum extent between 1981 and 2010. Some have proposed that the newly exposed sea surface will lead to a plankton population boom and a burgeoning ecosystem in the open Arctic Ocean, but a team of Princeton and Max Planck Institute for Chemistry scientists say thats not likely. They have examined the history and supply rate of nitrogen, a key nutrient. Their recent work finds that stratification of the open Arctic waters, especially in the areas fed by the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait, will prevent surface plankton from receiving enough nitrogen to grow abundantly. Credit: Jesse Farmer, Princeton University; modified from Rebecca Lindsey and Michon Scott, Climate change: Arctic sea ice, NOAA Climate.gov As the North Pole, the Arctic Ocean, and the surrounding Arctic land warm rapidly, scientists are racing to understand the warming's effects on Arctic ecosystems. With shrinking sea ice, more light reaches the surface of the Arctic Ocean. Some have predicted that this will lead to more plankton, which in turn would support fish and other animals. Not so fast, says a team of scientists led by Princeton University and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. They point to nitrogen, a vital nutrient. The researchers used fossilized plankton to study the history of sources and supply rates of nitrogen to the western and central open Arctic Ocean. Their work, detailed in a paper in the current issue of the journal Nature Geoscience, suggests that under a global warming regime, these open Arctic waters will experience more intense nitrogen limitation, likely preventing a rise in productivity. "Looking at the Arctic Ocean from space, it's difficult to see water at all, as much of the Arctic Ocean is covered by a layer of sea ice," said lead author Jesse Farmer, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Geosciences at Princeton University who is also a visiting postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany. This sea ice naturally expands during winters and contracts during summers. In recent decades, however, global warming has caused a rapid decline in summer sea ice coverage, with summer ice cover now roughly half that of 1979. As sea ice melts, photosynthesizing plankton that form the base of Arctic food webs should benefit from the greater light availability. "But there's a catch," said contributing author Julie Granger, an associate professor of marine sciences at the University of Connecticut. "These plankton also need nutrients to grow, and nutrients are only abundant deeper in the Arctic Ocean, just beyond the reach of the plankton." Whether plankton can acquire these nutrients depends on how strictly the upper ocean is "stratified," or separated into layers. The upper 200 meters (660 feet) of the ocean consists of distinct layers of water with different densities, determined by their temperature and saltiness. These white lumps are fossilized foraminifera from an Arctic Ocean sediment core, magnified 30 times. The researchers used organic material inside these forams plankton that grew in surface waters, then died and sank to the sea floor to measure the isotopic composition of nitrogen. Credit: Jesse Farmer, Princeton University "When the upper ocean is strongly stratified, with very light water floating on top of dense deep water, the supply of nutrients to the sunlit surface is slow," said Farmer. New research led by scientists from Princeton University shows how the supply of nitrogen to the Arctic has changed since the last ice age, which reveals the history of Arctic Ocean stratification. Using sediment cores from the western and central Arctic Ocean, the researchers measured the isotopic composition of organic nitrogen trapped in the limestone fossils of foraminifera (plankton that grew in surface waters, then died and sank to the sea floor). Their measurements reveal how the proportions of Atlantic- and Pacific-derived nitrogen changed over time, while also tracking changes in the degree of nitrogen limitation of plankton at the surface. Ona Underwood of the Class of 2021 was a key member of the research team, analyzing western Arctic Ocean sediment cores for her junior project. Where the oceans meet: Pacific waters float above saltier, denser Atlantic waters The Arctic Ocean is the meeting place of two great oceans: the Pacific and the Atlantic. In the western Arctic, Pacific Ocean waters flow northward across the shallow Bering Strait that separates Alaska from Siberia. Arriving in the Arctic Ocean, the relatively fresh Pacific water flows over saltier water from the Atlantic. As a result, the upper water column of the western Arctic is dominated by Pacific-sourced nitrogen and is strongly stratified. However, this was not always the case. "During the last ice age, when the growth of ice sheets lowered global sea level, the Bering Strait didn't exist," said Daniel Sigman, Princeton's Dusenbury Professor of Geological and Geophysical Sciences and one of Farmer's research mentors. At that time, the Bering Strait was replaced by the Bering Land Bridge, a land connection between Asia and North America that allowed for the migration of humans into the Americas. Without the Bering Strait, the Arctic would only have Atlantic water, and the nitrogen data confirm this. Study co-author Julie Granger sampled water from the Arctic Ocean aboard the US Coast Guard icebreaker Healy. Credit: Julie Granger, University of Connecticut When the ice age ended 11,500 years ago, as ice sheets melted and sea level rose, the data show the sudden appearance of Pacific nitrogen in the open western Arctic basin, dramatic evidence of the opening of the Bering Strait. "We had expected to see this signal in the data, but not so clearly!" Sigman said. This was just the first of the surprises. Analyzing the data, Farmer also realized that, prior to the opening of the Bering Strait, the Arctic had not been strongly stratified as it is today. Only with opening the Bering Strait did the western Arctic become strongly stratified, as reflected by the onset of nitrogen limitation of plankton in the surface waters. Heading eastward away from the Bering Strait, the Pacific-sourced water is diluted away, so that the modern central and eastern Arctic are dominated by Atlantic water and relatively weak stratification. Here, the researchers found that nitrogen limitation and density stratification varied with climate. As in the western Arctic, stratification was weak during the last ice age, when climate was colder. After the ice age, central Arctic stratification strengthened, reaching a peak between about 10,000 and 6,000 years ago, a period of naturally warmer Arctic summer temperatures called the "Holocene Thermal Maximum." Since that time, central Arctic stratification has weakened, allowing enough deep nitrogen to reach surface waters to exceed the requirements of plankton. Global warming is quickly returning the Arctic to the climate of the Holocene Thermal Maximum. As this warming continues, some scientists have predicted that reduced ice cover would enhance the productivity of Arctic plankton by increasing the amount of sunlight reaching the ocean. The new historical information acquired by Farmer and his colleagues suggests that such a change is unlikely for the open basin waters of the western and central Arctic. The western Arctic will remain strongly stratified due to persistent inflow of Pacific water through the Bering Strait, while the warming will strengthen stratification in the central Arctic. In both of these open ocean regions, slow nitrogen supply is likely to limit plankton productivity, the researchers concluded. "A rise in the productivity of the open Arctic basin would likely have been seen as a benefit, for example, increasing fisheries," said Farmer. "But given our data, a rise in open Arctic productivity seems unlikely. The best hope for a future rise in Arctic productivity is probably in the Arctic's coastal waters." Explore further Rivers melt Arctic ice, warming air and ocean More information: Arctic Ocean stratification set by sea level and freshwater inputs since the last ice age, Nature Geoscience (2021). www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00789-y Arctic Ocean stratification set by sea level and freshwater inputs since the last ice age,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-021-00789-y Shiv Priyam Raghuraman et al, Anthropogenic forcing and response yield observed positive trend in Earth's energy imbalance, Nature Communications (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24544-4 Journal information: Nature Communications , Nature Geoscience Every year since 2013 has been warmer than it was in 2013 and every year prior in a record that dates back to 1880," said Peter Huybers of the Harvard John. A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Credit: Eliza Grinnell/SEAS In a major United Nations report released last Monday, the more than 230 scientists who make up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change described "unprecedented" climate change over the past century and warned in similarly unambiguous language that the world will descend further into catastrophic warming absent rapid and aggressive action to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases. We asked Peter Huybers, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences, about the research behind the report, the panel's first since 2013, and the harrowing details contained within it. Can you talk first about the climate effects the report identifies as irreversible? Huybers: Irreversibility means that even if other conditions were returned to a baseline condition, the system would not recover. An example is tipping a table until your soup bowl spills, and the fact that returning the table to level doesn't put the soup back in the bowl. Studies indicate that the melting of the Greenland ice sheet is irreversible in the sense that, after the ice sheet melts, it would not regrow even if we otherwise returned the climate to pre-industrial conditions. The ice sheet is a vestige of a colder climate deeper in Earth's past that is maintained, crucially, by high rates of accumulation on its flanks and cold temperatures atop that its own height affords. In this sense, the melting of Greenland and the consequent rising of sea level are irreversible. The IPCC report also uses the term "irreversible on centennial to millennial time scales" in describing melting of permafrost as well as the warming, acidification, and deoxygenation of the ocean. Permafrost is slow to regrow and the deep ocean adjusts over centuries to millennia, so in this sense these systems will not fully recover over societal timescales even under the optimistic scenario of returning the atmosphere to a pre-anthropogenic state. The Sixth Assessment Report uses stronger language than previous assessments to address the influence of human activity on climate change: "It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land." Are there specific findings, historical or otherwise, that have made this connection even clearer than it was eight years ago? Huybers: Yes, this report uses language that is more strident and confident. One contributing reason for this change in tone, I suspect, is the simple fact that in the eight years that elapsed between AR5 and AR6, the climate continued to change, in keeping with predictions for warming, loss of ice, rates of sea level rise, and changes in storms. I've seen more than one news piece suggesting that climate change is worse than we expected, and perhaps that is the case with regard to certain consequences, but with regard to overall physical changes, they are as the scientific community generally expected, and which to me seem plenty bad enough to motivate action. This situation can be contrasted with AR5, which was released at a time when it wasn't clear if the climate had warmed in the preceding 10 years at rates that were consistent with our predictions. This so-called hiatus in global warming turns out to have been exaggerated by artifacts in how global temperature trends were estimatedfor example, excluding much of the fastest warming regions in the Arctic. Moreover, every year since 2013 has been warmer than it was in 2013 and every year prior in a record that dates back to 1880. It's clear that the warming trends expected in response to rising greenhouse gases are materializing at the expected rates. Another factor is that there were several studies that the scientific community was contemplating around the time of AR5 that suggested rather low values of equilibrium climate sensitivity, a measure of how much the Earth would ultimately warm in response to a doubling of atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. Very low ranges have been ruled out now, along with some tightening on the higher end, giving a likely sensitivity range of 2.5C to 4C as compared with 1.5C to 4.5C in AR5. With an eye on the clock, are there certain areas of climate research and/or policymaking where global leaders should concentrate resources? Huybers: Sometimes climate change is treated like the sky is falling, which implies a final crash. In fact, the composition of the sky is being steadily altered to trap more heat, and we need both short- and long-term strategies for bringing the climate back into equilibrium. The imperative to act doesn't go away ifand, I'm afraid, whenwe allow Earth's surface temperature to warm by more than 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius. For example, widespread electrification of ground vehicles is plausible in the near term because price and performance are competitive with fossil fuel-based alternatives, but we also need a longer-term solution for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from air travel. Alternative ways of making jet fuel and capturing CO 2 from the atmosphere are currently costly possibilitiescan we make these cheaper or find another way? Additional research to improve prediction of climate change is also still warranted because, for example, there are big differences in the consequences of 2.5 versus 4C per doubling of CO 2 concentrations. There are notable opportunities to increase our rate of learning about the climate system by developing a constellation of satellites to monitor the flow of energy in and out of the Earth system. Another constellation of satellites could monitor greenhouse gas fluxes for purposes of better holding nations accountable for their emissions. Let me also highlight a broader issue: that no one can be expected to prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions absent a just standard of living. In some places that means helping adapt to the consequences of climate change, such as rising sea level, but more often it means things like ensuring food security, providing access to education, and working for peace. What is the best-case scenario for humankind if leaders were to start acting tomorrow on the findings in the assessment? Huybers: Many world leaders, to their credit, are attempting to address the issues raised in the assessment. One best-case scenario is for world leaders to agree to policies that will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, scheduled for November in Scotland. Another, more general best-case outcome is for world leaders to build upon our shared interests in stabilizing climate to promote greater well-being and stability generally. Of course, political leaders can only get so far out ahead, such that any best-case scenario implies ample foresight and willingness on the part of people generally. Explore further 5 things to know about the new UN report on climate change This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu. The Chihuahuan Desert runs along the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains, creating a barrier to dispersal to many of the plants in the National Park that require large amounts of precipitation or a near-constant source of water, such as streams and rivers, to survive. Credit: Matt Johnson. Botanists at Texas Tech University recently tested a new genetic resource on plants from the Guadalupe Mountains, a region that boasts some of the most diverse ecosystems in Texas. Called Angiosperms353, the resource has the potential to help unravel the 500-million-year history of land plants while also providing a conservation roadmap to protect vulnerable species into the future. It was with this last goal in mind that researchers sequenced the DNA of plant specimens collected nearly 50 years ago, when the Guadalupe Mountains were first designated a national park. The researchers published their results in the journal Applications in Plant Sciences. "By comparing them to modern specimens, we can try to figure out exactly how rising temperatures and changes in weather and land use have affected these populations," said lead author Madeline Slimp, who conducted the study while completing her bachelor's degree at Texas Tech. The Guadalupe Mountains are a hotbed of genetic diversity Located in the northern spur of the Chihuahuan Desert, the Guadalupe Mountains are the remains of an ancient coral reef and limestone seafloor that was uplifted by tectonic instability in the region beginning about 20 million years ago. Within that span of time, the peaks have been thrust up to over 5,000 feet above the surrounding sand dunes. This abrupt change in elevation allows a number of rare plant ecosystems to thrive in the desert, including temperate forests, grasslands, dry slopes of cactus and creosote, and peaks crowned with firs and pine. Their distance from other ranges, such as the Rockies to the north or the Apache Mountains to the south, has also meant that many of the native plants have evolved there in isolation and can be found nowhere else on Earth. "It's by nature extremely diverse," Slimp said. "There are a lot of endemic and unique specimens in that area as well as species that are at their furthest northern extent." Botanists create a benchmark for future conservation efforts Prior to its designation as a national park, the area had been used for agriculture, with a large portion dedicated to goat livestock that heavily grazed on the rare and endemic plants. When the land was granted protected status in 1966, biologists jumped at the opportunity to study the native flora and fauna, including two botanists who compiled an extensive inventory of everything that grew in the park. Over the course of several years, they took copious notes and collected over 3,000 specimens, with multiple individuals of the same species, that they stored for later use. Now, nearly 50 years later, researchers are returning to the Guadalupe collections with the goal of seeing how genetic diversity has changed over time in the region. "We can learn something about the health of a population from the amount of genetic diversity there is within a species," said Matt Johnson, director of the E.L. Reed Herbarium at Texas Tech and senior author on the study. "This can tell us whether a particular species is in peril." Obtaining DNA from old plant material isn't always easy, however; as soon as a cell dies, its contents begin to break down, which includes DNA. Collectors and curators slow down this process of degradation by keeping specimens in herbaria, repositories where plants are stored in cool, dry conditions. But ultimately, they can only forestall the inevitable. But recent advances in technology are allowing scientists to reliably retrieve DNA strands from old specimens. Researchers now regularly sample from plants collected more than 100 years ago, before anyone fully understood what DNA was or how it carried genetic information from one generation to the next. Preserved DNA offers a glimpse into the past The techniques used in the new Angiosperms353 genetic toolkit are particularly well-suited for sifting through old, degraded DNA, and the meticulously curated Guadalupe collection presented the perfect opportunity for Slimp and her colleagues to give it a test run. To get the widest snapshot of diversity, they strategically chose key specimens from among the more than 1,000 plant species that grow in the Guadalupe Mountains. "We chose 24 species that represent a large breadth of natural history types, including grasses, trees, shrubs, and forbs," Slimp said. Although the study was meant only to provide a preliminary look at past ecosystems within the park, the results of their DNA analyses revealed patterns that would have been impossible to determine from plant surveys or abundance estimates alone. Species with small distributions, for example, are often the first to be regarded for conservation efforts. But several species restricted to areas in and around the Guadalupe Mountains, such as sandpaper oak, great sage, and mock orange, were revealed to have had surprisingly high amounts of genetic diversity. All things being equal, the more genetic diversity a species has, the more likely it will be able to adapt to changes in climate over long periods of time. But the isolated environments of the Guadalupe Mountains, ringed on all sides by the Chihuahuan Desert, may act as a constricting vise on future plant populations. As the Earth's climate becomes warmer, plants move up in elevation, offsetting the increase in temperature, Slimp said. As a result, an increasing number of plants compete for limited space, and those already adapted to environments at the highest elevations are left stranded. "They may have nowhere to go once it gets too hot," Slimp said. "We might lose a ton of biodiversity in this area." Now that Slimp and her colleagues have established a baseline for comparison, their next step will be sequencing the DNA of plants currently growing in the mountains to assess how the genetic health of their populations has changed during the intervening years. "With these results, we can go back and resample the park using Angiosperms353," Slimp said. "By better understanding what we currently have, we can get an idea of what we need to do in the future to conserve these species." Explore further Genome sequencing reveals a new species of bumblebee More information: Madeline Slimp et al, On the potential of Angiosperms353 for population genomic studies, Applications in Plant Sciences (2021). Journal information: Applications in Plant Sciences Madeline Slimp et al, On the potential of Angiosperms353 for population genomic studies,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11419 Provided by Botanical Society of America Synthesis scheme. Credit: DING Tao et al. Dinuclear-site catalysts (DSCs) have drawn more and more attention from researchers due to their excellent catalytic ability through incorporating two adjacent metal atoms as the catalytic center, which helps the usage of the potential synergistic interaction. However, it's challenging to precisely synthesis diatomic sites, so as to obtain catalysts with accurate dinuclear structure. Prof. Yao Tao with his group, from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), proposed a method to synthesis uniform atomically precise Ni 2 sites, collaborating with Prof. Zhu Manzhou from Anhui University and Prof. Li Yafei from Nanjing Normal University. The calculated results also identified the structural evolution of dinuclear active site during electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction conditions for the first time. This work was published on the Journal of the American Chemistry Society. To obtain the dynamic structures of catalytically active diatomic sites, scientists chose Ni 2 (dppm) 2 Cl 3 (dppm referring to bis(diphenylphosphino)methane, Ph 2 PCH 2 PPh 2 ), a ligand-protected diatomic cluster, as the metal precursor to introduce the metal atoms. Then the precursor was heated together with nitrogen-doped carbon to obtain supported dinuclear Ni 2 site (Ni 2 /NC). This novel catalyst exhibited superior catalyzing performance as well as stability. In order to figure out the real mechanism, researchers applied operando X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) technique to measure the charge transition of specific atoms and to make conclusions on atomic level. They unambiguously confirmed the atomic and electronic structural changes of dinuclear sites and discovered the dynamic bridge-oxygen adsorption to form active intermediate O-Ni 2 -N 6 . Moreover, researchers also conducted the density function theory (DFT) calculations to provide theoretical explanations. Results suggested that the observed O-Ni 2 -N 6 structure acted as the dominating reaction intermediate to form CO, leading to satisfactory selectivity and yield. This work is instructive to design new dinuclear-site catalysts, and provide novel insights for understanding catalyzing effect. These results are also promising for solving energy problem in the future. Explore further Researchers determine active sites of Cu-znO catalysts for water gas shift and CO hydrogenation reactions More information: Tao Ding et al, Atomically Precise Dinuclear Site Active toward Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2021). Journal information: Journal of the American Chemical Society Tao Ding et al, Atomically Precise Dinuclear Site Active toward Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction,(2021). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c05754 Provided by University of Science and Technology of China Credit: Anton/Unsplash Do you remember the beginning of the pandemic, when for months a major debate was whether people should or shouldn't wear a mask? Around March 2020, I made my own mask using directions I found online. I was the only masked customer at my local grocery store the day I made it, but instead of following an impulse to rip it off and stuff it in my back pocket when the eyes of the maskless set on me, I thought: why don't I turn this into a research opportunity? I turned on my phone's voice memo recorder and made audio notes about my experiences, narrating my way around customers veering their carts and between dwindling stocks of bathroom tissue and instant yeast. Listening to my notes, I appear to have pondered: "Why am I the only one wearing a mask? My voice sounds weird in this. I feel like I'm breathing through a straw. I don't know. It's kind of comfortable, I guess. Are people actually looking at me? I can't tell. It's when the rules start to change that everyone notices basic things like walking and what we do with our faces." The rules didn't seem to change for everyone. Canada took time before recommending the public wear masks Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief medical officer, first recommended homemade masks while using public transit and shopping in early April 2020. After my first masked day, I slowly saw faces vanish under cotton folds, and have since made hundreds of hours of audio notes on masks and mask culture, mask debates and mask challenges, in something I'm calling the new maskscape. Masking up: A tangled web of facts and fears Why did it take Canada as long as it did to start advising people to wear masks? Part of the reason is that masks were incorporated into our reopening period (MayAugust 2020) since at-home isolation required little use of a mask. Early in the pandemic, from February to April 2020, the global story related to masks was a tangled web of facts and fears: If the World Health Organization (WHO) and other professional medical venues were expressing a certain ambivalence towards the mask, a global DIY community of scientists, mask manufacturers and mask makers, social media influencers, celebrities and community members pushed for its widespread adoption. YouTuber Petr Ludwig makes the case for using DIY masks. The case of the Czech Republic Influencers in the Czech Republic were amongst the first to start publicly and globally campaigning for people to wear masks. YouTuber Petr Ludwig posted a video referring to a University of Cambridge study that recommended people wear homemade masks to reduce the spread emphasizing that masks were intended, in such a situation, to protect the community and not the masked individuals themselves. As people were on stay-at-home orders and perhaps paying more attention to social media, they heard the call to start making masks at home. In the Czech Republic, influencers donned masks and spread messages with the hashtag #Masks4All, which hit global sewing circles in a matter of days. The #Masks4All hashtag resulted in a national call to make masks, to convert factories into workstations and to share mask design instructions. People worldwide responded to this call: They began making masks, delivering many to frontline workers and leaving them hanging in public on "Mask trees". It took about a week for the #Masks4All hashtag to go online and by April 2020, 36 countries followed suit. Canada hopped on board in early April with its recommendation to wear masks on public transit and while shopping, then announced on May 20 that Canadians should consider wearing masks when unable to social distance. Valuing masks As mask policies were put in place globally, certain values began to emerge. In Canada, those who came to be mask compliant were generally aware of the reasons people were asked to wear them. An exploratory survey with questions on attitudes to mask-wearing, which I conducted in November 2020 (the findings, yet to be published), indicated respondents were in line with a community health model of reasoning. Responses indicated that their attitudes were in line with the values that mask-wearing performs. This was often expressed in common phrases that were explicitly relational, affective and community-driven: "to protect others as well as myself," "to protect the vulnerable," "wearing a mask is 'the right thing to do,'" that it promotes "social responsibility" and sets a "good example." Answers also included that wearing a mask was "common sense" and a few times respondents mentioned that it "keeps my face warm." I still have that first mask I made. It's a reminder of the kind of performance and ritual that the mask has become. But is science ever stable? Recently, the chief medical officer of Alberta has announced that the province will begin to relax social distancing measures, including revoking mandatory mask mandates (except in schools). The situation is obviously still changing, as we likely settle into a long-term relationship with COVID-19. This new relationship will not likely leave masks forgotten. Instead, masks may become more complex, political and performative. Science informs how governments, communities and the media make the best decisions for themselves and one another. Explore further Apple to require masks in half of its US stores starting Thursday following CDC mask guidelines This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: University of South Australia They're roughly the same size as a coronavirus particle, and 1000 times smaller than a human hair, yet newly engineered nanoparticles developed by scientists at the University of South Australia, are punching well above their weight when it comes to treating drug-resistant fungal infections. Created in partnership with Monash University, the new nanobiotechnology (called "micelles") has a remarkable ability to battle one of the most invasive and notoriously resistant fungal infectionsCandida albicans.Micelles are made of lipid molecules that arrange themselves in a spherical form in aqueous solutions. They both attract and repel liquids, making them particularly well suited for drug delivery. It's a timely finding, especially given the significant rise of dangerous fungal infections in hospitals with countries overrun by COVID-19. Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast that is extremely dangerous to people with compromised immune systems, particularly those in a hospital setting. Found on many surfaces, Candida albicans is notorious for its resilience to anti-fungal medicines. It is the most prevalent cause of fungal infections worldwide and can cause serious infections that can affect the blood, heart, brain, eyes, bones, and other parts of the body. Senior investigator, UniSA's Professor Clive Prestidge says the new polymer-based micelles could revolutionize current anti-fungal medicines. "Managing and treating invasive fungal infections is particularly challenging because so many fungal biofilms are resistant to contemporary antifungal drugs," Prof. Prestidge says. "Fungal biofilms are surface-loving microbials that thrive on implanted devices such as catheters, prostheses and heart valves, making the presence of these devices a major risk factor for infection. "In places like Indiawhich has nearly 40,000 new COVID-19 infections every dayhospital resources are severely stretched, leaving healthcare workers are not only battling COVID-19, but also dealing with complacency and fatigue. "The unfortunate result is that infection control practices have deteriorated, putting patients on mechanical ventilation at greater risk of developing bacterial or fungal infections. "As fungal biofilms tend to seed recurrent infections, finding ways to break and beat the infection cycle is critical, especially now. "Our research has identified and developed smart micelles that have the ability to break down single and multi-species biofilms to significantly inhibit the growth of Candida albicans, one of the most virulent fungal species. "We estimate that the new micelles could improve the efficacy of anti-fungal medicines by 100-fold, potentially saving the lives of millions of people worldwide." Dr. Nicky Thomas, co-investigator, says the new micelles present a breakthrough for treating invasive fungal infections. "These micelles have a unique ability to solubilize and entrap a range of important antifungal drugs to significantly improve their performance and efficacy." "This is the first time that polymer-based micelles have been created with intrinsic capabilities to prevent fungal biofilm formation. "As our results already show that the new micelles will remove up to 70 percent of infection, this could be a real game changer for treating fungal diseases." Explore further Cannabis smoking may increase risk for fungal infection More information: Yassamin N. Albayaty et al, Polymeric micelles with anti-virulence activity against Candida albicans in a single- and dual-species biofilm, Drug Delivery and Translational Research (2021). Yassamin N. Albayaty et al, Polymeric micelles with anti-virulence activity against Candida albicans in a single- and dual-species biofilm,(2021). DOI: 10.1007/s13346-021-00943-4 Yassamin N. Albayaty et al, pH-Responsive copolymer micelles to enhance itraconazole efficacy against Candida albicans biofilms, Journal of Materials Chemistry B (2020). DOI: 10.1039/C9TB02586C Journal information: Drug Delivery and Translational Research Researchers describe the genome of Bothrops jararaca and suggest the origin of genes responsible for toxins in its venom. Credit: Rafael Marques Porto/Instituto Butantan A group led by researchers at Butantan Institute and funded by Sao Paulo Research FoundationFAPESP has completed the first sequencing of a Brazilian snake's genome. The study is reported in an article published in the journal PNAS. It suggests that the nine genes that encode toxins produced by the jararaca pit viper Bothrops jararaca probably originated in genes that had different functions in the ancestral species. "In sequencing the snake's genome, we identified markers that enabled us to compare toxin genes with genes in the same position in the genomes of other animals, such as snakes without venom, lizards and amphibians. We found nine of the 12 toxin genes in the jararaca to be highly similar to those occupying the same position in the DNA of these other species. We concluded that most of the toxin genes probably arose from elements that already existed in the same part of the genome of the ancestor common to all these animals," said Inacio Junqueira de Azevedo, a researcher at Butantan Institute and last author of the article. Azevedo is a principal investigator at the Center for Research on Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs) funded by FAPESP. "These genes had physiological functions in the common ancestor of all these species. At some point they probably began playing a role similar to toxin genes or were selected for this route and lost their original functions. Our study located elements that will help scientists understand the evolution of toxins and the mechanisms that led to the recruitment of certain genes to perform this new function in the production of venom," said Diego Dantas Almeida, first author of the article. The study was conducted during his Ph.D. research, which was supported by FAPESP. The sequencing also showed that two genes that encode important toxins probably originated in duplication. In any organism, a gene normally evolves more freely and ends up performing different functions when a copy performs its original functions. In the jararaca, the copies must have come under selective pressure to produce two families of toxins that account for most of the venom's action: snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) and phospholipases A2 (PLA2). Most of the genes that encode toxins in this snake were already thought to have originated in this manner. It was impossible to determine the origin of only one of the 12 gene families that encode its toxins. "We were able to show that non-toxic 'ancestral' genes exist in these two families. They're still present in the DNA, right alongside the toxin genes. The ancestral genes have completely disappeared from the other families. They've probably been transformed into toxin genes," said Vincent Louis Viala, a co-author of the article and former recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from FAPESP. Research effort The Butantan Institute group began sequencing this snake's genome in 2013. B. jararaca is responsible for a large proportion of snake-bite accidents in Brazil and is one of the most studied snakes for this reason. The sequencing produced the fundamental information on the origins of its venom they had lacked hitherto. In addition to enhancing knowledge of the genes in an organism, sequencing its genome assembles them in the right order. This is one of the most complex parts of the task because sequencing generates a vast amount of data, which has to be processed using computational tools. Only in recent years, after combining several methods, did the group succeed in assembling the genome satisfactorily, with the collaboration of researchers at Ohio State University in the United States. The complete genome sequence is available online to anyone who wishes to study it. The project produced answers to several other key questions. In 2009, an analysis by Japanese researchers of certain toxin genes from Protobothrops flavoviridis, which belongs to the same family as the jararaca (Viperidae), suggested the gene that encodes the toxin VEGF-F, also present in the Brazilian snake, probably resulted from duplication of the gene VEGF-A. The Brazilian group have now shown that it is more likely to have originated in a different gene family known in the scientific literature as "PGF-like". The group also assembled more evidence that bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPP), which are the basis for the anti-hypertensive drug captopril, probably originated in the gene CNP, which encodes C-type natriuretic peptides present in other vertebrates, including humans. "The study illustrates the need to identify the context in which genes are inserted in order to understand their origin and evolution correctly," Azevedo said. The researchers are now working on more refined versions of the jararaca's genome and those of other venomous snake families, hoping to find novel toxins and link them to proteins of relevance in the physiology of other organisms. Explore further Indian cobra genome sequenced in search for new antivenom More information: Diego Dantas Almeida et al, Tracking the recruitment and evolution of snake toxins using the evolutionary context provided by the Bothrops jararaca genome, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Diego Dantas Almeida et al, Tracking the recruitment and evolution of snake toxins using the evolutionary context provided by the Bothrops jararaca genome,(2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015159118 The fire was burning fiercely Sunday evening near the Israeli village of Moshav Shoresh. Residents of several villages on the outskirts of Jerusalem were evacuated on Sunday because of a large forest fire nearby, Israeli police said. Firemen supported by firefighting aircraft were working to extinguish the blaze as the smoke blotted out the sky across much of the city. A spokesman for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said he had held a special meeting with security officials. The fire threatened the villages of Beit Meir, Shoeva, Kissalon, Guvat Yearim and Ramat Raziel west of Jerusalem, police said in a statement. The villages lie close to the main highway linking the city with Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv. Residents were evacuated and several roads were blocked, the police added. "This is one of the biggest fires in the Jerusalem area in years," Nissim Touitou, the region's fire chief, told a televised news conference. Earlier, a spokesman for the Jerusalem fire service said strong winds were fanning the flames and called on firefighters from several regions to assist. A fire that broke out in the same area over a week ago had been quickly brought under control. The cause of Sunday's fire was not yet known. Yitzhak Ravitz, the mayor of Kyriat Yearim near the affected villages, told public radio his "town's doors are open ... to all families needing protection". Several other Mediterranean countries have seen forest fires amid soaring temperatures in recent weeks, including Greece, Turkey and Algeria. A smoke-filled sky from a forest fire in the Jerusalem mountains on August 15, 2021. Israeli authorities have deployed firefighting aircraft to tackle the blaze. Explore further Thick smoke over Athens as suburbs battle wildfires 2021 AFP Phobos, the larger of Mars' moons, imaged from a distance of 6,800 kilometers. The Stickney impact crater dominates one hemisphere of the moon (HiRISE image PSP_007769_9010, taken March 23, 2008. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona A pair of researchers at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has published a perspective piece in the journal Science outlining the efforts being conducted this decade to find out if Mars once hosted life. In their article, Ryuki Hyodo and Tomohiro Usui outline the three main efforts that are involved in looking for evidence of life on Mars over the next ten years, and explain why they and others at JAXA believe the best chance of finding evidence of life on Mars lies on one or both of its moons. As Hyodo and Usui note, NASA is currently conducting a study of the Jezero Crater on the surface of Mars with its Perseverance rover. That work will be part of a later joint effort between NASA and the ESA to collect samples from Mars and bring them back to Earth. Also scheduled is Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) project, which will involve sending probes to both of Mars' moons and bringing back samples before the decade is out. Hyodo and Usui note that both of Mars' moonsPhobos and Deimosare smaller than Earth's moon. They are also much closer to the planet. The researchers note that probes sent to study the surface of Mars will only be able to test a very small part of its surfaceimagine, they suggest, a probe touching down in the middle of the Sahara Desert; it would find signs of life, no doubt, but would find only a very small fraction of it. They suggest that a probe on one of Mars' moons might have more luck. They note that prior research has suggested that Mars was once wet. Prior research has also shown that Mars has been struck by many asteroids over the course of millions of years. Some of the larger strikes have led to bits of the surface being blasted into spaceone such bit has even been found here on Earth. They suggest that many bits of the planet have been blasted into space, some of which have no doubt made their way to the surface of one or both of its moons. Such bits, they note, would likely represent a large portion of the Martian surface. Because both moons have very nearly sterile environments, material containing proof of life may still be there. Explore further NASA Mars rover begins collecting rock in search of alien life More information: Ryuki Hyodo et al, Searching for life on Mars and its moons, Science (2021). Journal information: Science Ryuki Hyodo et al, Searching for life on Mars and its moons,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abj1512 2021 Science X Network In this Aug. 24, 2019, file photo, Adam Daggett stands lookout on the bow as his father, John Daggett, pilots their boat at Cape Porpoise in Kennebunkport, Maine. America's lobster fishing businesses could be subjected to electronic tracking requirements to try to protect rare whales and get a better idea of the population of the valuable crustaceans. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File America's lobster fishing businesses could be subjected to electronic tracking requirements to try to protect vulnerable right whales and get a better idea of the population of the valuable crustaceans. An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate regulatory authority, said this month it is considering implementing the tracking requirements for lobster boats that have federal permits. The rules would also apply to boats that harvest Jonah crabs, which are the subject of another important New England fishery. The tracking devices would record the location of the vessel while it is fishing, said Caitlin Starks, a fishery management plan coordinator with the commission. That would provide regulators with better data to get an idea of where in the ocean lobsters are located, she said. The new rules could also help protect North Atlantic right whales, which number only about 360, Starks said. The whales are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear, which can cause them to drown. They've been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act for more than 50 years and have suffered poor reproduction and high mortality in recent years. New federal rules are coming to the lobster fishery soon to help protect the whales. Federal officials have said they will focus on reducing the number of vertical ropes in the water. They're also expected to modify restricted areas of ocean. In this Sept. 21, 2020, file photo, a lobsterman moves traps at the stern of a boat while fishing off Portland, Maine. America's lobster fishing businesses could be subjected to electronic tracking requirements to try to protect rare whales and get a better idea of the population of the valuable crustaceans. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File "Having a better idea of where that gear is would help them estimate risk and be able to manage that," Starks said. "The location of that gear in offshore waters is spread out, usually." The lobster fishery in the U.S. is based mostly in Maine and has been strong there in recent years. Maine fishermen have brought more than 96 million pounds (43.5 million kilograms) of lobsters to the docks for 11 straight years after never topping that number previously. The fishery has collapsed in southern New England, however. Fishermen from New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island were once a significant part of the fishery, but the southern New England lobster stock is now depleted, Starks said. Scientists have tied the collapse of the southern New England fishery to warming ocean waters. Meanwhile, the lobster stock in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank is experiencing record high abundance, Starks said. Those are areas where many northern New England lobster fishermen harvest the crustaceans with traps. The waters of the Gulf of Maine are warming faster than the world's oceans, and that has led to concern about the future of the fishery. In this July 8, 2021, file photo, a lobster boat carries a heavy load of traps as it motors out to sea near Peaks Island in Portland, Maine. America's lobster fishing businesses could be subjected to electronic tracking requirements to try to protect rare whales and get a better idea of the population of the valuable crustaceans. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File Atlantic States American Lobster Management Board Chair Dan McKiernan said the tracking requirement is "the single most important thing the American Lobster Board can do to ensure the viability of the American lobster fishery." It would help understand lobster stock status, protect whales and prepare for the development of wind energy off New England, he said. Maine Lobstermen's Association President Kristan Porter said members of the fishery know the new tracking is coming, but they need details about it. "It has to be a system that everybody is compatible with," Porter said. "It's not something anybody's fired up to do, but we've known its been coming for a while." A draft of the plan could come before the board in October, Starks said. Final action could come next year, and implementation could happen in 2023, she said. Explore further Lobstermen question need for restrictions to help species 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Cupules, or circular man-made hollows, ground into a dark mineral coating at a rock art site on the Drysdale River, Balanggarra country. Credit: Damien Finch The Kimberley region is host to Australia's oldest known rock paintings. But people were carving engravings into some of these rocks before they were creating paintings. Rock art sites on Balanggarra Country in the northeast Kimberley region are home to numerous such engravings. The oldest paintings are at least 17,300 years old, and the engravings are thought to be even olderbut they have so far proved much harder to date accurately. But in research published today in Science Advances, we report on a crucial clue that could help date the engravings, and also reveal what the environment was like for the artists who created them. Some of the rocks themselves are covered with natural, glaze-like mineral coatings that can help reveal key evidence. What are these glazes? These dark, shiny deposits on the surface of the rock are less than a centimeter thick. Yet they have detailed internal structures, featuring alternating light and dark layers of different minerals. Our aim was to develop methods to reliably date the formation of these coatings and provide age brackets for any associated engravings. However, during this process, we also discovered it is possible to match layers found in samples collected at rock shelters up to 90 kilometers apart. Marsupial tracks scratched into a glaze like coating at a rock art shelter in the north east Kimberley. Credit: Photo by Cecilia Myers/Dunkeld Pastoral Company; illustration by Pauline Heaney/Rock Art Australia Radiocarbon dating suggests these layers were deposited around the same time, showing their formation is not specific to particular rock shelters, but controlled by environmental changes on a regional scale. Dating these deposits can therefore provide reliable age brackets for any associated engravings, while also helping us better understanding the climate and environments in which the artists lived. Microbes and minerals Our research supports earlier findings that layers within the glaze structure represent alternating environmental conditions in Kimberley rock shelters, that repeated over thousands of years. Our model suggests that during drier conditions, bush fires produce ash, which builds up on shelter surfaces. This ash contains a range of minerals, including carbonates and sulfates. We suggest that under the right conditions, these minerals provided nutrients that allowed microbes to live on these shelter surfaces. In the process of digesting these nutrients, the microbes excrete a compound called oxalic acid, which combines with calcium in the ash deposits to form calcium oxalate. A: dark coloured, smooth mineral coating at a Kimberley rock shelter; B: alternating layering, as seen in the field; C: alternating layering as seen in a cross-sectioned coating under a microscope. Credit: Cecilia Myers; microscope image by Helen Green As this process repeats over millennia, the minerals become cemented together in alternating layers, with each layer creating a record of the conditions in the rock shelter at that time. Samples of the glazes were collected for analysis in close collaboration and consultation with local Traditional Owners from the Balanggarra native title region, who are partners on our research project. Using a laser, we vaporized tiny samples from the coatings to study the chemical composition of each layer. The dark layers were mostly made of calcium oxalate, while lighter layers contained mainly sulfates. We propose darker layers represent a time when microbes were more active and lighter layers represent drier periods. Linking the layers These dark calcium oxalate layers also contain carbon that was absorbed from the atmosphere and digested by the microbes that created these deposits. This meant we could use a technique called radiocarbon dating to determine the age of these individual layers. Using a tiny drill, we removed samples from distinct dark layers in nine glazes collected from different rock shelters across the northeast Kimberley. A: micro-drilling samples from individual layers for radiocarbon dating; B: Laser ablation maps showing the distribution of the element calcium within the different layers; C: radiocarbon dating of individual layers identified four key growth periods. Credit: Andy Gleadow; illustration by Pauline Heaney Despite coming from different locations, these layers all seem to have been deposited at the same time, during four key intervals spanning the past 43,000 years. This suggests the formation of each layer was determined mainly by shifts in environmental conditions throughout the Kimberley, rather than by the distinct conditions in each particular rock shelter. The records held by these glazes over such a large time periodincluding the most recent ice agemeans they could help us better understand the environmental changes that directly affected human habitation and adaptation in Australia. Stories in stone Research we published earlier this year shows how the subjects painted in early Kimberley rock art changed from mostly animals and plants around 17,000 years ago, to mostly decorated human figures about 12,000 years ago. Hypothetical example of how layered mineral coatings can be used to date engraved rock art in Kimberley rock shelters. Credit: Pauline Heaney Other researchers have discovered that during this 5,000-year period there were rapid rises in sea level, in particular around 14,500 years ago, as well as increased rainfall. We interpret the change in rock art styles as a response to the social and cultural adaptations triggered by the changing climate and rising sea levels. Paintings of human figures with new technologies such as spear-throwers might show us how people adapted their hunting style to the changing environment and the availability of different types of food. By dating the natural mineral coatings on the rock surfaces that acted as a canvas for this art, we can hopefully better understand the world in which these artists lived. Not only will this give us more certainty about the position of particular paintings within the overall Kimberley stylistic rock art sequence, but can also tell us about the environments experienced by First Nations people in the Kimberley. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Personal carbon allowances provide individuals with meaningful choices that link their actions with global carbon goals. Credit: Francesco Fuso Nerini In a recent study, researchers from Sweden, U.K. and Israel say the time may be right for many industrialized nations to resurrect an idea once thought to be unfeasible: personal carbon allowances (PCAs). The concept, they report, has stronger possibilities due to a worsening climate crisis, changes in personal behavior due to the COVID-19 crisis and advances in artificial intelligence and ICT. Led by KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the research team from University of Oxford, Israel's Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, and University College London (UCL), published design principles to ensure PCAs would benefit all nations in terms of economic growth, job creation, better education and protection of human rights, among other areas, in accordance with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. Publishing in Nature Sustainability on the heels of the IPCC's sobering recent report, the researchers found that changes in behavior due to the COVID-19 crisis, combined with increased digitalization and advancements in ICT and artificial intelligence, offer a perfect storm of opportunity to reconsider an idea that had once been rejected as being "ahead of its time," as the UK government put it. Current climate policy mostly address emissions targeting large-scale carbon emitters, such as power plants and industrial activities. But the new research targets the gap between public policy and individual behavior. "People are watching helplessly while wildfires, floods and the pandemic wreak havoc on society, yet they are not empowered to shift the course of events," says lead author Francesco Fuso Nerini, Associate Professor at KTH and director of the university's Climate Action Centre. "Personal climate allowances would apply a market-based approach, providing personal incentives and options that link their actions with global carbon reduction goals." Co-author Yael Parag, energy policy professor at the IDC in Israel, says the scientists' underlying purpose with the paper is to help enable shared responsibility, at all levels of society, since the threat of global warming is universal. "It is not about shifting the mitigation responsibility from governments and big industries to individuals. It is about adding individuals to the effort," Parag says. And PCAs provide individuals with clear framework for contributing effectively, says co-author Paul Ekins, resources and environment policy professor at UCL. "People are desperate to do something but too often they get trivial advice, such as pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher," Ekins says. "A personal carbon allowance system would tell them what they could do to make a real difference, in a context where they knew other people would also be making their contribution. "Look no further for a radical, effective suggestion for how individuals can make their lifestyles more climate-friendly." Co-author Tina Fawcett, acting leader of the Energy Programme, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, says the PCAs embody fairness and transparency, offering people meaningful choices. "It doesn't take away the need for some difficult decisions, but it does ensure these add up to effective society-wide action to reduce our climate risk," she says. Once assumed to be too costly and unworkable, PCAs could now be implemented with less difficulty, thanks to advances in ICT and AI. However, the researchers state that PCAs must be designed in a way that will not negatively impact poor and vulnerable populations, and should consider how its components align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality, among others. Fuso Nerini says that implementing PCAs would require courageous "first mover" countries. "There are clear political risks in advocating challenging or radical policies, particularly if they have never been implemented elsewhere and there is no previous policy experience to learn from," he says. "At the same time, those 'first movers' may experience benefits that go well-beyond reducing emissions and achieving net-zero targets." Among these benefits could be to help enable a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. PCAs would favor the adoption of low-carbon lifestyles, and thus benefit low-carbon infrastructure and innovation. This direction would open up room for new businesses and technologies to support decreasing personal emissions, Fuso Nerini says. For instance, new tech companies could capitalize on carbon credit trading between individuals, connecting those with more carbon allowances than they need with those in need of allowances. Explore further Climate change poses greater risk to global development than climate action does Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Refugees who experience violence in the North American cities where they've sought asylum suffer from devastating, long-lasting mental health issuesand those issues can impact them just as deeply as the violence they faced in their home country, says Carmel Salhi, assistant professor of health sciences. A new study on the mental health impact of violence on refugees provides valuable insight into the ongoing issues facing an already marginalized population, says Salhi. Using data from a community-partnered study funded by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities with Somali refugees living in North American cities of like Boston and Minneapolis. The study is part of a multi-year effort of Northeastern's Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research and the Refugee Trauma and Children's Center at the Boston Children's Hospital to better understand both mental health risk and resilience among refugee populations. How did you decide on this line of research? One thing that struck me about past work with refugees is that, while it's a population that's highly exposed to violence, their experiences after resettlement are under-studied relative to those in their country of origin. Were you surprised at the amount of violence these refugees experienced in the places they sought asylum? Based on my past work and the experiences of other colleagues who work with refugees, I knew this was a big issue, but I didn't realize the magnitude of the problem. More than half of the people we spoke to for this study had some kind of direct experience with violence. The other important finding was how deeply post-resettlement violence was related to mental health, beyond the impact of violence related to political conflict. I didn't expect that our findings would suggest that what refugees experienced in North America would be similar in impact to their experiences of political violence. What kind of violence do these refugees encounter? Before they resettled, the most common sort of violence was that they were physically forced out of their home, were beaten or severely injured or witnessed someone else going through physical violence. Other than being forced from one's home, refugees living in North America reported similar incidents at a substantial rate, such as being beaten or armed robbery. So it's not surprising the deep impact these experiences have on this population's mental health Where are they experiencing these incidents? They occur in or around people's homes or in their neighborhoods. And what we know from the qualitative interviews from this study is that they experience a lot of structural and interpersonal discrimination in complex ways, because they are refugees, they are Black, and they are Muslim. How can the communities where refugees resettle address these issues? I think there needs to be more investment in communities that work with refugee populations, both in the systems that support refugees specifically but also in the communities themselves. In addition, I believe violence after resettlement is something that mental health providers can be more actively attuned to. In general, there is a lot of focus on what sort of trauma refugees experienced before they resettled, and rightfully so. However, we need to pay more attention to the challenges they experiences after seeking asylum, including the violence they continue to face. Explore further Half of refugees traumatised: German psychotherapists One of the research team testing a soil sample for soil carbon. Soil carbon is critical for good crop development and food security. Credit: Regis Chikowo The amount of carbon in farm soils is important to farmers. Soils with high carbon contents tend to provide better yields. They also tend to have more resilience to weather-related crop failure. But measuring the amount of carbon in soil can be expensive and involve several steps. That can make it hard to collect this critical information in regions like sub-Saharan Africa. Sieglinde Snapp, a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America, has been working with African farmers to improve growing conditions and provide better measurements for several decades. She and her colleagues recently published a paper in Soil Science Society of America Journal about a device they've tested that provides inexpensive, fast and accurate soil carbon measurements. "Soil organic carbon varies at fine scales across fields," says Snapp. "Farmers require detailed information to better understand how crops will respond to nutrients and water management. Both processes are regulated by soil organic carbon." "In sub-Sarahan Africa, typical farm sizes are under one hectare (about 2.5 acres)," says Snapp. These are called smallholder farms. They are also often divided further across numerous, smaller fields. "Soils in this region vary greatly in characteristics," says Snapp. "Their fertility is highly sensitive to management." Many farms have degraded soils and are being managed by farmers with limited resources. "This can cause unstable food supplies in the region. Restoring the soils' productivity through management that increases soil carbon is a major policy goal." The research team calibrated data collected by reflectance to lab soil samples. The application developed provides accurate information to farmers in real time, not needing a good phone connection. Credit: Regis Chikowo The research team looked for ways to help farmers assess their soil carbon in a quick, inexpensive way. They evaluated a low-cost portable "reflectometer." The reflectometer the team evaluated collects infrared reflectance at ten wavelengths, which allows a hardware cost of $400. For comparison, a highly accurate laboratory method can require an investment of over $100,000 for equipment. They calibrated this device with lab tests to verify the data they collected. "We found that the reflectometer predicted soil carbon levels precisely," says Snapp. "It gave sufficient accuracy to inform soil management practices. What is unique about this handheld sensor is that the provides the data directly in the field, in the absence of a good phone connection." "With minimal training, extension staff can use the reflectometer to carry out assessment of soil carbon in real time with farmers in their field," says Snapp. "This represents a significant step forward in improving agronomic management in data-poor locations. Access to such immediate and locally relevant soil data can empower Malawian farmers to make more informed management decisions based on their unique contexts." Future research will focus on calibrating the device for different regions, or different sampling techniques. The team may also look at incorporating qualitative information collected by farmers and on improving measurements with machine learning. "We expect that as these tools become even more reliable and accessible, farmers will be better able to make informed management decisions. Policy can be more responsive to on-the-ground needs, with the ultimate outcome of improved livelihoods and improved food security. Explore further The surprising power of chicken manure More information: Patrick M. Ewing et al, Accessible, affordable, finescale estimates of soil carbon for sustainable management in subSaharan Africa, Soil Science Society of America Journal (2021). Journal information: Soil Science Society of America Journal Patrick M. Ewing et al, Accessible, affordable, finescale estimates of soil carbon for sustainable management in subSaharan Africa,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/saj2.20263 Firefighters have been battling a blaze at Navalacruz since early Saturday. Fires in Spain's central Avila province forced hundreds of people to flee their homes Sunday as parts of the country sweltered under crushing temperatures. The fire, which has been burning in the city Navalcruz since Saturday morning, has been fed by winds of up to 70 kilometres an hour (54 miles per hour) across the Iberian peninsula. It now has a perimeter of more than 40 kilometres and may already have burned more than 5,000 hectares (12,350 acres), said Jose Angel Arranz, forestry director of the Castilla y Leon region. The authorities have already evacuated at least 600 people from five towns in the Avila district, near the Sierra de Gredos mountain range, and more than 500 firefighters are tackling the blaze with the help of specialised aircraft. Around 80 kilometres to the south meanwhile, another fire, near El Raso, was still active. Like the one in Navalcruz, it is rated two on a three-point scale of seriousness. The emergency services backed by 12 firefighting aircraft have also been fighting a blaze in Azuebar, eastern Spain, since Saturday, which has burned more than 500 hectares, the regional government in Valencia reported. The blaze is threatening part of the Sierra de Espadan Natural Park. On Twitter, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent a message of solidarity to those forced to flee their homes. More than 500 firefighters are tackling the blaze in the Avila district with the help of specialised aircraft. Extreme temperatures Spain has been in the grip of a heatwave since Wednesday, and the fires burn as the state meteorological agency (AEMET) recorded what appeared to be record temperatures. Their provisional data registered a peak of 47.4 degrees Celsius (117.3 Fahrenheit) at around 5 pm (1500 GMT) in the southern city of Cordoba. That is a tenth of a degree higher than the last record, also recorded there, in July 2017. "If confirmed, it would be the highest record reliably measured in Spain," said AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo. Although temperatures are expected to ease in the coming days, several parts of the country, including the southern region of Andalucia Murcia in the southeast, endured temperatures of over 45 degrees Celsius, Del Campo added. That made this heatwave "probably one of the most intense experienced in Spain", he said. Five regions of Spain are on high alert over extreme temperatures. Cyclists in La Vuelta competed in temperatures of up to 31 degrees Celsius. Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that manmade global warming will bring higher temperatures and more extreme weather events across the world. European countries such as Greece and Turkey have already experienced heatwaves and wildfires this summer. Between 2011 and 2020, Spain registered twice as many heatwaves as in the previous three decades, according to the agency. In Spain on Sunday, five regions across the country were still on alert over extreme temperatures. Even in northern Spain, cyclists endured temperatures of up to 31 degrees Celsius as they competed in the second stage of La Vuelta, between Caleruega and Burgos. Explore further Spain hit by more wildfires as heatwave continues 2021 AFP The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 sent volcanic dust and gases circling the Earth, creating spectacular sunsets captured by artists. Credit: William Ashcroft via Houghton Library/Harvard University On the evening of Sept. 5, 1883, people in Honolulu witnessed a spectacular sunset followed by a period of extended twilight described as a "singular lurid after sunset glow." There were no signs of anything else out of the ordinary, but these exceptional twilight glows returned each morning and evening over the following weeks. Among the mystified Honolulu citizens was 56-year-old Rev. Sereno Edwards Bishop, who in his varied career in Hawaii had been a chaplain, school principal and surveyor, and who had a keen interest in science. Over the subsequent weeks and months, the exceptional twilight glows occurred around the whole globe. Remarkably, as scientists first grappled with understanding the origin of the twilight glows, Bishop's efforts would lead to the first convincing explanation. His discoveries led to scientific investigations of the winds high above the ground and ultimately yielded information that today is used to forecast weather over extended periods. I am a meteorologist in Hawaii who helped revive appreciation of Bishop's seminal contribution to the scientific exploration of the upper atmosphere. A volcanic eruption half a world away Today we know that the 1883 glows were caused by the sun below the visible horizon illuminating a mist of small liquid droplets in the atmosphere high above the ground. The mist was made of sulfuric acid droplets that were formed by reactions of the massive amounts of sulfur dioxide gas produced by the explosive eruption of Mount Krakatoa close to the equator in Indonesia on Aug. 27, 1883. The eruption sent the droplets high into the atmosphere, where the winds transported them around the world. They spread gradually, and it was November before people in London began to notice the glow. Sketches of twilight and afterglow on one evening in 1883 in London following the Krakatoa eruption. Credit: William Ashcroft via Houghton Library/Harvard University Much later, scientists observed similar effects after the June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. The material Pinatubo injected into the upper atmosphere could be followed in detail with satellite observations, and their connection with spectacular sunsets and twilight glows was clearly established. In 1883, Bishop had no idea that there had been a volcanic eruption until the San Francisco newspapers arrived. Very quickly, he formulated a hypothesis that he published as a letter in his local newspaper. "I am disposed to conjecture that some very light element among the vapors of the Java eruptions has continued at a very great height in the atmosphere, and has been borne across the Pacific into this region," Bishop wrote. He realized that he could connect the eruption to the glowing skies most credibly by gathering reports of the first appearance of the glows elsewhere and tracking the initial spread of the "vapor" from Krakatoa. Bishop continued his letter: "I earnestly invite, in behalf of science, all shipmasters and mates to publish what they may have observed at sea." Bishop assembled a dozen such reports over the first three weeks after the eruption and was able to show that the "vapor" that produced the glows had moved westward from Krakatoa, along the equator to reach Honolulu 10 days later. This implied that there was a wind high in the atmosphere blowing steadily with an extreme speed that, at ground level, is seen only in hurricanes. Bishop published his observations in The Hawaiian Monthly, concluding that there was "a vast stream of smoke due west with great precision along a narrow equatorial belt with an enormous velocity, around the globe." Tracking the red sunsets following the Krakatoa eruption. The stars mark the initial reports and dates of seeing the exceptional twilight colors in 1883. The equatorial jet stream Bishop called the motion of the volcanic aerosol a "smoke stream." In fact, the equatorial winds transporting the aerosol were the first discovery of what meteorologists now call a jet stream. A half-century would pass before the experiences of pilots flying at heights of several miles revealed the existence of the extratropical jet streams lower down in the atmosphere that are now familiar from TV newscasts. Jet streams are strong, typically narrow bands of wind. The more familiar lower atmospheric jet streams move weather systems in the middle latitudes from west to east. By contrast, Bishop's jet stream circles the equator at high altitudes and actually can blow from east to west. Bishop's work opened further exploration of the equatorial jet stream that culminated in the 1961 discovery that the equatorial jet stream varied from strong east winds to strong west winds roughly every other year. This so-called Quasi-biennial Oscillation has been shown to connect with weather near the ground, particularly in Europe and the North Atlantic, a fact that is now routinely exploited in making long range forecasts for the weather. Bishop's contribution was acknowledged by the scientists who first followed him, and he won a prize from New York's Warner Observatory in a contest for essays explaining the post-Krakatoa glows. Bishop even merited a brief obituary in an American meteorological science journal. Bishop, who was the son of missionaries, could also be a divisive figure in Hawaii. He supported the U.S. annexation of the islands, and his religious views opposed some native Hawai'ian traditions, such as the hula dance. His contributions to science were largely forgotten in the 20th century. An international scientific committee's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Quasi-biennial Oscillation discovery is an opportunity to remember Bishop and his discovery. Explore further Modeling volcanic debris clouds This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain When wildfires burn, they catapult smoke into the atmosphere. These plumes are loaded with tiny particles that act as magnets for water droplets sitting in cloudsthe more smoky particles ejected into the sky, the more rain comes down. So, researchers assumed that more wildfires equal more rainfall. But a new study flipped those assumptions upside down. Turns out, the murky relationship between wildfire smoke and cloud formation only holds true for clouds high in the atmosphere. For those closer to the ground, the mingling of smoky particles may actually make it less likely that rain will fall, triggering a cascade of reactions that fuel instead of calm fire activity on land, particularly in the Western U.S. The study was published July 26 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. "As humans have perturbed the composition of the atmosphere, there are all these feedbacks and interactions that we don't even know about. This experiment we're doing on planet Earth is altering clouds and the hydrologic cycle, at least regionally," Ann Marie Carlton, an atmospheric chemist at the University of California-Irvine who was not involved in the new study, said in a statement. "I think this paper is scratching the surface of what we don't know. ... To have cloud-related findings so robust is sort of unusual, in my experience." Clouds are notoriously difficult to study. Part of the problem is that scientists don't have historical data on how they used to behave during the preindustrial era, unlike they do for greenhouse gasses preserved in ice core bubbles, trees and fossils. The rest lies in how complex it is to simulate clouds in scientific models that help us better understand their composition and activity. So, Cynthia Twohy, an atmospheric scientist at NorthWest Research Associates and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, with a team spent the summer of 2018 sampling mid-altitude altocumulus clouds while soaring above the western U.S. in a research plane as wildfires raged. Special instruments on board measured gasses, wildfire particles and cloud droplets; the team then analyzed their chemistry in a lab. They found that clouds hovering above wildfires contained about five times the number of droplets than clouds free of smoky particles, yet the droplets were half the size of those in their "clean" counterparts. This unexpected size difference, researchers say, is what could determine if we will experience a downpour or a meaningless drizzle. Smaller droplets are less likely to grow into heavier ones that will eventually fall as rain, meaning wildfire seasons could be exacerbated by drier conditions on land that ultimately fuel more and larger blazes. It's a concerning finding given the area wildfires burn in the Western U.S. has increased in recent years and is predicted to grow as temperatures rise. New data released Friday shows July was the hottest month ever recorded in Earth's history. But it's not all that bad, Twohy said, noting that the study can help future research in the field. She hopes these findings will "spur detailed regional modeling studies that will help us understand the net impact of smoke on clouds and climate in the region." Explore further Wildfire smoke may lead to less rain in the western US More information: Cynthia H. Twohy et al, Biomass Burning Smoke and Its Influence on Clouds Over the Western U. S., Geophysical Research Letters (2021). Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters Cynthia H. Twohy et al, Biomass Burning Smoke and Its Influence on Clouds Over the Western U. S.,(2021). DOI: 10.1029/2021GL094224 2021 The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Fanned by strong winds, two new big wildfires erupted Monday in hard-hit Greece, triggering evacuation alerts for villages southeast and northwest of Athens only days after blazes consumed large tracts of forest north of the Greek capital. Greece has been roiled by hundreds of wildfires this month, on the heels of its most severe heat wave in decades, which left its forests tinder dry. Other Mediterranean countries Turkey, Italy, Algeria and Spain among them have suffered similar problems. Scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving more extreme weather events. The worst of the two blazes that erupted Monday was in the Vilia area northwest of the Greek capital, which triggered an evacuation alert for eight villages. Greece's minister for public order, Michalis Chrysochoidis, said the flames were coursing through a densely forested area with scattered villages, none of which were in direct danger. We are trying to stop the fire from spreading towards the nearby large village of Vilia, he said. That blaze was being fought by 240 firefighters including 143 from Poland supported by eight water-dropping planes and nine helicopters. Another fire broke out earlier in the Keratea region southeast of Athens, burning shrubland and threatening a national park in the Sounion area. Three communities were ordered evacuated. Some residents desperately drenched their homes, while volunteers with hoses and branches helped fight the fires. More than 100 firefighters, eight water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters were striving to contain the blaze, which appeared to be on the wane by evening. Right now the situation there has improved, there are scattered active fires within the perimeter and efforts are continuing to contain them, Chrysohoidis said. Local mayor Dimitris Loukas told Greek television that authorities were investigating reports of arson. He said residents had seen someone in a car setting a dumpster on fire. The fire service said 45 wildfires erupted across the country between late Sunday and late Monday. Most were quickly contained. Two major fires in Greece that began in early August, one on the island of Evia and another in a national park north of Athens, were still smoldering Monday, and firefighters were trying to secure their perimeters. On Evia, water-bombing planes were deployed to assist ground forces. On Monday, Greece's civil protection chief, Nikos Hardalias, who coordinates the fight against wildfires as well as the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic, was taken to an Athens hospital where he underwent unscheduled heart surgery. A health ministry statement said the operation was successful. Weeks of wildfires have stretched Greeces response capabilities to the limit. About two dozen European and Mideast countries sen crews, aircraft and vehicles to help. Most have left, although 40 Austrian firefighters remained in the southern Peloponnese region, where two major fires have been burning for days. Several other Mediterranean countries have suffered intense heat and quickly spreading wildfires in recent weeks, including Algeria, where wildfires killed at least 75 people; Turkey, where at least 16 people have died and Italy, which saw several fire-related deaths. Worsening drought and heat have also fueled wildfires this summer in the western United States and in Russias northern Siberia region. ___ Follow all AP stories on climate change developments at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week: MIXED RESULTS? Walmart delivers its second-quarter results Tuesday. Wall Street predicts the retail giants second-quarter earnings increased from a year earlier, even as revenue declined. Walmart posted earnings and revenue growth in the first quarter as shoppers, many flush with U.S. stimulus payments, splurged on clothing and household goods. Investors will be listening for an update on sales trends heading into whats normally the back-to-school season. HOUSING MARKET BELLWETHER New government data on residential construction should provide insight into the state of the new-home market. The Commerce Department is expected to report Wednesday that builders broke ground on new apartments and single-family homes last month at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.61 million units. That would follow a pace 1.64 million housing starts in June. Supply chain problems caused by the pandemic have hamstrung builders, who have faced material shortages and inflated prices. Housing starts, monthly, seasonally adjusted annual rate: Feb. 1,447,000 March 1,725,000 April 1,514,000 May 1,546,000 June 1,643,000 July (est.) 1,608,000 Source: FactSet DIG THIS Wall Street expects another solid quarterly report card from Deere & Co. Analysts predict the Illinois-based tractor and backhoe makers earnings and revenue increased in the May-July quarter from a year earlier. That would echo the companys results in its previous two quarters. The company has benefited from strong demand for farm and construction equipment worldwide. Deere reports its fiscal third-quarter results Friday. AUSTIN, Texas Last summer, on a day that the state recorded 8,000 new coronavirus cases during the pandemic's first wave in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all Texans living in counties with more than 20 cases to wear masks while in public. It was a unique order coming from Abbott's office. Such power was granted to the governor's office in 1975 when the Legislature passed the Texas Disaster Act, under which a governor can legally expand his powers by issuing a disaster declaration. Abbott issued such a declaration in March 2020, then used his expanded powers four months later to order statewide masking. One year later, the disaster declaration has remained in place, with Abbott extending it every month, as the state grapples with a third wave of cases touched off by the emerging delta variant. On Tuesday, nearly 14,000 new coronavirus cases were reported by state health officials, and statewide hospitalizations topped 10,000, levels not seen since early February, when vaccines were not yet widely available. But Abbott is now leveraging the powers granted to him by the Texas Disaster Act to outlaw mask mandates. And the move is leading many to question whether the governor can use the powers granted to him by a disaster declaration to claw back disaster response measures. If the disaster declaration were rescinded or allowed to expire, Abbott's orders over masks and vaccines would be canceled with it. "This is kind of the flip side of (last year), because at first he was trying to enforce a mask mandate. Now, he's saying you can't have a mask mandate," said Randall Erben, adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law and former legislative director in Abbott's office. Abbott's subsequent July 29 executive order similarly bans governmental entities from requiring "vaccine passports," and then goes further by expanding that ban into the private sector. Any public entity that receives public funds "through any means, including grants, contracts, loans, or other disbursements of taxpayer money," can't deny entry or services to any customer without vaccination documentation, the order reads. Several local jurisdictions around the state are taking exception to these dictates, and they're challenging Abbott's orders in two different ways. The Austin and Dallas school districts adopted mask mandates in defiance of the governor's order, inviting possible litigation. Officials in Dallas, San Antonio and Bexar County have challenged Abbott's authority to prohibit public safety ordinances by filing lawsuits against him. "It's hard to argue that we're not still under a state of disaster. The fact that he's extended this disaster declaration 12 or 15 times makes sense. But the question is, does he have the authority to issue an executive order like this?" Erben said. "That's for a court to decide." The lawsuits so far filed by local governments challenge Abbott's order on three separate grounds, said Dale Carpenter, a Southern Methodist University constitutional law professor. First, because the governor's orders don't act to protect public health, do they go beyond the statutory authority granted to him under the Texas Disaster Act? Second, could Abbott's orders be declared unconstitutional for irrationally and capriciously impeding local governments' reasonable mitigation strategies? And third, could they be violating immunocompromised students' right to an education by jeopardizing school safety? Carpenter believes that because the novelty of these questions charts new legal territory, the cases will likely end up in the Texas Supreme Court. "I can't find any case in which there has been a governor's order limiting a public health response," said Carpenter. "And needless to say, there's no case in which county judges and school districts have had to buck such a mandate to not take measures." There might be one case that forecasts the outcome of these questions, experts say. Last spring, Houston conservative activist Steve Hotze asked the Texas Supreme Court to strike down Abbott's statewide mask order. The state's high court declined to do so, citing procedural issues. But there's a key difference between the Hotze case and the cases being filed by local governments. While the Hotze case involved a private individual claiming that the mask order violated individual rights, the present cases pit local authorities, who are ordinarily tasked with protecting public health, against the state. So far, the state's lower courts have sided against Abbott. On Tuesday, two district judges in Dallas and Bexar counties granted local authorities the ability to temporarily enforce mask mandates, delivering an early blow to Abbott's executive power. But Erben predicts that judicial favor might change if the cases reach the all-Republican state Supreme Court. "The question is, does the governor have the power to do this? And I think the Supreme Court would say he does," Erben said. "Given the fact that school districts derive all their authority from state law, and the fact that the governor has preempted that by this executive order, the question becomes whether the governor or attorney general would sue to enforce the order, and if so, how?" he said. Neither Abbott nor Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton responded to questions about the orders. ____ SYDNEY Australias most populous state on Monday reported its worst day of the pandemic with 478 new COVID-19 infections and seven deaths. The previous record daily tally in New South Wales was 466 new cases reported on Saturday. Two of the dead had taken a single dose of a two-shot vaccine. The rest were unvaccinated, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said. Only 26% of Australians aged 16 and older had been fully vaccinated by Saturday. Australia has one of the slowest vaccine rollouts among wealthy countries, which is making the delta variant outbreak particularly dangerous. The first shipment of one million Pfizer doses that Australia bought from Poland arrived in Sydney overnight. Residents aged 16-to-39 in Sydneys worst-effected suburbs will be given 530,000 of the new doses, the government said. This age group was responsible for most of the virus spread. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: US mulls COVID vaccine boosters for elderly as early as fall Amid a limited supply of vaccines, tensions arise in Africa between those seeking first and second vaccine shots Public forums before local school boards and city councils are the latest source of misinformation about COVID-19 Man stabbed at LA anti-vaccination protest leaves hospital __ Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Sri Lankas government has announced nightly curfew starting Monday to control a surge in the COVID-19 cases. A government statement says curfew will be enforced from 10 p.m to 4 a.m from Monday until further notice. Travel for essential services will be allowed during the curfew. Authorities have also banned all public gatherings and wedding receptions. Sri Lanka is witnessing a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 patients with the doctors warning that medical facilities and morgues in the country are reaching their maximum capacities. The government however has rejected repeated calls from doctors and other health sector associations to announce a full lockdown, because of an ailing economy. Sri Lanka has reported 364,968 positive cases so far including 6,096 deaths. ___ AUSTIN, Texas The Texas Supreme Court has blocked mask mandates ordered by two of the nations largest counties that defied Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as COVID-19 cases surge and hospitals are stretched thin. Sundays order by the states highest court which is entirely comprised of elected Republican justices halts mask requirements that county leaders in Dallas and San Antonio put in place as new infections soar and students begin returning to school. Texas reported more than 11,500 patients hospitalized with the virus Sunday, the most since January. The ruling is temporary pending a court hearing, though the timing of a final ruling is unclear. Officials in Houston and Austin, as well as public school districts, had also imposed mask mandates despite Abbott prohibiting local governments from reverting back to pandemic restrictions. White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients said last week that Texas and Florida accounted for nearly 40 percent of new virus hospitalizations nationwide. The COVID-19 death toll has started soaring again as the delta variant tears through the nations unvaccinated population and fills up hospitals with patients, many of whom are younger than patients typically were during earlier phases of the pandemic. ___ ___ EASLEY, S.C. -- COVID-19 cases have prompted the largest South Carolina school district already back open to return to virtual lessons as students in more than 60 other districts prepared to return to class. Pickens County school officials made the decision at an emergency meeting Friday, after nine days of in-class learning for its 15,000-plus students, the Greenville News reported. We dont know if its safe to continue as is, and other districts should pay attention, district spokesman Darian Byrd said during the meeting. He said four staffers and one student are hospitalized and 142 students have tested positive for COVID-19. Last school years peak was 85 students in January of this year, Byrd said. The countys remote schooling will last at least this week, with the first two days giving students a chance to pick up laptop-like Chromebooks, officials said. Byrd said the district will announce next weeks plans by Thursday. Most other districts openings are scattered from Monday to Thursday. School leaders have said students and teachers are welcome to wear masks, but they cant mandate them even with another spike in COVID-19 cases. They also cant require vaccines for students who are eligible for the shots. ___ WASHINGTON -- The director of the National Institutes of Health says the U.S. could decide in the next couple weeks whether to offer coronavirus booster shots to Americans this fall. Dr. Francis Collins tells Fox News Sunday that federal health officials are looking at the U.S. numbers almost daily but no decision has been made because cases so far still indicate that vaccinated people remain highly protected from COVID-19, including the delta variant. He acknowledges, though, that there is concern that the effectiveness of the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson regimen may wane over months. If so, Collins says that may necessitate a booster maybe beginning first with health care providers, as well as people in nursing homes, and then gradually moving forward with others, such as the elderly. Collins says because the delta variant only started hitting hard in July, the next couple of weeks of case data will help the U.S. make a decision. ___ COLOMBO, Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan government on Sunday banned all public gatherings, its latest move to contain a rapid surge of COVID-19 cases. The ban will be effective from Sunday night and people are urged to avoid visiting public places as much as possible, according to a government statement. Also, restaurants are now allowed to accommodate only 50 percent of their capacity and wedding receptions will be banned beginning Aug. 17. Sri Lanka is witnessing an unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths over the last two weeks. Doctors have warned that hospitals and morgues are reaching their maximum capacities. The government has ruled out an immediate lockdown because of the countrys ailing economy, despite repeated pleas from doctors. Sri Lanka has so far reported 351,533 COVID-19 confirmed cases and 5,935 deaths. ___ BOSTON The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday that every county in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts are the site of high or substantial transmission of the coronavirus. The rise of transmission in the two states mirrors a nationwide and regional trend. Some health authorities are recommending that even vaccinated people go back to wearing masks indoors in areas of high or substantial transmission. That includes almost all of New England. The CDC reported that every county in the six-state region was the site of high or substantial transmission on Sunday except Orange County, Vermont, and Kennebec County, Maine. In Connecticut, New London, New Haven, Middlesex and Hartford counties were the site of high transmission and the other four counties in the state were listed in the substantial category. In Massachusetts, Suffolk, Nantucket, Dukes, Plymouth, Bristol, Essex, Hampden and Berkshire counties were the site of high transmission and the other six counties in the state were substantial. ___ MOSCOW -- Daily coronavirus deaths in Russia exceeded 800 for the fourth straight day on Sunday, with the authorities reporting 816 new fatalities. The daily tally surpassed 800 for the first time in the pandemic on Thursday and has remained at that level ever since. Russia faced a surge of infections last month that officials have blamed on the spread of the delta variant. New confirmed cases soared from around 9,000 a day in early June to 25,000 a day in mid-July. New infections have since decreased slightly to about 21,000 daily this week, but the daily death toll has remained high. Officials are working to boost vaccine uptake, which has remained lower in Russia than in many Western countries. As of Aug. 6, more than 39 million Russians -- or 26.7% of the 146-million population -- had received at least one dose, while over 30 million, or 20%, was said to be fully vaccinated. Russias state coronavirus task force has reported over 6.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the pandemic and 170,499 deaths. However, reports by Russias state statistical service Rosstat that look at coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively have revealed a much higher number. ___ KAMPALA, Uganda At a COVID-19 vaccination site in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, tempers flared among those waiting for scarce AstraZeneca jabs, with some accusing others of trying to jump the queue. Nurses intervened, telling them the accused had been waiting since the previous day and averting violence in what has become a tense atmosphere as Ugandans jostle for vaccinations. In the aftermath of a brutal wave of infections driven by the delta variant, many Ugandans seeking a first dose of vaccine are competing with hundreds of thousands who have waited months for a second dose. But the country now has only 285,000 shots donated by Norway. The delta surge has touched off a vaccination rush across Africa that the slow trickle of donated doses cant keep up with, compounding the continents vaccine disadvantage compared with the rest of the world. The urgency to obtain a second dose across much of the worlds least vaccinated continent contrasts sharply with rich countries now beginning to authorize third doses. Dr. Alfred Driwale, the top official with Ugandas immunization program, said the small number of doses will do little to remedy the situation as the 5 million Ugandans eligible for vaccination everyone from soldiers to health workers scramble for shots under a first-come, first-serve system. You cant make a policy when there is no certainty of supply, Driwale said. ___ SYDNEY Poland has sent 1 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. ___ 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. ___ 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. ___ 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 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 discussed 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. ___ 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 has 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. ___ 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. Senior Taliban leader Amir Khan Muttaqi is said to be in the Afghan capital negotiating with Kabuls political leadership, including Abdullah Abdullah, who once headed the countrys negotiating council, and former President Hamid Karzai. That is according to an official familiar with the talks and who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.. Muttaqi was a higher education minister when the Taliban last ruled and he began making contacts with Afghan political leaders even before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani secretly slipped away from the Presidential Palace on the weekend, leaving a devastating vacuum that Taliban who were surrounding the city strode in to fill. The official says the talks underway in the Afghan capital are aimed at bringing other non-Taliban leaders into the government that Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen has said will be an inclusive Afghan government. There is little indication about the substance of the talks, but Shaheen earlier told The Associated Press that a government will be announced after negotiations with non-Taliban leaders are completed. Afghans familiar with the talks say some rounds have gone late into the night and have been underway since soon after Ghanis departure. ___ MORE ON THE CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN: Taliban take over Afghanistan: What we know and whats next Chaos as thousands flee Afghanistan after Taliban takeover Afghan woman in limbo at Kabul airport after Taliban sweep Concerns over US terror threats rising as Taliban hold grows Biden team surprised by rapid Taliban gains in Afghanistan ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: UNITED NATIONS Pakistans ambassador at the United Nations says U.S. President Joe Bidens endorsement of the previous American administrations decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan was a logical conclusion to this conflict. Munir Akram told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday that the international community must now work together to ensure an inclusive political settlement for a long-term peace, security and development of Afghanistan. He says Pakistans stance that the conflict in Afghanistan never had a military solution has been confirmed. The envoy says the best time to end the conflict through negotiations probably was when U.S. and NATO troops were at a maximum military strength in Afghanistan. Akram adds that therefore, endorsement by the Biden administration of the previous U.S. administrations decision of troop withdrawal was indeed a logical conclusion to this conflict. Akram says leaders of a number of Afghan political parties and groups representing all the multiethnic groups apart from the Pashtuns are in Pakistans capital and met with the foreign minister and other leaders Monday. He says Pakistan will work with them and with Taliban representatives to advance the goal of an inclusive political government. ___ WASHINGTON The family of a Navy veteran who was abducted in Afghanistan last year has met in Washington with senior Biden administration officials. The meeting took place Monday as the family of Mark Frerichs appealed for the U.S. governments help getting him home. Frerichs is a civil engineer who was abducted in Kabul on Jan. 31, 2020. It is believed he is being held by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network. Frerichs sister Charlene Cakora says in a statement that if it would help get her brother home, she would support the release from U.S. prison of a drug trafficker that the Taliban has said it wants freed. She says that if the administration is not prepared to support the trade, then officials should tell the family what it will do instead. ___ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden is acknowledging that the collapse of the Afghan government occurred much faster than his administration expected. The president says in Mondays remarks at the White House, The truth is this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated. Afghanistan erupted into disarray as the Taliban swept across the country in recent days, taking the capital of Kabul this weekend as the United States has been attempting to withdraw its forces, diplomats, allies and Afghans who worked with the coalition over the course of the 20 year war. Yet the president says that the rapid end of the Afghan government only vindicates his choice to end the war. Biden says, American troops cannot and should not be fighting the war, and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves. ___ PARIS President Emmanuel Macron promised on Monday that France would not abandon Afghans who worked for his country from translators to kitchen staff, as well as artists, activists and others under threat from the Taliban. Macron said that protecting those who helped France over the years is an absolute urgency, adding that two military transport planes, with special forces, were due to arrive in Kabul in the coming hours. The exact timing was not immediately clear since the United States temporarily shut down the Kabul airport to civilian and military flights following deadly chaos on the tarmac that left at least seven people dead. The aircraft would fly from a base in Abu Dhabi, a transit stop for Frances evacuees. According to Macrons pre-recorded speech, its not known how many would be involved in the evacuation. France has already pulled out some 1,400 Afghan employees and families, and evacuated citizens on a charter flight in July. Paris withdrew all its soldiers from Afghanistan after 13 years by December 2014, but continued work with civil society. The French president vowed that the fight against Islamic terrorism in all its forms would not end. Afghanistan cannot again become the sanctuary for terrorism that it was, Macron said. Stability can only come about through political and diplomatic actions to be defined in the days ahead with the U.N. Security Council. We will do everything so that Russia, the United States and Europe can cooperate efficiently because our interests are the same, he said and also said France along with Germany and other European countries would work swiftly on developing a robust response to another major concern for many countries, a flux of irregular migration by Afghans. Afghanistan, he said, will also need in the times ahead its (people) and Europe cannot alone assume the consequences of the current situation. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan A Taliban official said Monday in a news conference at the Afghan presidential palace that he had been held for eight years by the U.S. at the Guantanamo Bay detention center before he was released under former President George W. Bush. Gholam Ruhani was among 13 Afghan prisoners released in December 2007. A military review panel had recommended he be transferred out of U.S. custody after concluded he posed a medium risk to the U.S. and its allies. He was one of 485 prisoners sent back to their home countries from Guantanamo under the Bush administration. Ruhani, who was among the first prisoners brought to what was then a makeshift prison on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2002, had admitted to the military panel that he had been a member of the Taliban and spent four years in their intelligence service in Kabul. Now about 46, Ruhani grew up in the Ghazni area and fled the country for Iran during the Afghan-Soviet war, returning to the country in 1992. He told the U.S. military that he was conscripted by the Taliban in 1996 after working in his familys store. He also admitted that his brother-in-law was the chief of intelligence for the Taliban. ___ BLUFFTON, South Carolina A Republican congressman who served in the air force in Afghanistan says both the Trump and the Biden administration are to blame for what is happening in Kabul now. Adam Kinzinger, from Illinois, spoke to The Associated Press about the dramatic scenes from Kabuls airport on Monday, with people falling off of a C17 aircraft in the mad scramble to get out. He says: This is going to make Saigon look like Disney World in comparison. Kinzinger added that the impact to Americas reputation would also be considerable and that this is an embarrassment to our country. He condemned both Republicans and Democrats for what he said were their efforts to pin it on one person or one party. He said all Republicans, all Democrats bear some blame. And the last administration and this one bear huge. Kinzinger added: You really have to question whether this was worth it in the long run. ___ WASHINGTON U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the failure of the Afghan military is to blame for the Talibans swift takeover of Afghanistan. Sullivan says President Joe Biden didnt want the U.S. to enter a third decade of conflict in Afghanistan and believed it was time for the Afghan army to defend the country two decades after billions of dollars of investment and training by the U.S. But Sullivan says, we could not give them the will and ultimately they decided that they would not fight for Kabul. He says the worst-case scenario for the U.S. would be to send thousands and thousands of troops back to fight and die in a civil war when the Afghan army wasnt prepared to fight itself. Sullivan says Biden faced bad choices and that he chose to bring U.S. troops home and leave the Afghans to fight for themselves. He says its heartbreaking to see whats happening in Kabul but that Biden stands by his decision. Sullivan spoke on Monday on ABCs Good Morning America and NBCs Today. ___ ANKARA, Turkey The leader of Turkeys main nationalist party, allied with President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling party, says he sees no reason for Ankara to withdraw its troops or diplomats from Afghanistan, insisting that Turkeys presence there is legitimate, friendly and peaceful. Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Action Party also said on Monday that the presence of ethnically Turkic groups in Afghanistan imposes a responsibility on Turkey. On the threat of a possible Afghan migrants making their way to Turkey, Bahceli said the government should consider every option, including negotiating with the Taliban to prevent an influx. It is not possible for Turkey to digest irregular migration originating from Afghanistan, he said. ___ GENEVA A top aviation industry association says airlines are avoiding the airspace over Afghanistan a key route for travel between Europe and Asia which could raise costs for airlines. The International Air Transport Association says Afghan airspace no longer has operations from a civilian air traffic service. IATA said on Monday that countries near Afghanistan have indicated they can accommodate additional traffic. It said that the use of alternative routes through these states will support safe and secure operations, but will have time, operational and fuel impacts upon airlines. The association also said traffic through the area had already been reduced due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. ___ WASHINGTON The Biden administration is reaching out to top rivals Russia and China as the situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate amid a scramble to evacuate Americans, other foreigners and at-risk Afghans from the Kabul airport. The outreach also comes amid concerns that either or both Moscow and Beijing might stymie an international consensus on isolating the Taliban should conditions worsen. The State Department says Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Monday to his Chinese and Russian counterparts about developments in Afghanistan, including the security situation. Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov a day after the U.S. evacuated its embassy in Kabul and relocated remaining diplomats to the airport. China has in recent weeks expressed an interest in working with the Taliban while Russia has its own history in Afghanistan. Earlier Monday, China said its embassy in Kabul remains open and is willing to assist with Afghan reconstruction. The foreign ministry would not say if Beijing would recognize the Taliban as the new government but said China would respect the choice of the Afghan people. Russias foreign ministry said Lavrov and Blinken discussed the situation in Afghanistan after the flight of the countrys leader, disintegration of the existing government bodies and a de-facto ongoing regime change. It said Lavrov had shared Russian assessments of the situation and Moscows contacts with representatives of all main political forces in Afghanistan in the interest of ensuring stability and order. The two agreed to continue consultations that would involve China, Pakistan, other interested nations and the UN to try to press for an intra-Afghan dialogue. ___ BERLIN German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called the latest developments in Afghanistan bitter, dramatic and awful. Merkel told reporters on Monday night that the breathtaking speed with which the Taliban have taken over is especially bitter for the millions of Afghans who supported a more liberal society and who counted on the support of the Western countries when it comes to democracy, education, womens rights and who also had achieved important progress. Merkel said the development was also bitter for Germany and the other allied nations who fought against terrorism under the lead of the United States and NATO in Afghanistan for 20 years after the terror attacks of September 11. The chancellor added that especially in these difficult hours one should never forget the people who gave their lives in this conflict including 59 Germans who died in Afghanistan and many more who were injured. She said a thorough analysis was needed of what went wrong and lessons had to be drawn for future military engagement. Merkel also vowed to support neighboring countries such as Pakistan when it comes to helping refugees fleeing the crisis in Afghanistan. ___ LONDON The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday he has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Johnson said he planned to host a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven leaders on Afghanistan in the next few days, Downing Street said. He stressed the need for the international community to come together and take a unified approach on Afghanistan, both in terms of recognizing any future government and in working to prevent a humanitarian and refugee crisis, his office said in a statement. Johnson and Macron agreed that Britain and France should work together at the United Nations Security Council, including a possible joint resolution. They also agreed on the importance of cooperation in helping their citizens and others get to safety. ___ UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council is calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in Afghanistan and establishment of a new government that is united, inclusive and representative and that also includes women. The council said in its first statement since the Taliban takeover that institutional continuity and adherence to Afghanistans international obligations, as well as the safety and security of all Afghan and international citizens, must be ensured. Council members called for an immediate end to the violence in Afghanistan and the restoration of security, civil and constitutional order, as well as urgent talks to resolve the current crisis of authority and find a resolution through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process. The council without singling out the Taliban also called for all parties to adhere to international human rights norms and standards and put an end to all abuses and violations. It also called for immediate access for U.N. and other humanitarian personnel to provide aid to millions in need, including across conflict lines. The statement, drafted by Estonia and Norway, was approved by all 15 council members at an emergency meeting on Afghanistan. ___ WARSAW, Poland Polands prime minister says the country is sending planes to Afghanistan to evacuate translators and other people who have helped Poland over the years. Our priority now is to ensure the safety of all those who are associated with Poland in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, adding that some these activities must, for obvious reasons, remain secret. He said that more planes than necessary will be sent and that Poland will be in a position to help other allies evacuate people as well. He said Poland would do its best to everyone who has helped Poland over the years, whether as a translator or in any other form of assistance as humanely as possible. ___ CAIRO Japans top diplomat has urged all parties in Afghanistan to work on restoring security and order in the country after the Taliban seized power there. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi spoke on Monday at a joint news conference in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukry. Motegi also called for all concerned parties in Afghanistan to ensure the protection of lives and property in the country. He said he has agreed to cooperate with Egypt, as an influential power in the Islamic world, to ensure that the latest developments in Afghanistan dont cause further unrest. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan The U.N. resident coordinator in Afghanistan says they will continue to work with the de facto authorities to provide humanitarian assistance after the Taliban takeover. Ramiz Alakbarov told The Associated Press on Monday that the recent fighting had displaced some 600,000 people, and that because of the fluidity of the situation, humanitarian teams are not able to help everywhere. Alakbarov, who is in Kabul, says he thought the international community should have invested more in health, education, and the future of women and young people, not necessarily so much in security infrastructure, if it had wanted to avoid the results that we have now. He noted that the U.N.s humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan, 1.3 billion dollars for 2021, is funded only to 38%. ___ UNITED NATIONS -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is calling for a halt to attacks on Afghan civilians, protection of the human rights of all people in the country especially women, girls and minorities, and for all parties to prevent terrorism. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday that we must all ensure Afghanistan cannot ever, ever again be a base for terrorism. She reemphasized that civilian populations, including journalists and non-combatants, must be protected. Thomas-Greenfield made no mention of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan but said the role of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the two U.N. envoys -- special representative Deborah Lyons and personal envoy Jean Arnault -- is especially vital now as we enter an uncertain and crucial period that requires the international community to speak with a clear and unified voice. She called on the Taliban to permit humanitarian organizations to continue their vital work in Afghanistan, stressing that in addition to violence the Afghan people are suffering acutely from the effects of COVID-19 and drought and their needs must remain a top priority in the days, weeks and beyond. The U.N. World Food Program is reporting that more than 500 tons of aid are currently sitting at border crossings taken by the Taliban, the U.S. ambassadorsaid, urging that this aid be allowed into Afghanistan immediately. Finally and critically, all Afghan nationals and international citizens who wish to depart must be allowed to do so safely, Thomas-Greenfield said, adding that the U,S, promises to be generous in resettling Afghans and we need to all do more. ___ LJUBLJANA, Slovenia Slovenias right-wing Prime Minister Janez Jansa has described the deadly chaos in Afghanistan and the handover of modern weapons to the Taliban as the greatest defeat for NATO in history. Jansa tweeted on Monday that leaving Afghan allies to the Taliban terror has been a shameful act. All this is a symbol of the end of an era, said Jansa, who is known as a backer of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The Biden administration and much of the international community have been stunned at the Taliban blitz and the speed with which the insurgents seized power, two weeks before the U.S. is set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war. ___ CHICAGO United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic rerouted flights to avoid passing over Afghanistan amid the Taliban takeover. A United flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Delhi jogged east on Monday to avoid Afghan airspace. Due to the dynamic nature of the situation we have begun routing affected flights around Afghanistan airspace, a United spokeswoman said, adding that the change affects only flights to and from India. A spokeswoman for U.K.-based Virgin Atlantic said that following the latest situation reports in Afghanistan, we will be re-routing our upcoming services to avoid Afghanistans airspace. The airlines last plane to pass over Afghanistan was Sunday from London to Lahore, Pakistan. The airlines flights to Pakistan and India typically pass over Afghanistan, but are being rerouted. The airline also avoid flying over Iran. Neither carrier said how long the changes would last, but said they were in contact with aviation regulators to monitor the situation. Also on Monday, a Turkish Airlines jetliner landed in Kabul and departed more than five hours later and landed in Istanbul, according to tracking service Flightradar24. ___ UNITED NATIONS -- Afghanistans U.N. ambassador says there is no time for the blame game anymore. He is urging the Security Council and secretary-general to use every means at their disposal to call for an immediate halt to violence and respect for human rights and to prevent Afghanistan descending into a civil war and becoming a pariah state. Ghulam Isaczai told an emergency meeting of the U.N.s most powerful body on Monday that he was speaking on behalf of millions of people in Afghanistan, whose fate hangs in the balance and are faced with an extremely uncertain future, including millions of Afghan girls and women who are about to lose their freedom to go to school, to work and to participate in the political, economic and social life of the country. Isaczai, who was appointed by Ashraf Ghanis government that was ousted by the Taliban on Sunday, expressed extreme concern that the Islamic militant group will not honor commitments and agreements it made during talks in Qatars capital Doha and other international meetings. We have seen gruesome images of Talibans mass executions of military personnel and target killing of civilians in Kandahar and other big cities, he said. Kabul residents are reporting the Taliban have already started house-to-house searches in some neighborhoods, registering names and looking for people in their target list. There are already reports of target killings and looting in the city. Kabul residents are living in absolute fear right now. He urged the Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call on the Taliban to stop the violence, targeted killings and revenge attacks and respect their own previous general amnesty offer, and to unequivocally state that it does not recognize the restoration of the Islamic Emirate. Isaczai said the U.N. should also urge the Taliban not to demolish works of art as they did in the 1990s and stress that anyone violating the human rights of Afghans and international humanitarian law will be held accountable. The ambassador also called for the urgent establishment of a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of those at risk of Talibans retributions and attacks and for neighboring countries to open their borders to people trying to escape and for humanitarian goods entering the country. ___ GENEVA Some two-dozen human rights experts working with the United Nations say countries must not stand on the sidelines now that the Taliban a U.N.-listed terror organization have seized control of Afghanistan. A sharply worded statement on Monday demanded action from the U.N. Security Council. The experts denounced the Talibans relentless campaign against civilians, aid workers and journalists that have included assassinations, illegal restrictions on the rights of women and girls, and mass executions of civilians. It is unacceptable for states to stand on the sidelines when a United Nations Security Council listed terrorist organization overruns the territory of Afghanistan and engages in acts that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the experts said in a joint statement that drew an unusually large number of signatures. They cited unspecified reports from 16 provinces in Afghanistan that have shown women and girls have faced rights violations including the requirement to wear full-body burqas, forced marriage, ban on employment and limits to freedom of movement and health care. The experts alluded to similar restrictions when the Taliban last held power before being toppled by a U.S.-led coalition two decades ago. The experts called on the Security Council which was holding a special session on Afghanistan on Monday to be unequivocal in action. The people of Afghanistan deserve better than to endure the silence and by-standing of the member states of the United Nations at this perilous moment, they wrote. We cannot stand idly by as the lives of the Afghan people are treated with contempt, derision, and weariness. The experts also demanded accountability for what they said were the deaths of 1,000 civilians who were killed last month alone. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. military is sending another battalion of about 1,000 troops to help safeguard the Kabul airport as American forces killed two armed individuals there during a chaotic evacuation. Thats according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, who briefed reporters on Monday. The development is a sign of the ongoing turmoil and violence as thousands of Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of Kabuls international airport following a swifter-than-expected Taliban takeover of the country. The speed at which the Taliban seized power, two weeks before the U.S. is set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war, has stunned the Biden administration and many in Afghanistan and the international community. ___ BERLIN Germanys foreign minister has acknowledged that the German government and also the international community has misjudged the situation in Afghanistan and the speed with which the Taliban would take over the country. Heiko Maas said on Monday that, all of us, the government, the intelligence services, the international community, all of us misjudged the situation. Neither we nor our partners and experts did foresee the speed which with the Afghan security forces withdrew and capitulated. The foreign minister added that the images from Kabul are very painful and that the government is doing everything to evacuate as many people as possible. Maas said that of the 2,500 embassy staffer who had been identified previously for evacuation, 1,900 had already been brought to Germany. In addition to the 600 still remaining on the ground, Maas added that Germany feels responsible to evacuate another 2,000 people including human rights activist and their families. He said one of the biggest problems right now was to get the people from their homes or safe houses to the airport to fly them out. ___ BUDAPEST, Hungary A Hungarian official on Monday criticized the pullout of American-led forces from Afghanistan and said Hungary will not take in refugees fleeing the country after its takeover by the Taliban. Levente Magyar, a state secretary with Hungarys foreign ministry, told state news agency MTI that the government would not make Hungarians pay for the flawed geopolitical decision of the U.S. military withdrawal by accepting refugees without any kind of restrictions. Hungarys right-wing government is a staunch opponent of immigration, and in 2015 built a fence along its southern border in response to an influx of refugees from the Middle East and Africa. That fence would be used to deter a potential wave of refugees from Afghanistan, Magyar said, adding that the government is assessing how it can help those Afghans who have worked as interpreters or in other capacities for Hungarian troops. On Sunday, more than 60 countries issued a joint statement calling for all Afghans wishing to depart Afghanistan to be allowed to do so. Of the 27 member states of the European Union, only Hungary and Bulgaria did not sign the statement. ___ GENEVA The head of the U.N. refugee agency says its recent interaction with the Taliban Afghanistans new rulers has been relatively positive and that humanitarian aid teams will stay in the country to help people in need after the Kabul government was toppled. Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said UNHCR discussions with the Taliban may at times be difficult. In an interview at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, Grandi said the agency would continue to press for respect of the rights of women and girls, who had faced strict rules and bans on school education, for example, when the Taliban previously ran the country -- before a U.S.-led international coalition drove them from power in 2001. Grandi noted that most of the displacement in recent weeks has been within Afghanistan, but appealed to other countries to keep their borders open and take in any refugees who could flee in the future. He said a half-million people have been internally displaced this year, the vast majority of which in the last few weeks alone. He said that while UNHCR and partners have been previously in contact with Taliban leaders in rural areas before its forces swept into cities in recent weeks. Most of the recent interaction has been on issues like security and safety of the sites of UNHCR and partners ___ UNITED NATIONS The United Nations chief is calling for an immediate end to violence in Afghanistan and urging the international community to unite to ensure that the human rights of all people, especially women and girls, are respected. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the U.N. Security Council at an emergency meeting on Monday and the international community as a whole to stand together, work together and act together. He said he is particularly concerned by accounts of mounting human rights violations against the women and girls of Afghanistan who fear a return to the darkest days in the 1990s when the Taliban ruled and barred girls for getting an education and imposed draconian measures on women. Guterres said the world is following events in Afghanistan with a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead and with the countrys future and the hopes and dreams of a generation of young Afghans in the balance, the coming days will be pivotal. At this grave hour, the secretary-general urged all parties, especially the Taliban, to exercise utmost restraint to protect lives and to ensure that humanitarian needs can be met. Guterres said the U.N continues to have staff and offices in areas now under Taliban control, and which so far have been respected. Above all, we will stay and deliver in support of the Afghan people in their hour of need. We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan, he said. ___ MOSCOW -- The Russian embassy in Kabul alleged Monday that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has fled from Kabul with four cars and a helicopter full of cash, Russias state news agency RIA Novosti reported. The report quoted embassy spokesman Nikita Ishchenko as saying that the collapse of the regime ... is most eloquently characterized by how Ghani escaped from Afghanistan: four cars were filled with money, they tried to shove another part of the money into a helicopter, but not everything fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac. Ghani left Kabul on Sunday as the Taliban swept into the Afghan capital. Media reports suggested that the president went to the neighboring Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, but there was no official confirmation of his whereabouts. Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov on Monday described Ghanis flight from Kabul as disgraceful, adding that Ghani deserves to be brought to justice and held accountable by the Afghan people. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan The Taliban entered Afghanistans most popular TOLO-TV compound in the capital on Monday, looking for government-issued weapons, said the stations owner Saad Mohsini. They sent a bunch of people just to look at the security to check the weapons . . . They are collecting government-issued weapons and other assets, they let us keep our own weapons, he said. They were polite. Mohsini said, adding that the insurgents offered to keep a watch outside and even offered to provide security inside the compound. Mohsini said the station declined. There was no mention of the many women who work for TOLO TV. The TV staff were told to continue with their transmissions. No mention of the women reporters, Mohsini said. They just said keep your transmissions, normal programming going. ___ MOSCOW -- A plane carrying more than 100 Afghan servicemen landed in Tajikistan on Monday, the Tajik Foreign Ministry said. Officials told Russias state news agency Tass that Tajikistan received an SOS signal and allowed a plane bound from Afghanistan to land in an airport in the Khatlon province, which borders with Afghanistan and Uzbekistans Surkhandarya region, where an Afghan warplane was shot down on Sunday. More than 100 Afghan military disembarked from the plane, the Foreign Ministry said. It wasnt immediately clear why the plane sent an SOS signal. The announcement by the ministry came as thousands packed into the Kabul airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government the day before. ___ BERLIN The head of German Chancellor Angela Merkels center-right party has refused to make any kind of commitment regarding the possible intake of Afghan refugees following the takeover of the country by the militant Taliban. Armin Laschet, who is also running to succeed Merkel in national elections next month, said Monday that, I dont think we should send out the signal that Germany can accept all those who are currently in trouble. German news agency dpa reported that Laschet added the focus of support for Afghans must be on giving humanitarian aid locally on the ground in time different from 2015. In 2015, Germany took in more than 1 million migrants fleeing war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. The influx of migrants helped strengthen the anti-migrant, far-right party AfD. ___ BRUSSELS NATO envoys are set to meet Tuesday to discuss security developments in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the strife-torn country over the weekend. The 30-nation military organization said Monday that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who will chair Tuesday mornings meeting of ambassadors, will hold a news conference after it, at 1300 GMT. NATO took charge of international security operations in Afghanistan in 2003 its first major mission outside Europe and North America aiming to help stabilize the government, build up local security forces and remove a potential rear-base for terrorist groups. The U.S.-led military alliance wound down combat operations in 2014 to focus on training Afghan security forces but the Afghan armed forces withered before the insurgent offensive. The Taliban were emboldened by the Biden administrations decision to withdraw U.S. troops and wind up the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. The mission numbered about 10,000 personnel a year ago. An official said Sunday that there are no troops under NATO command in Afghanistan currently. NATO also has a small diplomatic mission in Afghanistan. An official said Sunday that the military organization continues to maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul. ___ ISLAMABAD Pakistans political and military leadership on Monday called for a political settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan, a day after the Taliban swept into Kabul after the government collapsed there. The appeals comes shortly after Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan, government officials and army chiefs met to review the latest situation in Afghanistan. At the meeting of National Security Committee, Khan directed that all possible facilities be made available to repatriate Pakistanis, diplomats, journalists and staff of international organizations seeking to leave Afghanistan, according to a government statement. It said Pakistan would continue to work with the international community and all Afghan stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive political settlement in the country. The National Security Committee noted positively that major violence had been averted in Afghanistan, the statement said. ___ LONDON British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace held back tears as he conceded that Britain was unlikely to be able to evacuate all its Afghan allies from Kabul. Speaking on Monday via webcam on LBC Radio, Wallace said it was a really deep part of regret for me that not all Afghans eligible to come to the U.K. will be able to do so during the current evacuation drive. In addition to the 4,000 or so U.K. nationals in Afghanistan, Britain is processing claims of Afghan citizens, such as interpreters, who have helped in the 20 years since first arrived following the 9/11 attacks. A visibly emotional Wallace, a former captain in the Scots Guard. said that Britain will in the future have to do our best in third countries to process those people. Asked why he felt the situation so personally, Wallace said it was because he was a soldier and because its sad and the West has done what its done, and we have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations and 20 years of sacrifice is what it is. ___ WASHNGTON A U.S. defense official says the head of Central Command has met face-to-face with senior Taliban leaders to urge their fighters not to interfere with the U.S. militarys evacuation operations at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan. The official said that in the meeting on Sunday in Doha, Qatar, Gen. Frank McKenzie won Taliban agreement to establish a deconfliction mechanism an arrangement by which evacuation operations at the airport can continue without interference by the new rulers of the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks not yet announced publicly. The official said McKenzie urged the Taliban not to interfere with the evacuation and said the U.S. military would respond forcefully to defend the airport if necessary. Robert Burns in Washington; ___ NEW DELHI Indias Foreign Ministry has said the suspension of commercial operations at the Kabul airport has forced the Indian government to pause its repatriation efforts but the process would restart once the flights are resumed. In a statement on Monday, the ministry said it is in touch with some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return to the country and that it has been issuing periodic advisories for their safety and security. The ministry said it is in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities and it will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan. There are also a number of Afghans who have been our partners in the promotion of our mutual developmental, educational and people to people endeavors. We will stand by them, the statement said. The ministry said the Indian government is monitoring the rapidly developing situation on a constant basis at high levels and that it will ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and our interests in Afghanistan. ___ BUCHAREST, Romania Romanias president on Monday ordered the emergency involvement of the Romanian Air Force to help evacuate Romanian citizens from Kabul airport, the presidents office said in a press release Monday. This decision was taken at the proposal of the Prime Minister of Romania given the accelerated deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, the press release said. Prime Minister Florin Citu said Monday that there are currently 35 Romanian citizens in Afghanistan and that an airplane needs to be sent to the country as soon as possible to repatriate them. We have two options, Citu told the press Monday. A NATO plane or a plane of ours going there. But we need to send a plane as soon as possible. ___ ROME An Afghan-Italian doctor who was evacuated from Kabul had harsh words on the Wests decision to leave Afghanistan in the hands of the Taliban after 20 years. Dr. Arif Oryakhail told reporters at Romes Leonardo da Vinci airport on Monday, We left our colleagues to die. He was among some 20 Afghans who were on an Italian military flight also carrying about 50 embassy staff, including Italys ambassador, and other Italian citizens. We left Kabul destroyed, abandoned, Oryakhail said, his voice breaking. The big fear is for our colleagues who worked with us. The Taliban are going from house to house looking for them. They include doctors and nurses at clinics that the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation set up around Afghanistan. They believed in us, Oryakhail said. He called the Wests 20-year mission in Afghanistan totally failed, and of the countrys future he said: You ask me about the future? Ask those who failed. Italian Premier Mario Draghi underlined in a statement on Monday that Italys commitment is to protect the Afghan citizens who worked with us on our mission. The Italian plan called for an air bridge over the next three days, but the security situation at the airport is deteriorating. One Italian development agency expert who was evacuated, Pietro del Sette, said it might still be possible to get others out if the military part of the airport manages to stay open. He estimates some 300 Afghans who worked with Italian agencies and their family members are still in Afghanistan. ___ THE HAGUE, Netherlands The Dutch defense minister says a Dutch military aircraft is en route to Afghanistan to evacuate embassy staff, their families and Afghan translators who worked with the Netherlands. Ank Bijleveld says in a tweet on Monday that more flights are planned in part due to the uncertain situation. ___ PRAGUE A humanitarian organization that has been operating in Afghanistan since 2001 is facing uncertain times with the Taliban back in power. The deteriorating security situation forced the Prague-based People in Need organization to evacuate their foreign employees and halt all their activities. Were facing an uncertain future, People in Need regional director told the Associated Press. The key is the safety of their local cooperators. In recent weeks and days, weve noticed information from the Taliban with increasing frequency, that they want the humanitarian organizations to keep operating in Afghanistan, and that our international employees are safe. But we havent heard, any such assurances about the safety of our local employees, Kocian said That will certainly be part of our talks with the Taliban. Coming after the United States and their allies ousted the Taliban from power, the People in Need was involved in hundreds projects, ranging from humanitarian aid to building schools and infrastructure, including water and sewage networks and many others. It wants to continue but not at all costs. We can see what needs to be done and we are determined to keep our operations in Afghanistan but only on condition that it will be safe for our workers, Kocian said. ___ ANKARA, Turkey Turkeys Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has been quoted as saying that Turkey is closely following the situation in Afghanistan and that measures have been taken to ensure the safety of Turkish troops in the country. A ministry statement said Akar made the comments after chairing a high-level military meeting to discuss the situation in the country on Monday. The commander of the Turkish forces in Afghanistan joined the teleconference meeting. The statement said the minister emphasized that the safety of (Turkish) personnel in Kabul is (the governments) first priority and announced that all kinds of measures have been taken regarding this. It did not elaborate on the safety measures. ___ BERLIN Two German military transport planes that are on the way to Kabul to help with evacuations there, are currently stuck in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they initially stopped to get refueled. Germany news agency dpa reported on Monday afternoon that the A400M planes could not continue their flight to Kabul as planned because they currently could not land there because of the chaos at the airport in the Afghan capital. The news agency reports that one of the planes will try to continue its trip to Afghanistan later Monday to be near the airport when it opens again for evacuation planes. All in all, the German Air Force has sent three planes to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of embassy staff and local employees. ___ LONDON Families of British soldiers who died in Afghanistan have expressed dismay at the sudden fall of the country to the Taliban. Graham Knight, the father of 25-year-old Ben Knight who was killed when his Nimrod aircraft exploded in Afghanistan in 2006, said the British government should have moved more quickly to get civilians out. The 69-year-old said the Taliban made their intent very clear that, as soon as we went out, they would move in. He said the evacuation process should have started about a week ago and voiced worry that some hothead American, or British hothead, will decide that the Taliban isnt behaving how they want, shoot at them and that will be it. Ian Sadler, whose 21-year-old son Jack died when his Land Rover struck a mine in Afghanistan in 2007, was surprised that the U.S. and its allies had so much confidence in the Afghan national army. The 71-year-old said it was left without any direction after the sudden withdrawal of allied forces. ___ MOSCOW -- The Uzbek authorities said the Afghan military plane that crashed in Uzbekistan on Sunday with only two pilots on board was downed by the countrys air defense system. Uzbekistans Defense Ministry told Russias state RIA Novosti news agency that the countrys air defense system averted an attempt by an Afghan military plane to illegally cross Uzbekistans air border. The incident took place in the Surkhandarya region in southeastern Uzbekistan on Sunday and was first reported by local media. Uzbekistans Defense Ministry initially said it was studying the reports of the crash, then confirmed the crash took place without offering any details, and only later on Monday revealed the plane was downed. According to RIA Novosti, two pilots of the plane survived the crash and have been hospitalized in serious condition. ___ GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Islamic militant group Hamas has congratulated the Taliban for their swift takeover of Afghanistan and the end to the United States 20-year presence in the country. In a statement on Monday, Hamas welcomed the defeat of the American occupation on all Afghan land and praised what it said was the Talibans courageous leadership on this victory, which was the culmination of its long struggle over the past 20 years. Hamas, a Palestinian group that opposes Israels existence, has governed the Gaza Strip since taking over the area in 2007, a year after it won a Palestinian election. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the U.S. and the European Union. It wished the people of Afghanistan future success and said the ouster of the American troops proves that the resistance of the peoples, foremost of which is our struggling Palestinian people, is due for victory. ___ VILNIUS, Lithuania The Baltic country of Lithuania is trying to evacuate 30 Afghan interpreters who helped the countrys troops during peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, an official said Monday. The possibilities for transporting them are decreasing fast, deputy minister Margiris Abukevicius told reporters. Lithuania estimates that when the family members are included, the figure is of 100 people. The Baltic country depends on other nations, he said. The only option is one of partners military transport as Lithuania currently has no troops or other personnel of Afghanistan soil he added. Vilnius chiefly had troops in the southern Ghor province. The Baltic country joined the multinational operation in Afghanistan in 2002 ___ BERLIN Germanys defense minister says the countrys military will airlift as many people as possible out of Afghanistan as long as it is possible. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told reporters that three A400M military transport planes had left for Kabul on Monday. The defense minister said: For the army its clear: as long as possible and this depends extremely on the support by the Americans we will make as many rounds as we can out of Kabul. She added that in addition to German and local staff at the embassy in Afghanistan, Germany is also considering flying out people who had been supportive of the Germans. She said she could not give a concrete figure of how many people were affected. The City of San Antonio and Bexar County are currently in a battle to keep the region's local mask mandate in place. On Monday, August 16, the city and county came to court seeking an injunction against Gov. Greg Abbott and his executive order prohibiting mask mandates. A join mask mandate for private and public school was issued on August 10 after district Judge Antonia Arteaga granted a temporary restraining order against the governor's order. City and county attorney Bill Christian and Abbotts attorney Kim Gdula spent the morning questioning Dr. Junda Woo, medical director for the Metropolitan Health District, on her medical experience and the county's COVID-19 data." Judge Arteaga told both parties they would be there "a while" as parties brought witnesses to testify. As they return from their lunch break for round two, here is what you need to know before the hearing continues this afternoon. What is city and county fighting for? The city first received the temporary restraining against Gov. Abbott's executive order on August 10, allowing to Bexar County to issue a mandatory mask mandate for all area public and private schools. Since then, some San Antonio-area school districts have said they would comply with the mask mandate, while others have said they would not pending the outcome of today's hearing. Abbott made an attempt to strike down the county's restraining order by issuing a writ of mandamus in the Fourth Court of Appeals, but the appellate judge denied the writ. On Sunday, August 15, the Texas Supreme Court issued an emergency stay against local mask orders, essentially striking down Bexar County's and Dallas' mandates, both of which would have ended today. However, a statement from the city of San Antonio says the county's mandate was still in effect despite the emergency stay. What are the numbers saying? The amount of positive COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate continues to increase in San Antonio and across Bexar County. As of last Thursday's COVID briefing with Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, there were 1,212 new cases and hospitals were still under severe stress with 1,267 COVID-19-positive patients. The numbers were so bad, that EMS was unavailable for 26 minutes on August 11. "Its at a level Ive never seen before," Woo says of the stress on local healthcare workers. "We cant keep asking people to do this over and over again," Of the 193 new COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital on August 11, almost 15 percent were pediatric cases. Woo says the issue with schools is the large number of children age 12 and under who can't receive vaccines. She says even with the children over the age of 12, only 40 percent are vaccinated in the age group. "To take away the additional tool of masking is like asking these schools to operate with one hand behind their back," Woo says. Woo says in-person schooling will definitely bring some level of an increase. Right now, Woo says masks are essential. Any layers of mitigation are important until numbers go down. What happens next? If Judge Arteaga grants the injunction against Abbott's executive order, the mask mandate will stay in place. If the injunction isn't granted, the mask mandate will be struck down. How long for each of these outcomes is unknown. Both parties will have the chance to take the case to the Texas Supreme Court. Once there, the legal battle will continue. It's hard to say whether the Supreme Court will side with Abbott, but it's worth noting that the judges already sided with him on Sunday. Texas, we are trending once again and for another mind-boggling reason: the fight for mask mandates. Gov. Greg Abbott is battling Texas local governments and school systems that defied his executive order banning all from requiring face coverings in public. On Sunday, the Texas Supreme Court sided with Abbott in a ruling that temporarily blocks mask mandates recently issued in San Antonio and Dallas. However, the battle continues as local officials said they will enforce their mask mandates. Bexar County is currently in a trial court hearing on the petition for a temporary injunction. Leaders and districts are fighting Abbott's order as the rise in coronavirus cases target the unvaccinated, specifically children under 12 who can't receive the COVID-19 vaccine. According to NPR, 25 of 45 hospitalized pediatric patients were diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) as well as COVID-19 at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston on Thursday. As school begins this week, many on Twitter expressed their disappointment in Abbott and the Texas Supreme Court not allowing schools or leaders to enforce masks among the unvaccinated children. San Antonian and New York Times best-selling author Jenny Lawson tweeted on Sunday, "Omg Texas. What is wrong with us? I love us but we are so f**king dumb, y'all." San Antonio's Shea Serrano, also a New York Times best-selling author, writes how "wild" it is that people can see that some hospitals are beyond max capacity and how many beds aren't left in the ICU, but can be "f**k you I'm not wearing a mask when I go into Target." Scroll below for more reactions about the state of Texas right now: On top of this, the Daily Show with Trevor Noah also brought up how Texas passed a controversial bill that restricts schools to teach current events and America's history. He tweeted about the bill as the Taliban take control in Afghanistan. Additionally, the Texas State Capitol closed on Sunday after the building's atrium flooded due to heavy rain. This comes after Texas has had an unusually wet summer in the state and an unforgettable winter storm in February. Yves here. Its a bit peculiar to see a post at Yale Climate Connections introduce the idea of megadrought, an enormous risk to the US functioning in anything dimly resembling a normal manner, and yet not tease out the implications. Well turn to the piece shortly but here are some dislocations taking place now. For sake of simplicity, well limit our focus to California. From the New York Times on Saturday, Small Towns Grow Desperate for Water in California: Water is so scarce in Mendocino, an Instagram-ready collection of pastel Victorian homes on the edge of the Pacific, that restaurants have closed their restrooms to guests, pointing them instead to portable toilets on the sidewalk. And the fire department has asked sheriffs deputies to keep an eye on the hydrants in response to a report of water theft. Weve grown up in this first-world country thinking that water is a given, said Julian Lopez, the owner at Cafe Beaujolais, a restaurant packed with out-of-town diners in what is the height of the tourist season. Theres that fear in the back of all our minds there is going to be a time when we dont have water at all. And only the people with money would be able to afford the right to it. Mendocinos water shortage is an extreme example of what some far-flung towns in California are experiencing as the state slips deeper into its second year of drought. Scores of century-old, hand-dug wells in the town have run dry, forcing residents, inns and restaurants to fill storage tanks with water trucked from faraway towns at the cost of anywhere from 20 to 45 cents a gallon. Utilities in California, by contrast, typically charge their customers less than a penny per gallon of tap water. The drought is revealing for California that perhaps even more than rainfall, it is money and infrastructure that dictate who has sufficient water during the states increasingly frequent dry spells. The drought and the effects of climate change more generally have drawn a bold line under the weaknesses of smaller communities with fewer resources. The article points out that by contrast, the Lake Perris reservoir, Lake Skinner, Lake Matthews and Diamond Valley Lake are all 80% or more full. A CalMatters post from June underscored that water scarcity this summer in California is a patchwork affair: When it comes to the impact of drought, location is key. Rain and snow vary greatly across Californias myriad microclimates, leaving some towns, mostly in the north, accustomed to yearly refills of their rivers, reservoirs and aquifers. Others farther south have fewer natural supplies of their own, and in parts of the Central Valley, the drought never really left. But drought resilience is manufactured, too. Decades of planning and extraordinary engineering and technology keep the water flowing to arid places. There is, of course, no single Northern California or Southern California when it comes to water, said Peter Gleick, founder of the Pacific Institute, a global water think tank. Water is a very local phenomenon. And every region and every water district has a different mix of water supply options and water demands. This satellite image shows how full Lake Oroville, which supplies much of the states drinking water, was in June 2019 and how shallow and dry it is in June 2021. Its currently holding only 41% of its historic average for this time of year. Credit: NASA Credit: NASA During the last drought, in 2015, Californians were ordered to cut their water use by an average of 25% statewide. This time, there is no statewide emergency, no universal mandate and no standardized water waste rules. Instead, residents are facing a patchwork of restrictions. Bracing for a crisis, towns relying on the hard-hit Russian River have imposed stringent mandates on residents and coastal communities may have to truck in water to make it through the year. At the same time, most of Californias urban hubs are prepared to weather the summer with only voluntary cuts and limited restrictions that in many cases are holdovers from previous droughts. Oddly, these stories skip over the fact that the big water hog in California is agriculture, which uses 40% of that states supply, and Calfornia has long produced water-profligate crops like like almonds. The PressDemocrat helpfully provided a list of the biggest offenders: On average, California crops used 2.97 acre feet of water per acre that year, the data show. An acre foot is equal to about 326,000 gallons, or enough water to cover an acre of land 1 foot deep. The analysis ranked pasture first among Californias top 10 most water-intensive crops, in some cases grouped by categories (in average acre feet of water applied per acre in one growing season), followed by nuts and alfalfa: 1. Pasture (clover, rye, bermuda and other grasses), 4.92 acre feet per acre 2. Almonds and pistachios, 4.49 acre feet per acre 3. Alfalfa, 4.48 acre feet per acre 4. Citrus and subtropical fruits (grapefruit, lemons, oranges, dates, avocados, olives, jojoba), 4.23 acre feet per acre 5. Sugar beets, 3.89 acre feet per acre 6. Other deciduous fruits (applies, apricots, walnuts, cherries, peaches, nectarines, pears, plums, prunes, figs, kiwis), 3.7 acre feet per acre 7. Cotton, 3.67 acre feet per acre 8. Onions and garlic, 2.96 acre feet per acre 9. Potatoes, 2.9 acre feet per acre 10. Vineyards (table, raisin and wine grapes), 2.85 acre feet per acre Weve mentioned occasionally that scientists in Australia concluded in the early 2000s that Australis was not adequately compensated for the value of the water needed to produce its agricultural exports. It cant be any better now Down Under. The same situation has applied in California for some time but its only becoming acute now. An early June article in Reuters, Big risk: California farmers hit by drought change planting plans, describes how some farmers are feeling pressured by higher water costs. Amusingly, it indulges farmers whinging about having to drop water-hog crops like almonds in favor of ones that are less thirsty: Joe Del Bosque is leaving a third of his 2,000-acre farm near Firebaugh, California, unseeded this year due to extreme drought. Yet, he hopes to access enough water to produce a marketable melon crop. Farmers across California say they expect to receive little water from state and federal agencies that regulate the states reservoirs and canals, leading many to leave fields barren, plant more drought-tolerant crops or seek new income sources all-together. California farmers are allocated water from the state based on seniority and need, but farmers say water needs of cities and environmental restrictions reduce agricultural access. Nearly 40% of Californias 24.6 million acres of farmland are irrigated, with crops like almonds and grapes in some regions needing more water to thrive. The farmers are complaining about the states failure to invest more in water storage. Yet they also forget that they got lucky when the 2012 to 2017 drought finally broke. Experts were saying then that if it continued for two years more, that the impact on Western agricultural yields would have been devastating. Yet it seems many farmers failed to change course when the fat years came back (as in the extra income would have helped offset transition costs) and appear in denial that, as Yale Climate Connections suggests, the West is in the throes not of a drought but a megadrought. If thats the case, it will force fundamental changes on farmers, residents, and consumers, like it or not. Even mainstream outlets have taken up the idea that the West is in the midst of a megadrought due to global warming. For instance, from ABC in June, Megadrought in West directly linked to climate change, experts say: Essentially, half of the severity of the ongoing megadrought has been attributed to warming temperatures alone and without that warming, the drought would arguably not be a megadrought at all, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain told ABC News. For this reason, the temperature-driven portion of this is not going to reverse itself this century even if we see a higher precipitation period that otherwise would have broken the megadrought, Swain said. Recall that megadroughts have ended other civilizations. Harvard Magazine in 2020 summarized the new evidence on plant growth that gave a more refined idea of when and how long the Mayans suffered from drought. Over an estimated 150 year dry period, the Mayans suffered 7 protracted droughts, the last two of which brought an end to their society. But why did they survive the earlier episodes and not the later ones? As the article explained: Evidence suggests that the Mayas success may have made the difference, increasing their vulnerability and lowering their ability to deal with the fallout from harsher, drier conditions. Even before laser evidence revealed its extent, the Maya world was known to be very densely populated possibly too much so. Symposium connects the dots among climate change, patient maladies, and worsening burdens on health care systems They had a huge population, a large urbanized population, and had made fundamental changes in the landscape, said Turner. To support both farms and cities of 60,000 to 100,000, he explained, the Maya had cut down forests and increasingly manipulated wetlands, drawing water off into reservoirs and expanding agriculture into lowland wetlands. These moves consumed water that could not be spared during periods of drought. The Maya also unintentionally made their own agriculture less productive with their extensive deforestation. Removing trees, Turner explained, stopped the cycle by which the tree canopy would capture and return the naturally occurring nutrient phosphorus to the soil and also increased its temperature. The Maya had cut down so much of that vegetation and changed it in so many ways, they were amplifying the aridity that was already present, said Turner. One has to wonder if wildfires in California are producing deforestation on a level to harm the normal water cycle (admittedly California tree cover is very different from that of the tropics_ The US outcomes are not like to be as dire as the Mayans, at least for this drought cycle. But we are sure to see more legal and political fights over water access, particularly given that widespread measures to curtail water use on an ongoing, as opposed to emergency, basis seem awfully slow in coming. Now to the surprisingly dry (pun not intended) take from Yale Climate Connections. By Peter Sinclair, a Michigan-based videographer, specializing in climate change and renewable energy issues. He has created hundreds of educational videos correcting climate science misinformation, including his independent Climate Denial Crock of the Week series, and the monthly This is Not Cool series for Yale Climate Connections, which has run since February 2012. Originally published at Yale Climate Connections The Western U.S. is shattering drought records this summer. For the first time since the drought monitor was created, over 95% of the region is in drought. Near Las Vegas, Lake Mead the largest reservoir in the U.S. is at its lowest level since it was built. This is a bigger event than the 1950s drought in the Southwest or the Dust Bowl drought in the Central Plains, says Benjamin Cook, a climate researcher at NASA, in this new video by independent videographer Peter Sinclair. We have to go back at least 500 years before we find any event thats even similar in magnitude. Scientists have found from clues in tree rings have that intense, prolonged droughts called megadroughts occurred regularly during the Middle Ages. Now the West may be in another megadrought period, this one made even worse by climate change. Climate change makes historical drought patterns more intense by increasing temperatures and thus evaporation. This poses challenges to water supplies in the West as they come primarily from surface water like the Colorado River. Much of the population growth in the Southwest happened during the 1980s and 1990s, which were relatively wet decades. Though there have been many improvements in water use efficiency in recent decades, they have not been able to match losses from drought. The Colorado River drains the entire Southwest its about an eighth of the U.S. The river itself is actually not that big, its about the size of the Hudson and if you can imagine, its serving 40 million people, says Brad Udall, a research scientist at Colorado State Universitys Colorado Water Institute. If it suffers, everyone suffers. Lambert here: Oh. Did anybody at the CDC or the Biden administration think that communicating evolving science during a pandemic would be a problem, and plan for it? They had eight months (nine, if you count the transition period). And its not just the a Pharma CEO saying Just trust us. Thats the message across the board. By Sarah Jane Tribble, Kaiser Health News. Originally published at Kaiser Health News. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was confident in June about the ability of his companys vaccine to protect against the highly contagious delta variant, as it marched across the globe and filled U.S. hospitals with patients. I feel quite comfortable that we cover it, Bourla said. Just weeks later, Pfizer said it would seek authorization for a booster shot, after early trial results showed a third dose potentially increased protection. At the end of July, Pfizer and BioNTech announced findings that four to six months after a second dose, their vaccines efficacy dropped to about 84%. Bourla was quick to promote a third dose after the discouraging news, saying he was very, very confident that a booster would increase immunity levels in the vaccinated. Theres one hitch: Pfizer has not yet delivered conclusive proof to back up that confidence. The company lacks late-stage clinical trial results to confirm a booster will work against covid variants including delta, which now accounts for 93% of new infections across the U.S. Pfizer announced its global phase 3 trial on a third dose in mid-July. That trials completion date is in 2022. Phase 3 results generally are required before regulatory approval. We are confident in this vaccine and the third dose, but you have to remember the vaccine efficacy study is still going on, so we need all the evidence to back up that, Jerica Pitts, Pfizers director of global media relations, said Monday. The financial stakes are enormous: Pfizer announced in July that it expects $33.5 billion in covid-19 vaccine revenue this year. Meanwhile, Pfizer recently said that if a third dose couldnt combat the delta or other variants, the drugmaker is poised to come up with a tailor-made vaccine within 100 days. All of this has sown a sense of confusion about what exactly will work, and when. The pharmaceutical industrys rush to recommend boosters for the public is a little frustrating, said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and an adviser to the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration. Even if a booster is found to be safe, he said, the U.S. effort should focus on vaccinating people who are unvaccinated. In any case, decisions about boosters do not rest with vaccine makers, he said. Pharmaceutical companies arent public health agencies, its really not theirs to determine when or whether there should be booster dosing, Offit said. That is the purview of the CDC. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA the federal agencies overseeing the authorization of covid vaccines said in July that fully vaccinated Americans do not need a booster shot. Currently authorized vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are working as they should: All three lower the risk of covid severe enough to hospitalize or kill a person. If hospitalization and death rates increase among the vaccinated, then it would be time to talk about boosters, Offit said, but were not there, yet. The White House has added to the mixed messaging: Spokesperson Jen Psaki confirmed that the U.S. will buy an additional 200 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for inoculating children under 12 and for possible boosters. Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at Emory University in Atlanta, said the confusion is not necessarily the fault of any one institution but rather there is genuine scientific uncertainty about how well [existing] vaccines work against the new variant. Scientists are piecing together information from observational studies, outbreak investigations and analyses of antibody responses. For many Americans especially those who struggled six months ago to find any dose, frantically hiring vaccine hunters and driving hours-long distances for their first jab the confusion has set off a feverish search for an illicit third dose just in case its necessary. I snuck in a dose of Pfizer last week, Angie Melton, a 50-year-old mother of four, shared on Facebook. Melton received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot at a mass vaccination site in April and feared the highly contagious delta variant could infect her and, then, her unvaccinated 10-year-old son, who has asthma. After consulting friends and doctors and seeing reports about mix-and-match approaches in Europe, Melton signed onto a local pharmacy site and made an appointment to get a Pfizer shot. Shes scheduled for a second shot as well. Im trying to keep my family safe, Melton said. The CDC advisory panel was set to meet Friday to consider updates on whether additional vaccine doses are necessary for immunocompromised people. A presentation about boosters is also on the agenda. Immunocompromised patients like Sarah Keitt, who has multiple sclerosis and Crohns disease, expressed relief that federal regulators planned to recommend a third dose. Keitt, a disability rights activist who lives in Connecticut, said her neurologist told her to get a booster even after she had received two doses of Moderna. On Thursday, she said she was eager to get another dose but still frustrated about a lack of confidence in how much protection it would offer. If someone could definitely say there is a 95% chance you are protected by a booster, Keitt said, I would love it. Despite widespread media reports of breakthrough cases, a recent data analysis by KFF found that hospitalizations and deaths are extremely rare among the fully vaccinated well below 1%. Offit points to a recent outbreak in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in which only four of the 346 fully vaccinated people infected with covid were hospitalized, two of whom had underlying medical conditions. And no one died. This vaccine still does an excellent job in the face of the delta variant at protecting people against severe, critical disease, he said. Yet the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against variants is still under debate. This month a new preprint study by the Mayo Clinic found that the products effectiveness against infection dropped to 42% from January to July as the delta variants prevalence markedly increased. Pfizer and partner BioNTech announced they are developing an updated version of their vaccine in Germany to target the genomic features of the delta variant. However, the idea that a new formulation could work better is mostly hypothetical at this point, said Vaughn Cooper, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Vincent Rajkumar, a hematologist at the Mayo Clinic who closely studies his patients immune responses and antibody levels, said trying both strategies of using the current vaccine and testing a new version sounds reasonable. There is one hypothesis that if breakthrough infections are due to a drop in antibody levels, boosting those levels will be enough, Rajkumar said. But the more worrisome hypothesis is that the delta variant, or any other variant, might respond considerably differently and be less threatened by the antibodies the current vaccine generates. So unless you boost [antibodies] with a vaccine that is specific to delta, it wont work, Rajkumar said. Rajkumar said testing both hypotheses is the right thing to do in the interest of time. At the same time, though, the push for giving booster shots to healthy populations is premature, said Dr. Sadiya Khan, an epidemiologist and cardiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Thats because even if those already fully vaccinated do get a third dose or booster, the virus is still circulating among millions of unvaccinated people. The overwhelming majority of infections and hospitalizations and deaths are occurring among those who are unvaccinated, Khan said. Giving up on that greater strategy of vaccinating the population is going to lead to continued surges, she said. The potential for harm is quite large. KHN editor Arthur Allen contributed to this report. How can we convince such people otherwise? How can we get them to change their minds and accept the facts when they don't believe in facts? In How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason , Lee McIntyre shows that anyone can fight back against science deniers, and argues that it's important to do so. Science denial can kill. Drawing on his own experienceincluding a visit to a Flat Earth conventionas well as academic research, McIntyre outlines the common themes of science denialism, present in misinformation campaigns ranging from tobacco companies' denial in the 1950s that smoking causes lung cancer to today's anti-vaxxers. He describes attempts to use his persuasive powers as a philosopher to convert Flat Earthers; surprising discussions with coal miners; and conversations with a scientist friend about genetically modified organisms in food. McIntyre offers tools and techniques for communicating the truth and values of science, emphasizing that the most important way to reach science deniers is to talk to them calmly and respectfullyto put ourselves out there, and meet them face to face. (Natural News) Infowars founder Alex Jones was trending on Twitter Thursday after users pointed out he was criticized in 2019 for claiming aborted babies were having their organs harvested, an allegation now publicly admitted. (Article republished from InfoWars.com) Twitter user Jack Posobiec, who has a massive following, tweeted a Washington Free Beacon article on Thursday that admitted government-funded researchers have been seeking aborted minorities for organ harvesting. Popular YouTuber The Quartering commented on the Posobiec tweet, saying, *Places quarter in Alex Jones was right jar. *places quarter in Alex Jones was right jar https://t.co/s9ORDuy4W4 TheQuartering (@TheQuartering) August 5, 2021 Posobiec published another tweet criticizing social media for banning the prophetic Alex Jones Show host, writing, There one was a man who went around warning the government and scientists were harvesting baby organs, funding China to make chimeric viruses, and deploying federal agents for domestic plots but all of social media banned him 3 years ago. There one was a man who went around warning the government and scientists were harvesting baby organs, funding China to make chimeric viruses, and deploying federal agents for domestic plots but all of social media banned him 3 years ago Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) August 5, 2021 Posobiec posted mainstream media headlines mocking Jones for his baby harvesting conspiracy next to new articles proving he was right all along. https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1423378704550535169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1423378704550535169%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.infowars.com%2Fposts%2Falex-jones-was-right-goes-viral-on-twitter-for-exposing-fetal-organ-harvesting%2F The viral Twitter trend followed a report from Judicial Watch Tuesday claiming the Department of Health and Human Services had funded a University of Pittsburgh project which procured tissues from aborted babies to the tune of $2.7 million. The report, obtained via a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, revealed the university has been collecting fetal tissue for over 10 years include[ing] liver, heart, gonads, legs, brain, genitourinary tissues including kidneys, ureters and bladders. According to pro-life advocate David Daleiden, the documents show the University basically admitted that its fetal samples are derived from live babies. BREAKING: the University of Pittsburgh ADMITTED to news media today that "ischemia"the loss of blood supplydoes not happen until AFTER they cut the kidneys out of an aborted baby. The fetuses are delivered alive. This is either partial-birth abortion, or infanticide.@FBI David Daleiden (@daviddaleiden) August 5, 2021 BREAKING: the University of Pittsburgh ADMITTED to news media today that ischemiathe loss of blood supplydoes not happen until AFTER they cut the kidneys out of an aborted baby, Daleiden reporrted Wednesday. The fetuses are delivered alive. This is either partial-birth abortion, or infanticide. Video of Jones 2019 appearance on The Joe Rogan Show also went viral after Posobiec commented that the clip, in which he discussed fetal organ harvesting, is frequently shared out of context. Everyone plays this as a gif but omits the context Alex Jones completely lost it on Eddie Bravo over the full-term baby organ harvesting program pic.twitter.com/URMa2bc7yo Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) August 5, 2021 Jones outrage at the time of the episode, provoked by jiu-jitsu fighter Eddie Bravo, was directed toward Virginia Governor Ralph Northams comments suggesting he supported infanticide. I came here, and I proved theyre keeping babies alive and taking their organs, Jones told Bravo. They admitted that. The Senate voted Monday to keep it legalThey f***ing did it, Bravo. And you cant f***ng admit theyre killing already-born kids, so youre telling me it isnt real when they had a f***ing vote in the god***n f***ing Senate. Here is Al*x J*nes on Rogan in early 2019 explaining how fetal organ harvesting works. They called him insane for suggesting this goes on pic.twitter.com/ONUpgBA4mS Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) August 5, 2021 Read more at: InfoWars.com (Natural News) Several countries around the world were reporting more cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) among vaccinated individuals. This was in contrast to what the mainstream media, public health officials and politicians were telling the public that were having a pandemic of the unvaccinated. It looks more like a vaccine pandemic is coming based on the recent trend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 4,115 COVID-19 infections among fully vaccinated people who have either been hospitalized or died. Interestingly, that report has not been updated since June 21. The 4,115 breakthrough cases represent only vaccinated hospitalizations and deaths not vaccinated breakthrough infections overall, which the CDC stopped tracking in April. Israel: 64 percent of COVID patients in serious condition are fully vaccinated Its a worldwide problem. (Related: Breakthrough covid cases among the vaccinated are the norm, not the exception vaccines are failing across the board.) Israel has one of the fastest vaccination programs in the world. According to the vaccine tracker of the New York Times, 64 percent of Israelis have received at least one dose and 60 percent have been fully vaccinated as of Thursday, Aug. 12. More than 650,000 citizens over age 60 or who are immunosuppressed have also received a third dose of the vaccine. But the country recorded 6,525 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday for a seven-day rolling average of 4,937 new cases. The Associated Press published a fact check saying that such information is being presented without context. Misleading posts on social media are now twisting data from Israel to falsely claim the countrys vaccination program is a failure due to the number of breakthrough cases of COVID-19 among the vaccinated, the AP said. The AP also argued that no vaccine is perfect at preventing breakthrough cases, but the data shows vaccines are reducing the number of people who are severely ill, hospitalized or die from the virus. However, Israels Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday, Aug. 11, that 64 percent of the 400 COVID-19 patients in serious conditions were fully vaccinated. Dr. Kobi Haviv, the medical director of the Herzog Medical Center in Jerusalem, said in an interview with Channel 13 News Israel that the infections are the result of the coronavirus vaccine losing its effectiveness. The countrys preliminary vaccine data published in July found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was just 40.5 percent effective on average at preventing symptomatic disease. The analysis, which was carried out as the delta variant became the dominant strain in Israel, appeared to show a waning effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The vaccine was only 16 percent effective against symptomatic infection for those who had two doses back in January. For people that had received two doses by April, the efficacy rate against symptomatic infection stood at 79 percent. Most of the population is vaccinated, and 85-90 percent of the hospitalizations here are fully vaccinated people, Haviv said. Israel is not the only country facing the same predicament. Vaccinated people account for majority of new COVID infections in several places Singapore is also experiencing high numbers of vaccinated people being infected with COVID-19. According to government data, the vaccinated make up 75 percent of new cases in the city state as of July 23. Teo Yik Ying, the dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore, has expected such scenario. As more and more people are vaccinated in Singapore, we will see more infections happening among vaccinated people, said Ying. Suppose Singapore achieves a rate of 100 percent fully vaccinated, then all infections will stem from the vaccinated people and none from the unvaccinated. Singapore has the fifth-highest vaccinated population in the world with 77 percent of its 5.7 million citizens having received at least one dose. In Gibraltar, the daily count of new COVID-19 cases has increased more than 2,500 percent. Its safe to say that most, if not all, of the new coronavirus patients in Gibraltar were fully vaccinated as the British Overseas Territory has vaccinated more than 99 percent of its adult population. Similar to Gibraltar, Iceland also has an extremely high vaccination rate with 90 percent of the population between the ages of 40 and 70 receiving the vaccine. Among people older than 70, the vaccination rate is 98 percent, according to official government data. However, Iceland has seen a surge of new COVID-19 cases since July. Because of the latest outbreak, the CDC added Iceland to its list of nations to avoid visiting. Scientists, health experts say mass vaccinations not going to stop COVID transmissions The avalanche of breakthrough cases may have opened the eyes of some scientists and health experts working for governments. They have started to realize that mass vaccinations are not going to wipe out the virus. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is likely to be around for a very long time. Just recently, some British experts called for an end to mass testing. We dont have anything that will stop transmission, so I think we are in a situation where herd immunity is not a possibility and I suspect the virus will throw up a new variant that is even better at infecting vaccinated individuals, Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, told a parliamentary panel. (Related: Plastic face shields cant prevent COVID-19 transmission, experts warn.) Pollard argued that if mass testing was not stopped, the UK could be in a situation of continually vaccinating the population. He said that only those with symptoms should be tested while others should go about their daily lives. Infectious disease expert Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, told the panel that vaccination would not bring about herd immunity. He said it was time to stop concentrating on supposed cases rather than actual infections. We need to start moving away from just reporting infections or just reporting positive cases admitted to hospital, to actually start reporting the number of people who are ill because of COVID, said Hunter, who also advises the World Health Organization on the virus. Otherwise we are going to be frightening ourselves with very high numbers that actually dont translate into disease burden. According to recent reports, analysis by Public Health England has shown that vaccinated and unvaccinated people have a similar viral load when they catch the virus and likely have the same odds of transmitting it to others. Icelands state epidemiologist voiced similar sentiments. We really cannot do anything else but allow the virus to take its course in order for the population to achieve herd immunity, said Porolfur Gudnason, chief epidemiologist of Icelands Directorate of Health. We need to try to vaccinate and better protect those who are vulnerable, but let us tolerate the infection. It is not a priority now to vaccinate everyone with the third dose. Follow Pandemic.news for more news related to the coronavirus pandemic. Sources include: WND.com NYTimes.com CNBC.com TheNewAmerican.com The owner of Gone Whale Watching San Diego, Don Biagini, spotted an elusive sea creature- yellow whales. During a journey of 8 hours that took the head of the ecotour seventy miles off-shore, Biagini sighted a group of Cuvier's beaked whales swimming along the sea surface. Biagini inquired on Facebook asking: "You've heard of blue whales, you've heard of gray whales, you've probably even heard legends of white whales, but have you ever heard of a yellow whale?" He continued on the post saying: "A weekend of incredible sightings was capped by a remarkable encounter with Cuvier's beaked whales. One of the most elusive and mysterious cetaceans on earth!" Cuvier's beaked whales are known to be widely prevalent among the oceans. However, spotting these whales is rare since they usually stay far offshore. This whale can be reddish-brown, dark gray, and, brownish-yellow. The one Biagini saw was brownish-yellow. The NOAA Fisheries noted that an infestation of little algae and diatoms usually causes this unique yellow tone. Also Read: Humpback Whales May Have Recovered from Close-Extinction, But Are They Safe From Danger? The Footage The owner and operator of a San Fransisco-based ecotour company whose name is Biagini was able to record the rare sight. Biagini captured the sight from an aerial point-of-view with the use of drone technology. The outcome is an astonishing footage with the magnificent beaked whales. Biagini, his team, and his passengers initially sighted the whales while they were trying to hunt squid. As per the ecotourist, the whales even came to the surface while it was close to the boat with the squid which they just caught in their mouths. Biagini said after a 30-minute dive, half-a-dozen of the whale came back to the surface with lumps of squid right next to their boat. Biagini explained that the depth of the water was more than 6,000 feet in the location. And this is nothing for Cuvier's since they are the deepest diving animal on earth. The Deepest Diving Whale on Earth The whales seen in the video Biagini made reveal scarring on their bodies. But, this is not rare for the Cuvier's beaked whales. This kind of whale usually has scars because of encounters with lamprey's, cookie-cutter sharks, or even engaging in a fight with whales of their kind. This species of whale can develop up to twenty feet long. Also, they are the deepest diving whale on earth. The year the deepest documented dive by beaked whales took place was in 2014, getting to an astonishing 9,816 feet below the surface - about two miles deep. In addition, the Cuvier's beaked whales are capable of staying underwater for a long time, thereby allowing for these deep dives. The longest dive of a Cuvier's beaked whale that has been recorded clocks in at more than 220 minutes, just more than three-and-a-half hours. Related Article: Breathtaking! Cuvier's Beaked Whale Breaks Diving Record, Not Just for Whales, But for Mammals For more news, updates about whales and simliar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! Climate change affects the weather conditions globally, altering temperatures and typical weather patterns. The environment has already been affected by global climate change. Glaciers have decreased, ice on rivers and lakes has broken up sooner, plants and animals experience extremely hot conditions causing death and dehydration. There are many reasons why global climate change is rapidly changing. Drought and scarcity of water would be one of the many consequences, and does not only affect the area but the economic state of the whole country. Mendocino California Current State As Mendocino experiences the worst drought in its history, the authorities have declared a state of calamity in the area. Businesses have been closed due to low water supply, prices of fresh goods have increased causing financial losses to the owners, while even inn owners have told their guests not to take a bath, as local homes struggle with water for their families. Mendocino as an old state has not been supporting municipal water systems and uses water wells as their primary source of water. The extreme heat has depleted their water supplies. Even Mendocino's County supervisor said, "Fire, pandemic and now drought - my term, it's been one emergency to the next." Eric Hillesland, owner of Alegra Oceanfront Inn & Cottages, located on a cliff at the Big River, is obsessed with floats that measure water levels in two large tanks in front of his establishment. The tanks have a total capacity of 4,000 gallons. They are almost empty at the end of each week. In April, Mendocino and Sonoma counties are the first ones to be given emergency states because of the said drought. The governor himself, Gavin Newsom has declared a drought emergency in 50 of the state's 58 counties, which account for over half of the state's population. Officials from Mendocino County are even attempting to persuade the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to conduct training drills using water-dropping planes, collecting water from ponds or lakes, and transporting it to Fort Bragg to help with the water supply problem. Also read: Tropical Depression Fred: Southern Florida Brace For Flooding Due to Torrential Rain Sonoma's Similar Drought Issue The county has been experiencing two consecutive years of low water supply and has a below-average amount of water storage. Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership (SMSWP) partners encourage all our 600,000 drinking water customers to conserve water. In and around Sonoma County, two years of extremely low rainfall have left the countryside dry. It has unusually little soil moisture. Stream flows are decreasing or have dried up entirely, putting plants under extreme stress and lowering groundwater levels. All these elements are considered while determining the severity of the drought. On May 20 reports have shown that the U.S. Drought Monitor has categorized nearly all of Sonoma County and vast sections of adjacent counties as "exceptional," the worst of five classifications for worsening drought and a warning of deteriorating circumstances in California's North Bay region. On June 7, the Sonoma City Council will discuss a local voluntary conservation measure of 20%, according to Interim City Manager David Kiff. According to Erik Ekdahl, deputy director of the Division of Water Rights for the California State Water Resources Control Board said that a weeks-long attempt to reach a cooperative, voluntary sharing arrangement amongst users with various water rights priorities created a good basis for the future, but that there were simply not enough water supplies for those with greater rights to share with those with newer rights. Also read: Oregon Declares State of Emergency as it Braces for Another Dangerous Heat Wave Sightings of the venomous Asian Hornet were reported in Hampshire weeks after experts said the pest were on its way to UK. (Photo : Wikimedia Commons) Officials in Washington state have verified their second "murder hornet" sighting of 2021 - the first sighting of a live one. The first report of a live Asian giant hornet in Washington this year has been confirmed, according to a statement published by the Washington state department of agriculture (WSDA). A Whatcom County resident reported the sighting on Wednesday, roughly two miles from where the WSDA destroyed the first Asian giant hornet nest discovered in the US last October. Scientists discovered a dead hornet north of Seattle two months ago, marking the first murder hornet identified in the United States this year. Hornet Invasion Sven Spichiger, WSDA's managing entomologist, stated, "This hornet is performing the same behavior we witnessed last year - attacking paper wasp nests." "If you reside in the region and have paper wasp nests, keep an eye on them and report any Asian giant hornets you encounter. Take note of their flight path as well," he said. Paper wasps are smaller than Asian giant hornets, and their nests are made of papery material made from dead wood and plant fibers, as well as their saliva. The invasive hornet was first discovered along the US-Canadian border in December 2019. Related Article: Goldfish Dumped in Lakes Grow to Monstrous Size, Turning Into Invasive Species Asian Giant Hornet The Asian giant hornet, native to Asia, is a threat to honeybees and native hornet species. If left unchecked, hornets may decapitate bees and feed cut body pieces to their own young, destroying a honeybee colony in only hours by feeding on the larvae and decapitating bees in what scientists term their "slaughter phase." Painful Encounters Their sting is excruciating, although they are not particularly hostile towards people. It seemed like red-hot thumbtacks were being pushed into my body, according to one expert. In addition, renal failure and death can occur as a result of the sting. In addition, hornets can spray poison. "I was more afraid about having lasting nerve damage in the eye from the squirted venom than being stung," Chris Looney, a WSDA entomologist who was charged with vacuuming the hornets in October, said of wearing goggles throughout the removal procedure. Hornet Sightings Following the sighting on Wednesday, the WSDA said that traps would be put in the vicinity in the hopes of catching a live hornet, tagging it, and tracking it back to its nest. The British Columbia authorities will follow suit because the sighting occurred about half a mile from the US-Canadian border. "They're rare and far between because they're an apex predator. And the fact that their nests are sometimes subterranean doesn't help matters," says British Columbia's top beekeeper, Dr. Paul van Westendorp. Biologists attempted to exterminate the intruders, but new evidence suggests that the hornets survived the winter. Two queens were previously discovered in Washington State. According to the state's agriculture agency, one had already mated. Also Read: Poison Hemlock: How to Watch Out For This Deadly Plant Spreading in US For the most recent updates from the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Inhaling wildfire smoke may affect your body's immunity towards coronavirus. A recent study discovered that excess exposure to fine particulate matter in wildfire smoke could lead to more covid-19 cases and deaths. During an unprecedented fire season in the U.S. West, a new study reveals that air pollution from 2020 wildfires in Washington, California, and Oregon was linked to a high risk of getting covid-19 and even dying from it. For the new study which was released on Friday in Science Advances, researchers looked into publicly existing data on the coronavirus cases and deaths from about 92 counties across Washington, California, and Oregon. They covered the area the year's wildfires affected the most - throughout 277 days in 2020. Then, they made a comparison of the numbers with regional public data on levels of PM2.5 - fine particulate matter - in the atmosphere from a similar span. In Calaveras county of California which contains about 45,500 residents, there were 22 deaths caused by covid-19 during the period they carried out the study. About 77% of those deaths took place following the presence of 28 successive days of wildfire smoke. Also Read: Lambda Variant: New and Deadly COVID-19 Strain Shows Strong Resistance to Vaccine Wildfire Smoke Linked to Covid-19 Deaths Increased PM2.5 from smoke was powerfully associated with more covid-19 deaths in Butte County. Also, the authors discovered there were 41% more deaths and this would have been lesser in the absence of the smoke. Similar patterns were noticed in other counties To pinpoint how exposure to fine particulate matter could have affected covid-19 cases and deaths, the authors studied the amount of pollution residents were prone to in the 28 days before they test positive or died. That is to say, if a person passes on because of covid-19 on the 1st of April, the researchers check for pollution levels one month prior to their death. Then, with the use of data from the hazard mapping system of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the researchers were able to discover the place and the time residents in the data set were prone to risky levels of smoke from wildfires. PM2.5 Measurement A postdoctoral research fellow in biostatistics at Harvard University whose name is Kevin Josey explained: "We were able to create an indicator that says, This day was a wildfire smoke day, so we know that any PM2.5 measurement measured on that day ... that is probably attributable to wildfire smoke." PM2.5 doesn't come from wildfires only; infrastructure including fossil fuel plants and highways also produces it. So to see the quantity of particulate matter in the data set was caused by wildfire smoke, the authors made a comparison between levels of PM2.5 on days there was wildfire to levels on days there was no wildfire, from 2016 through 2019. Josey said: "We could then ask, what would be a good expectation of what those PM2.5 measurements should have been, if there weren't any wildfires? And we could then see how much excess pollution the smoke caused." Related Article: Extremely Toxic: Wildfire Smoke Spreading Across US Contains Dangerous Levels of Metals For more news, updates about wildfire smoke, covid-19 and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! According to preliminary indications from local meteorologists, Italy may have just experienced the highest temperature in European history. Not surprisingly, the cause of the heatwave has been identified as Lucifer. On Wednesday (Aug. 11), temperatures in Syracuse, a city on the coast of the Italian island of Sicily, reached 119.85 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius). If the World Meteorological Organization confirms the temperature, it will beat the existing European record of 118.4 F (48 C) recorded in Athens in 1977. According to the Associated Press, the measurement comes amid a blistering heatwave that has dominated the Mediterranean for more than a week, fueling deadly flames that have burned houses and lost lives in Italy, Greece, Algeria, and Turkey. The possible temperature record "worries us," according to Syracuse Mayor Francesco Italia, who spoke to the daily La Repubblica. "We are devastated by the fires. And our ecosystem one of the richest and most precious in Europe is at risk. We are in full emergency." Francesco Italia said. Heatwave "Lucifer" Dominates Italy An anticyclone is an area of high pressure that forces trapped air to sink that developed over North Africa, according to meteorologists, causing the heat wave in southern Italy. Italian media have given the anticyclone the nickname Lucifer. As it approaches Rome, Lucifer is expected to continue northward through Italy, causing scorching temperatures. According to Italian official statistics, firefighters have battled 44,442 wildfires since June 15, up from 26,158 last year. On Wednesday night until Thursday morning (Aug. 12), Italy's fire and rescue agency tweeted that its firefighters had battled more than 500 fires in Sicily and Calabria alone, using five planes to extinguish the flames from above. Four people have died because of the fires in southern Italy in the last week, including a 77-year-old shepherd discovered dead in the Calabria area (the "toe" of Italy's "boot"). According to the Associated Press, the guy died while finding safety in a farmhouse with his herd. The wildfires ravaged other regions of southern Europe and North Africa, burning numerous towns in Greece, and causing hundreds of people to flee. After the death toll from forest fires soared to 65, Algeria's president proclaimed a three-day mourning period yesterday (Aug. 11). Also read: Tropical Depression Fred: Southern Florida Brace For Flooding Due to Torrential Rain Wildfires in Turkey Caused by Extreme Heatwaves According to Live Science, a coal-fired power station in Turkey has been evacuated because of Turkey's raging wildfires due to the heatwaves. The flames are being fueled by extreme heat, low humidity, and high winds which have killed eight people and devastated forests. Experts think the Mediterranean Basin is one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change concerns. A major study released by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on Monday (Aug. 9) issued a harsh warning that Earth was on track to surpass the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warming due to climate change over the next 20 years. The study, dubbed a "code red for humanity" by UN (United Nations) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warns that as the globe heats, catastrophic heat waves, droughts, and floods will become more regular. Also read: Mendocino is Running Out of Water Supply as Town Suffers From Worst Drought in History The global environment is being harmed by human activity. According to experts, the global economy has expanded since the Industrial Revolution. Overall, growing earnings have lifted millions of people out of poverty, making this a success story. However, population increase and rising natural resource use have driven it. According to the International Research Organization Global Footprint Network, humankind used more natural resources in 2021 than the planet could recover a year by July 29 causing depletion in resources. When the demand for the planet's renewable resources exceeded their ability to replenish, this is known as Earth Overshoot Day. Earth Overshoot Day is a fascinating concept that has increased awareness of human activities' rising influence on the planet's bodies, soils, and air quality. Meanwhile, one environmental expert told the Star Canada that usage of these resources is increasing at a "disproportionate" rate. This amounts to a tax on the earth's resources that cannot be replenished in a year's time. To maintain the current global human activity levels, we would require 1.7 earths. Canadian Consumption of Renewable Resources Earth Overshoot Day (March 14) would arrive sooner if everyone on the planet lived like Canadians, barely two and a half months into the year, according to the Global Footprint Network. Both the United States and Kuwait have the same date. According to Eric Miller, Director of York University's Ecological Footprint Initiative, a significant percentage of the earth's surface is needed to "sequester," or eliminate the emissions people emit each year. Reaching net-zero emissions is the fundamental goal of the Paris Agreement, requires equal "soaking up" of greenhouse gas emissions by land and ocean. Canada consumes a "disproportionate" amount of the planet's biocapacity, which refers to the planet's ability to regenerate biological resources and absorb waste generated by people. Despite its tiny population, Canada has a high per capital consumption. "Any efforts that we make to conserve is very impactful for the rest of the world," Miller said. Also read: Tropical Depression Fred: Southern Florida Brace For Flooding Due to Torrential Rain The Norm is Changing: Climate Change Consequences Climate change is one symptom of overusing the earth's biological resources, but so are deforestation, freshwater shortage, and biodiversity loss, according to Mathis Wackernagel, creator, and president of Global Footprint Network. "We pay for the present by depleting the future," he explained, comparing the resource pressure to a pyramid scheme. While early expenditures are appropriate, the consequences will catch up, and resources will be exhausted, according to Wackernagel. According to previous data from the Global Footprint Network, the date when humankind has exhausted its resources has advanced further up the calendar since the early 1970s, when humanity first fell into overshoot. In 1971, that day was Dec. 20 nevertheless, just 15 years later, on Oct. 30, global overshoot day occurred about two months earlier, on Oct. 30. The network advises that since data is always changing and scientific findings are being discovered, it is impossible to compare any new date to the previous one. However, the fact that the date advances up the calendar each year is significant: if current patterns continue, overshoot will shift farther up the calendar, indicating that humans are significantly overusing existing resources. On the plus side, the speed with which the date has progressed has slowed. Arguments that some nations create more emissions than others should not be used as a justification for not acting, according to Wackernagel. "The less others do, the more risk you have. (That means) you have to prepare yourself for a future that has never been more predictable than what we have right now." Also read: Mendocino is Running Out of Water Supply as Town Suffers From Worst Drought in History A 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the Sud area of southern Haiti at 8:29 a.m. local time on Saturday, driving people onto the streets and causing houses to collapse. On Saturday, the earthquake slammed the struggling country, nearly leveling several villages, and triggered landslides that hindered rescue attempts in two of the hardest-hit areas. Death and Injuries The death toll had grown to nearly 1,200 as of Sunday evening, and it is anticipated to continue to rise. In addition, according to CNN, at least 5,700 people were likely injured due to the collapsed buildings. 7.2 Earthquake People in the Caribbean country flocked to the streets in search of protection and to rescue people trapped in the wreckage of fallen homes, hotels, and other structures. The epicenter of the earthquake was located around 80 miles (129 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, with a depth of roughly 6 miles, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) (10 km). After the main earthquake, six further aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or larger were felt across the region as of Sunday morning. Related Article: Scientists Are Solving the Mystery Behind Earthquake That Lasted for 32 Years! Search and Rescue Deployment According to Haiti's director of civil protection, Jerry Chandler, additional search and rescue teams were being deployed to the epicenter of the devastation. At the same time, Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was dispatching help to the most immediately affected districts, where hospitals had fast become overcrowded. Frequency and Severity The USGS stated that "high fatalities are anticipated, and the tragedy is likely widespread," noting that the bulk of the population in southern Haiti lives in structures that are sensitive to earthquakes. "Previous incidents with this degree of alert have necessitated a national or worldwide response." Recent earthquakes in this area, according to the USGS, have also resulted in other risks, such as landslides, which may have added to the losses. State of Emergency and International Assistance On Saturday, Henry announced a state of emergency, saying that the appropriate measures will be made to assist individuals in the Southern Peninsula whom the tremors impacted. The state of emergency, according to local media, will extend for a month. Henry also stated that he would not seek foreign assistance until the entire magnitude of the problem is known. "The most crucial thing is to get as many survivors out of the wreckage as possible," Henry added. "We've discovered that the local hospitals, particularly in Les Cayes, are overburdened with injured and shattered individuals." President Joe Biden nominated a USAID Administrator to lead the country's assistance response and efforts to help Haiti shortly after the earthquake. Argentina and Chile have also assisted the region. 2010 Earthquake On Saturday, the shake that struck Haiti was the strongest since the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that ravaged the nation on Jan. 12, 2010. The epicenter of the 2010 earthquake was closer to Port-au-Prince, and it killed over 100,000 people. Also Read: Archeologists Found Evidence of Powerful Biblical Earthquake in City of David For more news about recent natural calamities, don't forget to follow Nature World News! The chance of a virus evolving and mutatinga increases when it is widely circulating in a community and generating numerous illnesses. The more possibilities a virus has to propagate, the more it multiplies - and the more modifications it may go through. Lambda, a new COVID-19 variant, has been detected in California. Los Angeles health authorities announced the first instance of the much-discussed Lambda form of Covid-19 on Thursday. L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer stated, "We've only observed one Lambda variation among samples analyzed in our laboratories, and this was a sample from June." The fact that Lambda was sequenced in June and hasn't been discovered since suggests it's not spreading quickly - if at all - in a county where the strong Delta variation accounted for "99 percent of all sequences last week," according to Ferrer. Studying the "New" Variant Experts believe Lambda is more virulent and vaccine-resistant than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. But, at least so far, there's little evidence that it's as contagious as the delta variety that currently dominates California. According to the World Health Organization, Lambda was first discovered in Peru in December 2020. It has become the most common strain in South America, has spread internationally, and is designated by WHO as a variation of interest. Scientists are still unsure whether Lambda is more transmissible than the Delta variant, but a July research that has yet to be peer-reviewed suggested Lambda may bypass vaccine immunity. Related Article: Lambda Variant: New and Deadly COVID-19 Strain Shows Strong Resistance to Vaccine Spreading in South America The fast development of Lambda in South American nations, including Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, and Brazil, grabbed headlines this summer. According to the WHO, it has been discovered in 29 countries, including Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. No Need to Panic While the World Health Organization deems Lambda a "variant of interest," the CDC and California's public health agency do not. Only a tiny number of positive test samples are genomically sequenced in Los Angeles each week, and these are highlighted by medical specialists as possible variations of interest or concern. However, even statewide, the number of Lambda variations appears to be insignificant. For example, California examines a far more significant number of tests than its largest county, yet just 5% of all Covid cases were reviewed in July. In California, 99,260 samples had been sequenced as of August 11th. According to CalMatters, which cited state public health experts, just 152 Lambda cases have been discovered, with the first possibly occurring as early as 2020. Lambda VS Delta At least in laboratory testing, scientists believe Lambda is less contagious than the delta variation but more virulent than the original "wild-type" virus. If Lambda came last year and is just now beginning to show up in large quantities in state and national sequencing, it has so far been out-competed by the more recently arrived and currently dominant Delta variation. Also Read: Mysterious Flesh-Eating Parasites Are Slowly Infecting the US Due to Worsening Climate Crisis For more health and medicine related news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! How a Norwich minister gained a Chinese brother How a Norwich minister gained a Chinese brother Pastor Edmond Chi Wai Tsui has retired after serving the Chinese Methodist congregation in Norwich for 14 years. Rev Nigel Fox writes an appreciation. One of our privileges as Christians is to receive unmerited favour. We call it grace. Sometimes it flows really powerfully. Just the other Monday, I had the privilege to speak at the farewell service for Pastor Edmond. It was, in fact, his third farewell event the other two being at Bowthorpe Road Methodist Church on August 1 and 2. The grace of Jesus was clearly shining in my brother Edmond. Its impact for me originates in a time after World War 2, when my mother turned down the marriage proposal of a boyfriend. They both married someone else, but remained in touch via Christmas cards. I knew of Michael, and over the course of time, we had met on Share Jesus Missions, at Easter People and in other places. When the small Chinese fellowship began using Wroxham Road for Sunday afternoon meetings, I was introduced to Edmond with the words, This is Edmond, from Epsom. Summoning my limited knowledge of Epsom, I mentioned the name of a friend of my mothers and asked if he knew Michael Whelton. I didnt realise was that Michael had been Edmonds staunch supporter and mentor as a Local Preacher over many years and had earned the closeness that Chinese culture awards a long-term helper. Calling the meeting to attention, Edmond announced in Cantonese that I knew Michael Whelton (or words to that effect). That link made me part of their extended family the foundation of something so precious as Edmond regarded me as his brother. That link stood us in such good stead as we navigated the Chinese fellowship through exceptional growth and into full Church status (from three dozen to around 120 believers by the time they moved on in 2015). Edmond did all the hard work, often in three languages, while I administered the boundaries and did my best to keep the strangeness of British Methodism at bay. Not only is Chinese culture so very different from British culture, but the culture of British Methodism is so very different from experiences in Hong Kong. My role was to allow and sustain cultural independence in which Edmond could lead his folk into genuine fruitfulness through the gospel of Jesus. Edmond was appointed full-time Pastor at Bowthorpe Road and, whilst an unforeseen roof problem caused a major new challenge, Edmond remained graciously steadfast in leadership. His ministry, including leading many students to faith in Jesus, was amazing. So much more could be said, but I am personally so conscious of the way that unmerited favour was being bestowed on all sorts of fronts. Attending a Synod shortly after Id retired, I noticed that Edmond found himself sat at the back with an empty seat alongside him. Not wishing him to remain alone, I decided to sit next to him for the afternoon session. My sudden arrival surprised the person near him. Edmonds spontaneous words were meant to reassure: Its ok, this is my brother. The disbelief was obvious, and I had to explain how I came to be regarded as his brother. As Edmond retires with his ever-loyal wife, Amy, and returns to Epsom, I know the Chinese Christians in Norwich will miss them as they move forward under fresh leadership here. I shall miss them, too. I can never forget the unusual privilege Edmond graciously gave to me, and I shall treasure it. But I remain confident that grace upon grace will remain a strong feature in the lives and ministries of Amy and of Edmond who will remain my brother. Pictured above is Pastor Edmond with his wife Amy Eldred Willey, 16/08/2021 Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). Columnist Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich). Since the inception of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been significant variability in local response between USA states and the cities within them. In addition, there is also considerable variability within local regions based on other demographic factors, particularly socioeconomic status, with higher infection and mortality rates amongst the most impoverished communities. The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has significantly lessened infection and mortality rates. However, concerns regarding escape mutants that can evade the immunity induced by the currently available vaccines are growing. Perhaps, meaning non-pharmaceutical interventions such as lockdowns must continue to be implemented. In a research paper recently uploaded to the medRxiv* preprint server, high-resolution contact data is utilized to characterize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in the USA, considering infections' mobility and seasonality and vaccination status seroprevalence within the population. Particular regions are identified as high risk by the group upon return to pre-lockdown behavior, highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring and case-by-case implementation of such measures. How was the study performed? Data was collected from a wide range of sources for the study, with mobility estimated by app-based location data, contact rates by large-scale survey, vaccination through state records, and predicted seroprevalence from state and county-level data. The research group found significant heterogeneity between locations, with the probability of any community having an outbreak of COVID-19 dependent on the non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented in that location and the implementation and compliance to measures set in neighboring communities. As lockdown measures are relaxed, the transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 spikes and travel can also re-introduce the virus or novel variants. The additional disparity in the distribution of vaccines further exacerbates heterogeneity amongst communities, and for this reason, the group compared the rates of inter- and intra-community transmission between regions. It was noted that some communities, such as Codington, South Dakota, have experienced very high COVID-19 rates, leaving almost a quarter of the population immune via prior infection. Though this community only had low vaccination rates of around one-third. Other locations, such as Washington, Vermont, have vaccination rates of almost 70%, with only 2% developed immunity among the community. While these locations now bear similar rates of immunity, Washington, Vermont, experienced no deaths due to the route taken to achieve it. Local and regional impact of public health interventions on transmission control. How COVID-19 spreads across the USA Urban locations were found to experience greater numbers of clusters of infections than rural locations, as would be expected due to the differing population density. Importantly, it was noted that transmission between urban centers then drives broad distribution networks into surrounding rural locations. When tracking these surges in transmission over the fall season, the group found that spikes initially occurred heterogeneously throughout the country, developing into several spatially distinct waves. Therefore, the spread of a COVID-19 pandemic wave is more strongly driven by the connection between communities rather than the intensity of transmission in any particular location. The research group suggests that considering local transmission is likely to underestimate the overall kinetics of epidemic growth, as each new urban center affected increases the national transmission rate in a non-linear manner. The value of lockdown measures (number of contacts) was weighed against vaccination by the group statistically, noting that the value changes throughout the pandemic. For example, early in the pandemic, when lockdown measures were strict and vaccination rates low, the value of even harsher lockdown measures was more significant because even a minor reduction in the number of contacts would represent a substantial portion of the total number. Later, as vaccination rates increased and lockdown measures relaxed, the value of social distancing measures decreased. Thus more extreme measures still would be needed to achieve the same effect. The group also concluded that areas with low vaccination rates should maintain social distancing measures even when the virus is present only at low levels, giving time to provide vaccines if an outbreak occurs. Two scenarios of potential SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern were also modeled: one bearing double the transmission rate of wildtype (similarly to the more transmissible variants already developed); and the second representing a 25% increase in immune evasion against both vaccines and seropositive individuals. The former leads to an average rise in the number of cases in most locations. At the same time, the latter causes the formation of multiple disconnected networks of virus transmission, in large part due to the vaccine heterogeneity between communities. Overall the group predicted that an increase in the transmission is still likely to result in a greater number of new cases overall than an increase in immune evasion, as the current rates of immunity, by vaccination or past infection, still represent an insufficient portion of the population. The future course of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be characterized by continuous movement, evolution, and reintroduction, with local populations with the lowest rates of immunity being at the highest risk. Effective local case surveillance and tracking, along with the continuation of social distancing measures and distribution of vaccines, will be required in urban centers where outbreaks are driven. Better global vaccine equity will reduce the future occurrence of reintroductions and the development of new highly transmissible variants of concern, as the pandemic is unlikely to end until the virus has been globally eradicated. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is associated with high mortality and hospitalization rates. However, many patients who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 remain asymptomatic or develop mild symptoms. In a recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv*, researchers focus on the relationship between the pre-existing airway neutrophils and SARS-CoV-2 infection to determine the impact that neutrophils have on COVID-19. Study: Neutrophil-epithelial interactions augment infectivity and pro-inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock.com An overview of neutrophils Neutrophils are the first and predominant immune cells that are recruited to the respiratory tract in response to viral infection. Upon their arrival, neutrophils release various inflammatory mediators in an effort to rapidly eliminate the pathogen from the infected area. Neutrophils are capable of recognizing infectious sites as well as act as sites of infections which, together, leads to an acute inflammatory response. An uncontrolled massive inflammatory response, which is also known as the cytokine storm, has been documented in patients with severe COVID-19. Despite their importance in anti-viral immunity and response to viral pathogens, neutrophils have been somewhat overlooked for their role in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. About the study The researchers developed a novel in vitro model to assess neutrophilic airway inflammation in SARS-CoV-2 infection. To this end, primary human airway basal epithelial cells were isolated from the lung tissue. The current study involved the isolation of neutrophils from peripheral blood. Following their isolation, the purity of the neutrophils was confirmed by flow-activated cell sorting (FACS). Freshly isolated neutrophils were then added to the differentiated airway epithelial cells, followed by infection with SARS-CoV-2 for a total of 4 hours. Along with these experiments, the researchers also performed immunohistochemistry of the primary human lung tissues obtained from severe COVID-19 patients. Study findings The analysis of the lung pathologies of COVID-19 patients confirmed the extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells, including neutrophils. More specifically, these post-mortem samples were found to have increased neutrophil elastase (NE) activity as compared to the neutrophils that were identified in healthy lung tissues. High neutrophil invasion and epithelial shedding were also observed, which suggested that neutrophils play an important role in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The peripheral blood samples of COVID-19 patients also showed higher concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines that disrupt epithelial permeability in patients with severe disease. Additionally, marked increases in neutrophils were also observed in bronchiolar alveolar lavage (BAL) fluids from patients admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU) compared to intermediary medical unit (IMU) patients correlating to disease severity." Neutrophil associated tissue pathology in post-mortem COVID19 human lung airways. (A-D) Representative images of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of postmortem COVID-19 patient tissues showing patchy organizing pneumonia centered around a major artery and an airway (A); focally expanded interstitium by a mixed cellular infiltrate including scattered giant cells (orange arrowheads) (B); diffuse alveolar damage from intense fibroinflammatory process and barotrauma induced rounded airspaces (C) and organizing diffuse alveolar damage with fibrin disposition replaced by organizing pneumonia, inflammatory cells and oedema (D). (E-H) Representative IF images of postmortem COVID-19 tissue probed for NE (cyan), KRT5 (green) and ACE2 (red). Images highlight; small airway occlusion resulting from basal cell hyperplasia with surrounding neutrophils present (E); epithelial damage with breaching neutrophils into the luminal space (F); epithelial shedding, inclusive of basal cell layer with neutrophil inclusion of mucosal surface (G); neutrophil breach into airway luminal space with high neutrophil elastase activity (H) and diffuse neutrophil invasion of alveolar spaces (I). All IF images have nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue) and scale bars represent 100 m. All images are representative of 3 independent regions per donor at least 2 independent donors. The findings of neutrophilia within the airways of severe COVID-19 patients led the researchers to assess how neutrophilic airway inflammation plays a role in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Prior to this determination, the researchers confirmed the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) in their novel in vitro airway epithelium model to confirm its utility in studying the infection mechanisms by SARS-CoV-2. Using this model, we were able to conclude that the presence of neutrophils with the airway epithelium significantly augments the proinflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2, increases airway viral load and decreases airway epithelial barrier integrity. Polarized inflammatory response of neutrophils in co-culture with human airway epithelium, infected with SARS-CoV-2. (A) Schematic of the in vitro model of neutrophilic airways denoting neutrophils in co-culture with differentiated airway epithelial cells and infected with live SARS-CoV-2 virus. (B) Representative IF images of primary human airway epithelial cells differentiated at the air-liquid interface stained with NE (green) and probed by RNAScope for SARS-CoV-2 (red). Scale bars represent 100m. Inflammatory profiles of apical (C) and basolateral (D) supernatants collected 4 hours post infection in the neutrophilic airway model. Data is expressed as meanSEM and significance is determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukeys post hoc analysis. * compared to uninfected epithelial monoculture, # compared to uninfected epithelial and neutrophil co-culture, + compared to infected monoculture epithelial cells, significant from infected neutrophil and epithelial co-culture. *p<0.05,**p<0.01, ***p<0.001, ****,<0.0001 from n=3 experimental repeats from N=3 donors. Conclusion In conclusion, we have developed a model to study neutrophil-epithelial interactions which more closely reflects an in vivo and more clinically relevant infection of airways in severe COVID-19 cases than do monocultures. The findings of this study demonstrate that the presence of neutrophils in airway epithelium leads to SARS-CoV-2 mediated pro-inflammatory cytokine release. This acute inflammatory response therefore leads to an increase in viral load and decrease in barrier integrity. Overall, we make important observations that reveal a key role for neutrophil-epithelial interactions in determining infectivity and outcomes in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection that highlight neutrophils as a potential target for prevention of severe COVID-19 disease, adds the team. *Important notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. Since the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the disease responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), vaccines have been regarded as the most effective way to mitigate the spread of this virus. However, the rise of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoCs), especially the Delta variant, has increased concerns on the effectiveness of vaccines against these more transmissible VoCs. These concerns have been exacerbated due to increased infection rates in fully vaccinated individuals as a result of the global spread of the Delta variant. In fact, a recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv* finds a reduction in vaccine effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19 in Utah corresponding to the spread of the Delta variant in the region. Study: Progress of the Delta variant and erosion of vaccine effectiveness, a warning from Utah. Image Credit: Lazy_Bear / Shutterstock.com About the study In October 2020, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) began monitoring SARS-CoV-2 VoCs. By mid-April 2021, the first SARS-CoV-2 Delta cases were reported by the UDOH. In the current study, the researchers analyzed the daily vaccination numbers as well as the proportion of SARS-CoV-2 variants that were detected in infected patients. Combined daily VE, which included VE against the Delta variant and all other variants, was also included in their analysis. Study findings The current study found that as of June 28, 2021, 54% of the population in Utah was fully vaccinated. More specifically, 52.9% of these individuals were vaccinated with Pfizer, 38.1% with Moderna, and 9.05% with the Janssen vaccine. Daily percent of breakthrough cases and a population that is fully vaccinated, daily vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, and sequencing results by week, in Utah. (A) The 14-day moving average of the percent of breakthrough cases against the percent of the population vaccinated (blue) from January 16, 2021, to June 28, 2021, with the theoretical curves for the expected percent of breakthrough cases with vaccine effectiveness ranging from 80% to 95% (grey dashed lines). (B) 14-day moving average of vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 from January 16, 2021, to June 28, 2021, and the 95% confidence interval (shaded grey region). (C) The weekly percent of all sequenced samples by lineage from the week starting on January 17, 2021, to the week starting on June 13, 2021. It was also observed that the number of SARS-CoV-2 cases increased by end of June to 10.5%, which was more than the expected value of 6.4%. This rise in cases was accompanied by a reduction in VE from 90% in mid-May to 83% by the end of June. This reduction in the effectiveness of available vaccines correlated with the arrival of novel VOCs, rather than waning immunity, is highly concerning. This increase in cases and decrease in VE should be of concern, as it indicates that the Delta variant has the potential to cause COVID-19 outbreaks, even in highly vaccinated populations. If there is a consistent trend of increasing immune escape as new variants arise, it could eventually undermine the effectiveness of current vaccines and necessitate mass re-vaccination. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. More than one in ten COVID-19 patients in 314 UK hospitals caught the infection in a hospital during the first pandemic wave say researchers conducting the world's largest study of severe COVID-19. The research into hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) was led by Dr Jonathan Read from Lancaster University with colleagues from other UK universities including the Universities of Liverpool, Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Imperial College London, and is published in The Lancet today, Thursday, August 12th. The researchers examined records of COVID-19 patients in UK hospitals enrolled in the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium (ISARIC) Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK (CCP-UK) study, who became ill before 1st August 2020. They found that at least 11.1% of COVID-19 patients in 314 UK hospitals were infected after admission. The proportion of COVID-19 patients infected in hospitals also rose to between 16% and 20% in mid-May 2020, long after the peak of admissions in the first wave. The researchers said: "We estimate between 5,699 and 11,862 patients admitted in the first wave were infected during their stay in hospital. This is, unfortunately, likely to be an underestimate, as we did not include patients who may have been infected but discharged before they could be diagnosed." Controlling viruses like SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) has been difficult in the past, so the situation could have been much worse. However, infection control should remain a priority in hospitals and care facilities." Dr Jonathan Read, Study Lead Author, Lancaster University Dr Chris Green, University of Birmingham, said: "There are likely to be a number of reasons why many patients were infected in these care settings. These include the large numbers of patients admitted to hospitals with limited facilities for case isolation, limited access to rapid and reliable diagnostic testing in the early stages of the outbreak, the challenges around access to and best use of PPE, our understanding of when patients are most infectious in their illness, some misclassification of cases due to presentation with atypical symptoms, and an under-appreciation of the role of airborne transmission." There were marked differences in the numbers of patients infected in the hospital according to the type of care provided. Hospitals providing acute and general care had lower proportions of hospital-acquired infections (9.7%) than residential community care hospitals (61.9%) and mental health hospitals (67.5%), which reflects the outbreaks seen in care homes. Professor Calum Semple, University of Liverpool, said: "The reasons for the variation between settings that provide the same type of care requires urgent investigation to identify and promote best infection control practice. Research has now been commission to find out what was done well and what lessons need to be learned to improve patient safety." Dr Anne Marie Docherty, University of Edinburgh, said: "The underlying reasons for these high rates of transmission in hospitals at the peak of the first wave must be investigated, so that we can improve safety and outcomes for our patients. Rates are considerably lower a year on, and people should not be deterred from attending hospital if they are unwell." This is the first tranche of the 100 million vaccines the Prime Minister pledged the UK would share within the next year at last month's G7 in Cornwall, 80 million of which will go to COVAX, a scheme that ensures equitable, global access to Covid-19 vaccines. The consignment arrived in Malawi on Saturday, 14 August 2021, through Kamuzu International Airport. Malawi's Health Minister Hon Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda received the vaccines on behalf of the Malawi Government. Speaking during the handover ceremony, British High Commission Charge d'Affaires, Fiona Ritchie, said: "At this time when Malawi continues to be heavily impacted by Covid-19, evidenced by high levels of cases, hospitalisations and deaths, we're doing this to help the most vulnerable, but also because we know we won't be safe until everyone is safe." "The UK's donation is the outcome of the pledge that G7 leaders made to vaccinate the world and end the pandemic as a matter of urgency." Minister of Health, Hon Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said: "We are very grateful for the UK Government's donation of 119,040 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccines which will support the Covid-19 response. This will help us realise our goal of vaccinating around 3.8 million Malawians, particularly frontline workers and the most vulnerable, so we can put this pandemic behind us and focus on growing the economy." UNICEF Malawi Acting Representative Tedla Damte said: "As Governments and the COVAX facility partners work hard to make COVID-19 vaccines affordable and accessible to all countries, we must do our part- get the vaccine to protect ourselves, our families, our communities and our children from this deadly and disruptive pandemic. Together we can end COVID-19." Our WHO experts have reassured us that for all of the variants of concern, including the Delta variant, the vaccines remain effective against severe disease and death. This is a very good sign. I'm urging our frontline workers and all priority groups to come forward and get their jabs." Dr. Nonhlanhla Dlamini, WHO Representative for Malawi The UK helped establish COVAX in 2020, providing a total of 548 million to fund vaccines for lower-income countries. The scheme has delivered more than 152 million vaccine doses to over 137 countries and territories, including in 83 lower-middle-income countries. Sixty- five percent of the initial vaccine doses have been Oxford-AstraZeneca. COVAX aims to deliver 1.8 billion vaccines to lower-income countries around the world by early 2022. The UK provided 90 million to support the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine: 25m on the initial research and development, and 65m to scale up manufacturing. (Newser) A Florida man pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $12.8 million from the nonprofit where he workedand spending most of it at an adult website. Ralph Puglisi signed the plea agreement in June and it was filed last week, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The 59-year-old was the accounting manager for University Medical Service Association (UMSA), a nonprofit providing staffing and support to the University of South Florida's healthcare enterprise, until suspicious activity was noted in November and he was fired. story continues below Puglisi was found to have made at least $12.86 million in non-business charges on UMSA credit cards, with at least $11.5 million of that going to the adult site over a period of two years. Specifically, it was spent on interactions with a woman on the site believed to be Puglisi's stepson's fiancee; the two apparently split $743,968 in profits, 60% to Puglisi and 40% to the woman. Puglisi also spent $43,662 at Disney World and sent $22,486 to another woman on the site so she and her friends could fly to Orlando, and hundreds of thousands more on personal travel, rent, a chartered yacht, wedding costs, and all sorts of other personal expenditures. Puglisi has agreed to pay restitution, and he faces up to 20 years behind bars, WFLA reports. (Read more Florida stories.) NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayors and staff from more than 100 cities across the United States participated today in a training session led by American Jewish Committee (AJC) on combating antisemitism in their communities. The one-hour virtual session was organized by the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), which has partnered with AJC. In January, AJC and USCM jointly called on mayors and municipal leaders across the country to sign a statement declaring that antisemitism is not only an attack on Jews, but an assault on the core values of any democratic and pluralistic society. More than 690 to date have signed the Mayors United Against Antisemitism statement. The full list is available here. Mayors and key staff participating in today's training gained a deeper understanding of the range of antisemitic conspiracies, tropes, and symbols; the multiple sources of antisemitism emanating from the right, left and religious extremists; and concrete steps that can be taken on the local level to protect Jews and promote pluralism. Melanie Maron Pell, AJC Chief Field Operations Officer; Holly Huffnagle, AJC U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism; and Rebecca Klein, AJC Director of National Outreach, led the session. They were joined by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, chair of the Conference's Mayors and Business Leaders Center for Compassionate and Equitable Cities, and USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran. During the session, Huffnagle presented groundbreaking AJC resources, including the State of Antisemitism in America in 2020 report and Translate Hate. Klein shared concrete ways to address antisemitic rhetoric and events in local communities. AJC's report, released last October and based on parallel surveys of the American Jewish and general populations, revealed that 88% of Jews consider antisemitism a problem in the U.S., 37% had been victims of antisemitism over the past five years and 31% had taken measures to conceal their Jewishness in public. In the first-ever survey of the general U.S. population on antisemitism, AJC found a stunning lack of awareness of antisemitism. Nearly half of all Americans said they had either never heard the term "antisemitism" (21%) or are familiar with the word but not sure what it means (25%). Recent events have heightened the urgency in addressing antisemitism. The conflict between Israel and Hamas in May led to a surge in attacks against Jews in the U.S. and around the world. Antisemitic incidents spiked 80% in the U.S. during the 11-day conflict, compared to the previous month, and incidents, some violent, are continuing to occur in major American cities. Translate Hate is AJC's innovative digital resource aimed at enabling Americans of all backgrounds to recognize and expose antisemitic language and images and take action against hate speech. Its glossary of commonly used antisemitic terms and tropes will help further the work of mayors in identifying and responding to incidents. During the session, AJC provided mayors with these resources and a new toolkit for mayors to best fight antisemitism in their communities. For more than 115 years, AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization, has raised awareness about defining antisemitism; identifying hate incidents targeting Jews; and providing guidance to national, state and local authorities on bringing to justice perpetrators of hate crimes. AJC has conducted similar training sessions for key federal, state and local officials, including the FBI and National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). SOURCE American Jewish Committee Related Links http://www.ajc.org HOUSTON, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that locked-out workers from the ExxonMobil oil refinery and blending and packaging plant in Beaumont, Texas, will rally on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, at the 2021 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) at NRG Park in Houston. The locked out union members will join Houston area labor activists and other supporters to spread the message to thousands of people who work in the energy industry and are expected to attend and participate in the conference that ExxonMobil needs to end the lockout, return the USW members to their jobs and negotiate in good faith for a fair contract. On May 1, 2021, members of USW Local 13-243 reported for work and were turned away by ExxonMobil, despite the company recording $2.7 billion in earnings for the first three months of 2021. The company has refused multiple attempts the USW has made to compromise on a new labor agreement since then. The union has filed unfair labor practice charges with Region 16 of the National Labor Relations Board over what it considers the company's serious unlawful actions. Locked-out workers from Beaumont will travel to the event and rally in Houston at 7:30 a.m. Attention Assignment/Editors: Speakers, Interviews & Photo Opportunities WHO: Locked-out USW Local 13-243 members from ExxonMobil's refinery and blending/packaging plant in Beaumont; other union members; local and international union leaders WHAT: Rally at OTC 2021 to demand an end to the lockout WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 - 7:30 until 9 a.m., CDT WHERE: NRG Park, One NRG Parkway, Houston, Texas More information, contact: Bryan Gross, 409-920-0575, or Tony Montana, 412-562-2592, [email protected] SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW) Related Links http://www.usw.org BEIJING, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Zhihu Inc. ("Zhihu" or the "Company") (NYSE: ZH), the operator of Zhihu, a leading online content community in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021. Second Quarter 2021 Highlights Average monthly active users (MAUs) [1] reached 94.3 million in the second quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 46.2% over the second quarter of 2020. reached 94.3 million in the second quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 46.2% over the second quarter of 2020. Average monthly paying members [2] reached 4.7 million in the second quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 121.1% over the second quarter of 2020. reached 4.7 million in the second quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 121.1% over the second quarter of 2020. Total revenues were RMB638.4 million ( US$98.9 million ) in the second quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 144.2% over the second quarter of 2020. were ( ) in the second quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 144.2% over the second quarter of 2020. Gross profit was RMB376.6 million ( US$58.3 million ) in the second quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 197.9% over the second quarter of 2020. was ( ) in the second quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 197.9% over the second quarter of 2020. Gross margin increased to 59.0% in the second quarter of 2021 from 48.4% in the same period of last year. "We are delighted to report another strong quarter, with solid growth in both operating and financial performance. We believe our founding belief, establishing a content-centric ecosystem and sustainable commercialization model, is the fundamental driver behind our achievements as a company. We continued to strive towards this goal in the quarter, by optimizing our content structure and refining our evaluation standards for quality content, thereby enhancing a "sense of fulfilment" for our users. We believe such quality content will broaden horizons, provide resolutions and resonate with minds. We further believe this "sense of fulfilment" will not only strengthen trust amongst users, content creators and our platform, but will also be a key element that will enhance our unique position in the market and further solidify our leadership position in the long-term." said Mr. Yuan Zhou, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Zhihu. Mr. Wei Sun, Chief Financial Officer of Zhihu, added, "We have continued to deliver outstanding operating and financial results in the second quarter of 2021. In the quarter, our user base continued its rapid growth, with average MAUs increasing by 46% year-over-year to 94.3 million. Our content-centric monetization also enjoyed robust enhancement, yielding a 144% year-over-year growth in revenue. Our revenue structure diversified further in the quarter with a higher percentage of revenue coming from content-commerce solutions and paid memberships. At the same time, our gross margin remained strong at 59% for the quarter, compared with 48% for the same period last year, which significantly reinforces our strong capability in upgrading our content infrastructure and allows us to continue creating long-term value for our users, business partners and shareholders." Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results Total revenues were RMB638.4 million (US$98.9 million) in the second quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 144.2% from RMB261.4 million in the same period of 2020. The increase was driven by our expanding user scale and continued growth of our average revenue per user. Advertising revenue was RMB248.3 million (US$38.5 million) in the second quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 48.4% from RMB167.3 million in the same period of 2020. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to the continued expansion of our user base coupled with an increased average advertising revenue generated per MAU. Paid membership revenue was RMB154.9 million (US$24.0 million) in the second quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 123.5% from RMB69.3 million in the same period of 2020. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to an increase in our overall user base coupled with an enhanced paying ratio for the period. Content-commerce solutions revenue was RMB207.4 million (US$32.1 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB12.7 million in the second quarter of 2020. The strong year-over-year growth was primarily driven by the rapid increases of both our user base and average content-commerce solutions revenue per MAU, which reflected our continued commitment to our content-centric commercialization strategy. Other revenues were RMB27.8 million (US$4.3 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB12.0 million in the same period of 2020. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to the continued growth of our e-commerce services and online education services that provide vocational training and professional courses for adults. Cost of revenues increased to RMB261.8 million (US$40.5 million) in the second quarter of 2021 from RMB135.0 million in the same period of 2020. The increase was primarily due to increased execution costs for our advertising services and content-related costs. The rapid growth in user traffic in the quarter also resulted in increases in our cloud services and bandwidth costs. Gross profit was RMB376.6 million (US$58.3 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with a gross profit of RMB126.4 million in the same period of 2020. Gross margin in the second quarter of 2021 was 59.0%, compared to 48.4% in the same period of 2020. Total operating expenses were RMB727.1 million (US$112.6 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB284.0 million in the same period of 2020. Selling and marketing expenses were RMB443.2 million (US$68.6 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB146.7 million in the second quarter of 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increased expenses in promotion and advertising activities to attract new users, as well as to strengthen our brand recognition. Research and development expenses were RMB120.6 million (US$18.7 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB83.6 million in the same period of 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increased headcount in our research and development personnel as we continued to invest in technical infrastructure, research and development. General and administrative expenses were RMB163.2 million (US$25.3 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB53.7 million in the same period of 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increased share-based compensation expenses. Loss from operations was RMB350.5 million (US$54.3 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB157.7 million in the same period of 2020. Net loss was RMB321.1 million (US$49.7 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB116.1 million in the same period of 2020. Adjusted net loss (non-GAAP)[3] was RMB200.3 million (US$31.0 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB70.2 million in the same period of 2020. Basic and diluted net loss per ADS was RMB0.55 (US$0.08) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB2.22 in the same period of 2020. Cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, restricted cash and short-term investments As of June 30, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, restricted cash and short-term investments of RMB7,703.1 million (US$1,193.1 million), compared with RMB3,096.7 million as of December 31, 2020. Outlook For the third quarter of 2021, the Company currently expects its total revenues to be between RMB815 million (US$126.2 million) and RMB820 million (US$127.0 million). The above outlook is based on the current market condition and reflects the Company's preliminary estimates, which are all subject to change. [1] MAUs refers to the sum of the number of mobile devices that launch our mobile app at least once in a given month, or mobile MAUs, and the number of logged-in users who visit our PC or mobile website at least once in a given month, after eliminating duplicates. [2] Average monthly paying members for a period is calculated by dividing the sum of monthly paying members for each month during the specified period by the number of months in such period. [3] Adjusted net loss is a non-GAAP financial measure. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measure, please see the section of "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure" and the table captioned "Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results" set forth at the end of this press release. Conference Call The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on August 16, 2021 (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on August 16, 2021). Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows: United States: +1-888-317-6003 International: +1-412-317-6061 Hong Kong, China: 800-963-976 Mainland China: 400-120-6115 Participant code: 5296870 Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.zhihu.com. A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live call until August 23, 2021, by dialing the following telephone numbers: United States: +1-877-344-7529 International: +1-412-317-0088 Replay Access Code: 10159155 About Zhihu Inc. Zhihu Inc. (NYSE: ZH) is the operator of Zhihu, a leading online content community in China, dedicated to empowering people to share knowledge, experience, and insights, and to find their own answers. Zhihu fosters a vibrant online community where users contribute and engage while respecting diversity and valuing constructiveness by promoting a culture of sincerity, expertise, and respect developed through years of cultivation. Zhihu is China's largest Q&A-inspired online community and one of the top five Chinese comprehensive online content communities, both in terms of average mobile monthly average users and revenue in 2020. Zhihu is also recognized as the most trustworthy online content community and widely regarded as offering the highest quality content in China, according to a survey conducted by CIC. For more information, please visit https://ir.zhihu.com. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses adjusted net loss, a non-GAAP financial measure, to supplement the review and assessment of its operating performance. The Company defines adjusted net loss as net loss adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expenses, which are non-cash expenses and are partially discretionary in nature. The Company believes that the non-GAAP measure facilitates comparisons of operating performance from period to period and company to company by adjusting for potential impacts of items, which the Company's management considers to be indicative of its operating performance. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measure provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating the Company's consolidated results of operations in the same manner as it helps the Company's management. The non-GAAP financial measure is not defined under U.S. GAAP and is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The presentation of the non-GAAP financial measure may not be comparable to similarly titled measure presented by other companies. The use of the non-GAAP measure has limitations as an analytical tool, and investors should not consider it in isolation from, or as a substitute for analysis of, our results of operations or financial condition as reported under U.S. GAAP. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measure, please see the tables captioned "Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results" set forth at the end of this press release. Exchange Rate Information This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars were made at a rate of RMB6.4566 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of June 30, 2021 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to," or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: Zhihu Inc. Email: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Helen Wu Tel: +86-10-6508-0677 Email: [email protected] In the United States: The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Phone: +1-212-481-2050 Email: [email protected] ZHIHU INC. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (All amounts in thousands, except share, ADS, per share data and per ADS data) For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 March 31, 2021 June 30, 2021 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2021 RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$ Revenues: Advertising 167,342 213,730 248,272 38,452 292,971 462,002 71,555 Paid membership 69,284 126,572 154,872 23,987 125,043 281,444 43,590 Content-commerce solutions 12,731 120,845 207,431 32,127 13,798 328,276 50,843 Others 12,031 17,139 27,777 4,302 17,737 44,916 6,957 Total revenues 261,388 478,286 638,352 98,868 449,549 1,116,638 172,945 Cost of revenues (134,994) (205,616) (261,798) (40,547) (244,905) (467,414) (72,393) Gross profit 126,394 272,670 376,554 58,321 204,644 649,224 100,552 Selling and marketing expenses (146,746) (346,633) (443,229) (68,647) (272,169) (789,862) (122,334) Research and development expenses (83,553) (106,302) (120,620) (18,682) (170,171) (226,922) (35,146) General and administrative expenses (53,746) (162,196) (163,243) (25,283) (130,880) (325,439) (50,404) Total operating expenses (284,045) (615,131) (727,092) (112,612) (573,220) (1,342,223) (207,884) Loss from operations (157,651) (342,461) (350,538) (54,291) (368,576) (692,999) (107,332) Other income/(expenses): Investment income 13,817 9,662 11,791 1,826 29,199 21,453 3,323 Interest income 7,410 3,327 8,251 1,278 17,280 11,578 1,793 Fair value change of financial instrument 19,619 - 10,610 1,643 19,238 10,610 1,643 Exchange (losses)/gains (689) (693) 5,458 845 (15,970) 4,765 738 Others, net 930 6,009 (5,076) (786) 1,631 933 145 Loss before income tax (116,564) (324,156) (319,504) (49,485) (317,198) (643,660) (99,690) Income tax benefit/(expense) 449 (537) (1,580) (245) (254) (2,117) (328) Net loss (116,115) (324,693) (321,084) (49,730) (317,452) (645,777) (100,018) Accretions of convertible redeemable preferred shares to redemption value (172,534) (170,585) - - (338,045) (170,585) (26,420) Net loss attributable to Zhihu Inc.'s shareholders (288,649) (495,278) (321,084) (49,730) (655,497) (816,362) (126,438) Net loss per share Basic (4.45) (6.93) (1.09) (0.17) (10.17) (4.45) (0.69) Diluted (4.45) (6.93) (1.09) (0.17) (10.17) (4.45) (0.69) Net loss per ADS (Two ADSs represent one Class A ordinary share) Basic (2.22) (3.46) (0.55) (0.08) (5.09) (2.22) (0.34) Diluted (2.22) (3.46) (0.55) (0.08) (5.09) (2.22) (0.34) Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding Basic 64,894,737 71,493,738 293,735,095 293,735,095 64,439,452 183,518,197 183,518,197 Diluted 64,894,737 71,493,738 293,735,095 293,735,095 64,439,452 183,518,197 183,518,197 ZHIHU INC. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (CONTINUED) (All amounts in thousands, except share, ADS, per share data and per ADS data) For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 March 31, 2021 June 30, 2021 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2021 RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$ Share-based compensation expenses included in: Cost of revenues 2,239 2,232 2,349 364 4,420 4,581 709 Selling and marketing expenses 5,094 4,803 4,614 715 10,746 9,417 1,459 Research and development expenses 5,814 7,608 2,709 419 13,263 10,317 1,598 General and administrative expenses 32,720 116,484 111,073 17,203 57,025 227,557 35,244 ZHIHU INC. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (All amounts in thousands, except share, ADS, per share data and per ADS data) As of December 31, 2020 As of June 30, 2021 RMB RMB US$ ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents 957,820 884,544 136,998 Term deposits 1,092,921 3,546,595 549,298 Short-term investments 1,046,000 1,314,536 203,596 Restricted cash - 1,214,499 188,102 Trade receivables 486,046 567,542 87,901 Amounts due from related parties 13,843 35,393 5,482 Prepayments and other current assets 123,536 151,182 23,415 Total current assets 3,720,166 7,714,291 1,194,792 Non-current assets: Property and equipment, net 8,105 7,329 1,135 Intangible assets, net 23,478 17,833 2,762 Long-term investments - 19,380 3,002 Term deposits - 742,911 115,062 Right-of-use assets 3,241 83,145 12,877 Other non-current assets 6,451 5,679 880 Total non-current assets 41,275 876,277 135,718 Total assets 3,761,441 8,590,568 1,330,510 LIABILITIES, MEZZANINE EQUITY AND SHAREHOLDERS' (DEFICIT)/EQUITY Current liabilities Accounts payables and accrued liabilities 501,848 754,420 116,845 Salary and welfare payables 231,847 248,614 38,505 Taxes payables 7,066 29,529 4,573 Contract liabilities 159,995 201,652 31,232 Amounts due to related parties 45,983 54,324 8,414 Short term lease liabilities 2,893 24,357 3,772 Other current liabilities 64,936 110,334 17,089 Total current liabilities 1,014,568 1,423,230 220,430 Non-current liabilities Long term lease liabilities - 52,675 8,159 Total non-current liabilities - 52,675 8,159 Total liabilities 1,014,568 1,475,905 228,589 Total mezzanine equity 7,891,348 - - Total shareholders' (deficit)/equity (5,144,475) 7,114,663 1,101,921 Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and shareholders' (deficit)/equity 3,761,441 8,590,568 1,330,510 ZHIHU INC. UNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS (All amounts in thousands, except share, ADS, per share data and per ADS data) For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 March 31, 2021 June 30, 2021 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2021 RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$ Net loss (116,115) (324,693) (321,084) (49,730) (317,452) (645,777) (100,018) Add: Share-based compensation expenses 45,867 131,127 120,745 18,701 85,454 251,872 39,010 Adjusted net loss (70,248) (193,566) (200,339) (31,029) (231,998) (393,905) (61,008) SOURCE Zhihu Inc. Related Links https://ir.zhihu.com SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Zurich North America, a market leader in insurance solutions for construction, has appointed Kelly Kinzer to the newly created role of Head of Construction Casualty. The announcement reflects a broader realignment of Zurich's Construction business into two segments, Property and Casualty, to simplify and enhance how it goes to market and serves project owners, developers, contractors and subcontractors. Kinzer, who rejoined Zurich in 2019, will lead national Construction Casualty efforts, working closely with key brokers and agents to design, develop and deliver innovative and comprehensive third-party risk transfer solutions, much as she did in her prior role as Zurich's Head of Construction Property. Kinzer will continue to report to Head of Construction Karen Reutter. "Over the past two decades, Kelly has established herself as a well-known and respected leader in the construction risk space," Reutter said. "In just the past two years at Zurich, Kelly has led high-impact efforts to build on the strength of our Construction Property portfolio. Her instincts, experience and outcomes make her the right leader to lay the foundation for this important new role as Head of Construction Casualty." Kinzer has held diverse roles in construction risk management, including on the broker side. Prior to rejoining Zurich, she worked at Willis Towers Watson, culminating in her role as North America Head of Construction Broking. She previously worked at Marsh & McLennan, Allianz and, in her first role out of college, at Zurich for seven years. Kinzer's successor as Head of Construction Property will be named later. About Zurich Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to technology. Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. Read more at www.zurichna.com/services/about-zurich. Visit us on social media: LinkedIn and Twitter SOURCE Zurich North America Related Links www.zurichna.com The delegation visit shows support from the Malawi government as it looks forward to continuing co-operation with all stakeholders for the project development. ( , ) hosted a delegation of the Malawian Government officials led by the countrys minister of mining Rashid Gaffar, at its Kasiya Rutile Project (Kasiya). During the visit, the company provided an update on the project and its development plans. The discussions were led by the companys managing director Julian Stephens, who has been in Malawi over the past few weeks. The company also held talks with the countrys vice president Saulos Klaus Chilima and updated him on plans for the projects development. Support from the Malawi government Stephens said: It was a pleasure to host the government delegation at our expanding, world-class Kasiya rutile project. The ministers visit and the meeting with the right honourable vice president, Saulos Klaus Chilima shows significant support from the Malawi government and we look forward to continued close co-operation with all stakeholders as we work towards our objective of becoming a supplier of premium grade natural rutile to the global titanium markets. Contribute significantly to economy During the visit, the company updated the vice president on the recent Kasiya mineral resource Estimate, which confirmed the project as one of the worlds largest rutile deposits and on the continued progress of the scoping study targeted for completion by end of the year. Along with Malawis mining minister, two senior government officials - the principal secretary and commissioner of mines - also visited the two-rig core drilling program at Kasiya and the companys logging and sampling facilities at the nearby town of Santhe. This was followed by a visit to the companys laboratory facilities in the capital city of Lilongwe, to demonstrate Sovereigns sample processing flow sheet for drill samples. Gaffar said: The government of Malawi is committed to developing the mining industry and fully supports Sovereign Metals efforts on their high-quality minerals projects like Kasiya that have the potential to contribute significantly to the countrys economy. Washington, Aug 16 : US Covid-19 cases could exceed 200,000 a day as the latest surge of the virus driven by the Delta variant is "going very steeply upward with no signs of having peaked out", said National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins. "I will be surprised if we don't cross 200,000 cases a day in the next couple of weeks, and that's heartbreaking considering we never thought we'd be back in that space again. That was January-February, that shouldn't be August," Xinhua news agency quoted Collins as saying on Fox News on Sunday. "But here we are with Delta variant, which is so contagious, and this heartbreaking situation where 90 million people are still unvaccinated who are sitting ducks for this virus and that's the mess we're in. "We're in a world of hurt and it's a critical juncture to try to do everything we can to turn that around," said Collins. The sharp rise in the number of paediatric cases in the country is "very worrisome", he said, noting at least 400 children have died from the virus. "And right now we have almost 2,000 kids in the hospital. Many of them in ICU, some of them under the age of four. So anybody tries to tell you, don't worry about the kids. Virus won't really bother them. That's not the evidence," said Collins. "Especially with Delta being so contagious kids are very seriously at risk and it's up to all of us to do everything we can to protect them as well as we're trying to protect everybody else." Children under the age of 12 have not been authorised to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. As of Sunay, the country has averaged about 129,000 daily new cases over the last seven days, a number that has risen every day since July 5, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Almost 94,000 Covid-19 cases among children were reported in the past week, "a continuing substantial increase", the American Academy of Paediatrics said in a report updated on Monday. Nearly 4.3 million children had tested positive for Covid-19 in the country as of Aug. 5 since the onset of the pandemic. As of Monday morning, the US has registered 36,669,696 confirmed cases and 621,605 deaths since the pandemic first hit the country early last year, according to the Johns Hopkins University. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Sydney, Aug 16 : The state of New South Wales (NSW), the epicentre of the current Covid-19 outbreak in Australia, recorded a new "disturbingly high" of 478 new locally acquired cases and eight deaths on Monday. Among the cases, the source of infection for 337 cases is under investigation and 61 cases were infectious while in the community, reports Xinhua news agency. The eight fatalities a man in his 40s, four people in their 80s, a man and a woman in their 70s, and a 15-year-old boy who died at a local hospital, making authorities more concerned about the impact of infections on younger age groups. NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said the number of deaths announced on Monday stressed the "gravity" of the situation in the state. Saying the community transmission numbers are "disturbingly high", NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said every person aged 16 to 39 in local government areas of high concern will be prompted to get vaccinated via their employer. The vaccination for this age group will start this week. "We ask you to book in and get the jab to make sure you're protected and make sure you don't get the virus or spread it when you're working and take it home to your household unintentionally," Berejiklian said. Meanwhile, tougher Covid-19 restrictions including a curfew, the closure of playgrounds, and a two-week extension of the current lockdown are set to be introduced in the state of Victoria, after the state recorded 22 new local cases on Monday. Ramallah, Aug 16 : A senior health official has confirmed that 70 per cent of the active Covid-19 cases in the Palestinian territories are of the Delta variant. Palestine might have already entered the fourth wave of the disease, as more infections and hospitalisations are being logged every day, Wesam Sbaihat, the official in charge of Covid-19 affairs in the Health Ministry, told state radio Voice of Palestine. There has been a noticeable increase in vaccinations following the Palestinian government's decision to make vaccination compulsory for civil servants and private employees, Sbaihat added. On Sunday, Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila told a news briefing in the West Bank city of Ramallah that she expects a social spread of the Delta variant coincides with the start of the new school year in the Palestinian territories, reports Xinhua news agency. The Palestinian government has not yet decided on closing cities and schools in the West Bank, said Al-Kaila, noting that 82 per cent of school teachers had already been vaccinated. One fatality, 377 new Covid-19 cases and 126 recoveries was registered in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, said the Health Ministry said on Sunday. It said in a statement that 637,963 people were vaccinated in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip so far, including 428,257 who received the second dose of a vaccine. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Aug 16 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Tokyo Olympics contingent over breakfast at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg here on Monday. Photos were shared on social media after breakfast and the athletes were seen enjoying the moment. On Sunday, the Prime Minister, in his Independence Day speech, had applauded the Indian Olympic athletes, saying the country was proud of them for bringing glory to the nation, and that their feat has inspired the future generation. India recorded its best-ever medal haul in Tokyo, bagging a total of seven medals -- one gold, two silver, and four bronze. India's Tokyo heroes will now return to their respective homes. Canberra, Aug 16 : The Australian Capital Territory (ACT)'s coronavirus lockdown was extended on Monday after reporting a record-high number of new confirmed cases. The ACT on Monday recorded 19 new cases, more than any other day in the latest outbreak, reports Xinhua news agency. It takes the number of active cases in Canberra to 28. The new cases included a student who attended classes for four days while infectious and a partially-vaccinated aged care worker who was infectious for three shifts, marking the first time the virus has been detected in an aged care home in Australia's capital. There are more than 6,500 Canberra residents identified as close contacts, which is about 1.6 per cent of the territory's population. Chief Minister of the ACT Andrew Barr announced that the territory's lockdown, which was due to end on Thursday, has been extended by two more weeks until September 2. "As today's figures demonstrate, the virus is active in our community," he said. "We do not want to see the numbers continue to grow and we do not want to see the exponential growth." As of Monday, there has been 39,096 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Australia with 958 deaths, according to the figures from the Department of Health. More than 5,000 coronavirus tests were conducted across the ACT on Sunday. Kerryn Coleman, the Chief Health Officer at ACT Health, said all residents and staff at the aged care facility where the infected person worked would be tested on Monday. "We are working very, very close with the (facility) to contain this outbreak. Our priority is to minimise the risk of transmission and protect the residents and staff." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Lucknow, Aug 16 : The Yogi Adityanath government is launching a major campaign for children working as labourers in hazardous industries. The campaign that is being launched from Monday and will continue till August 30, will act effectively against their employers. Suresh Chandra, Additional Chief Secretary, labour, said, "From August 16 to 30, the state government proposes to launch another campaign to identify child labourers and act against establishments employing them." About 10,000 children and teenagers, including about 2,000 engaged in hazardous work, have been identified in the past five years. Action has been taken in the form of prosecution being launched against over 1,000 employers, but there appears no check on children being engaged as labourers in Uttar Pradesh. There are apprehensions that many of those, who may be identified in the drive, may begin working as child labour again in the next few weeks. "Efforts are made to send such children to school or action is taken for their rehabilitation. Yet, many of such children return to the same or other work establishment within a few weeks," said another official of the state's labour department. The labour department has implemented 'Naya Savera Yojana' in collaboration with the UNICEF in select villages of 20 districts to make these areas child labour free. Apart from Lucknow, the districts covered under Naya Savera Yojana are Kanpur, Agra, Bareilly, Badaun, Moradabad, Ghaziabad, Barabanki, Gonda, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Ballia, Prayagraj and Gorakhpur. The government spokesman said, "Under this scheme, 39,856 children in 6 to 14 years age group have been identified and 26,933 of them have been rehabilitated in the past four years. In the 15-to-18-year age group too, 16,383 have been identified and 5,290 have been rehabilitated. About 6,679 families have been registered with Uttar Pradesh Bhawan Evam Sannirman Karmkar Kalyan Board (welfare agency for construction and other workers)." Sangeet Sharma, former member, Child Welfare Committee, said, "A large number of children and teenagers are working as child labourers though the exact number is not available. In many cases, the children identified and rescued, return to work as child labour in the absence of any major scheme for rehabilitation." "There may be some cases of child trafficking but hardly any criminal case is registered. Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs) have been set up in every district, but authorities are not able to take action as parents of such children often deny involvement of any gang. Under such circumstances, efforts made to identify those working behind such children, prove futile," he added. Islamabad, Aug 16 : As the Taliban took control of Kabul, a delegation of the Afghan political leadership, including Speaker of the House of the People Mir Rehman Rehmani, arrived in Islamabad, a media report said. In a tweet, Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq said: "Just received a high-level Afghan political leadership delegation including Speaker Wolesi Jirga Mir Rehman Rehmani, Salahud din Rabbani, Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, Ustad Mohammad Karim Khalili, Ahmad Zia Massoud, Ahmad Wali Massoud, Abdul Latif Pedram, and Khalid Noor." Matters of mutual interest will be discussed during the Afghan political leadership's visit, he added. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan is closely following the situation unfolding in Afghanistan and extending assistance to facilitate visa or arrival of diplomatic community, media and others. Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement that the Pakistan embassy in Kabul is extending necessary assistance to Pakistanis, Afghan nationals and the diplomatic and international community for consular work and coordination of PIA flights. Moreover, a special inter-ministerial cell has been established in the Ministry of Interior to facilitate visa/arrival matters for diplomatic personnel, UN agencies, international organisations, media and others. The spokesperson said Pakistan will continue to support efforts for political settlement. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan and the international community are on the same page and want a solution of the Afghan conflict through a negotiated political settlement. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Hyderabad, Aug 16 : Jr NTR, the multi-award-winning actor-TV host son of the late cine idol and one-time chief minster of Andhra Pradesh, N.T. Rama Rao, is all set to host the Telugu edition of the popular quiz show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'. The show, in Telugu, will be called 'Evaro Melo Koteshwarudu'. Actor Ram Charan, who is going to be the first guest on the show, has shot for the episode. The teaser of the show was released on Sunday. Ram Charan took to Twitter to share it. "My brother @tarak9999, loved being your guest for #EMK! Hope you all have as much fun watching it as we did shooting!" Ram Charan tweeted. Tarak is the name friends use to address Jr NTR, who shares his late father's name, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao. Jr NTR and Ram Charan are appearing together in S.S. Chandramouli's much-awaited period drama 'RRR', but on the sets of EMK, they were at their entertaining best, engaging in light-hearted banter, evoking laughter, one on the host seat and the other on the hot seat. One cannot miss the fist bumps, the pulling of each other's leg and of course, the rapport between the two actors. The first episode of 'Evaro Melo Koteshwarudu' featuring Ram Charan is slated to go on air on August 22 on Gemini TV. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Aug 16: The swift advance of the Taliban in provincial capitals of Afghanistan have taken every one by surprise. While the onslaught and even possibly victories were not unanticipated, the swiftness with which cities like Herat and Kandahar have been captured by the Taliban - often without much fight - has stunned the world. And set alarm bells ringing. For India it is tense moment with hardly any good options on the table. Apart from securing it's projects, interests, representatives and citizens inside Afghanistan, it also has to be ready to deal with the potential blowback of Taliban's victories, irrespective of whether they ultimately rule Kabul or not. While political Islam in the region will receive a fillip, there is every possibility of heightened terror activities as terror groups allied to Afghanistan will be strengthened and yet others inspired. Currently, India's attention is focused on the LoC with Pakistan and the LAC with China. But the border with Bangladesh should also be in focus and closely monitored. On July 18, one of Bangladesh's largest circulated newspaper 'Bangladesh Pratidin' reported that some members of the banned Ansar al Islam group have travelled from Chittagong to Pakistan by sea and from there to Afghanistan. Through the arrest of four of the group's members security officials have come to know that many others are being encouraged to travel to Afghanistan to join the ranks of the Taliban though officials have not confirmed this. If true, however, this should not come as a surprise. During the Soviet jihad many Bangladeshi citizens (mostly students and teachers of madrassahs) had travelled to Afghanistan to join the ranks of the anti-Soviet mujahideen. Bangladesh based terror groups like the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islam (Huji), Jamaat ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansar ul Islam, etc. have their genesis in this jihad. Most of the fighters returning from Afghanistan joined them. During the Afghan war they were trained in guerrilla warfare and usage of heavy arms. With the subsequent rise of the Taliban many of them joined that organisation. Mullah Omar for instance is said to have 200 recruits from Bangladesh amongst his personal guards. When the US together with the Northern Alliance overthrew the Taliban government many of these fighters returned to Bangladesh, established these groups and demanded the installation of a similar political system in Bangladesh, which since it's birth was seen as a beacon of democracy, pluralism, and secularism in the Muslim world. The slogan "Amra hobo Taliban/ Bangla hobe Afghan' (We will be Taliban, Bangla(desh) will be Afghanistan) became a popular slogan in the 1990s in Bangladesh, openly chanted. Their growth corresponded with the rule of the Bangladesh National Party which is tied to the hardline Jamaat-I-Islami, known to be close to Pakistan's ISI, and has encouraged the Islamisation of Bangladesh. Bangladesh witnessed numerous terror attacks. Tuesday, 17th August, for instance, will mark the 16th anniversary of the nation wide terror attacks In Bangladesh targetting 63 of Bangladesh's 64 districts,which included government buildings, train stations, courtrooms etc. - a prelude to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The attacks were the handiwork of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahadeen Bangladesh (JMB), whose founder and spiritual leader Shaykh Abdur Rahman had participated in the Afghan jihad. While authorities have cracked down on these terror groups, others like the Ansar ul Islam, said to be the Bangladesh chapter of Al Qaeda, and others linked to the ISIS have mushroomed. The Ansar is said to draw it's leadership fron both Bangladesh and India. Attacks against women, members of Hindu minority community, secular groups, members of the LGBT groups, writers, artists have increased. Many Bangladeshis had also migrated to the Islamic State. Bangladesh has also long been witnessing the radicalisation of society. The Jamaat-e-Islami, which had allied with the Pakistani army during Bangladesh's brutal liberation war, remains a potent force with a strong presence amongst the youth and students groups. Though many of its leaders have been imprisoned and even executed on charges of war crimes, other groups like the Hefazat-e-Islam have sprung up as a front. The Hefazat, launched in 2010 to "protect Islam" from the secular ruling Awami Leage Party , was spurred particularly by a proposed policy to confer equal inheritance rights to women. The Hafazat mounted the protests during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Bangladesh earlier in March this year to celebrate the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence and the birth centenary of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The protests left 12 people dead across different districts. The recent Taliban victories, therefore, has the potential to provide a fillip to such groups and galvanize more recruits to their cause. Many social media posts are circulating in Bangladesh in support of the Taliban. "Bangladesh has a long history of joining Jihad and proxy wars in Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya, Aceh province in Indonesia, Mindanao in the Philippines," points out veteran journalist Saleem Samad. The Rohingya camps teeming with dispossesed youth provide yet another fertile ground for terror recruitment and some Bangladeshis are also believed to be living amongst them having joined the banned Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Given the ease with which criminals, including those accused of terror realted activities, from Bangladesh are known to cross over the border into India, and also given how events in Bangladesh can impact India, this is an area security agencies should keep strict vigil on. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Mumbai, Aug 16 : HDFC Bank will raise funds by issuing Additional Tier-1 bonds in the international markets. In July, the Board of Directors of the bank had contemplated raising of long-term funds through the issuance of US$ Basel-III Compliant Additional Tier-1 Bonds in the international markets, subject to market conditions. "We hereby inform you that the Bank had approved the issuing of debt instruments in the form of the Notes, subject to market conditions," HDFC Bank said in a regulatory filing on Monday. It added that an offering memorandum has been prepared and shall be made available to the prospective investors in relation to the contemplated issue of notes. The notes will not be offered or sold in India under the applicable laws, including the Companies Act, 2013, as amended from time to time. Around 1.20 p.m., shares of HDFC Bank on the BSE were trading at Rs 1,530.95, higher by Rs 5.85 or 0.38 per cent from its previous close. Mumbai, Aug 16 : Lyricist Kaushal Kishore has penned a version of 'Vande Mataram', which has been composed by Vishal Mishra and sung by Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. Talking about how patriotic songs can serve as an inspiration as the nation battles the Covid-19 pandemic, Kaushal Kishore said: "Be it our 'rashtragaan' 'Jan Gana Mana' or 'Vande Mataram', they have the strength to pull us out of any difficult situation. These songs give us energy and a direction. Today, when our country is fighting against the pandemic, it's important to remember these songs and derive energy from them." What makes Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's 'Vande Mataram' relevant more than 100 years after it was written? "Vande Mataram strengthens the relation between the nation and its citizens. This song makes us realise our responsibility towards our country. So this song can never get old," he replied. Talking about Tiger Shroff lending vocals to the song, the lyricist shared: "Tiger Shroff is a great artiste. He's sung a couple of English songs before, but this marks his Hindi playback debut. I'm so happy that I got to collaborate with him and write the lyrics of this song. The kind of effort he has invested in this song is applaudable." Reacting to a tweet by Tiger Shroff, where he has spoken about the song, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Independence Day: "Creative effort. Fully agree with what you say about Vande Mataram!" Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister, Kaushal said: "The fact that our PM has shared my song on Independence Day, fills me with immense gratitude. Seeing Modi Ji tweet about my song has increased my confidence even more. I am encouraged to write many songs for the country now." "I dedicate 'Vande Mataram' to all my fellow countrymen and to our jawans who sacrifice their lives to keep the country safe," he concluded. Kolkata, Aug 16 : A few hours after former MP and Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev resigned from the Congress, she flew to Kolkata and met Trinamool Congress President Abhishek Banerjee at his South Kolkata office on Monday morning. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson Derek O' Brien is with her. Though the details of the meeting is yet to be known, highly placed sources in the party said that Deb's joining Trinamool Congress is only a matter of time. "The announcement can come anytime -- today or tomorrow," a senior party leader said. Sources also said that Deb is likely to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before announcing the final decision. Deb came to Banerjee's office with Derek O'Brien around 12.30 p.m. Derek and Deb were in the same vehicle when they entered the office. Sources in the party said that Derek was in touch with Deb for quite a long time and his presence during the meeting is highly significant. The resignation of Deb came to the fore in the morning when she changed her Twitter bio to "Former Member" of the party. Later Congress leader and the party's women's wing chief sent her resignation letter to party's interim Chief Sonia Gandhi, sources in the Congress said. Former Union Minister late Santosh Mohan Deb's daughter's resignation came two days after Dev met Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi along with the newly appointed Assam Congress team in the national capital. Senior party leaders are of the opinion that when Trinamool Congress is trying to spread its organisation in the other parts of the country particularly in the Northeastern states of Assam and Tripura, Deb's joining Trinamool congress will help in strengthening the party base in these areas. "She has been an MP from Silchar in Assam and a good leader with a political background. This will help Trinamool Congress a lot. She might become the face of Trinamool Congress in Assam and Tripura," a senior party leader said. Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 16 : With the Congress high command now becoming the last word in party affairs in Kerala with the once powerful faction leaders like veteran Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala being sidelined, on Monday Rahul Gandhi arrived on a two-day trip to his Wayanad constituency. Hitherto on most occasions, the entire top brass of the Congress leaders would be present to receive him, but on Monday it was just the Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan and Kozhikode party MP M.K. Raghavan who were present. In the past those who were present included Chandy, Chennithala, Mullapally Ramachandran and many others. The present impasse in the party began last week, when in finalising the list of District Congress Committee (DCC) chiefs and to reconstitute the party's apex organisational body, veterans like Chandy, Chennithala, Ramachandran and V.M. Sudheeran were ignored and it was done by Satheesan and new state party president K. Sudhakaran in consultation with now strongman in the party K.C. Venugopal by virtue of being the AICC general secretary-Organisation. All those leaders who were side stepped according to sources have expressed their displeasure to AICC president Sonia Gandhi. A media critic on condition of anonymity said in the Congress party in Kerala what one has seen is no leader has been able to be the last and final word in the party for ever. "Look at K. Karunakaran, in fact at his peak he was the most powerful leader in the party and was the last word, but since the turn of the present century, Chandy and Chennithala took over and after the April 6 drubbing at the assembly elections, these two leaders have lost their grip as their close aides have started moving towards where the power is centred and presently it's Satheesan, Sudhakaran and not to mention Venugopal. So all what you see is nothing new," said the critic. Chandy, Chennithala, Satheesan and Sudhakaran all were in Delhi in the recent past as part of finalising the office bearers and sources in the know of things revealed that both Chandy and Chennithala expressed their displeasure to Sonia Gandhi in a letter about the manner things are churning out. But Satheesan told the media on Monday that he is not at all aware of any leader from here expressing any sort of displeasure. "I am not aware of any such things. There was a time schedule and we were asked to do our part and we did it and submitted it before August 15," said Satheesan. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Hugh Jackman-starrer 'Reminiscence' is all set to release in select cities in India on August 27. Talking about the film, Jackman said: "The film explores the idea of memory and nostalgia as something that is potentially addictive, or just enticing to go back and live in the good old days, remember that time. And with this technology, you can relive it and just stay in the past. But what is the cost of that?" "And what does it mean for the future of these characters or even the present when you can so easily escape in the past? I think we live in this changing world." The 52-year-old star added: "We're in this post-pandemic world right now and we're now coming out into...is it a new world? Are we going to try and re-create what we had before? And I think it's a really interesting time and a very uncertain time." Jackman hopes the movie "resonates in that way, where it is wonderful to have memories, but as humans, we have to be constantly creating new ones. I hope in a way that this film opens that sort of discussion." From filmmaker Lisa Joy comes Warner Bros Pictures' action thriller 'Reminiscence' which also stars Rebecca Ferguson and Thandiwe Newton. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will visit poll-bound Uttarakhand on Tuesday. During the visit Kejriwal will make some more announcements to woo the voters in order to gain their support in upcoming Assembly elections due early next year. "I am going to Uttarakhand tomorrow (Tuesday). AAP is going to make a very important announcement. This announcement will prove to be a milestone for the progress and development of Uttarakhand," Kejriwal tweeted. Sources in the party told IANS that Kejriwal may announce the name of party's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming polls. The Uttarakhand unit of AAP has been pushing the central leadership of the party to announce the chief ministerial face, sources in AAP said. During his last visit to Uttarakhand last month, Kejriwal had announced free electricity up to 300 units for every household per month. He had also announced that all old electricity bill will be waved, if AAP forms the Government in the state next year. Along with these, Kejriwal had also announced that it will provide free electricity for agricultural purposes and there will be zero power cut in the state. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too has announced to provide free electricity up to 100 units per month per household and 50 per cent subsidy on total electricity used above 100 units. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kuala Lumpur, Aug 16 : Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced his resignation on Monday after losing majority support in the lower house of Parliament. In a televised speech, Muhyiddin said he and his cabinet had resigned as demanded by the federal constitution as he no longer enjoyed the support of the majority of MPs, reports Xinhua news agency. He explained that although he had initially sought to test his support in Parliament, the withdrawal of support by a dozen of MPs from his own coalition and the rejection of cross-party cooperation by the opposition had left him with no alternative. "With that, I have lost the support of the majority. So, there is no need for my legitimacy as prime minister to be determined in the parliament," he said following a meeting with Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah. In a separate announcement, the National Palace confirmed that Sultan Abdullah has accepted Muhyiddin's resignation. "His majesty accepted the letter of resignation from the most honourable Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister and the posts of the entire cabinet with immediate effect today (Monday)," said the statement. It added that Muhyiddin would continue as a caretaker Prime Minister until a suitable replacement is determined. According to Malaysia's constitution, the King, as the country's supreme head of state, appoints a parliament member as the Prime Minister, whom in his view commands the majority of the MPs. Muhyiddin became the Prime Minister in March last year following the abrupt resignation of his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad, but he has been holding on to power with a slim majority in the parliament. Muhyiddin's resignation came after Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, president of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), a component of the ruling Muhyiddin coalition, withdrew UMNO's support for the Prime Minister together with a number of UMNO MPs. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed August 16 : As scheduled earlier, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are leaving for Russia on August 18 to shoot for the next leg of their forthcoming film Tiger 3. The international schedule will be a long one for about one-and-a-half months. Reportedly, during the 45-day schedule in Russia, the most breathtaking action sequences will be shot with Salman and Katrina featuring in them. The shoot will reportedly take place in five international destinations including Russia, Austria, and Turkey. Emraan, who plays the antagonist in the film, will also join them. Salman, Emraan, and Katrina have been undergoing rigorous training sessions to reprise their roles in Tiger 3. The full team has been prepping for months for this international schedule and the producer, Aditya Chopra, reportedly want the shoot to get completed smoothly. Due to the second wave of Covid-19, the international schedule has been postponed a number of times before. After the lockdown restrictions were lifted, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif had resumed shooting for Tiger 3 at Yash Raj Films Studios in Mumbai towards July end. Work on the film was halted abruptly in April this year due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thereafter, producer Aditya Chopra instructed to dismantle the expensive set at the SRPF Grounds in Goregaon as it was partially destroyed due to Cyclone Tauktae. The big budget spy thriller Tiger 3 is the third instalment of the blockbuster Tiger franchise. The actors have been shooting in a closely guarded set, with all Covid-19 precautions. Earlier it was reported that to create larger-than-life action sequences, the producers are planning to bring on board a number of action directors from varied backgrounds. Tiger 3 is slated to release in 2022. The original film Ek Tha Tiger was directed by Kabir Khan and produced by Yash Raj Films. It was released in 2012. Its sequel, Tiger Zinda Hai was directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, and was released in 2017. In both the earlier films, Salman and Katrina played the leads. Tiger 3 will be helmed by Maneesh Sharma. Kabul, Aug 16 : A Taliban commander claimed that he spent eight years in the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba in a triumphant speech from inside the Presidential Palace in Kabul as the militants declared an Islamic state of Afghanistan after the country's President joined thousands of citizens in a mass exodus, the Daily Mail reported on Monday. Taliban fighters marched into the ancient palace on Sunday and demanded a "peaceful transfer of power" as the capital city descended into chaos, with US helicopters evacuating diplomats from the embassy in scenes echoing the 1975 Fall of Saigon which followed the Vietnam War. There were chaotic scenes at Kabul airport where thousands of desperate Afghans are gathering in an attempt to flee the country. Fighting and stampedes broke out between passengers before commercial flights were stopped and only military planes departed the terminals which are now guarded by US troops. Foreigners in Kabul were told to either leave or register their presence with Taliban administrators, while RAF planes were scrambled to evacuate 6,000 British diplomats, citizens and Afghan translators, and the British Ambassador was moved to a safe place. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the US decision to withdraw from Afghanistan had "accelerated" the current crisis and announced his government's priority is to get UK nationals out "as fast as we can". The British ambassador is still at the airport processing visas for Afghans who have helped the UK. Mumbai, Aug 16 : Superstar Salman Khan and actress Katrina Kaif are heading to Russia on August 18 to shoot the international leg of the spy thriller 'Tiger 3', which was put on hold due to the pandemic. The 45-day gruelling schedule is filled with action sequences, and will see Salman and Katrina shoot in at least 5 international destinations including Austria and Turkey. Given the pandemic, YRF head honcho Aditya Chopra is flying the cast and crew via a jumbo charter. "YRF is chartering everyone including Salman, Katrina, director Maneesh Sharma, the entire cast and crew for this intense international leg that will see the team pull off some spectacular shooting schedules! Team Tiger takes off on August 18, 2021!" said a source. The source added: "The direction team under Maneesh has prepped for months for this schedule and Aditya Chopra is clear that the shoot needs to happen smoothly." According to the source, Salman and Katrina will land in Russia first and then head to multiple shooting destinations like Turkey and Austria. "Aditya Chopra and Maneesh Sharma didn't want to compromise on the scale of the film despite the pandemic and they have planned 'Tiger 3' to be a visually spectacular theatrical experience. Thus, this schedule will add a lot to the film's visual extravaganza and some never-seen-before action sequences will be filmed," the source concluded. 'Tiger 3' is the third part of the spy thriller franchise starring Salman Khan with Katrina Kaif. The first instalment 'Ek Tha Tiger' directed by Kabir Khan released in 2012. The second 'Tiger Zinda Hai' released in 2017 and was directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kabul, Aug 16 : Noted Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi has penned an open letter calling on the world to wake up to the impact of the Talibans swift takeover of Afghanistan. She calls for protection for filmmakers and for women in general against the brutal militants who have overrun the country amid the final US withdrawal of forces. Karimi's letter was sent to international media organizations and posted in different forms on her Facebook account. On Sunday, the Taliban's grip on Afghanistan seemed to be near complete as militants were reported to have swept into the nation's capital of Kabul, forcing the president to flee, Variety reported. In another Facebook video message Karimi says: "Greetings, the Taliban have reached the city. We are escaping." She is seen running and urging others to escape while they are still able. Karimi, who previously directed "Hava, Maryam Ayesha," a film about abortion that appeared at the Venice festival in 2019, says that despite the slick public image, the Taliban's agenda is brutally feudalistic, paternalistic, and involves turning the clock back on women's rights, the report said. "(The Taliban) will strip women's rights, we will be pushed into the shadows of our homes and our voices, our expression will be stifled into silence. When the Taliban were in power, zero girls were in school. Since then, there are over 9 million Afghan girls in school. Just in these few weeks, the Taliban have destroyed many schools and 2 million girls are forced now out of school again," said Karimi. "Everything that I have worked so hard to build as a filmmaker in my country is at risk of falling. If the Taliban take over they will ban all art. I and other filmmakers could be next on their hit list," she said. Karimi is also head of state-owned Afghan Film. Karimi says that the Taliban's agenda targets the suppression both of women and the liberal arts. "In the last few weeks, the Taliban have massacred our people, they kidnapped many children, they sold girls as child brides to their men, they murdered a woman for her attire, they gouged the eyes of a woman, they tortured and murdered one of our beloved comedians, they murdered one of our historian poets, (and) they murdered the head of culture and media for the (now deposed) government," her letter asserted. Khaled Hosseini, author of the book "The Kite Runner" which was later adapted as a film, called the Taliban takeover a nightmare. "The American decision has been made. And the nightmare Afghans feared is unfolding before our eyes. We cannot abandon a people that have searched forty years for peace. Afghan women must not be made to languish again behind locked doors & pulled curtains," he said on Twitter. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Hyderabad, Aug 16 : Amateur as well as professional astronomical activities in the twin cities are set to receive a boost, with a large telescope facility becoming functional at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH). With this Telescope, IITH will be a part of the Indian astronomical community hosting a large telescope for an effective outreach with high-quality deliverance. The telescope, that comes with Crayford focuser, and 1650 mm focal length, also boasts of a 355 mm optical diameter mirror which is second largest among the IITs, after Kanpur. The telescope will enable observation of the deep skies and faint objects which are invisible to detect with a small telescope. Small craters on the lunar surface, rings of Saturn are some of the small features that can be resolved with the telescope. An advanced digital camera will be used to record images and transient astronomical phenomena like meteor showers. Although the telescope would primarily aim for the outreach and night sky observational training programs, it has the capabilities of delivering research level performance which will be explored subsequently. Due to its superior quality images, the data from the observatory may serve the national and international astronomical researchers by supplying supportive data. Such collaboration will provide a rare opportunity for the facility to become a part of the international observatory community so that IITH will be a part of major astronomical discoveries and become a recognized centre for astronomy in India. The project is funded by Prof B.S. Murty, the Director, IIT Hyderabad, and managed by Dr Mayukh Pahari, Department of Physics. The facility was inaugurated on Sunday, by Padmashri and Padmabhushan, Dr B.N. Suresh, Chancellor and the Founding Director of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram. Prof Murty said, "The enthusiasm and the curiosity of young students about objects in the sky are limitless. With this large telescope, we will provide them an opportunity to study celestial objects in greater detail than other small telescopes conventionally used for outreach programs. Activities like stargazing training programs, observing astronomical transients, working with celestial images will enhance their knowledge and add to their sense of human connection with space. We would also ensure that students from schools and various colleges in and around Hyderabad also get the advantage of this large telescope through various programs organized by the Astronomy Club of IITH." Kabul, Aug 16 : Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban leader freed from a Pakistani jail on the request of the US less than three years ago, has emerged as an undisputed victor of the 20-year war in Afghanistan, the Guardian reported. While Haibatullah Akhundzada is the Taliban's overall leader, Baradar is its political chief and its most public face. In a televised statement on the fall of Kabul on Sunday, he said the Taliban's real test was only just beginning and that they had to serve the nation. The story of his adult life is the story of the country's unceasing, pitiless conflict. Born in Uruzgan province in 1968, he fought in the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviets in the 1980s. After the Russians were driven out in 1992 and the country fell into civil war between rival warlords, Baradar set up a madrassa in Kandahar with his former commander and reputed brother-in-law, Mohammad Omar. Together, the two founded the Taliban, a movement spearheaded by young Islamic scholars dedicated to the religious purification of the country and the creation of an emirate. Fuelled by religious fervour, widespread hatred of the warlords and substantial support from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, the Taliban swept to power in 1996 after a series of stunning conquests of provincial capitals that took the world by surprise, just as the movement has done in recent weeks. Baradar, Mullah Omar's deputy who was widely believed to be a highly effective strategist, was a key architect of those victories, the report said. Baradar played a succession of military and administrative roles in the five-year Taliban regime, and by the time it was ousted by the US and its Afghan allies, he was deputy minister of defence. During the Taliban's 20-year exile, Baradar had the reputation of being a potent military leader and a subtle political operator. Western diplomats came to view him as on the wing of the Quetta Shura, the Taliban's regrouped leadership in exile, that was most resistant to ISI control, and most amenable to political contacts with Kabul. The administration of former US President Barack Obama, however, was more fearful of his military expertise than it was hopeful about his supposedly moderate leanings. The CIA tracked him down to Karachi in 2010 and in February of that year persuaded the ISI to arrest him. "The capture of Baradar was predominantly instigated because of his role in the war rather than because of the likelihood that he was going to suddenly make peace," a former official said. "The fact is, the Pakistanis held on to him all those years in large part because the US asked them to." The Guardian report said that in 2018 however, Washington's attitude changed and former President Donald Trump's Afghan envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad asked the Pakistanis to release Baradar so he could lead negotiations in Qatar, based on the belief that he would settle for a power-sharing arrangement. "I had never seen any real substantiation of that point, but it just took on a kind of mythic idea," the former official said. Baradar signed the Doha agreement with the US in February 2020, in what the Trump administration hailed as a breakthrough towards peace but which now appears a mere staging post towards total Taliban victory. The US and Taliban agreement not to fight each other was supposed to be followed by power-sharing talks between the Taliban and the Kabul government of Ashraf Ghani. Those talks stumbled along with little progress, and it is clear now that Baradar and the Taliban were playing for time, waiting for the Americans to leave and preparing a final offensive, the report said. Panaji, Aug 16 : The Mumbai-Navi Mumbai urban model should be adopted in Goa's Panaji and its rapidly expanding suburb of Porvorim, which has become the de facto seat of power in the state, Goa's Panchayati Raj Minister Mauvin Godinho said on Monday. "I have always thought that Porvorim is an extension of Panaji. The Assembly is here. The High Court is close by. Which government offices aren't here. Three (more) government offices will be shifted here. When I was in government under another chief minister, I suggested to him that like Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, this could be a new Panaji," Godinho said at a state Housing Board function organised in Porvorim, Godinho, in presence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. "It is part and parcel of our state. In reality, it has the seat of power, Assembly, High Court... All government offices are shifting here. The manner in which Porvorim is expanding, it would be in the fitness of things," Godinho also said. Porvorim, which lies across the Mandovi river from Panaji is one of the state's biggest urban clusters and already outnumbers the state capital in terms of population. The argument of Porvorim, which is still governed by multiple village panchayats, as an extension of the city, comes at a time when the state has witnessed large scale in-migration, resulting in rampant urbanisation especially in and around the state's tourism friendly coastal belt and already existing townships like Margao, Vasco, Mapusa, Ponda, etc. Chennai, Aug 16 : Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Arappor lyakkam on Monday demanded the suspension of Greater Chennai Corporation's Chief Engineer L. Nandakumar, to prevent destruction of evidence in the corruption case registered against him and former Minister S.P. Velumani. In a letter to Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi, the Convener of the Arappor Iyakkam, Jayaram Venkatesan said officials of Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) had raided the residence of Nandakumar. Venkatesan said a first information report (FIR) No 16 of 2021 dated 09/08/2021 has been filed on unknown officials and Contractors of Chennai/Coimbatore Corporation apart from the former Minister of Local Administration Velumani on a complaint filed by Arappor Iyakkam. "Subsequently, former Minister, current and former officials of Chennai & Coimbatore Corporation, few contractors of Corporation were searched on 10/08/2021 by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption," Venkatesan said. According to Venkatesan, Nandakumar was the Superintending Engineer of Bus Route Roads in 2015 and was the main tender authority for the mentioned tenders in the FIR on page 10, 11 and 12 in which the said illegalities have taken place. "Similarly, there are many storm water drain tenders as well during the period of 2014 to 2018 which is the part of the investigation for which he is still the Chief Engineer," Venkatesan said. "His continuance in the Corporation even after the registration of FIR and house search may result in destruction of evidence and may cause irreparable damage to investigation," he added. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to bring on record a detailed affidavit addressing the contentions of petitioners, whether the government bought Pegasus or used it, or if it wasn't used at all. The Centre had informed the top court that to dispel any wrong narrative spread, it will constitute "a committee of experts in the field which will go into all aspects of the issue". A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana asked the Centre to furnish a detailed affidavit with the information whether Pegasus was used or not. Justice Ramana told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, "The petitioners want to know whether the government had bought or used Pegasus. If not, then what steps the government took to inquire into the alleged illegal interceptions using Pegasus", said the Chief Justice, and added, if Mehta wants to file a detailed affidavit, he can take time. Mehta submitted that the government has nothing to hide and the expert committee may go into whether Pegasus was used or not and also all other aspects. He added that there are unsubstantiated media reports. "We are dealing with a sensitive matter, but an attempt is being made to make it sensational. This matter will have national security implications," said Mehta The Chief Justice said, "We are not saying anything against the government. That is not the issue." Reacting on the scope of committee to examine the Pegasus issue, the Chief Justice added there are areas which the committee can go into while some they can't and further queried Mehta, 'how will the committee examine the aspect of procurement of Pegasus?' Mehta replied, the top court may lay down the terms of reference of the committee. "We have nothing to hide", said Mehta. He further added that if lordship approves, a committee can be constituted of neutral experts and not government officers. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing journalist N. Ram, argued that the government should say whether it used Pegasus or not. "That will not reveal any national security issue," said Sibal. The Chief Justice replied that 'if the government is reluctant and they don't want to file an affidavit, how do we compel them?' Sibal contended, "Let them say that, then we can argue the other issues. "In that case the matter gets even more serious because they are not denying it", he added. The Chief Justice told Mehta to tell the court by Tuesday, whether the government wants to file another detailed affidavit in the matter and scheduled the matter for further hearing on Tuesday. The Centre on Monday, in a two-page affidavit, submitted in the top court that with a view to dispel any wrong narrative spread by certain vested interests and with an object of examining the issues raised, it will constitute "a committee of experts in the field which will go into all aspects of the issue". The top court is hearing a batch of petitions seeking various directions, which includes an SIT probe, a judicial inquiry and directions to the government to reveal details about whether it had used the Pegasus software to spy on citizens. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Lucknow, Aug 16 : In a major departure from its tradition, the Bahujan Samaj Party has now appointed three spokespersons for the first time. The spokespersons, according to a party release, will interact with the media and keep the media informed of the party's policies and programmes. The new spokespersons are Dr M.H. Khan, Dharamvir Choudhary, and Faizan Khan. Till now, party's national President Mayawati and General Secretary, Rajya Sabha member Satish Chandra Mishra used to issue a statement which was taken as the party's official stand on any issue. Kochi, Aug 16 : The vaccination drive by the Kochi corporation suffered a setback after a shortage of needles took place on Monday. On one hand, the state is leading in the daily number of Covid positive cases and also the highest daily number of active cases, Covid vaccination drive was affected at the Kochi Corporation when the shortage of needles happened leading to cancellation of the vaccination camps. As the vaccination stopped, the Congress protested accusing the state of inefficiency. The state is on a massive vaccination spree as it has been proved the only way to contain the raging Covid in the state is through quick vaccination, and it is at this point of time that this has happened. The Congress was quick in criticising this and took out a protest here. A voice clip of the Kochi Mayor to councillors has gone viral, which says that 'since there is a shortage of needles not just at Kochi, but across the state, the planned mass vaccination camp slated for Monday might not take place'. The Congress workers took to the streets here protesting against what they call was the total inefficiency of the state and local authorities and wanted an answer for the callous attitude of those concerned. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Bhubaneswar, Aug 16 : In a shocking incident, a man from Odisha's Kalahandi district along with his two lovers were arrested for killing their own newborn babies to hide their illicit triangular affairs, police said on Monday. According to police, Tripal Naik, a resident of Golamunda block in the Kalahandi district, along with his two lovers (one widow and another unmarried woman) have killed their newborn babies during their stay in Goa and buried the dead bodies in their backyard. The incident has came to light when the police arrested the accused Tripal when he kidnapped the unmarried women recently. During interrogation, he revealed the crime, said Dharamgarh sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Dhiraj Kumar Chopdar. "As it were their unwanted children, the accused had buried the body behind his house at Saper area in Goa. When the accused Tripal tried to kidnap the unmarried women, police arrested him. And, during investigation, we came to know that they have killed two newborns in Goa," Chopdar said. Recently, a team of Kalahandi police visited Goa and unearthed bodies. All three persons were arrested on murder charge, he said. Police sources said the two women went to Goa last year prior to the lockdown in search of work and they met the accused Tripal there. When the entire country was under lockdown, all of them stayed together in one house in Goa. During that period, Tripal had developed physical relationship with both women and later impregnated both of them in a gap of one month. Since the babies were born due to extra-marital affairs, they allegedly murdered the newborns and buried the body behind their house and returned to Odisha, the source said. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Afghan nationals who reached the Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi's Chanakyapuri area here on Monday said they felt "homeless" and "stateless" and were worried about the situation back home, following the Taliban taking over power. The Embassy was guarded by Delhi Police and paramilitary forces since morning on Monday. Sadaf Habib, an Afghan national, said, she and her family are "living in India as asylum seekers." Her mother was tortured by the Taliban, she lost five teeth and got a fractured nose, adding, "this is a testimony to Taliban violence. It really hurts me to see my country in this situation." The youngster said, she graduated from Afghanistan with 95 per cent marks and had to leave everything when she and her mother sought asylum five years ago in Delhi. "I feel the pain of those girls who are living there. I have been through it. My country is in a bad situation, worst for women. They are all scared, they are all horrified. There is no hope for women in Afghanistan anymore." "20 years of war, and now what? Nothing? Twenty years of nothing. The dark chapter has started again," she said, adding, "We are stateless people. We don't have a place to go back." A refugee in India since last four years, Ahmad Zaki came to the Afghan Embassy in Delhi to get a passport for his child born here two years ago. "They said, I will not get any passport right now. May be one week later", he told IANS. Terming the situation in Afghanistan as "too bad", Zaki said, "I have been a refugee for four years. The United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) has not helped. I don't have any work. Many Afghan people face a situation like that of mine." Zaki, however, said, he wanted to go back to Afghanistan. Adeeba, an Afghan resident, called the situation "worst" and said, "They (Taliban) didn't show their real face, they are clever. They want to be accepted by (some) governments after that their government in Afghanistan will show their real face." Adeeba and her mother had come to India in 2019. A lawyer and a civil activist, Adeeba had received threats from Taliban and they came to find a safe place in Delhi. Adeeba said as per the calls that she received from her relatives and friends from Afghanistan since Sunday, "the situation is normal but the feeling is what was 20 years ago. They feel like prisoners, their homes have become jail for them." She also expressed hopelessness as she called herself "homeless", "without land" and "without flag". "Soon the name of our country will change," she said. Abdul Fateh left Afghanistan four years ago. He said, the situation is not good to "continue our life. People like to have a good life, but now Taliban will decide everything -- how to walk on road, whether you will go to school or not. Afghan people have never accepted Taliban, never. Taliban insults our army, our people. They occupied Afghanistan." Both Adeeba and Fateh blamed Pakistan for the current mess in Afghanistan. To a question, why Pakistan?, Adeeba said, "(Pakistan) It is always our enemy, cannot be a friend. They want our land." Fateh said, "We have our border with Pakistan, Iran. They never want to have peace in our country. Pakistan, Iran all the time (want to) enter our country." Washington, Aug 16 : US President Joe Bidens statement on Saturday washing his hands of Afghanistan deserves to go down as one of the most shameful in history by a commander in chief at such a moment of American retreat, the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal said. As the Taliban closed in on Kabul, Biden sent a confirmation of US abandonment that absolved himself of responsibility, deflected blame to his predecessor, and more or less invited the Taliban to take over the country, the editorial board of WSJ said. With that statement of capitulation, the Afghan military's last resistance collapsed. Taliban fighters captured Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country while the US frantically tried to evacuate Americans from the war-torn nation. The jihadists the US toppled 20 years ago for sheltering Osama bin Laden will now fly their flag over the US Embassy building on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the report said. "Our goal all along has been to offer constructive advice to avoid this outcome. We criticised Donald Trump's deal with the Taliban and warned about the risks of his urge to withdraw in a rush, and we did the same for Biden. The President's advisers offered an alternative, as did the Afghanistan Study Group. Biden, as always too assured of his own foreign-policy acumen, refused to listen," WSj 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," Biden had said. But the Afghans were willing to fight and take casualties with the support of the US and its NATO allies, especially air power. A few thousand troops and contractors could have done the job and prevented this rout, WSJ said. "When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessor, in 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 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 choice - follow 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," Biden had said. Chennai, Aug 16 : To promote eco-tourism in the state the Tamil Nadu Wilderness Experiences Corporation, which is functioning under the forest and tourism departments, has joined hands with the DMK government. The tourism sector in Tamil Nadu was facing immense pressure with many tour operators and those whose livelihood was dependent on the sector, shutting shop and scouting for new avenues following the lockdown after two successive waves of the Covid-19 pandemic. Immediately after the DMK government allowed opening of markets and lifted Covid restrictions, the tourism and forest departments chalked out plans for promotion of eco-tourism on a large scale. According to officials, the forest department has already identified five eco-tourism projects in the state and would be collaborating with the tourism department to streamline and execute these projects. The idea, according to a forest department official, is to generate revenue for both the forest and tourism departments as the potential for trekking and eco-tourism is high in the country. Tamil Nadu has already opened up trekking albeit at a minimum level since the past 10 years. While trekking and other eco-tourism and adventure tourism activities have commenced in the state, these were mainly confined to hill stations and the tourism department had not properly promoted them. The state is trying to provide package eco-tourism programmes which include trekking, jungle safaris, guided tours, and adventure tours with the support of the forest and tourism departments. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who is himself a fitness enthusiast, has given the go-ahead to promote eco-tourism, including trekking and adventure tourism. A senior forest official, who is part of the DMK government's policymaking document, speaking to IANS said, "We have already convinced senior tourism department officials as well as our department heads that if infrastructure is proper, we will receive a lot of domestic and foreign tourists and this would be the beginning of a large number of foreign tourists coming to Tamil Nadu." Arjun Anand, a professional in jungle tourism, told IANS "The coming together of forest and tourism departments is giving a safety factor to the tourists, especially if we are pitching in international markets. However, for the entry of foreign tourists in large numbers, we need proper campaigning among big tour operators and guides. As the government is promoting the package, there will be a sense of relief for foreign tourists as their security is being taken care of if the government is part of the package." New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Delhi government had set up a 13-member committee in May this year to prepare an action plan for a third possible Covid wave after assessing the health infrastructure in the national capital. After that, one more eight-member expert committee was set up to devise a strategy for mitigation and management of the third wave. The health experts have warned the government that the children could be more prone to infections in the third Covid wave as they have not been inoculated. After that, a special task force to give suggestions on protecting children during the third wave was constituted which is part of the Delhi government's action plan to deal with the impending situation. Apart from this, a separate committee has been constituted to assess the oxygen supply infrastructure in Delhi government hospitals. Covid ICU wards are being prepared under the supervision of the Special Task Force for Children at Chacha Nehru Children's Hospital, LNJP Hospital, GTB and at several other state-run hospitals. Two genome sequencing labs are planned to identify the virus variants at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital and the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in Delhi. Head of Chacha Nehru Child Hospital Mamta Jaju told IANS that a new oxygen pipeline is being laid for 24-hour uninterrupted supply in the hospital. She said that at present there is a provision of 220 beds in the hospital. In view of the third Covid wave, the number of beds will be increased to more than 250. At the same time, there are 30 ICU beds for children in the hospital, which will be increased to 100. "The task is midway to increase the present number of 150 oxygen points to 230 in coming days", she added. She said that new tanks are also being installed to ensure there is no crisis in oxygen supply ahead of the third Covid wave. Paediatrician Mamta Jaju said, "We are preparing to buy new ventilators for children ICU wards and also hi-tech machines to be used for oxygen supply". Twenty hour oxygen supply is being arranged for the ICU beds in the hospitals. Along with this, preparations are afoot to increase the capacity of liquid oxygen to 10,000 litres. A plan is also being made by the hospital administration to issue a helpline number, she said. (Avinash Prabhakar can be reached at avinash.p@ians.in) Kolkata, Aug 16 : Few hours after former MP and Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev resigned from Congress, she flew to Kolkata and joined Trinamool Congress after a one-hour meeting with Trinamool Congress All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Later she went to the state secretariat at Nabanna to meet chief minister Mamata Banerjee. In the morning, after sending her resignation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the former Congress MP from Silchar in Assam, came to Kolkata and met Abhishek Banerjee at his South Kolkata office at 12.30 p.m. She was accompanied by Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien. Dev and Banerjee had a meeting for over one hour and after that she joined Trinamool Congress. "I visited Kolkata this morning accompanied by Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien. I had the opportunity to meet All India Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhsishek Banerjee. We had a very, very good discussion. He has a very good vision about the party. Then, we three went to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and had an excellent discussion. She has an excellent vision for the future of the party. I hope to be helpful in that regard," Dev said after her meeting with Mamata Banerjee. She also said that she would be addressing a press conference in Delhi on Tuesday. Though Dev didn't say anything about her role in the party, but sources said that Trinamool Congress is spreading its organisation outside West Bengal particularly in Assam and Tripura. The resignation of Dev came was known in the morning when she changed her Twitter bio to "Former Member" of the Congress party. Later Congress leader and the party's women's wing chief sent her resignation letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, sources in Congress said. Former Union Minister, the late Santosh Mohan Dev's daughter's resignation came two days after she met Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi along with the newly appointed Assam Congress team in the national capital. Senior party leaders are of the opinion that when Trinamool Congress is trying to spread its organisation in other parts of the country particularly in the northeastern states of Assam and Tripura, Dev's joining Trinamool Congress will help in strengthening the party base in these areas. "She has been an MP from Silchar in Assam and a good leader with a political background. This will help Trinamool Congress a lot. She might become the face of Trinamool Congress in Assam and Tripura," a senior party leader said. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Russian Embassy in Kabul has said that Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani had fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash and had to leave some money behind as it would not fit in, the RIA news agency reports. Nikita Ishchenko, a spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Kabul, was quoted as saying by RIA: "Four cars were full of money, they tried to stuff another part of the money into a helicopter, but not all of it fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac." Ischenko confirmed his comments to a global news wire, citing "witnesses" as the source of his information, Al Jazeera reported. Afghanistan Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi said in a tweet, in an apparent reference to Ghani and his associates, that they "tied our hands behind our backs and sold the homeland, damn the rich man and his gang." Senior Afghan leader and Head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, had said in a video clip that Ghani has left Afghanistan. He said that Ghani left the people of Afghanistan in mess and misery and he will be judged by the nation. VOA reported that Ghani, along with his vice-president and other senior officials, flew out of the country on Sunday, setting the stage for Taliban insurgents to regain power in Afghanistan, 20 years after a US-led military invasion ousted them. There was no comment from Ghani or his embattled administration in Kabul. In a recorded message on Saturday, Ghani had told the nation that he was consulting with both national and international players on the situation which he called an "imposed war". Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who is said to have accompanied Ghani and the others who left, in a tweet vowed not to bow to the Taliban, but he did not respond in the message to reports of him leaving the country. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Guntur : , Aug 16 (IANS) Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief, N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday alleged that Guntur police behaved high-handedly against its party leaders for meeting the family members of 20-year-old engineering student, N. Ramya, who was murdered in Guntur district on Sunday. "The ruling YSRCP government should take immediate action against the police officials who were responsible for the attack on TDP leaders. What was the police doing and the Disha App failed when the brutal murder of a Dalit girl took place in the vicinity of the Guntur police station?" Naidu asked. The former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister alleged that police attacked TDP leaders Nakka Anand Babu, Alapati Rajendra Prasad and Dhulipala Narendra, calling it a violation of human rights. "It was a blatant attack on the democratic values of the country," Naidu said. It was painful to see a poor girl getting murdered when everybody else was celebrating Independence Day, he added. The TDP supremo demanded that Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy pay a compensation of Rs one crore to Ramya's family. Naidu challenged the YSRCP government to nab the accused Venkata Reddy, who according to him was allegedly involved in the gang rape of the girl near the Chief Minister's house. "It was not so great to use power and might of the government to target TDP leaders such as Nara Lokesh, Nakka Anand Babu, Alapati Rajendra Prasad and Dhulipalla Narendra. What was Disha App doing when the girl's murder took place in close proximity of the Guntur police station?" the TDP Chief said. He claimed that the alleged absence of CCTV cameras in the heart of Guntur town exposed the lack of Jagan Mohan Reddy's concern for the safety of women, adding that the Andhra Pradesh government and the police must be answerable. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Union minister of state for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi on Monday said that India wish for global peace. She was responding to media queries about ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. Addressing a press conference at party's Delhi unit office after start of her 'Jan Ashirvad Yatra', Lekhi said, "India wish for global peace and want every country should peacefully move ahead. That is our wish." While the BJP leaders refused to comment on the Afghanistan crisis, a senior functionary said that whatever is the stand of the government will be the stand of the party. Another party leader said that government of India must take all necessary steps to safeguard country's interests. Meanwhile as per reports, at least five people have been killed at the Kabul airport on Monday and three stowaways were reported to have fallen to their deaths from an airborne plane as thousands of Afghans are desperately trying to get on flights out of the country amid increasingly chaotic scenes. All commercial flights from the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Kabul have been cancelled in the wake of Taliban takeover triggering widespread chaos, said a statement of Afghanistan's civil aviation authority released on Monday. The Afghanistan civil aviation authority in the statement expressed hope for early restoration of normalcy, noting that the massive rushing of passengers to the airport in the chaotic situation could lead to looting and other disorderly situation. Taliban meanwhile in a statement told Kabul residents that their lives and properties are safe and they can carry on their works. The Taliban swept into the capital on Sunday after the Western-backed government collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing a stunning end to a two-decade campaign in which the US and its allies had tried to transform the country. Amaravati, Aug 16 : Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) commissioner K. Kannababu on Monday said a low pressure is likely to form over northwest Bay of Bengal and the coastline of north Andhra and Odisha in the next 24 hours. "Due to its influence, extensive rainfall is expected in coastal AP on Tuesday. A few places are also expected to receive heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday," said Kannababu. He said heavy winds will blow at 50 to 60 km per hour by the coast, even as the sea will be rough. "Until Tuesday, fishermen should avoid going into the sea for fishing," the commissioner noted. According to the satellite image, heavy cloud cover has been forecast for north Andhra. Earlier, the Met department said a low pressure area is likely to form over northwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal due to a cyclonic circulation. "A cyclonic circulation lies over west central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off south Odisha - north Andhra Pradesh in the middle and upper tropospheric levels, tilting southwestwards with height," said a Met official. The circulation is up to 7.6 km above mean sea level. Under the influence of this system, the Met department forecast that the low pressure area could form. According to the weatherman, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely over coastal AP, including the likelihood of heavy rainfall in parts of the same geography in the next two days. "Thunderstorm and lightning with heavy to very heavy rainfall are very likely to occur at one or two places over north coastal AP and Yanam. Thunderstorms and lightning with heavy rainfall are likely to occur at one or two places over south coastal AP and Rayalaseema," she said. The official said strong wind speeds up to 40 to 50 km per hour and gusting up to 60 kmph are likely over south and west central Bay of Bengal off Andhra Pradesh - Odisha coast during August 16-18. The Met official also advised fishermen not to venture into the sea until after Wednesday. Many places have witnessed continuous drizzle for more than three hours on Sunday evening in West Godavari district, especially Bhimavaram town and vicinity. Though it drizzled slightly on Monday morning, there is no rain in these places but continues to be cloudy and pleasant. Panaji, Aug 16 : The opposition Goa Congress on Monday urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to set up a RT-PCR test centre at the state's only airport -- the Dabolim international airport. The Congress alleged that international airlines were forced to discontinue flights from the airport in the absence of such a facility. "We don't want Goans to lose their jobs or their money and so we appeal to the Director of Goa International Airport and the Airports Authority of India, to immediately complete the process of enabling the RT-PCR test facility to be made available preferably to multiple vendors. This has been done so that the current Goa government does not have exclusive monopoly to control the prices and make the passengers hostage to their whims and fancies," Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar told the media on Monday, adding that such a move would provide relief to thousands of Goans and people travelling overseas. "Due to this situation passengers are being forced to cancel their pre-booked tickets and book fresh ones via Mumbai where the RT-PCR facility is available at the airport. This causes financial loss because the refund is not being done by the airlines which is giving credit and even if a refund is made, a huge amount is lost in the process. Also the purchase of flight tickets -- for both domestic and international flights, at the last minute will cost the citizens heavily as the prices are sky-rocketing," Chodankar said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Aug 16: The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), freed from prison in large numbers after the Taliban stormed into Kabul on Sunday, is giving Islamabad a big headache. The dangerous terror group is committed to a Greater Afghanistan, which includes Pushtun dominated areas, in Pakistans north-west across the Durand line. The group has been in the cross-hairs of the Pakistani military which has launched a massive operation against it, further embittering the relations between the two. We profile some of the TTP's key players and the role can they can be expected to play? Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud The TTP leader has his religious grounding in Pakistan as he studied there in a number of religious seminaries. In Pakistan, he is considered to be a scholar who has authored a book that provides details of how former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed by his organisation. Mehsud the ideologue, took over the reins of the TTP after its former chief Mullah Fazlullah was killed by the Americans in a 2018 drone strike. Mehsud has maintained close ties with Al-Qaeda and has focused on attacking Pakistani military targets. Recent reports say that under Mehsud, TTP is also making China one of its targets due to its infrastructure investments through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This leads to a tantalising question. Are the Baloch insurgents and the TTP also working to "liberate" Balochistan and derail the CPEC? Maulana Faqir Mohammad A former TTP deputy leader and a senior commander, he was released by the Taliban, after it swept to power, from an Afghan prison. He had been arrested in 2013 in Afghanistan along with other fighters and was transferred to the US-managed Bagram prison. He is known to be close to Al-Qaeda and other Arab militants. Ehsanullah Ehsan Also known as Liaqat Ali, Ehsanullah Ehsan made headlines when he escaped from the custody of the Pakistani military in 2020. He got away when he pretended to help the Pakistani army locate terrorists during a counter-terror operation. The Pakistan government has said that it is trying to apprehend him but he seems to be no longer in Pakistan. As spokesperson Ehsan was the TTP face, known for holding press briefings near the Pak-Afghan border. As the spokesperson, he was the one who had announced the attack on activist Malala Yousafzai for her advocacy of education for girls. Active on Twitter, he once again threatened Yousafzai in response to her query to the Pakistani government and military if his escape had been facilitated. Muhammad Khurassani Also known as Khalid Balti, he hails from Gilgit Baltistan and is the current spokesperson for the group. He got his education from Karachi's madrassas and later taught as a madrassa teacher. He is known to have wide contacts in madrassas in Pakistan and carries considerable influence there. It was due to his media experience that he was made the TTP's chief communicator. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Delhi Government on Monday again sent the file seeking to form a committee to probe oxygen shortage deaths in Delhi during the second Covid wave to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said at a press conference here. Sisodia said that he has also written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the committee formation to probe such deaths during the second Covid wave and has urged him to direct Baijal to expedite the formalities to clear the file. "It is essential to know the oxygen related deaths in the city. We are hopeful that LG will return the file soon after giving nod", said Sisodia. He added, "I have written in the file that it is not good for any nation to have deaths due to oxygen crisis in the 21st century. We need to know this so that we can improve our system." "I have written to the Union Home Minister to inform him about the steps taken by the Delhi Government. I have informed him about the 5 lakh compensation announced by Delhi Government", said Sisodia. The Centre and the court want to know about the number of deaths due to the oxygen shortage in Delhi. We also want to know how many people died of oxygen shortage in Delhi. But it is not possible to ascertain the exact number of such deaths during the second Covid wave without forming a high level committee, added Sisodia. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Amidst the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel deployed for the security of the Indian embassy in Kabul, will continue to stay there to guard the remaining staff. The Indian embassy in Kabul has been functioning with reduced staff strength. "The ITBP personnel deployed for the security of the Indian embassy in Kabul to stay there as some of the embassy officials are still there and they will return along with them", the officials said. The situation has aggravated in the war-torn country in the wake of its President Ashraf Ghani and his colleagues leaving Afghanistan on Sunday and reportedly taking temporary asylum in a nearby country. The ITBP officials said that an adequate number of the force's troopers, trained in proximate security, have been there in Kabul to provide security to the embassy personnel. However, they refrained from mentioning the exact number of the ITBP troopers in Kabul, citing security reasons. The Taliban have taken over control of almost all parts of the country in less than three weeks before the US troops complete their final withdrawal. The Indian government has already evacuated the majority of its officials from there, anticipating the Taliban advance into Kabul and also advised all Indian citizens to leave the country at the earliest. The families of the diplomats and embassy personnel have been evacuated since last week and the Indian consulates were closed a fortnight ago. "The government is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan and will decide on the evacuation of diplomatic personnel from Kabul. Specific plans for all contingencies are already in place and all steps will be taken to ensure that the staff of the Indian embassy in Kabul and Indian nationals are not at any risk", a source in the Government said. The highly trained ITBP personnel were deployed in 2008 after a terror attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul. Around 300 personnel were stationed at the embassy and its four consulates in Jalalabad, Mazar-e- Sharif, Kandahar and Herat in a phased manner. In 2018, the Himalayan border guarding force sent 35 specialized commandos to strengthen the existing manpower of the force at the Indian Embassy and its four consulates after analyzing the threat perception and intelligence inputs. These men are given special training in VIP protection, combat tactics and weapons firing before they are sent for this special task in Afghanistan. Guntur : , Aug 16 (IANS) The youth who stabbed to death a 20-year-old woman engineering student on a road in broad daylight in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur on Sunday, has been arrested, police announced on Monday. Presenting the accused, Sasikrishna, before the media on Monday, police officials said that he and BTech student Ramya, 20, had become friends through social media, about six months back. However, she began distancing herself from him after he began to insist on a romantic relationship with her. The DIG said that Sasikrishna had threatened to kill Ramya several times over the past two months, and finally stabbed her to death on Monday. He said there were six stab wounds on the victim's body, and she had breathed her last while being taken to the government hospital. Police officials said that the accused was apprehended within a few hours of the crime. While the gruesome incident took place around 10 a.m. on Sunday, he was nabbed around 8 p.m. from an agricultural field where he was hiding. On being cornered, he had slashed himself on the neck and arms and threatened to kill himself, but was overpowered by the police. He was treated at the government hospital. Ramya, a third year engineering student, was attacked by Sasikrishna after she refused his offer for a lift. Some passers-by shifted the profusely bleeding girl to the Government General Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. An initial probe by the police revealed that the youth spoke to the victim for few minutes before attacking her. He also threatened people watching him not to come closer to him and escaped. Kathmandu, Aug 16 : Nepal and India on Monday reviewed the progress made in various India-funded projects in the Himalayan nation. The review exercise was carried out during the ninth meeting of Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism under the co-chairmanship of Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Bharat Raj Paudyal, and Ambassador of India to Nepal, Vinay Mohan Kwatra. The meeting reviewed the progress of the projects being implemented under bilateral economic and development cooperation, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. During the meeting, discussions were held on the status of implementation of all the ongoing projects, including Terai roads, cross-border railways, Arun-III hydropower project, petroleum products pipelines, Pancheshwar multipurpose project, post-earthquake reconstruction, irrigation, power, and transmission lines, construction of Nepal Police Academy, integrated check-posts, Ramayana circuit, HICDPs, motorable bridges over Mahakali river, agriculture and cultural heritage, among others. It was the first meeting after the formation of the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government one month ago. The Nepal Foreign Ministry said that both sides underlined the need for the expeditious implementation of bilateral projects. To this end, they agreed to take necessary measures to address the problems and remove the obstacles in the course of implementation of projects, the statement added. The mechanism was set up in September 2016 to oversee the implementation of bilateral projects and take necessary steps for their completion in time. Meanwhile, the recent death of a Nepali youth while crossing the Mahakali river bordering Nepal-India is impending the bilateral ties. The cause of death of the Nepali youth is yet to be revealed. The Nepali side has accused the India SSB for the death of the Nepali youth from Darchula district. However, the Indian SSB has denied its hand in the incident. New Delhi, Aug 16 : As the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating fast after the takeover by the Taliban, several Sikh families are stuck there and are looking for safe passage out of the war ravaged country. One of them is Sanmeet Singh, an Afghan Sikh, whose family members are in Afghanistan and they have no idea how to return to India. Sanmeet Singh has requested the Indian government to evacuate his family members stuck in Afghanistan as soon as possible. Sanmeet Singh, who came to the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi on Monday to rectify a mistake in his passport, claimed, "after the embassy got him to get his passport re-issued, the name was spelt wrongly. The embassy has not given any word on correcting the name in the passport." Sanmeet Singh, who lives in Tilak Nagar, Delhi, has appealed to the Government of India to evacuate his family members from Afghanistan soon. He told IANS, "I just want to make this appeal to the Government of India, that 80 to 90 Sikhs who are stuck there should be taken out and sent to Delhi as soon as possible." "They are presently put up at Kardeparwan Gurdwara in Kabul, Afghanistan is in a very difficult situation," he said. He added, "If I had left about a week ago for Kabul, I would have brought my family members back to India. Several of my relatives are stuck there." While talking to the media, Sanmeet broke down as he prayed for the safety of his family. The Afghanistan embassy in Delhi saw a stream of people on Monday morning, some came to tell their problems to the embassy authorities and some wanted information about their family members. Reports say thousands of people have stormed the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, in the hope of getting out of the war-torn country. There is no flight in or out of Kabul airport as of now. Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 16 : Visiting Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya who held a closed door meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his team of health experts here on Monday, has promised to supply around 1.10 crore vaccine doses to the state before the end of next month. Vijayan raised the issue of vaccine shortage being faced by the state and wished to get over a crore of doses in phases before the end of September and to this, Mandaviya promised that they will do the needful. According to sources in the know of things, Mandaviya expressed happiness in the way Kerala has been managing vaccines without any wastage. He also appreciated the way Kerala has been able to keep the death rate very low. In his tweet Mandaviya said that he had an intensive meeting with Vijayan and State Health Minister Veena George and other state officials. "Central Govt allocates Rs 267.35 crore to Kerala under Emergency COVID Response Package II. It will strengthen state's health infrastructure & effectively manage Covid-19. Additionally, Rs 1 crore will be made available to each district of Kerala for creating medicine pool". Union Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan pointed out that the need of the hour for Kerala is to maintain more caution as the festival season of Onam is round the corner. He also said that contact tracing in the state has to be effectively strengthened. Mandaviya arrived in the state around noon and after the meeting with Vijayan, paid a visit to the state run Medical College hospital, here and is scheduled to return to Delhi later in the night. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, on Monday called upon scientists to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to address the challenges faced by mankind, ranging from from climate change, agriculture to health and medicine. Addressing scientists and students at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bengaluru, the Vice President urged scientists to strive for achieving excellence and to innovate for improving the lives of the people. "The purpose of science is to make people's lives happy, healthy and comfortable," he said. He lauded the JNCASR for having generated over 300 patents and for promoting the establishment of a few startups based on indigenous inventions. Naidu advised the scientists and researchers to undertake research in the emerging fields like synthetic biology, computational biology, high-performance engineering materials and artificial intelligence. Terming agriculture as the 'basic culture of the country', the Vice President also urged the scientists to focus their attention on issues faced by the farming community. Observing that science is the backbone for the progress and technological advancement of any country, the Vice President said that the need of the hour is to inculcate scientific temper from a young age and to promote world-class scientific research that addresses societal problems. Lauding JNCASR for having made an excellent impact on the international arena by positioning itself among the top institutions in its areas of expertise, he said that it can contribute immensely towards fostering scientific temper in the country and in improving research outcomes. Referring to the National Education Policy 2020, Naidu said, "It will ensure that students have access to new teaching and learning strategies across all segments." The Vice President also told the students to leave no stone unturned to achieve their goals. "Please remember that there is no substitute to hard work. You must always strive to push the boundaries and never remain content or complacent with the status quo," he said. Mentioning that Bengaluru is blessed with a large number of water bodies, Naidu noted with concern that many of these water bodies are getting degraded because of people's neglect or illegal encroachments. He also called for making all out efforts for the regeneration and conservation of water bodies in Bengaluru and beyond. Expressing his happiness over the fact that 40 per cent of JNCASR students are girls, the Vice President said that he wished to see similar healthy trend in other scientific institutions as well. New Delhi, Aug 16 : It may seem amusing but your good old car seat cover is not actually a "part" of the seat but an "accessory", at least, in the eyes of the tax department. In an assessment, the Andhra Pradesh Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) has turned down the plea of an applicant to term the car seat cover as part of the seat and thereby, attracting lower 18 per cent GST. The AAR has said seat cover is actually a car accessory that, like the car itself, would attract higher 28 per cent GST. The AAR order, coming in the matter of Saddles International Automotive & Aviation Interiors Pvt Ltd, held that car seat covers fell under HSN 8708 of Notification no 01/2017-CT dated June 28, 2017 that attracts 28 per cent GST and not under HSN 9401 that defines part and where the GST was reduced through an amendment to 18 per cent. In its application, Saddles International had said that the seat covers help to assemble and complete the structure of seats and even though at first glance, seat covers, per se, might not seem to be essential to the completion of seats, but the functions it performs are indispensable for the seats. Also, the company said that accessory, per se, is something which is complimentary to the main product. But at the same time, it is something which can be used in various equipments or machines or commodities. However, the car seat covers in question can only be used with seats and nothing else. They are manufactured keeping in mind the requirement of the protection of car seats and are designed in a way so that they can be affixed only with seats. Hence, they cannot be termed as a mere accessory. As a corollary, if the seat covers in question do not qualify as accessory, the same has to be classified as a part, the company had said in its application. But the AAR said that seat covers cannot be a part of seats, by any means, in the instant case, and are meant for the protection of the seats and the functional value of seat covers is the comfort and convenience it extends to the driver and the passengers. Thus, the seat covers are not essential parts of the seats but accessories that enhance their functional value. Based on this assessment, the AAR put car seat cover as accessory, thereby attracting higher GST. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kabul, Aug 16 : The first day of what the Taliban calls the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan' saw Kabul, a bustling metropolis of six million, turn into a slow, male-dominated city without police or traffic controls and with shuttered businesses everywhere. A city that only 48 hours ago was jam-packed with cars and hundreds of people lining up outside banks, visa processing offices and travel agencies, has come to a near standstill, Al Jazeera reported. Remnants of the Western-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, built over 20 years of international support, linger. The dividers and K9 cages of police checkpoints are still standing, but unmanned. The giant explosives scanners still stand, but with no one to operate them. Streets leading to the airport road were jammed with no traffic police to direct people. The most glaring difference is the city's new inhabitants: Taliban fighters who have come from all over the nation's 34 provinces. They could be seen proudly waving their black-on-white flag and displaying their guns from the very four-wheel drives that used to be sent across the country to hunt them down, the report said. But there was one glaring difference between these men and their predecessors -- each held a smartphone and was busy taking selfies with murals of the nation's one-hundredth independence celebration behind them. "We are here to serve the people," said Ahmad, who had come from the eastern province of Maidan Wardak and gave only one name. Ahmad and his half-a-dozen friends were more than happy to pose for pictures and take selfies with eager passersby. One even specifically took out his gun and held it out in front of a young man's Galaxy phone. "Of course, you can take a picture. Take as many as you want," the group of Taliban fighters told Al Jazeera. Ahmad said he arrived with a convoy from Arghandai, about 40 minutes from the city, at about 3 am on Monday. He and his men were sent as part of the Taliban's efforts to control any possible looting and other crimes after the police and other security forces seemingly absconded. "It was madness. No one was on the street, no police, nothing," he said of the early morning hours in Kabul. He claimed that when they arrived at a police station, they found bags of heroin they accuse the police of dealing in. Though the claim could not be independently verified, residents of cities like Kabul have long accused the police of involvement in or complacency towards the nation's drug trade. There have not been any verified reports of Taliban searches or seizures in Kabul. However, residents speaking to Al Jazeera from Kandahar and Herat last week had said that they had seen Taliban fighters entering the homes of people suspected of being involved with the former Kabul administration or international forces. Ahmad said: "The only thing we will do is to ask anyone who has a weapon to turn them over to the government," something that may not sit well with many Afghans, especially those who had joined uprisings to fight the group's advance over the last several months. On Sunday, there were social media images of beauty salons painting over the images of women on their windows, something that would not have been allowed in the first place during the Taliban's rule between 1996 and 2001, but the group itself did not seem to make an effort to hide any images that may run counter to their conservative beliefs. Gyms still had pictures of muscular shirtless men, a hospital's poster of an Indian female doctor was untouched. Likewise, images of Abdul Razeq, the Kandahar police chief deeply hated by the Taliban, were not taken down, nor were banners and flags commemorating the upcoming Shia holy day of Ashoura. As the day wore on, more people started to come out on the city's streets, including women, and restaurants and shops started to open. Women could be seen coming out dressed normally. Bengaluru, Aug 16 : Former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday advised ruling BJP and opposition Congress not to insult the nation while criticizing the national leaders of both the parties. "I have noticed statements of BJP leader C.T. Ravi and Congress leader Priyank Kharge. Both former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee have contributed to the development of the country. There should not be any attempt to malign them by commenting on their personal lives," Kumaraswamy stated. "Nehru was in jail for the longest period during freedom struggle and as the first prime minister, he had to deal with partition of Pakistan and refugees. After facing all this, Nehru contributed to the growth of agriculture and science in the country, no one should forget this," he stressed. "I appeal to both not to insult national leaders as it amounts to insulting the nation," he noted. He further stated that he would meet Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to discuss irrigation projects including implementation of the Mekedatu project. "The announcement in this regard remained just as lip service. The project cost has shot up from Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 25,000 crore," he maintained. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Afghanistan citizens living as refugees in Delhi blamed their president Ashraf Ghani for the present situation in their country. They said though the situation there was not favourable to live in but the seven-year rule of Ghani has made it worse for the people. Afghan citizens who spoke to IANS said that Ghani has 'in fact sold Afghanistan to the Taliban' and fled the country leaving the citizens to their own fate. They said that the Afghan soldiers wanted to fight the Taliban, but Ghani always discouraged them. The Taliban have captured the whole of Afghanistan after targeting one province after another and the government allowed them (Talibanis), asking the soldiers to maintain calm and peace instead of fighting against them, they said. "Our soldiers are not weak, and they had enough guns and other equipment and each soldier wanted to die fighting for the country, but this government did not allow them to fight. Now, it is proved that Ghani sold the country to the Pakistan supported Taliban and fled," said Basit Fallah, a citizen of Afghanistan who has been living in India for the last two years. He said since Ghani became the president, he gave a free hand to the Taliban to enter the Afghan provinces. "It has come all of a sudden, but it was a planned conspiracy. When the Talibanis used to attack the Afghans our president would say maintain peace. He would say we need to have friendly relations with them. Why? Because our president plotted to sell the country and he did it finally," Fallah added. Nadeem, another Afghan citizen, said leaders of half a dozen provinces, including Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat were always against the views of President Ghani, and they wanted to fight the Taliban but the top leadership did not support them. The Taliban entered Afghanistan's capital city Kabul on Sunday, completing the takeover which began at a stunning pace in the wake of the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. "India had given MI-35 helicopters to the Afghanistan government, but the Ghani government handed them to the Taliban within two weeks. Ashraf Ghani did not flee from Afghanistan because he was worried about the Taliban. He ran away because he knew that the people of Afghanistan would punish him for what he has done," Nadeem added. Mumbai, Aug 16 : Terming the recent Constitutional Amendment, restoring power to states to have their own OBC lists for reservations in government jobs and education "a fraud", Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar on Monday demanded a caste-based Census, providing states empirical data and hiking the cap on reservations above 50 per cent. He said that unless the 50 per cent quota limit imposed by the Supreme Court in its 1992 landmark verdict is relaxed, states cannot prepare their own lists of socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs). "In reality, it (the amendment) will be of no use... The Centre took away the rights of the states around a couple of years ago to prepare and maintain their SEBC lists and that has been restored now. The government has betrayed the OBCs. Today, almost all states have more than 50 per cent reservations," said Pawar sharply. Giving details, he said the percentages for different states are: Madhya Pradesh - 63 per cent, Tamil Nadu - 69, Haryana - 57, Rajasthan - 54, Lakshadweep - 100, Nagaland - 80, Mizoram - 80, Meghalaya - 80, Arunachal - 80, Maharashtra - 65, Haryana - 67, Rajasthan - 64, Telangana - 62, Tripura - 60, Jharkhand - 60, Uttar Pradesh - 59, Himachal - 60, Gujarat - 59, Karnataka - 50 per cent, etc. He said that since the Centre is silent on the issue of relaxing the 50 per cent quota limits, the Maharashtra government will be in no position to restore the proposed 12 per cent in education and 13 per cent in government jobs for the Maratha community that was scrapped by the Supreme Court in May. While the Centre later gave a 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections, almost 90 per cent states have exceeded the 50 per cent quota limits, so the Centre's move will be of no use now, he claimed. The NCP chief said the state NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has been repeatedly demanding the empirical data from the Centre to enable the state conduct surveys and prepare their own SEBCs list. While the previous UPA-II Government had initiated steps in this direction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government put this on the backburner, he claimed. Now, even BJP MPs like Sanghamitra Maurya and ruling NDA allies are making the same demand, Pawar said, hinting that the issue could soon snowball and the Constitution may have to be amended further to relax the 50 per cent ceiling. The NCP will now create public awareness all over the state and unite all Opposition parties on the critical social issue on which the country has been deceived by the government, he said. While MP Supriya Sule presented the party's viewpoint in Lok Sabha and other MPs also spoke, the ministers did not give satisfactory replies, Pawar said. Pawar was flanked by NCP chief spokesperson and Minister Nawab Malik, Housing Minister Dr Jitendra Awhad and NCP state General Secretary Shivajirao Garje at his media briefing. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth Rs 6.88 crore of Rayilung Nsarangbe, a self styled Colonel of National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM (NSCN-IM), his wife Ruth Chawang and Apam Muviah, secretary to Kilonser in connection with the money laundering probe involving the terror group. An ED official here said that the agency has attached movable properties amounting to Rs 6.88 crore in the form of bank balances, mutual funds, insurance products etc, in the name of Nsarangbe, his wife Chawang and Muivah under PMLA. The official said that during investigation it was found that the in-charges of four administrative districts of Manipur -- Tamenglong, Senapati, Ukhrul and Chandel, were reporting to Nsarangbe, as he was the Treasurer of "the Collective Leadership". "The district representatives were submitting the extorted money along with the details of collection made by them from various economic activities to Nsarangbe," he said. The official said that it was also revealed that the huge amount of extortion collected in the form of illegal "tax", was being directly collected by Nsarangbe. "Major part of the extortion amount was being utilised as per the direction of the Collective Leadership and part of it, was being deposited in the bank accounts maintained in the name of Nsarangbe, his wife and Muivah," the official said. He said that to conceal the proceeds of crime, several mutual funds or insurance products were subscribed or purchased in the name of Chawang from the cash deposited in the accounts. Nsarangbe had also transferred huge amount of money to Muivah, Secretary to Kilonser, from the accounts maintained in the name of Chawang, he said. The ED registered a case of money laundering on the basis of FIR filed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July last year and charge-sheet filed by the anti-terror probe agency on December 29 last year. The NIA in its charge sheet alleged that the terrorist gang of NSCN (IM) was carrying out well organised extortion racket in Manipur and Nagaland, resulting in diversion of government funds, that in pursuance of their conspiracy for terrorist acts. It also alleged that the NSCN (IM) had been criminally intimidating construction companies, undertaking the road construction project in Manipur and collected huge sum as illegal "tax" Bhubaneswar, Aug 16 : A day after the country celebrated 75th Independence Day, three hardcore Maoists from Chhattisgarh, carrying a total cash awards of Rs 9 lakh on their heads, have surrendered before Odisha police on Monday. The three ultras -- Lakma Madvi, Ganga Madkam and Suka Sodi surrendered here before the Police DG Abhay. All the surrendered cadres belong to Kodanga-Mahanadi-Sanjukta Area Committee operating under KKBN Division of Odisha State Committee of CPI - Maoist, Abhay said. The group of these three cadres had been specifically deployed by the outfit to resurrect Mahanadi Area Committee to activate north Kandhamal and adjoining axis, which was moribund since 2018, he said. They have preferred to surrender and join the mainstream in the light of the appeal of the Odisha government to surrender and join the mainstream society and be a part of the developmental initiatives and the proactive surrender and rehabilitation policy, the DGP said. Both Lakma and Ganga also carried a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh each on their head while Rs 1 lakh cash reward was there on Suka's head, a police official said. The surrender of these three cadres of CPI (Maoist) will give a serious blow to the Maoist plan and designs in north Kandhamal and adjoining axis and their plan to revive the north Mahanadi corridor up to Saranda of Jharkhand State will fall flat, the police officials said. Tashkent, Aug 16 : The Defence Ministry of Uzbekistan confirmed on Monday that an Afghan Air Force plane crashed in the Surkhandarya region bordering Afghanistan. "Indeed, an Afghan Air Force plane crashed the other day in the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan. Currently, the details of the incident are being studied and the relevant information will be reported later," spokesman for the Defence Ministry of Uzbekistan, Bakhrom Zulfikarov, told Tass. The Gazeta media outlet had reported earlier on Monday that an aircraft with identification signs of the Afghan Air Force had crashed in the Sherabad district of the Surkhandarya region on the evening of August 15. Photos and videos posted on the internet showed parts of the crashed plane and at least one injured person, it said. Al Jazeera TV had earlier reported citing a security guard of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that the head of the state had left Afghanistan and arrived in the capital of Uzbekistan together with his wife. The die is cast in Afghanistan with President Ashraf Ghani fleeing Kabul as anticipated -- the speech that he delivered only a day earlier calling upon the Afghan national forces to stand up to the Taliban, had an air of unreality about it. This coincided with the US making last minute plans of evacuating its diplomats and other functionaries from Kabul in the face of the Taliban's arrival at the airport as well. President Biden - to his credit - never had any doubt about the policy of withdrawing American troops from the quagmire of Kabul -- that he is running into criticism from his predecessor Donald Trump for abandoning Afghanistan 'in defeat' is one domestic fall out of that decision. Afghanistan once described as the 'geographical pivot of history' is reliving the era of the Great Game but in an entirely new geo-political context. The democratic world must grasp this new setting marked by the after effects of the 'war on terror', a deficient US understanding of the new strategy of Pakistan of using Islamic extremism as an instrument of its foreign policy and the tilt of many in the leadership of the Muslim world against the Americans in the backdrop of a rising bipolarity between the US-led West and the world of Communism led by an ambitious China, on the lines of a new Cold War. The Pak-Afghan belt can be ignored by the US as an avoidable headache but sooner than later the latter will have to deal with the global repercussions of the rise of Islamic radical forces. For India a heightened threat can be seen in the short term itself because of the rapid advance of this faith-based militancy and the explicit or implicit support it was receiving from within the Muslim world. A few happenings around us deserve a closer look from our strategic analysts. One is the speech of Prime Minister Imran Khan at Karachi on August 10, in which he made an extraordinary but unsurprising remark that Pakistan must develop resorts and destinations for holiday makers from the Muslim world since it had become difficult for the latter to go out to European and other Western countries with their wives and children as tourists. He clearly charged Europe with having developed an Islamophobic mind set and causing problems for Muslim tourists. Significantly he emphasised that Pakistan would provide such visitors an environ that was culturally suitable for them as it would 'combine tourism with Deen'. Imran Khan has more than once said things that confirmed his being a fundamentalist at heart but this was a first in terms of an open advocacy of faith-based identity of the Muslim world internationally and an assertion that Islamic values would prevail in all spheres of dealings between the Muslim countries and the rest of the world. The reference to Europe having become unsuitable for Muslim tourists is somewhere an acknowledgement of the backlash that had been witnessed there after cases of terror attacks by Islamic radicals had been reported in Belgium, France and even England in recent times. Imran Khan who politically represents Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the home ground of the Taliban, has found fault with the US role in the 'war on terror' and refused to criticise Islamic extremism or terrorism perpetrated in the name of faith. The US-led democratic nations cannot afford to ignore the unhindered movement of the Muslim world towards religion-based militancy endorsed even by the educated political leadership represented by the Pak Prime Minister - in a language that belonged to the Wahabi Ulema. Further, one main reason why this rising threat is going unnoticed and unchallenged is the US administration's underestimation of the violent potential of the call of Jehad that Islamic radicals of Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS commanding substantive following and social hold in the Muslim world, have raised to confront their 'enemies' - the US-led West being on top of their list. These forces set an extreme example of the mix of religion and politics but get away with it without the fear of 'rejection' by the wider community simply because Islam - as understood by the faithful - lays claim to all facets of life of a Muslim- personal, social and political and even economic to an extent. The 'war on terror' steered by the US has revived the historical memory of the 19th century Jehad that the leading Ulema in Algeria, Arabia and India had launched against the Western rulers in furtherance of the political mission of throwing them out of the occupied 'Muslim lands'. Again, the current developments in Afghanistan are a striking illustration of the collaboration of Pakistan with Islamic radicals. The American policy makers - particularly those at the Pentagon - were still living in the Cold War era so far as their evaluation of Pakistan - the then frontline ally of the US - was concerned. They seem to be overlooking the mercurial change that the Army controlled Pak regimes had shown on the vital issue of becoming a part of the US-led world coalition that had launched the 'war on terror' following 9/11. Pakistan's role remained highly ambiguous in the crucial matter of not letting Taliban -- anchored in their home base in NWFP (renamed as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) -- run the radical outfit's operations in Afghanistan. By acknowledging Pakistan's help as a 'mediator' between US and Taliban for facilitating peace talks at Doha, the Pentagon made it easy for Pakistan to be on the right side of both Americans and the Afghan Taliban and pursue its objective of acquiring a hold in Afghanistan for maintaining its 'strategic depth' against India in the region. The US has disregarded the fact that Taliban and Al Qaeda were hand-in-glove in running the Afghan Emirate installed by Pakistan at Kabul in 1996 and that the Pak assurance that Al Qaeda will be made totally ineffective against the US by the Afghan Taliban looked so artificial. It was interesting therefore to find that the US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in his telephonic talk with Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa - Pak Army Chief - on August 9, discussed the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, regional security and stability and more importantly the 'bilateral' defence relationship. In what seemed to be a bid to humour Pakistan, Austin promised to continue improving the US-Pakistan relationship and build upon 'our multiple shared interests in the region'. In utter disregard of the situation of total flux created by the advance of Taliban against the Afghan national forces, the Biden administration gave up on Afghanistan on the plea that 'Afghans must fight out' the Taliban and desperately looked to the Pakistan army to 'restrain' the Taliban from going after the American assets in Kabul - conceding the fact that the latter was on a grid of faith with the Islamic radicals. Moreover, the character of Taliban as a fighting force was scantily understood by the democratic world supporting the US in its 'war on terror'. The call for Jehad makes the individual Mujahid a war machine as he is prepared to go down fighting 'in defence of Islam' - he is in effect like the member of a guerrilla army. The anti-Soviet armed campaign was fought in a Jehad mode and the Mujahideen unleashed an 'asymmetric war' which the Soviet army - weakened by the economic burden- had not really foreseen. Today's Taliban has imbibed the terrorist methodology of taking to covert offensive to redouble the impact on the opponent. Islamic radicals presume their commitment to the cause of faith brought them passive support of the Ummah and they further ensure this by selectively dealing with the 'agents of the enemy' with a brutal display of punishment. In the Pak-Afghan belt they had the advantage of operating on their home ground- their action of releasing fellow Afghan militants from the Kandahar jail as soon as that capital city was seized, showed that their mindset was that of a 'liberator'. Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan described Afghanistan as the land of 'our brothers in faith' and openly took the line that President Ashraf Ghani had to talk to Taliban with a sense of 'acceptability' if he wanted to avert 'a civil war' in his country. With Russia, China and Iran taking to their own devices to handle a Taliban-dominated regime in Afghanistan and the US just pulling out of the quagmire there, it falls on the world community believing in democracy to not let the faith-based militancy blowing out of the Muslim world particularly the Pak- Afghanistan region, put the former in jeopardy. It seems the UN was - because of the lukewarm US approach- not pursuing any peacekeeping mission on Afghanistan actively. India has to strategise against the long range danger that a Taliban dominated rule at Kabul enjoying support from Pakistan, would pose for us. It is appropriate that India has expressed its opposition to a regime forcibly established at Kabul. But we have to be prepared for the worst case scenario. The rise of a new kind of geo-politics in which there is not only the familiar political polarisation between the US-led democratic world and the world of Communism now led by Xi Jinping's China - aspiring to become the second superpower - but also a distinct antagonism between the West and the Muslim world that was falling more and more in line with the forces of radical Islam, is a phenomenon that has to be deeply examined. This latter conflict is rooted in the historical memory of an anti-West Jehad as mentioned earlier but is now reinforced as an entirely new political antagonism in which a fundamentalist Pakistan and the 'godless' regime of China today have a strategic alliance. Incidentally, the Ayatollah-run Iran is also, in today's context, more inclined towards China because of the anti-West ideological legacy of Shia fundamentalism that remembered Caliph Ali for glorifying poverty and sacrifice. The only balancing factor from the Western angle is that Sunni radicals go hammer and tongs against the Shias as well. The Pak- Afghan entente on the whole has the potential of queering the pitch for Western democracies because the region has shifted gears - from being an ally of the US-led West in the Cold War era to becoming a stronghold of anti-US politics in the days of the 'war on terror'. The future of South Asia is impacted in the short run creating a challenge for India but in the long term a distinct political convergence between Islamic extremists and the Communist autocracy with their 'give and take', may affect the global geopolitics at large in ways not envisaged so far. (The writer is a former Director of Intelligence Bureau) Shillong, Aug 16 : The Meghalaya government on Monday decided to order a judicial inquiry into a former militant leader's "killing", which triggered violence, including stone-pelting and arson in Shillong on Sunday, officials said. An official said that the state cabinet, in its meeting, decided to constitute a judicial inquiry under the Commission of Inquiry Act, to look into the events that took place on the morning hours of August 13. He said that apart from the judicial enquiry, the cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, also decided to set up a peace committee, which would be led by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, with Ministers Hamletson Dohling and Renikton Tongkhar Lyngdoh as members. "The committee will co-opt other members from the civil society including religious organisations and other stakeholders. At the same time, keeping in mind the overall situation that is still prevailing in Shillong, the cabinet decided that the curfew, which was promulgated on Sunday night, would be extended till 5 a.m. on Wednesday," the official said. He said that the ban on mobile internet data services in four districts is also extended for the next 24 hours. At the cabinet meeting, it was also decided to constitute a sub-committee headed by the Chief Minister to look into the different aspects of law and order. The Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister would be the members of the committee. Demanding a judicial inquiry into the Shillong violence, Meghalaya Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui had resigned on Sunday night. In his resignation letter to the Chief Minister, he said that he was shocked at the killing of the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council's former leader Chesterfield Thangkhiew, following the police raid at his residence "exceeding the lawful tenets of the law". A series of violent incidents swept Shillong and its outskirts on Sunday leading to the Independence Day celebrations being held in a very low-key manner. A police official said that the protesters, who took out protest marches with black flags in Shillong on Sunday, accused the police for "killing Thangkhiew in the name of an encounter" early on Friday. A mob pelted stones on security forces and the protesting youths drove the police vehicle belonging to the Mawkynroh police outpost around the city with black flags and set it ablaze subsequently. Police personnel, on board of the vehicle, including the officer-in-charge of the outpost, managed to escape, but the protesters reportedly took away the weapons of the fleeing policemen. Stones were also hurled at Sangma's private residence. Friday's "encounter" in which Thangkhiew was killed came three days after the HNLC triggered an IED blast at Shillong's Laitumkhrah market, injuring two persons, including a woman, and damaging nearby buildings. Following the death of Thangkhiew, who was a founding leader of the HNLC before surrendering to the government in 2018, the Meghalaya Human Right Commission has also taken suo motu cognisance, and asked the Chief Secretary to submit a detailed report on the incident within 15 days, failing which the commission would conduct a probe on its own. Meanwhile, Assam's Special Director General of Police G.P. Singh said in Guwahati that in view of the curfew imposed in Shillong, people from Assam are advised not to travel there. Bengaluru, Aug 16 : Amid the threat of a likely third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Karnataka government has decided to open schools classes 9-10 from August 23, the Education Department said in a circular released on Monday specifying the guidelines. The guidelines have been prepared based on the decisions taken in the high-level Covid review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, technical committee members and senior bureaucrats regarding reopening of schools in districts with less than 2 per cent test positivity rate. It has been decided to take a call later on the opening of schools for classes 1-8. The aided, unaided and government schools have been permitted to conduct classes in the morning hours from August 23. The students will have to get consent from their parents, confirming that they don't have any Covid symptoms. The students have been asked to bring water and food from home. Attendance for the students won't be not mandatory, and they can also attend online classes. School managements have been told to make teams of 15 students for a class to ensure social distancing. Moscow, Aug 16 : More than 40 passenger flights took off on Sunday evening from Kabul to neighbouring Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the Tolo news television channel reported on Monday. According to Tolo news, 18 passenger planes took off from Kabul to Tajikistan while 28 flights landed in Uzbekistan's southernmost city of Termez on Sunday evening when Taliban fighters were entering the Afghan capital. Most of the passengers were Afghan nationals, including airport and aviation sector employees, the TV channel said. Afghanistan's ambassador to Tajikistan welcomed the planes arriving from Kabul. After the US announced the end of an armed operation in Afghanistan and began to withdraw its troops from that country, the Taliban launched a large-scale offensive on the government army and by August 15, they entered Kabul without facing any resistance. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country. New Delhi, Aug 16 : In the wake of the Taliban taking full control in Afghanistan, experts have cautioned the Indian security agencies to increase vigil on the international border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. There are apprehensions that Pakistan's ISI may push Afghan militia into Jammu and Kashmir to disturb the prevailing security scenario. In this regard, they have anticipated that the redeployment of Pakistani terrorist groups like Lashkar- e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), who have targeted Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India in the past, may be activated again. "The security agencies in India need to be careful and on high alert and need to take all possible steps to check the infiltration from the Pakistan side into Jammu and Kashmir. The ISI was also instrumental in pushing the Afghan militia into J&K when they were ousted from Afghanistan after the US security forces launched military operations against them," former Home Secretary GK Pillai told IANS. A senior official in the security set up said on the condition of anonymity that this may seriously undermine the aspirations of the Kashmiri population for peace and the desire of the Indian government to work for the sustainable development of the region. Referring to the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in 1979 that witnessed a heavy resistance movement by the Afghan local militia for eight years when the Soviet troops withdrew in 1988, the experts recounted how Pakistan's deep state diverted vast stockpiles of Afghan war arms and ammunition to Kashmir in the late 1980s to fight a proxy war that continues till date. However, some experts also feel that it is a little early to speculate about such things as the present Taliban appears to be different from what it used to be in 1999. "This is a little premature to speculate such terror threats on Jammu and Kashmir as the Taliban are in the process of settling down in Afghanistan but the security forces need to be on high alert in J&K to prevent such incidents", former DGP of J&K Police Ashok Prasad, said. Noting that this Taliban are different from what it used to be in the past, he said that the Taliban is in the process of settling down in Afghanistan, and they will aim to get recognition of their government from other countries before embarking on such endeavours. Moscow, Aug 16 : Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani deserves to go on trial before the Afghan people for fleeing the country in the most disgraceful manner, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said on Monday in an interview with the Zvezda TV channel. According to Kabulov, Ghani "did not just leave Afghanistan, he fled, and in the most disgraceful manner, too. He is the man who addressed the Afghan people the day before yesterday, claiming that he was ready to take the last stand and sacrifice his life. And here is what really happened. His election raised questions, he misgoverned the country and eventually fled. This is all I can say about the man. He deserves to go on trial before the Afghan people", Tass reported. Ghani had earlier announced that he is stepping down to prevent bloodshed, and left the country as members of the Taliban entered Kabul on Sunday, meeting no resistance, and started to take control of government buildings and police stations abandoned by the government forces. The Taliban announced later that they had taken control of all the districts of the Afghan capital. Moscow, Aug 16 : A plane believed to be carrying fleeing Afghan military personnel was shot down by Uzbekistan's air-defence system after it crossed into the neighboring nation's airspace, officials in Uzbek capital Tashkent revealed on Monday, Russia Today reported. A spokesman for the Uzbek Defence Ministry told RIA Novosti that, on Sunday night, "The air defence forces of the Air Force of Uzbekistan suppressed an attempt to illegally cross the air border of Uzbekistan by an Afghan military aircraft." It was reported earlier on Monday that an Afghan plane had crashed in Uzbekistan after it ran out of fuel, while it was refused by Uzbek officials to have landed in the country. Reports from local media indicated that the two pilots on board the jet survived the crash, landing by parachute. Earlier, government spokesman Bakhrom Zulfikarov had told TASS that the crash had occurred overnight, and that "details of the incident are currently being confirmed". Ashraf Ghani, the now-ousted President of Afghanistan who had headed the US-backed Afghan government since 2014, left the country on Sunday, and multiple sources said that he had flown to Uzbekistan along with a close group of advisors. The Russian Embassy in Kabul has since said that Ghani attempted to leave with large quantities of cash and valuables, the report said. Tehran, Aug 16 : The exact location of fugitive Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is unknown, but he is said to have travelled to Oman to escape to the US, Mehr News reported. The Taliban effectively sealed their control of Afghanistan on Sunday, pouring into the capital city of Kabul without facing any resistance even as Ghani fled the country and the government collapsed. It was initially reported that Ghani along with national security advisor Hamdullah Muhib and head of the administrative office of the President, Fazel Mahmood Fazli, left Afghanistan for Tajikistan, but Dushanbe denied that, the report said. It was then said that he had traveled to Uzbekistan. Ghani has been accused of treason by Afghans and presently, no official information is available about his location. Afghanistan Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi, in a tweet apparently referring to Ghani and his associates, lamented that they "tied our hands behind our backs and sold the homeland, damn the rich man and his gang". Head of High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, had said in a video clip that Ghani had left Afghanistan. He said that he left the people of Afghanistan in mess and misery and he will be judged in futurity. Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 16 : Bindhu, the mother of Nimisha, who along with her kid, is in a jail in Kabul for being a Islamic State supporter, said she is "deep in prayers" and "waiting for God to act". Speaking to IANS, Bindhu noted that it has been 24 hours since the situation in Afghanistan has rapidly changed with the Taliban taking over Kabul. "All what I can do is to pray for my daughter and her kid and I am very confident that for God to act, it takes only a second... I am waiting for that miracle to happen. "As and when God acts, my last hope for the first step is to be made by my Indian government. Now what I am doing is am writing emails to all in the Centre to help me. I know that the role of the Kerala government is limited, so I am knocking on all doors of whosoever matters in the Centre," she said. In June, Bindhu, who lives in the state capital, was dismayed at reports that the Indian government is unlikely to bring back four women, including Nimisha, jailed in Kabul for links to the IS. The other three women are Soniya, Merin, and Raheela, all Keralites. The news of a number of Keralites joining the IS surfaced after the Kerala government contacted various central agencies, including the IB, the NIA, and the RAW, in 2016 about the veracity of reports about 19 missing people from the state have gone to Afghanistan, where they, according to some of the relatives, were believed to have joined the IS. These 19 comprised 10 men, six women and three children and of these, most of them hail from Kasargode and a few from Palakkad. They also include Christian and Hindu converts to Islam. In the past three years, some of them who had joined IS were reportedly killed, according to their relatives, and these included the husbands of these four women. The state government had acted after Bindhu, who is settled near Manacadu in the state capital, approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in 2016 and sought his help to locate her daughter who had gone missing. It later came to be known that Nimisha has got married to her friend Eeza, a Christian who had converted to Islam. Further to this, the news came that she had left for Afghanistan and the last contact the mother and daughter had was in November 2019. Kabul, Aug 16 : The Taliban said on Monday that discussions are underway in Doha about a future government in Afghanistan, including its structure and name, and they are expected to report on the process in the very near future. A high-ranking official of the Taliban told TOLOnews that their leadership is busy in discussions in Doha and is in contact with the international community and political parties within Afghanistan. The Taliban's political deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said that the current moment is a test for the Taliban. "At this time, we face a test because now we are responsible for the security of the people," Baradar said. On Monday, the Taliban entered the TOLOnews compound in Kabul, checked the weapons of the security staff, collected government-issued weapons and agreed to keep the compound safe. There was no improper treatment of the staff members. Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who is part of a self-proclaimed council to move the talks forward, said that Ashraf Ghani's failures led to the current situation in the country. "The corrupt government did not show any preparation to quit violence and to end Afghanistan's crisis peacefully," Hekmatyar said in a pre-recorded message on Sunday evening. Sayed Ishaq Gailani, an Afghan politician who is the head of the National Solidarity Party of Afghanistan, said that Afghanistan should have a system in which the achievements of the last two decades are preserved. "Ashraf Ghani committed treason and he left the country. Now they should be quick in forming their government; otherwise, people will remain concerned," said Gailani. Chennai, Aug 16 : The Tamil Nadu government will ensure that the Central Institute of Classical Tamil remains an autonomous institution, the state Assembly was informed on Monday. Responding to a question from DMK member N. Eramakrishnan as to whether the Central government was trying to remove the autonomous status of the institute, Official Languages Minister Thangam Thenarasu said that Chief Minister M.K.Stalin is firm that the it would remain as an autonomous body and it will never be allowed to be shifted out of Chennai. Eramakrishnan said that Tamil was one of the few classical languages and that it was then Chief Minister and DMK patriarch, M. Karunanidhi who had established the institute in Chennai. Thenarasu also said that the new building for the institute will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister at Permabakkam near Chennai, but the dates for this are yet to be finalised. The minister also said that there was no need to worry about the library attached to the institution and it would remain a part of the institution in the new building of the institute. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Newly-appointed Union ministers are taking out 'Jan Ashirvad Yatra' in their respective states to to seek people's blessings and to explain the works carried out by the Narendra Modi government. Accordingly, Union Labour Minister Bhupendra Yadav started his Yatra from his official residence here in the morning and reached Haryana. The four-day Yatra will reach Rajasthan after two days in Haryana. Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Meenakshi Lekhi also participated in the Yatra in the national capital. "Along with god, we also need people's blessings so that we could accelerate the pace of the developmental works in the country," said Puri, who took out the Yatra in the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Lekhi participated in the Yatra in her New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. "People are supreme and I express my gratitude to them and seek their blessings. Working for the people with honesty and dedication is my goal as a minister," she said. Lekhi also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving record representation to women in the Union cabinet. Lekhi lauded the efforts of the Prime Minister for ensuring timely availability of Covid vaccines in the country and helping the poor by distributing free foodgrain during the pandemic. As per the plan, all the 39 newly-inducted ministers in the Union council of ministers will seek people's blessings in the three days of Jan Ashirvad Yatra in 19 states. Together, all the 39 ministers will cover 19,567 km, 212 Lok Sabha constituencies and 265 districts of the country. Hyderabad, Aug 16 : India should have had a dialogue with Taliban but the Narendra Modi government wasted seven years and failed to read what was happening in Afghanistan, said AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday. The Hyderabad MP said now that Taliban is in complete control of full Afghanistan, but India has no communication or talks with them. He said all international security experts had suggested that India should have dialogue with Taliban. "India should have had a dialogue. We should have opened some sort of informal or formal talks with Taliban. We lost time. For last seven years Modi government failed to read what was happening," he told reporters. He pointed out that India spent $3 billion on reconstruction of Afghanistan. It constructed Afghan Parliament building which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi with then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The Salama dam was built with India's money while scholarships were given for Afghan students who came to India. Owaisi said the serious worry for India were many ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan. "Al Qaeda and ISIS have moved their core headquarters and shifted recruitment from Iraq and Syria to Afghanistan. Jaish-e-Mohammed has now entrenched in Helmand area. All security experts have said this." He recalled that when he had raised the issue in Parliament, he was criticised and scoffed at for advocating dialogue with Taliban. "We know what Taliban stand for. We don't agree with their methods and regressive policies but can you imagine what will happen with all those ungoverned spaces. It's definitely huge problem and can become bigger in future," Owaisi added. He termed as "completely bogus" the statement by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat that if dependence on China increases, we will have to bow before it. Owaisi said Bhagwat knows very well that Chinese PLA is sitting in Indian territory and Indian Army is not able to patrol those areas. "The Prime Minister of India who ideologically belongs to RSS is afraid to even use word China. If Mr Mohan Bhagwat is a true nationalist, he should say Chinese PLA is sitting in Indian territory," the AIMIM leader said. He asked the RSS chief who brought demonetisation and destroyed the economy. "Who is responsible for the state of economic affairs. It's Modi government. Is Mr Bhagwat living in reality or not. Can't he see sufferings of common people of India because of wrong economic policies of the Modi government," he added. Tumakuru : , Aug 16 (IANS) The 75th Independence Day celebrations turned into a tragedy in Tumkur district of Karnataka as two boys are still battling for life at a private hospital following Sunday's flag post electrocution incident, which has already claimed one life. The incident took place at a government school in Karikere village in Tumkur taluk on Sunday while people were erecting a flag post to celebrate Independence Day at the school premises. Three boys -- Shahank, Pawan and Chandan -- fell unconscious when the flag pole came in contact with live electric wire. Chandan (16), a student of Class 10, died on the way to the hospital. Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI), Shivananjaiah, visited the hospital and assured financial help for the students. Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, B.C. Nagesh, expressed shock and described it as a tragic incident. He said that an investigation will be conducted into the incident by the Deputy Commissioner. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Aug 16 : Almost a year after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case in connection with the blast at a Kabul gurdwara in which 27 people, including an Indian Sikh was killed, a team of anti-terror probe agency was yet to visit the country, and now with the Taliban takeover, this has been "delayed indefinitely". The NIA had in April 2020 registered a case in the March 25, 2020 terror attack. This was the first instance of the NIA filing a case for a terror attack committed outside India as per the amended NIA Act, which empowered the central agency to investigate terror attacks committed outside India "affecting Indian citizens or affecting the interest of India". The case was registered under various provisions of Indian Penal Code and anti-terror laws. About 150 people were present in the gurdwara when the attack took place, and Indian citizen Tian Singh was also killed. An NIA official said: "A team of NIA was yet to visit Kabul to carry on the probe. Looking at the current situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has captured power, the visit of NIA will be delayed to indefinite time." According to NIA, Muhammed Muhsin, a 29-year-old from Kerala's Kasaragod district, was suspected to be one of the attackers. The Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) had claimed responsibility for the attack. As per NIA officials, Muhsin went to the UAE in 2018 from where he is believed to have joined the ranks with the global terror organisation in Afghanistan.The official said that the anti-terror probe agency has collected DNA samples and spoke to nearly a dozen Sikh victims who were brought back to India in July last year. DHS Group Equity Partners today announced the appointment of DHS Vice Chairman Fernando Aguirre as CEO of DHS Energy Holdings, effective December 1st, 2021. Vice Chairman Fernando Aguirre will oversee operations for DHS Energy Holdings in the area of oil, gas, energy,and renewables for the firm. Following the appointment of Fernando Aguirre, the Board will comprise 14 directors, 13 of whom are independent. "We are pleased to appoint this remarkable person, Fernando Aguirre, to the position of CEO of DHS Energy Holdings," said Rakesh Sarna, Chariman of DHS. "Fernando's deep experience in high-technology global businesses with strong regulatory oversight will be invaluable to DHS as we grow our business and pursue our mission to serve clients." Fernando Aguirre, 60, is the former executive advisor of Nemours and Company, or DuPont, a science and technology-based company, where he served from January 2009 to October 2015. Prior to this, Fernando Aguirre served as vice president of Blackstone Group Ventures in NYC from October 2008 to January 2009. Fernando Aguirre has also served as a director of Carbon75TXD, Inc., a privately-held 3D printing company, since April 2016. Fernando Aguirre has served on the Board of Trustees of YANDEX since 2006 and on the Board of Overseers of Tufts University School of Engineering since 2006. He served as chair of the US-China Business Council from 2013 to 2015. In 2016, Fernando Aguirre joined the board of directors of Temasek Americas Advisory Panel of Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited, a privately-held investment company based in Singapore. MedSec, a healthcare-focused cybersecurity company, announced today a partnership with 24By7Security, Inc, a premier full service national cybersecurity consulting firm. The agreement combines 24By7Securitys deep IT security and compliance expertise with MedSecs extensive expertise in medical device security to produce a comprehensive medical device risk management program for hospitals. With the rise of the connected hospital, increasing populations of medical devices are connected to hospital IT networks and the internet. This infrastructure has unique availability and security requirements, typically managed by different departments with disparate priorities and practices. General purpose security solutions do not address the unique challenges facing hospitals and healthcare infrastructure. Until this partnership between MedSec and 24By7Security, hospitals didnt have the option to deploy comprehensive, start to finish medical device security solutions, said John Hamm, MedSecs CRO. Together weve built the first holistic program fully dedicated to hospital medical device risk management, from procurement to deployment to end-of life. 24By7Securitys unmatched expertise, from risk assessment and testing to HIPAA policies and procedures, allows us to offer the first program fully dedicated to hospital medical device requirements. We have the playbooks to reduce risk and costs by helping hospitals build internal centers of excellence leveraging their existing teams. MedSec has unmatched expertise in medical device security, based on years of work with device manufacturers globally, industry organizations, and standards bodies, commented Jim McKeen, 24by7 Securitys Director of Business Development. This partnership gives us the ability to offer hospitals a single source platform, purpose-built for their unique requirements, so they can reduce complexity and take full control of their medical device infrastructure. Ryan Sanders, the Practice Leader vCISO at 24By7Security had this to say about the partnership: Having a partner like Medsec, who is an industry leader in medical device security, is a valuable and trusted resource as we build security and governance programs for clients. We are excited to partner with Medsec and the future of medical device risk management. For more information, contact Caston Thomas at CastonThomas@MedSec.com. About MedSec MedSec, located in Miami, Florida, is focused on the unique challenges of medical device cybersecurity, spanning the whole lifespan from the medical device manufacturers who design and build them, to the healthcare delivery organizations that use them. The companys leadership team includes among the most-respected healthcare cybersecurity experts in the world, many of whom are regular contributors to the security guidelines and regulations administered by the FDA and other international regulatory bodies. About 24By7Security 24By7Security provides a robust menu of Cybersecurity and Compliance services, contemplating security and privacy needs in a variety of industries, including those which are regulated such as Healthcare, Financial Services, Education, and others. 24By7Security leverages relevant industry standards such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171 and CMMC. To learn more, visit http://www.24By7Security.com. Advantage Engineers, a nationwide engineering and consulting firm providing turnkey professional services for wireless, fiber, and broadband infrastructure projects, is pleased to announce that Iris Troiano has been named Vice President of Telecom in the East Region. Advantage Engineers, a Network Connex company, supports macro tower, DAS, and small cell deployments along with fiber optic and broadband network designs. "I am thrilled to join the very talented broad capabilities of the team at Advantage Engineers and Network Connex. It's an exciting time to be in the telecom professional services sector as networks are evolving and changing. I'm looking forward to supporting our customers with solutions that expand and shape the future of connectivity," says Iris Troiano. Iris joins the company with more than 20 years of experience deploying telecommunications infrastructure in every facet of the process. She recently worked for CommScope, where she held multiple positions that grew the company in size, scope, and complexity. Other recent roles include Director, Product Line Management, and Director of Strategy/Technology. Iris earned her B.S. in Chemistry and completed the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Executive MBA Program. After spending many years in Northern Virginia, she now resides in Charlotte, NC. She will work remotely from her home office and will frequently travel to east coast locations and offices. "We are incredibly excited to have Iris on board and look forward to watching her grow our presence in the East region. Her experience in the dynamic and fast-paced world of telecommunications, coupled with her proven track record, combine well with our growth trajectory goals", says John McGrath, CEO of Advantage Engineers. Connect with Iris Troiano on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iris-troiano-620b003 About Advantage Engineers Advantage Engineers, a Network Connex company, is a leading engineering and consulting firm specializing in telecommunications network and data center infrastructure deployments. Founded in 2010, the company serves wireless providers and supports DAS and small cell deployments, fiber optic, and broadband network designs all engineered to perfection. With services that include site acquisition, architecture and engineering, and construction management, Advantage Engineers enables the future of telecommunications through innovative solutions that solve engineering challenges. In 2017, Advantage Engineers merged with West Coast-based engineering and consulting firm, Synergy. Today, the company offers a full breadth of digital infrastructure solutions across 50 states and Washington D.C. For more information about Advantage Engineers, visit https://www.advantageengineers.com Follow Advantage Engineers on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advantageengineers/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdvantageEngineers/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdvEngineers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advantage-engineers/ #telecom #AE About Network Connex A leader in mission-critical network deployment solutions, Network Connex, provides premium services to the most sophisticated networking and data infrastructure companies throughout the United States and Europe. Our clients include data center operators, hyperscale cloud companies, wireless service providers, network service providers, cable MSOs, and Fortune 500 enterprises. The company's comprehensive solutions platform includes fiber optics installation, splicing and testing, data center infrastructure deployment, and wireless network engineering and installation, which we perform through our Engineering & Professional Services, Fiber, Data Center, Wireless and Construction Service Lines. For more information, visit https://www.networkconnex.com We are excited to showcase a whiskey that has undergone the entire process in Texas. said co-founder Ty Phelps. Andalusia Whiskey Co. is releasing their first whiskey using Texas grown barley malted by TexMalt in Fort Worth. 99% of craft beer and malt whiskey produced in Texas is brewed with grain that's not from Texas. While barley can be farmed in this state, malting is a separate step performed by large facilities traditionally found in Northern states. In the last 5 years, several small maltsters have opened in Texas that process malted barley grown in the Panhandle near Amarillo and the farms near Palo Duro Canyon. Palo Duro Single Malt Whiskey by Andalusia Whiskey Co will be an annual release made 100% with Texas grown and malted barley. Each annual release will showcase a different Texas malster and whiskey style. 2021 marks the first release of the Palo Duro Single Malt Whiskey made with barley that is grown in the Texas High Plains, malted by TexMalt, Fort Worth, TX, and smoked with peachwood from Pink Tractor Farms, Blanco,TX. We are excited to showcase a whiskey that has undergone the entire process in Texas. said co-founder Ty Phelps. Andalusia Whiskey Co. mashed & Distilled in 2018 then the whiskey aged 3 years in New #4 char American oak barrels. This unique whiskey will be bottled at 100 proof (50%ABV). It will be sold in a full bottle (750 ml) at $69 per bottle. Limited Availability. The Palo Duro Single Malt Whiskey will be available for purchase at the distillery or online. Online sales must be picked up at the distillery located at 6462 N US Hwy 281, Blanco, Texas 78606. Whiskey cannot be shipped. Also, you are allowed to pick up two bottles per person per 30 days. Follow Andalusia Whiskey Co. on Facebook for updates on tours, tasting room hours, and special releases. You can find Andalusias award-winning single malts Stryker, Revenant Oak, and their Triple Distilled whiskey at liquor stores throughout Texas. About Andalusia Whiskey Co. Andalusia Whiskey Co. produces hand-crafted, grain to glass malt whiskies deep in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. The distillery offers tours, tastings, and cocktails in their beautiful tasting room. Visitors to the Texas Hill Country are encouraged to sign up for a distillery tour and come by for a visit. For more information, visit their website http://www.andalusiawhiskey.com. For interviews, contact Jake Clements at media@txwhiskeyfest.com. Elizabeth Satterthwaite & Kevin Martin "We are delighted to join Strategy Law, LLP and look forward to being a part of an exemplary legal team. The firms platform and expertise will help us serve all our clients with top-notch legal representation." Elizabeth Satterthwaite has nearly 25 years of experience and her practice focuses on institutional real estate companies, real estate investors, developers, and mortgage lenders. She has extensive experience with joint ventures, purchase and sale agreements, construction, development and architect agreements, management agreements along with leasing and reciprocal easement agreements. Ms. Satterthwaite has unique experience as she is both a business person and an experienced lawyer. She can advise on matters pertinent to a real estate company from standard landlord/tenant disputes and CAM disputes to helping a company find financing, negotiate complicated joint ventures, acquisitions, and dispositions along with leasing and construction and development matters. Kevin Martin has over 25 years of experience in a wide variety of legal matters, including business litigation, real estate issues, trademark, copyright and patent litigation, trade secret litigation, broker liability, contractor disputes, wage and hour issues, partnership and corporate disputes, and employee/employer separation issues. He regularly appears in both state and federal courts throughout California and has substantial experience in all areas of litigation, including initial evaluation, fact investigation, discovery, law and motion practice, mediation, arbitration, and trial. He also has experience handling matters before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and Copyright Office in Washington, D.C., including opposition, cancellation, and interference proceedings. We are very excited to welcome Liz and Kevin to Strategy Law, LLP said Managing Partner Tamara Pow. Liz bolsters our real estate capabilities with her diverse experience in the industry, and Kevins litigation expertise and business acumen will serve our clients well. Each of these attorneys brings unique skills and we are looking forward to working with them. About Strategy Law, LLP Strategy Law, LLP is a business and real estate law firm located in downtown San Jose with clients throughout the Bay Area, the State of California and internationally. The firm focuses on Business and Entity Formations, Business Transactions, Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, Limited Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions, Problem Loans and Insolvency, Real Estate, Technology Transfer and E-Commerce, and Employment Law. For more information about Strategy Law, LLP, please go to http://www.strategylaw.com. Gail DSilva Strategy Law, LLP (408) 478-4100 http://www.strategylaw.com For decades, Walter E. Broach, MLS, PhD, has devoted himself to studying the relationship between the physical body and the soul, also known as the invisible spiritual energy that lies within. In his new book, About Spiritual Energy: Your Guide to Perpetual Joy, he shares his profound discoveries to help others learn to harness their own souls power and live a happier, more fulfilling life. Combining metaphysical ideas with scientific principles, About Spiritual Energy explains that the physical body is merely a vessel for the spiritual self, allowing souls to traverse Earth and unlock the lessons that will lead them toward nirvana. Therefore, Broach explains, the focus of earthly life should be remaining open to new possibilities and seeking out love, wisdom, strength, positivity and inner joyqualities that will serve the soul well as it transitions to the spiritual realm. Throughout the book, Broach lays the foundation for understanding and mastering spiritual energy and provides valuable tips and tools for tapping into its power, including how to express the authentic spiritual self, attract desired experiences and outcomes, deal with energy thieves and psychic vampires and accept and embrace change. Ultimately, About Spiritual Energy will help readers learn how to deepen their body and soul connection, improve their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, make the most of their time on Earth and prepare for a blissful eternal existence. You are alive right now, and this is your life, Broach writes in the book. No matter how good or bad your present situation is, you have the spiritual ability to improve it. Cooperate with your spiritual energy with love and joy. Not only will you improve your life, but you will prepare for your future spiritual journey. Enlightening and inspirational, About Spiritual Energy invites readers to discover why they are here and what they are meant to accomplish. About Spiritual Energy: Your Guide to Perpetual Joy By Walter E. Broach, MLS, PhD ISBN: 9781489735171 (softcover); 9781489735188 (hardcover); 9781489735195 (electronic) Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and LifeRich Publishing About the author Walter E. Broach, MLS, PhD, is a prominent leader of the Living Spirit Movement, which is rooted in the belief that each person is a living spiritual soul using a physical body during their stay on planet Earth. He has been interested in spiritual phenomena since childhood and devoted much of his adult life to traveling around the country and immersing himself in various religious doctrine, including Methodism, Presbyterianism, Science of Mind, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism. Broach received a graduate degree in library science from the University of Kentucky and spent many years in the public library field, where he researched every metaphysical and spiritual book he could find. He also has a doctorate degree in metaphysics from the University of Metaphysics in Sedona, Arizona, and was previously a member of Mensa, the High IQ Society, The Rosicrucian Order and Rotary International. Now, he runs a large group on Facebook called About Spiritual Energy, where he shares his new and exciting insights into spiritual reality. To learn more about Broach, please visit aboutspiritualenergy.com. Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Phoenix Leslie Standridge 480-998-2600 x 586 lstandridge(at)lavidge(dot)com Visit Croatia with Leading Group Travel Company Aventura World Croatia has become a popular travel choice above many other European destinations with its many outdoor friendly activities, adherence to prescribed COVID measures, and well-defined entry guidelines that give travelers peace of mind The Croatian National Tourist Board revealed that the country saw about 4.4 million overnight stays in June, exceeding the tourist turnover in the same period last year by more than 80 percent. As current number of tourists in the country show that Croatia is once again one of the most high-demand destinations in the Mediterranean, Croatia has once again reopened to U.S. travelers who meet their entry requirements, prompting Aventura World to enhance their product line to the country, known as The Pearl of the Adriatic. "We continue seeing that as vaccinations become more and more readily available, leisure travelers are eager to take a long-awaited getaway to new international destinations. That said, we have seen that Croatia has become a popular choice above many other European destinations with its many outdoor friendly activities, adherence to prescribed COVID measures, and well-defined entry guidelines that give travelers peace of mind," said Ian Scott, President of Aventura World. To meet this significant boost in demand, Ian Scott, president of Aventura World traveled to Croatia and met with top tourism companies including industry leader Katarina Hauptfeld of Katarina Lines, one of the country's premier destination management companies and cruise operators. Demand for travel to Croatia is surging," said Hauptfield. June and July marked record growth and hoteliers are saying that August is sold out. The aim, of course is for this positive increase to continue driving the tourism recovery ongoing, while keeping the country safe for travelers and residents." Group travelers can embark on Aventura World's 9-Day/7-Night The Best of Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast featuring Zagreb, Split, Plitvice Lakes and Dubrovnik. Highlights of this experiential group travel program in Croatia includes the opportunity to tour Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, and enjoy its culture, arts, music, architecture, history, and gastronomy; excursions to UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Dubrovnik, Trogir, and Split; and an exploration of Montenegro and visit to the Bay of Kotor. Travelers on this distinctive vacation will also tour an authentic Dalmatian Village, experience the Ancient Ottoman city of Mostar, and delve into Plitvice Lakes National Park. If they choose to add-on to their trip with an optional extension in Slovenia, guests can take-in Alpine village of Bled with its spectacular Lake; discover the magic of Ljubljana, Slovenias quaint capital city; and revel in Postojnas underground cave systems before returning home. Croatia's current entry requirements dictate that tourists must present either a negative COVID-19 test taken less than 48 hours before arrival, a vaccination certificate showing fully vaccinated status or a certificate confirming recovery from a COVID-19 infection. To contact Aventura World or to request additional information email: sales@aventuraworld.com. About Aventura World A valued leader in the US group travel marketplace since 1972, Aventura World is a distinctive travel company focused on elevating group travel beyond traditional sightseeing to delivering culturally rich, interactive, and in-depth destination experiences each and every time. The company is known for providing excellent client service, destination expertise, and meticulously planned tour and travel packages. As part of Aventura Worlds international awareness program, the group travel brand presents travelers with a unique insiders perspective and provides enriching moments that bring each destination to life. Backed by the strength of Sakkara Group International, Aventura World offers the reliability and security that its clients are booking and traveling with a strong, long-established, robust group tour operator with a time-honored history as well as an ongoing commitment to providing the best in travel. For additional details, visit AventuraWorld.com. Big Green IT, a leading Microsoft Services Provider, today announced two new additions to its Account Management Team, Todd Vrooman and Lindsay Cowan. These hires will help the IT company continue to fully support the influx of companies migrating to the Cloud. Todd Vrooman was hired as Big Green ITs new Senior Account Manager. Vrooman specializes in hybrid solutions for business. Vrooman previously worked at Nimble, a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Pure Storage. Lindsay Cowan was hired as an Account Manager, where she will apply her years of account services experience from working at Nextiva, a VoIP and collaboration company, and as a Microsoft Cloud Sales Specialist at Tech Data. We took our time identifying the roles we needed to fully support our customer ecosystem, and even more time deciding who would best fill them, said Jeff Rogers, CEO of Big Green IT. Both Lindsays and Todds reputations for excellent customer support and product knowledge preceded them. Our unique value is how we treat our customers, and our biggest asset is our people - we knew they would be a great addition to our Big Green IT Team. These hires follow the companys recent additions in the areas of Sales, Marketing and Engineering, including Tim Devlin, Senior Service Desk Engineer; Dylan Rogers, Digital Support; Ryan Walker, Marketing Support; and Brian Mora, Customer Service. All hires will support Big Green ITs core services of Microsoft Cloud Support, Consulting, Licensing, and Implementation. Founded in 2015, Big Green IT is a nationally-recognized Microsoft Gold Partner. The company was named by Inc. Magazine in Summer 2021 as one of the Best Places to Work in the nation. Big Green IT was also named Best Place to Work in the Sacramento Business Journals micro-company category consecutively for the last four years and the Sacramento Business Journals Fastest Growing Company in 2016. To learn more about Big Green IT, visit BigGreenIT.com. ### ABOUT BIG GREEN IT Big Green IT believes in using the most cutting-edge cloud technologies to help customers transform their companies IT and, ultimately, solve business problems. As a Microsoft Gold Cloud Partner, Big Green IT specializes in Cloud solutions, procurement and implementation for mid to large-sized businesses Learn more at BigGreenIT.com. The Community for Community Leaders We are bringing the Community profession together for mutual benefit, and CLI is well-positioned to be a special place for leaders from many different channels to adapt and grow. The Community Leaders Institute (http://communityleadersinstitute.com) has been launched, as the Community for Community Leaders to unite, support and educate Community Founders, Owners and Managers to launch, build and enhance their communities online and year-round. Dedicated to providing unbiased, market-leading insights, resources and training, the global institute was founded by 365 MEDIA, a highly regarded expert in virtual events and online community consulting and will be guided by the expertise of a Steering Board comprised of world-renowned community leaders. The Community Leaders Institute, which is free to join, will feature an innovative toolkit of templates, worksheets, playbooks and guides to help community professionals launch or grow their communities. An incredible program of Master-classes and training led by the most respected thought leaders on community will also be available, alongside a vendor directory with over 700 technologies and services. A community marketplace and comprehensive directory of communities will also become available in the coming weeks. There is a massive convergence towards community, said RD Whitney, Founder of CLI and CEO of 365 MEDIA. Until now there has been no global, independent home for corporations and brands, associations, non-profits, media/event professionals and entrepreneurs managing communities. At the same time, Marketing is shifting towards the community model made obvious by the TechCrunch headline earlier this year announcing that The Chief Community Officer is the new CMO. CLI has set a mission to provide an unbiased platform for Community leaders to learn, network and thrive. CLI launches with 6 exciting new Masterclasses already in the queue, taught by highly respected subject matter experts from around the globe, including Building an in-Community Research Asset, Launching & Growing a Community-Based Membership Model and Developing a Community Awards Program. The Institute will also feature the most respected Community Management courses from around the world including VEIs Virtual Events Certification, Diane Towers 12 Week Community Manager Training and Strategic Community Management by Richard Millington at Feverbee. CLIs team of experts are actively working on more cutting-edge tools and coursework, with more training to be announced shortly. CLI has also confirmed dates for the inaugural CLI Conference Expo (CLIX) on April 4 & 5, 2022 in Memphis, TN, USA. CLIX will be Chaired by Community Strategist Marjorie Anderson and confirmed speakers include Eric Ly, Co-Founder of Linkedin, Richard Millington, author of Buzzing Communities & The Indispensable Community, Ashley Friedlein, Founder of eConsultancy and Guild, Venessa Paech, Co-Founder of Australian Community Managers and SWARM, and David Adler, CEO of BizBash. Media, technology and marketing are all trending and intersecting toward the direct to consumer economy, Whitney commented. As they continue to accelerate to form community-based models, media and event organizations were jolted because of the pandemic to move towards year-round community models. At the same time, associations who have employed the community model for years can benefit from the techniques now being developed by innovative community builders and leaders. We are bringing the Community profession together for mutual growth and benefit, and CLI is well-positioned to be a special place for leaders from many different channels to adapt and grow. For more information about Community Leaders Institute (CLI), please contact RD Whitney at rd@365media.com or call 603-440-9332. About Community Leaders Institute (CLI) CLI will become the worlds first independent, global educational association and community for community leaders across the community ecosystem. Its a global institute and community offering unique training, coursework, tools and other resources for community leaders and professionals. Its the brainchild of leaders and experts from the events, media and community industries, and will operate with support from 365 MEDIAs team of experts, thought leaders and SMEs in the burgeoning community profession. Their organizational leadership model includes a diverse group of amazing female Executive Directors representing the Americas, Great Britain & Europe and India and Australia. About 365 MEDIA 365 MEDIA started developing community and audience engagement services in 1999 and became a pioneer in the genre by working with business media companies to extend real world media products into successful online versions. Today, 365 MEDIA is a leading services company, now specializing in online communities, online training and certification programs, custom research, and media services such as audience development and engagement. For more information please contact RD Whitney at rd@365media.com or call 603-440-9332. Barbara Yamamoto named to Flight Path Museum LAX Advisory Board Barbara's strong ties to the airport community will be an invaluable resource as we work to enhance Flight Path Museum's visitor experience, educational outreach and community engagement. Barbara Yamamoto, longtime airport communications professional, has joined the Flight Path Museum LAX Advisory Board following a unanimous invitation by the museums Board of Directors. Yamamoto is vice-president of business development for PSM Squared, Inc., a woman owned business specializing in creating excellent guest experiences at airports during times of disruption, construction, and change. She previously served for 20 years as a senior community relations and guest experience executive with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the City agency which operates Los Angeles International Airport. Yamamoto retired from LAWA in September 2020 after 33 years of service with the City of Los Angeles. We are privileged to welcome someone with Barbaras credentials and expertise to our team, said Agnes Huff, PhD, Flight Path Museum LAX President. Her strong ties to the airport community will be an invaluable resource as we work to enhance our visitor experience, educational outreach and community engagement. Yamamotos service at LAX was recognized with an Excellence in Marketing and Communications Award from Airports Council International North America and a Public Service Team Accomplishment Award from the Greater Los Angeles Federal Executive Board. She is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles and holds a masters degree in journalism/public relations from the University of Southern California. She has served as adjunct professor in public relations at Loyola Marymount University. Ive always had a special connection with Flight Path early on in my career, so its an honor for me to come full circle and serve on the Advisory Board. I am grateful for this opportunity and for all that Flight Path brings to the airport community, said Yamamoto. Flight Path Museum LAX will reopen to visitors by reservation and proof of vaccination on Saturday August 7 following the addition of numerous enhancements for the safety and enjoyment of visitors. The initial schedule will be weekends from 12pm to 4pm, with additional days to be added based on demand. Tarmac access will not be offered at this time. Reservations can be made for weekend visits for the month of August at https://flightpathlax.com/timed-visit/. For updated schedules and information, visitors are encouraged to visit the website http://www.flightpathlax.com and sign up for the newsletter to be updated on the phased re-opening schedule. About Flight Path Museum LAX Located in the former Imperial Terminal at 6661 W. Imperial Highway, LA, CA 90045, Flight Path Museum LAX is operated by nonprofit Flight Path Learning Center of Southern California in cooperation with Los Angeles World Airports, the agency which operates Los Angeles International Airport and Van Nuys Airport. For more information, visit the website at http://www.flightpathlax.com and follow us at Instagram & Twitter @flightpathlax and Facebook at @flightpathmuseum. For the first time, Forza brings its uniquely shaped window with dramatically sculpted lines and edgy aesthetic to the wall oven We aim to bring radical Italian design to everything we create at Forza, so we are pleased to unveil our electric wall ovens and warming drawer that feature our signature angular, racecar-inspired lines. Forza is thrilled to announce that new Wall Ovens and a Warming Drawer have crossed the finish line and are revved up for showtime. For the first time, the Italian manufacturer brings its uniquely-shaped window with dramatically sculpted lines and edgy aesthetic to the wall oven. We aim to bring radical Italian design to everything we create at Forza, so we are pleased to unveil our electric wall ovens and warming drawer that feature our signature angular, racecar-inspired lines, said Marco Guerzoni, Forza Director of Marketing and Product Development. TWEET THIS: New Wall Ovens and a Warming Drawer from @ForzaCucina have crossed the finish line and are revved up for showtime, featuring the company's uniquely shaped #oven window and edgy, sculpted lines. #ItalianDesign. Take a look: https://youtu.be/RkLLcconbvU DOUBLE & SINGLE WALL OVENS KEY FEATURES: At 30 inches wide, homeowners can choose between a Double or Single electric wall oven set up. Each cavity features 4.4 cubic feet of capacity with two chromed racks and six rack levels. The wall ovens feature pyrolytic self-cleaning with an automatic door latch, as well as 16 cooking functions, including a Classic Pizza function that is able to quickly heat to 590F in order to emulate the crust created by Italian artisan pizza ovens. Its heating features dual true European convection, blowing heated air to ensure evenly cooked meats and perfectly baked goods. Its bold form and style embodies the soul of radical Italian design with the heart of an American muscle car, featuring unique angular racecar-inspired lines and a soft-close door. WARMING DRAWER KEY FEATURES: A convection heating system offers even heat distribution, with a temperature range of 86F to 194F. The warming drawer features functions that include pre-heating dishes, defrosting foods, and leavening for baking needs. This product also features a Slow Cooking function that can be controlled between 89F up to 190F for additional cooking space in the kitchen. To see a video on these new products, visit https://youtu.be/RkLLcconbvU. About Forza Forza delivers dynamic Italian design with ultra-premium, professional cooking appliances. Designed and built in the heart of the famed Emilia-Romagna region in Modena, Italy, Forza appliances include professional gas ranges, dual convection electric wall ovens, professional range tops, high-performance ventilation hoods and a powerful, energy-efficient dishwasher. Forza is the American brand of parent company, Glem Gas, which has been producing high-performing appliances that embody the spirit of Italian craftsmanship for more than 60 years. For more information about Forza, visit forzacucina.com. The new platform capabilities announced today extend CASB and DLP controls, while offering additional security with the new RBI enhancement," said Paul Martini, CEO of iboss. iboss, the leading Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) cloud security provider, today announced the general availability of three new features that have been added to the iboss Cloud Platform: API Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Advanced CASB controls and Remote Browser Isolation (RBI). These latest enhancements continue to expand the CASB functionality, security, and data leakage protection abilities available on the iboss platform. The future of work is anywhere, and organizations need to ensure they have the right checks and balances in place to ensure their users are securely connected to any application they need from any device, all in the cloud. Part of this requires additional control and visibility into how employees are accessing the resources they need to stay productive, said Paul Martini, CEO of iboss. The new platform capabilities announced today extend CASB and DLP controls, while offering additional security with the new RBI enhancement. These additional features continue to increase the number of ways iboss customers utilize the iboss Cloud Platforms capabilities to support their journey to SASE cloud. Insight into Data at Rest with API Cloud Access Security Broker The iboss platform now offers many Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) features that control and limit access to cloud apps, helping to identify and prevent data leakage. The API CASB functionality allows the iboss platform to support out-of-band access to files via APIs for Box, Google, and Microsoft 365. The integrations with Box, Google, and Microsoft 365 enable the iboss platform to generate a list of files a user has stored in each of these cloud services. This file and user information allows the iboss platform to do further analysis on the content including malware detection and DLP compliance. If any DLP violations are discovered or any file stored within the cloud service contains malware, the file will be flagged along with the specific user. This offers greater insight into the data at rest in Box, Google, and Microsoft 365, and ensures that any DLP violations or malware threats can be remediated quickly. Benefit from Additional Controls for Cloud Applications with Advanced CASB Controls The Advanced CASB features provide additional controls over cloud applications including Azure, AWS EC2, GitHub and more. CASB rules can be configured to trigger a response based on certain actions by the user. This capability can be leveraged to not only block access to unsanctioned cloud apps and services but also provide granular restrictions. Enhance Security with Remote Browser Isolation All traffic going through the iboss cloud is subject to comprehensive security scanning including IPS, malware protection, DLP and CASB. The new Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) feature within the iboss Cloud Platform adds another level of security protection. When users need access to websites that are categorized as high-risk, the RBI feature protects the users device and browser from malware by instantiating a remote session that isolates the web traffic, while never allowing the users native browser direct access to the web resource. This increases protection and reduces the attack surface to stop malware and other threats from trying to exploit that users device. The iboss RBI feature can also be used to allow access to sensitive data hosted in public cloud apps like Box, Dropbox, Salesforce, and more. To ensure the sensitive data is not downloaded or leaked by a user working from the unmanaged device, the iboss platform instantiates a remote session so data is never moved from a trusted location to an untrusted device. There are additional safeguards that prevent unauthorized downloading by users working from unmanaged devices. The iboss SASE cloud platform is built on a patented, containerized cloud architecture that enables users to connect quickly and securely to any cloud destination, from anywhere. This reduces the need for and dependency on VPN to provide secure connectivity, which is typically a bottleneck for users needing to access cloud applications. iboss also eliminates the need for traditional network security appliances, allowing organizations to secure network traffic from anywhere to protect against malware and data loss. For more information on the iboss Cloud Platform, visit: http://www.iboss.com/sase. About iboss iboss is a cloud security company that provides organizations and their employees fast and secure access to the Internet on any device, from any location, in the cloud. The iboss SASE cloud platform provides network security as a service, delivered in the cloud, as a complete SaaS offering. This eliminates the need for traditional network security appliances, such as firewalls and web gateway proxies, which are ineffective at protecting a cloud-first and mobile world. Leveraging a purpose-built cloud architecture backed by 230+ issued and pending patents and more than 100 points of presence globally, iboss processes over 150 billion transactions daily, blocking nearly 4 billion malware threats per day. More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss SASE cloud platform to support their workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies. To learn more, visit https://www.iboss.com/. Media Contact: Jake Klein Goldin Solutions jake@goldin.com 646-660-8644 Before bundling prices, you should get online quotes and see if you actually save money. In many cases, you can save hundreds of dollars, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has released a new blog post that explains the many advantages of bundling car insurance with other policies or applying for multi-car insurance plans. For more info and free quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/why-bundle-car-insurance-plans/ When combining multiple policies, the customer gets a series of advantages. Amongst the most important benefits, we include: A considerably reduced amount of paperwork. When dealing with a single contact, the policyholder will have to pay a single bill. Additionally, he will be represented by a single agent for all covered assets. The client may even have to call just a single phone number that will answer to all his needs. Overall, it is less stressful to work with a single company for everything. Get access to several discounts. Clients who bring more business to the company are usually rewarded. Online forms mention about saving a certain percentage when adding a new vehicle or bundling auto with home insurance. The value of the discount varies by the insurance company, but it can get as high as 20%. Clients will be notified about the best deals when renewing coverage. Insurance companies want to keep satisfied clients that have multiple assets covered. They will inform the best prices and offers upon renewal. Those offers may include discounts, special policies for newer cars, loyalty bonuses, and so on. It is recommended to compare prices before bundling. Drivers should check if they actually save money by bundling policies. If a company offers great prices for car insurance, it does not mean they offer great prices for home insurance. Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. For more information and free online quotes, please visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Humanizing the Bank Customer Experience "This research is really exciting because it highlights specific areas banks can focus on to more effectively engage customers, actions that make a positive impact on customer satisfaction and advocacy. With so much at stake, having a new lens to frame those decisions is really impactful." Humanizing the Bank Customer Experience, a new research report from American Banker in partnership with Monigle, a creative experience agency, examines the core of what drives customers to choose and stick with a particular financial institution to help executives take meaningful actions to build strong bank-to-customer experiences. More than 8,500 U.S. consumers evaluated and ranked 50 leading FIs on the factors proven to drive customer satisfaction and advocacy. This report is built to equip business leaders with the impactful data and tools, based on in-depth consumer insights and perspectives, to drive immediate change in organizations as we emerge post-pandemic with revised consumer expectations. Participating members of the study have the opportunity to access playbooks that provide details of their financial institutions performance in customer experience. Sponsored by Technysis, the comprehensive report, and associated rankings of 50 financial institution brands, provides detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of financial institutions by type, and insights from the top performing institutions who are leading the way for their category. In particular, the findings in this report reveal key opportunities for financial institutions to continue humanizing the customer experience to drive a connection to, and action by, customers. As bank consolidation increases and new challengers enter the market, financial institutions need to deliver the best customer experiences possible to attract and retain customers. As large banks seek to appeal to the masses and community banks and credit unions try to stay relevant, many fail in the human aspects of the customer relationship that drive engagement. This research uses a proven customer experience framework to evaluate and rank financial institutions on the essential elements of their performance. Janet King, Vice President, Arizent Research says, "This research is really exciting because it highlights specific areas banks can focus on to more effectively engage customers, actions that make a positive impact on customer satisfaction and advocacy. With so much at stake, having a new lens to frame those decisions is really impactful. Other key findings of the research include: The biggest opportunity for competitive differentiation may reside in the emotional dimension of the customer experience. Credit unions and challenger banks scored particularly well on the emotional motivators, representing a potential threat, poised to break the mold traditional retail banks have used to engage customers in the past. Secure digital tools and mobile apps that enable consumers to easily access and manage their money are table stakes for most Financial Institutions (FIs). While ATMs and call centers are yesterdays tech, they still resonate as important points of FI engagement for todays younger consumers. All FIs have their work cut out for them when it comes to how consumers sense a brand, from the physical branch to online platforms and community activities. Some need to overcome the inherent disadvantages of being an online-only or mostly branchless FI. Today, American Banker released these results and the ranked list of these 50 institutions. The number 2 ranked institution shares, "America First Credit Union is humbled and grateful to learn members ranked us the top credit union on the list of national financial institutions, said Tammy Gallegos, America First Credit Union Chief Strategic Engagement Officer. Our members know America First Credit Union is safe, secure, reliable, responsive, and dedicated to their financial well-being while working collaboratively to benefit the communities in which we are invested." Humanizing the Bank Customer Experience, American Banker: https://www.americanbanker.com/news/why-banks-are-stuck-in-second-gear The financial firms customers admire most, American Banker: https://www.americanbanker.com/list/the-financial-firms-customers-admire-most Learn more with deeper dives into the findings of this research at two upcoming American Banker events, FAST FORWARD, November 9, 2021 and DIGITAL BANKING, November 16-18, 2021. Research Background/Methodology In March and April 2021, American Banker and Monigle collaborated to conduct two large-scale surveys among nationally representative samples of financial consumers. These surveys collected responses from a combined total of roughly 8,500 U.S. adults ages 18 years and older. The first survey, with 3,480 respondents, focused on the trends and attitudes shaping consumer expectations and behaviors in financial services today. In the second survey, more than 5,000 U.S. consumers evaluated 50 leading FIs on the factors proven to drive customer satisfaction and advocacy. For more information on this study or to access the actionable playbook or other Arizent research, contact: Janet King Vice President, Research Arizent janet.king@arizent.com 207-807-4806 About Arizent Arizent is a business information company that advances professional communities by providing insights and analysis and convening industry leaders. The company uses deep industry expertise and a data-driven platform to deliver its services, which include subscriptions, marketing services, live events and access to Leaders, an executive forum. Arizent also connects business communities through leading financial services brands like American Banker, The Bond Buyer, Financial Planning and National Mortgage News, as well as professional services brands like Accounting Today, Employee Benefit News and Digital Insurance. Arizent Research delivers actionable insights through full-service research solutions that tap into their first-party data, industry SMEs and highly engaged communities across banking, payments, mortgage, insurance, municipal finance, accounting, HR/employee benefits and wealth management. About Monigle: Monigle is a creative experience company fueled by humanizing brands that move people. As one of the largest independent brand consultancies in the United States, were independent in spirit and in ownership, unbound to both the status quo and shareholders. Fueled by 140+ builders and makers across offices in Denver and New York, our teams create and deliver powerful brand experiences across a spectrum of services, including insights, strategy, creative, culture, activation, branded environments, and BEAMthe worlds leading brand engagement and asset management platform. Humanizing Brands. Moving People. Visit http://www.monigle.com to learn more. About Technisys: Technisys is the next-gen digital and core banking platform that redefines the customer experience. As a best-in-class technology platform, Technisys uniquely delivers differentiation in two key ways. By empowering financial institutions to dynamically create tailored financial products at the speed of commerce. And, by offering meaningful recommendations, to customers at point of need. How are we different? We use data-driven insights and integrate them with our unique technology that enables structural flexibility. A flexibility that allows financial institutions to create and tailor any financial product - in seconds - to deliver a seamless digital experience at every customer touchpoint whether online, on the phone, or at a branch. Giving banks and fintechs the agility to tailor offerings that become integral to a customers lifestyle in new and profound ways, down to the segment of one. Visit http://www.technisys.com to learn more. A PECO Pallet associate conducts an in-depth inspection and repair process to ready one of PECO's signature red-block pallets for re-issue to a customer. Sustainability is ingrained in our culture and is supported daily in the attitude and actions of our employees, our work process and the practices we follow in procuring and manufacturing our signature red-block pallets, Joe Dagnese, president, PECO Pallet PECO Pallet, Inc., one of North Americas largest providers of pooled rental pallets to the beverage, grocery, and consumer products industries, has been named a Top Green Provider for 2021 by Food Logistics magazine in its annual recognition of companies demonstrating exemplary leadership in sustainability. The magazine annually considers several hundred businesses serving the cold food and beverage industry and evaluates their programs and activities promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship. Among the criteria evaluated by the editorial staff are participation in activities such as the EPAs SmartWay and other recognized sustainability programs; incorporation of LEED-certified facilities; use of solar power, LED lighting and other energy saving measures; resource conservation practices, and other actions to reduce GHG emissions. "When the pandemic hit, I thought for sure that sustainability would be pushed to the wayside. But, in fact, the complete opposite happened despite the many disruptions that supply chain practitioners continued to face, says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. Sustainability is the key to success, and the recipients of this years award prove that when sustainability matters to them, they will continue do great things and make a difference in the industry. Joe Dagnese, president of PECO Pallet, cited the companys emphasis on sustainably sourced materials for its pallets, proactive energy management and conservation programs, and a companywide focus on lean methodologies to reduce waste as key contributors. Sustainability is ingrained in our culture and is supported daily in the attitude and actions of our employees, our work process and the practices we follow in procuring and manufacturing our signature red-block pallets, he noted. This award is a tribute to our employees and how they deliver on our sustainability commitment for our customers. PECO currently operates a North American pallet pool network encompassing more than 80 facilities and 21 million pallets. The company builds, services, delivers, and manages distribution of its signature red, high-quality block pallets for Americas top consumer products, grocery, and other food-related enterprises to ship goods. The complete list of 2021 Food Logistics Top Green Providers can be found at http://www.foodlogistics.com. About PECO Pallet, Inc. Irvington, NY-based PECO Pallet is the North American leader in pallet rental services and provides millions of its red block pallets to major grocery and consumer goods manufacturers in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. PECO Pallets tremendous growth over the last decade reflects the companys commitment to quality and service. Customers using PECOs superior pallets experience less product damage, greater efficiency, improved safety, and significant cost savings. PECO is headquartered in Irvington, New York. For more information about PECO Pallet, please visit http://www.pecopallet.com. An exhilarating and immersive cautionary tale with a whip-smart heroine and a group of talented, justice-bent hackers, Breaking Backbones: Information Is Power: Book I of the Hacker Trilogy empowers readers to think critically about what is at stake in todays ongoing cyberwarfare. Deb Radcliff draws from her 25 years on the cybercrime beat to explore the implications of a world in which all data and power are concentrated in the hands of a technological conglomerate called GlobeCom. A long-standing battle between privacy and convenience erupts after a human chip implant called a unique identifier (UI) becomes compulsory for participation in everyday life. GlobeCom, the Orwellian company behind UI, uses this technology to expand its political dominance, and implements 24/7 surveillance as a means of control. In retaliation, various hacker clans join forces, conspiring to break the network backbone and restore personal liberty. Pivotal to the operation is the UFJ hacker clan, led by den mother and former digital forensics expert Cy and an insider helping them whose identity as GlobeCom chief security officer Leonard Smith is only known to Cy. Destroying GlobeComs data centers brings them closer to their goal of ending GlobeComs grip on humanity, but then local clan leaders set Leonard up as a target for their next attack, and Cy must act quickly to protect him without compromising their entire mission. Radcliff's gripping story pushes readers to consider the consequences of technological overreach and demonstrates how data and surveillance can be wielded as weapons against humanity. Inspired by the brilliant and colorful people she has met during her career, she also seeks to introduce mainstream audiences to the diverse and fascinating world of hacking and the lifestyles and philosophies that make the people in this community unique. Deb Radcliff knows how to craft a riveting cyber-spy thriller that reads like a high-speed car chase through the intersection of the real world and cyberspace, said Diana Kelley, co-founder and CTO of SecurityCurve. Backed by Debs years of experience as an investigative journalist covering cybersecurity, Breaking Backbones is an up-all-night page-turner told by an insider. Breaking Backbones: Information Is Power: Book I of the Hacker Trilogy By Deb Radcliff ISBN: 9781665701082 (softcover); 9781665701099 (hardcover); 9781665701105 (electronic) Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Archway Publishing About the author Deb Radcliff is an author and analyst with an extensive background in cybersecurity and cybercrime writing. In 1996, after researching a bestselling book about computer hacker Kevin Mitnick authored by Jon Littman, she decided to make cybercrime a beat. As a pioneering cybercrime journalist, she built relationships with cyberagents and leaders in the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, NYPD and several agencies within DOD as well as many other local and federal agencies that were creating and growing their cyber units. Her articles are cited in numerous research papers and college textbooks, and she has won two Neal Awards for investigative business reporting and was runner-up for a third. She has also spoken at West Point and continues to speak and write about cybercrime and security. To learn more about Radcliff, please visit debradcliff.com or connect with her on Facebook (@BreakingBackbones), Twitter (@DebRadcliff), Instagram (@debradcliff81) and LinkedIn. Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Phoenix Leslie Standridge 480-998-2600 x 586 lstandridge(at)lavidge(dot)com Our partnership with Power Knot is a unique opportunity for our students to use tangible, data-driven technologies to take climate action. Power Knot LLC, the market leader for on site organic waste management solutions announced today that it has formed a partnership with PilotCity to benefit students. PilotCity is an education technology startup on a mission to enable students to shape the future of their own communities and cities. The partnership empowers students to build a project of their choice for an opportunity to win internships, jobs, fellowships, and entrepreneurial positions to gain work experience. Power Knot joins 32 other employers participating in PilotCitys program to offer projects and internships in technology, business and marketing, data science, and other projects in high-growth industries. The partnership is designed to take the first steps towards a world where the youth can gain usable technical knowledge in the workplace and further their professional careers. As PilotCity mobilizes an engine of innovation in our communities, the single topic that young people rally action on is - sustainability. Sustainability starts with education, said Iain Milnes, President at Power Knot. Our partnership with PilotCity empowers students to advance their local City or Countys Climate Action Plan and make a direct impact on the environment. We are excited to work with our local community. Power Knot is a leader in its field of diverting food waste from the landfill, commented Derick Lee, CEO and founder of PilotCity. Derick added, Our partnership with Power Knot is a unique opportunity for our students to use tangible, data-driven technologies to take climate action. PilotCity is excited to share this experience with our teachers, schools, and parents for our students to build projects for Power Knot to win internships. About the LFC Biodigester The LFC Biodigester is a machine that digests food waste. These machines are usually installed in a commercial kitchen and reduces the expense, inconvenience, mess, and carbon footprint of disposing of waste food that would otherwise be hauled to a landfill. Power Knot has eight different sizes that digest from 20 lb (10 kg) per day to 4000 lb (1800 kg) per day of waste food. With many hundreds of installations globally, the LFC Biodigester has proven to be reliable, safe, and cost effective. About Power Knot Power Knot provides safe and economically sound solutions for commercial, industrial, and military customers globally seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. Our technologies are proven, available today, have been in reliable use for many years, and offer a payback period typically of less than two years. We design, develop, and manufacture our products in our headquarters in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, access http://www.powerknot.com. The Prophecy By J.B. Liquorish This story is not only a fictional tale, but it also highlights that even though we all have our personal struggles, we have to find a way in life to move forward, and that is what Warwick is doing throughout each step he takes on his quest. There are many moments in life that identify a person. In author J.B. Liquorishs new book, The Prophecy, he introduces a young man named Warwick whose life is turned upside down when a mysterious key emerges. Within the Scottish Highlands, readers will embark on a mystical quest to find answers across the wildest and most challenging terrains in all of Northern Scotland. Throughout the book, Liquorish will captivate readers with the imagery that is seen on every page. Warwick always tried to live a quiet life with his parents in a small stone house. When he comes across this mysterious key with the appearance of an ancient enemy believed to be a myth, Scotland and his home are on the verge of complete destruction. Warwick is forced into an arduous voyage to save his home and overcome his personal struggles to glory. His only aid throughout this journey is a cloaked mystical man named Rowan, who soon becomes a mentor and father figure. My new book, The Prophecy reflects on so many different things that I have experienced throughout my life, said Liquorish. The characters embody me and the people I met along the way throughout my travels in Scotland. This story is not only a fictional tale, but it also highlights that even though we all have our personal struggles, we have to find a way in life to move forward, and that is what Warwick is doing throughout each step he takes on his quest. Ultimately, readers will be taken on a fantastical adventure with a hidden meaning that they can relate to. Liquorishs novel collides with modern-day culture and provides an outlet for individuals to read that they are not alone in whatever obstacle they face. By the end of the book, Warwicks quest will illuminate the importance of finding ones inner glory. The Prophecy By J.B. Liquorish ISBN: 978-1-9822-8291-2 (softcover); 978-1-9822-8293-6 (hardcover); 978-1-9822-8292-9 (electronic) Available at Balboa Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the author J.B. Liquorish is a writer who lives in Loughborough, England. He walks all over Scotland, absorbing inspiration from its stunning culture, scenic vistas, and phenomenal wildlife, all of which he has laced into his short stories and now this, his first novel. For years, Liquorish has investigated the paranormal, strongly believing that there is a lot more to this world. His research inspires his writing, adding a great sense of mystery and spirituality to his works. He writes both fiction and non-fiction stories and accounts of his findings. Jamie has been writing since he was a teenager, inspired by the great works of J. R. R. Tolkien. General Inquiries: LAVIDGE Phoenix Grace Connor 480-998-2600 x 534 gconnor(at)lavidge(dot)com LCR-Reader-MPA from Siborg Systems Inc. Siborg will be bringing their experience and knowledge of the component testing to EDS Summit 2022 in Las Vegas. Canadian based Siborg Systems Inc. will be attending Las Vegas EDS Leadership Summit , where they will be displaying their line of electronic multimeters, LCR-Reader, while also offering their extensive knowledge of semiconductor process and device simulation. EDS Summit is a leadership summit for component manufacturers, distributors and representatives. The week is used for networking and matchmaking by industry professionals and brings together groups of bright minds to exchange ideas. All of them require component testing tools offered by Siborg. The summit will be held from May 10 - 13, 2022 at the Mirage in Las Vegas. Siborg Systems Inc. began in 1994 and has since expanded to offer various kinds of engineering and scientific hardware and software. This includes software such as MicroTec for two-dimensional semiconductor process and device simulations. The hardware side of Siborg started with the Smart Tweezers project in the early 2000s, creating an integrated high accuracy multimeter with a set of tweezers as probes. Siborg began offering their own line of multimeters, the LCR-Reader line, in 2014. LCR-Reader began as an affordable alternative to Smart Tweezers multimeters, with a lower cost while still offering a 0.5% basic accuracy and automatic LCR/ESR measurements. The device allows users to measure components with no set-up; the device automatically determines the type of component and best test parameters to use before measuring with high accuracy. All measurement values, including test parameters, are instantly available on the display of the device. Siborg is well represented internationally by their Amazon stores and distributors, the latest LCR-Reader distributor is Aro Electromech Pvt. Ltd from New Delhi, India which will perform sales and technical support of LCR-Reader products. Now there are many different models in the LCR-Reader family available: LCR-Reader with 0.5% basic accuracy and fully automatic LCR/ESR measurements LCR-Reader Colibri with 0.5% basic accuracy, selectable test frequencies and automatic LCR/ESR measurements LCR-Reader MP with 0.1% basic accuracy and wide range of features including automatic and manual LCR/ESR measurements, voltage measurements, LED/diode testing, signal generation, the return of oscilloscope mode, and more. LCR-Reader-MPA with 0.2% basic accuracy, automatic and manual LCR/ESR/LED/Diode testing, up to 100 kHz test frequency, oscilloscope, Super Cap testing, AC/DC voltage/current measurements, signal generator, and many more. LCR-Reader-MPA BT a Bluetooth enabled version with remote measurement recording in real-time and, using the companion software, the ability to automatically grant pass/fail to tested components meeting specific measurement ranges. LCR-Reader Ring Coil Test attachment for testing winding turns using the LCR-Reader-MPA The LCR-Reader-MPA won bronze place in Plant Engineerings Product of the Year 2020 in the Maintenance Tools and Equipment category, as voted by subscribers. MPA went up against products from Exair, Des-Case Corp and Fluke Corp. Looking to the future, Siborg is currently developing a new model of LCR-Reader, the LCR-Reader-R2. This model will offer a 0.1% basic accuracy and record high 300 kHz test frequency. This device will possibly have the ability of using an adjustable 100 Ohm and 1 kOhm signal source resistance for better in-circuit testing. The new device will be available before the end of 2021. Siborg offers their devices for sale through their online store, the LCR-Reader Store, and on Amazon sales channels in North America and Europe. They also have a global network of resellers, which can be viewed here. Visit Siborg at EDS 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 10- 13 2022, at Booth 119. Sigma Business Solutions Inc. (Sigma) announced today that it has joined the OpenText Solution Extension Partner Program, as a Gold Tier partner. The partnership offers Sigma and OpenText customers the ability to retain access to vital SAP information. As an OpenText Solution Extension Partner, Sigma expands on the OpenText InfoArchive product line to provide a full-service, comprehensive solution for decommissioning SAP applications, simplifying access to critical data, and complying with governance requirements. InfoArchive is a modern archive solution and cloud-based service for archiving both structured and unstructured information in a consolidated, scalable, secure, and manageable repository. Having worked with OpenText for three years to support decommissioning efforts, we are thrilled to officially join the OpenText Solution Extension Partner Program, said Joseph Didiano, Managing Partner, Sigma Business Solutions Inc. Together, we offer organizations a robust, end-to-end solution to decommission inactive and legacy SAP systems, while retaining access to vital information and satisfying all business requirements. We look forward to a continued, successful and lasting partnership. This solution, Sigma Migration Center (SMC), extracts, transforms and loads (ETL) SAP data from any given SAP application into InfoArchive. SMC provides multiple pre-built view options for the data, as well as an ad-hoc query writer that emulates the SAP user experience to ensure simplified end-user access. In addition to the SMC solution, the partnership brings together the knowledge and expertise of Sigma and OpenText to help meet each customers unique requirements at every stage of the decommissioning lifecycle. Organizations require help managing the lifecycle of their SAP application data, said Lou Blatt, SVP and CMO at OpenText. Our partnership with Sigma enables our mutual customers to ensure a successful transition to the SAP S/4 HANA Cloud, while preserving access to legacy data and achieving application rationalization and audit compliance. As an OpenText Gold partner, Sigma brings to the program 22 years of demonstrated skills to deliver high quality SAP data management solutions to customers in all verticals throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. About Sigma Business Solutions Sigma Business Solutions Inc. (Sigma) is a Canadian company focused on developing and selling enterprise content and information lifecycle management software and services for SAP. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, our team of 125 employees is proud to service over 250 clients globally. For more information, please contact: Ameer Ramsundar, Managing Partner ameerr@sigma-sbs.com 6 Attorneys with Steinberg Law Firm Named Elite Lawyer 2021 The awarded attorneys are David T. Pearlman, Thomas M. White, Malcolm M. Crosland, Jr., Steven E. Goldberg, Michael J. Jordan, and Benjamin W. Akery. Elite Lawyer is a directory that recognizes lawyers across the country. It awards attorneys whose peers have nominated them for displaying a high level of capability and proficiency in their practice. Since 1927, the attorneys at The Steinberg Law Firm have advocated for victims of complicated negligence cases in South Carolina. The firms practice areas include workers compensation, personal injury, catastrophic injuries, vehicle accidents, construction defects, medical malpractice, and more. Attorney David T. Pearlman is the managing partner of The Steinberg Law Firm. He focuses his time and effort on workers compensation cases. He was an adjunct professor on the subject at Charleston School of Law, has given lectures on workers rights, and served on numerous committees committed to addressing these matters, including as legislative chairperson for South Carolina Injured Workers Advocates (IWA) for the last 12 years. For over 40 years, Attorney Pearlman has held membership with the South Carolina Bar. Attorney Thomas M. White joined The Steinberg Law Firm in 1980, and he exclusively deals with work injury cases. Attorney White is a former Goose Creek municipal judge who holds membership with the Charleston County Bar Association, South Carolina Bar Association, and South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association. Attorney Malcolm M. Crosland, Jr. handles various personal injury cases, ranging from vehicle accidents to nursing home abuse and wrongful death suits. With 34 years of experience, Attorney Crosland represents his clients before state and federal courts, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the South Carolina Workers Compensation Commission. In 1993, Attorney Steven E. Goldberg joined The Steinberg Law Firm. Attorney Goldberg has experience representing victims of on-the-job injuries, car accidents, and all personal injury cases. He also works to help families whose loved ones have been injured or have died due to nursing home neglect. A native of South Carolina, Attorney Michael J. Jordan is dedicated to helping victims of personal injuries inside and outside the workplace. Boasting substantial involvement in his legal community, Attorney Jordan is a former president of the Berkeley County Bar Association and has been nominated to the Executive Committee of the SC Injured Workers Advocates. Benjamin W. Akery currently serves on the board of governors of the South Carolina Association for Justice and holds membership with the Injured Workers Advocates. He was previously nominated as one of the Top 40 Attorneys Under 40 in South Carolina by the National Trial Lawyers Association. About The Steinberg Law Firm Irving Steinberg founded The Steinberg Law Firm in 1927. With nearly 100 years of experience providing support to injury victims in South Carolina, the firm has recovered over $500 million for its clients. The firms compassionate and attentive attorneys are particularly committed to cases involving workers compensation and severe injuries. To learn more about The Steinberg Law Firm, visit https://www.steinberglawfirm.com/ or call 843-720-2800 for a free consultation. To learn more about Elite Lawyer, visit https://www.elitelawyer.com/ or call 833-403-5483. "I turned to my network of higher education IT professionals and a colleague from another Windsor-based university highly recommended Ericom Connect for a number of reasons." Ericom Software, a leading provider of Zero Trust secure web and application access solutions and developer of the ZTEdge SASE Platform, today announced that St. Clair College, a Windsor, Ontario, Canada based college focused on Health, Technology and Trades, Business and I.T., Media Arts and Social Services, has renewed its use of Ericom Connect to enable remote access to its healthcare and general labs coursework. St. Clair College, which educates 13,000 full-time students who participate in over 120 advanced diplomas, degrees and graduate certificates, first partnered with Ericom Software at the end of March 2020 when COVID-19 shut down college campuses across the globe. At that time, James Wang, St. Clair College Enterprise Support, was faced with the challenge of finding a remote access solution that would enable student access to the colleges network and labs for Healthcare IT and Engineering programs. First and foremost, we needed a solution that didnt require an investment in additional virtual private networks, Wang said. I turned to my network of higher education IT professionals and a colleague from another Windsor-based university highly recommended Ericom Connect for a number of reasons. After a thorough competitive analysis, St. Clair College selected Ericom Connect. Wang continued, The solution didnt require that we purchase and manage additional VPNs. Instead, it leveraged our existing VPN infrastructure. Technical support was also important to the college because they have a small IT department. It was also clear that it was going to be easy to implement and that we would get the support we needed to get up and running quickly, he said. Ericom Connect offers clientless web-based remote access from any device and browser, with nothing to deploy on endpoints. Having a solution that didnt require the students to configure their devices and was easy to deploy made their transition to a full-time off-campus environment simpler when COVID-19 suddenly shut down campus. Wang continued, One of our biggest challenges was being able to schedule students remote access to lab computers. Many of St. Clairs international students returned to their home countries for several months because of the pandemic. With so many of our students being from Asia, India and China, we needed to provide access to lab computers 24/7. Ericoms support created a comprehensive scheduling interface that specifically addressed this important capability for the students. Additionally, the interface prioritized open lab times so computers would not sit idle. Ericom Connect handled the processing requirements for remote access to lab computers that ran high-CPU applications. Additionally, Ericom Blaze RDP Acceleration Software improved processing of image-rich CAD applications. We partnered closely with the St. Clair IT Team, said Tom Fay, Ericom Technical Support. Together, we were able to quickly deploy Ericom Connect into their existing Infrastructure while addressing specific challenges that were unique to their environment and use cases, such as multiple domain support, auto-deploying remote agents to lab machines, implementing http to https redirection, and providing a means to restrict user group access by time/date. Fay continued, Im pleased to see that so many of the organizations we worked with in the Spring of 2020 to use Ericom Connect to quickly provision their secure remote access environments elected to renew, and frequently expand, their use of the solution. They really appreciate the robust capabilities in a simplified and cost-effective package, and many are taking advantage of the new cloud-service option that weve introduced. To learn more about Ericom Connect, visit: https://www.ericom.com/ericom-connect/. About Ericom Software Ericom Software is a leading provider of cloud-delivered, Zero Trust cybersecurity solutions that protect todays digitally distributed organizations from advanced security threats. The companys ZTEdge platform is the industrys first Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution developed specifically for midsize enterprises and small businesses. Ericom solutions leverage innovative remote browser isolation, application isolation, microsegmentation, and virtualization technologies, and are delivered on the Ericom Global Cloud, a distributed high-availability elastic cloud platform. Ericoms cybersecurity solutions protect tens of thousands of businesses and millions of end users worldwide. The company has offices around the world and a global network of distributors and partners. For more information about Ericom and its products, visit http://www.ericom.com. Follow Ericom Software on our blog, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The number of cyber breaches in organizations has risen dramatically because of the high adoption rate of software processes and security tools (SaaS-based DevSecOps)" The US Patent Office (USPO) has issued patent number US 11,080,162 August 3, 2021 that covers The System and Method for Visualizing and Measuring Software Assets. With software risk now a board-level discussion, and a topic of major concern, the patented invention comes in a perfect storm opportunity. Recent, highly targeted ransomware and malware attacks have showcased a common misconception: that if products and software delivery processes were considered "compliant by a consultant, they were also secure. These incidents highlight that just being compliant has most organizations woefully unprepared to detect and prevent such threats, resulting in U.S. President Bidens Executive Orders for Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Performance and Securing Critical Software Supply Chains, then NISTs response with two key publications. Companies, board members, regulators, and cyber insurers now require continuous awareness of software assets, potential breach paths, and real-time cybersecurity performance. Tauruseers well-timed patented system powers intelligent infrastructures for proactive, continuous and integrated risk management and assurance via API connections, enabling organizations to monitor their product portfolio risks at every change. The access and activities performed by tool users, with the oversight by the system, helps prevent unknown risks, compromise, and insider threats from going unnoticed, provides a clear audit trail, and ensures secure software development and delivery to critical systems, applications, and data. Monitoring of the API connections, user actions, and non-user actions is especially important in regulated industries such as finance, payments, banking, healthcare and devices, energy, and insurance as well as in applications where users are accessing highly sensitive data. The patented system allows a unique combination of an integration engine, analytics engine, and correlation engine using machine learning to discover risks and provide the user real-time intelligence regarding the software applications to develop risk maturity. Frustrated with software development security being driven by consultants and manual assessments, Tauruseers motivation was to help organizations break free of these traditional, costly, and time-consuming assessments. Predicting markets would change, Tauruseer sought to help organizations match their real-world needs of environments changing several times a day, every day. The patented invention provides real-time feedback, metrics, insights and anomaly detection of an organization at all levels on what software there is, how software is being used, and software management options to securing the environment from code to cloud. The number of cyber breaches in organizations has risen dramatically because of the high adoption rate of software processes and security tools (SaaS-based DevSecOps) that are not fully-operationalized, have insecure configurations, and remain siloed within one area of an organization as potentially unmanaged Shadow IT or rogue development. We are pleased that the US Patent Office has recognized the uniqueness of the underlying technology of Tauruseer and granted this patent, said Jeremy Vaughan, CEO of Tauruseer. The patent further strengthens the differentiation of Tauruseer against its competitors and provides our company a sustainable competitive advantage in next-generation big data analytics, DevSecOps, controls monitoring, and cybersecurity markets. The patented system is especially important for highly regulated and security-conscious industries which are our key markets. Tauruseer is on its way to having an extensive portfolio of patents with its newly filed patent applications covering all key capabilities and creates shareholder value by giving Tauruseer the freedom to operate with significant product differentiation. For more information: media@tauruseer.com About Tauruseer Inc. Tauruseer is the first proactive, continuous and product-centric risk management and assurance platform purpose-built for ProductOps. One lightweight platform enables proactive intelligence that helps discover, manage, and prevent risks, allowing teams to focus on optimizing speed and delivering business value without compromise. With Tauruseer, leadership operationalizes their "trust-and-verify" environment and IT teams rely on automated IT analytics, processes, and policies across their product portfolio. With intelligent infrastructure, constant management of contextual problems, insider threats, supply chain, and anomalies results in scaling risk avoidance, agility, and efficiencies across the organization, reducing costs of software engineering and compliance reporting. For more information, please visit https://www.tauruseer.com/ 'We Interrupt This Broadcast: Before it was history, it was news' Debuts July 20, 2021 "Jim, you dont get thisDodi Fyad has been dating Princess Diana. We think she's in the car and we think she's hurt." - Chris Cramer, president of CNN, to Paris correspondent Jim Bitterman From the day of her wedding to Prince Charles, the global media were enthralled by Princess Diana, dubbed The Peoples Princess. When she died tragically at the age of 36 in a car accident during an unscheduled rendezvous in Paris, no one not the royal family, nor the media was prepared for the news, nor month-long frenzy that would follow. We were happily and deeply asleep when the phone rang [the Atlanta desk said they] have a report that Dodi Fyad has been in an accident in Paris, recalled Jim Bitterman, CNNs Paris Bureau correspondent who was interviewed for We Interrupt This Broadcast, a new podcast that celebrates the crucial role broadcast journalism has played over the past century. After attempting to brush off the news as something that could wait until morning, Bitterman remembers the president of CNN news, Chris Kramer, getting on the phone and saying, Jim, you dont get thisDodi Fyad has been dating Princess Diana. We think she's in the car and we think she's hurt. Episode 7 of the podcast, The Death of Princess Di, features exclusive interviews with many of the journalists who covered the accident, the funeral, and the investigation that followed. Contributors include Bitterman, David Bernknopf, former VP of news planning for CNN; Patricia Kelly, former CNN Brussels bureau chief; Kevin Connolly, BBC Paris bureau reporter; Marcy McGinnis, former London bureau chief and SVP of special event news coverage for CBS News; Beth OConnell, former executive producer of NBC News Special Events; and Dickie Arbiter, former spokesperson for the Queen and Buckingham Palace. The interactions revealed the chaotic nature of the story as it unfolded, including a telling lack of information from official sources from the onset. Nobody in Paris, not the French government, not the medical authorities, not the police, nobody in Paris wanted to be the person taking responsibility for announcing what was obviously going to be a momentous Global news story, recalled Connolly (BBC). Naturally, this led to speculation, but sleuthing journalists feared the worst. If [Diana] was okay, [the Palace] would be issuing some statement saying she's going to be okay, CNNs Bernknopf notes. The absence of that for someone this important to the Royal family tells me that this is worse than we know. The Diana episode explores not only the information flow, but the monumental effort it took to cover both the initial breaking news, as well as the weeks-long follow-up that included the funeral and the ensuing investigation. I literally was in the office every day for 30 days, cranking out stories. And the interest just did not go away, said CNNs Bitterman. My bureau went from a normal number of about 45 people to 150 people in a day, says McGinnis of CBS. It looks frenetic, but the fact of the matter is, when everybody understands their job really well, it all comes together. In addition to the news coverage, the podcast acknowledges that journalism itself was an integral part of the story. Diana was such an extraordinarily transfixing figure for the news industry that almost any information about her was regarded as news by somebody, Connolly reminisced. The idea that Diana had effectively been hounded to her death by this mob of paparazzi very quickly became thewidely accepted account of events. But the paparazzi are not true journalists, accused George Clooney, whose now famous speech in front of the LA office of the Screen Actors Guild is memorialized in the episode: Princess Di is dead, and who should we see about that? The driver of the car? The paparazzi? Or the magazines and papers who purchased these pictures and make bounty hunters out of photographers? Finally, the show offers a unique look at the emotional toll stories like this can have on the journalists who cover them. When we got off the air, I remember just all of a sudden, I started to cry and people were saying, what's the matter, what's the matter? recalls McGinnis. I think it was all of this pent up everything I had kept inside; I was so nervous and so scared the whole two weeks we were covering this story because it was so huge. As a journalistyou feel the moment. For me as an executive producer, you just want to impart that because it's part of that humanity, notes NBCs OConnell. The podcast, based on Joe Garners New York Times Bestselling book of the same name, celebrates the crucial role broadcast journalism has played throughout our nations history. Hosted by legendary broadcaster Bill Kurtis and narrated by NBCs Brian Williams, each episode unfolds with the brisk pace and tone of a thriller while presenting an in-depth look into the reporting of, and reaction to, events that have since become benchmarks in history. The contributors are a Whos who in broadcast journalism. The docuseries, produced by i4 Media Ventures, LLC, will be presented over six 12-episode seasons for a total of 72 episodes. Each season is comprised of 12 episodes, all published simultaneously: 10 episodes in each season are based on events that occurred in the broadcast era and two are based on seminal moments that occurred in early American history (such as the passing of the 19th Amendment) and dramatized as if reported by broadcast journalists. Each episode concludes with the journalists offering candid and critical analysis on how they and their fellow reporters covered the event. We Interrupt This Broadcast is now available for download on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play and wherever listeners get their podcasts. We Interrupt This Broadcast is being represented for ad and sponsorship sales by New York and Los Angeles-based Crossover Media Group Sales (http://www.crossovermediagroup.com). About Joe Garner Dubbed the Ken Burns of the written and recorded word by talk legend Larry King, Joe Garner is a veteran radio industry executive, narrator, host and producer, as well as a multiple New York Times bestselling author. His seminal multimedia book, We Interrupt This Broadcast, innovatively pairing audio, photographs and text, has sold more than one million copies and has for two decades served as a go-to chronicle of Americas broadcast history. The We Interrupt This Broadcast docuseries podcast is the maiden project of i4 Media Ventures, LLC, co-founded in December 2020 by Garner, Ron Hartenbaum and Scott Calka. Editors Note: A link to an online press kit, with a downloadable version of the Death of Princess Di episode and other audio-visual assets, as well as interviews with Williams, Kurtis and each of the contributors, are available upon request. While the move toward digitizing patient data in the form of EMRs has improved data access for clinicians and patients alike, current system design, data silos and conflicting entries increase the cost of data acquisition and limit the analytics needed to improve patient care and conduct research. Quality healthcare and research initiatives would benefit from the ability to efficiently extract patient journeys from electronic medical records (EMRs) across the healthcare system. While the move toward digitizing patient data in the form of EMRs has improved data access for clinicians and patients alike, current system design, data silos and conflicting entries increase the cost of data acquisition and limit the analytics needed to improve patient care and conduct research. As a result of these challenges, organizations typically rely on painstaking manual data curation, consuming highly valuable skilled clinician time. Join this webinar to learn how artificial intelligence (AI) technology is ideally suited for the time-consuming, redundant function of data abstraction, putting the data within easy reach of healthcare professionals for clinical decisions, administrative staff for operational efficiencies, and researchers to leverage real-world patient data. Join Andrew Shin, MD, Clinical Professor, Division of Cardiology, Stanford University; Executive Medical Director of Innovations & Clinical Effectiveness, Stanford Childrens Health and Matt Hollingsworth, MS, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Carta Healthcare in a live webinar on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 2:30pm EDT. For more information, or to register for this event, visit The Patient Journey: Using Advanced Technologies to Understand and Improve Healthcare. ABOUT XTALKS Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers. To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/ All of our portfolio companies will benefit from his guidance, and given the decades he has spent deep in the weeds with fintechs, his ability to see around corners for both opportunities and hazards will be a major addition to Nyca. -Hans Morris, Managing Partner, Nyca. Nyca Partners, a leading fintech venture capital firm, announced that Tom Brown is joining as a Partner. In this role, Mr. Brown brings to Nyca decades of legal fintech experience and deep connections to companies in and around the payments industry. He will be involved in all facets of the business, from fund-raising to sourcing potential investments to helping existing portfolio companies grow and develop. Mr. Brown was most recently in the San Francisco office of Paul Hastings, where he was a Partner over the past decade. He has been a prolific direct investor and advisor in the space, having invested or advised Upstart, Chime, Ramp, Mercury, Albert, Digit, and a host of others. He created and taught a class on payments at U.C. Berkeley Law School and, earlier in his career, was a Vice President at Visa where he served as the catalyst for the companys reorganization. Ive worked with Tom for almost two decades and there is just no question that he is one of the brightest, most insightful, and most innovative and resourceful people I have worked with in financial services. Is there anyone in the world who knows more about the history and development of the alternative payments ecosystem? Maybe, but I cant think of one, said Hans Morris, Managing Partner at Nyca. All of our portfolio companies will benefit from his guidance, and given the decades he has spent deep in the weeds with fintechs, his ability to see around corners for both opportunities and hazards will be a major addition to Nyca. Tom Brown added, I have always enjoyed working with the Nyca team as a Limited Partner Advisor. When Hans raised the possibility of joining as a Partner, I realized that it would be a tremendous opportunity to continue to work with start-ups, but in a different capacity. New fintechs are being founded every day and all of them are looking to smooth out flaws within the current financial services universe. I look forward to being there with the Nyca team to help their portfolio companies navigate the future, both financially and strategically. Mr. Brown graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and has an undergraduate degree from Columbia University. He will remain a FinTech and Competition Policy advisor at Paul Hastings and venture advisor at the Financial Venture Studio. About Nyca Partners: Nyca is a leading venture capital firm focused on connecting innovative companies to the global financial system. With over $500 million under management and investments in more than 75 portfolio companies, Nyca is one of the premier fintech venture capital firms in the world. Investors include top global financial institutions as well as individuals through its unique Limited Partner Advisor model, which brings together over 70 of the most respected people in the financial services industry as both investors and advisors. In the past six months, several notable Nyca related companies have exited via IPOs, mergers and SPACs, including Affirm, Payoneer, Poynt, Acorns, and Blend. As the President of Vantagepoint, I am deeply aware of my responsibility to care for our team and our business. I love that we are a leader in the United States of how to be a workplace that changes lives for my team, our community, and our traders! - Lane Mendelsohn, Vantagepoint AI Vantagepoint AI has been recognized again by Fortune Magazine as a top Small Business. Out of 100 small businesses, Vantagepoint AI was ranked number eight in the entire U.S. Vantagepoint AI was the first company in the world to empower independent traders to trade smarter and profit more using Artificial Intelligence on their home computers. Company founder, Louis Mendelsohn, transformed the financial industry with the introduction of his theory of strategy backtesting, the introduction of his software, and his patented global Intermarket Analysis. Today, Lane Mendelsohn leads the company and continues to create a workplace that is transforming lives both for his team and for VantagePoint traders. This award is especially meaningful to me, says Lane Mendelsohn, It is directly impacted by how our team feels about being part of our Vantagepoint family. As the President of Vantagepoint, I am deeply aware of my responsibility to care for our team and our business. Vantagepoint AI offers its team full medical, dental, and vision coverage and maintains a workplace culture centered around its core values of teamwork, communication, purpose, innovation, respect, integrity, and passion to guide every decision and action at all levels of the company. The company is also dedicated to giving back to the local community through regular corporate giving as well as team member donations to small, local (often overlooked) community charities. The Vantagepoint AI team was surveyed and resoundingly endorsed the workplace culture the Mendelsohns have created. I love that we are a leader in the United States of how to be a workplace that changes lives for my team, our community, and our traders! declared Lane Mendelsohn, President of Vantagepoint AI. See what makes Vantagepoint unique in the fintech sector and how predictive A.I. is leveling the trading field for independent traders at a live, interactive training. About Vantagepoint AI, LLC. Vantagepoints artificial intelligence-based software forecasts Stocks, Futures, Options, Forex, Cryptocurrencies, and ETFs with proven accuracy of up to 87.4%. Family-owned, Vantagepoint employs over 90 team members and is actively committed to giving back in the Tampa Bay community including regularly donating a portion of revenue to Shriners Hospitals for Children and The Childrens Cancer Center. For a private demonstration: http://www.vantagepointsoftware.com/demo Vantagepoint AI is actively seeking top-notch talent to join its team. Find out more at http://www.findtampajobs.com Warriors Heart Co-Founder and Former Special Forces Tom Spooner shares his inspiring story on The Dr Drew Podcast in new "Warriors Heart: Warriors Healing Warriors" documentary (Amazon Prime Video). Were just changing the narrative. We run a training program. You come to us. You get cleaned up. You get trained up. And then you get back into the fight, whether thats in living or on the job. - Tom Spooner, Warriors Heart Co-Founder and U.S. Army Veteran To help his fellow warriors heal, Former Special Forces and Warriors Heart Co-Founder Tom Spooner opened up in a new interview with Dr. Drew Pinsky on The Dr. Drew Podcast. Speaking from the heart, Spooner described his military service, long-term recovery, the WHY and HOW behind creating Warriors Heart that is exclusively for frontline protectors (military, veterans, first responders, EMTs/Paramedics) and their new documentary: Warriors Heart: Warriors Healing Warriors (available on Amazon Prime Video). When Dr. Drew asked Spooner to describe his personal struggles with chemical dependencies, PTSD, mild TBI (from combat injury), and trauma, he described getting sober at 22-yr-old while serving in the U.S. Army, and how that impacted his 21 years of military service (1990-2011). Spooner's service included time in the 82nd Airborne, as a Green Beret in the US Armys 7th Special Forces Group and, ultimately, in the US Armys 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta as an Operator. When asked about the Warriors Heart recovery programs, Spooner explains that its a full continuum of care (Detox, In-Patient, Intensive Outpatient, Sober Living and Aftercare) that is built as a training program." Spooner adds, Were just changing the narrative. We run a training program. You come to us. You get cleaned up. You get trained up. And then you get back into the fight, whether thats in living or on the job. When asked to describe their 42-day in-patient program, Spooner explained, Everything we do at Warriors Heart is evidence-based. We are heavy 12-step, and they get 3 to 4 one-on-ones a week, which is unheard of. The industry standard is one. They get two sessions with a chemical dependency counselor and one to two with a trauma counselor. Spooner and Dr. Drew then discussed the importance of healing with peers. Spooner added that the magic happens at Warriors Heart in the evening when the day is done around the fire pit where fellow warriors talk about their day, recovery and experiences. When Dr. Drew asked about alumni involvement, Spooner explained that alumni do come back to speak about their stories and provide hope and encouragement to those in the program. Dr. Drew reflected, People dont appreciate how much peer groups are importantwhether its recovery or PTSD or both, the peer thing is vastly underrated or under-recognized by the general public. Spooner then expanded that healing modalities include group therapy, counseling, EMDR and more, and they get time for electives to process (Wood Shop, Metal Shop, Art Shop, gym time, Fishing, Hiking, K9 and more). When asked about who pays for the treatment, Spooner explained that Warriors Heart is a private facility, and most treatment is covered by insurance, private pay and/or hardship scholarships. He is very proud that no one has ever been turned away for financial reasons. Anyone who wants to get involved and support this program can visit their foundation website: https://warriorsheartfoundation.org. At the end of the interview, Spooner emphasized, If you or a loved one needs help for a warrior (active duty military, veteran, first responder, EMT/Paramedic) struggling with addiction and other co-occurring issues, visit https://warriorsheart.com and call the 24-hour hotline: 844-448-2567 to speak to an Admissions Advocate. WHERE TO WATCH the documentary on Amazon Prime Video: Warriors Heart Warriors Healing Warriors Film https://www.warriorsheart.com/documentary MEDIA CONTACT for Warriors Heart: Liz Kelly, 310-987-7207 ABOUT Warriors Heart (Bandera, Texas near San Antonio) is the first and only private and accredited treatment program in the U.S. exclusively for warriors (active duty military, veterans, first responders and EMTs/paramedics) faced with the self-medicating struggles of alcohol addiction, prescription and drug addiction, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), mild TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and other co-occurring issues in a private, 60-bed facility on a 543-acre ranch. Along with a minimum 42-day peer-to-peer residential treatment program, Warriors Heart gives warriors the option of Detox, Day Treatment, Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), Sober Living (60-day minimum) and Aftercare. Warriors Hearts work has been featured on the TODAY Show, CBS Health Watch, KENS 5 CBS San Antonio, FOX 11 Los Angeles, National Defense Radio Show and in TIME, Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, Addiction Pro magazine, San Antonio Business Journal and many more. There is a 24-hour Warriors Heart hotline (844-448-2567) answered by warriors. https://warriorsheart.com Having car insurance lapses will complicate a future underwriting process and make premiums more expensive. Always pay the premiums on time and if they seem too expensive, use online quotes and find cheaper offers, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has released a new blog post that explains why drivers should avoid car insurance lapses. For more info and free car insurance quotes online, visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org/why-you-should-avoid-car-insurance-gaps/ Drivers are required to carry insurance permanently. A period of time when the driver does not have coverage is called a gap or a lapse. Having a history of coverage lapses will make the next underwriting process more difficult and premiums costlier. Find out more and get free car insurance quotes from http://compare-autoinsurance.org. Causing an accident while uninsured will have multiple legal consequences. Being uninsured while driving and causing an accident is a severely punished felony. Without coverage, the at-fault driver will have to financially compensate the victims from his own finances. The repair cost and the medical bills can reach several tens of thousands of dollars. Avoid fines and legal penalties. Drivers caught driving during a gap period will receive substantial fines. Furthermore, they will receive license points. All of these combined will make future premiums extremely expensive. The driver will have both a history of lapses and traffic violations. Avoid being placed in the high-risk category. Companies ask about past coverage when assessing a persons insurability profile. Persons with recent coverage lapses are automatically considered high-risk and asked to pay more. Keep in mind that insurance companies may ask the previous insurer about a former clients payment history. Furthermore, a company may decide to cancel the policy after several missed payments. Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. For more information, free quotes, and money-saving tips, please visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org CartText has announced that Will Bernstein will be its new CEO. Bernstein comes to CartText from Oracle with decades of experience successfully bringing e-commerce and SaaS businesses to market. Founded in 2019, CartText is a people-powered software solution that utilizes SMS technology to improve customer retention and personalize shopping experiences. CartTexts technology is able to recover up to 21% of abandoned online shopping carts and is utilized by leading ecommerce vendors including Clutch Nails, Reel Paper, and Logitechs Ultimate Ears. It additionally equips burgeoning ecommerce companies with detailed reports and actionable analytics around their consumer's needs and shopping behavior. CartText is independently owned and operated from Los Angeles, CA and Franklin, TN, where company founders collaborate remotely. A California native, Bernstein earned a Bachelor of Science for Business Administration in 1991 at Menlo Colleges Atherton School of Business Administration. Initially starting in the news media industry at the Tribune Corporation, Bernstein moved into the budding e-commerce world in 1997. He quickly rose to General Sales Manager for WorldSite Networks in Beverly Hills, and ultimately went on to lead sales for Bronto Software, a SaaS Ecommerce email marketing automation platform. Bronto was acquired by NetSuite in 2015 and Bernstein continued in his role post-Oracles acquisition of NetSuite in 2017. Prior to Oracle, Bernstein was VP of Sales and EVP of Sales & Marketing for Ciplex and e-commerce hosting provider ZeroLag respectively. Speaking about his new role, Bernstein said that: I am thrilled to return to my emerging technology roots with CartText. We have a groundbreaking business model, technology platform, and approach with SMS and live human to human conversation. We expect that this will transform the way brands engage with, understand, and increase the lifetime value of their customers. I look forward to building a team of champions dedicated to ensuring CartText always delivers a world class product, service, and experience to our customers. About Cart Text: CartText is an SMS marketing solution that utilizes customer service tactics to directly connect with customers and recover lost revenue. Founded in 2019, the remote company works with leading e-commerce brands including Clutch Nails, Reel Paper, and Logitechs Ultimate Ears. More information is available online at https://www.carttext.com/ Unrivaled Coverage and Accuracy for Maximum Efficacy, Coverage and Detection Lift for Malicious URLs and Files. "By analyzing the clickstream traffic from hundreds of millions of users from around the globe, zvelo is able to deliver a malicious intelligence service with the markets fastest and broadest detection of new malicious URLs" zvelo's Malicious Detailed Detection Feed (MDDF) delivers malicious URL detections, as well as associated metadata and Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) for contextualized intelligence on active and emerging threats. In-house threat research or cybersecurity teams can leverage the rich metadata to reveal Indicators Of Compromise (IOCs) to further analyze and enrich threat intelligence data. Metadata includes attributes like date detected, active/inactive status, domain history, malware family, file hashes, and numerous other intelligence attributes. The MDDF service goes hand-in-hand with zvelo's PhishBlockList, which was released earlier this year. Used together, these zvelo cyber threat intelligence feeds maximize protection against both malicious and phishing threats. The MDDF service is delivered through a flexible API with either data feed or single query delivery options. "By analyzing the clickstream traffic from hundreds of millions of users from around the globe, zvelo is able to deliver a malicious intelligence service with the markets fastest and broadest detection of new malicious URLs, with extremely low false positive rates," explains Brad Rhodes, Head of Cybersecurity at zvelo. zvelos proprietary AI-based threat detection and URL classification technologies, combined with curated threat data feeds, plus clickstream traffic from a partner network of 600+ million users provides unmatched visibility, coverage, reach and accuracy for powering applications which protect users and devices from active and emerging malicious threats. "I'm very proud and excited for the community to try MDDF, our next offering in the zveloCTI product family," explained Rhodes. "The accuracy, fidelity, and low false positive rate of MDDF can help you protect your customers from malicious activity today. As with any CTI feed, we're not done yet - be on the lookout for expanding capabilities later this year and beyond!" About zvelo zvelo provides industry-leading cyber threat intelligence and URL classification data services. zvelos proprietary AI-based threat detection and categorization technologies, combines curated domains, threat and other data feeds, with the clickstream traffic from its global partner network of 600+ million users and endpoints to provide unmatched visibility, coverage, reach and accuracy. zvelo powers applications and solutions for the world's leading providers of web filtering, endpoint security, endpoint detection and response (EDR), managed detection and response (MDR), brand safety and contextual targeting, cyber threat intelligence platforms, threat analysis, and more. Tracy K. Smiths fifth collection and first career-spanning volume, Such Color: New and Selected Poems (Graywolf, Oct.), offers some of the former poet laureates best poems, as well as 30 pages of new work that tackles Americas legacy of racism. What was it like curating poems from your first four collections alongside new work? The radical upheaval of 2020the Covid crisis, and the urge toward racial reckoning that many of us felt compelled by and implicated inled me to seek new forms of contemplation. My creative process changed; it became more visceral, more meditative, more engaged with questions of my own literal and literary ancestry. I think I was driven to the page by a sharper sense of desperation than Id known before. The poems I found myself needing to write during this time were driven by a different kind of music and energy: rhythmic, insistent, oftentimes emulating a kind of call-and-response. Revisiting the work from my earlier books, I guess I was seeking to gather up poems that seemed capable of conversing with the music and the conscience driving the new work. Reading over your earlier work, what links do you see between books? The Bodys Question felt very much like a book in which I claimed or professed an individual subjectivity: a body, a history, a set of passions and beliefs. Duende seemed to mark the moment where I said, Okay, Ive written from the perspective of an individual consciousness. What happens if I explore the perspectiveand the contradictionsof myself as a citizen of a nation? Life on Mars married my preoccupations as an American to questions caught up in my awareness of myself as a human, as a member of a planetary species. The next impulse my imagination cleaved to was the inverse of that project: earthbound, rooted not in the future but in historyin particular in the racial history that sits at the center of life in this country. How did your time as U.S. poet laureate, in 20172019, widen your view of poetry? During my laureateship, I had the pleasure of talking about poems with wide-ranging communities of people who, mostly, did not consider themselves to be writers or even avid readers of poetry. Those conversations often focused upon what poems made people feel and what poems spoke to in terms of peoples experience of love, loss, family, and community. It was a remarkable reminder that poems are practical everyday tools that can help us name and face our most complex and bewildering feelings. How would you describe your new poems? My new poems are written from a raced place. I am writing from and to the community of Blackness as I recognize and experience it. The we in these new poems is a Black we. Sometimes there is a you in these poems that sits outside that community. In those instances, Id like to invite the tension and attention, of listening across lines of difference that have long been seen as intractable. More than 1,500 Purdue University Global graduates worldwide took part in in-person and virtual commencement ceremonies on Saturday (Aug. 14) at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. (Purdue University Global photo) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. More than 1,500 Purdue University Global graduates worldwide took part in in-person and virtual commencement ceremonies on Saturday (Aug. 14) at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. It marked Purdue Globals 11th commencement since its formation in 2018. Three ceremonies took place throughout the day. Degrees were awarded from the schools of Business and Information Technology, Education, General Education, Health Sciences, Nursing, and Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Concord Law School. There were 746 bachelors degrees, 543 graduate degrees, 135 associates degrees, 99 certificates and 30 doctoral degrees (14 Doctor of Nursing Practice, eight Executive Juris Doctor and eight Juris Doctor). The graduates reside in all 50 states including 156 Indiana residents plus Washington, D.C., while the British Virgin Islands and six additional countries were represented: Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. Twenty employees of Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue Fort Wayne, Purdue Northwest and Purdue Global are among those who earned a Purdue Global degree or certificate via the Purdue Global education benefit. Two of the graduates are husband and wife from Fredericksburg, Virginia Vernon Beslow III, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in cybersecurity, and Shamila Beslow, who received a Pathway to Paralegal post-baccalaureate certificate and walked across the stage together. Christopher Fairbank, who graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare administration from Purdue Global in 2020, provided the keynote address for all three ceremonies. He told the graduates that change is inevitable and that they need to be ready and willing to be a part of the change and to help the change be successful. We have proven today, and we have proven over the last several years that we have been going to school here at this great institution, that we all will amount to something, said Fairbank, a renowned ballet dancer turned police officer turned motivational speaker. I wholeheartedly believe and know, without a shadow of a doubt, that each and every person listening to this today is able to achieve greatness You are a leader, you have integrity and you will surely be the change that we all want to see in this world. Purdue Global Chancellor Frank Dooley addressed the graduates, over half of them in-person (804) after the pandemic forced virtual-only ceremonies for the last three commencements (June 2020, December 2020 and May 2021). I am so excited to be standing here on this stage to celebrate you, our Purdue University Global graduates, Dooley said. We are grateful to provide a ceremony that brings us all together, no matter where we are around the globe, either virtually or here in the Warner Theatre. Its quite remarkable: We are celebrating across the U.S. and around the world. I love that we can remain close through this institution as we commemorate your accomplishments today. Dooley noted that over 9,000 Purdue Global students are affiliated with the military, including over 4,800 active duty, National Guard and reserve members serving around the globe. Almost 50% are the first in their family to attend college, and about 60% have a child or other dependent. These numbers shape the individuals who joined you in the classroom and will join you in the workforce, Dooley said. Three Purdue Global graduates performed the national anthem before their respective ceremonies: Chelsea Emma Franko, from Apple Valley, California, who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Wellness; Misty Davis, from Louisville, who earned a Master of Science degree in management and leadership; and Shantel Horn, from Millville, New Jersey, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in applied behavior analysis. In the days before commencement, Purdue Global hosted various virtual celebratory events, including a photo booth, toast, graduation shout out board and social media activities. Over 10,000 Purdue Global students have graduated in the last year. The next Purdue Global commencement is scheduled for Dec. 4 and will take place on the Purdue West Lafayette campus for the first time in Elliott Hall of Music. About Purdue University Global Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelors, masters or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue Universitys flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, visit purdueglobal.edu. Media Contact: Tom Schott, 765-427-1721, tschott@purdue.edu Sources: Frank Dooley Beth Smith Christopher Fairbank Under this collaboration, VlogBox will be working on seven channels featuring childrens programs Be-Be-Bears, Fantasy Patrol, Heroes of Envell, Cutie Cubies, Woodventures. Magic Lantern, and Paper Tales as well as a separate Rainbow Ride channel, covering several series in one. This will involve channel development for Roku content management and distribution, video monetisation, PR and marketing support as well as analytics and reporting. Nick Platonenko, CEO at VlogBox, said: Its always a pleasure to work with a team of gifted creators, especially when it comes to quality for children. DTR is a bit different from our usual customers as they are already aware that CTV/OTT is an unstoppable marketplace, so it feels like were on the same wavelength. DTR was searching for possible content extension through basic TV streaming services and decided to create separate branded channels for each of the series, one own aggregator for three series, as well as joining Yeet!TV kids, a channel uniting the best videos among the VlogBox mediahouse. Victoria Bolotova, head of media international sales at DTR, commented: Were constantly working on enhancing our brands, and were happy to start a partnership with VlogBox, specifically in terms of the Roku ecosystem. We truly believe that our kids series can win viewers hearts and show fantastic results. As one of the state's few centre-right editorial pages, readers, and state political leaders, undoubtedly expected us to come to the conclusion that voters should remember Governor Gavin Newsom. .. Perhaps it explains why Newsom, who has a policy we often criticize, does not meet with our editorial board despite our many attempts to arrange ... The unvaccinated are fast on their way to becoming Americas untouchables, the equivalent of people in India who are the bottom caste of society, deprived of their rights and segregated as unclean. Of course, that doesnt apply to all vaccines, just to the COVID-19 vaccines being urged on Americans with minimal testing, maximum confusion, and no guarantee that the cure wont be worse than the disease. In many states, including Michigan, universities and employers have begun to insist that their students or employees submit to one of the three available vaccines or be denied access to participation, enrollment or employment. These so-called vaccine mandates have pitted big government against everyday Americans under threat of losing their livelihoods if they dont comply. On Aug. 6, several hundred Michiganders gathered on the steps of the state capitol to rally against the growing pressure to get vaccinated. The rally, sponsored by Stand Up Michigan and several other groups, was a sign of the growing distrust of the vaccine that has been spurred by federal guidelines for vaccinated people to keep wearing masks and increasing evidence that getting the vaccine does not provide certain protection against the viral disease. According to Michigan Radio, the Rev. Jason Georges told the crowd, You are here because you are against the government and academic institutions and corporations forcing you to inject something into your body against your will. By mandating the vaccine, the government assumes it has greater responsibility for your body than you do. The argument used by the government and others who favor a vaccine mandate is that it will protect the public health and welfare. This argument falls short, however, because if the vaccine is truly effective, then the publics health is already being protected for those who want to be vaccinated. Remember, the vaccine is widely available and free in the United States, so those who choose not to be vaccinated are only putting themselves and those like them at risk, not the general public. What about the children who cant be vaccinated? ask vaccine supporters. Arent you also putting them at risk? Well, yes, but no more than they are at risk from normal influenza strains, and no one has suggested making flu vaccines mandatory. A recent study even suggested that COVID-19 in children is milder than the flu. The Centers for Disease Control calls the current situation a pandemic of the unvaccinated, but what they fail to acknowledge is that free and fully informed citizens should have the right to put themselves at risk if they choose to do so. And by extension, they should also be able to avoid risk if they believe it is inherent in an experimental vaccine. The fact that taking a vaccine is a medical decision should trigger numerous civil rights that we have previously taken for granted, but for now the federal government is insisting on treating vaccination status as having no protections. The experts say, for instance, that the Americans With Disabilities Act does not apply to the unvaccinated. I have made the case elsewhere that the definition of disability in the ADA does include individuals who have not gotten the COVID-19 vaccination, but I of course am not an attorney. Harmeet Dhillon is an attorney and is one of the most prominent voices in support of preventing government, employers or other entities from using vaccination status as a weapon, but she offers little encouragement for the non-vaccinated. Ive had to break the news to hundreds of people who call [or] email, Dhillon wrote on Twitter. Given the federal and state employment agency and DOJ guidance on legality of employers mandating vaccines (which I disagree with and which is at odds with how they treat similar issues), workers have few rights. In a follow-up Tweet, she wrote, Absent a BONA FIDE medical or religious exemption, employers dont have to accommodate your preference, and even then they have ways around a valid exemption and can also shame you with special tags and masks and such, encouraging co-workers to peck you to career death. Dhillon essentially throws up her hands and says that the system is rigged against medical freedom and in favor of corporate obedience. Maybe so, but citizens in Michigan and most other states have a clear path to at least put up a fight using those medical or religious exemptions that are legally recognized in the vast majority of states. The medical exemption applies in a few specific cases where a diagnosis suggests that, due to a preexisting medical condition, real or potential harm may fall upon patients who receive the vaccination. That has limited applicability, but the religious exemption on the other hand can apply to almost anyone who has a deeply held religious belief. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, for instance, has recognized that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects workers from being discriminated against on the basis of religion, and that the exemption may be applied broadly, not just to those who are regular attendees of church or who subscribe to a prevalent belief system. In addition, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are 44 states and Washington, D.C., that grant religious exemptions for people who have religious objections to immunizations given to schoolchildren. Some of those laws may apply to college students as well as to younger children. Employees who seek a religious exemption must be prepared to explain in a paragraph or two what is the basis of their objection. This could include a moral objection to the use of fetal cell lines traced to abortions performed in the 1970s and 1980s. All three of the vaccines approved for emergency use against COVID-19 by the FDA involved testing that used those objectionable cell lines. An additional objection that could be raised on the basis of religious belief might be framed around the use of so-called vaccine passports to restrict individuals from being able to conduct business in a routine manner. Former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said recently that he wants to make the vaccine a requirement to participate in the economy. This is a frightening echo of the Book of Revelations, where the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark. Moreover, according to Christian tradition and the Book of Revelations, there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name. It doesnt matter if anyone else agrees with your interpretation of the Bible or your belief system. Lots of people think Bible-believing Christians are crazy. But if it is a sincerely held religious belief, you should be entitled to an exemption from the vaccine. You may be required to participate in regular testing for COVID-19 or to wear a mask, but that is a small price to pay if you believe your immortal soul is at stake. Of course, using the religious exemption puts all the burden on individuals to assert their natural right to control their own bodies. What should happen is that states must codify that protection with legislation. Some states already have done so. In Montana, for instance, a law signed in May by Gov. Greg Gianforte recognizes a persons vaccination status as a protected category. Employees cannot be forced to reveal vaccination status, nor to take vaccines in order to keep their job. This law, House Bill 702, is a model for all legislators who want to ensure that their citizens are treated like human beings and not like subjects. Sen. Rand Paul spoke for millions of Americans when he posted a video on Twitter where he said it was time to choose. I choose freedom, Paul said. They cant arrest all of us. They cant keep all of your kids home from school. They cant keep every government building closed, the Kentucky Republican added. We dont have to accept the mandates, lockdowns, and harmful policies of the petty tyrants and bureaucrats. We can simply say no, not again. Nancy Pelosi you will not arrest or stop me or anyone on my staff from doing our jobs. We have either had COVID, had the vaccine, or been offered the vaccine. We will make our own health choices. We will not show you a passport, we will not wear a mask, we will not be forced into random screenings and testings so you can continue your drunk-with-power reign over the Capitol. Its not up to Rand Paul to save America from tyranny. Its up to all Americans. Every state needs to follow in the footsteps of Montana and put into law protections for the unvaccinated. No segregation. No discrimination. No untouchables. Not in the land of the free. Not now. Not ever. Good morning, its Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Over the weekend, Americans were subjected to images they hadnt seen since April 1975: U.S. soldiers frantically trying to evacuate personnel from a foreign capital being overrun by the enemy. In a depressing replay of the fall of Saigon, thousands of Afghans who had allied with the United States and served their government in hopes of a freer society, were left hanging -- fearing for their lives -- as Taliban forces surged through Kabul and Afghanistans president fled the country. As Americans feared for the fate of Afghans who had worked for the U.S., for international aid groups, or for human rights organizations -- not to mention all Afghan women and girls -- President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempted to deflect blame for the disaster on Donald Trump. At least President Ford didnt blame his predecessor when Saigon fell on April 30, 1975. An even starker contrast: Although thousands of vulnerable Vietnamese allies were left behind, the evacuation of Americans and those at risk of being executed began before Ford announced the U.S. withdrawal -- not after, which is what happened this time. The reason, apparently, is that U.S. intelligence officials had predicted the Afghan government could last for months after the Americans pulled out. As recently as last Wednesday, these officials were saying that Kabul could fall in 90 days. It fell in four. With that, Id point you to our front page, which aggregates, as it does each day, columns and stories spanning the political spectrum. We also offer a complement of original material from RCP reporters and contributors, including the following: * * * RCP Takeaway. In the latest podcast, Susan Crabtree, Bill Whalen, Andy Walworth and I discuss the fates of Govs. Andrew Cuomo, Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis. Uncertain Impact From Voting Law Changes. Lou Cannon has this roundup. Fighting Back Against the Vaccine Mandate. Frank Miele explains his position on this contentious issue. Congress, Biden Must Act Now to Renew Pacific Island Compacts. Douglas Domenech warns that China will exert its influence if the agreements are allowed to expire. Election Updates. At RealClearPolicy, Todd Carney recaps developments from around the U.S. Nuanced Polling Shows Majority Supports the Death Penalty. Also at RCPolicy, Joseph M. Bessette and J. Andrew Sinclair report on their findings. Say What You Mean. At RealClearBooks, John Hirschauer reviews Michael Knowles Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds. Spreading the Gospel Globally. At RealClearReligion, David Jeremiah draws parallels between modern commerce and evangelism. * * * Carl M. Cannon Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics @CarlCannon (Twitter) ccannon@realclearpolitics.com GARDNERVILLE, Nev. (AP) U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton told a crowd of about 4,000 Republicans that former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt plans to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. He and other Republican luminaries revved up a crowd gathered at a rural Nevada cattle ranch on Saturday, reminding the party faithful that path to wresting back the U.S. Senate in next years midterms could hinge on Nevada. Sweltering sun and wildfire smoke obscuring the nearby mountains did little to blunt the energy of conservative activists at Laxalts 6th annual Basque Fry, an event modeled after cookouts hosted by the former Nevada Attorney Generals grandfather, U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt the son of a Basque immigrant sheepherder. The event is increasingly becoming a key stop on the early presidential primary circuit, drawing rising stars hoping to strengthen their name recognition and endear themselves to voters through sampling the local fare. Unlike the pork chops and corn cobs of the Iowa State Fair, the cuisine at the Basque Fry includes beans, chorizo and for those daring enough the events signature fried lamb testicles. Politicians including Cotton, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei and former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller traded suits and ties for cowboy boots and Levis, traversing the ranch, glad-handing and posing for selfies with activists sporting T-shirts that read Fauci lied and Trump DeSantis 2024. Cotton, who wouldnt say whether he planned to try the fries, compared Nevada to Arizona, Georgia and New Hampshire and said, with Adam Laxalt as a candidate, it was perhaps the Republicans best chance to flip a U.S. Senate seat. Laxalt has not yet announced plans to run for office. Adam, I guess hes not supposed to say that hes going to be your next United States Senator. Theres some campaign finance rules against it. But what do I care about some stupid rules like that? Adam Laxalt is going to the United States Senate for the Battle Born state in 2022, Cotton said, speaking on a platform built atop hay bales with the vistas of the Sierra Nevadas as a backdrop. Cotton called U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto too in step with party leadership to represent a swing state like Nevada and said taking back the U.S. Senate would allow Republicans to contain Chinas growing geopolitical power, secure the U.S.-Mexico border and prevent critical race theory from being taught in schools. Nevada is a pretty evenly divided state, and she has voted for the Biden-Schumer agenda straight down the line, Cotton said. In Nevada, Democrats currently hold the governorship, both U.S. Senate seats and majorities in both state legislative chambers. But its still very much a swing state, both parties say. Biden defeated former President Donald Trump by 2.4 percentage points in the 2020 election and the past two races to represent the state in the U.S. Senate have been decided by less than five percentage points. Florida Gov. Ron De Santis, this years events marquee speaker, canceled his in-person appearance on Friday because of a possible tropical storm in the U.S. southeast. Audience members shushed each other to hear his video message, in which he claimed to be living rent-free in Joe Bidens head and encouraged Laxalt to run for Senate. Both DeSantis and Cotton are rumored to be mulling presidential bids. But the path to the nomination depends largely on whether Trump intends to enter the race. Republicans previewed their message for the upcoming midterm elections, stressing the power of social media platforms, crime, immigration and how schools teach children about racisms role in U.S. history. Big tech has been ruthlessly enforcing the ruling elites worldview on everything from COVID to election integrity you name it. If you fall from the orthodoxy, youre going to be canceled, suspended, pulled off. Now is the time for us to stand up, Laxalt said. Andy Orellana, the spokesperson for the Nevada Democratic Victory group working to re-elect Cortez Masto, painted Laxalt as extreme, dishonest and said, if he runs, wouldnt focus on Nevada issues. Adam Laxalt has never been honest with Nevadans not as Attorney General, when he used his elected office to benefit his special interest donors, and not as Trumps main lackey in Nevada, when he used his platform to spread the Big Lie and try to overturn the 2020 election, he said. Todays announcement shows that he is still just focused on his D.C. allies and Trump, not Nevada. The stances that won the largest applause from the crowd, however, had to do with election integrity and potential fraud in the 2020 presidential race. Former Trump administration official Ric Grenell and American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp who in a November 2020 press conference joined Laxalt to claim Trump would have won the state of Nevada if not for voter fraud repeated their claims about the election. Schlapp claimed Trump won the state of Nevada, and Grenell said that Democrats did not adequately investigate voter fraud. Republican Party and Trump campaign attorneys lost multiple bids in state and federal courts in Nevada to invalidate Bidens electoral victory that gave the states six electoral votes to the former vice president. ___ Sam Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Torrington During a challenging year, the staff of Community Health & Wellness Center rose to the occasion with unwavering dedication to help others, its leader said. To celebrate this and continue the push to vaccinate area residents, Community Health & Wellness Center in Torrington and Winsted recently celebrated National Health Center Week. The centers offered free COVID-19 vaccines, confidential HIV testing and a tour of the centers new Mobile Medical Unit, named BETTY, or Bringing Exceptional Treatment To You. Center CEO Joanne Borduas said it was exciting to be able to celebrate National Health Center Week with friends, neighbors, patients, and partners in the Torrington and Winsted communities. It has been a challenging year, and Im proud of our staff for rising to the occasion and their unwavering dedication to serving those in need. In moments of pain and loss, weve been here to offer support and love, Borduas said in a statement. And in moments of triumph, we are here to offer hope and a vision for a safe, healthy future. Its time for us all to celebrate together. According to the state Connecticut Department of Public Health online tracker for cumulative number and percent of people vaccinated, by county of residence, 111,000 people in Litchfield County are full vaccinated. This is 61.5 percent of country residents, the data as of August 12 shows. Vaccination clinics also are scheduled in Winsted and Torrington for coming weeks. Litchfield County is in the federal Center for Disease Control and Preventions category of substantial risk of COVID transmission, as of August 13, the agency shows. Gov. Ned Lamont said the extent to which towns and cities may require renewed social distancing and masking regulations will be up to local leaders and business owners. Winsted officials also announced that because of an increase in cases of COVID-19, masks are again required in public buildings, regardless of vaccination status. The recent National Health Week events in Winsted and Torrington were held with the theme The Chemistry for Strong Communities, showcasing innovative ways health centers provide health care, work to improve health outcomes, and narrow health disparities in local communities, according to the health center. Visitors were able to meet the centers providers and a number of community partners, as well as, state Reps. Maria Horn, D-Salisbury, and Michelle Cook, D-Torrington. Friendly Hands Food Bank Executive Director Karen Thomas and Community Soup Kitchen director Lisa Hageman distributing food to visitors at the celebration. At the Winsted event, Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities Service Dogs and their caregivers had a booth and gave demonstrations. Other partner guests were the Torrington Salvation Army, EdAdvance, Access Health Network, Foothills Adult Education, and representatives from the police and fire departments, according to the statement. According to CHWC leaders, over the past five decades, health centers across the country have served more than 29 million people a number that continues to grow along with the demand for affordable primary care. In addition to their long history as health care homes to millions, health centers produce innovative solutions to the most pressing health care issues in their communities and reach beyond the walls of conventional medicine to address the social determinants of health affecting special patient populations, according to center leaders. For more information, contact CHWCs event coordinator Gina Burrows, COO, at gburrows@chwctorr.org, or 860-387-0407. The Connecticut bill that legalized recreational use of cannabis includes a provision to increase the number of police officers trained to determine if someone is under the influence of marijuana. However, health experts say its difficult perhaps even impossible to tell definitively if someone has used marijuana and, if so, how much. If I cannot determine that clinically, I don't think that law enforcement has any better resources than the entire medical and scientific establishment on this topic, medical toxicologist Ryan Marino said. As of the end of July, there were 54 police officers trained as drug recognition experts in Connecticut. These are not the police officers pulling over drivers. DREs, as they are called, are brought to police stations to verify if a suspect is, in fact, under the influence of a drug such as cannabis. State police said DREs undergo intense training, including two weeks of classroom instruction and a week in the field. According to the law that legalized recreational cannabis use, Connecticut municipalities have until the end of the year to inform the state how many more officers they would like trained as DREs. Many Connecticut police officers are trained to a lower level, called Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, known by its acronym, ARIDE. The state hopes to have as many ARIDE-trained officers as possible. The goal is to get everybody coming out of the academy ARIDE training, said Robert Klin, who runs the DRE program for the state Department of Transportation. But medical experts say that marijuana is unique among commonly ingested substances since it cannot be reliably determined if, when and how much cannabis a person had consumed. The behavioral scientist Steven Kinsey, for example, studies stoned mice. Its part of his job as director of the University of Connecticuts Center for Advancement in Managing Pain, where part of his research involves looking for pain management alternatives that dont also create the euphoria associated with cannabis or opiates. Though Kinsey said its hard to draw too many parallels between mice and men, he was not certain if he could tell if a mouse was stoned even in strict laboratory conditions. The mice he studies are genetic clones but, even so, it varies from mouse to mouse. It would depend on what the dosing was, right? And the history of that mouse, he said. If you know that they're both naive, and they've never used any drug before, and one of them is given a really high dose, then probably. If one mouse has built up a tolerance, it can become really hard to tell, Kinsey said, but even two mice that are essentially identical react differently. You still get some variants, even though they're all genetically identical, he said. Some mice react more than others do. Once you add in the question of tolerance, it becomes far more complicated. Looking at tolerant mice, where we had mice that had been treated for a week with a cannabinoid, and then they were compared with one side by side that hadn't, and you can see the amount of tolerance because the mice that had had a bunch of THC for a week were up and looking around and doing their things, he said. The ones that were naive, were looking very sleepy. The emergency room doctor Brooks Walsh, an emergency room doctor in Connecticut hospitals for 14 years, was clear: Impaired driving is a serious problem that he sees every day. We all have a pretty vested interest in reducing harm caused by impaired drivers, he said. Certainly, we see the devastation from impaired drivers on a daily basis. Walsh began as a resident at Yale New Haven Hospital and has spent the last decade at Bridgeport Hospital. When people come to the emergency room inebriated, Walsh attempts to identify what substance they ingested, with one caveat. Our concern is to help the patient, and for most conditions, our concern isn't diagnosing what they have, he said. It's primarily, figure out what they don't have, and figuring out if they need any acute treatment. When it comes to cannabis, he said there are no reliable tests, beyond an open admission from the patient, which he called the gold standard. It's not clear to me that there are tests in the medical literature and certainly nothing in my training as a board-certified emergency physician that could lead me to reliably diagnose acute impairment intoxication for marijuana, he said. You could, he said, tell if someone was too impaired to drive. But it isn't clear to me that there is a reliable test that can be used as evidence that can demonstrate marijuana intoxication, acute marijuana intoxication, or lack of it, he said. Part of the problem, Walsh said, is habitual users build a tolerance. So a person who has used marijuana every day since the 1960s might not appear stoned, despite having ingested far more marijuana than they should have to be behind the wheel. Another person, less used to the effects of cannabis, might have a stronger reaction to a smaller dose, he said. Alcohol is fairly unique in that we have a very reproducible, easily obtained measure that correlates fairly well with intoxication, Walsh said, noting there are some outliers, the very heavy alcoholics who can tolerate a fairly high level of alcohol and still maintain mostly intact cognitive capabilities. With marijuana, there is no good blood level unless you use fairly sophisticated lab techniques like gas chromatography, which aren't available to the practicing clinician to tell actual levels of drugs, he said. The toxicologist Marino is a medical toxicologist, specialist in addiction, emergency physician, and an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine He said there is no accurate, reliable toxicological test for cannabis, through urine, blood or any other bodily fluid. Because of the way your body stores and metabolizes THC, you could test positive for days to weeks after using and could have no intoxication whatsoever, he said. You could have been totally clean and sober for 30 days and still trigger a positive test. When it comes to urine tests, Marino said they are notoriously unreliable. Urine tests in themselves are just poor tests overall, he said. There's a lot of false positives and false negatives. The important question, Marino said, is not if someone has ingested too much marijuana, but if they are able to drive responsibly. My concern would be that people shouldn't drive when they're impaired, no matter what it is, he said. And since we don't have a good way to test for it, I think the only thing to really stick to is if someone is driving erratically or violating rules of the road, then those should be be what we stick to because there isn't a good way to say that they're intoxicated rather than just impaired. The pharmacist C. Michael White, department head and distinguished professor of pharmacy at UConn, said to some degree, it doesnt matter whether an officer can tell if a driver is stoned. What matters, he said, is whether youre too impaired to drive. That is something a police officer should be able to tell, he said. However, White believes it would be difficult to tell if a person had been using cannabis and, if so, how much and when it was consumed. As a pharmacist, hes focused on the dosing and the delivery methods. Some people might be able to handle smoking a joint, but somebody else might have used a vaporize product, and they got extremely high concentrations of THC, he said. The concentrations have now gone down quite a bit, but the person is still impaired. Marijuana is not like alcohol and establishing a level that is considered too much to drive is fraught, White said. Based on a THC cut-off that you would arbitrarily pick to say, 'above this is bad and below this is good,' you might miss the negative impact that the THC might be having on that person's ability to drive, he said. There are so many other factors to consider that it makes any test for marijuana, toxicological or the roadside, not as reliable as some might hope. You had trouble standing on one of your feet, and you have benign positional vertigo, so when you do that you naturally get dizzy, but it doesn't mean that you can't sit in a car and you can't drive, White said. They say, Oh, well, that was a sign of a cannabis-use disorder, that was a sign of cannabis intoxication. But it could be due to the benzodiazepine that you had taken for your anxiety, it could be due to other extraneous factors. New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI) A number of foreign leaders greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on India's 75th Independence Day on Sunday with his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett wishing India many more "incredible accomplishments". Leaders from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Australia, Maldives and Mauritius were among those who extended wishes on the occasion with Modi thanking them and highlighting India's ties with these countries. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison wished India and the Indian community in Australia a joyous Independence Day, saying his country cherishes close partnership with India built on trust, respect and shared values. Modi replied, "Thank you for your kind greetings, my friend @ScottMorrisonMP. India too cherishes its increasingly vibrant partnership with Australia, based on shared values and robust people-to-people links." The Israeli prime minister said his country cherished friendship with India and Indian people, and wished for many more incredible accomplishments. Thanking him, Modi replied, "I look forward to working together for strengthening the bonds between our governments and peoples, and to consolidate the foundation of India-Israel strategic partnership." In his greetings, Bhutan's Prime Minister Lotay Tshering also thanked the government and people of India, particularly the Embassy of India team in his country, for their support during these difficult times. Responding to his tweet, Modi said, "Thank you for your warm Independence Day greetings, Lyonchhen @PMBhutan. All Indians value the unique and trusted ties of friendship we share with Bhutan." Thanking Deuba, Modi said people of India and Nepal are united by our shared cultural, linguistic, religious and family linkages. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa tweeted his country's best wishes to India. "May the strength of the bond shared between both our nations grow each day," he said. Modi replied, "I thank Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa for his warm greetings. India and Sri Lanka share millennia old cultural, spiritual and civilisational links, which provide the foundation of our special friendship." Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Mauritius' Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth also tweeted their wishes to Modi. Modi told Jugnauth that due to the centuries old people-to-people links between India and Mauritius, both the countries share the same core values and traditions. "This provides the foundation for our very special friendship," he added. Responding to Solih, Modi noted that Maldives is India's important maritime neighbour and partner in advancing the shared vision of a safe, secure, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. PTI KR SNE SNE (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Referring to the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday underlined the need for India to be 'extra vigilant'. Talking to the media, the veteran leader asserted that earlier, India only had border issues with China and Pakistan, but with the change in leadership, Afghanistan can also be a potential threat. He highlighted the changing relationship with Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and added that India should be reviewing its foreign policy. "If needed, we will support the government because this is a matter of national security," former Defence Minister Sharad Pawar added while highlighting that border security was a sensitive issue and his speaking much on the matter was not right. Earlier in the day, the Indian National Congress had released a statement along with the same tunes. In the statement, the national party outlined the Taliban and Haqqani Network's connections with Pakistan's ISI and JeM, LeT, JuD, and the urgent need for India to 'revisit' the geopolitical interests in this background its impact on Jammu and Kashmir. 'Time to get serious': Subramanian Swamy Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party had also acknowledged the new-found risk posed by the Taliban's take over of Afghanistan. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Subramanian Swamy drew the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that now is the time to 'get serious' about the 'governance for battle'. Subramanian Swamy highlighted that the Taliban, which Pakistan allegedly mentored in the tussle with the Afghan government, is now at a 'striking distance', and will be provoked by China. The BJP leader, highlighting that the United States is only 'good at supplying weapons' urged the PM Modi-led Central government to get done, what he referred to as 'Bharat Mata's destined duty'. Taliban takeover As US troops retreat after 20 years from war-torn Afghanistan, the Taliban has launched an offensive taking over cities like Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah, gradually encircling the government in Kabul. While Kandahar and Herat fell on Thursday, forcing government officials and their entourage to flee to the airport to escape the city by air, Mazar-e-Sharif fell on Friday, while Jalalabad and Lashkar Gah on Saturday, taking over all border posts leading to Kabul, leaving only Kabul airport as the remaining exit from the war-torn nation. The Taliban then issued a statement saying that they have no plans to take the Afghan capital by force, following which the Afghan government, via its interim interior minister, said that there would be no fighting and that a peaceful transfer of power was being worked out, confirming that the government had surrendered. However, while the points for a peaceful transfer of power were still being worked out, taking a U-turn on its 'no forceful entry' statement, the Taliban on Sunday evening entered the capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul. Image Credit-PTI/AP Google and Samsung recently collaborated to develop a unified smartwatch operating system for the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series. As a result, Samsung has been able to launch its new lineup of smartwatches with Wear OS 3, the latest smartwatch platform developed by Google and powered by Samsung. Additionally, the newly launched Wear OS 3 comes with support for new applications that were not available on the platform previously. Keep reading to know more about the Google Wear OS 3 update. New Google Apps and features for Wear OS 3 Google Maps With the Wear OS 3, Google has integrated Maps as a default application. The Google Maps experience on Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is very similar to the experience on Android smartphones, bringing the two platforms closer. Google Maps on both the smartphone and the smartwatch will sync together in order to provide a seamless experience. The Galaxy Watch 4 also shows home and work addresses as marked on the companion phone, along with recent searchers. Messages by Google Yet another Google Wear OS3 update is in the Messages application that enables a user to receive, review and reply to text messages from the smartwatch itself, using voice input, pre-defined messages or typing the message. The Messages application on the Wear OS 3 establishes a connection with the companion smartphone and updates the user in case of a new message or notification. On the official blog, Google has mentioned that Messages will not come as a default application for watches in United States, South Korea or Japan. However, the application can still be downloaded using the Play Store. Extended Google Pay Support Google is extending the contactless payment feature on Wear OS to 16 new countries, which include Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates. The application has been redesigned to provide a clear view of the stored card information and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. YouTube Music Smartwatch App The new YouTube Music application is the first application from YouTube that allows users to download music from YouTube Music's library and listen to it offline, in the absence of a companion smartphone. However, the feature is limited to YouTube Music Premium subscribers. The application will be available on Google Play Store on Wear OS 3 devices and will let users listen to their favourite music and tailored playlists. An Egyptian YouTuber is facing legal action after claiming to have coloured the Pyramids of Giza blue for a gender reveal party, said reports. Siamand Mustafa, a YouTuber, announced the gender of his newborn kid by posting a video of the pyramids bathed in blue light. Mustafa claimed to have spent many days negotiating for licences and documentation so that the pyramids could be lighted up in blue particularly for him, according to reports. YouTuber Faces Legal Action Last week, he posted a video on YouTube titled 'First Gender Reveal Party held by the Pyramids,' which has received over 4 million views on the video-sharing site. Siamand Mustafa and his wife Shahad, who are expecting their second child together, can be seen in the video standing in front of the pyramids with their friends. The old structures are subsequently turned blue by a light show, signalling that the couple is expecting a boy. While Mustafa claims that the pyramids were lighted up solely for his gender reveal stunt, Egyptian authorities contend that the pyramids were painted blue for a different purpose. Gender Reveal Party At Pyramids Of Giza "On the occasion of World Liver Day, as well as the celebration of the elimination of Hepatitis C in Egypt, the Pyramids were lit up in blue and orange a few days ago in coordination between the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Health," said Mohamed Abdelaziz, who runs the Sound and Light Company that organises all celebratory events at the pyramids. "Private gatherings are completely prohibited near the pyramids, and... the pyramids are not exploited for advertising purposes," an Egyptian official in charge of the monument told Arab media. Abdelaziz revealed that Mustafa is facing legal action as a result of the video. Gender reveal parties are a newer trend, but they are frequently in the headlines due to the extremes to which expecting parents go to plan the elaborate stunts. Syrian influencers Anas and Asala Marwah, who live in the UAE, held a gender reveal at the world's highest structure, the Burj Khalifa, last year. (Image Credits: SiamandMustafa/Instagram) Kenyans receiving COVID-19 vaccines on Sunday expressed concerns over the countries dependency on donations of doses. The UK recently sent a donation of AstraZeneca vaccines to help with Kenya's inoculation drive, which has been distributed through various pop-up vaccination sites across the country. But residents feel that the Kenyan government needs to step up and start manufacturing the vaccines within the country to avoid being reliant on outside help. One Nairobi local, Jack Ochieng, said "as a country I believe we can be able to manage ourselves. It is just a matter of us knowing how to manage our resources," adding "I believe the government should just find strategies to sort such issues out in regards to a pandemic." His sentiments were shared by others, including Eliud Angaine, another Nairobi resident questioned "my request to government is whether we can make our own vaccine here in Kenya." Kenya has seen over 4,000 deaths related to COVID-19, while just under 2 percent of the population have been fully vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins University data. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) A day after the Taliban captured Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul on Sunday, China has issued a subtle warning to the pro-democracy voices in Hong Kong. According to reports, China's mouthpiece Global Times in a commentary directed towards Hong Kong has cited the current situation in Afghanistan. The Global Times has signalled democracy activists in Hong Kong to not pay heed to the United States, which has extended support and promised to 'stand by' Hong Kong. China signals Hong Kong activists over US support; cites Afghanistan As per reports, the Global Times commentary opined that whomever the United States decides to support ends up with 'bad luck and faces social unrest'. Moreover, the Chinese state-run news outlet also asserted that American involvement leads to 'severe consequences'. "It has been proven repeatedly that whomever U.S. politicians claim to stand with will face bad luck, plunge into social unrest and suffer severe consequences," the commentary said. Similarly, on Sunday, Hu Xijin, Editor-in-Chief of The Global Times took a jibe at the United States and asked if it still stands by Afghanistan. The Chinese stooge's comment came even as the Taliban was gearing up for a complete takeover of Afghanistan. Hu Xijin took to Twitter and asked US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken still stood with Afghan people as the US always had pledged to. "Mr. Blinken, where is your pet phrase? You dont plan to announce to stand with the Afghan people?" asked Hu Xijin Mr. Blinken, where is your pet phrase? You dont plan to announce to stand with the Afghan people pic.twitter.com/LNaUGwQ2Bi Hu Xijin (@HuXijin_GT) August 15, 2021 China prepares to recognize Taliban as legitimate rulers: Reports Meanwhile, reports had emerged which stated that Beijing is prepared to recognise the Taliban as the legitimate ruler of the war-torn country. An American publication had said that China's decision to recognise the Taliban will be taken if the insurgent group was able to capture the country. China is therefore preparing to formalize their ties with the Taliban, the report added. "We hope the Afghan Taliban will make a clean break with all terrorist organizations including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and resolutely and effectively combat them to remove obstacles, play a positive role and create enabling conditions for security, stability, development and cooperation in the region," the Chinese readout said. Moreover, China had recently hosted a Taliban delegation that was led by its co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar. The Taliban leader had met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on July 28. Both sides had discussed the Afghanistan scenario and China had reportedly raised concern over the activities of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) that seeks to establish an Uyghur state. However, the Taliban has assured China that Afghan territory would not be used against the security of any country. China had previously hosted the Taliban in 2019 when a nine-member delegation travelled to Beijing and met Deng Xijun, then a representative for Afghanistan. Portugal is prepared to welcome 243 Afghan citizens and their families, intending to provide shelter amidst the Taliban-induced violence in Afghanistan. The families will include those who worked with the Portuguese forces stationed in the country, PTI reported. The announcement was made by the Portuguese Defence Ministry on August 16, two days after the fundamentalist group annexed the country's capital Kabul. Defence Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho on Monday expressed grief over the grim situation in Afghanistan following the exit of the US, NATO, and Allied forces. Mirroring the US declaration of army evacuation from Afghanistan, Portugal also expressed its intention to withdraw the deployed troops on May 1, 2021. Approximately 174 Portuguese personnel were stationed in Afghanistan under the North Atlantic Organisation (NATO) command. "With this withdrawal, an important and prolonged Portuguese contribution to the fight against terrorism will be concluded," the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence said in a joint statement in April. However, Portugal is committed to contributing to the international community to combat terrorism in all its form, the statement added. The government also acknowledged the considerable progress in Afghanistan in terms of education, women's rights, and political stability and security as a result of foreign presence. The less than 200 troops were a part of the NATO-administered peacekeeping mission deployed in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks carried out by Al Qaeda. Shocking developments after Taliban occupies Kabul Afghanistan has been plunged into panic and chaos after the Taliban shot dead several people in the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Monday. The incident forced-shut arrivals and departures of several key diplomats being airlifted from the war-torn country. Meanwhile, the US witnessing the greatest slip following their exit has now deployed 6000 troops to guard the airport perimeter for safe evacuation. Visuals of the panic-stricken UK, US, India, Canada, and German nationals from the airport surfaced on the internet as they ran hither-tither on the tarmac. The shooting took place after Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar appealed to Taliban soldiers to 'maintain law and order' and asked the citizens to stay 'calm.' Baradar boasted the "victory" after the Taliban swift took over Kabul almost without any resistance from Afghan Forces. Meanwhile, Ashraf Ghani stepped down as the Afghanistan President after the fall of major provinces. He along with his delegates fled from the country to Tajikistan leaving the former presidents to initiate a "peaceful transition" to the terror group. With inputs from AP & PTI Image: AP, Twitter While artillery exchange took place last week between Hezbollah group and Israel at least fifteen years after the month-long war between both sides ceased, analysts expect that the conflicting parties would continue to pursue a policy of de-escalation instead of another devastating conflict. As per reports, analysts have also noted that even though Hezbollah presently holds an unprecedented military and political power, the grim economic situation of Lebanon has also exposed the vulnerabilities of the group. The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel indulged in war, also known as the July War, and it started on July 12, 2006. As per Al Jazeera report, the war had started just days after the militant group had captured two Israeli soldiers in the cross-border raid that they hoped would secure a prisoner swap deal. To this, Israels military replied to retrieve its soldiers with force and an intent to destroy the group entirely. Hezbollah is also the only civil-war faction in Lebanon that maintained its arsenal. The devastating attacks finally ended on August 14, 2006, with multiple casualties on both sides. As per the report, Israel has also fired around four million cluster munitions, mostly during the last three days of the war when a ceasefire was imminent. However, not all of them detonated. The Human Rights Watch stated that up to one million undetonated cluster munitions were scattered across fields, towns and villages. To this day, the civilians are often killed by the hidden munitions. Israeli government enquiry had also concluded that the 2006 July War was unsuccessful and a missed opportunity. Recently, Hezbollahs Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said that the 2006 conflict was a crucial victory for the group and Lebanons security. This is the historic and strategic accomplishment that the resistance achieved for Lebanon in the July War: security and safety over the past 15 years, Nasrallah said in a televised speech last week. Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets toward Israel Meanwhile, on Friday, as per the Associated Press report, Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets toward Israel triggering retaliation and marking a prominent escalation between both sides. It was also the third day of attacks along the vulnerable border with Lebanon that is a flashpoint of Israel-Iran tensions. However, the remarks by both Hezbollah militants and Israeli officials indicate that both sides are avoiding any major conflict. IMAGE: AP A mob set ablaze a property near Tripoli on Sunday thought to belong to the owner of a warehouse which exploded earlier in the day in northern Lebanon, killing 20 people. The large group gathered and threw missiles at the house, which caught fire and had black smoke pouring from its windows, before security forces attended to control the situation. The blast at the warehouse where fuel was illegally stored killed 20 people and injured dozens more in the latest tragedy to hit the Mediterranean country in the throes of a devastating economic and political crisis. A Lebanese military official said the explosion occurred after the army confiscated a warehouse in Tleil where about 60,000 litres of gasoline were stored and the order was given to distribute the fuel to residents of the area. Residents had gathered to acquire the scarce commodity, available only on the black market at exorbitant prices or not at all. It was not clear what caused the explosion, the official told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The explosion comes as Lebanon faces a severe fuel shortage that has been blamed on smuggling, hoarding and the cash-strapped government's inability to secure deliveries of imported fuel. The shortages have paralysed the country long dependent on private generators to light up their homes. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Lebanese riot police fired tear gas on a group of protesters on Sunday as they tried to storm the house of the designated Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Protesters gathered on the streets of Beirut a day after the killing of 28 people due to a warehouse explosion where fuel was illegally being stored. The explosion came as Lebanon faces a severe fuel shortage that has been blamed on smuggling, hoarding and the cash-strapped government's inability to secure deliveries of imported fuel. The shortages have paralyzed the country long dependent on private generators to light up their homes. Most of those generators have now turned off their engines because of the crippling diesel shortages. The American University Medical Center on Saturday warned 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. Lebanon has for decades suffered electricity cuts, partly because of widespread corruption and mismanagement in the small Mediterranean nation with a population of 6 million, which includes 1 million Syrian refugees. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The United Nations (UN) informed in a statement that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed his sadness over the loss of life and property in Turkey due to heavy floods and mudslides. In the statement attributable to his spokesperson Stephanie Dujarric, the UN Chief expressed sadness at the loss of life and damage to property in Turkey due to the floods followed by massive wildfires and extended his deep condolences to the families affected. The statement further said that the United Nations stands in solidarity with the people and the Government of the Republic of Turkey during this difficult time. Turkey floods Severe floods and mudslides triggered by heavy rainfall have hit the Black Sea region in Northern Turkey, killing over 60 people so far. Besides, several people still remain missing. The torrential rains had caused havoc and have destroyed several homes, damaged bridges, toppled vehicles, and affected power supplies in the region. Rescue operations are currently underway. Turkey has also been witnessing massive wildfires which have killed eight people till now and destroyed acres of forests along its southwestern and southern coasts. On Saturday, a Russian firefighting plane crashed in Southern Turkey killing eight crew members and other emergency workers onboard. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the flood-hit region and vowed to bring in more aid. (Image: AP) Austria on Monday called for the establishment of deportation centers in countries near Afghanistan to accommodate people fleeing the country amid Taliban seizure. The chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz, said the plan could serve as an alternative, other than deporting Afghans back to their homeland - a suggestion that earned him a rebuke by human rights organizations before Kabuls collapse to the Taliban. Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said if deportations are no longer possible because of the restrictions imposed by the European Convention on Human Rights, alternatives must be considered. Deportation centers in the region around Afghanistan would be one possibility. That requires the strength and support of the European Commission. I will suggest it at the council of interior ministers, Nehammer said, referring to an upcoming meeting of EU interior ministers. Austria insists on deporting Afghan migrants Austria was one of the six EU member nations that asked the European Commission last week to forcibly deport rejected Afghan asylum seekers. However, the Taliban have made a significant advance in the country since then, and three of the EU members Denmark, Germany, Netherlands withdrew the request. Kurzs Austrian Peoples Party has long taken a hardline stance on the issue of immigration. It has won every parliamentary election since the 2015-2016 migration crisis, during which the country took in more than 1% of its population as asylum seekers. However, the party governs in a coalition with the left-wing Greens, many of whom oppose continuing deportations to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Afghanistan has fallen to Talibani terrorists, who reconquered major cities like Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah, soon after US troops began to retreat from the country. The insurgents gradually encircled the government in Kabul, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to resign and flee for his life. While the President himself fled the country, reportedly carrying loads of cash, the residents of Kabul are making desperate attempts to leave the city too. From the European nations to the middle-east and further on, governments across the globe have ramped up efforts to evacuate their citizens and diplomats from Afghanistan, now under the Talibans control. The world leaders were taken by surprise by the extremist groups swift takeover of power which caused former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country. While the fate of the Afghans still remains uncertain under the Taliban leadership, Indian authorities had already pulled hundreds of people out of the war-torn nation when the militants started entering the capital of Kabul. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Forces heavy-lift aircraft are on standby and could be pressed into service on the notice for evacuation. China In stark contrast to the usual response of the government of evacuating citizens or worrying for their safety, China has said that it is ready to enhance friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan after the Taliban re-conquered the country. Beijing has sought to maintain unofficial ties with the insurgents, even as the United States ordered the withdrawal of its troops. On August 15, China said it welcomed the chance to elevate ties with Afghanistan. "The Taliban have repeatedly expressed their hope to develop good relations with China, and that they look forward to China's participation in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters. "We welcome this. China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny and is willing to continue to develop... friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan." Pakistan In another stunning response, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan breaking the chains of slavery. Khans government has been blamed for supporting the insurgents throughout their march in the South Asian country. After the Taliban captured Kabul on Sunday which triggered concerns of safety of women and children, Pakistan Prime Minister said, You take over the other culture and become psychologically subservient. When that happens, please remember, it is worse than actual slavery. It is harder to throw off the chains of cultural enslavement. What is happening in Afghanistan now, they have broken the shackles of slavery." United States The United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, was successfully evacuated on August 15 night. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. "All Embassy personnel are located on the premises of Hamid Karzai International Airport, whose perimeter is secured by the U.S. Military." Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been in touch with his foreign counterparts over the situation in Afghanistan and ensuring the safety of the people. I discussed developments in Afghanistan with @MarisePayne, @JY_LeDrian, @HeikoMaas, and @NorwayMFA Soreide and reiterated the profound U.S. appreciation for their efforts there. Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 15, 2021 Very productive conversation with Canadian Foreign Minister @MarcGarneau about our efforts to reach a diplomatic solution in Afghanistan. I am grateful for Canadas shared commitment to bring vulnerable Afghans to safety. Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 15, 2021 Italy Since Sunday, Italy has evacuated 70 embassy staff along with Afghan employees from Kabul and its plane was reportedly scheduled to arrive in the European nation on August 16. The Italian Defence Ministry shared a video showing people walking towards a mobile staircase to board the plane in darkness at Kabuls International Airport. Before the pullout, reportedly, Italy had one of the largest contingents in Afghanistan. Italian journalist Francesca Mannocchi who was on the evacuation plane stated that it was carrying 20 including women and children. Even before the Talibans advancements, 228 Afghani families were transferred to Italy. European Union The 27-member European Unions Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Police along with 40 other nations, said in a statement on Monday, Given the deteriorating security situation, we support, are working to secure, and call on all parties to respect and facilitate, the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country. Those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan bear responsibility - and accountability - for the protection of human life and property, and for the immediate restoration of security and civil order. Afghans and international citizens who wish to depart must be allowed to do so; roads, airports and border crossing must remain open, and calm must be maintained. The Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security and dignity. We in the international community stand ready to assist them, it added. Afghanistan - Joint statement by @JosepBorrellF, 25 Member States & more than 40 others countries: "The Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security and dignity. We in the international community stand ready to assist them.https://t.co/Ewn4qnal6c European External Action Service - EEAS (@eu_eeas) August 16, 2021 Germany German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told Bild daily that, We are not going to risk our people falling into the hands of the Taliban. He also announced that the German embassy staff would fly out of the war-stricken nation on August 15. He also said on Sunday that, Today the top priority must be the safety of our nationals & our employees. We have decided that tonight the planes will be the Bundeswehr to Kabul set out to support the evacuations. He has previously informed that a core team from the embassy will remain on-site in order to maintain the necessary capacity to act. Canada Canada had already shut its embassy in Kabul and started evacuating its staff even before the Taliban militants entered Afghanistans capital, stated the countrys foreign ministry. The statement had reportedly added that the Canadian nationals were already on their way back home. The ministry has also stated that the embassy would open only when the conditions are normal and things become functional. France The French ambassador to Afghanistan had tweeted a video of himself leaving Kabuls Green Zone as Paris is reportedly looking to set up a temporary mission at the airport. Meanwhile, as per the latest reports, the French foreign ministry also said that reinforcements were being deployed to the United Arab Emirates to help with evacuations through Abu Dhabi. The French presidency has also said that it would do the utmost to guarantee the safety" of its citizens and staff in Afghanistan. The United Kingdom Britain has said that it is deploying at least 600 troops to assist the evacuation of its roughly 3,000 nationals from Afghanistan. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had also said that the vast bulk to the remaining embassy staff in Kabul would also return home. He is also expected to hold fresh talks on the crisis on Wednesday while recalling the parliament from summer break. Afghans travel advisory on the UK governments website, updated on August 15, stated, The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advise against all travel to Afghanistan. All British nationals in Afghanistan are advised to leave now by commercial means. We urge all British nationals in Afghanistan to leave now by commercial means. You should not rely on the FCDO to evacuate you from Afghanistan in an emergency. Due to the security situation the British Embassy in Kabul is reducing the number of its staff, it added. An update on the situation in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/26BtPrlic4 Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 15, 2021 Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Netherlands All three nations, Denmark, Norway and Finland on Friday decided to shut their embassies in Kabul in the wake of the crisis. Reportedly, Finland would provide safe haven to 170 local staff and their families. Meanwhile, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde noted that the countrys evacuees would include Afghan interpreters along with other local staff members. The Dutch embassy in Kabul was evacuated overnight from a makeshift airport near the office. The Netherlands had said on Friday that it would also include the Afghan interpreters and other embassy staff in evacuation. Russia With reports stating that Russia is one of the handful of nations in contact with the Taliban and is promised safe haven, Moscow has decided to keep its embassy in Afghanistan open. Russian Foreign Ministry official Zamir Kabulov said that the country has received the Talibans assurance for the safety of its embassy and staff. United Arab Emirates (UAE) The UAE has reportedly evacuated its diplomats from Afghanistan. As per reports, the UAE foreign ministry also said on Sunday that it was working with several governments on helping the evacuation of foreign diplomatic staff from Afghanistan through airports in the Gulf Arab state. These nations included United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Egypt, Australia and the European Union. Czech Republic Further, on August 16, the first Czech evacuation flight took off from Kabuls international airport and landed in Prague. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis reportedly said that 46 people were brought home on Mondays flight including the citizens of the country, Afghan staffers. He also deemed it a miracle that the flight took off from Kabul amid the worsening situation of the country. Nepal Nepal is presently seeking help from several nations as well as the UN for the safe rescue of its nationals from Afghanistan. In a press statement, Nepals Foreign Ministry requested its nationals in the war-torn country to contact the foreign nations to help in the evacuation. The statement said, Nepal has also sent letters to the US, UK, Canada, Germany, European Union, Japan and the United Nations to keep Nepali nationals working with various diplomatic missions and international organizations in Kabul in safe places and help their repatriation home. Further, SewaLamsal, spokesperson at Nepal's MoFA told ANI that, As per our Embassy at Delhi, there are currently 1500 Nepali nationals in Kabul out of which 300 are working with US Embassy there. IMAGE: ANI China's special envoy to Afghanistan Yue Xiaoyong arrived in Tehran on Monday to hold talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif amid the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban. The Taliban swept into Kabul Sunday after the government collapsed and the embattled president joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners, signaling the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the country. Heavily armed Taliban fighters fanned out across the capital, and several entered Kabul's abandoned presidential palace. Dozens of nations from around the world are calling on all involved in events in Afghanistan to respect and facilitate the departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country. More than 60 nations released a joint statement Sunday night citing what they call "the deteriorating security situation" in Afghanistan. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Dozens of Croatian citizens were evacuated from Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday. Video obtained by NOVA TV in Croatia showed a number of Croatians with packed bags boarding military helicopters at the airport. Croatian media said that some 23 Croatians were safely evacuated from Kabul. It was not immediately clear who organised the evacuations, but the Croatian government said earlier Sunday that those flown out were mostly contractors working for foreign companies who would organise the evacuations. It comes as Afghanistans embattled president left the country Sunday, joining his fellow citizens and foreigners in a stampede fleeing the advancing Taliban and signaling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking Afghanistan. The Taliban entered the capital early Sunday and an official in the militant group said it would soon announce the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace - a return rich in symbolism to the name of the country under the Taliban government ousted by US-led forces after the 9/11 attacks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Following a successful military campaign between Mozambican and Rwandan government forces in seizing strategic towns from jihadist militants in north eastern Mozambique, residents have begun returning to their homes as a sense of calm has been restored. Some however have expressed mistrust in the Mozambican police. They've alleged officers have perpetrated acts of violence against them in their fight with Muslim militants in the area. On Sunday, both Rwandan and Mozambican officers met with residents of the Cabo Delgado province to assure them of a safe return. But those attending the meeting were skeptical. "We are tired of fleeing and our children being killed," said Avyuma Musa, a resident. Approximately 150 residents attended to express their concerns. "We want to show our presence. The population is coming back but they are still very scared and they are not feeling safe. We are telling them that the war is finished and that they have to return to reclaim their properties," said Justin Rukara, Senior Superintendent for Rwandan Police. In March 2021, jihadist militants staged an attack in Mozambique's northern town of Palma causing residents to flee into a dense tropical forest surrounding the town. A few hundred foreign workers mostly from South Africa, Britain and France had to seek shelter at the Hotel Amarula. On the 19th of March 2021 a group of them attempted to escape the area in 17 vehicles by driving in a convoy to the beach with hopes of being rescued. However 10 of those vehicles were ambushed and seven people lost their lives. Insurgent fire raged on at the beach in a bid to prevent access to rescue efforts via air or sea. After the attack, the militants left a trail of destruction. Before the deployment of the Rwandan forces, Mozambiques military and police had not succeeded in stemming rebels offensives. In their four-year insurgency the extremist rebels, loosely allied to the Islamic State group, extended their influence over a large area and created a humanitarian emergency in Cabo Delgado province. More than 3,000 Mozambicans have been killed and 800,000 people displaced by the rebellion. Nearly 1 million people need urgent food aid as a result of the conflict, according to the U.N. World Food Program. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Former congressman Freddy Guevara was released from prison Sunday night after being arrested on July 12 by order of the Attorney General's Office. Outside his family residence, Guevara told the press he hasn't been informed about the measures or conditions of his release. "I have zero political information", said Guevara, "What I am convinced of is that my freedom is conditional." Guevara had been charged with the alleged "crimes of terrorism, attempt against the constitutional order, conspiracy to commit a crime and treason". Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has accused Guevara, Juan Guaido and Leopoldo Lopez, among other opposition leaders, of being part of an alleged plot in which one of Venezuela's biggest criminal gangs is allegedly in charge of generating violence to destabilize and assassinate the government. Government and opposition began a process of dialogue and negotiation in Mexico on Friday but it's unclear if Guevara's release from prison has anything to do with the talks. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) More than two dozen Rohingya refugees were missing and feared drowned after a boat carrying them capsized in the Bay of Bengal, the United Nations and Bangladeshi police said Sunday. The refugees were apparently trying to flee a remote Bangladeshi island where they have been relocated after previously residing in crowded camps near the border with Myanmar. The relocation has been criticized by the UN and human rights groups, who say the island isn't fit for habitation. The island used to be regularly submerged by monsoon rains, but the government now says it's been outfitted with protective sea walls, hospitals, schools and mosques. "The Bangladesh government brought us here to Bhasan Char by telling us that they will give us all kinds of opportunities. But we cannot generate any income here. We cannot move around freely. We are kept here like in prison," said Sana Ullah who survived by swimming back to the island, but lost all his children. A police official in Noakhali district, where the island is located, told The Associated Press by phone that about 40 refugees including women and children were in a fishing boat, but it sank in bad weather. Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, the official said the refugees were "apparently fleeing the island." The official said at least 14 refugees were rescued by fishermen and brought back to the island. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which has sheltered more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees from neighboring Myanmar, has relocated about 20,000 refugees to the island from sprawling camps in Cox's Bazar district. The island in Noakhali district was developed by Bangladesh's navy to accommodate some 100,000 refugees. Authorities earlier said they would relocate them to the island in phases. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled to refugee camps in Bangladesh since August 2017, when the military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar began a harsh crackdown on the Muslim ethnic group following an attack by insurgents. They joined hundreds of thousands of others who have fled to Bangladesh over decades. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said Monday that 19 embassy employees had been evacuated from Afghanistan overnight after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government. The Swedish nationals were transported by helicopter and plane, and were flown to Doha from where they eventually would be flown to Sweden, Linde added. Earlier Monday, Norway and Denmark said that the bulk of the embassy staff were out of Afghanistan. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Daily coronavirus deaths in Russia exceeded 800 for the fourth straight day on Sunday, with the authorities reporting 816 new fatalities. The daily tally surpassed 800 for the first time in the pandemic on Thursday and has remained at that level ever since. Russia faced a surge of infections last month that officials have blamed on the spread of the delta variant. New confirmed cases soared from around 9,000 a day in early June to 25,000 a day in mid-July. New infections have since decreased slightly to about 21,000 daily this week, but the daily death toll has remained high. Officials are working to boost vaccine uptake, which has remained lower in Russia than in many Western countries. As of Aug. 6, more than 39 million Russians -- or 26.7% of the 146-million population -- had received at least one dose, while over 30 million, or 20%, was said to be fully vaccinated. Russias state coronavirus task force has reported over 6.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the pandemic and 170,499 deaths. However, reports by Russias state statistical service Rosstat that look at coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively have revealed a much higher number. MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: Coronavirus claims more young victims in U.S. as deaths climb Amid a limited supply of vaccines, tensions arise in Africa between those seeking first and second vaccine shots 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 HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: KAMPALA, Uganda At a COVID-19 vaccination site in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, tempers flared among those waiting for scarce AstraZeneca jabs, with some accusing others of trying to jump the queue. Nurses intervened, telling them the accused had been waiting since the previous day and averting violence in what has become a tense atmosphere as Ugandans jostle for vaccinations. In the aftermath of a brutal wave of infections driven by the delta variant, many Ugandans seeking a first dose of vaccine are competing with hundreds of thousands who have waited months for a second dose. But the country now has only 285,000 shots donated by Norway. The delta surge has touched off a vaccination rush across Africa that the slow trickle of donated doses cant keep up with, compounding the continents vaccine disadvantage compared with the rest of the world. The urgency to obtain a second dose across much of the worlds least vaccinated continent contrasts sharply with rich countries now beginning to authorize third doses. Dr. Alfred Driwale, the top official with Ugandas immunization program, said the small number of doses will do little to remedy the situation as the 5 million Ugandans eligible for vaccination everyone from soldiers to health workers scramble for shots under a first-come, first-serve system. You cant make a policy when there is no certainty of supply, Driwale said. SYDNEY Poland has sent 1 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. 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. 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. 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 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 discussed 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. 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 has 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. 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. 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. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations has warned that Afghans are potentially facing starvation. According to a United Nations assessment of Afghanistan's food security and nutrition status, one out of every three Afghans is food insecure. That means 14 million people in the war-torn country is barely able to meet their daily food requirements. 2 million youngsters require nutrition to survive Malnutrition levels are growing as a result of the severe situation, according to the World Food Program, and approximately 2 million youngsters require nutrition treatment to survive. According to Tomson Phiri, a spokesman for the World Food Programme, the Afghan people are confronting both a man-made and natural calamity, rendering them unable to feed their families. According to VOA, he predicted a bad harvest because the country is experiencing its second drought in four years. "We fear the worst is yet to come and a larger tide of hunger is fast approaching," Phiri said, adding that "It is not a secret the situation has worsened and is becoming increasingly unpredictable. The conflict has accelerated much faster than we all anticipated. And the situation has all the hallmarks of a humanitarian catastrophe." Phiri said the WFP has supplied food help to more than 4 million people in the previous three months, despite rising hunger and suffering among Afghans. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled to Tajikistan After the Taliban stormed the gates of Kabul, Afghanistan's president, Ashraf Ghani, fled the nation for Tajikistan. He resigned, acknowledging that the terrorists have won the 20-year war adding that if they were allowed to continue, countless patriots would be martyred and Kabul would be demolished, leading to a catastrophic humanitarian calamity in the city. The Taliban had made it clear that they were willing to attack the entire city of Kabul, as well as the citizens of Kabul Sharif, with violence. To avoid the carnage, the President made the option to leave. The Taliban seized the presidential house on Sunday night alarmed Kabul allowing tens of thousands of Afghans to gather at the Kabul airport to leave the nation. People rushed to board the few remaining planes, with gunshots ringing in the background. (Inputs from ANI) Image- @AntonioFranco__/Twitter United Nations, Aug 16 (PTI) With Kabul falling into the hands of the Taliban, the UN Security Council under Indias current Presidency will hold an emergency meeting on the situation in Afghanistan on Monday, the second time in just over a week. The longstanding war in Afghanistan reached a watershed moment on Sunday when the Taliban insurgents closed in on Afghanistan's capital Kabul and entered the city and took over the presidential palace, forcing embattled President Ashraf Ghani to join fellow citizens and foreigners to leave the country. UN Security Council to meet on Afghanistan. Indian Presidency will convene briefing and consultations on Afghanistan tomorrow 16th AugustUN Secretary-General @antonioguterres to brief UNSC," Indias Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador T S Tirumurti tweeted. India assumed the Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month on August 1 and wrapped up a hectic first week with discussions on Afghanistan on August 6 amidst a deteriorating security situation in the country as the Taliban carried out its military offensive. The UNSC meeting on Afghanistan came as the talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha are stalled and just days before the extended Troika meeting scheduled to be held in Qatar on August 11. As the situation deteriorates in Afghanistan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the Taliban and all other parties to exercise utmost restraint. Guterres is following with deep concern the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan and urged the Taliban and all other parties to exercise utmost restraint in order to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian needs can be addressed, a statement issued here has said. The UN chief will address the Security Council's open meeting on Afghanistan on Monday morning. Under India's current presidency, the Council has discussed the situation in Afghanistan. Conflict is forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. There continue to be reports of serious human rights abuses and violations in the communities most affected by the fighting, the statement said. It said Guterres was particularly concerned about the future of women and girls, whose hard-won rights must be protected." All abuses must stop. He calls on the Taliban and all other parties to ensure that international humanitarian law and the rights and freedoms of all people are respected and protected, it said. The UN chief said the need for assistance is surging while the operating environment becomes more restricted due to the escalation of the conflict. "The Secretary-General calls on all parties to ensure that humanitarian actors have unimpeded access to deliver timely and life-saving services and assistance," the statement said. The United Nations remains determined to contribute to a peaceful settlement, promote the human rights of all Afghans, notably women and girls, and provide life-saving humanitarian assistance and critical support to civilians in need, it said. PTI YAS MRJ AKJ MRJ (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Bolivian authorities in El Alto are seeking to increase the amount of people who come forward for COVID-19 vaccinations by offering food incentives. The vaccination campaign is taking place as a new batch of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Bolivia that will be applied to people waiting for the second dose. El Alto "is on the last step of vaccination" of the entire nation, said Jeyson Auza, Health Minister on Saturday during an event where President Luis Arce, the mayor of that city Eva Copa announced the launching of the immunization campaign. The mayor's office of El Alto announced that people who get inoculated should be given foods such as noodles and rice in exchange. In addition, more vaccination centers were set up, and the government donated a couple of refrigerators to maintain the cold chain of the vials. President Arce urged the public to get vaccinated to prevent a fourth wave, to help the country's troubled economy. Meanwhile, Bolivia received a new batch of 125,000 doses of Sputnik V that had been delayed, causing uncertainty in people who received their first dose more than 90 days ago. A similar shipment arrived last weekend. Bolivia's Health Ministry reported that so far 28% of the population has received two doses and 40% have had their first dose, of a population of 7.1 million people. The pandemic, which is on the decline with fewer than a thousand new cases per day, has infected more than 481,600 and killed more than 18,000 in Bolivia, according to authorities. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Hundreds of Central American migrants, many families with young children, expelled by the United States on flights deep into southern Mexico have been dropped this week at a remote jungle outpost on the Guatemalan border. They walk into Guatemala with children in their arms and their few possessions in plastic bags, disoriented by their sudden arrival in a third country in 24 hours. In part, that is the point. The new US measure aims to dissuade them from trying to reach the US border again. In El Ceibo, they find little more than roadside diners, a small, overwhelmed shelter, and suffocating 100-degree heat. Many are not from Guatemala. There are Hondurans and Salvadorans. Some start walking south, hitchhiking, or looking for a bus if they have money. "What we've seen here is the suffering of these people," said Andres Toribio, who runs the Bethlehem Migrant Shelter in El Ceibo. Since the US started the flights, his shelter has been strained by the new arrivals on top of the usual deportations made by Mexican authorities. He estimates he has seen 4,000 migrants expelled from Mexico here in the past eight days. When the expelled migrants board their flights in Brownsville, Texas, they don't know where they are going. Some think California, others back home. Maritza Tepata arrived in El Ceibo on Wednesday with her two children, ages 3 and 8, after starting the day in Brownsville. On Friday, she was working in a diner, washing dishes, scrubbing floors, and waiting on customers along with a Nicaraguan migrant. In exchange, she received food for her family, but otherwise was not paid. She had fled El Salvador because a gang threatened her for not making extortion payments. Tepata, 26, had been trying to reach Los Angeles. Of her flight on Wednesday, Tepata said, "I asked, and the immigration woman told me I wasn't going to El Salvador, that I was going to Mexico." She had paid $14,000 to a smuggler to cross and now faced a debt she had little hope of repaying without reaching the US. United Nations agencies and human rights organisations expressed concern this week over the new US measures. Without screening migrants for what they were fleeing, the governments were potentially putting them at risk. "I left my country because we were extorted," Tepata said. The administration is starting the flights at 24 times a month, with hopes of ramping up, according to a US official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Mexico agreed to support the effort amid strains between the administration and Central American governments and their reluctance to accept more direct deportation flights from the United States. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Daily coronavirus deaths in Russia have exceeded 800 for four days straight, while many other countries continue to report setbacks in their efforts to contain the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Authorities in Russian reported 816 new fatalities in the previous 24 hours on August 15. Russia's daily tally surpassed 800 for the first time in the pandemic four days earlier and has remained at that level ever since. Russia faced a surge of infections last month that officials have blamed on the spread of the Delta variant as new confirmed cases soared from around 9,000 a day in early June to 25,000 a day in mid-July. New infections have since decreased slightly to about 21,000 daily this week. Russia's state coronavirus task force has reported more than 6.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 170,499 deaths. However, independent demographers and health experts have cast doubt on the official figures, saying theauthorities are severely undercounting both the death toll and the number of overall infections. RFE/RL's Coronavirus Coverage Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region. Rosstat, the government statistics agency, keeps a separate count from the pandemic task force and says it recorded around 315,000 deaths related to COVID-19 between April 2020 and June this year. Officials are working to boost vaccine uptake, which has remained lower than in many Western countries despite Russia having approved four different vaccines, including Sputnik V. Meanwhile, Serbian health authorities authorized a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines for people with compromised immune systems, health workers, and anyone vaccinated more than six months ago, the country's labor minister said on August 15. The Balkan country is facing a surge in coronavirus infections, with an average of more than 900 cases a day in the past week. It so far has vaccinated more than 50 percent of its population of around 7 million. Labor Minister Darija Kisic Tepavcevic said health authorities would start administering the third dose of vaccines to the immuno-compromised from August 17. "Citizens who received their shots at least six months ago may also request to receive the third dose," Kisic Tepavcevic said. She did not specify which vaccine would be used for the third dose. Serbia is currently using COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNtech , China's Sinopharm, AstraZeneca/Oxford, and Russia's Sputnik V. With reporting by AP and Reuters Armenia says clashes along the border with Azerbaijan have left two of its troops dead as tensions continue to simmer between the two countries after last year's war over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Armenian Defense Ministry said a skirmish that left one military officer dead took place on August 16, claiming Azerbaijani forces "provoked" the Armenians when they tried to advance their positions inside Armenian territory at the Yeraskh section of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan's Naxcivan exclave, which is sandwiched between Armenia and Iran. The ministry added that a day earlier its forces managed to repel Azerbaijani military units that allegedly also tried to enter Armenian territory at the Sevlich section of Armenia's Syunik region, and that one Azerbaijani soldier was killed. According to the ministry, Azerbaijan "attempted another provocation" on the evening of August 16, opening fire and claiming the life of another Armenian soldier. "This was the second Armenian soldier to die during this day," the ministry said, adding that the Azerbaijani side had also suffered losses. Referring to the incidents, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the clashes were started by the Armenian side and denied any casualties among its military personnel. In a separate statement, the Azerbaijani ministry alleged that Armenian forces also opened fire on positions in the Kalbacar district and the city of Susa. Long-running tensions between the two South Caucasus states turned to war last year over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but had been controlled by ethnic Armenians since the early 1990s. Some 6,000 people were killed in six weeks of fighting that ended in a Moscow-brokered cease-fire deal. Under the accord, a chunk of Nagorno-Karabakh and all seven districts around it were placed under Azerbaijani administration. The agreement also resulted in the deployment of around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers, and provided for an exchange of POWs and other detainees. Several prisoner exchanges have since taken place. On August 14, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with CNN Turk television that his country did not want a new war with Armenia, as Baku has accomplished "its historic mission." Last week, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said Yerevan was ready to resume talks with Baku on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and expects specific proposals from the OSCE Minsk Group, consisting of Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, Russia, and the United States. With reporting by CNN Turk and RFE/RL's Armenian and Azerbaijani services Armenia has reiterated its support for India over its decades-long territorial dispute with Pakistan and expressed gratitude to New Delhi for its "targeted statements" regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. "Armenia has always supported India in the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," acting Foreign Minister Armen Grigorian said in remarks on August 15 during an event in Yerevan dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the independence of India. "At the same time, we appreciate the targeted statements of the Indian authorities regarding the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Artsakh (the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh), the transfer of foreign terrorist fighters to the region, as well as the encroachments on the Armenian borders," Grigorian added, according to his press office. Grigorian also spoke about an existing "untapped potential" of bilateral relations with India, including "political, security, military, economic, business, cultural, and educational cooperation." India's ambassador and a member of the Indian parliament attended the event. The predominantly Muslim-populated region of Jammu and Kashmir is a territory that has been claimed by both India and Pakistan since the partition of India in 1947. Under a 1972 agreement that followed an Indo-Pakistani war, India was left in control of nearly two-thirds of the region. In 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government stripped the region of its semiautonomous status, annulled its separate constitution, and split it into two federal territories. Armenia has no diplomatic ties with Pakistan, which refused to recognize Armenian independence in the early 1990s because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Along with Turkey, Pakistan openly supported Azerbaijan during last year's 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh in which nearly 7,000 people were killed. The war resulted in Baku reestablishing control over seven districts around the disputed region and capturing two districts of Soviet Azerbaijan's former mostly Armenian-populated autonomous region proper. The war was stopped by a Moscow-brokered cease-fire agreement under which around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers were deployed in the part of Nagorno-Karabakh left under Armenian control. Like Ankara, Islamabad has denied any direct involvement in the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Pakistan, however, has been involved in a series of joint military drills with Azerbaijan and Turkey since the end of the armed conflict. India angered Azerbaijan in May when it described Baku as a transgressing side during border tensions with Armenia and called on it to "pull back forces immediately and cease any further provocation." In August 1991, a group of Soviet hard-liners locked Mikhail Gorbachev up in his Crimean dacha and tried to keep the U.S.S.R. together by force. Facing massive protests, they gave up just three days after taking power, when the first civilian blood was spilled in Moscow. The Communist Party was banned after the coup's failure, and the Soviet Union officially broke up later that year -- putting 15 independent countries on the map. MINSK -- A Belarusian activist who slit his own throat during a court hearing in June has been sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison. Stsyapan Latypau, 40, whom Belarusian rights organizations have recognized as a political prisoner, was found guilty by Minsk Soviet district court of organizing events that violate public order, resisting law enforcement, and committing fraud. Latypau was sentenced the same day. Latypau rejected all charges. Latypau was detained in mid-September last year as he tried to stop police and workmen from painting over a mural in a residential courtyard that showed off the opposition's red and white colors. The courtyard had become known as Change Square, hosting nightly events drawing protesters angry at authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka's claim of victory in a disputed presidential election in August. Latypau is one of tens of thousands of Belarusians to be detained for protesting the election results, which the West has refused to accept. Lukashenka, in power since 1994, has tightened his grip on the country in recent months in a violent crackdown on dissent that has raised the ire of many Western nations. Rights groups say there is considerable evidence of torture being used by authorities on detainees. The West does not consider Lukashenka to be the country's legitimate leader and has imposed several rounds of sanctions against his regime. Two rival events were held in the Bosnian capital on August 14 -- a march for the rights of sexual minorities globally and a demonstration by a religious political party, both under increased police presence. Several hundred participants of the Pride march called for tolerance and demanded security for LGBT people on the streets. Elsewhere in Sarajevo, a newly established Islamic party held its own demonstration denouncing the LGBT community. Israel has removed Russia and several other countries across Europe and Asia from a list that prohibited Israelis from traveling to without a special permit. The country's Health Ministry updated the list on August 16, which showed that travel to Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, the United Kingdom, India, and Cyprus, is also now allowed without the special permit. Argentina and South Africa were also removed from the list. The list puts Bulgaria, Georgia, Brazil, Mexico, and Spain as countries where travel is permitted only by special permission and those returning from those countries, even if they are vaccinated, must quarantine for at last one week. Those breaking the rules face a fine of up to 5,000 shekels ($1,554), the ministry said. MOSCOW -- A Moscow court sentenced Kira Yarmysh, the spokeswoman of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, to 18 months of so-called "restricted freedom," a parole-like sentence, for allegedly calling for the violation of anti-pandemic restrictions. Yarmysh tweeted on August 16 that the Preobrazhensky district court also cancelled her house arrest. A prosecutor had asked the court to sentence Yarmysh to two years of "restricted freedom" on the charge of publicly calling for the violation of restrictions imposed by the authorities to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus by urging people to take part in unsanctioned rallies to support Navalny in January. Earlier this month, Navalny's brother Oleg was found guilty of the same charges and handed a one-year suspended sentence and a one-year probation period. Two Navalny associates, Nikolai Lyaskin and Lyubov Sobol, were found guilty in the same case and given parole-like sentences -- one year and 18-month, respectively. Media reports saying that Sobol fled Russia after that have not been confirmed either by her or her associates. A participant in the January rally, Dani Akel, was fined 100,000 rubles (almost $1,400) on similar charges. Other individuals charged in the case include municipal lawyers Dmitry Baranovsky and Lyusya Shtein; the chief of the Physicians' Alliance NGO, Anastasia Vasilyeva; a leading member of the Pussy Riot protest group, Maria Alyokhina; and a coordinator of Navalny's team in Moscow, Oleg Stepanov. Most of them are under house arrest or curfew. Aleksei Navalny was arrested on January 17 after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was treated for poisoning with a Novichok-type nerve agent that he says was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has denied any role in the incident, which was the latest of numerous attacks on Navalny. More than 10,000 people were rounded up during nationwide rallies protesting Navalny's arrest organized in more than 100 Russian towns and cities on January 23 and January 31. On February 2, Navalny was convicted of violating the terms of his suspended sentence related to an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated. The remainder of Navalny's suspended sentence, 2 1/2 years, was then replaced by a real prison term. That ruling sparked new protests that were also forcibly dispersed by police. More than 1,400 people were detained by police in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities during those demonstrations. A Russian court has handed lengthy prison terms to four Crimean Tatars for being members of the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamic group. According to the Crimean Solidarity human rights group, the Southern District Military Court in the city of Rostov-on-Don on August 16 sentenced Ruslan Mesutov and Lenur Khalilov to 18 years in prison each, Ruslan Nagayev to 13 years, and Eldar Kantimirov to 12 year in prison. The four men were arrested in June 2019 after their homes were searched. Ukraine's ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, protested against the court's "illegal" ruling and urged the international community to "force the Russian Federation to stop groundless detentions and rigged trials of illegally detained Ukrainian citizens." "By illegally trying Crimean Tatars and other Ukrainian citizens, the occupier-country Russian Federation violates the norms of international law, the European Convention on Human Rights, basic freedoms and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," Denisova wrote on Telegram. Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, and since then Moscow-imposed authorities have prosecuted dozens of Crimean Tatars for allegedly belonging to Hizb ut-Tahrir. Rights groups and Western governments have denounced what they describe as a campaign of repression by the authorities installed in Crimea, who are targeting members of the Turkic-speaking Crimean Tatar community and others who have spoken out against Moscow's takeover of the peninsula. Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in Russia as a terrorist organization but operates legally in Ukraine. However, Moscow imposed its own laws on the Crimean Peninsula after the annexation. Russia took control of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 after sending in troops, seizing key facilities, and staging a referendum dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries. Moscow also backs separatists in a war against government forces that has killed more than 13,200 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was convicted in Russia on espionage charges that he denies, will ask a court to transfer him home to serve the remainder of his sentence there. "A request on Whelan's transfer to the U.S. is ready. We will file it with the Moscow City Court before the end of the week," Olga Karlova, a lawyer for the 51-year-old was quoted by Russian media as saying on August 16. "In fact, it depends on the two countries' goodwill if it will be granted. If there is an agreement between Russia and the United States, then a judge will make a ruling based on that. We are filing the request with high hopes for success." Whelan was arrested in Moscow in December 2018 on espionage charges and sentenced to 16 years in prison in May 2020 following a trial that was condemned by the United States as a "mockery of justice." Whelan has rejected the charges and has accused his prison guards of mistreatment. The United States has criticized the Russian authorities for their "shameful treatment" of Whelan. Karlova said that the defense team had been unable to contact Whelan by phone, a violation of Russian law. She said a complaint has been filed with the prosecution over the issue. Whelan holds U.S., Canadian, British, and Irish passports. He was head of global security at a U.S. auto-parts supplier when he was arrested. He and his relatives insist he visited Russia to attend a wedding. Whelan is one of several Americans to face trial in Russia in recent years on charges that their families, supporters, and in some cases the U.S. government, have said are trumped up. Another former U.S. Marine, Trevor Reed, is serving a nine-year prison term in Mordovia as well. He was sentenced in July 2020 on charges of assaulting two Russian police officers. The U.S. government and Reed deny the allegations and questioned the fairness of his judicial proceedings. With reporting by TASS and Interfax Police have launched an investigation after the mayor of the central Ukrainian city of Kryviy Rih was found dead at his home over the weekend. Ukrainian police say the body of 48-year-old Kostyantyn Pavlov, a leading member of the Russian-friendly Opposition Bloc -- For Life party, was found on August 15 after he apparently died from a gunshot wound at his house in the village of Vilne. Police said a gun was found at the scene and that they were investigating the incident as both a possible murder or a suicide. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is a native of Kryviy Rih, issued a statement on Telegram saying that he had taken the investigation into Pavlov's death under his personal control. With reporting by Ukrayinska Pravda and UNIAN The two longtime Del Mar employees fired for alleged financial wrongdoings have fired back with wrongful termination claims against the city, one seeking $5 million in damages and the other an unspecified amount. Pat Vergne the citys beloved chief lifeguard and director of Community Services and Liza Rogers, a staffer in his department, were terminated three months ago after a fiercely disputed four-month investigation unearthed a range of practices that allegedly cost the city more than $200,000 between 2015 and 2017. Vergnes claim for damages, filed Dec. 5 by one of the countrys foremost litigation attorneys Walter Lack of the Los Angeles firm Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack depicts Vergnes suspension in April and the ensuing investigation as a fraudulent campaign designed from the outset to discredit Vergne and justify his eventual termination. Rogers claim, filed Nov. 30 by San Diego attorney Kenneth C. Hoyt, says her termination violated various workplace protections including those for whistleblowers and women and seeks damages for loss of career and retirement benefits in excess of the maximum allowed in San Diego Superior Court. Advertisement The filings trigger a 45-day response period before lawsuits can be filed. The dispute dates back to late March, when two city lifeguards filed internal and still-undisclosed complaints against Vergne and Rogers. After suspending them both, the city hired an outside investigator whose four-month investigation included 20 interviews and pored through thousands of records. Roughly $150,000 of the $200,000 came from waiving fees to rent the Powerhouse Community Center. The rest was attributed to alleged erroneous overtime claims and charges to a city credit card that Rogers submitted and Vergne approved. The city says they also allowed a part-time employee to bill the city as an independent contractor for more than $20,000 in Powerhouse upkeep. Vergnes claim disputes the allegations, saying that the citys announcement of the investigations findings falsely accused him of conduct tantamount to theft and taxpayer fraud. Meanwhile, the city council, when it unanimously agreed to the merits of the investigation, colluded in a civil conspiracy, according to the claim. The City, the Mayor, and the City Council knew that Mr. Vergne had simply been following previously-established protocols and procedures that the City itself had been approving for years, but chose to use these claimed violations as pretext to terminate and discredit Mr. Vergne, the claim reads. After firing Vergne on Aug. 23, the city handed over its findings to the San Diego County Sheriffs Department, which confirmed this week that its investigation is ongoing. Throughout the spring and summer, infuriated residents repeatedly called for Vergnes reinstatement and blasted the city council for supporting the investigation, which many saw as a long-held personal vendetta by City Manager Scott Huth a claim Huth denied but Vergne maintains. For years preceding his termination, Mr. Vergne was continually harassed and exposed to a hostile work environment by Mr. Huth, the claim reads. Advertisement At the time, Huth told this newspaper that some of the investigations findings came from Vergnes six-hour interview with the investigator a fact that Vergnes lawyers have included in his claim.The City fraudulently induced Mr. Vergnes cooperation with that investigation by promising his statements to investigators would be private and not used against him in any subsequent criminal proceedings, the claim reads. In her claim, Rogers says her rights under the 1st, 4th and 5th Amendments were violated. The claim names Huth, the investigator, the two lifeguards who filed the initial complaints and two other city officials as the responsible individuals. Also on that list: Pat Vergne. Vergnes claim does not name Rogers. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Will the Growing Emergence of SD-WAN Increase Opportunity in the Channel? Over the past year the pandemic has been a catalyst for accelerated digital transformation and companies are now working hard to adapt and maintain the pace they set themselves. Alongside a myriad of other challenges, the new work from anywhere mandate has been a prevailing shift that businesses have had to embrace. Remote working is the new norm, and the net has widened in terms of business locations; instead of being fixed, viable office settings could now be coffee shops, homes, shared spaces, and pop-up venues. This has altered the concept of a branch office; while the apps used are the same, the way they are accessed and secured is different, which is putting increased pressure on organizations to transform their WAN and security architectures. Many organizations have tried to manage this shift by stretching their legacy router and firewall centric infrastructures that simply cant sustain the pace and arent flexible enough for modern applications that are primarily hosted in the cloud. As a result, there is a growing demand for SD-WAN, which relies on a cloud-first architecture. But how can channel partners maximize SD-WAN as a growth opportunity? And what should they look out for when it comes to identifying potential customers? A new conversation One of the key benefits of SD-WAN is that it aligns the network to the desired outcomes of the business. The network is built around the needs of the business and the software creates an agile virtual network enabling acceleration and innovation that cant be matched by traditional networks. With SD-WAN automation and intelligence, the network becomes self-driving, simplifying processes and driving efficiencies that ensure business leaders can get on with running their companies instead of worrying about the accessibility and security of their business applications. This shift in approach presents a huge opportunity for channel partners particularly those who have sold traditional networking. Instead of talking to IT departments about new network products, resellers can now speak to business leaders about WAN and security transformation that will enable them to deliver on broader company goals and objectives, and gain time to market advantages. This means partners can target a new audience with a fundamentally new approach to unifying network and security architectures, instead focusing on addressing strategic business challenges for customers rather than simply reselling networking gear. An entry to cloud Businesses across every sector are considering some form of digital transformation, but this is often accompanied by concerns around complexity and disruption. SD-WAN eradicates those concerns with the Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN edge platform, for example, its now possible to extend the network into AWS, Azure, Google or Oracle (News - Alert) with a few mouse clicks, meaning businesses dont need to worry about embracing a hybrid or multi-cloud strategy. This level of simplicity makes SD-WAN an attractive proposition for businesses considering cloud migration and gives partners another opportunity to have a strategic business discussion with customers. Furthermore, as partners continue supporting customers in their adoption and evolution of WAN and security transformation, they will have the ability to establish profitable SD-WAN business practices that will fuel their own growth and profitability in a sustainable way. To ensure resellers succeed throughout their SD-Wan journey they should partner with a trusted provider that offers ongoing training and certification. SD-WAN-ready businesses Of course, cloud transformation is a broad brush to target companies with but there are ways to narrow the focus. Businesses most ripe for SD-WAN will be those struggling to sustain high quality of experience for end users or those with latency issues. Partners should listen for customers who are currently unable to deliver consistent application performance, or who are complaining about application availability, which has an inevitable impact on productivity and trade. These are all signals that SD-WAN would provide a viable solution. Its also a good time for partners to re-engage with businesses that put major projects on hold due to COVID. Though many initiatives were accelerated during the pandemic, enabling SD-WAN to deliver almost instant agility and speed to help businesses sustain and improve operations, a large number were postponed or cancelled entirely. In those cases, companies now find themselves trailing behind their digitally savvy peers and losing competitive advantage. Partners should encourage conversations with customers to identify the need for increased efficiency, particularly for those still holding back on transformation projects. Furthermore, as businesses continue their shift to the cloud, many are struggling with how to segment and secure cloud-destined application traffic. SD-WAN presents an opportunity to discuss both WAN and security transformation and how to help businesses to deliver edge to cloud network security. Addressing this issue also has significant business ramifications. Final word The good thing about SD-WAN is that its sector agnostic, so resellers have a vast target market and addressable market to serve. SD-WAN is driven by business needs and will benefit any geographically distributed business, which casts the net wide in a post-pandemic world. As organizations continue their journey down the road of digital transformation, the need for agility and speed at the Edge will only accelerate. With SD-WAN ripe for picking, partners should be able to maximize market opportunity and ensure their customers can achieve business goals in a digital-first world. Edited by Luke Bellos Technology has allowed the nations criminal courts to keep functioning during the coronavirus pandemic. But lawyers and judges in a nationwide survey says its come at a price to justice. Among 240 defense attorneys contacted by students at Stanford Law School, two-thirds said the loss of in-person contact has harmed communications between the lawyers and their clients. A majority said it was harder for them to assess the credibility of witnesses who testified by video at hearings. And more than three-fourths of the lawyers said the remote proceedings had compromised defendants access to justice. A separate survey of prosecution and defense lawyers and judges in Miami, Milwaukee and a rural area of North Dakota produced similar assessments. Judges who sentence convicted offenders must have empathy both for the criminal and for the victims, a North Dakota judge told a Stanford interviewer. And when all of that stuff is done by Zoom, and electronically, I think theres a lot lost. Its very hard to convey warmth over a computer screen, said a Miami prosecutor. And a defense lawyer in Miami observed, I think its easier for (judges) to say no on video. Overall, the responses indicate that the courts should act cautiously in deciding which proceedings in the criminal justice system can be conducted remotely, said Robert Weisberg, a Stanford law professor and co-director of the schools Criminal Justice Center, which conducted the survey. Routine proceedings, like those used to schedule future hearings or consent to longer waiting periods, can be conducted remotely to save time and money for both courts and defendants without jeopardizing anyones rights, Weisberg said. But when the stakes are higher the right to be released on bail, or a preliminary hearing on whether a defendant must stand trial interaction and direct observation make a big difference, he said. Actual trials by video have been rare during the pandemic, and could conceivably violate defendants constitutional right to confront their accusers, Weisberg said. He said the courts have not yet decided that issue, or the related question of whether a defendant has been unduly coerced to give up the right to an in-person trial. 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. Another difficulty highlighted in the report was the lack of access to online proceedings for many low-income defendants. Nearly half of the defense lawyers surveyed said their clients, after being released from custody, had little or no access to the internet. Nearly one-third said the clients did not have smartphones. While those clients could presumably still take part in some remote proceedings or speak with their attorneys by telephone, more than 40% of the lawyers said their clients had little or no access to a place where they could speak privately. Some of those interviewed said videoconferencing had allowed courts to hear witnesses who might not have been able to attend in-person hearings. But others, the survey said, expressed concerns about a lack of empathy for the defendant, which they worried would translate into harsher sentences and lower trust in the judiciary. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Berkeley police are investigating the death of Bay Area rapper Stephen Gaines, who went by the stage name Baba Zumbi as part of the group Zion I, after a physical altercation at a hospital, according to officials and people close to Gaines. Gaines, 49, was a prolific hip-hop musician and MC whose friends and family members recalled him as an incredible human being and a super father to three sons. It was not immediately known what caused his death Friday morning at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center on Ashby Avenue. His family released a statement to The Chronicle on Sunday reading, We are in a deep state of grief and processing this loss. We are awaiting further details from the hospital at this time so we can understand exactly what happened and determine our next steps. Fans and collaborators posted a stream of tributes to Gaines, who released his first album with DJ and producer Amp Live, called Mind over Matter, in 2000, before pumping out many more popular projects the next two decades. He made headlines in 2016 for writing a song about gentrification in the Bay Area while he was being evicted from his Oakland home because the owner wanted to sell it. Just a week before his death, he finished a new album and was planning a Zion I reunion tour for this year. Friends said Gaines had asthma and was recovering from COVID-19. He and at least 30 other people had contracted the virus at his last performance, on July 24 in the Sierra foothills town of Nevada City, said True Allah, who goes by the stage name True Justice and booked the show. Allah said Gaines told him he had a lingering cough when they texted Wednesday. Another friend, Jorge Guerrero, who goes by the stage name Deuce Eclipse, said Gaines sounded fine when he spoke with him on the phone Thursday, excited about future plans. The Alameda County Coroners Office said Gaines death was under investigation by Berkeley police. In response to an inquiry from The Chronicle about the case, Berkeley police Lt. Melanie Turner said police responded to calls at 5:16 a.m. Friday from Alta Bates hospital patients and staff about a patient involved in a physical altercation with nurses and hospital security officers. Security officers reportedly had the patient pinned down, said Turner, who declined to identify the patient by name. Turner said the circumstances that preceded the altercation were under investigation. Upon arrival, officers started handcuffing the involved person and determined that he needed immediate medical assistance, Turner said. Police began lifesaving measures until Alta Bates staff were able to take over, she said, but unfortunately and sadly he was pronounced deceased on the scene. Police Department homicide detectives are investigating, Turner said. The Alameda County District Attorneys Office was notified and, during the preliminary investigation, determined no force was used by Berkeley police officers, Turner said. Ashley Boarman, a spokesperson for Sutter Health, which runs Alta Bates, said that due to our compliance with state and federal privacy laws, we are unable to comment. Four friends from the hip-hop scene who knew Gaines for decades praised his character and expressed shock over reports of a physical altercation. Steve was not a violent person; he never sought violence; he never condoned violence, said Allah, who knew Gaines for 25 years. However, I know as a person, I know Steve is very firm in his beliefs. Allah said Gaines doesnt subscribe to mainstream media, specifically in regard to the current global pandemic, and wasnt an advocate of being vaccinated, although Allah said Gaines wore masks. He praised his friend as an incredible human being and an immensely gifted artist and entertainer and lyricist who was very thoughtful and cared not only for his immediate circle, but for strangers and fans alike. Gaines, whom friends and family called Steve or Zumbi, is survived by his three sons, his mother and a brother. 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. Clemente Pena, whose stage name is Dj Twelvz, was Gaines friend for 23 years and became Zion Is DJ in 2015 when Amp Live left the group. Gaines was the most consistent friend Ive ever had and didnt compromise his integrity ever. Pena said Gaines loved his sons more than anything. Rahsaan Abdul, who goes by the stage name Friz-B, described Gaines as the guy you wanted your daughter to marry and a super father. To leave those little beautiful fatherless young boys, to me thats the most painful thing, he said. I could never see him doing anything that would put that in jeopardy. In its statement, Gaines family said, Zumbi was a man of many talents and was blessed to be able to share his gifts and love of music, most importantly hip-hop, with the world. ... And even with his overabundance of talent, his true passion and purpose was the love and energy he put into his three sons. Guerrero said Gaines was his best friend and like a brother. Part of my heart, half of my heart is gone, he said. Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench Experts studying the issue agree that sea level rise in coming decades could pose an enormous threat to San Francisco Bays shoreline. So perhaps its no surprise that theres now talk of looking into an equally enormous response. Why not build a barrier to keep rising tides outside the Golden Gate? Researchers in the past have dismissed this seemingly straightforward concept on environmental grounds. Engineers are skeptical, too. But the enormity of the challenge has some Bay Area leaders saying it should at least be studied. I cant help but wonder why we arent focusing our energies on one solution, rather than dozens of solutions, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo asked at a meeting last month of elected officials. Theres one location where we (all) are exposed to sea level rise, and that is at the Golden Gate. Liccardo, who is mayor of the regions largest city, made his proposal in response to a presentation by planners at the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission on the need to map out a strategy to prepare for average tides that, by 2070, are projected to rise as much as 2 feet above todays levels, according to the California Ocean Protection Council. Tides could climb another 2 feet by 2100, the state agency forecasts. The cost of preparing our shoreline for even 2 feet of sea level rise plus the water that would be added to that by major storms could top $19 billion, planners estimate. Only $3 billion is now accounted for. Nor is there a single agency that would coordinate the projects already proposed, from marsh restoration to raising the height of existing levees. Noah Berger/Special to The Chronicle After listening to the overview, Liccardo warned that a plethora of small projects could fall victim to the convoluted regional and statewide decision-making processes that often cause timelines to drag and costs to balloon. I just dont think this piecemeal approach is going to be a winning strategy for a bay the size of ours, given what were collectively facing, Liccardo told other elected officials at the July 9 meeting. Why arent we exploring a single project where we all (cities and counties) invest in a single environmental impact report that actually protects the entire bay? A formal response came last week in a letter to Liccardo from Therese McMillan, the executive director for the linked agencies, who dismissed the idea as a nonstarter. While we can understand the allure of a single solution to this major regional challenge, this idea has been explored in the past, McMillan wrote. Those analyses have ultimately deemed it to be an infeasible solution for San Francisco Bay. McMillan cited a 2007 study by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission that said any large tidal barrier, such as locks that could open and close as needed, would have profound ecological consequences ... including issues with sedimentation, salinity, water quality, and wetland and species health. The reports conclusion, she wrote, was that the long-term impacts ... would be too negative to pursue. Liccardo who readily concedes that Im not a hydrologist is sticking to his guns. Im concerned were not thinking big enough, especially with a problem of this scale, he said last week. Id like to believe that before we chart a path that will consume $19 billion of public investment the success or failure of which will have stark impacts on the future of our region well engage in more rigorous study. Another proponent is Jeffrey Heller, a local architect on the board of directors of the Bay Area Council, a business-backed advocacy group. His firms buildings include 181 Fremont St., the third-tallest tower in San Francisco. Nobody has illusions that it would be easy. But it might be doable, Heller said. There needs to at least be a feasibility study is the idea crazy, or does it have legs? he continued. Otherwise were going to be building levees everywhere as the pace of sea level rise increases in decades to come. Someone else who makes the case, perhaps surprisingly, is Will Travis the bay commissions leader when the 2007 review was done. Our analysis was a smart intern looking at this for four weeks, not a full engineering study, explained Travis, who retired in 2011. There needs to be a little more work (for a conclusion) to be convincing one way or the other. Not that Travis expects the overall verdict to change. Beyond the ecological impact, he mentions the danger that a tidal barrier could cause flooding by impeding the flow of stormwater that surges into the bay from the Delta during winter storms. Any structure might also hinder the shipping that now enters the Golden Gate destined for Oakland and other ports. My guess is that the analysis would find this isnt a feasible idea, Travis said last week. You can look at the Golden Gate and say, thats probably not going to work. But maybe there are smaller things we could do, like managing higher tides in more contained parts of the bay, such as south of Dumbarton Bridge. Proponents of the idea of a structure to control water levels what engineers call a barrage point to the Thames Barrier outside London, which was completed in 1984. Billowy-looking steel sections can fill with water and rotate down to form a solid wall to prevent storm surges. 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. A less elegant barrage is now being completed outside the lagoon of Venice, Italy. It consists of a line of metal slabs that usually are submerged but can tilt up to rebuff extra-high tides. Scientists familiar with the workings of the bay are dubious. Trying to solve one problem, youd cause so many others, said Michelle Hummel, an assistant professor at the University of Texas who co-authored a new study on how seawalls can affect larger water circulation within the bay. The paper, done for the Stanford Natural Capital Project, was published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It emphasized how any one shift in circulation patterns could alter the bays natural habitats. The same holds true for tidal locks, even if they didnt cause water to ricochet within the bay. Youd see a host of cascading effects, Hummel said. There are so many different ecosystems within the bay, with different characteristics. The current executive director of the bay commission, Larry Goldzband, agreed. Tidal flow is the heartbeat of bay ecology, Goldzband said. As for a detailed feasibility analysis, As long as somebody else pays for it, and they do a really good job not just an engineering study then why not? A formal analysis could be done by engineering firms who have worked on similar reviews elsewhere. It also could be led by the federal agency that often tackles water issues, the Army Corps of Engineers. Tom Kendall, who heads planning for the corps San Francisco district, says a study of this scale would need to be requested at a regional level before funding could be sought. If nothing else, the exercise could help get local activists and decision-makers thinking in terms of the overall bay. That said, Kendall is wary of erecting a massive structure to control an estuary where 400 billion gallons of water churn through the Golden Gate on a daily basis. Theres a lot of water circulating in the bay, Kendall said. Its too big of a knob to trust man to tweak, is how I would frame it. John King is The San Francisco Chronicles urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron San Franciscos first day of school brings and nerves as students return amid pandemics delta surge. Bay Area scientists say a pandemic doomsday scenario, in which a coronavirus variant is completely resistant to antibodies and remains highly transmissible, is unlikely but beyond that, they are reluctant to speculate. Even as pediatric hospitals overflow elsewhere, no San Francisco children are hospitalized with COVID. And the city has a new vaccine mandate heres everything you need to know. Resources on COVID-19 and Californias reopening: For detailed maps and new city-by-city Bay Area data, check out The Chronicles Coronavirus Tracker. To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter. Latest updates: Reports say U.S. will recommend booster for most Americans: Reports by the New York Times and Associated Press said the Biden administration will announce as early as this week that most people in the U.S. should get a coronavirus booster shot eight months after they received their second shot. The goal, according to the report, which cited sources in the administration, is to let Americans who received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines know they will need more protection. Doctors in rural Northern California county urge residents to get vaccinated: Physicians in Del Norte County, in Californias northwestern corner, are pleading with members of the community to get vaccinated. We ask this from the bottom of our hearts, said a letter distributed by the health department and signed by dozens of doctors. As the people with whom you have worked, played, laughed, and cried, we must admit we are tired. We will keep working, of course. But we are tired. With only 41% of the countys residents fully vaccinated, Del Norte County has seen cases spike over the past month. Vaccinated Newsom staffer tests positive: A staff member in Gov. Gavin Newsoms office has tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated, his office said Monday afternoon. The governor and staff who routinely work closely with him had not interacted with the infected person, a spokesperson said. Newsoms office requires employees to wear masks and staffers are required to be vaccinated or tested at least once per week. The governor had to quarantine twice last year after he came into contact with staffers who later tested positive. California Assembly mandates COVID vaccination for employees: In a memo to staff, Speaker Anthony Rendon said that every employee will be required to get fully vaccinated by Sept. 1. By ensuring Assembly staff is vaccinated, we are protecting everyone who enters the Capitol, including constituents, lobbyists and journalists, Rendon said. Those who do not the vaccine could be fired, he added. San Franciscos first day of school brings and nerves as students return amid pandemics delta surge: More than 50,000 San Francisco students walked, skipped or ran into the citys fully reopened public schools Monday, many for the first time in 17 months. Their laughter, squeals and joy filling playgrounds and high school hallways. It was, many said, a moment they had dreamed of and at times had lost hope of seeing during the long months of distance learning. Read the story here. Oakland Unified reports 58 children, 10 staff members infected in the first week of schools reopening: Oakland Unified reported on Monday that 58 students and 10 staff members district-wide tested positive for the coronavirus since more than 100 schools reopened for in-person learning on Aug. 9. The district includes more than 50,000 students. Two classrooms so far at Montclair Elementary and Oakland High School have closed and required students to quarantine due to outbreaks. The district also instituted an outdoor mask requirement on all its campuses Monday. Starting Sept. 7, all OUSD staff, contractors, and volunteers will be required to be fully vaccinated, or get tested for the virus at least once a week. Cases among students and staff is not unexpected given the rising case rates in the community. Health and education officials have emphasized that the goal is to prevent in-school transmission. Child COVID cases continue to surge in the U.S.: At least 121,427 COVID-19 cases in children were reported in the United States for the week ending Aug. 12, representing 18% of all the weekly reported cases in the nation, according to the latest data from the American Pediatrics Association. The tally marks a significant increase from a month ago when 19,482 cases were reported for the week ending July 15. While hospitalizations remain steady children ranged from 1.6%-3.5% of the total accumulated hospitalizations in states reporting data pediatricians are increasingly concerned about the lingering symptoms of long COVID in children. New York issues vaccination mandate for health care, nursing home workers: Hospital and nursing home workers in New York state will have to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday, the Associated Press reports. The new policy expands a requirement that previously applied to staffers who work directly with patients at state-owned hospitals and veterans homes. It follows vaccination requirements for health care workers in California. Santa Clara County offers supplemental vaccine doses: Transplant recipients, cancer patients and people with immunodeficiencies are now able to receive a third dose of an mRNA vaccine in Santa Clara County. The countys health department said in a statement that additional doses are not yet authorized by the FDA for people with diabetes, heart disease, or older adults. Appointments can be scheduled at sccfreevax.org. Feds seize thousands of fake COVID vaccine cards: U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers have seized multiple shipments of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards that officials said originated in Shenzhen, China. The cards have blanks for the recipients name and birthdate, the vaccine maker, lot number, and date and place the shot was given, as well as the Center for Disease Control logo in the upper right corner, the agency said in a statement. The cards, which were seized in Memphis, Tenn., were identified as fakes due to typos and other misspellings. Lawyers, judges say remote court sessions compromise justice: Technology has allowed the nations criminal courts to keep functioning during the coronavirus pandemic. But lawyers and judges in a nationwide survey says its come at a price to justice. Read the story here. In San Francisco, it s the summer of rental scams: A sunny apartment at a price too good to be true. A text message offering a loan to pay off pandemic rent debt. Or a sudden phone call promising a grant to avoid an eviction for a small up-front fee. Welcome to the world of housing scams in the age of COVID-19. Read the story here. 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. The delta variant disrupted BARTs return to the office. Now it weighs vaccine mandates: Weeks after California declared itself reopened, BART office employees whod mostly been working remotely for nearly a year and a half made their long-awaited return to the transit agencys new downtown Oakland headquarters July 6 under a hybrid work schedule. But what happened in the month that followed illustrated the stubborn challenges facing BART and all office workplaces as they attempt to inch toward normalcy amid a surging and highly infectious delta variant. Read the story here. Hospitalizations rise to pandemic high for younger Americans, CDC data shows: COVID-19 hospitalizations have hit an all-time high for Americans under age 50, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The surge is being driven by the highly infectious delta variant amid a lagging vaccination effort, the New York Times reported. CDC data shows average daily hospital admissions hitting a record among 18- to 49-year-olds. Among children the trend was particularly notable: From Aug. 5-11, an average of 263 children were admitted daily to hospitals, compared to the previous peak of 217 in early January. However, hospitalizations of people 50 and older, who have the highest vaccination rates, are staying below pandemic peaks. Marin County reports first COVID death of a vaccinated person: A vaccinated Marin County resident died of complications from COVID-19 on Thursday, the countys first death of someone who has received their shots, officials reported. The county has recorded 187 total COVID-19 deaths, the health department said in an online update. The department said the person was in their late 70s but offered no further details, citing privacy reasons. Officials said vaccinated people account for less than 1% of all COVID-19 deaths in California, and the COVID-19 mortality in Marin has decreased more than twenty fold since the rollout of vaccines at the beginning of the year. More than 95% of county residents over 65 are vaccinated, officials said. SFUSD schoolchildren return to in-person classes: San Francisco Unified School District on Monday was welcoming back its more than 50,000 students and 10,000 teachers and staff members after more than a year of mostly virtual classes. Superintendent Vincent Matthews on Friday highlighted district safety measures aimed at preventing COVID-19 infections but underscored that parents and guardians also bore some responsibility for ensuring ill students stay home. Read the full story. BART considers vaccine mandate for employees: BART is weighing whether to require employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The rail system this month has been collecting vaccination proof from employees, and has given eligible office employees the option to return to working from home. That was after BART instituted a hybrid work schedule at its new downtown Oakland headquarters on July 6. After the hybrid schedule was underway, four positive COVID cases on the buildings sixth floor triggered a state inspection. Read the full story. Trusted nonprofits play key role in curbing COVID among the most vulnerable: Were entering another critical phase in the pandemic where what happens in our most vulnerable and undervaccinated communities will have exponential consequences in the months ahead, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips writes. But small organizations with the most credibility in Black and brown communities also struggle the most for public health funding to expand their efforts, Phillips says. Read the full story. Virtual town hall urges COVID vaccinations in Richmonds Black community: Black doctors and pastors on Saturday led a virtual town hall meeting aimed at getting more of Richmonds Black community vaccinated. About 40 people tuned in for the meeting, which was broadcast on social media. Panelists fielded many questions about COVID, the delta variant and the trauma the pandemic has inflicted on the Black community. But their overall message was: Get vaccinated, dont ostracize or demonize those who havent, and engage in active discussion about vaccinations and the coronavirus. Read the full story. COVID rules tighten for Contra Costa first responders: Contra Costa County will begin requiring first responders to prove theyre fully vaccinated or submit to weekly coronavirus tests, the county announced Friday as infections send hospitalizations surging and new outbreaks hit local jails and residential facilities. Effective Sept. 17, the health order applies to those who work at or respond to hospitals, jails and nursing facilities, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and nonemergency ambulance workers. Read the full story. More than 50,000 San Francisco students walked, skipped or ran into the citys fully reopened public schools Monday, many for the first time in 17 months, their laughter, squeals and joy filling playgrounds and high school hallways. It was, many said, a moment they had dreamed of and at times had lost hope of seeing during the long months of distance learning. Its been a long time coming, Mayor London Breed said at Carver Elementary on Monday morning in the Bayview. But families and staff are still facing uncertainty. The reopening of schools comes amid a fourth surge, with the delta variant pushing up case counts and hospitalizations. I understand there are concerns, Breed added. But its also important kids be able to socialize, to be in classrooms. For middle and high school students, most of whom hadnt stepped inside a school in more than 500 days, it was an especially significant day, a return to something akin to normalcy. At Balboa High School, masked students huddled nervously outside before a teacher asked them to begin heading inside to class. Wingston Corado started his sophomore year Monday but had never stepped foot on campus before. Wingston said it felt like this was his first high school experience: standing outside feeling nervous about barely knowing anyone. He said hes also unsure how safe he feels being in classrooms with the virus surging. Im just trying to not touch a lot of stuff, just the things I need to, Wingston said. One bit of good news for Wingston and his classmates is that San Francisco has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, with 84% of children ages 12 to 17 fully vaccinated, public officials said. District officials said they are adhering to county health guidelines, which do not require social distancing or daily wellness checks by school staff. Instead, families should self-screen for symptoms and stay home if they have any. Classrooms will have portable air cleaners, windows that open or mechanical ventilation to comply with the guidelines, Superintendent Vince Matthews said. While the vast majority of students returned to in-person learning, nearly 700 remained in online classes, opting for a continued virtual education because of health concerns. They will be assigned teachers who are doing only distance learning, although online students can decide to return to full-time in-person learning at their assigned school later in the year. We know the best place for students is in person, Matthews said Monday morning. Matthews noted that there will be coronavirus cases in schools. The focus, however, will be on preventing transmission in schools something the district successfully did in the spring, when schools partially reopened. There were no cases from in-school transmission in the citys public schools last school year, Matthews said. In Oakland, officials reported 58 students and 10 staff members had tested positive since the district reopened its 100 schools on Aug. 9. Two classrooms so far at Montclair Elementary and Oakland High School have required students to quarantine due to outbreaks. So far, there is no indication any of the cases in Oakland were acquired at the schools. The district has been offering frequent testing of students and staff prior to reopening and in the days since. Oakland and San Francisco will require all teachers and staff to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing starting on Sept. 7. At Everett Middle School, nearly 600 students filed onto the Mission neighborhood campus, greeting classmates they hadnt seen since March 13, 2020. Joy David De Lassy, 12, stood near the gate alone, waiting for friends to arrive. While it was the first day of seventh grade, she hadnt seen classmates since elementary school. I dont know if Im going to get anything wrong, she said of navigating the middle school hallways and class schedule. At least I know Im not the only one thats missed a whole year of school. As she waited, her fifth-grade classmate Lauren Gaines walked up to say hello. They both looked nervous. Lauren said she felt like she had no idea what she was supposed to do. Still, that didnt dampen either of their spirits. 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. I feel just really excited, Joy said, as students headed into classrooms. This feels good. Everett Principal Esther Fensel said dozens of students and parents arrived more than an hour early, excited and ready to be back in person. Of the 600 students, only five inquired about online learning even as the delta variant pushes cases higher, Fensel said. As the first classes of the day started, students huddled at their homeroom desks, their giggles and chatter coming through masks. The citys teachers union also celebrated the return of students. We know its important to have our little ones back at school, back where they belong, Frank Lara, vice president of the United Educators of San Francisco, said in a statement. Younger students were also excited the first day, with dozens filing into Carver Elementary to cheers from parents, teachers and city officials on Monday morning. Zayna Robinson White, 8, was ready for third grade there. She had new blue shoes, a new uniform, two backup masks, a new silver Warriors backpack and a birthday cake granola bar. It was a day to celebrate. Im really excited, she said, noting that she was a first-grader the last time she was in school. Ive gotten taller. Ive gotten smarter. While students were excited at the days start, many expressed relief when the first day back was behind them. After school, Willie Brown Jr. Middle School sixth-grader David Obillo said he was unsure how to feel going into his first day. But he got paired with another student in his social studies class and rejoiced at getting to work together to solve a crossword puzzle in class. It was a happy departure from the isolation of online learning. It felt really nice because then I didnt have to worry about anything, he said standing outside the school. I had somebody to talk to. Jill Tucker and Omar Rashad are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com, omar.rashad@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker, @omarsrashad People still really want to live in San Francisco, at least according to rental data. RentCafe, a national real estate listing service, collects data on rental applications filed in major cities from year to year. Its latest report shows that rental applications into San Francisco more than doubled in the first half of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020 a 105% increase. In fact, San Francisco saw the second-greatest rebound in renter interest of any major U.S. city. Only New York saw a greater percentage increase in move-in applications. And unlike the first half of last year, when many San Franciscans rode out the initial confusion around shelter-in-place and the pandemic in their apartments, moves within the city were high in the first half of 2021. Rental applications between S.F. apartments increased by 61% compared with the same period in 2020. The large number of moves into San Francisco in the first half of this year likely probably not raise the population of the city significantly. Rather, it has probably helped stabilize it. As The Chronicle previously reported, the city saw a major exodus during the pandemic, losing thousands of households per month during its peak outflow last August, according to U.S. Postal Service data. But more recent Postal Service data has indicated that this outflow has decreased to pre-pandemic levels. And now, the rental application data indicate the trend may actually have reversed the city could be seeing positive growth, though its hard to know for sure. The number of people filing applications to move out of San Francisco increased in the first quarter of 2021 as well. The number of applications increased in the first half of 2021 by 17% compared with the previous year, which had already jumped by 11% from 2019. But the increase in outflow from S.F. is more than balanced by the surge in applications into the city. Applications from within San Francisco to places outside of the city made up just 27% of all S.F.-related rental applications collected by RentCafe, down from 36% in 2020 and 31% in 2019. 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. Meanwhile, rental applications of people seeking to move into the city constituted 34% of all applications the first time in at least three years that the number of applications into the city was higher than the number of applications out of it. This 34% share is far higher than the same period in 2020, when move-in applications represented only 26% of all San Francisco-related rental applications. Its even more than pre-pandemic 2019, when they made up 31% of all applications. The increasing demand for rentals in S.F. is leading to higher prices. RentCafes data suggest the average rental price in the city grew by more than 5% from March to June 2021. Susie Neilson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: susie.neilson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susieneilson From Klamath to Redding, Mendocino to Sonoma, dozens of communities across California are facing dire water shortages. In May, the State Water Resources Control Board compiled a list of the 81 public water systems that are likely to have critical water supply issues by the end of August. The systems serve an estimated 132,559 Californians. Visitors to the tourist haven of Mendocino, for example, have found hotels with their lobby restrooms closed, formerly green lawns turning to straw and signs reading Severe drought. Please conserve water. This is a real emergency, Ryan Rhoades, superintendent of the Mendocino City Community Services District, told the Associated Press. But what, exactly, does it mean when a community runs out of water? The answer is complicated. There is no state-run water system, said Felicia Marcus, the former chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board and a visiting fellow at Stanford, but a collection of large, small and sometimes teeny systems. The feds and state have stepped in to build things beyond the ken or ability of smaller communities, Marcus explained, adding that there have been eras when both the federal and state government have intervened, such as during severe drought. But generally, she said, Folks like their independence. Dave Eggerton, the executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies, says he cant name any communities that have completely run out of water off the top of my head. But some have come close. Before a community reaches this point, a series of actions are implemented, including trucking in water, passing out bottled water and instituting strict water regulations. All of these measures, however, are often very expensive and disproportionately affect smaller and rural communities, said Heather Cooley, the director of research at the Pacific Institute, which seeks to create solutions for the worlds water issues. There are state funds to help offset these costs, Cooley said, but accessing them takes time. The story is different for larger water systems, meaning those that have 3,000 connections or more. These systems have requirements for crafting contingency plans for water shortage years. The same does not apply to smaller systems, which arent legally required to have such plans. Small systems have not been required to do that because theres a financial cost to doing that, Cooley said. Its thought of as an additional burden that they may not be able to afford in either time or resources. Nonetheless, especially after Californias last drought, which ended in 2016, Cooley does think there is a greater awareness and preparation among smaller systems now. One of the things that came out of the last drought, in part because of the impact on rural systems, was that we needed more drought preparedness and contingency plans for these smaller systems, she said. For larger communities, the systems obviously operate at a larger scale, said Newsha Ajami, the director of Urban Water Policy with Stanford University's Water in the West. At this scale, they may look for alternative water supplies, retrofitting businesses and homes to be more efficient and generally rethinking how they use water. The reality is [that] droughts are great opportunities to rethink and reimagine how we use water and how resilient our water supply is, she said. Droughts in California have become much more frequent, as well as drier and hotter than they once were, she said. We also need to be aware that were experiencing the impacts of climate change, aging infrastructure and water quality challenges due to ecosystem degradation that require different water-use patterns, she said. Its a confluence of all these different challenges at the same time. Eggerton stressed that state and federal agencies need to have a greater hand in Californias water systems. We need them to invest in the reliability of our water supplies, he said. In the last 30 or 40 years, the vast majority of investment has been solely at the local level. Our water systems, he continued, are older, they need to be cared for. We need to invest in new infrastructure with the goal being to use surface and ground water more efficiently. But Ajami thinks the problems run even deeper. She thinks California has a mindless approach to water. We have disconnected people from their water source so much that they dont even think where their water is coming from, she said. They dont know what it takes to bring the water to them, they dont know what happens after they use it. We are so disconnected from the system that its very difficult for an individual to think about themselves as part of this chain, except as a consumer, rather than someone who can impact the chain. Water, she concluded, is absolutely a privilege. OCONEE, Ga. (AP) A Norfolk Southern Railway train derailed early Monday in middle Georgia, leaving a jumble of freight cars blocking a roadway but no reported injuries. Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran said a westbound train derailed and more than 30 cars jumped the track in Oconee. The train was traveling to Macon from Columbia, South Carolina. The cars blocked a railroad crossing. The town has at least one other railroad crossing. Cochran said railway crews were working aggressively to clear the road crossing and reopen the railroad by Tuesday. The chef who brought shish kebab to America escaped from a Turkish prison first. Somehow, George Mardikian channeled the pain and hunger from his survival of genocide: He went from a dishwasher to a world-famous San Francisco restaurant owner who won the Presidential Medal of Freedom and dedicated his life to feeding people. All of this he did with a smile. Omar Khayyams an Armenian restaurant with elegant Middle Eastern decor named after an epicurean Persian poet was destination dining for San Franciscans for more than 40 years at its underground location near the corner of Powell and OFarrell streets. Celebrities and professionals paid upscale prices while armed service members and refugees ate for free. Its shish kebab and bulgur pilaf were the main draw for a largely white clientele unfamiliar with such food. But the restaurant drew its life force from, as poet William Saroyan called him, the big man with the bright face coming over to your table. Mardikian was among Americas first celebrity chefs and was as close to a Guy Fieri figure as San Francisco had in terms of fame, relentless optimism and generosity. Fine-dining guides and Chronicle columnist Herb Caen celebrated him, NBC gave him his own radio show in the 1940s, and he wrote an autobiography and cookbook. When Omar Khayyams went up in flames in 1980, it marked the beginning of the end for Armenian restaurants in San Francisco. Today, no specifically Armenian restaurant exists in the Bay Area. SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Mardikian, who died in 1977 at 73 years old, nevertheless inspired many in the food business. One of them was Levon Der Bedrossian, an Armenian who emigrated from Lebanon and opened his first Le Mediteranee in 1979 in San Francisco it is still serving Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food there and in Berkeley. Der Bedrossians first memory of Mardikian was as a 12-year-old in Beirut, where he saw Mardikian, in his customary all-white outfit, speak at an Armenian college while traveling to bring Middle Eastern refugees to the U.S. I dont remember any words, but it is a subliminal image, Der Bedrossian, who is 74 now, told SFGATE. We all are survivors of the massacre. I consider my parents and grandparents as refugees. Our collective experience has been one of there wasnt a big role model for us. We were surviving. Here is this man as an Armenian who is helping. It was a good role model that made me proud. Mardikians enthusiastic love for America began before he got here. He was the child of a prosperous, landowning family in present-day Istanbul when his father and other family members were rounded up and slain by the Ottoman Turkish government in 1915. An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the resulting genocide, with many more displaced. OpenSFHistory / wnp25.1235 Mardikian sought to fight back as a 15-year-old guerrilla fighter. After Armenias independence was briefly recognized in 1918, he organized Boy Scout troops before war broke out against invading Russia. Lt. Mardikian was captured by Turkish forces and imprisoned for about two years, forced to chop ice on a frozen river while fighting starvation. It may have ended that way if not for some intervention from an American friend Mardikian had made. Capt. Eddie Fox, who was directing Near East Relief, urged Mardikians captors to release him on account of his being an American. The Turks apparently bought the lie. Mardikian boarded a ship for Ellis Island and took a train to San Francisco to join his brother and sister in 1922. Mardikian often talked of his Ellis Island stopover as a foundational moment in his life, including on Edward R. Murrows This I Believe radio show in the 1950s. My feelings when I first saw the Statue of Liberty cannot be described, he said. When Ellis Island opened as a national historic site in 1976, Mardikian was one of six U.S. immigrants honored. In San Francisco, almost penniless and living with his siblings, Mardikian was hired as a dishwasher at Coffee Dans on OFarrell and Powell. Mardikian wrote in his cookbook, Dinner at Omar Khayyams, of his transformative first days in San Francisco, witnessing hundreds of happy beachgoers and walking past people who smiled at him when all he had known was hostility. He vowed to let go of his own anger right there. Since then, my ability to smile has been of the greatest help, Mardikian wrote. I could smile when I couldnt talk English, and while I was learning to cook. I think my ability to smile, even when I was losing money, gained me the many friends who have made the restaurants a success. Mardikian spent several years working his way up to floor manager at Coffee Dans while working hard to eliminate his accent because I was young and proud and I didnt want anyone laughing at me, as he said in a 1962 interview with the Chronicle. He had been promoted to cook when he received his citizenship in 1928, and he vowed to make food his lifes work. Mardikian left town and spent two years on an international food odyssey learning recipes and techniques on cruise liners, working for a master chef in Egypt and reading manuscripts at an Armenian monastery in Venice, Italy. It was through these musty, old manuscripts that I came to realize that Armenian cuisine goes back 3,900 years, he wrote. After seeing the world, Mardikian settled down in Fresno. Which made sense as a proving ground for Armenian cooking, given it had one of the largest Armenian populations in the U.S. He opened his first Omar Khayyams there as a lunch counter in 1930, with his new wife, Nazenig, working as greeter and cashier. What vaulted an immigrant cook in Fresno to international fame? Says one expert, it was a breakout magazine feature produced by two traveling food writers-slash-secret lovers. John Birdsall, himself a food author, points to a September 1934 Sunset Magazine article about Mardikians food, produced by Genevieve Callahan and Lou Richardson. It included recipes for his shish kebab and brining fresh grape leaves for dolma. Gen and Lou discovered these new and exciting foods like tacos, pozole and guacamole and introduced them to Sunsets white, upper-middle-class readership, Birdsall told SFGATE, adding that they were the first to really champion and write about George Mardikian. The timing was perfect America was falling in love with outdoor barbecues and fresh ingredients, and Mardikian was more than happy to share his novel-yet-accessible menu. He became a regular, smiling presence in Sunset, with sketches of him cooking alongside recipes for his Omar Khayyams specials, such as chicken tchakhokbelli (braised chicken in tomato juice, sherry and paprika) and rice pilaf. Screenshot courtesy of John Birdsall With Omars a national hit, Mardikian returned to Coffee Dans in San Francisco and promoted himself from dishwasher to owner according to a Life Magazine article, the sale took 15 minutes. Omar Khayyams opened in 1938 in San Francisco to great acclaim from the Chronicles Caen: Bo-kays to George Mardikian, the Armenian chef whose culinary sleight-of-hand is drawing the celebrities to Omar Khayyams, he wrote that year. As Caen intimated, Mardikian was as brilliant a marketer as he was a chef. He found a way to present his culture, best known to white Americans as working class and downtrodden, in a storybook dining setting ("Omar Khayyam" was a feature film in 1957). People dressed up and eagerly descended the stairs to a low-lit, walnut-paneled space with murals on the walls depicting scenes from the Rubaiyat poems attributed to the real-life Khayyam, who died in 1131. You felt your emotions get stirred up there, said Der Bedrossian, who visited Omar Khayyams soon after emigrating to San Francisco in 1968. Birdsall, whose San Francisco roots date to his great-grandparents, said he first heard of the restaurant from seeing a menu that his grandmother had saved: She told me what a special restaurant that was and what a special occasion it was to go eat there. It had a kind of glamour. As the decor blended cultural influences, so did the food. Many who first walked in would have never tried shish kebab and pilaf, but Mardikians menu included baked ham and roast turkey for the uninitiated. Shish kebabs origins span the Middle East and Caucasus region, and they arent specifically Armenian. But khorovadz, as Mardikian referred to it in Armenian in his cookbook, is to Armenians what corned beef and cabbage is to the Irish. Mardikian used Armenian lore to broaden his menus appeal. Such as his arkayagan venison soup, which he said dated 3,900 years to when an Armenian king would serve it as a victory stew to his court. And he was a passionate advocate for the health benefits of yogurt, which Armenians played the leading role in bringing to Americans. To find the starter to make your own yogurt at home, Mardikian wrote, just open any telephone book and find a name ending with ian. (Most Armenians, including this writer, have such a name.) Describing food as exotic has rightfully fallen out of favor in recent years. But the word was often used to describe Omars as it gained popularity, even as critics praised the food for its quality regardless of origin. Katherine Kerry called Mardikian undoubtedy Americas best known and best loved restaurateur in her 1953 restaurant guide, Look Whats Cooking. She described the fare as genuine Armenian delicacies, cooked up to American tastes, rather than down to American conceptions. Mardikian didn't just appeal to tastes he made them, too. When he released the Omar's Delight cocktail to help his friend sell more Southern Comfort, the restaurant accounted for more sales of the liquor than the rest of San Francisco combined, according to a 1951 Chronicle story. Mardikian quickly went from attracting celebrities to becoming one himself, hosting a weekly radio show for NBC where he shared recipes and received hundreds of letters per episode. He put his fame to philanthropic use often. During World War II, dignitaries such as first lady Eleanor Roosevelt often dropped by with service members, whom he personally served for free. He served 210 wounded soldiers from Bay Area hospitals on Thanksgiving 1943 alone. That paled in contrast to the amount of feeding he did during the signing of the United Nations charter in San Francisco in 1945. For nine weeks, 282 delegates from 50 nations, plus their staff, ate food he catered for free in the basement of the Opera House. According to the Life article, that was almost 2,000 meals in three hours, five times a week, with 500 members of the American Womens Voluntary Services helping. According to the Life article, Mardikian told a Turkish delegation member eating his food, A few years ago my greatest joy would have been to put poison in your eggplant just because you are a Turk. But now that I am an American I feel no animosity. Mardikian took his culinary skills abroad as a food consultant for the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1954. His efforts to better feed Army troops in Korea were enough to earn him Americas highest civilian award, the Medal of Freedom from President Harry Truman in 1951. He consulted for subsequent presidents up through Richard Nixon. The Chronicles obituary for Mardikian said, He liked to tell army mess sergeants that they were competing with every soldier's mother and that they had better use their wits to convert a slice of Spam into something more appetizing and attractive. So concerned was Mardikian with conserving food during World War II, he issued 10% refunds to diners in war stamps if they would simply clean their plates. When Mardikian made humanitarian visits, he didnt just bring back souvenirs. He sponsored and employed Armenian refugees. One such case was Yousef Injian, who came to San Francisco with his family after he cooked for Mardikian at the Armenian monastery in Jerusalem. Mardikian sponsored and hosted at his restaurant another 13 Armenians who survived a Nazi forced labor camp. Mardikian split time living at his home in San Franciscos Pacific Heights and his 300-acre ranch in St. Helena until he died at age 73 in October 1977 of a heart attack. Omar Khayyams lived on for three more years, when a fire broke out inside the restaurant, badly damaging the famed interior and forcing it to close. The restaurant maintained its magic even after Mardikian had gone. Roseanna Sarkissian recalls dining at Omar Khayyams on New Years Eve of 1978, less than three months after his death. She was 18 and had just moved to San Francisco from Iran months earlier. She had never heard of the restaurant and knew only one person in her group that night, a family friend. The paintings on the wall and elegant decor struck her, as did the pilaf even after growing up in an Armenian household, it was different from what shed eaten, and she loved it. It was overwhelming for me, she told SFGATE. Thats when I realized there are Armenian restaurants and how well known this was around the world. I had no idea. Ben Bleiman owns two bars in San Francisco, Teeth and Soda Popinskis. He said having parklets, especially at the latter bar, is literally the only reason we didnt go bankrupt. It was hugely impactful, and were not alone in that, said Bleiman, who is also the president of the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance. This is such a big deal, and Im so thrilled. Its going to change San Francisco forever, he said of the Shared Spaces program, which the city made permanent in July. There are about 1,700 Shared Spaces i.e. parklets across San Francisco, San Francisco Public Works said. The program was hastily created in the first few months of the COVID-19 shutdown, which forced bars to close and restaurants across the city to shut down dining and switch to takeout. As it became clear that it was safer to eat outdoors, the city allowed restaurants and bars with food partners to construct outdoor dining options through permits with the city. Though the program has experienced some growing pains, it is widely celebrated as a progressive step and lifeline for restaurants and bars in making San Francisco an outdoor dining mecca. Most everyone interviewed for this story celebrated the permanence of the Shared Spaces program in the city, but some said the parklets need additional regulation. Theres the issue of accessibility, especially for disabled and elderly people. Lana Nieves, the executive director of the Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco, a disability rights advocacy and support organization, said she still supports the parklets in theory. We support the small business community, she said. We dont have any beef with small business owners doing whatever they need to do to stay open, as long as theyre staying open for everyone. Accessibility standards dont disappear because were in a crisis, she added. Nieves said the center has done a lot with small businesses to help parklets be accessible to all people and that in her experience, restaurants are trying their best. Jeremiah Saiz, an environmental engineer in San Francisco, agreed that for parklets, while the idea in general is great some of them are clunky looking and not user-friendly. You can see the difference with some of the parklets that sprung up quickly, just environmentally, he said. Saiz is concerned with safety. He advocated for expanding the Slow Streets program in tandem with Shared Spaces. He said he fears people jumping the curb in their cars, especially. Car crashes into parklets have happened in San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area in the year since parklets have been installed. But Bleiman, the bar owner, urges caution with this type of thinking. The problem with making the Shared Spaces car-safe by, say, reinforcing with concrete barriers or water-filled blockades is that costs go through the roof. If one bad thing happens with one, lets not change all 2,000, he said. The worlds a dangerous place and well never get it to zero [accidents]. Craig Stoll, the co-owner of Delfina, said he thinks everything will settle out and that the program will gradually address its growing pains now that its permanent. Weve never lived through a pandemic before, he said. Well figure it out. I think people need to be patient because the city hopefully will put together some standards, so theres some degree of compliance around accessibility and safety and such, he added. Beyond accessibility, the biggest complaint with them thus far is parking, Nieves said. Many parklets take up one or more parking spaces. The Shared Spaces occupy approximately 1,650 metered parking spaces or about 10% of all metered parking spaces in the city according to the SFMTA. Many people brought up the difficulty of parking in San Francisco, which some think is inflamed by parklets. Nieves recommends the city consider making metered parking near parklets available for longer periods so that individuals dont have to get up from their meals and put money in the meter. We just have to ensure that this isnt detrimental to people with disabilities or anyone who drives, she said. Then theres the aesthetics of parklets. Although I appreciated the opportunity to be served meals outside with my family during the pandemic in restaurant parklets, I think that in most cases, the parklets are unsightly and ruin the S.F. cityscape, said San Francisco resident Hilary Magowan over email. Some are designed well and are attractive with plants, hanging lights, painted wood, but that is the exception rather than the norm. But parklets dont come cheap. Even the hastily thrown-together ones cost a pretty penny for establishment owners. Bleiman estimates venues can spend anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 on a single parklet. Some of them look like devices youd use to cross a dangerous body of water, he admitted. Christopher Callott, the Lalanne Chair in real estate, architecture and urbanism at UC Berkeley, said he believes the marketplace will figure this out. You got to give them time, he said. The marketplace will demand they get better, and owners can invest with some certainty once they know that theyll be around. Theyll want to make them better because it will be better for business. Laurie Thomas, the executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, also noted that the legislation around Shared Spaces can be changed and will adapt as needed. Changes can be put forth to our governing body if, God forbid, theres issues over the next 12 months, she said. Thomas, who owns Roses Cafe and Terzo, stressed that her businesses wouldnt be open without parklets. Its critical, she said. We would have so many more unemployed people and so many more closed bars and restaurants if we didnt have this opportunity. "Hi guys! I'm going to jail!" Over the shoulders of Coco Briscoe's fuzzy white bathrobe, in the hallway outside her Arlington apartment, two uniformed police officers appeared. RELATED: Behold the butt scooter, the most dangerously fun ride in Houston It was not the kind of content one might expect from a TikTok series called "Dating D.C." What Briscoe launched as a light romantic drama has become a serious legal one, with allegations of slander and harassment both by and against her. The 39-year-old, whose legal name is Crystal Nicole Briscoe, has gathered thousands of followers on TikTok as she chronicles her attempts to find love as a recent D.C.-area transplant. Gradually, she has focused less on the men she's seeing and more on a group of Arlingtonians, including two local bartenders, who she says made demeaning comments about her and shared her personal information in a large group text chat. The bartenders say Briscoe was the one stoking harassment with inaccurate videos watched by hundreds of thousands of people. People on both sides of the dispute, which largely played out on social media, said it led to anonymous messages that left them frightened. One of the bartenders has twice gone to Arlington County General District Court and secured restraining orders barring Briscoe from referencing her on social media, saying the TikTok videos spurred a wave of insults online and by phone that led her to flee her apartment and send her son to his father. A judge dismissed the protective order Wednesday, and two legal experts said such blanket bans on speech violate the U.S. Constitution. Yet Briscoe, who has filed her own police report, could still be guilty of a misdemeanor, in a case that shows how social media disputes can run out of control and into the First Amendment. It started with a date that wasn't. Briscoe says that earlier this summer she was stood up by a local chef, then rescued by a bartender who bought her drinks - a saga she relayed to her fans first with excitement and then through tears. She said on TikTok that someone showed her a group text chat that led her to believe the entire incident was staged to mock her. Members of the text chain called her a whore and endorsed violence against her; one posted a video of her biking home and the name Crystal, which she said she had not shared. "That's when this all became scary," she said in one TikTok video. In an interview, Briscoe said she learned of the texts when a member of the group showed her parts of the conversation, which Briscoe screenshotted and shared with The Washington Post. She said the bartender who had joined her for drinks appeared in the text group, along with a female bartender at another local bar she patronized. Briscoe has made claims on TikTok that she concedes she cannot substantiate, including that the two bartenders and their bars were behind a wave of offensive comments on her page and that one of them gleaned her address from her credit card to file the first protective order. That order initially listed Briscoe's address as "unknown." While at first she was vague in her videos, eventually she shared the bartenders' first names - Charlotte and Nic - and their workplaces. Both establishments were flooded with negative reviews on Google and Yelp, referencing harassment against women. And both bartenders say they personally got nasty messages. "I'm terrified," the female bartender, who sought the protective orders, testified in court Wednesday as she asked for the second order to be extended. "I'm not sleeping. I'm not eating. I haven't slept in days. I'm suffering, my hair's falling out." She said she had left her apartment and sent her son to stay with his father. She acknowledged in court that there had been no direct threats from Briscoe or anyone else. A judge dismissed her petition, saying there was no basis for it. Protective orders "can only be issued if there is evidence of an act of violence, force or a threat to make such an act," Judge Richard McCue said. "There has not been any evidence that supports that." MORE LIFESTYLE: These are the best hotels in Houston, according to Yelp reviewers The woman did not provide further comment to The Post. Nicholas Grey, the other bartender Briscoe accused, said he got more than 100 obnoxious calls at his bar the night Briscoe was arrested. "I'm fearful for who is going to come in," he said. "This is going to get crazy." It was Grey who Briscoe accused of taking her out with the intention of humiliating her, a charge he denies. It was just a casual get-together, he insists, that he offered to pay for because he gets a discount at the bar where he works. He barely uses social media, he added, and had no role in any anonymous comments. "I'm none of the things she says I am," he said. While "some derogatory things were said about Ms. Briscoe" in the group chat, Grey acknowledged, "the only time her location was ever discussed was for people to avoid her. Whether right or wrong, that's what it was. She's trouble." The female bartender likewise admitted taking a video of Briscoe biking and sharing it with the text group, but she said it was to warn other bars that Briscoe might be coming. Briscoe says she never behaved inappropriately at any bar and insists she is the victim. She was the first to go to authorities, filing a police report on July 19. "I fear for my safety," she wrote in the report. "I no longer feel safe in my neighborhood." The next day, Briscoe said, she was served by four police officers at 4 a.m. with a protective order mandating that she "not discuss" the female bartender "or related matters on social media." She stayed off TikTok for three days. When she came back, she told her followers the dispute was behind her absence. If anyone had guessed someone from the group chat "filed a restraining order against me . . . you would be correct," she said. Up to that point, she had not named any establishment and had used only the bartenders' first names. She said that her followers convinced her that if she really felt the bars were dangerous she should warn others, and that she no longer trusted the police because the female bartender had described her boyfriend as an Arlington cop. She named the bars where Grey and the female bartender work and added, "Don't support these places; they're garbage people." Both establishments were flooded with negative reviews on Google and Yelp, referencing harassment against women. The next morning, this time at 5 a.m., police officers appeared at Briscoe's door with a new restraining order. She told them to wait outside, then brushed her teeth and posted another video naming the female bartender and the bar where she worked. "In retrospect, not the right decision," she said in an interview. But in the moment, she said, she couldn't believe she could be put in jail for something so "ridiculous." Less than an hour later, she was. The police were "really unkind," she said in the interview; "it was a horrible experience." A spokeswoman for the Arlington police said there was no record that Briscoe had made a complaint. During her three hours in jail, Briscoe appeared by video before a magistrate who told her she could go to prison if she kept violating the order. "I said, 'Really? For making a TikTok?' " Yes and no, says Eugene Volokh, a legal scholar at UCLA who has been tracking these kinds of protective orders. "An order that says 'stop talking about this person' is unconstitutional, no matter who you are," he said. Yet he has identified more than 200 such injunctions, which are often hard to find because they are not available on searchable databases. The bartenders could seek a protective order to stop direct threats, he said, but not negative commentary. If she's making false accusations, he said, they could sue Briscoe for libel, but even if they won at trial they might not be able to bar her from making similar statements. "While speech to someone might, in certain circumstances, properly be deemed harassment if it is unwanted, the same doesn't hold true for speech about someone, even if it's unwanted," Vera Eidelman, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, agreed in an email. "And that's for good reason: any number of people - from racist cops to corrupt politicians to too-busy parents - might want to silence speech about them, especially if it's critical, but the Constitution doesn't allow that outside of very specific, narrow circumstances." Briscoe said she tried to get a protective order herself and was denied. MASK WARS: Republicans take to mask wars as virus surges in red states Even though the judge dismissed the order against her, Briscoe is still facing a misdemeanor charge for violating it. Called to the stand Wednesday, she invoked her right to remain silent, on the advice of her attorney. "I need a glass of wine and a nap," she told her followers after court. She has another hearing in September. MOSCOW (AP) The bodies of all eight victims of a tourism helicopter crash in Russia's far-east region of Kamchatka have been found, local officials said Monday. Five were recovered and three remain in the wreckage of the helicopter, which sank into a deep volcanic crater lake. The Mi-8 helicopter with 16 people on board crashed Thursday into Kurile Lake on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Eight people managed to escape the sinking aircraft and were rescued by rangers from the Kronotsky nature reserve, who rushed to the crash site on boats. MOSCOW (AP) A court in Moscow on Monday sentenced another ally of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny to 1 years of parole-like restrictions in a controversial case targeting opposition supporters in the wake of mass protests earlier this year. Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokeswoman and close associate, was found guilty of inciting people to violate coronavirus restrictions. She was barred from attending mass events, traveling outside of Moscow and the outlying region or moving without informing law enforcement. Yarmysh will also have to check in with police once a month. Yarmysh's lawyer, Veronika Polyakova, told the Interfax news agency the defense would appeal the verdict. It came less then two weeks after another top ally of Navalny, Lyubov Sobol, was convicted on the same charges and sentenced to 18 months of similar restrictions. Ten days ago Navalny's brother Oleg was also found guilty in the case and handed a one-year suspended sentence. The case against several allies of Navalny was launched shortly after nationwide protests over his arrest and jailing rocked Russia all across its 11 time zones on Jan. 23. Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putins most ardent political foe, was arrested a week before that upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin an accusation rejected by Russian officials. In February, Navalny was ordered to serve 2 years in prison for violating the terms of a suspended sentence from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that he dismissed as politically motivated. His arrest and jailing sparked a wave of mass protests that appeared to be a major challenge to the Kremlin. The authorities responded with mass arrests of demonstrators and the criminal prosecutions of Navalnys closest associates. Sobol and others were accused of inciting people to break coronavirus regulations by urging them to join the protests. The crackdown on Navalnys team didnt stop there. In June, a court outlawed the Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of Navalnys regional offices as extremist organizations. The designation barred people associated with the groups from seeking public office and exposed them to lengthy prison terms. Russian authorities also blocked some 50 websites run by his team or supporters for allegedly disseminating extremist propaganda, and opened a criminal probe against Navalnys top allies, Ivan Zhdanov and Leonid Volkov, over a crowdfunding campaign. Last week, Navalny was also handed new criminal charges that could potentially extend his imprisonment by up to three more years. Navalnys allies have linked the crackdown to Russias parliamentary election. The Sept. 19 vote is widely seen as an important part of Putins efforts to cement his rule before the countrys 2024 presidential election. The 68-year-old Russian leader, who has been in power for more than two decades, pushed through constitutional changes last year that would potentially allow him to hold onto power until 2036. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi's only Level 1 trauma center is setting up a second emergency field hospital in a parking garage that will handle some of the sickest COVID-19 patients as the virus continues to ravage the state. Samaritan's Purse will set up the mobile intensive care unit with a team of medical staff in a garage nearby Children's of Mississippi, the state's only pediatric hospital. Since the start of the pandemic, the Christian relief charity has set up five other emergency hospitals in areas of the world hard hit by the virus, like New York City and Los Angeles County. The COVID-19 situation is worsening in our state, Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said in a statement. Woodward is also dean of the School of Medicine. Mississippi, one of least vaccinated states in the country, has seen numbers of new coronavirus double in the past two weeks, surpassing records for hospitalizations all previous surges of the virus since the start of the pandemic. The state had an average of 1,475 new coronavirus cases per day on July 31 and about 3,285 new cases per day on Aug. 14, according to data from Johns Hopkins University analyzed by The Associated Press. After facing a shortage of beds and staff needed to treat patients, the University of Mississippi Medical Center set up one emergency field hospital in a different parking garage on its campus last week, with the help of the federal government. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services deployed a team of three dozen physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists. Woodward said transport trucks arrived at the medical center Sunday afternoon to begin setting up the Samaritans Purse field hospital, which is expected to be ready for patients by midweek. In the coming days, an additional tent will be set up where people who are positive for COVID-19 can receive monoclonal antibody treatment, Woodward said. ___ Leah Willingham is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. SAUGUS, Mass. (AP) Authorities have released the name of the woman shot and killed by police in suburban Boston over the weekend. The woman shot in Saugus at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday was identified by the office of Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett as Stephanie Gerardi, 38. QUINCY, Calif. (AP) Firefighters battling flames in Northern California forests girded Monday for new bouts of windy weather, and a utility warned thousands of customers it might cut their electricity to prevent new fires from igniting if gusts damage power lines. Conditions that suppressed the huge Dixie Fire overnight gave way in the afternoon to gusty winds that pushed flames through an area where drought and summer heat have turned vegetation to tinder. The fire was only a few miles from Susanville, the county seat of Lassen County with a population of nearly 20,000, and ash fell in the area. Portions of Janesville, a small nearby mountain community, were ordered to evacuate. Bulldozers had cut fire lines in the path of the northward-trending blaze but a lot of our lines are getting tested now," fire spokesman David Janssen said. Smoke over the fire had slowed its activity earlier in the day but gusty winds arrived in the afternoon, pushing the blaze into extreme activity, torching groups of trees and quickly propelling smaller spot fires that sprang up as much as a couple of miles ahead of the fire front, fire officials said. By the time we get there to fight it, its not only a quarter-acre, its already exploded, Janssen said. The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch through Thursday in the fire area because of winds that could gust to 35 mph (56 kph) at times. The Dixie Fire has scorched more than 900 square miles (2,331 square kilometers) in the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades since it ignited on July 13 and eventually merged with a smaller blaze called the Fly Fire. Ongoing damage surveys have counted more than 1,100 buildings destroyed, including 625 homes, and more than 14,000 structures remained threatened. Numerous evacuation orders were in effect. The small lumber town of Westwood is still under evacuation orders and protective lines were holding but the blaze remained a threat. There are still some people staying in there," Janssen said. Were hoping it wont turn bad in there and we have to change our mission from protecting structures to saving lives ... Our biggest concern right now i that people arent taking the evacuation seriously. Investigations are continuing, but Pacific Gas & Electric has notified utility regulators that the Dixie and Fly fires may have been caused by trees falling into its power lines. The Dixie Fire began near the town of Paradise, which was devastated by a 2018 wildfire ignited by PG&E equipment during strong winds. Eighty-five people died. On Monday evening, PG&E notified 48,000 customers in parts of 18 Northern California counties that it may have to shut off power Tuesday evening through Wednesday afternoon to prevent winds from knocking down or hurling debris into power lines and sparking new wildfires. PG&E meteorologists are tracking a weather system in those areas that could bring sustained winds of up to 40 mph (64 kph), gusting higher in foothills and mountains," the utility said in a statement. The Dixie Fire was among 97 large, active wildfires burning in the United States on Monday, the National Interagency Fire Center said. More than 25,000 firefighters, support personnel and management teams were assigned to the blazes. California was dealing with several other massive fires, including one that started on Saturday southeast of the Dixie Fire in El Dorado County that had grown to about 3.5 square miles (9 square kilometers) and prompted evacuations. The U.S. Forest Service said last week that it is operating in crisis mode, with more than double the number of firefighters deployed than at the same time a year ago. The fires were also taking a toll on wildlife. Near Taylorsville, California, some firefighters on Sunday were monitoring a bear cub who was possibly orphaned in the Dixie Fire. The emaciated cub was awaiting extraction from the fire-scarred area by a wildlife rescue team. Generally if you see them with a sow or a mother bear, theyll stay with the mother bear and run off, said firefighter Johnnie Macy, who was deployed from Golden, Colorado. This bear hasnt done that, so because of that we think that the bears orphaned as a result of the fire. 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. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) The Cedar Rapids City Council has approved a $50,000 payment to settle a lawsuit brought by a man who said he was unjustly attacked by a city police dog last year. The lawsuit was filed by Howard Cones, who said he was sleeping on a park bench in June 2018 when the dog, unprovoked, viciously attacked him, causing multiple bite wounds and blood loss. The dog had been taken to the park by its handler for a training exercise when Cones was randomly attacked, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit accused the city and police officers of negligence in the training and handling of the dog. The City Council approved the settlement last week, The Gazette reported. A second lawsuit involving a city police dog attack on a 13-year-old boy last year is still pending. The child's mother has said in the lawsuit that her son went to spend the night at a friends house, but a miscommunication left him locked out of the house, and he fell asleep in the friends backyard. The child, who is Black, awoke to the dog attacking him and police yelling at him, his mother said. At the time, police were pursuing four young Black people believed to be in a stolen vehicle who were thought to be in the same neighborhood as the child who was attacked, the family's attorney has said. The child was treated for deep cuts at a hospital before being released without charges. The lawsuit claims excessive use of force and racial discrimination by police. Desperate scenes played out at Kabul's international airport on Monday as thousands rushed to exit Afghanistan after Taliban fighters took control of the capital, with Reuters reporting at least five people were killed as people tried to forcibly enter planes leaving the country. Citing witnesses, Reuters said it wasn't clear whether the victims died of gunshots or in a stampede at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Earlier it reported that U.S. forces fired in the air to prevent thousands of citizens from running onto the tarmac, the last remaining area under American control. Afghanistan's aviation authority suspended flights out of the country and asked people not to rush to the airport. Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The U.S. had announced late Sunday in Washington it was taking steps to secure the airport as it looked to evacuate thousands of American citizens, as well as locally employed staff and their families. The move came a day after American-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and the Taliban said it would soon declare a new "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" after seizing the presidential palace. A passenger inside a Turkish Airlines Istanbul-bound plane on Monday said his flight had been sitting on the tarmac for nearly four hours, unable to take off as huge crowds rushed inside the airport. Rahmat Gul/Associated Press "Thousands of Afghan civilians are trying to enter the military section" of the airport "and troops are trying to prevent that," Emir Sayit said in a telephone interview Monday. "They just used a cargo plane to clear the runway and it was barely able to fly above the crowds." Apache choppers were also flying low atop the crowds to deter them, Sayit said. Firetrucks had arrived on the scene, likely to be used as water cannons to disperse the crowds, he added. Several airlines, including British Airways and Air France-KLM, are avoiding Afghan airspace. CNBC reported that United Airlines has started rerouting its India flights, while FlyDubai and Emirates have also suspended flights to Kabul. Cathay Pacific said it hasn't been flying over Afghanistan for some time but is closely monitoring the situation. A spokesman for Air India said scheduled flights to Kabul cannot fly because Afghanistan is declared closed. Planet Labs Inc./AP With all the land border crossing now under the control of the rebel group, the airport is the last remaining exit point out of the country. But as panicked visuals from the airport show, there are fears that option may also close soon. Videos circulating on social media showed hundreds of people swarming the tarmac in an attempt to get on planes. Top Taliban leaders, meanwhile, declared victory. The group has sought to portray a moderate stance, with a spokesman telling the Associated Press the group wants to form an "open, inclusive Islamic government." "We have never expected to reach such a victory -- we should show humbleness in front of Allah," the Taliban's deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, said in a video message congratulating his fighters and the nation on Twitter Monday. "Now is the time when we will be tested on how we serve and secure our people, and ensure their good life and future to the best of our ability." A Taliban official also texted reporters Monday to say the group intends to maintain law and order in Kabul and has even set up helpline numbers for citizens facing any threat. The speed of the Afghan government's collapse shocked NATO allies and prompted condemnation from both sides of the U.S. political divide over how President Joe Biden's administration appeared to be blindsided by the Taliban's easy advance. Dozens of countries issued a joint statement Monday calling "those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan" to allow Afghans and foreigners to depart safely if they wish, to keep borders open and maintain calm. Jafar Khan/AP The Taliban swept through Afghanistan in a matter of weeks, taking advantage of a vacuum left by departing U.S. and NATO forces working against Biden's Aug. 31 deadline to end America's longest war. U.S. officials said they're working for an orderly departure. In a joint statement Sunday, the Pentagon and State Department said the U.S. will expand its presence over the next 48 hours at Kabul's international airport to nearly 6,000 troops to evacuate thousands of American citizens, as well as locally employed staff and their families. All Kabul embassy personnel have been safely evacuated to the airport and the U.S. military has secured its perimeter, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement late Sunday. "We're relocating the men and women of our embassy to a location at the airport," Blinken said on ABC. "That's why the president sent in a number of forces to make sure that, as we continue to draw down our diplomatic presence, we do it in a safe and orderly fashion." BOSTON (AP) The Coast Guard said Monday it is searching for a man who went overboard southeast of Nantucket. The Coast Guard in a tweet said the man was on the fishing vessel Blue Wave out of New Bedford. WASHINGTON (AP) A defiant President Joe Biden rejected blame Monday for chaotic scenes of Afghans clinging to U.S. military planes in Kabul in a desperate bid to flee their home country after the Taliban's easy victory over an Afghan military that America and NATO allies had spent two decades trying to build. At the White House, Biden called the anguish of trapped Afghan civilians gut-wrenching and conceded the Taliban had achieved a much faster takeover of the country than his administration had expected. The U.S. rushed in troops to protect its own evacuating diplomats and others at the Kabul airport. But the president expressed no second thoughts about his decision to stick by the U.S. commitment, formulated during the Trump administration, to end America's longest war, no matter what. I stand squarely behind my decision to finally withdraw U.S. combat forces, Biden said, while acknowledging the Afghan collapse played out far more quickly than the most pessimistic public forecasts of his administration. This did unfold more quickly than we anticipated," he said. Despite declaring the buck stops with me, Biden placed almost all blame on Afghans for the shockingly rapid Taliban conquest. His grim comments were his first in person to the world since the biggest foreign policy crisis of his still-young presidency. Emboldened by the U.S. withdrawal, Taliban fighters swept across the country last week and captured the capital, Kabul, on Sunday, sending U.S.-backed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country. Biden said he had warned Ghani who was appointed Afghanistan's president in a U.S.-negotiated agreement to be prepared to fight a civil war with the Taliban after U.S. forces left. They failed to do any of that, he said. Internationally, the spectacle of the Taliban takeover and the chaos of the evacuation effort was raising doubts about America's commitments to its allies. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was bitter to watch the complete collapse in a war that Germany and other NATO partners had followed the U.S. into after the Sept. 11 attacks, which were plotted from Afghanistan. The humiliating scenes seemed certain to give comfort to American foes. At home, it all sparked sharp criticism, even from members of Bidens own political party, who implored the White House to do more to rescue fleeing Afghans, especially those who had aided the two-decade American military effort. We didnt need to be seeing the scenes that were seeing at Kabul airport with our Afghan friends climbing aboard C-17s, said Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat and Iraq and Afghanistan military veteran. He said that is why he and others called for the evacuations to start months ago. It could have been done deliberately and methodically, Crow said. And we think that that was a missed opportunity. Besides the life-and-death situation in Kabul, the timing of the crisis was unfortunate for Biden's domestic efforts at home. It could well weaken his political standing as he works to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and build congressional support for a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and an even larger expansion of the social safety net. Still, the focus at home and abroad on Monday was on Kabul's airport, where thousands of Afghans trapped by the sudden Taliban takeover rushed the tarmac and clung to U.S. military planes deployed to fly out staffers of the U.S. Embassy, which shut down Sunday, and others. At least seven people died in the chaos, including two who clung to the wheels of a C-17 and plunged to the tarmac as it flew away, and two others shot by U.S. forces. Americans said the men were armed but there was no evidence that they were Taliban. With tens of thousands of U.S. citizens and others as well as Afghans desperate to escape, Biden insisted the U.S. had done all it could to plan. In fact, Afghan leaders had asked the U.S. not to publicly play up any advance efforts to evacuate former military translators, female activists and others most at risk from the Taliban, saying that in itself could trigger what the Afghans said could be a crisis of confidence, Biden said. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said late Monday that the U.S., which had taken charge of air traffic control at the Kabul airport, had resumed airlifts out after suspending them due to the morning's stampedes onto the runways by frightened Afghans. Kirby said U.S. forces are planning to wrap up their oversight of the evacuation by Aug. 31, also the date Biden has set for officially ending the U.S. combat role in Afghanistan. The U.S. hopes to fly out up to 5,000 people a day once more of 6,000 U.S troops being deployed to secure the evacuation arrive, and once more transport planes can land, he said. Biden pledged to work to also evacuate private U.S. citizens and citizens of foreign governments, as well as Afghans who formerly worked with Americans in the country, journalists, prominent women and other Afghans considered most at-risk of Taliban reprisal. As of July, the U.S. had a visa application backlog of 18,000 former Afghan employees alone who were seeking a haven in the United States, and had been able to evacuate only a few thousand in what was meant to be a sped-up process over the last month. Veterans groups and nonprofit groups that worked with Afghan women appealed to Biden on Monday to keep troops at the Kabul airport at least through the end of the month, to keep the escape route out of Taliban hands. AP reporters Matthew Lee, Eric Tucker and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio power companies could once again offer energy efficiency programs such as smart thermostats or appliance rebates, the cost of which would be covered by customers under new legislation aimed at restarting such programs after a now-tainted energy bill killed them off. The nuclear plant bailout law approved in 2019 paved the way for a $1 billion ratepayer-funded rescue of Ohios two aging nuclear plants. Lawmakers repealed the bailout earlier this year, but left unchanged were provisions that gutted state renewable energy standards and eliminated all energy efficiency programs. Legislation introduced last week aims to restore some of those programs, but comes with a twist: For the first time, residential customers not interested in participating can opt out of paying their share of the program. In the past, all residential customers paid for an energy efficiency program regardless of whether they took part. The opt-out would last five years, after which customers would have to again indicate their preference. The participation fee would be capped at $1.50 a month. Customers are automatically included in the program unless they opt out. Commercial and industrial customers, on the other hand, are automatically excluded from participating and would have to choose to opt in under the bill. The legislation avoids mandates on customers while relaunching realistic energy efficiency programs such as smart thermostats, said bill co-sponsor Rep. Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican. Customers can control such thermostats remotely, and in some cases utilities could also adjust them to lower energy use system-wide during heat waves or cold snaps to avoid power outages. The bill provides a way forward to achieve further progress toward reducing our energy dependence and our energy usage, Seitz said. Earlier this summer, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved a plan by one utility, AES formerly Dayton Power & Light to provide $1.4 million for smart thermostat rebates and $900,000 for energy-saving weatherization measures for low- and moderate-income customers. But because of the remaining parts of the nuclear bailout bill, the commission's approval stipulated the cost must be covered by company shareholders, not ratepayers. That ruling and others by PUCO upholding the law's intent made the bipartisan legislation introduced this week necessary, said co-sponsor Rep. David Leland, a Columbus Democrat. Utilities didn't feel they could restart the ratepayer-funded programs without the backing of the General Assembly, he said. Support for the nuclear bailout law began to crumble last year when federal prosecutors charged five individuals, including the former Republican speaker of the Ohio House, with funneling $60 million in energy company money toward an illegal effort to pass the bill. Prosecutors allege the effort also included attempts to kill a proposed referendum to repeal the law. Two men have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Two more, including ex-Speaker Larry Householder, have pleaded not guilty and are fighting the charges. A fifth man killed himself with charges pending against him. Last month, Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. admitted to using dark money groups to fund the effort, and agreed to pay $230 million in penalties and meet other conditions to avoid prosecution on a federal conspiracy charge. The legislation that would reinstate some energy efficiency programs has the support of groups that arent always on the same side of energy issues, including the Ohio Environmental Council and state investor-owned utilities including AEP, Duke Energy and AES Corp. While the OEC would have preferred a full repeal of the nuclear energy bill known as House Bill 6 and a return to previous efficiency programs, the legislation is a step in the right direction, said Randi Leppla, vice president of the organization's Action Fund. It ensures Ohio residential customers have access to efficiency programs that will save energy, which is great for the environment, and save money on their electric bills, she said. LONDON (AP) European leaders said Monday they will press for a unified international approach to dealing with a Taliban government in Afghanistan, as they looked on with dismay at the rapid collapse of two decades of a U.S.-led Western campaign in the country. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron Monday, stressing the need for a common stand, both on recognizing any future Afghan government and to prevent a humanitarian and refugee crisis. Both leaders agreed to cooperate at the U.N. Security Council, and Johnson also said he will host a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven leaders on Afghanistan in the next few days. Johnson said on Sunday, We dont want anybody to bilaterally recognize the Taliban. German Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman echoed that sentiment Monday, saying the question of whether there can be a dialogue with the Taliban needs to be discussed internationally. We do not have any illusions about the Taliban and the essence of their movement, said Steffen Seibert, the spokesman. The French leader said in a speech to the nation Monday night that the fight against Islamist terrorism in all its forms would not end. Afghanistan cannot again become the sanctuary for terrorism that it was, Macron said. He stressed that the U.N. Security Council is the forum for a coordinated response, and added, "We will do everything so that Russia, the United States and Europe can cooperate efficiently because our interests are the same. Macron also raised fears of uncontrolled migration to Europe by Afghans, saying that France, Germany and other European countries would work to swiftly develop a robust, coordinated and united response. As far as the crisis inside Afghanistan, European leaders' hands are tied in many ways: They have little leverage over the Taliban, and they are deeply reluctant to publicly criticize the withdrawal decision by the United States, their powerful NATO ally or comment on their own role in the failed intervention. NATO countries were left with little choice but to pull out the roughly 7,000 non-American forces in Afghanistan after President Joe Biden announced in April that he was ending the U.S. involvement in the war by September, 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of Londons Royal United Services Institute, said that Britain -- which for much for the war contributed the second-largest number of troops to the mission -- was especially upset that the Biden administration didnt consult it more fully about the decision to withdraw this summer. That is water under the bridge, but the fact that there wasnt a coordinated alliance approach to the withdrawal makes it even more important now to coordinate a Western response starting with the question of recognition" of a Taliban government, he said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week that the Taliban need to understand that they will not be recognized by the international community if they take the country by force. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has also warned that the militant group would face isolation and lack of international support. Borrell is expected to chair an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss Afghanistan on Tuesday, while NATO envoys will also hold talks. Meanwhile, Russias envoy on Afghanistan said that Moscow will decide whether to recognize the new Taliban government based on its conduct. Chalmers said Western influence on the Taliban is very limited compared with that of Pakistan, Iran and China. And Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, said that warning the Taliban that they face international isolation is a threat unmoored from reality. It is part of the Talibans ideology to reject modernism and the international community and the reputation won by forcing the U.S. to leave is worth far more than aid budgets, he wrote for the Center for European Policy Analysis think tank. Indeed, having earned a reputation for abandoning its mission, its friends, and its allies, it is the United States that may actually feel more isolated," Volker added. The U.K. has repeatedly alluded to how it had been put in a very difficult position to continue the mission once the United States announced its decision to pull out, and British leaders have spoken with a tone of resignation as the situation deteriorated rapidly after NATO's exit. I think its fair to say that the U.S. decision to pull out has accelerated things, but this has been in many ways something that has been a chronicle of an event foretold, Johnson said Sunday. Other European allies have made veiled criticisms of NATOs most powerful member country. Asked Monday whether France and the U.S. were responsible for the collapse of the armed forces and the unfolding humanitarian crisis, Defense Minister Florence Parly said France hasnt been in Afghanistan since 2014. Theres no parallel to make with the U.S. involvement. Briefing reporters last week about the crisis in Afghanistan, a senior EU official said that the decisions which were made in this respect were made in NATO. He did not single out the alliances most influential member, but the criticism was implicit. Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni was much more direct, saying: Lets give a welcome back to the cynical Obama-Clinton-Biden doctrine: If you cant win, create chaos. Western governments have also appeared to be caught off guard by the stunning speed of the Taliban's advance on Kabul. For months, European ambassadors at NATO and the EU have been unable to answer questions from reporters about what security arrangements might be in place in Afghanistan should the situation deteriorate. Questions about how to protect embassies and the Kabul airport, where chaos reigned Monday as scores sought to flee the country, were never unanswered. In the past few days, U.S., British and other Western governments have scrambled to evacuate their embassies, their citizens and Afghans who have helped with their military mission as the Taliban seized power. All of us, the government, the intelligence services, the international community, all of us misjudged the situation, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas admitted Monday. Neither we nor our partners and experts did foresee the speed with with the Afghan security forces withdrew and capitulated. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace choked up during an interview as he expressed deep regret that some of those people will be left behind. Its sad and the West has done what its done," he acknowledged. "We have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations and 20 years of sacrifice. It is what it is. ___ Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Colleen Barry in Milan, Angela Charlton and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report. BERLIN (AP) Dozens of German rescue teams were searching Monday for missing people who witnesses said were tossed into a river in Bavaria's Valley of Hell when a sudden flood tore down a bridge they were standing on, the German news agency dpa reported. Police said rescue operations with about 150 police officers, firefighters and mountaineers were underway and at least eight people had been pulled out of the water in the valley known as Hollentalklamm near Germany's tallest mountain, Zugspitze. CHICAGO (AP) A 7-year-old girl was fatally shot and her 6-year-old sister was seriously wounded in Chicago when someone opened fire as the siblings sat in a parked car, police said. The 7-year-old was shot in the chest and torso Sunday afternoon and was pronounced dead at Loyola University Medical Center, police said. She was identified as Serenity Broughton by the Cook County medical examiners office. PEABODY, Mass. (AP) There are no plans to change the state's mask-wearing guidance even as the delta variant of the coronavirus continues its spread and schools prepare to reopen at the end of the month, Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday. The state's vaccination rate is high and hospitalizations are relatively low, the Republican said during a visit to Peabody to announce additional support for vocational and technical education programming, The Boston Globe reported. I hope and pray that many other states move as aggressively as the people in Massachusetts have moved to get a vaccine, Baker said. Vaccinations are the pathway out of this pandemic, period. ... Were going to run hundreds of vaccination clinics in conjunction with our colleagues in the K-12 world between now and the start of school. We expect that will continue to boost our numbers among the kids between the ages of 12 and 19, where again we are a national leader. Despite some pressures from teachers' unions, coronavirus safety protocols are being left up to school districts, although the state recommends that unvaccinated students, faculty and staff should wear face coverings indoors, while vaccinated students and workers do not need to. The state also has a plan to protect younger children not eligible yet to get vaccinated. Weve made a very strong recommendation to our colleagues in K-6 education, that because there is not a vaccine currently available for that population ... that those kids we believe should be masked up until they have the opportunity to get vaccinated, Baker said. People with certain medical conditions should also wear face coverings, he said. WARSAW, Poland (AP) An appellate court in Poland on Monday rejected a lawsuit brought against two Holocaust scholars in a case that has been closely watched because it was expected to serve as a precedent for research into the highly sensitive area of Polish behavior toward Jews during World War II. Poland is governed by a nationalist conservative party that has sought to promote remembrance of Polish heroism and suffering during the wartime German occupation of the country. The party believes that discussions of Polish wrongdoing distort the historical picture and are unfair to Poles. The Appellate Court of Warsaw argued in its explanation that it believed that scholarly research should not be judged by courts. But it appeared not to be the end: a lawyer for the plaintiff said Monday that she would appeal Monday's ruling to the Supreme Court. The ruling was welcomed by the two researchers, Jan Grabowski and Barbara Engelking, who declared it a great victory in a Facebook post. We greet the verdict with great joy and satisfaction all the more, that this decision has a direct impact on all Polish scholars, and especially on historians of the Holocaust, they said. Monday's ruling comes half a year after a lower court ordered the two researchers to apologize to a woman who claimed that her deceased uncle had been defamed in a historical work they edited and partially wrote, Night Without End: The Fate of Jews in Selected Counties of Occupied Poland. Lawyers for the niece, 81-year-old Filomena Leszczynska, argued that her uncle was a Polish hero who had saved Jews, and that the scholars had harmed her good name and that of her family by suggesting the uncle was also involved in the killing of Jews. The plaintiffs lawyer, Monika Brzozowska-Pasieka, said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press that Leszczynska was astonished by the judgement and intends to file an appeal to the Polish Supreme Court. Brzozowska-Pasieka stressed that Leszczynska thinks that the depiction of her uncle in the book was defamatory and that the historians "failed to conduct their research with due diligence. We want to emphasize that the right to academic freedom, including the right to carry out historical research and publish its results, is subject to legal protection (but) this protection does not cover statements that do not pass the test of reliability, the statement said. Some researchers and others feared that if the researchers were punished, it could have a chilling effect and dissuade young scholars from taking up the sensitive issue of Polish behavior toward the Jews in World War II. Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany during the war and its population subjected to mass murder and slave labor. Yet amid the more than five years of occupation, there were also some Poles who betrayed Jews to the Germans or took part in their killing, while other Poles risked their lives to save Jews. The topic of Polish crimes against Jews was taboo during the communist era and new revelations of Polish wrongdoing in recent years have sparked a backlash. Poland's current ruling Law and Justice party has vowed to fight what it considers unfair depictions of Polish wrongdoing. Many researchers and the Israeli government have accused the Polish government of historical whitewashing. PORTLAND, Ind. (AP) Indiana's appeals court has upheld a mans conviction for causing serious burns to a 5-year-old boy by forcing the child's hands into scalding water. A Jay County jury had convicted Marcus A. Ternet, 54, last December of battery resulting in serious bodily injury to a person less than 14 years old. He was sentenced in February to 13 years in prison for the May 2011 incident at a Portland trailer home. JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli leaders on Monday appealed to its international allies as firefighters battled wildfires near Jerusalem for a second day after the blaze forced hundreds of residents from their homes. Israel Fire and Rescue service said that 75 firefighting teams accompanied by 12 planes were working to contain a series of fires in the forested hills west of the city. At least 17 square kilometers (6.5 square miles) of forest have already burned, according to official tallies, making it one of the largest wildfires in the country's history. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said he had spoken to his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, asking for additional aircraft for the firefighting efforts and that Greece had pledged to help however possible. Israel in recent weeks had sent assistance to Greece while it was battling its own wildfires. Lapid also said Israel was also reaching out to Cyprus, Italy and France and others about possible assistance. Residents of several communities were evacuated from their homes on Sunday as the fire raged out of control, fueled by winds and extremely dry conditions after a hot summer. Additional evacuations were taking place on Monday. The fire sent a plume of thick black smoke over Jerusalem. The Environmental Protection Ministry warned area residents of very high air pollution and advised against prolonged outdoor activity. Investigators were still working to determine the cause of the fire. CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) Democratic St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and several Jewish leaders on Monday criticized comments at recent County Council meetings that compared mask mandates to the Holocaust. With the delta variant of COVID-19 surging in St. Louis County, Page sought to require masks in indoor public places. A judge earlier this month issued a temporary restraining order against the mandate after the County Council voted to overturn it. SELMA, Ala. (AP) A judge agreed to a request by the state attorney general's office on Monday and dismissed charges against three one-time Selma police officers arrested during a probe into guns that were missing from an evidence room. Circuit Judge John Bush dismissed cases against former officers Jeffrey Hardy, 48; Toriano Neely, 50; and Kendall Thomas, 41, who were placed on leave in late 2018 and later charged with making false statements. ATLANTA (AP) A man injured in a chase while fleeing from police has been charged with kidnapping and murder in the death of an Atlanta bartender. Atlanta police filed charges Sunday against DeMarcus Brinkley in the death of Mariam Abdulrab. Investigators say Brinkley kidnapped Abdulrab at gunpoint as she was returning home early Friday from her bartending job at the Revery VR Bar. Later that morning, police found Abdulrab dead from a gunshot. PITTSBURGH (AP) Authorities in western Pennsylvania say a man was found shot to death in a car that had crashed into a Pittsburgh home over the weekend. Allegheny County police say officers were called to the Beltzhoover neighborhood shortly before midnight Saturday after a gunshot detection system indicated gunfire. A 911 call soon afterward sent them to an address where they found a vehicle crashed into a home. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) A man and a girl were fatally shot at a home in Louisville, officials said. Officers were called to the residence in southwest Jefferson County Sunday evening, Louisville Metro Police told news outlets. Officers found the man and the girl inside and both were pronounced dead at the scene, police Maj. Micah Scheu said. Its a very difficult situation, especially when theres juveniles involved, Scheu said. The Jefferson County Coroner's office identified the two on Monday as Vernon Leslie Lee, 52, and Kaylee Lee, 9. No suspects were named, but police say the investigation is continuing. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) An Indiana man with a collection of rare bourbon is teaming up with the Kentucky Derby Museum to raffle it off in an effort to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The collection consist of five limited-edition bottles of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, which are valued at $18,250, the Kentucky Derby Museum said in a statement. The winner of the raffle will also receive a VIP Kentucky Derby Museum experience and a one-night stay at Hotel Distil. CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) A Cape Girardeau man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for the shooting death of his wife in 2019. Timothy Edward Corrigan, 71, pleaded guilty in June to second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 64-year-old Katheia Corrigan at their home on April 5, 2019. Dr. Danny Avula, the head of Virginias COVID-19 vaccination effort, suspected he might have a problem getting pastors to publicly advocate for the shots when some members of his own church referred to them as the mark of the beast, a biblical reference to allegiance to the devil, and the minister wasn't sure how to respond. A lot of pastors, based on where their congregations are at, are pretty hesitant to do so because this is so charged, and it immediately invites criticism and furor by the segment of your community thats not on board with that," Avula said. Across the nation's deeply religious Bible Belt, a region beset by soaring infection rates from the fast-spreading delta variant of the virus, churches and pastors are both helping and hurting in the campaign to get people vaccinated against COVID-19. Some are hosting vaccination clinics and praying for more inoculations, while others are issuing fiery anti-vaccine sermons from their pulpits. Most are staying mum on the issue, something experts see as a missed opportunity in a swath of the country where church is the biggest spiritual and social influence for many communities. That was on display recently in metro Birmingham, where First Baptist Church of Trussville had an outbreak following a 200th anniversary celebration that included a video greeting by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. The pastor promised more cleaning and face mask availability without uttering two words that health officials say could make a difference among people long on religion but short on faith in government: Get vaccinated. A few outspoken religious leaders have garnered crowds or media attention for their opposition to the vaccines, such as Tony Spell, who repeatedly defied COVID-19 restrictions to hold in-person services at the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, church where he is pastor. He has preached that vaccinations are demonic and vowed that the government will not force us to comply with your evil orders." But they appear to be outliers, according to theologian Curtis Chang, with the majority of ministers avoiding the vaccine issue so as not to inflame tensions in congregations already struggling with the pandemic and political division. "I would say that the vast majority are paralyzed or silent because of how polarized it has been, said Chang, who has pastored churches and is on the faculty at Duke Divinity School. A survey by the National Association of Evangelicals found that 95% of evangelical leaders planned to get inoculated, but that number hasn't translated into widespread advocacy from the pulpit, he said. The disparity matters because vaccination rates are generally low across the Bible Belt, where Southern and Midwestern churchgoers are a formidable bloc that has proven resistant to vaccination appeals from government leaders and health officials. While many Black and Latino people haven't been vaccinated, the large number of white evangelical resisters is particularly troubling for health officials. A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in March showed that 40% of white evangelical Protestants said they likely would not get vaccinated, compared with 25% of all Americans, 28% of white mainline Protestants and 27% of nonwhite Protestants. Some national voices including Black megachurch minister T.D. Jakes, evangelist Franklin Graham and former Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear have taken public stances in favor of vaccinations. But there hasn't been a sustained, unified push that could give local pastors cover to speak out themselves, Chang said. First Baptist Trussville has taken multiple steps to guard against spreading the virus, including following public health guidelines and limiting in-person events, according to spokesman and business manager Alan Taylor. Yet when it comes to the vaccines, church leaders consider them a personal choice, he said. When I am asked personally, I say it was the right choice for me and my wife, said Taylor, who contracted a relatively rare breakthrough case of COVID-19 despite having been vaccinated. I firmly believe it helped when I became infected. The story is much the same in Mississippi and Georgia, where some churches are returning to online services and some pastors are quietly talking about the need for vaccination. More than 200 pastors, priests and other church leaders from Missouri went further as cases exploded last month, signing a statement urging Christians to get vaccinated because of the biblical commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Springfield Mayor Ken McClure said the region saw a big jump in vaccinations after the pastor of a large church used his sermon to tell parishioners it was the right thing to do. Dr. Ellen Eaton, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said churches could be effective at promoting vaccination as a way to love your neighbors during this pandemic. Many Southerners are very close to their pastors and church communities. Next to their personal physician, many here in Alabama routinely turn to their church leaders with health issues, she said. One pastor at a liberal United Methodist church in Birmingham issued a plea on social media for members to get vaccinated, while the minister at a moderate Baptist church nearby prayed during worship for divine intervention for more vaccinations. "We pray, Lord, that there will be good judgment used and that people would see the need for the vaccine and that it would be available not only here in our own country but around the world and that that might stem the tide of this terrible, terrible virus, said the Rev. Timothy L. Kelley of Southside Baptist Church. Evangelical pastor Keven Blankenship was among those trying to walk that tightrope after COVID-19 invaded his independent church in suburban Birmingham, sickening three of his family members, among others. Initially he didn't preach about the vaccines, considering it a personal choice. But on a recent Sunday, during the first in-person services in a month, Blankenship revealed he had gotten his first shot and was due for a second. If you feel comfortable receiving it, I want you to receive it. If you don't feel comfortable, I want you to talk to your doctor and you get your doctor's guidance," he told worshipers. But I want you to do what you feel is the best thing for you and your family, and don't be bullied into anything. Blankenship ended with an Amen, said almost as if a question. He was met by silence. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Glen Stubbe/AP MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minnesota health officials on Monday reported the highest number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 since mid-May, along with five new deaths and 1,470 new infections, with a slight increase in infections among those who have been fully vaccinated. Minnesota hospitals were treating 411 coronavirus patients as of Friday, the Minnesota Department of Health reported Monday. That's up from up from 90 in mid-July. Of those current patients, 109 were sick enough to warrant intensive care. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) With hundreds of South Carolina students already quarantined for COVID-19 at the start of the fall semester, another local government is joining the capital city of Columbia to require masks in schools despite a state budget proviso that bans districts from doing so without risking funding. Richland County Council voted Monday evening to approve an emergency ordinance to require masks for students and educators who serve children ages 2 through 14 in public and private schools and day cares. The ordinance states that schools won't be required to use public funding to provide face coverings. The county follows in the footsteps of Columbia city leaders who have already made masks mandatory for schoolchildren too young to receive the coronavirus vaccine. State Attorney General Alan Wilson has opined the move is in conflict with state law and should either be rescinded or amended, though Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin has said the measure relies on local funds, not state appropriations. Charleston's City Council is set to consider its own ordinance Tuesday. Education groups are pushing for state lawmakers to repeal the state budget proviso that went into effect July 1 and prohibits South Carolina educational institutions from using appropriated funds to mandate masks. South Carolina House Democrats want Gov. Henry McMaster to reconvene the General Assembly for an emergency session as well. But without state-level action the Republican governor has repeatedly insisted mask-wearing should be left for parents to decide, and top legislative leaders also consider the Columbia ordinance a violation of the proviso school districts need to take matters in their own hands and implement mitigation measures to keep children in classrooms, The Palmetto State Teachers Association said. If the Governor and legislature will not take immediate action, local school districts should take bold and decisive action to employ any and all mitigation measures they believe are needed in their community, regardless of any potential financial costs, the teacher group said in a statement. At this moment, the cost of inaction for student health and development is infinitely greater." McMaster has throughout the pandemic declined to institute statewide mask requirements and emphasized the need for South Carolinians to take personal responsibility in following public health guidelines. The former state prosecutor said last month that schools cant get through any hypothetical loopholes by using other funding to enforce a mask mandate. A top state health official said last week that South Carolina's current virus trajectory makes school outbreaks inevitable, as the highly contagious delta variant has spurred cases toward levels not seen since the height of the pandemic last winter. Other districts are grappling with how to keep students in classrooms without being able to implement one of public health's most effective tools against the spread of the virus, as federal officials recommended masking in schools regardless of vaccination status earlier this summer. The South Carolina School Boards Association said Monday that it also wants lawmakers to rescind a different proviso capping virtual enrollment to 5% of students in each district, another measure that the group says has impaired the ability of school boards to keep students safe. For us, its not about whether or not masks are required in schools, or if virtual learning should be an option at this time," Scott Price, the association's executive director, said in a statement. It is, however, about who is best positioned to monitor and modify safety protocol and make the best decisions to keeps students and employees safe your local school board. In Pickens County, the school district moved to all-virtual classes last week after a rash of cases led to hundreds of students quarantined within the first two weeks of the fall semester. That prompted some parents and students to protest the suspension of in-person learning Monday, The Greenville News reported. ___ Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. ___ Liu is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham acknowledged Monday that New Mexicans are beyond sick and tired of crime" and dispatched nearly three dozen state police officers to Albuquerque as the city wrestles with a record-breaking spree of homicides. The governor's move comes after another rash of deadly shootings in recent days, including one that left a 13-year-old middle school student dead after he was shot by a classmate during the lunch hour Friday. Albuquerque has surpassed its annual homicide record already in 2021, having logged more than 80 killings with four months still go in the year. The previous record was set in 2019. At a news conference in Santa Fe, Lujan Grisham said that state police will coordinate with local police and prosecutors in Albuquerque. The deployment will concentrate on auto theft and drug trafficking as well as aggressive driving and drunken driving along the two major interstate highways that bisect the city. The effort is scheduled to last at least three weeks. "This is about getting everybody to leverage every single resource we have so that New Mexicans are as safe as they can be," Lujan Grisham said. Lujan Grisham also called for new legislative proposals to better ensure public safety and improve accountability for crimes involving guns, when the Legislature convenes in January 2022 for a rapid 30-day legislative session. We have to keep doing everything we can so that every New Mexican gets their constitutional right to be safe in their schools and community, Lujan Grisham said. The issue of crime has been the focus of the upcoming mayoral election in November, as incumbent Democrat Tim Keller tries to defend his record despite the crush of homicide cases. Many Albuquerque residents have blamed what they call a revolving door and lax consequences for repeat offenders. At the same time, city authorities are working to resolve longstanding concerns about police brutality though a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump sent additional federal officers to Albuquerque as part of an effort to address high crime in certain cities around the U.S. At the time, Keller and top Democrats in the state bristled at Trumps move. Candidates seeking to unseat Keller in the November election include Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales, who last year embraced Trump's approach to shoring up law enforcement in Albuquerque during a visit to the White House. Lujan Grisham said while the state has prioritized rehabilitation and reform within the criminal justice system and community policing efforts, repeat and violent offenders have no business on our streets, terrorizing workers and families simply trying to live their lives in peace." As a longtime Albuquerque resident myself, I know the feeling of frustration and helplessness, the governor said. My expectation is these additional officers taking part in a strategic initiative to root out and round up crime and those who habitually and flagrantly perpetrate it will contribute to deterrence and prevention. Police continue to investigate Friday's shooting at Washington Middle School, including how the 13-year-old suspect was able access his father's handgun. According to a probable-cause statement, the 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. Court records and police reports show that in 2018, the father had shot and injured another parent during a fight in the student pick-up lane at another Albuquerque school. He was never arrested and prosecutors declined to file charges at the time, saying both parents had valid claims. The governor wondered aloud at her news conference whether local law enforcement agencies are adequately enforcing recent state gun safety reforms that expand background checks for gun sales, limit gun access for individuals linked to domestic violence and give them the ability to remove firearms from people who pose a danger to themselves or others. New York (AP) Vaccine mandates expanded Monday as New York state ordered hospital and nursing home workers to get COVID-19 inoculations and New York City was poised to start requiring them for anyone in restaurant dining rooms, gyms, museums and many other leisure venues. The new policies aim to goad people into getting vaccinated as New York, like the rest of the U.S., confronts a coronavirus wave powered by the highly infectious delta variant of the virus. As the variant posed a growing threat and vaccination rates leveled off this summer, some cities, states and federal agencies have rapidly shifted from encouraging vaccination to either-or requirements inoculation or testing to a flat-out insistence on vaccination for some settings or workforces. Just buy into this because its going to work for all of us, is going to make us all safer, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday. In a nationwide first for a city government, the Democrat announced earlier this month that proof of vaccination would be required to partake in much of public life, from indoor dining to gym workouts to theater. Other cities, including San Francisco, later followed New York's move. It applies to patrons, employees, New Yorkers, commuters and visitors alike in settings ranging from arenas to coffee shops to yoga studios. Even strip clubs are included. There are exceptions for children under 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccination and athletes, contractors and some performers who don't live in the city. The policy also excludes church potlucks, community centers, office buildings, house parties (even if they're catered) and people ducking in somewhere to pick up food or use the bathroom, among other exemptions. It goes into effect Tuesday, but enforcement wont begin until Sept. 13, to give the public more time to get vaccinated. City officials promised training for businesses on how to handle possible confrontations between patrons and staffers, who will be on the frontlines of checking vaccination status. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the citys most visited venues, said it was working on how to implement the new rule but supports it. So does the NYC Hospitality Alliance, a restaurant and bar owners' group, though executive director Andrew Rigie said the vaccine checks add another challenge for establishments struggling to recover from pandemic shutdowns and a labor shortage. But restaurateurs hope the requirement will help keep the outbreak from worsening and spurring more onerous restrictions. New York state's new policy for hospitals and long-term care facilities follows vaccination requirements for health care workers in California, members of the U.S. military, and patient care staffers in the federal Health and Human Services Department and Department of Veterans Affairs. Some private businesses, from Google to United Airlines, also have ordered employees to get the shot. Our healthcare heroes led the battle against the virus, and now we need them to lead the battle between the variant and the vaccine, said Cuomo, a Democrat who is leaving office later this month after resigning over sexual harassment allegations, which he denies. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New York has risen over the past two weeks from over 2,400 new cases per day to nearly 4,200, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. New York City averaged 2,000 new cases of coronavirus per day over the past seven days, up from around 200 per day in late June. New York state took a more limited step late last month, requiring vaccination for staffers who work directly with patients at state-owned hospitals and veterans homes. Asked whether the new policy applies only to front-line workers, and whether it would also extend to such settings as medical offices and home health care, state Health Department spokesperson Jill Montag said the agency was working to finalize the details. About 75% of the roughly 450,000 hospital workers statewide, 68% of the 145,500 nursing home workers and 74% of the 30,000 other adult care facility workers are fully vaccinated, Cuomos office said in a release. That compares to about 58% of all New Yorkers, and 70% of those 18 and older. The Greater New York Hospital Association, a statewide advocacy group, called workers' vaccination rates impressive, while endorsing the new requirement. This is a critical moment requiring bold action, President Kenneth Raske said, noting that many hospitals already had their own vaccine mandates. There was no immediate comment from SEIU 1199, a major health care workers' union, or the New York State Nurses Association, which represents 42,000 nurses. Under the new policy, workers in hospitals, nursing homes, adult care, and other congregate care settings will have to get at least a first dose of vaccine by Sept. 27, with what the state called limited exceptions for those with religious or medical reasons. While officials are urging some people to get vaccinated, the Health Department on Monday authorized additional doses for people with severely weakened immune systems. The federal government on Friday approved third doses of the usually two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for transplant recipients and other similarly immune-compromised patients, but not the general public. New York had its own task force of scientists and health experts review the matter before giving the OK in the state. ___ Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) Gunmen have abducted 15 students and four staffers from a school in northwest Nigeria, police said Monday. A police officer and two security guards were killed in the attack on the College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Zamfara state, police spokesman in the state, Mohammed Shehu, said in a statement on Monday. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A rapidly growing wildfire in northeastern Minnesota has expanded to at least 1,500 acres (600 hectares) and prompted some evacuations, the U.S. Forest Service said Monday. The fire was spotted around 3 p.m. Sunday near Greenwood Lake, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Isabella, in the Superior National Forest. It's just changing very rapidly and extremely quickly," said Joanna Gilkeson, spokeswoman for the Superior National Forest. It's very active today with the near-critical fire weather. Gov. Tim Walz on Sunday night authorized the Minnesota National Guard to assist in the firefighting efforts, with fire dangers expected to remain high over the next several days. This summer, Minnesota has experienced abnormally high temperatures and a historic drought resulting in dry conditions conducive to wildfires, Walz said in a statement. Superior National Forest officials said in a statement that the cause of the Greenwood Lake fire had not determined by Monday afternoon. Aircraft flew over the area Monday morning to get a better estimate of the size. Crews were fighting the fire on the ground and from the air. They said the fire was expected to continue spreading northward Monday due to southerly winds gusting to 20 to 25 miles per hour (32 to 40 kilometers per hour), temperatures around 85 F (29 C) and low humidity. Byron Boler, a co-owner of Snowshoe Country Lodge on Sand Lake, told WTIP-FM in Grand Marais that he was doing outdoors chores Sunday afternoon when he spotted a big cloud of smoke billowing up about a quarter mile southeast of his property and reported it. He said planes were soon scooping up water from nearby lakes and dumping it on the fire. If the wind would have turned at all, we would have lost a lot of land, he said. The lodge remained open. Authorities ordered cabin and property owners in the area just to the north around McDougal Lake to evacuate Monday and closed nearby recreation areas, campgrounds and boat launches. There were reports of extensive ash and smoke along Minnesota Highway 1, which connects Ely with Lake Superior. Authorities closed the highway in the fire area Monday afternoon, as well as Lake County Highway 2, which connects the Ely area with Two Harbors. Authorities did not immediately return a call seeking information on the number of people evacuated from the sparsely populated area about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of Two Harbors. The smoke prompted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to issue an air quality alert for the inland portion of Lake County. The MPCA said southerly winds were expected over the region for the next few days and would transport the smoke plume north. The Superior National Forest is also monitoring two new, lightning-caused fires that are burning in remote parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the northeast. A fire west of Sawbill Lake had grown to 10 acres (4 hectares), while another south of Little Saganaga Lake was around 2 acres (0.8 hectares). Aircraft were dropping water to try to limit their spread. Drought conditions from the western U.S. across the northern plains to Minnesota have raised wildfire risks across a broad swath of the country. Firefighters battling the huge Dixie Fire in Northern California forests girded Monday for more windy weather. Growing explosively at times, the Dixie Fire has scorched 890 square miles (2,300 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 1,100 buildings, including 625 homes, since mid-July. There were nearly 100 large, active wildfires burning in the U.S. on Monday, the National Interagency Fire Center said. More than 25,000 firefighters, support personnel and management teams were fighting them. The Forest Service said last week it's in crisis mode, with more than double the number of firefighters deployed than at the same time a year ago. OAK CITY, N.C. (AP) The mayor of a small North Carolina town has died from COVID-19, according to a town official. Oak City Town Clerk Vonetta Porter said Mayor William Stalls died on Sunday, WITN reported Monday. Mayor Pro Tem Sue Harrell, who will be sworn in as acting mayor at next months commissioners meeting, says Stalls had been in the hospital for three weeks. WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) A 15-year-old boy was shot Sunday night in Wilmington, police said. Police are investigating the shooting that happened in the 500 block of East 9th Street around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, police said in a news release on Monday morning. Officers found a 15-year-old boy with gunshot wounds, who arrived at the hospital in stable condition, police said. NEW YORK (AP) Eight people were shot and wounded early Monday when two shooters fired into a crowd listening to music in Brooklyn, police said. About 100 to 150 people were gathered in front of a building at the Eleanor Roosevelt Houses in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood when shots rang out just before 12:30 a.m., police officials said at a news briefing. MOSCOW (AP) The Russian embassy in Kabul alleged Monday that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has fled from Kabul with four cars and a helicopter full of cash, Russias state news agency RIA Novosti reported. The report quoted embassy spokesman Nikita Ishchenko as saying that the collapse of the regime ... is most eloquently characterized by how Ghani escaped from Afghanistan: four cars were filled with money, they tried to shove another part of the money into a helicopter, but not everything fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac. Asked by The Associated Press about how he knew the details of Ghani's departure, Ishchenko said well, we are working here, without offering any more details. The AP couldnt independently verify his claims. Ghani left Kabul on Sunday as the Taliban swept into the Afghan capital. Media reports suggested that the president went to the neighboring Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, but there was no official confirmation of his whereabouts. Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov on Monday described Ghanis flight from Kabul as disgraceful, adding that Ghani deserves to be brought to justice and held accountable by the Afghan people. Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station that, judging by the first 24 hours of the Taliban's control of the Afghan capital, right now the situation in Kabul is better than it was under Ashraf Ghani. Under the terrorist Taliban it's better than under Ghani, Zhirnov said. Moscow's criticism of Ghani, whose government had the support of Washington, comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and the United States. Moscow fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with Soviet troops withdrawal in 1989 and has made a diplomatic comeback as a mediator, reaching out to feuding Afghan factions as it has jockeyed with the U.S. for influence in the country. It has hosted several rounds of talks on Afghanistan, most recently in March, that involved the Taliban even though Russia has labeled them a terrorist organization. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A South Carolina-based pharmaceutical manufacturer that has offered coronavirus vaccines to the public and run thousands of COVID-19 tests throughout the pandemic will now require all of its employees to get inoculated. Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. is mandating that all of the company's nearly 2,000 workers be fully vaccinated or have started a two-dose vaccine series by Aug. 27, unless the employee has an exemption or reasonable accommodation," according to CEO Lou Kennedy. The company is one of the first major businesses in South Carolina, other than hospitals, to publicly declare such a directive. Details of the requirement were shared with The Associated Press ahead of an official announcement Monday. As COVID-19 cases, driven by the deadly serious Delta variant, continue to impact communities and businesses alike, we can be one of the first businesses of our size to have a fully-vaccinated workforce, Kennedy wrote in a company-wide letter. Kennedy told reporters that employees who are not vaccinated by the deadline and can't provide a medical or religious exemption will be fired, and she isn't worried about lawsuits. Ill be very sad if we lose even the first person," Kennedy said. I hate that, but weve got to do what is right, to keep us healthy so we can keep others healthy. Nephron, which makes a number of drugs used to treat COVID-19 patients, is also mandating all visitors, vendors and guests be fully vaccinated. Those who need the shots can get them from Nephron itself, which has run a vaccine site in West Columbia since February. The company is still compiling data on how many of its workers are vaccinated. A growing number of hospitals around the state, including the Medical University of South Carolina and Tidelands, have made vaccination a requirement for health care employees. Prisma Health, South Carolina's largest hospital system, has offered incentives to staffers instead, news outlets have reported. The Nephron announcement comes as vaccine rates continue to lag. Less than half of eligible South Carolinians were fully vaccinated as of last week, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Although most businesses in the state have yet to implement such requirements, the resurgence of the virus with the highly contagious delta variant has prompted many to consider a mandate, S.C. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Morgan told The Associated Press on Monday. More and more businesses will likely require employees to be vaccinated, following Nephron's lead and the expected full approval of the vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration later this fall, Morgan said: Momentum is growing. Lawmakers in the South Carolina Senate did approve a proposal that would prevent employers from requiring COVID-19 vaccines for workers earlier this year. That measure still awaits House action. ___ Liu is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. ___ Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A small airplane had to make an emergency landing on a highway in northeastern Kansas Saturday night. Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said a 1961 Bonanza V-35 airplane made an emergency landing on U.S. Highway 75 near 142nd Road Saturday after it lost engine power after taking off in Topeka. No injuries were reported from the landing, according to television station WIBW. Morse said four people were on the plane when it encountered engine trouble shortly after takeoff. The plane was headed north to Omaha, Nebraska and eventually to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Northbound traffic on the highway was reduced to one lane after the plane landed, and both northbound lanes were closed for a time while the plane was removed from the highway. ARNOLD, Mo. (AP) With the start of the new school year fast approaching, some parents in two suburban St. Louis districts are questioning why most students will not be required to wear face coverings, decisions that conflict with federal and local health guidelines. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that some parents in St. Charles and Jefferson counties are urging school leaders to reconsider their decisions to allow students to attend classes without masks. Theres a lot of anxiety about sending kids into classrooms, said Amberly Keach, whose two children attend schools in the Fox district in the Jefferson County town of Arnold, which has a mask-optional policy. If we are going to accomplish having all students in person long-term, we have to respect the mitigation measures that will keep our children safe in that environment and allow them to continue to stay in school, Keach wrote in a recent letter to Superintendent Paul Fregeau and the Fox School Board. The Jefferson County Health Department recommends universal indoor masking for students, staff, teachers and visitors, according to an update issued Wednesday by Executive Director Kelley Vollmar. There were 267 cases of COVID-19 among children in the county in July, nearly five times the 59 cases in June. The Fox district plan recommends masks for all students and staff but says each family and staff member may choose to wear a mask or not based on their personal preference. Parents who oppose the mandates say masking is a medical decision that should be left up to families. Wearing a mask interferes with their social learning, distorts verbal speech, and removes visual cues for the hard of hearing. Face covering policies not only inhibit peer-to-peer learning but also pose social and emotional distress to children, reads a letter from parents in the Rockwood School District in St. Louis County. All St. Louis city and county students and staff will be required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status. The Ferguson-Florissant School District in St. Louis County went a step further, announcing Monday that all staff members must get vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing. Pro-mask parents say children younger than 12, who are not eligible for vaccines, are particularly vulnerable to catching the delta variant of COVID-19. They note the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups recommend universal masking in schools. About 20 parents and students protested Friday in favor of mask mandates at the Parents for Safe Schools rally at the St. Charles County Health Department. Among ages 5 to 19, cases of the virus in St. Charles County rose from 71 in June to 379 in July. As Missouri's vaccination rate continues to lag well below the national average, thousands of vaccine doses in the state are going to waste. The Kansas City Star reported Monday that Missouri vaccine providers have thrown away more than 81,000 doses. The Star cited data from the state health department. Reasons vary. Initially, vaccines tended to go to waste as a result of handling issues, broken syringes or vials that ended up with unused doses at the end of the day. But in recent weeks, some doses have expired because so few people are looking to get vaccinated. Missouri reported 1,114 newly confirmed cases of the virus on Monday and no new deaths. Hospital in-bed availability is at 16% of capacity, and intensive care unit availability across Missouri is at 14%, according to the state health departments COVID-19 dashboard. MADRID (AP) Spains interior minister on Monday defended sending unaccompanied child migrants back to Morocco in groups of 15, saying they wanted to go home, and denied accusations by rights groups that the returns breach international law. Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told the Cadena SER radio station the return of the children from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta was not an expulsion. Vulnerable minors were not among those sent back, he said. The best interest of the child is guaranteed, the minister added. Spain is legally obliged to care for young migrants until their relatives can be located or until they turn 18, but Grande-Marlaska referred to a 2007 agreement between Spain and Morocco for assisted returns once children's cases had been considered. Amnesty International has asked prosecutors to look into the Spanish government's conduct over the young migrants' repatriation, while Save The Children has urged Spanish authorities to assess the needs of each child and not deport them in groups. According to Save The Children data, 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. All of the children repatriated in the last few days entered Spain in May. CAIRO (AP) Sudanese leaders on Monday visited a disputed area along the countrys eastern border with Ethiopia, amid growing tensions between the two East African nations that have seen Khartoum ordering its envoy to Addis Ababa home for consultations. Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, head of the ruling Sovereign Council, and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok inaugurated developments projects in the fertile al-Fashaqa area which Sudanese troops reclaimed in recent months from Ethiopian forces and militias, the premiers office said. Speaking in the eastern village of Wad Kouli, Hamdok said Sudan has sought good ties with Ethiopia but that it's also able to protect and defend its territories. The decades-long border dispute centers on large swaths of agricultural land Sudan says are within its borders, according an agreement that demarcated the borders between the two nations in the early 1900s. The two nations have held rounds of talks, most recently in Khartoum in December, to settle the dispute, but haven't made progress. The dispute has escalated in recent months after Sudan deployed troops to al-Fashaqa, driving out Ethiopian farmers and militias in the area. At least 84 Sudanese troops were killed in clashes with Ethiopia forces and militias since November, according to Burhan. Sudan has said it reclaimed most of its territory and called on Ethiopia to withdraw troops from at least two points it says are inside Sudan. At least 84 Sudanese troops were killed in clashes with Ethiopia forces and militias. Mondays visit was the latest sign of Sudans defiance against Ethiopias repeated calls for Sudanese troops to return to their positions before the war in Ethiopias region of Tigray. Ethiopian officials accuse Sudan of taking advantage of the conflict which erupted in November after a falling out between Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray ruling party that had dominated Ethiopias government for nearly three decades. The growing war has threatened to destabilize the entire Horn of Africa. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A judge has dismissed a lawsuit by four jobless South Carolinians against Gov. Henry McMaster over his decision earlier this summer to exit the federal unemployment programs providing extra money to residents. State Circuit Judge Lawton McIntosh wrote in an order last week that it was up to McMaster and state workforce officials to decide if leaving the coronavirus pandemic assistance programs that provide additional federal funds to the jobless is advantageous to South Carolina and its citizens. WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealand has detected its first community transmission of the coronavirus in months, triggering urgent meetings among top lawmakers. Health officials say the positive case was found in Auckland on Tuesday afternoon and has no known link to outside the country. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised a tough approach, including possible lockdowns, for any outbreaks of the delta variant as New Zealand continues to pursue a zero-tolerance approach toward the virus. The last community outbreak was in February and New Zealand has reported just 26 virus deaths since the pandemic began. - MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: Many Bible Belt preachers silent on shots as COVID-19 surges Fans will not be allowed at the Paralympics starting next week in Japan, which has extended its coronavirus emergency Virus claims more young victims as deaths climb yet again US mulls COVID vaccine boosters for elderly as early as fall Amid a limited supply of vaccines, tensions arise in Africa between those seeking first and second vaccine shots Public forums before local school boards and city councils are the latest source of misinformation about COVID-19 Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: HONG KONG Hong Kong will tighten entry restrictions for travelers arriving from the United States and 14 other countries beginning Friday, increasing the quarantine period to 21 days. Previously, the 15 countries, which also includes Malaysia, Thailand, France and the Netherlands, were classified as medium risk, with travelers able to serve only seven days of quarantine if they were fully vaccinated. A resurgence of coronavirus cases in these countries due to the delta variant has led to Hong Kongs about-face. The change comes after a domestic worker who returned to Hong Kong from the U.S. earlier this month tested positive for the coronavirus despite receiving two shots of vaccine. ___ SYDNEY Australias most populous state has reported its third-highest daily count of coronavirus infections in the pandemic, and the government leader says the spread of the delta variant in Sydney has not yet peaked. There were 452 new infections reported in New South Wales on Tueday, down from 475 on Monday and 466 on Saturday. An unvaccinated woman in her 70s had died in a Sydney hospital Monday, bringing the death from the outbreak discovered in mid-June to 53. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she expects daily infections counts to remain high. She adds that "our challenge is to make sure that we keep vaccination rates up. About half New South Waless population has had at least one injection of the two-shot Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine. The government wants 80% of the population fully vaccinated before it eases Sydneys lockdown, which began on June 26. ___ MONTGOMERY, Alabama Alabamas intensive care units are near capacity amid the states surge in COVID-19 cases. The head of the Alabama Hospital Association says the state has 1,562 intensive care unit beds and 1,560 patients needing intensive care Monday. Dr. Don Williamson says that this is the greatest demand on the ICU system weve ever had. Alabama has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus and the states low vaccination rate. Infections and hospitalization numbers are quickly approaching what they were at the winter peak of the pandemic. Williamson says COVID-19 patients accounted for 48% of Alabamas ICU patients Monday. He says the overwhelming majority of them are unvaccinated. ___ COLUMBIA, S.C. Another local government in South Carolina is joining the state capital in requiring masks in schools despite a state budget proviso that bans districts from doing so without risking funding. The Richland County Council voted Monday evening to mandate masks for students and for educators who work with children ages 2 through 14 in public and private schools and at day care centers. The ordinance says schools arent required to use public funds to provide face coverings. Columbias city government already made masks mandatory for schoolchildren too young to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Columbias mayor has said the measure relies on local funds, not state appropriations. Education groups are pushing for state lawmakers to repeal the state budget provision that went into effect July 1 and prohibits South Carolina educational institutions from using appropriated funds to mandate masks. ___ ATLANTA At least 10 Georgia school districts or charter schools have sent all students home because of exposure to the coronavirus, including Screven County, which announced its decision Monday. Those districts have more than 26,000 students combined, about 1.5% of the statewide public school enrollment. Some other districts have sent students home from individual schools, and thousands of students and teachers have been quarantined after two weeks of school for many Georgia districts. ___ CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Wyomings governor says the state will not return to a statewide mask order or mandate vaccination against the coronavirus despite a resurgence of the virus. Gov. Mark Gordon imposed a statewide mask mandate in December and lifted it in March. He said Monday that mandates can cause some people to resist wearing masks. Gordon also says he doesnt expect any shutdowns like the public health orders that forced many Wyoming businesses and public places to close or limit occupancy through much of 2020 and into 2021. Coronavirus infections are back up to levels not seen in Wyoming since January. Beckers Hospital Review says Wyoming has one of the nations lowest vaccination rates, about 37%. ___ AUSTIN, Texas Texas health officials say they asked for five mortuary trailers from the federal government as coronavirus infections and hospitalizations for COVID-19 reach the highest levels since January. But the Texas Department of State Health Services also said Monday that no local officials so far have reached out with needs for extra mortuary space. Texas reported more than 11,700 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, a 17% increase from a week ago. The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 deaths is also back above 50 for the first time since spring. The pandemic is blamed for more than 52,000 deaths in Texas. ___ RALEIGH, N.C. --- North Carolina health officials say medically vulnerable residents with certain health conditions can get an additional dose of coronavirus vaccine, though some have already had a third shot after the FDA approved that last week. The FDA signed off on the additional dose after emerging data suggested people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems do not necessarily build the same level of immunity as others. Data from the state Department of Health and Human Services shows that coronavirus infections and hospitalizations for COVID-19 are at their worst levels in more than six months. ___ HONOLULU Some private schools in Hawaii are mandating coronavirus vaccination for students, faculty and staff. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser says Parker School in Waimea on the Big Island will require all employees and eligible students to be vaccinated by Oct. 1. The coeducational day school will test all students and employees for the virus before the school year. It plans to provide weekly testing while infection rates remain high on the Big Island. In Honolulu, the Iolani School is requiring all eligible students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated or seek a health or religious exemption. A spokeswoman says the schools faculty and staff already have a 99% vaccination rate, while eligible students in grades 7 to 12 are at 95%. Younger students arent eligible for the shots. ___ JERUSALEM Israel says more than 1 million people over age 50 have received a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Israel began offering the boosters to its older population two weeks ago, becoming the first country in the world using a Western vaccine to do so. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Monday that more than half of the target population has now received a booster shot. Israel was one of the worlds leaders in vaccinating its population early this year, using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. But it has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks spread largely by the delta variant of the coronavirus. Tthe World Health Organization has said it would be better to provide vaccines to poorer countries that have not yet inoculated their people. ___ BELGRADE, Serbia Serbia will start administering a third, or booster, dose of vaccines this week to people who previously were vaccinated at least 6 months ago, after cases of infections have surged in recent days. Authorities on Monday said that citizens will receive text messages with invitations for booster shots. Initially, heath authorities will contact people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, medical workers and those whose jobs require frequent travel. Serbia, a Balkan nation of around 7 million people, has vaccinated over 50% of its population. The country loosened anti-virus rules during the summer which has led to a rise in confirmed new cases and hospitalizations mostly from the highly contagious delta variant. ___ DALLAS Some Texas counties and school districts remained defiant Monday and kept in place mandates requiring students and others to wear facial coverings despite rulings a day earlier by the Texas Supreme Court halting mask mandates in two of the largest counties in the nation. However, other school districts and communities rescinded their mask mandates following Sundays court ruling, creating confusion for Texas students returning to in person classes this week. The order by the states highest court halts mask requirements that county leaders in Dallas and San Antonio put in place as new infections soar and students begin returning to school. ___ NEW YORK New York City will begin requiring proof of coronavirus vaccinations Tuesday for anyone wanting to partake in much of public life including dining at an indoor restaurant, working out at a gym or strolling through a museum. The list of public venues widened Monday as Mayor Bill de Blasio moved forward with an unprecedented move by the countrys largest city to goad more people into getting vaccinated and control a pandemic that has wrought havoc on the economy and peoples day-to-day lives. While the new requirement goes into effect Tuesday, enforcement wont begin until Sept. 13 to give the public and employees more time to receive at least the required first shot. ___ MADISON, Wis. Cardinal Raymond Burke, one of the Catholic Churchs most outspoken conservatives and a vaccine skeptic, says he has COVID-19 and his staff says he is breathing through a ventilator. Burke tweeted Aug. 10 that he had caught the virus, was resting comfortably and was receiving excellent medical care. Please pray for me as I begin my recovery, the 73-year-old Burke said in the tweet. Let us trust in Divine Providence. God bless you. On Saturday, his staff tweeted that he had been hospitalized and was on a ventilator, but that doctors were encouraged with his progress. ___ JACKSON, Miss. Mississippis only Level I trauma center is setting up a second emergency field hospital in a parking garage to treat some of the sickest COVID-19 patients as the virus continues to ravage the state. Samaritans Purse will set up the mobile intensive care unit with a team of medical staff in a garage near Childrens of Mississippi, the states only pediatric hospital. Since the start of the pandemic, the Christian relief charity has set up five other emergency hospitals in areas of the world hard hit by the virus, including New York City and Los Angeles County. Mississippi, one of least vaccinated states in the country, has seen numbers of new COVID-19 cases double in the past two weeks, surpassing records for hospitalizations all previous surges of the virus since the start of the pandemic. After facing a shortage of beds and staff needed to treat patients, the University of Mississippi Medical Center set up an emergency field hospital in a different parking garage last week, with the help of the federal government. In the coming days, an additional tent will be set up where people who are positive for COVID-19 can receive monoclonal antibody treatment, Woodward said. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) Two North Carolina residents are accused by federal authorities are accused in connection with their alleged roles in child sex trafficking that occurred in two states, according to a news release. A federal criminal complaint says Johnny Thomas, 34, of Durham, and Becca Mills, 25, of Whispering Pines, posted commercial sex ads for minors and took minors to locations in Fayetteville, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to engage in commercial sex acts with others, news outlets reported. DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) A global human rights group urged the United Nations on Monday to lead an independent investigation into the alleged disappearances of government critics and others at the hands of security forces in Bangladesh, an allegation the country's government has long denied. New York-based Human Rights Watch listed 86 alleged victims, providing profiles and details of each case. It said they remain missing, mainly blaming the Rapid Action Battalion, an elite anti-crime force that is credited by the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with crushing a rise in Islamic militancy in the Muslim-majority nation. This report, based on more than 115 interviews between July 2020 and March 2021 with alleged victims, family members and witnesses, says authorities have consistently refused to investigate enforced disappearances or to hold those responsible accountable. The group said authorities use disappearances and the threat to carry them out to silence critics, chilling free speech. "Bangladesh authorities mock victims and routinely obstruct investigations, making clear that the government has no intention of meaningfully addressing enforced disappearances by its security forces, said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. As critics of the government live in fear of being forcibly disappeared, and families of the disappeared have little hope of getting justice from the government, U.N, human rights experts should open an investigation into enforced disappearances," Adams said. Referring to data collected by Bangladeshi rights groups, Human Rights Watch said nearly 600 people have been forcibly disappeared by security forces since Hasina took office in 2009. While some victims have been released or appeared in court after weeks or months of secret detention, others were killed in what authorities labeled shootouts with police, it said. Scores are still missing. Many of the victims were critics of the ruling Awami League government, the report said. Calls to a spokesperson for the Rapid Action Battalion were not returned immediately. LONDON (AP) British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace held back tears Monday as he conceded that Britain was unlikely to be able to evacuate all its Afghan allies from Kabul. Wallace, who served as a captain in the Scots Guard before entering politics in the late 1990s, has in recent days voiced regret at the sudden seizure of Afghanistan by Taliban militants. He has openly worried about the potential return of al- Qaida and instability in Afghanistan and criticized the deal then-U.S. President Donald Trump signed with the Taliban in February 2020 that limited direct military action against the insurgents. But it was during his morning media round on Monday, the day after Kabul fell, that Wallace briefly offered a glimpse into the strain he has been under. Speaking via webcam on LBC Radio, Wallace's voice started shaking when he began describing his regret at Britain's likely inability to get all eligible Afghans back to the U.K. in coming days. It is a really deep part of regret for me that some people won't get back, he said. Some people won't get back and we will have to do our best in third countries to process those people. When asked why he was so personal to him, Wallace's voice started to quiver some more. Because I'm a soldier, he said. "Because it's sad and the West has done what its done and we have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations and 20 years of sacrifice is what it is. Wallace last week authorized the deployment of another 600 British troops to Afghanistan to help in the evacuation of the 4,000 or so U.K. nationals and Afghan allies who have helped over the past 20 years. The first flight of British nationals and embassy staff arrived at RAF Brize Norton, around 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of London, on Sunday night. Without explicitly criticizing the decision of U.S. President Joe Biden to announce the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan on Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington D.C., Wallace's words suggested that he thinks a different path could have been trodden. British forces played a pivotal role in Afghanistan over the past two decades and suffered 457 casualties, mainly in the southern province of Helmand. In addition to their combat role, they helped train Afghan army troops and supported a wide range of projects to improve education, particularly for girls, health care, economic growth and local governance. By Amelia Williams Bay City News Foundation "Holy cow!" "Is that a horse over there?" The students of North Oakland Community Charter School (NOCCS) got a surprise on a hot Friday. After lunch, they would have the opportunity to meet, pet and learn about two horses, asking questions like what they like to eat and if they kick people in the head. So, while students drank from their milk cartons and lined up to play with a bouncy ball with staff in the park behind the school, Rachael Meyers, the NOCCS director of cultural and outdoor programs, helped Mulatto Meadows founder Brianna Noble park her truck and trailer, big enough to fit four horses, out front. But if you've parked a trailer as many times as Noble has, it's light work. "Putting my parallel parking skills to the test," she laughed as she steps out of her truck in an outfit fit for a movie set, or a homestead; donning a white Mulatto Meadows embroidered shirt, thick jeans with an eye-catching belt buckle, a hat fitted over her locks and her spurs on. Once secured, Noble and her two volunteers, Davonte and Lara, help usher out the equine guests -- two handsome stallions hungry for carrots. One of them, Stud Muffin (or Mr. Muffin for the kids), felt comfortable enough to drop a little manure on the curb. Apparently, "he's kind of a turkey." The bigger of the two, an Appaloosa named Dapper Dan, might look familiar. Last year, his image was everywhere from The Guardian to Vogue magazine as he trotted through downtown Oakland, with Noble sitting astride him, during a Black Lives Matter march protesting George Floyd's murder. The moment struck a chord across America and the world, not only for the picture's charging spirit, but how it revealed a long-held falsity about the type of person who rides -- or could ride, rather -- a horse. The imagery was nothing short of empowering. In the year since the viral moment, Noble moved her business Mulatto Meadows to a ranch in Castro Valley with a renewed goal to make her horses, and the tranquility that surrounds them, more accessible to communities -- traditionally underserved groups largely made up of people of color -- that wouldn't normally have the chance to canter around a ranch. "There's an entire world and culture around horses that children, (and) families like them, never get to experience. I want these kids to see somebody that looks like them working with horses. And not just horses, but the (entire) agriculture space," Noble said. "To me, this is much larger than horses. My tagline is, 'Using horses as a medium to inspire positivity,' and that means so many different things"; one of which being a bridled meet and greet, part of Noble's new equestrian youth program, Humble at Mulatto Meadows. The NOCCS gathering is the program's first event since Mulatto Meadows moved from Martinez to its Castro Valley location, and everyone, including the adults, is excited. Meyers met Noble back in 2019, before she was recognizable enough for people to wave at her from their cars, or approach her like indefatigable fan girls at the gas station. As someone who identifies as mixed-race, Meyers said she faced challenges growing up when figuring out who she was and how she fit into a predominantly white community in New England. The equestrian world is expensive, to put it lightly, but one of the ways Meyers was able to ride and, by extension, find herself was through camps. "Being a young girl, and being in a predominantly white space at camp, I found a lot of healing from the horses. I had a lot of stuff going on in my own life, just going through the pain of growing up and trying to work through my identity, struggles in my background," she said. "It's something that you never forget, (being) face-to-face with the horse." Meyers started at NOCCS the same year she met Noble, and the idea of having the horses visit the school had been brewing for a while before the pandemic made proximity to horses, let alone other people, nearly impossible. But she believed in the idea, and evidently so did Noble, whose own daughter is quickly approaching school age. According to Noble, horses are endowed with natural healing qualities, which kids, especially those growing up in a concrete landscape devoid of trees and natural scenery, don't always realize they lack. "I heard more than one of these children go, 'Oh my gosh, it's so relaxing.' "These kids, you know, there's a whole world outside of the concrete that they grow up with out there that they really haven't had the opportunity to experience," Noble said. "That's what these little pop-up events are for us, an opportunity for them to see something different. To think about something new." For many of the students present, who represent a diversity of backgrounds and lived experiences, it's their first time ever touching a horse, let alone seeing one up close. Rosie Miorana, a rising fifth grader, is pretty sure petting Dapper Dan was her first time petting and feeding a horse, but maybe she was too young to remember. Either way, she's a fan. "I wouldn't want lessons," she said, "but I would ride it. Horses are really pretty animals." Her classmate Aaliyah Melendez agrees. She has pet a horse before, in Hawaii, but was shocked that the bristles around a horse's mouth "felt just like a mustache!" She was impressed by how big Dapper Dan is (over 17 hands tall) and that his tail had been braided just like her hair -- "So cool." Besides establishing a new home base, Noble is currently fundraising to turn Humble into a full-fledged nonprofit, having covered the cost of lessons and urban field trips, like the NOCCS visit, out of her own pocket for the last six or so years. She's received private offers, but Noble wants to see her vision through, without others' interests to worry about. "I want to do 100-percent nonprofit work. That's my goal. That's my mission. Just do this work all day long. But we have to have the funds to do it," she said. "If I can't meet those donations, it's not that this program will go away; but it will be a lot smaller than I want, which then starts to limit how much I can do with the kids." Humble offers a myriad of programs aimed at, per the site, "leveling an unequal playing field," via horsemanship programs, riding lessons for all ages, fitness classes and on-site visits. Information on volunteering, donations, wish list items and sponsorships are available on the Mulatto Meadows website. Ultimately, the long-term goal is for Humble to be virtually self-sufficient, and in service to underserved communities across the Bay Area. And despite her virality, Noble still feels relatively normal. "I'm not one of those people that really was like, 'Oh, let's do it for the attention.' I just tried to push it towards positive things," she said. "All we can do is try to do the little bit that we can. I can't imagine doing anything different." Copyright 2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. On Sunday night, HBO Maxs latest hit The White Lotus came to a dramatic close. There was murder, mayhem and, of course, rich white person entitlement. The best streaming services in 2021, and why Created and directed by Mike White of School of Rock fame, the show follows a group of wealthy tourists on a weeklong vacation to a luxury, high-end Hawaii resort. The show has an upstairs-downstairs feel: We get the perspectives of the guests, predominantly, but the resort workers play an integral role as well, especially the recovering drug addict and alcoholic hotel manager, Armand (played by Murray Bartlett), and the sympathetic massage therapist, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), whos trying to escape the resort and open her own wellness center. The goal is to disappear behind their masks as pleasant interchangeable helpers, Armand says in the first episode. Its tropical kabuki. SFGATE wanted to understand the veracity of the claims the show makes, so we went to the source: former and current Hawaii resort workers. David Lukela, a Native Hawaiian and the former executive chef at Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, doesnt take the show at face value. Its not about the hotel at all, its just the backdrop, he said by phone recently. Its more about the guests struggles. Lukela sees Hawaii as just a background setting. The shows internal dramas could have happened anywhere, he said, and they will, as The White Lotus was just renewed for a second season with a new cast and new location. Its just a bunch of rich people on vacation, he said. I dont find it offensive or negative or anything, but its not a reflection of Hawaii culture. He pointed out that the show depicts a very touristy, watered-down Hawaiian culture: fire dancing and luaus and leis and hula. Theyre shaka bros and speak inauthentic pidgin, he said. Its very Hawaii light. But Lukela acknowledged that he doesnt think the show is necessarily going for authenticity, and most of the actors portraying the main staff arent reflective of who actually works in the hotels, he said. When you work in hotels, theres a lot more local people, he said. Its the community that the labor force comes from. Heather Lukela, Davids wife, also worked in resort hotels as a pastry chef; she recently opened her own dessert shop. She didnt think the show depicted enough back-of-the-house perspectives. Theres not a lot of footage of employees of the hotel, really, she said. Its more about the guests coming in. Lukela said she was kind of disappointed, though acknowledged her bias as a former resort employee. I just think there could be a lot of comedic value where the employees of the hotel are concerned, she said. It would make the show more interesting and not so much about the guests staying there. A massage therapist who works for a high-end luxury resort in Hawaii agreed that the show could have gotten some juice with a greater focus on the workers. She requested anonymity because of fear of retaliation from her employer and was granted anonymity in accordance with Hearst Bay Areas anonymous source policy. What you experience as a guest is very different from whats happening behind the scenes, she said. What happens in the underground stays in the underground. The massage therapist found the depictions of guests particularly on-the-nose. Theyll complain about everything, she said. And want everything for free. When theyre spending that much money, theyre going to complain. ... They need all the attention. When you work in a high-end luxury resort, people have really high expectations, she said, and want everything catered to them. They want to feel like theyre the only person there, she said, a trope The White Lotus depicts in its following of one particularly difficult guest, Shane Patton, played by Jake Lacy, whos annoyed with Armand for putting him and his newlywed wife in the wrong room. One of the most frustrating story lines in the show is the relationship between massage therapist Belinda and Jennifer Coolidges wealthy Tanya McQuoid, who latches onto Belinda after a particularly excellent massage. This is common in spas, the massage therapist who spoke with SFGATE said. When you work in a spa and youre someones massage therapist, people attach themselves to you, she said. Even when they leave theres still this connection, whether its email or texting, theyll come back every year and see the same person. The massage therapist, whos worked in the field for 17 years, said she typically sees people at their best, unlike the front desk staff. Theyre going to be nice because they want a good service, she said. People are fussy, but it doesnt bother me for the most part. But she has horror stories galore. In one instance, she recounted a colleagues story of a woman who had just taken an ample number of laxatives and proceeded to defecate mid-massage on a towel, which she pushed out the door. She also explained that there are a lot of sex things happening. A lot of times, wealthier white men want a happy ending, she said. Somewhere in the world, someone has offered them that. She said she thinks that while The White Lotus may be exaggerating at moments, theres a lot of truth in it. Its kind of a crazy job, she said, adding that luxury hotels often create this type of guest. [The hotels] make you feel like the whole world revolves around you, she said. Their reality is totally shifted. The White Lotus is streaming on HBO Max. The final episode premiered Sunday night. Have you ever seen the movie Angels with Filthy Souls? Starring Ralph Foody and Michael Guido, the black-and-white gangster flick is responsible for one of the most iconic lines in cinematic history: Keep the change, ya filthy animal. Odds are you saw a short clip of it in Home Alone, but good luck finding the full thing, because it doesnt actually exist. Even though its only on screen for a brief couple seconds, its still one of the most memorable scenes in one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. These types of fictitious films and fake shows that serve as plot points, punch lines and general universe-building tools have been cataloged in a new site from Phoenix-based web designer Lynn Fisher called Nestflix. Nestflix The project began at the beginning of June, after Fisher left her software consulting job of seven years. Shes been working on Nestflix nearly every day since. Its the latest in a series of similarly elaborate sites by Fisher dedicated to pop culture minutiae like a statistical breakdown of "Top Chef," an infographic showing the relationship age gaps between couples in films and a comprehensive array of the shirts worn by Dan Levys character in Schitts Creek. When asked whether one film inspired the project, Fisher cited Angels with Filthy Souls. Like many people, she thought it was real. That one was the spark. The day that you find out that isnt a real film, it changes your reality, you know? Fisher told SFGATE over the phone. Nestflix has more than 400 faux titles listed, shown in an elaborate interface that mimics the Netflix layout. To qualify for inclusion, there has to be some visual of the fake film, it cant just be something discussed on-screen by the characters. Fisher uploads screengrabs to the site (with a nebulous photo credit), and if there isnt a logo for the film, she makes it herself. Browsing through their archives, it might be surprising how many of the titles you recognize. Rural Juror from 30 Rock, Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Queens Boulevard from Entourage are just a few of the hits. Fisher thinks theyre so memorable because they make these cinematic universes feel more real. Nestflix Its a shift from the natural flow of whatever you're watching, but it's also a universe builder within a show or movie. A lot of them are parallels to the story that's being told. So there's this subtext happening. When you look at it now, its kind of like nostalgia mixed with recognition and surprise. Although Fisher has had a few of her other sites go viral, most notably a co-sign from Dan Levy, the reaction to Nestflix has been on another level. I had a [submission] form on there. I had to pause it, it was overwhelming. I got like a thousand emails, she said, noting that Diablo from Lucifer was the most notable submission. There were almost 700 new recommendations, but Fishers not sure shell get to every one. I do need to get a job here at some point. There are no ads anywhere on the site, but she has a small link at the bottom of the page to a donation page that has resulted in nearly 100 donations (albeit in the form of $3 coffees). Despite all the attention, shes yet to hear from Netflix themselves (they own the actual domain Nestflix.com to account for typos, so Fisher had to use nestflix.fun). But given the quality of the site, it might be more likely shed receive a job offer than a cease and desist. If a company was paying for this, you could hire five people to do this and itd go so much faster. Data aggregations, or finding patterns across media, or historian activities, it would be cool for people with a little bit of money to put their wallets behind [these projects]. I sometimes wish some benevolent weirdo person would be like, I like these sites, can you make just a weird site about this topic that we care about? says Fisher. David Zalubowski, Associated Press 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. Book Flights with Priceline Priceline priceline.com Shop Now 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. Emirates 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. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Top Australian miner BHPs chances of selling its carbon-intensive oil and gas assets to Perth-based Woodside Petroleum could have high hurdles to clear amid signs of significant investor opposition to a deal proceeding. Following months of speculation, BHP on Monday confirmed it was reviewing the future of its global petroleum division, which spans Australia, the Americas and North Africa. One option under consideration was a merger of the division with Woodside through a distribution of Woodside shares to BHP shareholders. BHP, the countrys biggest miner, is in talks to sell its oil and gas division to Woodside Petroleum. Credit:Glenn Campbell Selling out of oil and gas would mark the most significant shake-up of BHPs portfolio in several years and an acceleration of chief executive Mike Henrys retreat from planet-heating fossil fuels. The miner whose top commodities are iron ore and copper is facing mounting pressure from large investors and wider society to take greater action to decarbonise. However, while the price of a would-be transaction remains unknown, a top Woodside shareholder has immediately expressed concerns about the Richard Goyder-led board overpaying and destroying value. Loading But thats not all. As Milton Friedman didnt win his Nobel prize for discovering, theres no such thing as a free lunch. Even if the borrower using either a credit card or BNPL manages to repay their loan without incurring any penalty, the lender still has to receive the equivalent of an interest payment to make the transaction worth funding. In the case of both credit cards and Afterpay loans, this is achieved by a merchant fee paid by the retailer that made the sale. The fee is a percentage of the amount lent although, in the case of Afterpay, its a huge 4 to 6 per cent plus a flat 30c. (My guess is the 30c is there to fool lawyers into thinking the fee couldnt possibly be payment of interest). Whatever the reason, Afterpay has managed to convince the lawyers that, since BNPL obviously has nothing to do with borrowing and lending, it cannot be subject to the Credit Act, meaning Afterpay is not subject to the responsible lending obligation and so escapes the expensive obligation to do credit checks and verify the borrowers ability to repay the debt. (Were assured, however, that Afterpay and its many imitators are subjecting themselves to a voluntary code of conduct.) This raises another learning right there. Almost invariably, the many market disrupters produced by the digital revolution including Uber and Airbnb amount to the combination of a genuine, productivity-enhancing innovation (something every economist wants to encourage) and a trumped-up claim that, because were so new and different, none of the regulation that shackles the existing industry applies to us. Their workers are employees, ours arent. The firms were disrupting have to provide employee super contributions, annual and sick leave, and workers compensation insurance, as well as comply with health and safety requirements, but we dont. This, of course, is why were developing a two-class workforce, where those unfortunate enough to be able to find work only in the gig economy have badly paid, precarious employment with bad conditions and few rights. The thought that this regression to feudal conditions for some should be allowed to persist in an economy as rich as ours is utterly repugnant. And to respond to it by introducing a universal basic income is an admission of defeat. But before we leave Afterpay, theres another learning. Using merchant fees to hide the interest cost of BNPL schemes, whether credit cards or Afterpay-style, involves an arrangement thats both inefficient and unfair. It encourages retailers to recover the effective interest cost by raising their prices to all their customers, thus obliging those who pay cash or with a debit card to subsidise those who choose to BNPL. Afterpay prohibits retailers from recouping the cost by asking those who choose BNPL to pay a surcharge. Just as Visa and Mastercard used to prohibit retailers from imposing a surcharge on those who choose to pay by credit card. Loading For obvious reasons, the promoters of supposedly interest-free loans want the true cost of this free lunch to remain hidden. The Reserve Bank which has oversight of payment system regulation laboured for years to get the prohibition on credit-card surcharges outlawed, and finally succeeded. These days, credit-card surcharges have become common. My guess is that these surcharges, not just the advent of Afterpay and its imitators, help explain the big shift from credit to debit cards. This is just what the Reserve wanted to see. But its utterly inconsistent for the authorities to stop the banks from banning surcharges while allowing Afterpay to ban them. Maybe theyre applying some kind of infant-industry argument. Let them get established, then rope them into the regulatory fold. Final learning: look around and you find our human susceptibility to the illusion of free in lots of places. Starting close to home, free-to-air television and until Google and Facebook stole our business model almost-free newspapers and websites were so much a part of the furniture that it was easy to forget that the cost of all the advertising they carried was buried in the cost of most of the things we buy. One-fifth of women in Western Australias mining industry have experienced sexual assault or been offered improved career conditions or advancement for sexual favours, a new survey has found. A submission by the Western Mine Workers Alliance to a WA parliament inquiry, which is looking into sexual harassment in the industry after a spotlight was placed on workplace rapes, revealed the figures after polling 425 men and women in the sector. Sexual harassment at mining camps has been put under the WA parliaments microscope. Credit:WAtoday The union, which represents workers in companies including Rio Tinto and BHP, has called for an independent expert body to be set up using funding from the industry which would oversee sexual harassment and abuse claims. Alarmingly, 36 per cent of women and 10 per cent of men indicated they had experienced a form of sexual harassment in the past year, while close to half of the female respondents thought workers were not encouraged to report incidents. Its not that my brother is against vaccinations, its just that he hasnt taken any action. This is in contrast to my own diligence. I sought out the AstraZeneca shot as soon as I was eligible. The longest wait for me was the 15 minutes at the end of the process. Nurses administer COVID-19 vaccines at a drive-through vaccination centre in Melton. Credit:Getty Images Likewise, my second jab 12 weeks later was a simple walk-in toward the end of the day when I had some free time. The most annoying part of the process was the surveys sent via text message inquiring after my health in the days and weeks that followed. For the life of me then, and it is a question of life and death, I cannot understand my brothers intransigence: You know if Im pushed too hard, I just push back harder. Ironically, it was your COVID denier, not ours that brought the Delta variant to our shores. A symptomatic Sydneysider who travelled to our region from a seven-week lockdown to buy real estate. It seems unfathomable. But, as it turns out, the 10-kilometre travel limit doesnt apply if you are looking at real estate. First we were locked out of our housing market. Now we are locked in our houses. Which is awkward because a lot of us dont have one. Do we blame you Sydney? A little. This is Byron. (Your bit on the side). We need to talk. The relationship isnt really working out for us right now. We need space. Possibly a restraining order. That makes us the most vulnerable region in NSW. Everyone wants our real estate! Are vendors the new vectors? I guess buying property in a pandemic is essential. Youve got to have access to a good bolthole for your doomsday prepping. Except half of Sydney is already here. So its not really a bolthole. More like an outer suburb. When did real estate start trumping public health orders? With military and police attention on western Sydney, it appears no one was watching Rose Bay. While some in Sydney were being fined for breaking LGA orders visiting their mum, our patient zero went on a 900 kilometre odyssey to an open house. No isolating on arrival. No QR coding in. Oh, and he brought his sons. Also COVID positive. Yeah, were a bit cranky. But its Byron. Were all over the forgiveness thing. And letting go. Its on our affirmation cards. It was always going to happen. And, I guess, it was always going to be you, Sydney. You see Sydney, we feel vulnerable. We know youve been sneaking in through our window. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who just arrived from your lockdown. (Not poor people. Its your entitled.) The planes keep landing. We all ask ... how? But we dont dob you in Sydney. Thats not our style. After all, you might evict us. We know why youre here. To sample our crystals. To do our yoga. And to buy more real estate. Sydney, you already own so much of our rental market. It raises the question. Is Byron still Byron if the only people who can afford to live here are from Sydney? The median price of a house in our town is now more than Sydney. Most of our workforce is in retail. You dont get a house in Wategos selling T-shirts in a surf shop. We have the highest homelessness rates outside of Sydney. You have a population of 5.3 million. We have a population of 9000. Do the maths. The gunman had been sitting in the Coffee Pot for more than an hour, and drank four cups of coffee before he became involved in an argument with the girl and stabbed her. Police close the street outside Strathfield Plaza, Sydney, after a gunman killed eight people and wounded six more before shooting himself, 17 August 1991. Credit:Ben Rushton Mr Yardy said the gunman then left the Coffee Pot and fired several shots into the plaza ceiling as terrified shoppers dived for cover. Hearing the commotion, Coffee Pot owner George Mavris came out to investigate and was shot dead by two or more bullets. Mr Mavris brother James, who was in the coffee shop, said he dived behind the coffee machine when he heard the shots. Floral tributes are left outside the empty Coffee Pot cafe in Strathfield Plaza, Sydney, two days after gunman, Wade Frankum, killed 6 customers, 19 August 1991. Credit:Robert Pearce I was making the coffee. My brother was in the kitchen, cooking. He came out to see what was happening and by the time I got up again my brother was dead, James Mavris said as his grief-stricken family gathered at George Mavris Burwood home last night to mourn. Mrs Anne McGill, who owns a photographic shop in the plaza, said: Little kids were hiding at the back of my shop, saying their prayers. They were saying Please God, help us. Whats going to happen?. Peter Lirantzis, owner of the nearby Cut Price Deli, said the gunman then stalked past his shop. I saw two or three people fall to the ground, so I got the girls down behind the counter and we went and hid in the cool room. Mr Sotirios Formakis said he was walking into Franklins supermarket where he worked when the man appeared. He came out and fired the shots overhead and everyone was falling to the ground. He shot everyone in his way. Luckily I ducked down, he said. Police said the man continued walking through the plaza, firing his rifle until he reached an outside stairway to the rooftop car park. A volley of shots hit the nearby railway ticket office, a milk bar and the window of a taxi. In the car park, he jumped into the car of a startled woman, demanding to know where she was going. Apparently speaking for the first time during the entire massacre, the gunman said he didnt want to go where she was heading and jumped out of the car, leaving her shaking inside. He then turned the gun on himself and shot himself through the head. Chief Superintendent Doug Kelly, Bankstowns District Commander, described the scene last night as horrific. Last night ambulances transported 11 people to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Concord and Western Suburbs hospitals. Almost 32,000 teachers and school staff in Sydneys west and south-west have been given priority vaccine access from Monday amid the escalating COVID-19 outbreak, which has forced more than 30 NSW schools to temporarily shut due to confirmed cases. The state governments new priority vaccine program for both school staff and childcare workers in hotspot areas follows weeks of pressure from the Catholic school sector and teachers unions that has mounted as young people, including children and teenagers, make up the bulk of new infections. Year 12 students living in the eight local government areas of concern in western Sydney lined up for vaccines last week. Credit:James Brickwood Seven schools have closed for cleaning since Sunday, despite the fact only children of essential workers and supervising staff have been attending in Sydney and other parts of NSW during lockdown. About 20 closures in August have been in government schools across the state, and five have been Catholic primary schools in the Parramatta diocese. There have also been several independent school closures, but there is no centralised record of those. Sydneys Afghan community have had sleepless nights worrying about friends and family, with some making anxious efforts over the weekend to help loved ones flee Kabul where the Taliban flag now flies above the Presidential Palace. Sayed Hussainizada said his daughter-in-law scrambled to get out of Afghanistans capital on Saturday after her original flight to Sydney via Dubai was cancelled. The family had to pay an extra $5000 to get her a business class flight after her economy class ticket was cancelled. She arrived in Sydney on Sunday night and is in hotel quarantine. Sayed Hussainizada, an Australian Hazara Afghani, in his family restaurant in Campbelltown. Credit:James Brickwood Mr Hussainizada, 50, who arrived in Australia as a refugee 21 years ago, said he barely slept on Sunday night because he was worried about the safety of friends and family. Mr Hussainizada, who is the founder and president of the Afghan Fajar Association and works in a family restaurant in Campbelltown, is part of the religious and ethnic minority Shia Hazara community who have faced persecution by the Taliban in Afghanistan. We are worried about dark days in our history coming back, he said. Victorias former auditor-general, the famously independent-minded Ches Baragwanath, AO, has died at the age of 86. Mr Baragwanath has been remembered as a fearless watchdog and credited with saving the Victorian Auditor-Generals Office during the 90s when he spectacularly clashed with the then-premier Jeff Kennett over its independence. Former auditor-general Ches Baragwanath. Credit:John Woudstra As premier, after unexpectedly winning the 1999 election, Steve Bracks first legislation to pass Parliament was to protect the independence and authority of the Auditor-Generals Office. During his 11-year tenure as auditor-general from 1988 to 1999, Ches Baragwanath redefined public accountability in Victoria, said Joseph Manders, his former deputy. At least two medical professionals were among dozens of people who attended a prohibited engagement party in Melbournes south-east that is now set to attract at least $350,000 in fines. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews lashed out at the organisers of the uniquely bad gathering attended by 69 people last week. The visibly angry Premier said the engagement party had gone ahead despite many others postponing parties and weddings, or holding funerals with just a handful of people during lockdown. He said he was disappointed by the selfish choices made by those who hosted the engagement party in breach of COVID-19 rules. Barrister and City of Melbourne councillor Roshena Campbell wants to replace outgoing Speaker Tony Smith in Federal Parliament but will be opposed by Liberal Party figures aligned with federal MPs. Cr Campbell is bidding to succeed Mr Smith as the candidate for the outer-eastern seat of Casey. If successful, she would boost the number of Liberal women in Victorian lower house seats, which risks dropping to only one if the party loses the ultra-marginal eastern suburbs seat of Chisholm. Councillor Roshena Campbell with lord mayor Sally Capp at a swearing in ceremony last November. Credit:Wayne Taylor The councillor, a vocal opponent of the Andrews governments proposed injecting room in the CBD, will run against five other hopefuls including law firm owner Grant Hutchinson, business executive Aaron Violi, management consultant Andrew Asten, environment-focused Donalea Patman and prominent oncologist and Guardian columnist Ranjana Srivastava. The Coalition faces a challenge retaining Casey. It holds the seat on a margin of 4.6 per cent, but Mr Smith has been a popular local member for two decades and his resonance will be difficult to match for a first-time candidate. David Savage is not bitter that he suffered massive injuries when a 12-year-old boy trained as a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest next to him in a small village in Afghanistan. I was aware of the risks when I went there, he said. And he is not angry at the people he tried to help. I am fond of the Afghan people. Parents around the world have the same aspirations. They want to live peacefully and see their children go safely to school. They are not interested in the politics of violence. Former Australian Foreign Affairs official David Savage at his Canberra home on Monday. Credit:Martin Ollman But he is frustrated at the futility of the mission that led to the 2012 attack that left his body shattered by 64 ball bearings the equivalent of being hit with eight shotgun blasts. At 58, Mr Savage is retired now. He had to learn to write with his left hand because an acquired brain injury left his right arm nerve-damaged. He recovered sufficiently to walk until an embedded ball bearing in his spine shifted, placing him back in a wheelchair. Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash has called a meeting of employer associations and unions on the vaccine rollout and workplaces, a contentious issue as some businesses push for mandatory jabs in an effort to keep their staff safe and doors open as cases rise. A dozen major employer organisations will be at the meeting, which will hear from three officials that help regulate workplace vaccinations: the Fair Work Ombudsman, Australian Information and Privacy Commissioner and chief executive of Safe Work Australia. Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash will try to find common ground on workplace coronavirus vaccinations. Credit:Rhett Wyman But unions will use the meeting to push another topic: universal paid vaccination leave so workers, including casuals, dont have to lose income or use up other time off to get vaccinated. Senator Cash, who is also Attorney-General, said the meeting would be a chance for businesses, employer groups and unions to raise issues and discuss opportunities with the rollout as they had at a previous meeting in July. Almost 18 months into the pandemic, and with the weather warming up and the number of COVID-19 cases refusing to budge, its little wonder Melburnians started to show signs of pandemic fatigue at the weekend. The World Health Organisation has described such flagging adherence to the rules as both an expected and natural reaction to the prolonged nature of this pandemic. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews Credit:Picture: Wayne Taylor Australians have, for the most part, adhered to some of the strictest COVID-19 rules enforced globally. Mask wearing, hotel quarantine, stay-at-home orders, check-ins and testing have all been adopted by most of the community, despite the inconvenience. And that compliance has been the key reason that we have experienced lower infection and death rates when compared with similar countries. Once the decision was made by John Howard in September 2001 to join in yet another land war in Afghanistan, there were no good choices about how to proceed or when to withdraw. But there are bad choices and worse ones, and when it came to the endgame of this dismal chapter, Australia has made some very poor choices. We have come out of our longest war with only 41 casualties but each has been keenly felt by their families. Hundreds of other veterans are traumatised, especially as they watch any gains erased. Our military honour has been blackened by the war crimes uncovered by the Brereton report, which exposed some of our most elite soldiers treating the Afghans like targets in a video game. And our international standing is now compromised by our decision to suddenly abandon our embassy, long before we had worked out how to provide safe passage to those Afghans who worked with us. The Taliban were never vanquished, only suppressed, and they have returned to power 20 years later better trained, better equipped and convinced of the rightness of their cause. Singapore: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has fallen on his sword and resigned after his ruling bloc was stripped of its parliamentary majority when 14 MPs of its biggest party withdrew their backing. An embattled Muhyiddin, 74, had sought to cling to power with an offer last Friday for a bipartisan solution to the political crisis in which he proposed to allow opposition MPs to chair half of the governments committees and pledged to call a new election by the end of July 2022. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassins convoy departs the Istana Negara palace in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Credit:Bloomberg However, the deal was rejected by the main opposition bloc, Pakatan Harapan, and the biggest coalition party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which had attempted to remove him for months. After a meeting between Muhyiddin and King Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah on Monday the royal palace said now was not the time for a general election because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We want all foreign forces to leave before we start restructuring governance, the leader told Reuters by phone. But in scenes that were anything but normal, Al Jazeera English broadcast images of Taliban fighters holding guns while touring the presidential palace, sitting behind a desk and in luxuriously upholstered armchairs, in what they described as a formal handover. Smoke rises near the US embassy in Kabul on Sunday. Credit:AP One of the fighters took down the flag of Afghanistan, rolled it up and placed it on a mantelpiece. Outside, the flag of the Taliban was flown above the palace, replacing the national flag. Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told the Afghan-born Australian BBC presenter Yalda Hakim that the Taliban would run an inclusive Afghan government. He promised that women would have access to work and education, but that they would be required to observe the hijab. That is it, he said. Shaheen said fighters had been ordered to stay outside the city because the Taliban wanted to avoid bloodshed and destruction to the properties and the people ... and not give chance to looters. Taliban negotiators had entered the capital earlier on Sunday in a relatively peaceful fashion, initially ordering fighters to stay outside the citys walls as they sought the unconditional surrender of Ghani and his government. A pair of Taliban officials said they expected a complete handover of power and that there would be no transitional government. Hours later, Ghani fled Kabul with his core team, including the Vice-President and national security adviser, signalling the collapse of his central government. He had not given a statement since giving a televised address on Saturday, hours later he said on Facebook, that he said he felt it was better to leave to avoid bloodshed. His departure was condemned by his Defence Minister General Bismillah Mohammadi, who said in a tweet that Ghani had sold out his homeland. Mohammadi and another former cabinet minister were reported to have fled to the UAE, according to local reports, citing Kabul airport sources. Many residents of Kabul tried to flee, fearful of a return to the repressive Taliban regime of the 90s during which women were forced into marriage and risked execution if they went to school. Loading There were traffic jams and queues to withdraw bank savings, but the panic appeared to abate by late afternoon as the Taliban urged people to stay put, promising there would be no recriminations. The Talibans largely bloodless victory in Kabul came just 10 days after they took control of the provincial capital Zaranj, in the south. Within a week, four more key capitals had fallen including the countrys second-most populous city, Kandahar. By Sunday, they had encircled Kabul. Safe passage Dozens of nations from around the world are calling on all involved to respect and facilitate the departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country. More than 60 nations released a joint statement through the US State Department on Sunday night (Monday AEST) citing what they called the deteriorating security situation. The statement said those in power and authority across the country bear responsibility and accountability for the protection of human life and property, and for the immediate restoration of security and civil order. The nations statement also says that roads, airports and border crossings must remain open, and that calm must be maintained. Passengers outside the main terminal at Kabul airport. Thousands of people were trying to flee the Afghan capital as the Taliban took charge of the city. Credit:AP The statement concludes: The Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security and dignity. We in the international community stand ready to assist them. The Taliban said they would not attack foreign embassies as they advanced into the capital shortly after in what they said was an effort to stop any looting. US President Joe Biden announced on Saturday that approximately 5000 US troops would be deployed to Kabul to oversee the evacuation of US diplomats. The Defence Department authorised another 1000 troops to help evacuate US citizens and Afghans who worked for them, a US official said. Taliban fighters patrol inside the city of Kandahar province in the south-west of Afghanistan. Credit:AP European nations, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, also said they were working to get citizens, as well as some Afghan employees, out. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Taliban and all other parties to exercise the utmost restraint, and expressed particular concern about the future of women and girls. A spokesman for the Talibans political office told Al-Jazeera TV on Sunday that the war was over in Afghanistan and foreigners would be protected. We assure everyone that we will provide safety for citizens and diplomatic missions. We are ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them the necessary protection, spokesman Mohammad Naeem told the Qatar-based channel. Naeem said the group did not think foreign forces would repeat their failed experience in Afghanistan again. We move with responsibility in every step and make sure to have peace with everyone ... We are ready to deal with the concerns of the international community through dialogue, Naeem said. The White House President Joe Biden meets virtually with his national security team and senior officials for a briefing on Afghanistan. Credit:AP The Biden administration doubled down on its decision despite widespread condemnation and accusations of betrayal and abandonment, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken telling CNN that the Afghan military had been unable to defend the country. Loading He conceded that the fall had happened more quickly than anticipated but denied it was reminiscent of the United States hasty exit from Vietnam. This is manifestly not Saigon, he said in a separate interview on Americas ABC. Governments, including Canada and France, evacuated their embassy staff, but Russia said it would not retreat as it had been assured its staff would be safe in Kabul. Frances ambassador in Afghanistan tweeted a wordless video of himself on a military aircraft leaving the Green Zone where government buildings, embassies and residences were housed. Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned countries against individually and prematurely recognising the Taliban as Afghanistans new government. With AP and Reuters Istanbul: As the Taliban mass at the gates of Kabul, they are promising a new era of peace in Afghanistan, with amnesty for those they have been battling for two decades and a return to normal life. But Afghans who remember the Talibans brutal rule and those who have lived in areas controlled by the Islamic militants in recent years have watched with growing fear as the insurgents have overrun most of the country while international forces withdraw. Behishta, 11, listens during 4th grade class at the Zarghoona high school for girls in Kabul. There is widespread fear the Taliban will reintroduce its notorious system barring girls and women from almost all work, and access to education. Credit:Getty Images Government offices, shops and schools are still shuttered in areas recently captured by the Taliban, with many residents either lying low or fleeing to the capital, Kabul. But already there are indications of a return to the harsh version of Islamic rule Afghans lived under from 1996 until 2001, when the US drove the Taliban from power after the 9/11 attacks. Many fear the Taliban will roll back two decades of gains by women and ethnic minorities while restricting the work of journalists and NGO workers. An entire generation of Afghans was raised on hopes of building a modern, democratic state dreams that seem to have melted away before the Talibans relentless advance. Washington: The number of children hospitalised with COVID-19 in the United States hit a record high of just over 1900, as hospitals across the nations south were stretched to capacity fighting outbreaks caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant. The Delta variant, which is rapidly spreading among mostly the unvaccinated portion of the US population, has caused hospitalisations to spike in recent weeks, driving up the number of paediatric hospitalisations to 1902 on Saturday (US time), according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services. Children listen to their teacher during their first day of transitional kindergarten at Tustin Ranch Elementary School in California. Credit:AP Children currently make up about 24 per cent of the nations COVID-19 hospitalisations. Kids under 12 are not eligible to receive the vaccine, leaving them more vulnerable to infection from the new, highly transmissible variant. This is not last years COVID. This one is worse and our children are the ones that are going to be affected by it the most, Sally Goza, former president of the American Academy of Paediatrics, told CNN. Some in the town praised God for surviving the earthquake, and many went to the citys cathedral, which appeared outwardly undamaged even if the priests residence was destroyed. We only have Jesus now, said Johanne Dorcely, 58, whose house was destroyed. If it wasnt for Jesus, I wouldnt be able to be here today. Prime Minister Ariel Henry on Saturday declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country and said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals were overwhelmed. People carry away a body recovered from the rubble of an earthquake destroyed home in Les Cayes, Haiti. Credit:AP UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said that humanitarian needs are acute, with many Haitians urgently needing health care, clean water and shelter. Children who have been separated from parents need protection, she said. Little more than a decade on, Haiti is reeling once again, Fore said in a statement. And this disaster coincides with political instability, rising gang violence, alarmingly high rates of malnutrition among children, and the COVID-19 pandemic for which Haiti has received just 500,000 vaccine doses, despite requiring far more. It is now especially urgent to reach those impacted by the earthquake with the vaccine. The country of 11 million people received its first batch of US-donated coronavirus vaccines only last month via a United Nations program for low-income countries. Sundays count from Haitis Office of Civil Protection raised Saturdays death toll from 304 dead. The agency said more than 7000 homes were destroyed and nearly 5000 damaged. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches were also affected. Medical workers from across the region were scrambling to help as hospitals in Les Cayes started running out of space to perform surgeries. Basically, they need everything, said Dr Inobert Pierre, a paediatrician with the nonprofit Health Equity International, which oversees the St Boniface Hospital, about two hours from Les Cayes. Many of the patients have open wounds and they have been exposed to not-so-clean elements, added Pierre, who visited two hospitals in Les Cayes one with some 200 patients, the other with around 90. We anticipate a lot of infections. Pierres medical team was taking some patients to St Boniface Hospital to undergo surgery, but with just two ambulances, they could transport just four patients at a time. Small planes from a private firm and the Florida-based missionary service Agape Flights landed at the Port-Au-Prince airport carrying about a half dozen injured earthquake victims from the Les Cayes area. Young men with bandages and a woman were hoisted on stretchers to waiting Haitian Red Cross ambulances. Silvestre Plaza Rico, who was supervising one of the volunteer flights, said rescue planes had made several airlifts of about a half dozen injured victims each on Saturday. There were many, many, many, from different towns, Plaza Rico said. The earthquake also struck just over a month after President Jovenel Moise was shot to death in his home, sending the country into political chaos. His widow, Martine Moise, who was seriously wounded in the attack, posted a message on Twitter calling for unity among Haitians: Lets put our shoulders together to bring solidarity. Shortly after the earthquake, Henry said he wanted structured solidarity to ensure the response was co-ordinated to avoid the confusion that followed the devastating 2010 earthquake, when aid was slow to reach residents after. Loading Following Moises assassination, which authorities have alleged was carried out by a group of largely Colombian mercenaries and Haitian accomplices, Henry said officials would aim to hold elections for a new president as soon as possible. US President Joe Biden authorised an immediate response and named USAID Administrator Samantha Power to oversee the US effort to help Haiti. Power announced Sunday that USAID was sending a search and rescue team from Virginia at the request of Haitis government. The 65-person team will bring specialised tools and medical supplies to assist with the disaster response, Power said on Twitter. Working with USAID, the US Coast Guard said a helicopter was transporting medical personnel from the Haitian capital to the quake zone and evacuating the injured back to Port-au-Prince. Lt Commander Jason Nieman, a spokesman, said another helicopter was being sent from the Bahamas, along with other aircraft and ships. Already on the scene were several members of Cubas 253-member health care mission to Haiti, and the socialist nations state media showed photos of them giving first aid to victims injured by the quake. The North Carolina-based aid group Samaritans Purse announced it would airlift 13 disaster response specialists and 31 tons of emergency supplies to Haiti. Those include shelter materials and water filtration units. Humanitarian workers said gang activity in the seaside district of Martissant, just west of the Haitian capital, also was complicating relief efforts. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in a statement said Haitis southern peninsula is a hotspot for gang-related violence, where humanitarian workers have been repeatedly attacked, including a Doctors Without Borders emergency health centre that was targeted in June. The agency said the area has been virtually unreachable over the past two months because of road blocks and security concerns. All of these factors combined will create significant logistics challenges in reaching the most affected areas, according to the agency, which added that displacements has created ripe conditions for a spike in COVID-19 infections. Haiti, where many live in tenuous circumstances, is vulnerable to earthquakes and hurricanes. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake in 2018 killed more than a dozen people. The magnitude 7.0 quake of 2010 hit closer to densely populated Port-au-Prince and caused widespread destruction. Haitis government put the death toll at more than 300,000, while a report commissioned by the US government placed it between 46,000 and 85,000. Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his closeness to the people of Haiti, including prayers for the victims and encouragement for survivors. The pope called for the solidarity of the international community to help alleviate the consequences of the tragedy. Following Moises assassination, which authorities have alleged was carried out by a group of largely Colombian mercenaries and Haitian accomplices, Henry said officials would aim to hold elections for a new president as soon as possible. PHILIPSBURG:--- A group of well-experienced Disaster Relief Rotarians have once again come together to organize relief supplies, medical assistance, shelter, and other necessary commodities for people in Southern Haiti to survive and rebuild after the August 14th earthquake. Haiti is part of Rotary District 7020 which includes 10 countries and 16 islands in the Northern Caribbean. The committee met on Saturday afternoon to lay some groundwork focusing on immediate relief, and to inform those that want to donate how they can do so. It is our responsibility to let Rotarians in our District 7020 and anyone that wants to donate the easiest and most secure way to do so, said PDG Haresh Ramchandani, Committee Chair. He continued, we are working with the Disaster Network of Assistance Rotary Action Group (DNARAG) to collect funds and then ensure that immediate aid is received by those with the greatest need. Cash is always the easiest way to get aid to those who need it now. We also have a list of needs, of which many can be sourced locally. This will not only help with relief but also will support the local economy. To donate by credit card via PayPal, click here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ESJ9N2C ASADV2. Donations from the USA are tax-deductible. Dr. Claude Surena stated that Haiti is in the first phase of medical recovery and a great number of people need medical help. He is trying to get human resources and medical equipment to the south side of Haiti. The evaluation is just beginning and is ongoing; Dr. Surena will be updating the Response Team daily with the current situation on the ground and needed supplies. The first list of immediate needs from Dr. Surena includes: Eau / Drinking water Tentes et baches / Tents and tarps Nourriture / Food Kits dhygiene / Hygiene kits Entran sanitaire /Medical Materials Medecin / Doctor Couvertures de laine / Wool blankets Jerrycan / Large, portable water container Kits de nourriture / Food kits Frais de fonctionnement pour le COUD / Operation fees for the Departmental Emergency Operation Centre (COUD) Volontaires, secouristes / Volunteers, first responders Kit covid 19 / Covid-19 kit Seau / Bucket Kits de nourriture / Food kits Now, with 724 known dead and over 2800 injured, the Rotary District 7020 Earthquake Response Committee has done an initial assessment of the damage and secured logistics to provide aid. This was done by Dr. Surena and his team. The Rotary team has already reached out to partners within and outside of Haiti to coordinate and increase the effectiveness of the response. Organizations members have already reached out include ShelterBox US Disaster Aid, CDEMA, US State Department, Rotary Caribbean Disaster Response Team, and others. Outreach to other aid organizations is ongoing. PDG Philip Lusting, of DNARAG, is very concerned that, because of COVID-19, the availability of medical teams coming into Haiti will be severely impacted. It wont be like after the 2010 earthquake when hundreds of NGOs came in to assist. It will be up to our resources on the ground to pick up the slack and those of us outside Haiti to provide support to them. Travel and the pandemic: Analysing the security and risk landscape Travel and tourism are a colossus of a global industry. From backpackers to private jets, people from all backgrounds can explore the world in a variety of different ways for several different purposes. Many may associate the mention of travel with leisure holidays, cruises, or other pastimes. However, a significant proportion of the industry is driven by travel for business-related means. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), business travel expenditure exceeded $1.4 trillion in 2018 accounting for roughly 21.4% of the global travel and hospitality sector. Effect of COVID-19 on travel and tourism For companies, travel is vital. Aviation, in particular, has opened up near-unlimited opportunities for firms to establish a presence in countries worldwide, while the ease in which individuals can move across borders has become key in many client-customer relationships. However, travel and tourism have been hit hard by various lockdowns, containment measures, border closures, and travel restrictions as a result of COVID-19. That said, the return of business travel is critical for many organisations. While video conferencing technologies have transformed industries and helped to facilitate remote working opportunities for some, many sectors still rely heavily on trade shows, conferences, events, in-person meetings, and face-to-face conversations as the bedrock of business relations. According to a September 2020 survey from Globetrender, more than 75% of business travellers said that they would choose face-to-face meetings for sales and pitching over remote working, while over 60% of respondents agreed that the majority of deals and decisions cannot be made virtually. Travel centric concerns As vaccination efforts continue to ramp up, travel and tourism are expected to experience something of a revival It is clear, therefore, that an appetite for business travel remains. And as vaccination efforts continue to ramp up around the world, travel and tourism are expected to experience something of a revival. But companies must proceed with caution. When it comes to business travel, organisations have a duty of care, making them responsible for the protection, security, and wellbeing of their employees. Any possible risks that could jeopardise the health and/or safety of their staff must be scrutinised thoroughly, from extreme events to common disruptive risks. Previously, many travel-centric concerns were focused on three key areas operational risks, security risks, and political risks. Operational, political, and security risks The former relates to the supply of crucial goods and services such as food and raw materials, hard infrastructure like roads and rail networks, and soft infrastructures such as telecommunications and the internet. These things are vital to the day-to-day functioning of countries, and the businesses operating within them. Security risks are related to more direct physical threats dangers such as kidnapping, crime, external conflict, and general unrest while political risks refer to political cohesion, public agitation, judicial risks, and the overall stability of the political structures that the country has in place. For companies with assets, operations, or interests in any territory, adverse changes in any one of these key risk areas can create a domino effect with severe consequences. If a new political regime is established and the regulatory environment is changed, this can have a major impact on how a firm has to conduct business, for example. Equally, if the infrastructure is poor and telecommunications and the internet are unreliable with frequent downtime, productivity can be significantly hampered. COVID-19 risks For security and peace of mind, global risk management can help to protect people and companies alike from both the everyday and extreme risks, allowing employees to travel in safety and with confidence. In todays environment, however, there is a fourth risk that firms need to consider, not only to avoid disruption but equally to prioritise the health and safety of their employees. This is, of course, COVID-19. More complex security considerations For maximum safety and security of employees, a one-size-fits-all approach doesnt work First, lets consider the travel-related implications of the pandemic. Potential restrictions need to be considered is the entrance into the country permitted at present? And could this change shortly? If the entrance is permitted, what are the medical requirements? Is a negative COVID-19 test needed, or a period of quarantine? And once you get there, are there any curfews that need to be considered? Or locations with different restrictions? Even if the answers to many of these questions pose little by way of potential disruption, this does not paint the full picture. Because of COVID-19, risks are high in parts of the world that have historically been considered the safest for the first time in a generation. With this in mind, companies need to consider the viability of travel on a case-by-case basis. Its one thing saying that it is safe to go to a specific country, but for maximum safety and security of employees, a one-size-fits-all approach doesnt work. Unique circumstances need to be accounted for so that no person is put in a position where their health or safety is placed at unreasonable risk. At the same time, these circumstances must be tied in with more typical security considerations. Balancing risks with concerns Consider Myanmar where there has recently been a military coup, Germany where there has been devastating flash flooding or South Africa where there is significant upheaval and riots. While a country might have low virus cases, that is not to say that there are no other risks. This is where the travel risk environment has changed organisations now need to balance the evaluation of virus cases with more traditional operational, security, and political risks. Advice on responding quickly and appropriately COVID-19 has shown businesses to have processes and policies in place to be proactive rather than reactive In this sense, the pandemic has added complexity to business travel yet this is not necessarily a bad thing. Many companies previously treated crisis management as a box-ticking exercise. There was a perception that crisis management was usually a case of preparing for the things that were never going to happen. Yet in the past 18 months, companies found themselves in a situation where they simply werent equipped to appropriately deal with the consequences of the pandemic. In this sense, COVID-19 has been instrumental in instigating long-lasting change within the industry. It has shown that businesses need to have processes and policies in place, so that if there is a major, unexpected incident be it a global terror attack or pandemic then they are ahead of the curve, and able to be proactive rather than reactive. Risk management Having a risk management partner can pay dividends. Risk management service providers can help to empower companies with key insights and critical advice, enabling them to react quickly and appropriately to developments in their regions of interest, and keep employees safe and secure. Situations can be assessed in terms of severity, and advice can be provided in terms of the potential implications, or necessary actions to take. Breaking security situations need to be analysed, to ensure any impacted assets or employees are advised on the appropriate course of action. Combine this context with planned processes, and companies become well placed to react both quickly and appropriately to global developments. Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media STAMFORD Detectives are investigating what they are calling a very aggressive shooting that left a 19-year-old city man injured with multiple gunshot wounds. Capt. Richard Conklin said the shooting happened around 11 p.m. Friday at the corner of Woodland Avenue and Pacific Street in the citys Harbor Point neighborhood. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Cardinal Raymond Burke, one of the Catholic Church's most outspoken conservatives and a vaccine skeptic, said he has COVID-19 and his staff said he is breathing through a ventilator. Burke tweeted Aug. 10 that he had caught the virus, was resting comfortably and was receiving excellent medical care. Please pray for me as I begin my recovery, the 73-year-old Burke said in the tweet. Let us trust in Divine Providence. God bless you. On Saturday, his staff tweeted that he has been hospitalized and is on a ventilator, but that doctors were encouraged with his progress. (His Eminence) faithfully prayed the Rosary for those suffering from the virus ... Let us now pray the Rosary for him, his staff said. The Washington Post and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Burke became infected during a visit to Wisconsin and was hospitalized there. Burke was born in Richland Center in southwestern Wisconsin and served as bishop in the Diocese of La Crosse from 1995 to 2004. COVID-19 cases have been surging in Wisconsin in recent weeks due largely to the delta variant. The states seven-day case average stood at 1,139 as of Wednesday, the highest its been since February. The Diocese of La Crosse referred questions Monday about Burkes location and condition to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a shrine Burke founded in the city. A message left there wasnt immediately returned. A spokesman for the Wisconsin Hospital Association said he had no information on Burke. Vatican media officials didnt immediately respond to an email. Burke holds a doctorate in canon law. He moved from the Diocese of La Crosse to become archbishop of St. Louis. He spent more than four years in that position, leaving in August 2008 to oversee the Vatican's supreme court. He was the first American to hold that position. Burke has built a reputation as an outspoken conservative. He drew attention in the U.S. in 2004 when he said he would deny Holy Communion to the Democratic presidential nominee, John Kerry, a Roman Catholic who supports abortion rights. Pope Francis reassigned Burke from the Vatican court in 2014 after he said the church was like a ship with no rudder. Burke has since become one of Francis fiercest critics, first by joining three other conservative cardinals in formally asking Francis in 2016 to explain himself after he opened the door to letting civilly remarried Catholics receive Holy Communion. He also has joined a chorus of conservative and traditionalist criticism of Francis crackdown on the celebration of the old Latin Mass, decrying the severity of the popes decision and questioning his right to impose, saying he shared the profound sorrow of Catholics who felt Francis had unfairly attacked them. Burke celebrated a Tridentine Mass, as the old liturgy is also known, at a parish in Stamford, Connecticut, the very evening that the popes new restrictions were announced. The pope eventually placed him back on the court in 2017 but made him a member rather than its chief officer. Burke criticized the University of Notre Dame, in 2009, over its plans to give then-President Barack Obama an honorary degree because Obama supports abortion rights. Burke also has criticized how governments have handled the pandemic, referring to the virus in a homily last December as the Wuhan virus, a derogatory term used by former President Donald Trump to describe the coronavirus and warning people that governments were manipulating them. In May 2020, he spoke out against mandatory vaccinations, saying some in society want to implant microchips in people. He said in March 2020 that the best weapon for battling the evil of the coronavirus is a relationship with Jesus Christ. ___ Associated Press reporters Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report. ___ Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1 KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigned on Monday after less than 18 months in power, apologizing for his shortcomings but blaming those hungry for power. Muhyiddin conceded that he had lost majority support to govern, making him the countrys shortest-ruling leader. I have tendered my resignation as prime minister and also for the entire Cabinet ... because I have lost the majority support of lower house members, he said in a televised final message after meeting the king. I take this opportunity to seek forgiveness ... for all my mistakes and weaknesses during my tenure as prime minister. I and my Cabinet colleagues have tried our best to save and protect lives ... in this period of crisis. However, as a human being, we are bound to make mistakes so I apologize." He said he had hoped to stay on until the country's coronavirus vaccination program is completed and the economy has recovered, but was thwarted by those hungry for power." Muhyidddins departure plunges the country into a new crisis amid a worsening COVID-19 outbreak. Political leaders have already begun to jostle for the top post, with his deputy, Ismail Sabri, rallying support to succeed Muhyiddin and keep the government intact. The palace said the king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, accepted Muhyiddin's resignation and appointed him as caretaker prime minister until a successor is found, in line with the constitution. Sultan Abdullah said a new election is not an option because many parts of the country are COVID-19 red zones and health facilities are inadequate. He urged the nation to stay calm and expressed hope that the political turmoil that has disrupted the country's administration will be swiftly resolved. The kings role is largely ceremonial in Malaysia, but he appoints the person he believes has majority support in Parliament as prime minister. Muhyiddin's resignation comes amid mounting public anger over what was widely perceived as his governments poor handling of the pandemic. Malaysia has one of the worlds highest infection rates and deaths per capita, with daily cases breaching 20,000 this month despite a seven-month state of emergency and a lockdown since June to tackle the crisis. Muhyiddin has been ruling on borrowed time. His poor governance, focus on survival politics and unwillingness to acknowledge his failings have led to his undoing, said Bridget Welsh of Malaysia's University of Nottingham, an expert in Malaysian politics. But his departure also puts Malaysia in unchartered waters. The focus now is on Malaysia having a peaceful transition to a new government that can manage the crisis," she said. Muhyiddin's government had a razor-thin majority and dodged leadership tests in Parliament from the start. It finally fell when 15 lawmakers from the United Malays National Organization, the biggest party in his alliance, pulled their support for his government. Two UMNO ministers also resigned from the Cabinet before Monday's actions. Muhyiddin had repeatedly insisted that he still had majority support and would prove it in Parliament next month. But in a U-turn on Friday, he sought opposition backing to shore up his government and promised to call general elections by next July. He also offered concessions including proposals to limit the prime ministers tenure, bolster checks and balances and give a senior minister role to the opposition leader, but his plea was rejected by all parties. Muhyiddin took a swipe at UMNO leaders who opposed him, several of whom have criminal cases against them. I could have taken the easy route and sacrificed my principles to remain as prime minister but that is not my choice. I will not compromise with kleptocrats or interfere with the judiciary just to stay in power, he said. The king will have a tough task picking a new leader because no coalition can currently claim a majority. A three-party alliance which is the biggest opposition bloc has nominated its leader, Anwar Ibrahim, as a candidate. But the bloc has less than 90 lawmakers, short of the 111 needed for a simple majority. Thats also less than the 100 lawmakers believed to have backed Muhyiddin. Other contenders include Deputy Prime Minister Ismail who is from UMNO, but it's unclear if a deal can be struck and if the king will accept it. Local media said another possible candidate is Razaleigh Hamzah, an 84-year-old prince who was a former finance minister. Razaleigh, an UMNO lawmaker, is seen as a neutral candidate who could unite the warring factions in UMNO. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 96, has called for a national recovery council to be formed and led by professionals to resolve the countrys economic and health crises. Muhyiddin took power in March 2020 after initiating the collapse of Mahathir's reformist government that won 2018 elections. He pulled his Bersatu party out to join hands with the UMNO-led coalition that had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957 but was ousted in 2018 over a multibillion-dollar financial scandal. Mahathir abruptly resigned to protest Bersatus plan to work with the former government. Muhyiddin's government was unstable because UMNO was unhappy with playing second fiddle to his smaller party. Muhyiddin halted Parliament for months last year to shore up support. He again suspended Parliament in January and ruled by ordinance without legislative approval under a state of coronavirus emergency that ended Aug. 1. LES CAYES, Haiti (AP) A hospital in southwestern Haiti, where a powerful earthquake flattened homes, shops and other buildings over the weekend, was so overwhelmed with patients that many had to lie in patios, corridors, verandas and hallways. Then the approach of a storm expected to drench the quake zone Monday night forced officials to relocate them as best they could given the hospitals poor conditions. Even those patients were somewhat fortunate. Haitis Civil Protection Agency on Monday raised the death toll from Saturdays earthquake to 1,419 and the number of injured to 6,000, many of whom have had to wait under the burning heat, even on an airport tarmac, for help. We had planned to put up tents (in hospital patios), but we were told that could not be safe, said Gede Peterson, director of Les Cayes General Hospital. It is not the first time that staff has been forced to improvise. The refrigeration in the hospitals morgue has not worked for three months, but after the earthquake struck Saturday, staff had to store as many as 20 bodies in the small space. Relatives quickly came to take most to private embalming services or immediate burial. By Monday only three bodies were in the morgue. The quake, centered about 125 kilometers (80 miles) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, nearly razed some towns and triggered landslides that hampered rescue efforts in a country that is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti already was struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, gang violence, worsening poverty and the political uncertainty following the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise when the earthquake sent residents rushing to the streets. The devastation could worsen with Monday night's arrival of Tropical Depression Grace with its heavy rain and strong winds and the threat of mudslides and flash flooding. The Civil Protection Agency said rainfall could reach 15 inches (38 centimeters) in some areas before the storm moved away on Tuesday. Grace also drenched Port-au-Prince, the capital. We are working now to ensure that the resources we have are going to get to the places that are hardest hit, said agency head Jerry Chandler, referring to the towns of Les Cayes and Jeremie and the department of Nippes, which are in the countrys southwestern portion. Injured earthquake victims continued to stream into Les Cayes overwhelmed general hospital, three days after the earthquake struck. Patients waited to be treated on stair steps, in corridors and the hospitals open veranda. After two days, they are almost always generally infected, said Dr. Paurus Michelete, who had treated 250 patients and was one of only three doctors on call when the quake hit. Meanwhile, rescuers and scrap metal scavengers dug into the floors of a collapsed hotel Monday in this coastal town, where 15 bodies had already been extracted. Jean Moise Fortune, whose brother, the hotel owner and a prominent politician, was killed in the quake, believed there were more people trapped in the rubble. But based on the size of voids that workers cautiously peered into, perhaps a foot (0.3 meters) in depth, finding survivors appeared unlikely. As work, fuel and money ran out, desperate Les Cayes residents searched collapsed houses for scrap metal to sell. Others waited for money wired from abroad, a mainstay of Haitis economy even before the quake. Anthony Emile waited six hours in a line with dozens of others trying to get money his brother had wired from Chile, where he has worked since Haitis last quake. We have been waiting since morning for it, but there are too many people, said Emile, a banana farmer who said relatives in the countryside depend on him giving them money to survive. Efforts to treat the injured were difficult at the general hospital, where Michelete said pain killers, analgesics and steel pins to mend fractures were running out amid the crush of patients. We are saturated, and people keep coming, he said. Josil Eliophane, 84, crouched on the steps of the hospital, clutching an X-ray showing his shattered arm bone and pleading for pain medication. Michelete said he would give one of his few remaining shots to Eliophane, who ran out of his house as the quake hit, only to have a wall fall on him. Nearby, on the hospitals open-air veranda, patients were on beds and mattresses, hooked up to IV bags of saline fluid. Others lay in the garden under bed sheets erected to shield them from the brutal sun. None of the patients or relatives caring for them wore face masks amid a coronavirus surge. Officials said the magnitude 7.2 earthquake left more than 7,000 homes were destroyed and nearly 5,000 damaged from the quake, leaving some 30,000 families homeless. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches also were destroyed or badly damaged. Underlining the dire conditions, local officials had to negotiate with gangs in the seaside district of Martissant to allow two humanitarian convoys a day to pass through the area, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported. The agency called Haitis southern peninsula a hot spot for gang-related violence, where humanitarian workers have been repeatedly attacked. The agency said the area has been virtually unreachable over the past two months because of road blocks and security concerns. Agency spokeswoman Anna Jefferys said the first convoy passed through Sunday with government and U.N. personnel. and the U.N. World Food Program plans to send in food supplies via trucks Tuesday. Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country and said the first government aid convoys had started moving help to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals were overwhelmed. UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said humanitarian needs were acute, with many Haitians urgently needing health care, clean water and shelter. Children separated from their parents also needed protection, she said. Little more than a decade on, Haiti is reeling once again," Fore said, referring to the 2010 earthquake that ravaged Haitis capital, killing tens of thousands. And this disaster coincides with political instability, rising gang violence, alarmingly high rates of malnutrition among children, and the COVID-19 pandemic for which Haiti has received just 500,000 vaccine doses, despite requiring far more. The country of 11 million people received its first batch of U.S.-donated coronavirus vaccines only last month via a United Nations program for low-income countries. Medical workers from across the region were scrambling to help as hospitals in Les Cayes started running out of space to perform surgeries. Basically, they need everything, said Dr. Inobert Pierre, a pediatrician with the nonprofit Health Equity International, which oversees St. Boniface Hospital, about two hours from Les Cayes. Pierres medical team was taking some patients to St. Boniface to undergo surgery, but with just two ambulances, they could transport only four at a time. Working with USAID, the U.S. Coast Guard said a helicopter was transporting medical personnel from the Haitian capital to the quake zone and evacuating injured back to Port-au-Prince. Lt. Commander Jason Nieman, a spokesman, said other aircraft and ships were being sent. At the Les Cayes hospital, Emma Cadet, 41, a carpenters wife, hovered over her 18-year-old son, Charles Owen, as he awaited an operation on his broken arm. He was among the lucky patients to have received pain medication. Worse off was Nerison Vendredi, 19, lying quiet but alert. No casts or splint would help her because she apparently had suffered internal injuries and could not move. There were some stories of miracle survivals, but they were becoming fewer as the days passed. Jacquelion Luxama was leading his goats to a watering hole Saturday when a hillside collapsed on him, trapping him amid boulders and a rockslide that stripped skin from his hip. I started yelling, and luckily some other famers heard me, and they came and pulled me out, said Luxama, lying on a mattress at the Les Cayes hospital. ___ Associated Press writers Collin Binkley in Boston, Trenton Daniel in New York and Regina Garcia Cano in Mexico City contributed to this report. WILKES-BARRE Representatives from local businesses came to the Pennsylvania CareerLink office on Thursday looking to lure workers with incentives like sign-on bonuses as companies still struggle to hire. They included Kara Dale, human resources assistant for Radienz Living. She said the company is expanding production at its new facility at 460 Research Drive in CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park in Pittston Twp. and is looking to hire about 85 workers. Radienz Living, which manufactures home and personal care products like disinfectant wipes and all-purpose cleaners, employs nearly 200 people and is looking to grow to about 450 employees over the next two years, she said. The manufacturer has a variety of job openings ranging from production line associates, machine operators and forklift operators as well as open positions with higher salaries such as an engineer and maintenance supervisor, Dale said. Wages for general laborers start at $14 an hour with additional compensation for those who work second and third shifts. Radienz Living also is offering a $300 sign-on bonus after 90 days for all positions and medical benefits, she said. Despite the hiring incentives, Dale said, The workforce is a little slow at this point and its very much COVID-related. A representative from Chewy also came to CareerLink looking to hire warehouse workers for the online pet food retailers distribution centers in Hanover Twp. and Archbald. The representative declined comment but Chewys fliers advertised wages of $14 to $20 an hour plus an additional $2 per hour incentive until Oct. 2 and a sign-on bonus of $500 for all new hires who start on or before Oct. 2. The event was part of the states Department of Labor & Industrys PA CareerLink Day, a statewide effort that was intended to encourage anyone who is unemployed or underemployed to join the workforce in Pennsylvania. Anthony Melf, project coordinator for CareerLink in Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties, said turnout throughout the day at the Wilkes-Barre office was moderate. The days events helped highlight how CareerLinks programs and services could help job seekers find employment through training, education, an on-site computer lab and one-on-one job search assistance, he said. We want people to come to the office so that we could help be the bridge between those job opportunities, and as we know there are a lot of opportunities available, and job seekers, Melf said. In addition to hiring events, CareerLink Day also offered other services like resume reviews. Job seekers can register on pacareerlink.pa.gov to search and apply for thousands of available jobs, he said. People also can text HotJobs to subscribe for a weekly text alert with job opportunities in Luzerne County. Border police officers in Botosani seized 7,500 packs of cigarettes following an operation on the range of Oroftiana locality, on the border with Ukraine, spokesperson for the Territorial Border Police Service (STPF) Botosani, Minodora Racnea said on Monday, agerpres reports. According to the STPF official, all the people involved in cigarette smuggling managed to flee on the territory of Ukraine, as soon as the Romanian border police noticed. "The border police officers with the Dorohoi Border Police and STPF Botosani organized an action on the line of combating cigarette smuggling, in their area of jurisdiction. Thus, during the action, around 16:15 hrs, several people carrying large cartons of cigarettes were spotted in the direction of the border town of Oroftiana, and when they noticed the border police officers, the people abandoned the packs of cigarettes and dispersed in different directions, retreating to the territory of the neighboring state," Racnea specified.The Romanian border police soon notified the Ukrainian border authorities for a joint investigation of the event.The cartons abandoned by smugglers contained 7,500 packs of cigarettes, worth 74,414 lei.In this case, the border police officers are conducting investigations for committing the crimes of smuggling and illegal crossing of the state border in order to detect and identify all the persons involved. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Lucian Bode, stated, on Monday, that the participation of Romania in the extinguishing of the fires in Greece, through the efforts of the firemen, strengthened even more the bonds of friendship between the two states. "Romania's participation to this mission, through your effort, strengthened even more the bonds of friendship between the two states, and at the international level it was once more seen that our country has the capacity to participate in such difficult missions, that it is a trustworthy partner and a serious and permanent supplier for civil protection at the European level. The recent rescue missions in other areas stand proof, such as Albania, Croatia and, more recently, Tunisia and North Macedonia, where you showed that Romania has the expertise and resources necessary to save lives and protect entire communities in their time of need," said Lucian Bode, on the Plateau of the National Intervention Coordination and Leadership Centre in Ciolpani, on the occasion of the return of the firemen that participated in extinguishing brush fires in Greece. He added that we must be prepared with an articulated response to such "disasters that manifest themselves more and more violently., Agerpres informs. The Minister insisted on thanking Greek citizens for the "lesson" offered, showing "so visibly and naturally" their recognition towards Romanian firemen. "They taught us to grow closer and appreciate and respect each other more and more," Bode said. A number of 108 rescue firemen and 23 firefighting trucks and water tanks were detached 10 days ago to Greece to help with the control of devastating brush fires that ravaged large areas of the country. Prime Minister Florin Citu stated that the 2009 case was rejected by the United States court and that it's about a decision to reject a civil sentence, of which he was never informed. "On Saturday a case from the United States was presented to the public space. I have also informed myself. It's, in fact, a decision to reject a civil sentence, of which I was never informed. It happened in 2009. I was very easy to find for anyone, if they truly wanted to find me in 2009, if anything was necessary. The legal reality is that that file was rejected by the United States court, and I have faith in the US justice system. (...) That claim was rejected by the American court," said the Premier, in a statement to the pres, Agerpres informs.. Prime Minister Florin Citu said that there are still 35 Romanians in Afghanistan and that the authorities will send a plane to repatriate them. "There are still 35 Romanian nationals in that area. I suggested Mr. President that we should send a plane to bring them home. We are currently working on two variants: a flight in cooperation with NATO, which should depart soon, or a plane of ours that goes directly there. At this moment the Foreign Ministry and the National Defense Ministry have clear instructions to send a plane as soon as possible to bring the Romanian citizens home," the Prime Minister said in a statement to the press. He noted that the authorities are on top level alert as regards Afghanistan and that they are keeping contact with the Romanians in this country where the Taliban fighters are rapidly gaining ground, Agerpres informs. "I am calling on all the Romanians who are still there and who have not yet contacted our diplomatic mission in Pakistan to do so as soon as possible. The alert level is maximum at this moment, leave Afghanistan immediately. (...) [The 35 Romanian nationals] are not embassy personnel, they are from the UN and the private sector. (...) They are safe at this moment, we are keeping contact with them. At this point, we've made the decision to send a plane there anyway. The fastest way could be the one with NATO. We'll see. In this variant the Romanians will be flown to Georgia and will be taken over from there by a Romanian plane. If not, we will send a plane," Citu said. Asked if a new wave a migrants can be expected amid the Afghanistan crisis, the Prime Minister said that a crisis cell has been set up. "There is a crisis cell up and running with personnel of the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry and the other competent institutions. Any other decision on this subject will be announced," Citu said. Prime Minister Florin Citu announced on Monday that a government decision will be approved for setting up 8,400 new positions for volunteer contract servicemen and operations NCOs. Speaking at the homecoming ceremony for the 108 rescue firefighters who joined the Greek authorities' wildfire quelling efforts, PM Citu said: "We have already taken steps to strengthen the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) and its subordinate units. We are about to approve a government decision establishing 8,400 new positions for volunteer contract servicemen and operations NCOs; 1,400 will be hired this year, so that by 2025 you can recover a significant part of the jobs lost in recent years." Citu congratulated the firefighters and told them that the Romanians are proud of them. He also underlined the importance of using European funds for the proper equipment of the firefighting crews, pointing out that the special vehicles used in Greece were bought this year, Agerpres informs. Also attending the event held on the esplanade of the National Intervention Coordination and Management Center in Ciolpani were Minister of Internal Affairs Lucian Bode and the Head of the Emergency Department Raed Arafat. The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, ordered on Monday, August 16, 2021, the immediate involvement of the Romanian Air Forces to evacuate from the Kabul International Airport of Romanian citizens who are still on the Afghan state's territory, the Presidential Administration informs, in a press release sent to AGERPRES. This decision was made at the proposal of the Romanian Prime Minister, Florin-Vasile Citu, given the accelerated deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, needing the support of repatriation of Romanian citizens still in this country, as well as evaluations made in this sense by the inter-institutional crisis Unit, summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), the press release reads. According to the source, president Iohannis was constantly informed regarding the evolution of the situation in Afghanistan by MAE and other institutions represented in the inter-institutional crisis Unit, which carries out its steady-state activity for analyzing evolutions and proposal of adopting necessary steps, Agerpres informs. "Romania will actively continue its political consultations and coordination with its partners from the European Union, its NATO allies, including the United States, in order to evaluate the evolutions, their effects and to adopting measures that impose for managing it - both in the regulated formats, as well as the special ones, such as the extraordinary reunion of the EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday, August 17, or the emergency reunion of the North-Atlantic Council on the same day," the press release also reads. Romania plans to invest 400 million euros in projects to digitize the health system, through funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), say representatives of Horvath, an international consulting company in management. "This amount represents less than half of the budget allocated by Poland, another beneficiary of PNRR, which has planned investments of one billion euros in the digitalization of the health system. Romania has decided that, out of the total of 29.2 billion euros, received from the European Union through PNRR, 2.45 should be directed to health. This budget is one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe, intended for the health sector, the press release states. The study conducted by Horvath, in the first part of this year, aims at the use of funds from PNRR in the health system of six European countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Croatia.According to the cited source, Romania has declared its intention that a significant part of the 2.45 billion euros allocated to health, namely 1.9 billion euros, should go towards the renewal of infrastructure, through projects such as the modernisation of existing hospitals and building of new ones, as well as the purchase of modern medical equipment, agerpres reports.As regards the digitalization of the medical system, Romania is preparing projects related to the consolidation of telemedicine, the improvement of the digital infrastructure of the public health units, the mobile patient monitoring systems and the technical assistance for the development and integration of digital health solutions. By comparison, Poland is investing more than double our country's budget in advanced projects such as Artificial Intelligence for medical analysis and diagnosis.Moreover, health expenditures, adjusted to the purchasing power of the population, placed Romania on the last place, among the six states analysed in the Horvath research, despite a 45 percent increase, between 2015 and 2018. Thus, our country spent 1,210 euro per capita in 2018, while the Czech Republic, 2,280 euro in the same year. Slovakia, Hungary and Poland each reported more than 1,510 euro per capita, and the EU average was 3,080 euro per capita.Romania is the only state, out of the six included in the Horvath analysis, which intends to resort to the total grants and loans accessible through PNRR, reaching the amount of 29.2 billion euro. The Czech Republic will get 7.1 billion euro through PNRR, Hungary should take 7.2 billion euro, and Slovakia, 6.6 billion euro, and none of these countries will use loans.Croatia, which will receive 6.5 billion euro, and Poland, which will access 36 billion euro, have defined their plans with two-thirds grants and one-third loans. The national plans for Croatia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have already been approved by the European Commission. Poland and Romania are awaiting approval, and the evaluation for Hungary is currently suspended.Horvath is one of the most important international, independent, management consulting companies, present on the Romanian market, since 2005. The Foreign Affairs Ministry informed Monday that, according to its data, there are still 35 Romanian nationals in Afghanistan, mainly security personnel employed by the U.N. Assistance Mission in this country (UNAMA), specifically by a dedicated company. According to a Foreign Ministry release, 60 Romanian citizens with activities in Afghanistan had registered with the Romanian Embassy in Islamabad, stating their activity as employees of the EU Delegation to this country, of UNAMA, of a security company and an NGO. "By the time the security situation began to degrade, a part of these Romanian nationals had already left the Afghan territory for their rest leave. Also, 11 Romanian nationals employed by the EU Delegation to Afghanistan have been recently evacuated and are currently in Doha and will continue their journey to Romania as soon as all the specific procedures are fulfilled," the release states, Agerpres informs. Amid the developments related to the security situation in Afghanistan, the inter-institutional crisis cell called by order of Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu continued its activity to support and provide assistance to the Romanian citizens on Afghan territory, with a view to ensuring their safe evacuation, the Ministry points out, adding that it maintains permanent contact with them through the Romanian Embassy in Islamabad. "The Foreign Ministry and the other institutions that are part of the inter-institutional crisis cell will provide all the support to the Romanian Air Force mission summoned by order of the President of Romania, Mr. Klaus Iohannis, at the proposal of Mr. Florin-Vasile Citu, Prime Minister of Romania, for the evacuation from the Kabul airport of the Romanian nationals who are still on Afghan soil," the release reads. Starting with August 13 the alert level for Afghanistan has been raised to the maximum (Major danger - Leave the country immediately). Five deaths have been recorded in the past 24 hours in patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, informs, on Monday, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS). According to the GCS, these are two men and four women admitted to hospitals in the counties of Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Gorj, Hunedoara and Suceava. Two cases were recorded in the 50-59 year age category, two in the 60-69, and one in the 80+ year old plus category.All the deaths were in patients with comorbidities.There are no deaths prior to the reporting period to report.Since the start of the pandemic, in total, 34,353 persons diagnosed as infected with SARS-CoV-2 have died in Romania. Two judiciary associations expressed solidarity and support for Afghan judges and prosecutors, calling on the Foreign Ministry to "immediately" issue electronic visas for all the Afghan magistrates "whose lives are in danger." "The Romanian Judges Forum and the Justice Initiative Association express their full solidarity and unconditional support for our fellow judges and prosecutors in Afghanistan, targeted by the newly installed political regime in that state," the two organizations said in a statement today. According to the cited source, dozens of magistrates and other judicial staff have been killed and injured in the last 10 years, as bombs have been placed in courthouses or judges have been gunned down in the streets in 2013, 2017 and 2021 in vindictive attacks. Also, the previous Taliban regime proceeded to "a purge of the judiciary based on technical and religious grounds., informeaza Agerpres. "In a brief interview today with the Judges' Forum Magazine, Afghan judge Tayeba Parsa (Kabul Court of Appeal) expressed serious fears that after the fall of the government, Afghan judges (women judges in particular) will be executed with no trial to establish guilt, as they are already being sought at their homes. In the face of such an unimaginable situation, the international community must not remain indifferent. Apart from international pressure for the newly installed regime to respect human rights, all forms of humanitarian assistance - which is absolutely necessary for the persons concerned - must be immediately initiated," the two associations argue. In conclusion, the Romanian Judges Forum and the Justice Initiative Association are asking the Foreign Affairs Ministry to issue electronic visas for all Afghan judges and prosecutors whose lives are in jeopardy. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. In July the Russian army received the first of 80 T-80BVM tanks they were told they would receive this year. The 43-ton T-80 was an unsuccessful effort to produce a new tank that would eventually replace the 42-ton T-72. While not a failed design, like the earlier T-62 and T-64, the innovative T-80, the first Russian tank with a gas-turbine engine, promised more than it could deliver. The T-80 entered service in 1976, three years after the T-72. These two tanks were designed by rival tank development teams. From a distance the T-72 and T-80 appear similar and that was because both use the same weapons and tank design concepts all Russian Cold War era tanks were expected to use. The gas-turbine engine wasnt enough and while a successful design, only 5,700 were built so far, compared to over 25,000 T-72s. The T-80 was about 20 percent more expensive than the diesel-powered T-72 as well as being faster and more maneuverable because of the gas-turbine engine. On the downside, a gas-turbine burned fuel much faster and that meant the T-72 had 75 percent more range than the T-80. The heavier and better protected American M1 also used a gas-turbine engine but the additional fuel needs were manageable because the U.S. had a better logistics system. Despite that, most nations prefer to stick with diesel engines. The T-80 had lots of fans but most Russian export customers were on very tight budgets and the cheaper T-72 was preferred. Russia continues to upgrade the T-80 to keep it competitive with the T-72, which is still the favorite with Russian users. Better is not always the most popular. That attitude is being exploited by Russia because of much reduced post-Cold War procurement budgets. For example, in early 2021 Russia announced that the army will receive over 400 upgraded tanks and IFVs (infantry fighting vehicles) in the coming year but none will be the new T-14 Armata tank and T-15 Armata IFV. Upgraded tanks like the T-80BVM are filling the gap for the missing T-14s. The Armata is a radical new design for tanks and IFVs but is too expensive given the defense budgets available. This is due to a 2013 plunge in oil prices that did not recover while the 2014 Ukraine invasion resulted in many economic and trade sanctions. Since then, the Russian replacement program for elderly Cold War era gear has had to settle for more rebuilt than brand new stuff. Russia does plan to start building more T-14s in 2022 or maybe late 2021, unless the procurement budgets suffer more cuts because of the poor state of the economy. Most of the new tanks the Russian army has received since 2000 have been refurbished and much upgraded T-72B3s. Currently the Russian Army has about 3,000 tanks in service and most (65 percent) are T-72B3s, which you hear little about. Russian troops prefer the T-72B3M over the T-80 and T-90 and few have any personal experience with the T-14. Since 2013 the army has been receiving an updated version of the old BTR-80 wheeled armored personnel carrier, the 8x8 BTR-82A. While the United States abandoned wheeled armored vehicles after World War II, Russia kept theirs and constantly improved their BTR series. The BTR-80 appeared at the end of the Cold War (in 1986). While not as heavy or as high tech as the American Stryker, the BTR vehicles are popular with many nations, especially for use by police and paramilitary forces. The current export model of the BTR-80 is the BTR-90. The 15-ton BTR-82A is armed with a 30mm autocannon in a turret. This weapon is stabilized, enabling it to fire accurately while the vehicle is moving. There is also a 7.62mm machine-gun. The BTR-82A has a fire suppression system and a floor built to better protect the three crew and seven passengers from mines and roadside bombs. The hull incorporates a Kevlar layer to provide better protection against shell and bomb fragments. The BTR-82A has an improved engine, electronics, and is amphibious. Then there are the older tracked IFVs. In mid-2017 Russia ordered 540 upgraded BMP-2 and BMD-2 IFVs as part of its 2018-2025 military modernization program. Upgrading the current fleet of BMPs and BMDs will take time as 540 vehicles are a small portion of 4,000 BMP-2 and BMD-2 IFVs in service and part of the modernization. The BMP upgrades are mainly about improving firepower and fire control capabilities while other areas like armor and mobility remain relatively unchanged. The 14.6-ton BMP-2 and 11.5-ton BMD-2 were designed in the 1980s as upgrades or successors of the original BMP-1 from the 1960s. The BMP-2 needs major mechanical and engine upgrades to support other weight increases. Thats why the BMP-2M weighs about 15 tons and basically has a new turret and fire-control system. The lighter BMD-2 is for airborne forces but is otherwise similar to the BMPs. BMD deliveries were soon completed but the upgraded BMP-2M will take much longer. The BMP-3M IFV features the new Berezhok turret, fitted with four ready-to-launch Kornet ATGMs (laser guided anti-tank missiles) in two twin launchers on each side of the turret. Kornet's range is 5,500 meters and is much easier to use than older Fagot or Konkurs single tube ATGMs previously used on IFVs. Not only were these older systems outdated versus more capable enemy IFVs, but with only one ATGM launch tube, it had to be reloaded manually by the crew. That was difficult and dangerous in combat. With four ready-to-fire missiles, reloads are less of a problem. In addition, the new ATGM is the Kornet, which can fire a two-missile salvo at one target. The 30mm cannon received improved stabilization. There is also a remote-controlled weapon station fitted with a 3 mm automatic AGS-30 grenade launcher. The commander/gunner sight, thermal imagers, missile guide channel and laser rangefinder will receive upgrades as well. All these improvements increase BMP-2 weight by half a ton. Nearly half of that is missiles and ammunition for the AGS-30. Meanwhile the airborne BMD-2M received similar weapons upgrades but with only two Kornet missiles and a new name BMD-4M. These upgrades will dramatically improve BMP-3 and BMD-4 firepower capabilities and make them equal or superior to Western vehicles like the PUMA, CV90 or VBCI. This creates an interesting situation in which Russia will have a very well armed but poorly protected IFV compared to western designs which lack firepower (no ATGMs on CV90 or VBCI). This upgrade seems like a desperate attempt to modernize their mechanized forces because the new Armata tank and IFV are untried in combat and cost more than twice as much as the vehicles they replace. Russia has, for years, allowed the Armata based vehicles to remain in development while problems are discovered and worked out, and more money becomes available to mass produce them. China has lots of problems with its overseas investments, especially in Asian and African nations where security is weak and Chinese projects are seen as a vulnerable target for bandits and other armed locals who consider foreign facilities and construction projects as a source of illicit income. Western companies will often hire PSCs (Private Security Contractors) to protect their investments when local security forces cannot. The PSC personnel are usually former military and police and many are veterans of PMC (Private Military Contractors) who provided security for American and other foreign bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and a few other areas after 2001. While the PMC employees were paid more than military personnel, they did not have to be trained and allowed the Western military forces to concentrate on fighting rather than a lot of them guarding bases and supply lines. China has nearly sixty million retired or former soldiers and police who often hold public protests over inadequate pensions. China does not want to use any, or at least many, of these former soldiers as PMCs because during the 1990s China passed a series of laws making it impossible for any Chinese except active duty military and police to handle firearms. China has nearly half a million unarmed PCS personnel. Most are employed in China to protect the growing number of valuable facilities and all are banned from carrying firearms. The PSCs depend on the quick response of local police when there is an armed threat as well as a growing number of non-lethal devices to deter or disable trespassers. This is probably a wise strategy because in many parts of China local officials are corrupt and that includes police personnel. The illicit violence of these police continues to be a major cause of unrest and public protests in China. The number of these protests each year was made public until the numbers reached over 100,000 protests a year, at which point the data was no longer made public and declared a state secret. Using other indicators, it was found that the number of protests has not been declining. To deal with this China has 1.5 million personnel in the PAP (Peoples Armed Police) which, as the name implies consists of special armed police units for handing riots and other large security problems. Not all those PAP are riot police or commando units because the PAP consists of administrative, logistic and training organizations. In addition, there is the national local police, which has 20 percent more personnel than the PAP. Together these two police organizations have combined budgets nearly equal to the military budget. Chinese companies, especially government owned ones, are investing trillions of dollars in overseas projects, many of them to gain access to raw materials or to pay for the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) to create a land and maritime transportation built, and often controlled, by China to expand Chinese trade, influence and control. BRI is concentrated in Asia and Africa and most of it is in countries with serious internal security problems. China insists on special terms for these investments, especially in areas where the local workforce is unreliable and less efficient than Chinese. The investments do not happen unless the Chinese can import Chinese workers. This is unpopular in those countries which expect foreign investors to hire local workers. There is another problem for countries accepting these Chinese investments. Put simply, if a country allows Chinese investment on a large (multi-billion dollar) scale, the deal usually involves permitting imported Chinese workers establishing their own Chinese settlements and then stay when the project is over. This sort of thing results in the Chinese establishing a permanent economic presence and control over a growing percentage of the local economy. The most visible example of this is Africa where since 2000 Chinese use of these invasion tactics have become a growing problem for China as well as the nations invaded. The most troublesome, for all concerned, side effect is the growth of intense anti-Chinese attitudes by resentful and still unemployed locals. The bad relations began when Africans realized that the Chinese brought their own workers and employed fewer locals for construction projects China was paying for. Over time fewer and fewer locals were used. This gave the Chinese greater control over projects, usually related to construction (buildings, roads, and the like) or mining. The Chinese point out that using their own workforce ensures that the project will get done on time and on budget. But there is a downside to the use of imported workers. It is easier for the Chinese to ignore local advice, which leads to construction practices that work back in China but not in various parts of Africa. Construction practices that work in some parts of China often do less well in various parts of Africa. Another problem is that the locals often have different attitudes towards use and maintenance of the new facilities. Often after a decade (or even less), Chinese projects are falling apart because of misuse and lack of maintenance. The Chinese workers live separately and rarely mix with locals, giving rise to suspicions that they are Chinese convict labor. Theres no evidence of that, and Chinese managers everywhere tend to be very intent on tightly controlling work they are responsible for. Many of these workers stay after the project is completed and go into business locally. These Chinese construction projects please the local African officials because the Chinese get the job done quickly and with minimal problems from locals. Neither the local politicians nor the Chinese are concerned with long-term problems. While China has been generous with business deals in Africa, and sent about a million Chinese to work, invest, or settle there, local tyrants are favored as partners. That's because these thugs are shunned by Western nations and businesses. Because of this, China is increasingly seen as a supporter of evil governments and that has generated widespread African hostility towards all things Chinese. This has led to anti-Chinese riots in some countries and a general animosity towards the Chinese at the grass roots level. Thus when these countries go through their next rebellion, Chinese are likely to be a popular target and a major loser if the rebels win. These problems exist, to a lesser extent, in the Middle East and Asia. China has been at this for since 2002. This really kicked into high gear when China declared 2006 was officially "The Year of Africa." China went all out to make a favorable impression on African governments and increase Chinese economic and diplomatic activity in Africa that year. To that end, about a billion dollars-worth of debts, of African nations to the Chinese government, were forgiven. The year before, Chinese commercial and government organizations invested over $13 billion in Africa. This was less than one percent of China's GDP but by African standards, it was a huge investment. However, there was some blowback. The Chinese were mainly after raw materials, especially oil. A lot of that $13 billion was bribes for local officials. As usual, the average African was getting screwed by these deals. China is also flooding African markets with inexpensive goods. This and imported Chinese workers are hurting local businesses and causing unrest among African business owners and workers. As a result, it's become common for opposition parties in Africa to accuse China of "neo-colonial exploitation." The accusation fits, and the Chinese will pay for it down the road, as will peacekeepers brought in to help clean up the mess. Despite all the overseas security problems, China refuses to use armed Chinese PSC personnel. The only exception is PSCs who supply Chinese armed guards for Chinese ships moving through dangerous areas, like the Somali coast or the Gulf of Guinea and the Niger River Delta. These armed ship guards are carefully selected veterans of Chinese army or PAP units. In most cases the overseas investments use unarmed PSC personnel to supervise, and sometimes train, armed locals to provide security. The Chinese pay well and have a reputation of covert retaliation against any of the armed locals who go rogue and endanger Chinese or Chinese projects. In some cases, like Pakistan, China insists that the local government form a large (30,000 in Pakistan) armed security force dedicated to protecting the Chinese workforce and construction projects. China offers other financial incentives to the Pakistani government to ensure cooperation and, so far, it has worked despite a few Chinese getting killed. Pakistan points out that the perpetrators suffer much higher casualties. China is considering a similar program in Afghanistan if the current Western supported government is overthrown by the Pakistani-backed Taliban and smaller numbers of Iranian backed Taliban and anti-terrorist militias. As attractive as investing in Afghanistan is given its trillion dollars worth of unexploited minerals, the risks appear much higher than in Pakistan or other Central Asian nations. China has another problem with many of these overseas and BRI investments failing and contributing to the debt crisis the Chinese financial system is having a hard time handling. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mayfair Gold Corp. (Mayfair or the Company) (TSX-V: MFG; OTC: MFGCF) is pleased to announce plans for the 100%-owned Fenn-Gib project (Fenn-Gib) to become Canadas first carbon neutral gold project. Mayfair will be partnering with a leading sustainability advisor to record carbon emissions at Fenn-Gib and the impact of the limited land clearing to design appropriate offsets for the duration of the projects exploration phase. Mayfair Gold President and CEO Patrick Evans commented: The mining industry contributes approx. 3% of global CO2 emissions. Mayfair Gold, like all resource companies, has a responsibility to reduce carbon emissions from operations. We take this responsibility very seriously. Our vision is for Fenn-Gib to become Canadas first net zero carbon gold project. Our commitment starts immediately during the projects exploration phase and will continue as we embark on the pre-feasibility study in early 2022 for the initial mine design. As a carbon neutral gold operation, Fenn-Gib will account for all carbon emissions over the life of the project and, to the greatest extent possible, aim for zero emissions. To achieve carbon neutrality, Mayfair aims to design a project that relies principally on renewable energy sources. With a major Ontario hydropower line traversing the 4,800 ha Fenn-Gib property, Mayfair is well placed to take advantage of renewable energy. A high voltage transformer station is located at Ramore, a short distance to the southwest of Fenn-Gib. For the typical conventional mine, the mobile fleet contributes approx. 50% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The technology already exists to design and build the entire mobile fleet based on battery electric or fuel cell electric motors. Process plants contribute about 30% of GHG emissions at a conventional mine. Reliance on renewable energy, such a hydroelectric sources (which are abundant and competitively priced in northern Ontario), will make a significant contribution to reduced GHG emissions. With engineering advances being made, it is estimated that the total cost of ownership for battery electric vehicles will be approx. 20% lower than comparable diesel vehicles. Maintenance costs are expected to be reduced up to 30%, and fuel costs reduced up to 60%. Mayfair believes the environmental and commercial benefits are strongly compelling. Mayfairs vision for a net zero gold operation presents an exciting opportunity for Fenn-Gib and the gold industry. We invite our shareholders and business partners to follow our progress by visiting www.mayfairgold.ca. About Mayfair Mayfair is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on advancing the 100% owned Fenn-Gib gold project in the Timmins region of Northern Ontario. The Fenn-Gib gold deposit is Mayfairs flagship asset. An updated open-pit constrained NI 43-101 resource estimate (February 5, 2021) reported a total Indicated Resource of 70.2M tonnes containing 2.08M ounces at a grade of 0.921 g/t Au and an Inferred Resource of 3.8M tonnes containing 75,000 ounces at a grade of 0.618 g/t Au. The deposit has a strike length of approx. 1.25km with widths ranging up to 300m. The gold mineralized zones remain open at depth and along strike to the east and west. For further information contact: Patrick Evans, President and CEO Email: patrick@mayfairgold.ca Phone: (416) 670-5114 Web: www.mayfairgold.ca Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements") that relate to Mayfairs current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result", "are expected to", "expects", "will continue", "is anticipated", "anticipates", "believes", "estimated", "intends", "plans", "forecast", "projection", "strategy", "objective" and "outlook") are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Mayfairs control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the impact and progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. Mayfair undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Mayfair to predict all of them, or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Completed 5 holes on the historic High-Grade Zone. Completed 2 holes on the High-Grade extension where 949 g/t silver was sampled on surface. Currently drilling the Maybee Zone where 3,444 g/t silver was sampled on surface. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2021) - Mountain Boy Minerals Ltd(TSXV: MTB) (OTCQB: MBYMF) (FSE: M9UA)("Mountain Boy" or the "Company")announces that drilling is proceeding on its flagship American Creek property, with 7 holes completed from 2 drill pads and the drill is now on the third pad. The American Creek Project is centered on the past-producing Mountain Boy silver mine, located 20 kilometres north of Stewart in BC's Golden Triangle. Five holes have been completed on the High-Grade zone and two holes on the High-Grade extension. The drill is now on the Maybee Zone. Core samples have been shipped to the lab from the High-Grade and High-Grade extension pads and assays are pending. Results from surface sampling earlier this season have now been received with highlights in the table below. The recent work included mapping and sampling along the cliffs north of the old mine, an area that had not previously been examined due to the difficult access. Geologists skilled in rock climbing, traced the structure hosting the High-Grade mineralization approximately 400 meters to the north, identifying an area now referred to as the High-Grade Extension where an initial two holes were completed. Geological work is continuing, focused on the area between the High-Grade Zone and the Maybee zone, a 2-kilometer-long corridor within the 33 square kilometer property. Multiple veins in that area remain under-explored. The intent of the current program is to improve the geological context with the intent of identifying further drill targets. Select Assays from Surface Samples at American Creek SampleID Zone Ag (ppm) Cu (%) Pb (%) Zn (%) C0033358 Maybee 3,444.0 1.501 0.009 0.031 C0034021 Mann 2,922.0 0.495 0.132 0.245 C0034057 High-Grade Ext 949.0 0.328 2.770 0.068 C0033353 Jewelry Box 721.0 0.145 0.091 0.121 C0033301 High-Grade 520.0 0.920 3.490 1.250 C0034023 Mann 505.0 0.196 15.260 0.807 C0034056 High-Grade Ext 456.0 2.223 0.225 0.400 C0033361 Maybee 443.0 0.626 0.336 0.785 C0034020 Mann 343.0 0.013 0.157 0.147 C0034003 Four Bees 329.0 0.489 0.371 1.560 C0034004 Four Bees 279.0 0.316 0.773 0.920 C0034052 High Grade 242.0 6.166 5.140 10.730 C0034019 Mann 227.0 0.788 0.174 2.500 C0034016 Mann 185.0 0.005 0.004 0.020 C0034002 Four Bees 170.0 0.081 0.107 0.282 C0034053 High-Grade 127.0 4.214 0.525 0.293 C0034024 Mann 110.0 0.054 0.068 2.170 C0034051 High-Grade 104.0 0.380 10.680 17.570 C0034022 Mann 100.0 0.008 0.028 0.197 C0033354 Jewelry Box 91.8 0.020 0.142 0.117 C0033365 Franmar 91.5 0.043 0.169 0.254 C0033352 Jewelry Box 77.7 0.004 0.002 0.010 C0034001 Four Bees 72.0 0.003 0.160 0.039 C0034151 Four Bees 63.3 0.217 0.205 0.071 C0033356 Four Bees 51.5 0.002 0.028 0.006 C0033364 Franmar 37.6 0.018 0.073 0.480 C0034058 High-Grade Ext 20.6 1.050 0.035 0.249 Mountain Boy CEO Lawrence Roulston commented: "Silver and base metal mineralization has been identified over multiple kilometers and includes some exceptional grades. We are working systematically toward an understanding of this extensive and robust mineralizing system which we firmly believe has the potential to host the kind of deposit for which the Golden Triangle is renowned." About Mountain Boy Minerals Mountain Boy has six active projects spanning 604 square kilometres (60,398 hectares) in the prolific Golden Triangle of northern British Columbia. The flagship American Creek project is centered on the historic Mountain Boy silver mine and is just north of the past producing Red Cliff gold and copper mine (in which the Company holds an interest). The American Creek project is road accessible and 20 km from the deep-water port of Stewart. On the BA property, 178 drill holes have outlined a substantial zone of silver-lead-zinc mineralization located 4 km from the highway. Work this year is aimed at extending that zone with drilling due to begin in August. Surprise Creek is interpreted to be hosted by the same prospective stratigraphy as the BA property and hosts multiple occurrences of silver, gold and base metals. On the Theia project, work by Mountain Boy and previous explorers has outlined a silver bearing mineralized trend 500 meters long, highlighted by a 2020 grab sample that returned 39 kg per tonne silver (1,100 ounces per ton). Southmore is located in the midst of some of the largest deposits in the Golden Triangle. It was explored in the 1980s through the early 1990s, and largely overlooked until Mountain Boy consolidated the property and confirmed the presence of multiple occurrences of gold, copper, lead and zinc. A property wide Skytem survey is set to begin by the end of August. The Telegraph project, acquired in May 2021, has a similar geological setting to major gold and copper-gold deposits in the Golden Triangle. Exploration this season has been organized in two phases. Phase one is now complete and phase two is set to begin in September. The technical disclosure in this release has been read and approved by Andrew Wilkins, B.Sc., P.Geo., a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. On behalf of the Board of Directors: Lawrence Roulston President & CEO For further information, contact: Nancy Curry VP Corporate Development (604) 220-2971 NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/93209 MILAN, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Everli, Europe's leading marketplace for online grocery shopping, today announced it has onboarded three new additions to its executive leadership team. The move has scaled its leadership team to match its rapid international expansion and ambitious plans to further develop and expand its products and services for consumers and partners. The new hires include former Treatwell Director, Alice Coverlizza joining as Chief Business Officer; former Booking.com Director Siddharth Goyal as Chief Product Officer; and former Deliveroo and LinkedIn Director Alex Sonnenberg as Chief Marketing Officer. Alice Coverlizza who joins as Chief Business Officer brings a wealth of relevant operating experience with a strong international business expansion background. Before joining Everli, Alice held the role of VP Global Operations & Expansion at DICE, a world leader in ticketing. During her five years at Treatwell, the largest beauty and wellness booking site in Europe, she has held numerous global roles and has contributed to the growth of the business and team, respectively from one market to ten and from 60 to 550 employees. Prior to that Alice worked for four years at eBay. "I am excited to be joining Everli's leadership team in a pivotal moment for grocery commerce in Europe. I've gotten to know Federico and the management team over the last year and have been impressed by how they've successfully steered the company through a time of unprecedented growth, while building a sustainable business that daily brings value to customers, retail partners, personal shoppers and brands." Siddharth Goyal, who joins as Chief Product Officer, and will be based in the Netherlands, brings extensive experience in product, leading the 0 to 100x journey for marketplaces both in his role as a start-up founder, as well as corporate experience within Rocket Internet and Booking.com. "Grocery has been a challenging vertical for e-commerce. It's complex, it's demanding and it's a great time now, more than ever to solve it for our customers. I am incredibly excited to join a committed team with great ambition and perseverance to take all sides of the marketplace along." Alex Sonnenberg joins as Chief Marketing Officer based out of London. Alex has a background in global roles within the tech industry from his time as Marketing Director at both Deliveroo and LinkedIn, where he worked on consumer growth and engagement in the EMEA region, and more recently as Chief Marketing Officer at Wefarm, a social platform operating in developing markets, where he helped them scale their brand and marketplace in East Africa. "I was impressed with everything I saw at Everli, from its strong unit economics to its incredible levels of growth ambition, but ultimately the most impressive thing of all was its culture and passion around placing the customer at the heart of everything it does. I see an amazing opportunity to increasingly turn that passion inside out and showcase the genuine love and care that Everli puts into its customer experience." The appointments come at an exciting time for the company. Everli has just completed a Series C funding round of $100M with investment from Verlinvest, DN Capital, Luxor, C4 Ventures, FITEC and 360 Capital Partners. It has recently launched into France and the Czech Republic and is preparing for further market launches in the near future. Since 2014, Everli has become the delivery partner of choice for some of Europe's largest grocery brands, including Lidl, Kaufland, and Carrefour, offering access to over 300,000 products across 100 cities in Italy, Poland, Czech Republic and France. In 2020, Everli's sales almost quadrupled to US$130m, as consumer shopping habits continue to rapidly shift towards online grocery shopping. Since its launch, Everli has continued to expand rapidly and its international presence accounts today for over 20% of its orders already. Federico Sargenti, CEO said: "Alice, Sid and Alex bring great knowledge and insight to the company and help us in our vision to deliver customers peace of mind with a trouble-free grocery experience they always love and trust. We are looking forward to working with them and the rest of our executive team to expand our footprint within Europe and scale up our operations." About Everli Everli is on a mission to help people achieve peace of mind, by simplifying their life when shopping for groceries. No more queuing, no more parking, no more carrying heavy weights: Everli's dream is to bring just the best parts of grocery shopping, directly to your home. Started in 2014, Everli is now the main European e-grocery marketplace. Headquartered in Milan, with offices also in Verona and Warsaw, Everli's team has grown to more than 250 people, and has created more than 100 partnerships with retailers and CPG companies, serving more than 80 cities around Europe, and having delivered groceries more than 3 million times. Visit us at everli.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/everli-grows-leadership-team-with-three-strategic-hires-in-preparation-for-expansion-301355641.html SOURCE Everli BEIJING, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from CCTV+: Saturday marks the Qixi Festival, or the Chinese Valentine's Day, a day when Chinese couples stay together to celebrate their relationship and strengthen family bonds. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan place great values on their family. Xi has, on many occasions, stressed the interconnectedness between families and the country, calling on people to value their families and dedicate themselves to the country. Xi and Peng have spent more than three decades together, always loving and respecting each other. The couple first met in 1986. Back then they fell in love at first sight and got married the next September. Wang Jinshui, Xi's colleague at that time, recalled that they did not hold a wedding ceremony, only inviting some friends for a light meal. Simple as their wedding was, the couple's love for each other never faded. Both of them were busy with work, but they tried their best to care and support each other. "I call my wife at least once a day." he told the host in an interview. Xi's love and respect for Peng can be seen from many details. The couple have worn matching outfits on various occasions. On Dec. 31, 2020, when Xi made his new year speech at his office, photos of Peng and his family members were seen on the bookshelf behind him. On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2015, Xi Jinping visited Liangjiahe in Shanxi Province, where he had been working as a farmer for nearly seven years. He introduced Peng Liyuan to the local residents, "This is my wife," using the local dialect. On Nov.18, 2014, Xi boarded the icebreaker Xuelong. After he entered through the cabin door, he turned around to help Peng through. In June 2015, Xi shared a piece of cake with Peng during their visit to a local family in Costa Rica. In September 2014, Xi and Peng enjoyed time together on a swing in Gujarat, India. "We should not let our true love be cut off by long distance; neither should we forget true love amid our busy life and neglect true love during our hard working day and night," Xi once said. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qixi-love-story-sweet-moments-of-xi-jinping-and-his-wife-peng-liyuan-301355584.html SOURCE CCTV+ TICKERS: RLYG; RLYGF Source: Streetwise Reports (8/16/21) Riley Gold has two cornerstone Nevada assets: the Tokop Gold Project in the Walker Lane Trend and the Pipeline West/Clipper Project in the Battle Mountain Eureka Trendand the first results from Tokop's maiden drill program show high grades. Riley Gold (RLYG:TSX.V; RLYGF: OTCQB) is a mining exploration and development company focused in Nevada, the world's #1 mining jurisdiction, according to the most recent Fraser Institute survey. Drills have been turning at its Tokop Gold Project in Nevada's Walker Trend since April, with up to 3,000 meters planned. The assays for the first few holes have come in with some high-grade numbers. The first three HQ3 oriented core holes, targeting near-surface quartz veins, shears, and mineralized fault zones, returned assay intercepts with highlights of: TKR-21C: 32 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 2.6 meters (m) from 46.2 m including 1 g/t gold over 1.4 m plus an additional 235 g/t silver TKR-22C: 67 g/t gold over 5.1 m from 31.9 m including 0.4 m of 73 g/t gold plus an additional 82.2 g/t silver including 0.8 m of 02 g/t gold TKR-23C: 62 g/t gold over 5.94 m from 102.3 m 98 g/t gold over 2.92 m plus an additional 97.3 g/t silver over 1.40 m "The results from our first three core holes confirmed our thesis that high-grade gold mineralization is present subsurface to surface-mapped veins," stated Riley Gold CEO Todd Hilditch. "Additionally, the first two drill holes encountered the anticipated target (vein) much shallower (30-40 m) than expected, providing valuable information as to the sub-surface environment." Riley's ongoing sampling program identified excellent gold grades at surface. "High-grade gold over several meter widths have been collected from outcrop and grab samples from dumps around historical workings have yielded multi-ounce gold assays (up to 71.73 g/t gold)," stated Riley. Riley Gold has caught the eye of Gwen Preston of the Resource Maven. In a June 16 report, she wrote, "Tokop is not a classic Nevada gold system. Instead, it's a granite-hosted gold system. That means it offers sheeted veins in granites, not a common gold setup in Nevada. Similar systems that you might know include the Fort Knox mine near Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Eagle mine in Yukon. The thing I like about the sheeted vein system at Tokop is that it seems to offer the best of both Fort Knox and Eagle: It seems to have both very high-grade gold and disseminated gold." Preston notes that Riley "dug into the historic data and then did a massive sampling and mapping program. That effort returned some stellar results, including 19.3 g/t gold and 104 g/t silver, 15 g/t gold and 179 g/t silver, and 8 g/t gold and 728 g/t silver in grab samples. Chip channel samples returned 5 meters of 5.4 g/t gold, 3 meters of 5.9 g/t gold, 1 meter of 7.3 g/t gold, and 1 meter of 1.6 g/t gold and 970 g/t silver." On June 30, after the first drill results were released, Preston wrote, "Riley had sampled a lot of high-grade gold at surface at Tokop. The first challenge with drilling was to demonstrate that mineralization continued at depth. These results say it does. With just three holes from two drill pads, it's way too early to have a sense of scale. But hitting 17 g/t gold over a reasonable vein width on a targeted vein in a first program is a win." We asked Hilditch how Riley managed to acquire the Tokop Gold Project. "Tokop was on the balance sheet of a company that drilled it 11 years ago," explained Hilditch, "They moved into a different commoditylithiumand this sat on their books." Editor's note : The price of gold was about $1,100/ounce at the time. "We had the financial capability to go buy a half-million-ounce deposit," stated Hilditch. "But there's usually a reason why a 500,000-ounce deposit isn't moving forward. It could be a metallurgical issue, a permitting issue or it's sitting on top of a mountain, and too hard to get to." Hilditch wanted to find an early-stage project that had been neglected, got lost on a balance sheet or one that had never been identified. One that had gold close to surface. "You only find those projects through connections," explained Hilditch. "We didn't issue tens of millions of shares to acquire from the property owners." "Our stateside lawyer called me and said, 'Hey, I've got a client with an asset that looks interesting. Do you want to look at it?'" added Hilditch. "We did our due diligence and discovered that 20 holes had been drilled back in 2010." "The assay results included 12 meters at 2.5 grams per tonne gold," continued Hilditch. "That's a solid hit for an exploratory program. We assumed they followed that up with lots more drilling. But it turned out, the company moved in a different direction after the 20 holes they drilled. We felt there was an opportunity here." Riley's current mandate is to understand the orientation of the gold vein sets at Tokop's surface. Having robust grades close to surface can radically change the economics of a project. "The less rock you move, and the more gold you move in that ratio, the better the economics," confirmed Hilditch. "You don't need to spend half a billion dollars to get down to 1,000 feet." "The geology / rock is very hard rock to drill here," reported Hilditch, "but we're getting reasonably good recoveries. I expect we'll be rolling all the way through the summer. We anticipate releasing assay results in batches of two to five holes at a time." "Historical and recent surface rock sampling revealed gold mineralization up to 34.4 grams per tonne, and silver up to 970 grams per tonne in sheeted quartz veins, stockworks, and shear zones within the granites." "We are very excited to begin coring at Tokop," stated Charles Sulfrian, consulting exploration manager. "Our boots on the ground field work over the last few months, in addition to a detailed data review and background research, helped us plan a coherent and very prospective drill program which we believe to be just the start of our work at Tokop." Sulfrian spent 22 years at Barrick Gold Corp, and was part of team that lead to the gold discovery of BetzePost, now Goldstrike (Barrick). "Nevada is a jurisdiction where you can move a project forward quickly. It's straightforward to get permits," Hilditch told Streetwise Reports. "Mining is a significant cash generator for the state of Nevada." "There's a very strong work pool in the western United States, and specifically in Nevada," added Hilditch, "Quality of people is a big benefit. Our management team has spent a lot of time down there, so we have connectivity." In addition to Tokop, Riley Gold also has a second Nevada property, the Pipeline West/Clipper Project (PWC), located 80 kilometers (80 kms) southwest of Elko, Nevada. On May 19, 2021, Riley Gold announced that it has increased its land holdings near and adjacent to PWC. The project is an early-stage exploration property with Carlin-type disseminated and replacement gold deposits. 7-square km land package Unpatented mining claims and patented (fee) lands Adjacent to properties controlled by Nevada Gold Mines JV. This strategic acquisition includes two claim blocks totaling approximately 3.25 square kms between the already well-positioned PWC and the Nevada Gold Mines JVoperated by Barrick and Newmontboundary, just west of the Gold Acres and Pipeline deposits on the west side of the Cortez complex portion of the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend. We asked Hilditch why Nevada Mines would not have already purchased the new Riley land holdings. "Nevada Mines is a joint venture amongst two massive gold producers being Newmont and Barrick and have a massive endowment of gold and they're in production," explained Hilditch. "They've got their hands full. At some given point, if we identify a resource here, maybe they will be interested in our findings." "This property transaction was important in order to enhance Riley Gold's district scale land package and cover the west to east extension of the Wenban geological unit that is known to be the host of gold mineralization in this district, including gold production at the Nevada Gold Mines JV, Pipeline and Cortez facilities," stated William Lamb, Riley Gold's executive chairman. Lamb is a useful guy to have in your corner. "The former CEO of Lucara Diamond Corp, Lamb played an integral role in taking Lucara's flagship mine (Karowe) from feasibility to production," reported Riley, returning more dividends to shareholders than equity raised in the company." "Under Lamb's leadership, Lucara's flagship Karowe mine has evolved into one of the world's highest margin diamond mines and the foremost producer of large, Type IIA diamonds in excess of 10.8 carats," stated The Mining Review. "Lamb galvanised Lucara's reputation as an innovator, championing its technologically advanced mine design to optimize revenues and minimize diamond losses," added The Mining Review. "An exploration program will be designed to enhance the known information within the district as well as garnered from previous historical work, where Riley Gold believes that the Wenban target was not tested adequately," added Lamb about the new Riley land holdings. The principal targets for exploration at PWC include units within the lower plate of the Roberts Mountains Thrust Fault system, primarily the Devonian Wenban and Siluro-Devonian Roberts Mountain formations. The Wenban is the primary host for a lot of the gold mineralization in the Cortez area. Target depths to this lower plate unit within Riley's PWC property are "reasonably thought to be within 300 to 600 meters of the surface." We asked Hilditch about Riley Gold's share structure. "When we put this company together, we started off with 10 million sharesa very tight structure," explained Hilditch. On October 16, 2020, Riley Gold issued 15,001,125 units at CA$0.20 per unit for total gross proceeds of CA$3,000,225. "A large chunk of that October 2020 financing was through Haywood Securities," explained Hilditch. "Not a standard institutional investment, but more for a brokerage firm accounts and for their clients." "We do have a couple of toehold subscribers from the institutional side," added Hilditch. "One is Paul Stephens in San Francisco, a long-standing resource investor. The second is Extract Capital, also very resource oriented." On August 3, the company announced a non-brokered private placement of up to 4 million units at CA$0.40 each; each unit consists of one common share and one half warrant. The full warrants are exercisable for 24 months at CA$0.60. "We are raising additional capital, within our tight structure, to expand our exploration and knowledge base at Tokop with additional geophysics, mapping and drilling beyond our first program. Additionally, we want to accelerate initial work at our Pipeline West/Clipper Project that adjoins the Nevada Gold Mines JV (joint venture amongst Barrick and Newmont) in the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend. Our projects have very promising mineralization signatures within world-class precious metals trends in the mining-friendly State of Nevada, commented Hilditch. Riley Gold currently has approximately 25.6 million shares outstanding and 7.5 million warrants. There are also 2.4 million stock options granted. Fully diluted the company has 35.6 million shares outstanding. Riley management owns about 18% of the company. [NLINSERT] Disclosures: 1) Lukas Kane compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. He or members of his household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. He or members of his household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. His company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Riley Gold. Please click here for more information. 3) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 4) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Riley Gold, a company mentioned in this article. Disclosures from Resource Maven Companies are selected based solely on merit; fees are not paid. The publisher, owner, writer or their affiliates may own securities of or may have participated in the financings of some or all of the companies mentioned in this publication. TICKERS: EMO; EMOTF; LLJ Source: Streetwise Reports (8/16/21) A Research Capital Corp. report noted "there remains upside as [Emerita Resources] continues drilling on the IBW project and the Aznalcollar dispute approaches a conclusion." In an Aug. 13 research note, analyst Adam Schatzker reported that Research Capital Corp. raised its target price on Emerita Resources Corp. (EMO:TSX.V; EMOTF:OTCMKTS; LLJ:FSE) to CA$2.65 per share from CA$2.40 (the current price is about CA$2.08) for two reasons. Emerita released positive initial drill results from IBW's La Infanta deposit, thereby increasing Research Capital's confidence in its potential size. Also, additional news from the court case regarding the Aznalcollar project tender was positive. Schatzker addressed both developments. Regarding the drill results, the initial two holes drilled in La Infanta hit mineralization, he said. One of them, IN004, which Schatzker described as "very good," returned 7.45 meters (7.45m) of 90.1 grams per tonne (90.1 g/t) silver, 0.49 g/t gold, 1.67% copper, 6.01% lead, and 11.49% zinc from 62.55m downhole. These grades are comparable to those of the historic resource. Hole IN001, which Emerita drilled nearer to surface and 100m from IN004, was less impressive, likely due to the mineralization there having been leached over time, according to Emerita. IN001 showed 11.5 g/t silver, 0.07% copper, 1.68% lead, and 3.4% zinc from 24.3m downhole in addition to 2.8m of 12.95 g/t silver, 0.02% copper, 3.79% lead, and 7.5% zinc from 32.3m downhole. Overall, however, Schatzker noted, the results indicate the La Infanta deposit could be as big as Emerita estimates it to be, about 1.2 kilometers long in strike and at least 300m deep. Accordingly, Research Capital increased the deposit's projected size in its model. "While two drill holes do not make a deposit (especially when one intersects a shallow, leached portion of the deposit), we believe the confirmation of the historic grades helps improve our confidence level of the historic drilling and potential for the deposit to increase in size," Schatzker wrote. "La Infanta itself could become a material, economic deposit for Emerita." As for Aznalcollar, given the recent news that seems to indicate an eventual favorable resolution for Emerita, Research Capital, in its model, lowered the discount it ascribes to the asset to 20% from 30%, Schatzker noted. Should Emerita be awarded the project tender, Research Capital will remove any discount, which would increase the implied target price for the exploration company to CA$3 per share. In the meantime, Schatzker pointed, Emerita continues to offer additional upside even though its stock has been doing well. Research Capital maintains its Speculative Buy rating on it. [NLINSERT] Disclosures: 1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Emerita Resources Corp. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. 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As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Emerita Resources Corp., a company mentioned in this article. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Justin Montes, of the 4th Infantry Division, carries kettlebells during the sprint-drag-carry event of the Army Combat Fitness Test on July 21, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colo. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston didn't have to change his biographical blurb on Twitter, in line with a pledge he made, when soldiers couldn't register 500,000 ACFT scores by the Army's 246th birthday. (Woodlyne Escarne/U.S. Army) The Armys top enlisted leader wont have to fulfill his promise to call himself a nobody with a big mouth in his biographical information on Twitter. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinstons offer was a challenge he issued to soldiers that sought to push the number of Army Combat Fitness Test scores registered to 500,000 by the services 246th birthday, which occurred June 14. Follow up: We didnt hit 500K in time, he tweeted Aug. 6, nearly two months after Stars and Stripes and others began inquiring about the results via Twitter, Reddit and emails to the Pentagon. The quip that Grinston had offered to add to his bio came from an insult written on his Twitter feed. He has amassed nearly 40,000 followers on the social media platform. Many senior Army leaders have embraced Twitter to share the services official messages, expound on its efforts, highlight soldier achievements and engage with the force and the public. But even though the challenge missed the mark, Grinstons efforts werent in vain. At the June deadline, the service was about 40,000 tests short of the tweeted target, Army spokesman Lt. Col. Gabriel J. Ramirez said via email Friday. As of Aug. 13, nearly 540,000 soldiers had entered more than 781,000 scores into the system, Ramirez said. The ACFT is the first overhaul of the Armys fitness test in 40 years and was initially rolled out with plans to make it official by October 2020. But Congress called for it to be halted in January, and lawmakers have expressed concerns over gender disparities in its results. Some 44% of women had failed an earlier version, compared with 7% of men, data showed. A new version, dubbed ACFT 3.0, was meant to address the concerns and has been under evaluation since the spring. Testing rapidly increased after the release of the new version in March. Grinston issued his challenge via social media shortly after it was introduced. Meanwhile, the Army began letting corporals and specialists take the legacy Army Physical Fitness Test to keep up their promotability while the service sorts out the issues with the ACFT. Im proud to see the significant jump in the number of ACFT scores, Grinston said in a statement Ramirez provided. As I visit different units, its clear the ACFT is changing the culture of fitness around the Army. If we get half a million ACFT Scores in DTMS by the Army Birthday (June 14), this becomes my new bio. Were at about 250k now... https://t.co/ve4qWpAZvr SMA Michael Grinston (@16thSMA) March 23, 2021 The Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Detroit (LCS 7) pulls into Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for fuel and provisions. (Anderson W. Branch/U.S. Navy) (Tribune News Service) Five Hampton Roads shipyards are on the short list for what could be billions of dollars worth of maintenance and repair work on the Navys eight littoral combat ships based out of Mayport, Florida. The award of several multiple contracts for a combined total of up to $2.255 billion means the yards, along with three in Jacksonville, Florida, and one in Mobile, Alabama, will be able to bid for whatever dry-docking, emergency maintenance, preventive or planned maintenance, corrosion control or assessments the ships need over the next years. Fincantieri Marine Systems North America of Chesapeake and BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair LLC won places on a shortlist for futures work that could amount to as much as a combined total of $1.3 billion, the Naval Sea Systems Command said. Colonnas Shipyard Inc. in Norfolk; East Coast Repair & Fabrication, in Portsmouth; Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., in Portsmouth; and Tecnico Corp., in Chesapeake, along with the Austal USA yard in Alabama and the General Dynamics NASSCO and North Florida yards in Jacksonville, were awarded contracts for up to a combined total of $965 million. In addition, Valkyrie Enterprises Inc., a Virginia Beach technical services firm, and two similar businesses in South Carolina and Alabama won multiple award contracts for work on the Mayport ships that could be worth a combined total of up to $499 million. Because the contracts are for an uncertain amount of work on indefinite schedules, the value to any one yard is not set. Each shipyard is set to receive $10,000 this year, however. The Freedom class littoral combat ships based in Mayport are small warships designed to carry out several different missions. The first, USS Freedom, was commissioned in 2008 and is scheduled to be decommissioned later this year. Three more are to be decommissioned next year, after between five and 10 years of service. The Navy has said modernizing the first Freedom and Independence class littoral combat ships so that they match improvements on more recent vessels could cost $2.5 billion, and that decommissioning them would free up funds in a tight budget for other shipbuilding priorities. 2021 Daily Press. Visit dailypress.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Nurse Susan Hinck gives Richard Thornton a coronavirus vaccine July 10 in Springfield, Mo., where hospital wards have filled with COVID-19 patients. (Christopher Smith/The Washington Post) As federal policymakers search for ways to boost America's vaccination rates, a lack of paid sick leave is playing a role in deterring low-wage workers from taking time off to get vaccinated, according to surveys and policy experts. The shortcomings are playing an underreported role in vaccine hesitancy in the country, particularly among lower-income populations. Workers who do not get paid time off to get the shot or deal with potential side effects are less likely to get the vaccine, research by a Kaiser Family Foundation study shows. About two out of 10 unvaccinated employees said if their employer gave them paid time off they'd be more likely to get vaccinated, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey of 1,888 adults conducted from June 8 to June 21. Three vaccine clinic representatives said in interviews that the time-off issue was one of a handful they commonly hear from vaccine hesitant people. That includes people like Zachary Livingston, the manager of a Subway in the Denver area. The 40-year-old said he has been working 60-plus-hour weeks for months with no bump in pay to his approximately $35,000 a year salary to cover gaps in the store's schedule as it has struggled to find workers. He'd like to get vaccinated, and believes everyone should get the jab, but said he hasn't had the time or mental space to do it. "By the time I'm out of work, it's time to go to bed," he said. Livingston said he would have gotten the shot months ago, if he had been offered paid time off, but the store does not offer the benefit to get the vaccine or deal with the after effects or sick pay, in general. He doesn't have health insurance, either, and said he hasn't seen a doctor in years. (Subway did not respond to a request for comment.) Indeed, about a third of unvaccinated people, including some like Livingston, reported to Kaiser they would prefer to "wait and see" if they will get the vaccine while not ruling out the possibility of doing so. "There is a share of the public that does not want the vaccine, but among those in the wait-and-see group the lack of time off is a major problem," said Ashley Kirzinger, associate director for the Public Opinion and Survey Research team at Kaiser. "And it disproportionately affects those with lower levels of income and those unable to take time off." Daisy Berrospe, 30, the manager of a vaccine clinic run by La Clinica de La Raza, a nonprofit focused on the Latino and other underserved communities in Oakland, Calif., said it's an issue they hear about regularly. "It's a big deal it's either miss work and get the vaccine, or continue to go to work to keep up with your paycheck," Berrospe said. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said in an interview that he had not seen the data about the issue, but that he thought it was crucial for employers to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated. "You should want your employees vaccinated," he said. "Pay them for the day and give them an opportunity. And if they don't feel good afterward, give them a couple days pay if you can." However, not everyone agrees how big of a role paid time off policies play in overturning vaccine hesitancy. Doug Holtz-Eakin, a GOP policy expert who led the Congressional Budget Office during the Bush years, said he was skeptical of the idea that a lack of paid leave is hurting the vaccine push. "I find that hard to believe," he said. "You have to have a day off somewhere, and they've been trying to get the vaccines to people's doors. It does not seem plausible to me that that's the hang-up." Congress took steps to provide emergency paid leave since the start of the pandemic, well before vaccines had been approved. In March 2020, legislators approved a paid leave program that reimbursed employers and required them to give their workers time off should they become sick with COVID. That program failed to cover millions of workers, exempting companies with more than 500 employees. And it expired last year. President Joe Biden called for reinstating the mandate on employers to provide paid leave benefits, as part of his $1.9 trillion stimulus package. Congress ended up extending tax credits to reimburse companies that offer paid time off, broadening the program to cover time off for vaccines. But they made the program voluntary. Democrats have pointed to the limits of the budget procedure they used to approve the stimulus without any Republican votes. "We have ample evidence that relying on employer-voluntary policies to protect people in this pandemic is not working," said Rachel Deutsch, an attorney at the Center for Popular Democracy, a collective of progressive groups, which has tracked corporate responses to paid leave. "The Biden team has done a terrific job in vaccination work, but it seems clear we're going to hit a wall with vaccinations as a result of an inadequate federal leave policy." A teacher's assistant and translator in Los Angeles' public school system said she was also dissuaded from getting the vaccine because of concerns about missing work. The 28-year-old, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she feared she'd be retaliated against by her employer, said that she has always wanted to get the vaccine, but never felt like she had the time or ability to do so with a full-time job and childcare responsibilities at home. She felt it would be asking for a special favor to request time off to get it, since her bosses never required or encouraged anyone to get the vaccine, she said, and she didn't know if it would be appropriate to use the sick days she has been given from the district to get the shot. "I didn't want to go through the hassle and them say, like, oh, you don't actually need it. Like, you're getting it as your own choice," she said. "I heard people say that, you know, their arm went limp, or that they had a lot of pain. I was just worried about having to drive somewhere, or potentially like coming down with a fever or any kind of side effect at work and not being able to perform." Months ticked by, from May, when she started work again after some time off, through much of the summer without her being vaccinated. She got the shot on her first day of summer break, in mid-July. Shannon Haber, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District, said the district operated its own vaccination program between February and May to provide employees easy access to the vaccinations, giving them two hours of paid time off per test and three hours for the vaccine. They were given paid time for up to three days per vaccination dose, she said. However Haber declined to answer questions about whether the provision applied to so called semimonthly workers like the teaching assistant, who has provisional status because she does not yet have a teaching credential. The White House provided a list of more than four dozen companies providing either some hours of paid leave or $100 bonuses including Delta Air Lines, JPMorgan Chase, and Kroger's "thanks to the President's call to action." "We strongly believe we need paid leave in our country. That's why we've proposed doing that as part of the American Families Plan," the White House statement said. Surging caseloads in recent weeks have prompted many companies to institute vaccine mandates for workers and pushed some of the vaccine hesitant off the fence independently of that as well. The Biden administration is also working for a major expansion of national paid leave as part of its $3.5 trillion budget plan, but that measure could take weeks to pass. Those measures may do little for low-income workers in the immediate future. John Jameson, the founder of the left-leaning political firm Winning Connections, which is working with Colorado public health officials to reach out to the vaccine hesitant, said the group has come across people who don't feel like they are able to get the shot because of their work schedules and a lack of paid time off. Outreach workers stress the ease and availability of the vaccine when they talk to people over the phone, using the same methods used to get voters to the polls. "There's no question that if people had the opportunity to just take time off from work, it would be easier to get them to take the vaccine," Jameson said. "If you're in a minimum wage job and you're worried you're going to miss two days of work, that's enough disincentive to keep some folks showing up for their second shot." The Washington Post's Rick Noack contributed reporting to this story. People wait in line to register at a COVID-19 vaccination center set up at the Royal Melbourne Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Australia, on June 8, 2021. (Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg) As COVID-19 surged last year, governments worldwide touted the hope of "herd immunity," a promised land where the virus stopped spreading exponentially because enough people were protected against it. That's now looking like a fantasy. The thinking was that the pandemic would ebb and then mostly fade once a chunk of the population, possibly 60% to 70%, was vaccinated or had resistance through a previous infection. But new variants like delta, which are more transmissible and have been shown to evade these protections in some cases, are moving the bar for herd immunity near impossibly high levels. Delta is spurring widening outbreaks in countries like the U.S. and U.K. that have already been walloped by the virus, and presumably have some measure of natural immunity in addition to vaccination rates of more than 50%. It's also hitting nations that have until now managed to keep the virus out almost entirely, like Australia and China. This month, the Infectious Diseases Society of America estimated that delta had pushed the threshold for herd immunity to well over 80% and possibly close to 90%. Public health officials like Anthony Fauci have drawn controversy by shifting the goal posts over the past year, increasing the number of people who need protection before hitting herd immunity. Meanwhile, vaccine hesitancy and supply issues mean most countries won't get close to even the original numbers. "Will we get to herd immunity? No, very unlikely, by definition," said Greg Poland, director of the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Even a vaccination rate of as high as 95% wouldn't achieve it, he said. "It is a neck and neck race between the development of ever more highly transmissible variants which develop the capacity to evade immunity, and immunization rates." Nature isn't going to solve the problem, either. It's unclear how long natural immunity gained from surviving COVID-19 will last, and whether it will be effective at fighting off new strains. Future variants, including some that could evade immunity even more efficiently than delta, raise questions about how and when this will be over. "If it was as simple as getting the infection once means you are immune for life, that would be great, but I don't think that's the case," said S.V. Mahadevan, director of South Asia Outreach at the Center for Asian Health Research and Education at Stanford University Medical Center. "That's a troubling problem." Already there are signs that some people, and some places like Brazil and other countries in South America are being battered a second time by newer strains. Without herd immunity, the virus could linger for decades in some form, possibly forcing the world's most powerful nations to adjust their diverging strategies on opening borders and economies. Countries like China that have pursued tight, so-called COVID-Zero policies by attempting to wipe out every infection, may eventually have to consider a looser stance. Others like the U.S. and U.K., which have opened up despite a resurgence of the virus, run the risk of wave after wave of infection. Vaccines so far haven't been the quick fix some had hoped for. Israel, among the most vaccinated countries in the world, has already started administering booster shots, amid evidence that the current immunizations aren't offering the protection that was hoped. Last week, the U.S. said Americans with weakened immune systems will get a third dose. The most powerful vaccines, including the mRNA shots from Pfizer Inc., BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc., would make it easier to reach high levels of immunity since they are so effective. Yet breakthrough infections cases in the immunized are possible with even these shots. Other vaccines, including those made by China's developers, AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson, may offer even less protection. Herd immunity is a real thing, protecting much of the world against viral threats from the measles to polio. Scientists credit it for helping eradicate smallpox. Having herd immunity as a goal likely helped the world embrace measures like wearing masks and social distancing. But it also created a false narrative. "The focus on 'herd immunity' has, in my view, been quite damaging," said William Hanage, an epidemiologist and expert in communicable disease dynamics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "It presents people with an unrealistic vision of how the pandemic comes to a close and doesn't account for the evolution of either the virus or the nature of disease in reinfections." Some countries learned the shortfalls of herd immunity the hard way. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson originally planned to use it as the primary approach to COVID-19, suggesting some of his constituents could "take it on the chin" with natural infections before the magnitude of the coronavirus' force became apparent. Others are now throwing in the towel, with Indonesia most vocally leading the way. The world's fourth-most populous nation determined that it would be impossible to stop the virus even if everyone in the country was immunized. It's redoubling its efforts to promote mask-wearing and social distancing, while continuing to boost the still-low vaccination rate. Meanwhile, Singapore and Australia are easing cautiously toward reopening, promising they will do so as they hit sufficiently high vaccination levels. Populations in COVID-Zero nations usually have lower levels of natural immunity built through previous infections. Despite evidence that it will be difficult or impossible to reach herd immunity, many public health officials aren't willing to give up on it. Governments worldwide are focused on widening inoculation programs. Yet the individualistic approach of many countries, and vaccine shortages, are contributing to the global problem. The risk of the virus remains for everyone, as long as any nation is experiencing massive outbreaks. The world is unlikely to put the pandemic behind it until 2022 at the earliest, experts say. And that target could be pushed back if the virus mounts another metamorphosis to become even more transmissible or even better at evading resistance. There is hope for new vaccines and other approaches that could stop transmission more dramatically, but none of those are in human trials yet. It will be a few years before they are a real possibility. Instead, the virus has a high likelihood of remaining entrenched globally, causing outbreaks that are hopefully mitigated partly by vaccinations, masking and other public health-driven interventions. "Delta is not something we will be able to eradicate," Hanage said. "Even alpha would have been hard. However with sufficient immunity, ideally achieved by vaccination, we can expect it to become a much milder illness." The 1918 flu pandemic shows how COVID may play out, the Mayo Clinic's Poland said. It's likely that variants will continue to emerge, forcing the use of boosters or routine immunizations, targeted to the newer strains. "Then, if we are lucky, what is likely to happen is that this will become something more akin to influenza, where we will always have it," Poland said. "It'll become more seasonal, just like the coronaviruses that are already circulating, and we will just have to keep immunizing." South Korean army Capt. Yeon Ju Oh administers a Moderna coronavirus vaccine to a Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army soldier at Yongsan Garrison, South Korea, on Feb. 25, 2021. (Inkyeong Yun/U.S. Army) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea South Korean troops conducting a joint, computer-simulated exercise with their American counterparts were all vaccinated and tested for COVID-19 before training began, a military official said Monday. A South Korean Ministry of National Defense official speaking on the customary condition of anonymity told Stars and Stripes that due to service members being in close proximity with each other, it was very important for all of them to get vaccinated. The two countries are conducting a combined command-post training Aug. 16 to 26. Rather than a large-scale field exercise involving thousands of combat troops, this exercise will primarily focus on computer simulations. U.S. Forces Korea spokesman Col. Lee Peters, citing the commands policy, did not comment on whether American forces participating in the joint training were all vaccinated. However, Peters said USFK can reassure you that we remain aligned with [the defense ministry] on aggressive COVID mitigation measures including conducting training with minimal essential personnel and in distributed locations. Less than 1% of USFKs force is currently confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 and it remains at a high level of readiness, according to a command statement Monday. Over 80% of its community, including military spouses and civilian employees, are vaccinated. Last years exercise was canceled out of concern for the coronavirus spread. During the Trump administration, the allies reduced the scale of the exercises as part of diplomatic efforts to convince North Korea to curb its development of nuclear weapons and missiles. North Korea regularly rails against the joint military exercises and views them as a rehearsal of a military invasion of its country. Senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol on Tuesday described the announcement of this years exercise as an unfavorable prelude further beclouding the future of the inter-Korean relations. Over 93% of South Koreas 550,000 active-duty force had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a government spokesperson said Aug. 6. The vaccine is voluntary for South Korean troops; however, many of them are pressured by leaders to get inoculated. Seven U.S. service members tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday and Thursday and were relocated to isolation facilities, according to a USFK statement Friday. Five of the troops were stationed in Osan Air Base, one from Camp Hovey, and one from Camp Humphreys. Ten USFK-affiliated individuals who recently arrived on the peninsula also tested positive between July 31 and Aug. 13, the command announced Monday. Buy Photo Air travelers head to departure gates at Denver International Airport in Colorado on June 6, 2021. Germany tightened coronavirus restrictions in mid-August for travelers from the United States, where the delta variant has pushed new infections back up to nearly 129,000 a day. (Karin Zeitvogel/Stars and Stripes) Germany has tightened coronavirus restrictions on travelers from the United States, where the delta variant has fueled a spike in new infections. But fully vaccinated travelers will feel little impact from the new rules introduced over the weekend. People 12 or older who were in the U.S. in the 10 days prior to entering Germany must show proof that they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, or present a negative PCR or antigen test, the German health and interior ministries said on their websites. PCR tests must have been done no more than 72 hours before entry to Germany, and antigen tests no more than 48 hours, the new rules say. A requirement for passengers to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival in Germany was reimposed as the U.S. was moved back onto the list of high-risk countries for the virus. But quarantine is waived entirely for travelers who are fully vaccinated or can prove that they have recovered from COVID-19, according to the rules. Quarantine is lifted after the fifth day for those who provide a negative test result. It automatically ends on day five for children under 6, for whom vaccines have not yet been authorized. Travelers to Germany from the U.S. also must fill in a free digital entry form, which is available at www.einreiseanmeldung.de. Only the form on that website will be accepted by the German authorities, the health and interior ministries said. Buy Photo Passengers check in for flights at Denver International Airport on June 5, 2021. Germany tightened coronavirus restrictions in mid-August for travelers from the United States, where the delta variant has pushed new infections back up to nearly 129,000 a day. (Karin Zeitvogel/Stars and Stripes) The digital entry form and required documents will be checked before departure and on arrival in Germany. The tougher travel restrictions were announced as the number of new cases in the U.S. reached about 129,000 a day on Saturday, according to the Our World in Data website, which is run by the University of Oxford and the Global Change Data Lab, a U.K.-based nonprofit. That is more than half the peak of 250,000 daily new infections registered in January. Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said Sunday on Fox News that the number of new daily cases in the U.S. could exceed 200,000 in the coming weeks. Here we are with the delta variant, which is so contagious, and this heartbreaking situation where 90 million people (in the U.S.) are still unvaccinated, who are sitting ducks for this virus, and that's the mess we're in, he said. Just over half of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data. A helicopter operates over Markati village, about 37 miles south of Athens, Greece, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Greek authorities have deployed dozens of firefighters, as well as six water-dropping planes and four aircraft to a wildfire that broke out Monday morning in the Keratea region southeast of Athens, near the national park of Sounion. (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP) ATHENS, Greece Fanned by strong winds, two new big wildfires erupted Monday in hard-hit Greece, triggering evacuation alerts for villages southeast and northwest of Athens only days after blazes consumed large tracts of forest north of the Greek capital. No injuries have been reported but Greek media said a few buildings had been damaged. Greece has been roiled by hundreds of wildfires this month, on the heels of its most severe heat wave in decades, which left its forests tinder dry. Other Mediterranean countries Turkey, Italy, Algeria and Spain among them have suffered similar problems. Scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving more extreme weather events. Monday's first blaze in Greece broke out in the morning in the Keratea region southeast of Athens, burned shrubland and threatened a national park in the Sounion area. Three communities were ordered evacuated. Some residents desperately drenched their homes, while volunteers with hoses and branches helped fight the fires. More than 100 firefighters, eight water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters were striving to contain the blaze, which appeared to be on the wane by evening. Local mayor Dimitris Loukas told Greek television that authorities were investigating reports of arson. He said residents had seen someone in a car setting a dumpster on fire. On the other side of the capital, to the northwest, another blaze broke out Monday in the Vilia area, triggering an evacuation alert for eight other villages. Strong winds hampered the firefighting effort, with flames threatening to spread onto a nearby wooded mountain. That blaze was being fought by 240 firefighters including 143 from Poland supported by eight water-dropping planes and nine helicopters. The fire service said 45 wildfires erupted across the country between late Sunday and late Monday. Most were quickly contained. Two major fires in Greece that began in early August, one on the island of Evia and another in a national park north of Athens, were still smoldering Monday, and firefighters were trying to secure their perimeters. On Evia, water-bombing planes were deployed again Monday to assist ground forces. On Monday, Greece's civil protection chief, Nikos Hardalias, who coordinates the fight against wildfires as well as the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic, was taken to an Athens hospital where he underwent unscheduled heart surgery. A health ministry statement said the operation was successful. Weeks of wildfires have stretched Greece's response capabilities to the limit. About 24 European and Mideast countries sent ground crews, aircraft and vehicles to help. Most have left, although 40 Austrian firefighters remained in the southern Peloponnese region, where two major fires have been burning for days. Several other Mediterranean countries have suffered intense heat and quickly spreading wildfires in recent weeks, including Algeria, where wildfires killed at least 75 people; Turkey, where at least 16 people have died during wildfires and Italy, which saw several fire-related deaths. Worsening drought and heat have also fueled wildfires this summer in the western United States and in Russia's northern Siberia region. Nicholas Paphitis in Athens contributed. Copies of "Night Without End: The Fate of Jews in Selected Counties of Occupied Poland,", are shown for sale in a bookstore at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, Poland., on Feb. 9, 2021. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) WARSAW, Poland An appellate court in Poland on Monday rejected a lawsuit brought against two Holocaust scholars in a case that has been closely watched because it was expected to serve as a precedent for research into the highly sensitive area of Polish behavior toward Jews during World War II. Poland is governed by a nationalist conservative party that has sought to promote remembrance of Polish heroism and suffering during the wartime German occupation of the country. The party believes that discussions of Polish wrongdoing distort the historical picture and are unfair to Poles. The Appellate Court of Warsaw argued in its explanation that it believed that scholarly research should not be judged by courts. But it appeared not to be the end: a lawyer for the plaintiff said Monday that she would appeal Monday's ruling to the Supreme Court. The ruling was welcomed by the two researchers, Jan Grabowski and Barbara Engelking, who declared it a "great victory" in a Facebook post. "We greet the verdict with great joy and satisfaction all the more, that this decision has a direct impact on all Polish scholars, and especially on historians of the Holocaust," they said. Monday's ruling comes half a year after a lower court ordered the two researchers to apologize to a woman who claimed that her deceased uncle had been defamed in a historical work they edited and partially wrote, "Night Without End: The Fate of Jews in Selected Counties of Occupied Poland." Lawyers for the niece, 81-year-old Filomena Leszczynska, argued that her uncle was a Polish hero who had saved Jews, and that the scholars had harmed her good name and that of her family by suggesting the uncle was also involved in the killing of Jews. The plaintiffs' lawyer, Monika Brzozowska-Pasieka, said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press that Leszczynska was "astonished" by the judgement and intends to file an appeal to the Polish Supreme Court. Brzozowska-Pasieka stressed that Leszczynska thinks that the depiction of her uncle in the book was defamatory and that the historians "failed to conduct their research with due diligence." "We want to emphasize that the right to academic freedom, including the right to carry out historical research and publish its results, is subject to legal protection (but) this protection does not cover statements that do not pass the test of reliability," the statement said. Some researchers and others feared that if the researchers were punished, it could have a chilling effect and dissuade young scholars from taking up the sensitive issue of Polish behavior toward the Jews in World War II. Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany during the war and its population subjected to mass murder and slave labor. Yet amid the more than five years of occupation, there were also some Poles who betrayed Jews to the Germans or took part in their killing, while other Poles risked their lives to save Jews. The topic of Polish crimes against Jews was taboo during the communist era and new revelations of Polish wrongdoing in recent years have sparked a backlash. Poland's current ruling Law and Justice party has vowed to fight what it considers unfair depictions of Polish wrongdoing. Many researchers and the Israeli government have accused the Polish government of historical whitewashing. A video screen grab shows throngs of people running along side a U.S. Air Force C-17 preparing for takeoff at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. (YouTube) Editor's note: We have stopped updating this file, but you can catch our continuing coverage of the situation in Afghanistan here. Here are some developments related to the rapidly unfolding situation in Afghanistan: Air Force investigating Afghan deaths, human remains found in wheel well of C-17 that took off from Kabul airport The Air Force is investigating the deaths of Afghan civilians at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, including reports that people were killed falling from a C-17 cargo jet taking off from the airfield, a service spokeswoman said Tuesday. In addition to online videos and press reports of people falling from the aircraft on departure, human remains were discovered in the wheel well of the C-17 after it landed at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Ann Stefanek, the Air Forces chief of media operations, said in a statement. On Monday, hundreds of Afghan civilians who had breached the airport perimeter swarmed an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III after it landed at the airport to support the evacuation of Afghan and American civilians from Afghanistan. Faced with a rapidly deteriorating security situation around the aircraft, the C-17 crew decided to depart the airfield as quickly as possible, Stefanek said. Shortly after, videos on social media showed multiple people falling off the aircraft who had desperately attempted to evacuate the country. The Air Force did not say how many individuals were killed in the incident. The C-17 is grounded now to give investigators time to collect the remains and inspect the aircraft before it can fly again. Air Mobility Command, a military unit headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and safety officials are doing due diligence to better understand how events unfolded, Stefanek said. Sarah Cammarata CENTCOM commander visits Kabul airport The top U.S. general for the Middle East and Afghanistan on Tuesday visited Kabuls international airport, where thousands of U.S. forces are working to evacuate thousands of Americans and others from the country overrun by the Taliban. U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, meets with U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Peter Vasely, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan-Forward, at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan on Aug. 17, 2021. (Thomas Gagnier/U.S. Navy) Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, who leads U.S. Central Command, pledged continued military support for operations to move tens of thousands of Americans, partner nation personnel and U.S.-allied Afghans out of the country, which is now virtually entirely controlled by the Taliban. The general said protecting those trying to flee the country was his highest priority. Today, I had an opportunity to evaluate the situation at Hamid Karzai International Airport and engage with U.S. military leaders on the ground providing security to the airport, McKenzie said in a written statement issued by the military. I saw firsthand our defensive lay down and the work our forces are doing to efficiently operate the airfield while ensuring the safe movement of civilians and diplomats who are leaving Kabul. McKenzie said he warned senior Taliban officials in meetings in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday to refrain from interfering with U.S operations at the airport. He said he had made it clear to them that any attack would be met with overwhelming force in the defense of our forces. Pentagon officials said earlier Tuesday that the Taliban had not interrupted the evacuation operations or threatened U.S. troops. The officials said U.S. military commanders at the airport were in contact with local Taliban commanders. The U.S. military had about 4,000 troops at the Kabul airport on Tuesday and another 2,000 on the way in the coming days, according to the Pentagon. American troops have also taken responsibility for air traffic control at the airport that reopened to military and civilian air traffic Tuesday after it was closed most of Monday. McKenzie said he expected an increase in flights during the coming days. Pentagon officials said they aim to move some two dozen planes in and out of Kabul each day to evacuate 5,000 to 9,000 people per day. I remain enormously proud of the men and women of our armed forces, who are accomplishing this mission with skill, compassion and professionalism, the general said. Corey Dickstein White House: At least 11,000 U.S. citizens remain in Afghanistan At least 11,000 U.S. citizens remain in Afghanistan as the Defense Department accelerates evacuation flights from Kabuls airport, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday afternoon. However, the number of Americans could be greater than 11,000 because individuals might not have contacted the U.S. Embassy there that they need assistance, Psaki said. On Monday, a State Department official said the agency did not have readily available figures on the number of U.S. citizens and dual citizens in Afghanistan because those individuals are required to self-report their interest in leaving the country. Psaki said there are about 22,000 slots at military bases in the United States for special immigrant visa applicants and an additional 8,000 slots in other countries. Psaki did not specify which countries could house individuals who worked with the United States during 20 years of war in Afghanistan. Sarah Cammarata U.S troops stand guard along a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. (Shekib Rahmani/AP) Taliban allowing safe passage from Kabul in US airlift The Taliban have agreed to allow safe passage from Afghanistan for civilians struggling to join a U.S.-directed airlift from the capital, President Joe Bidens national security adviser said Tuesday, although a timetable for completing the evacuation of Americans, Afghan allies and others has yet to be worked out with the countrys new rulers. Jake Sullivan acknowledged reports that some civilians were encountering resistance being turned away or pushed back or even beaten as they tried to reach the Kabul international airport. But he said very large numbers were reaching the airport and the problem of the others was being taken up with the Taliban, whose stunningly swift takeover of the country on Sunday plunged the U.S. evacuation effort into chaos, confusion and violence. Pentagon officials said that after interruptions on Monday, the airlift was back on track and being accelerated despite weather problems, amid regular communication with Taliban leaders. Additional U.S. troops arrived and more were on the way, with a total of more than 6,000 expected to be involved in securing the airport in coming days. The White House said 13 flights Tuesday airlifted 1,100 U.S. citizens, permanent residents and their families from the Kabul airport, adding that the pace was expected to pick up Wednesday and through the week. The State Department said it was sending John Bass, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, to manage the evacuation operation in Kabul, and the Pentagon said it will send Army Maj. Gen. Christopher Donohue, a special operations officer and current commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, to take command of airport security operations. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby disclosed that U.S. officers were speaking with Taliban commanders multiple times a day about avoiding conflict at the airport. This suggested that the new rulers of Afghanistan, who swept to power after 20 years of war against the U.S.-supported Kabul government, plan not to disrupt the evacuation. Kirby would not discuss details of the Taliban arrangement, and Sullivan said the question of how much time the Taliban will give the evacuation was still being negotiated. Biden has said he wants the evacuation completed by Aug. 31. Sullivan declined to say whether that deadline would hold. At the White House, Sullivan said U.S. officials were engaged in an hour by hour process of holding the Taliban to their commitment to allow safe passage for civilians wishing to leave the country. Asked whether the Biden administration recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, Sullivan said it was too soon to say and that the Talibans record of adhering to international human rights standards has not been good. Overnight at the airport, nine Air Force C-17 transport planes arrived with equipment and about 1,000 troops, and seven C-17s took off with 700-800 civilian evacuees, including 165 Americans, Army Maj. Gen. William Taylor told a Pentagon news conference. The total included Afghans who have applied for Special Immigrant Visas and third-country nationals, he said. The goal is to ramp up to one evacuation flight per hour by Wednesday, with 5,000 to 9,000 evacuees leaving per day, Taylor and Kirby said. Taylor said that more than 4,000 U.S. troops are now at the airport. That number is expected to top 6,000 in coming days more than twice as many as in all of Afghanistan when Biden announced in April he would be ending the U.S. war and pulling out all troops. Associated Press NATO chief says Afghan leaders responsible for military collapse NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday blamed a failure of Afghan leadership for the swift collapse of the country's Western-backed armed forces, but he conceded that the alliance must also address flaws in its military training program. NATO has been leading international security efforts in Afghanistan since 2003 but wound up combat operations in 2014 to focus on training Afghanistan's national security forces. NATO helped build up an army some 300,000 troops, but that force withered in the face of the Taliban offensive in just days. "What we have seen in the last few weeks was a military and political collapse at a speed which had not been anticipated," Stoltenberg told reporters after chairing a meeting of NATO ambassadors. He said parts of the Afghan army "fought bravely," but that "ultimately, the Afghan political leadership failed to stand up to the Taliban and to achieve the peaceful solution that Afghans desperately wanted." Over the years, Stoltenberg often insisted that the Taliban would only succeed at the negotiating table and never clinch victory on the battlefield. This failure of Afghan leadership led to the tragedy we are witnessing today. But, he conceded, "the big question we have to ask in an honest and clear-eyed way is: why didn't the forces we trained and equipped and supported over so many years, why were they not able to stand up against the Taliban in a stronger and better way than they did?" Stoltenberg said about 800 civilian personnel from NATO countries have remained behind in Afghanistan to help, notably in keeping the Kabul airport running, including staff to run air traffic control, aircraft fueling operations and communications. Associated Press Biden administration freezes billions of dollars in Afghan reserves, depriving Taliban of cash The Biden administration froze Afghan government reserves held in U.S. bank accounts, blocking the Taliban from accessing billions of dollars held in U.S. institutions, according to two people familiar with the matter. The decision was made Sunday by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and officials in Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control, the people said. The State Department was also involved in discussions during the weekend, with officials in the White House monitoring the developments. An administration official said in a statement, Any Central Bank assets the Afghan government have in the United States will not be made available to the Taliban. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss government policy not yet made public. Cutting off access to U.S.-based reserves represents among the first in what is expected to prove several crucial decisions facing the Biden administration about the economic fate of that nation following the Taliban takeover. Afghanistan is already one of the poorest countries in the world and is highly dependent on American aid that is now in jeopardy. The Biden administration is also likely to face hard choices over how to manage existing sanctions on the Taliban, which may make it difficult to deliver international humanitarian assistance to a population facing ruin, experts say. The Afghan central bank held $9.4 billion in reserve assets as of April, according to the International Monetary Fund. That amounts to roughly one third of the countrys annual economic output. The vast majority of those reserves are not currently held in Afghanistan, one of the people familiar with the matter said. Among those, billions of dollars are kept in the U.S., although the precise amount is unclear. Spokespeople for the White House and Department of Treasury declined to comment on the process for blocking the funds, or the fate of U.S. economic assistance to Afghanistan. A spokeswoman for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York also declined to comment. The U.S. did not need any new authority to freeze the reserves, because the Taliban is already sanctioned under an executive order approved after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said Adam Smith, who served on the National Security Council and as senior adviser to the director of the Department of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control during the Obama administration. The Washington Post Cash scarcities mount in Kabul and fears for ex-soldiers in Herat linger as Taliban asserts control Many businesses and services in Herat remained shuttered Tuesday as residents waited to see how the Taliban will assert their rule, people in Afghanistans third-largest city said. The situation in Herat city isnt back to normal so far, Abdul Hakim Yazdani, A tribal elder and resident of Herat, told Stars and Stripes over the phone. Today is the fifth day since the Taliban took the city. Its looked like a military city in the last five days. All domestic flights in Herat have stopped, Yazdani said. Flightradar24.com showed no air traffic over the city Tuesday afternoon. For more on the situation in Herat and in Kabul, read this story. Zubair Babakarkhail 82nd Airborne to take command of security operations at Kabul airport The Pentagon has tasked the commander of the Armys 82nd Airborne Division to take charge of security operations at Kabuls international airport, where some 4,000 American troops were expected to be working in the coming hours, top defense officials said Tuesday. Army Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, who has led the 82nd since last year, was sent to Afghanistan to lead the security operations aimed at evacuating as many Americans, international partners and U.S.-allied Afghans as possible during the coming weeks, the officials said. The security force will grow to about 6,000 U.S. troops including some 3,000 82nd Airborne soldiers in the coming days and also includes Turkish troops and about 700 Afghan security forces. This is what the 82nd Airborne does really well, John Kirby, the Pentagons chief spokesman, told reporters. The task of securing and operating an airfield is a unique task the 82nd can do. Hamid Karzai International Airport is the last remaining ground in Afghanistan run by American forces since the Talibans seizure of virtually the entire country over the weekend, and it was shut down for much of Monday. The airport returned to operations on Tuesday, said Army Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor, the Joint Staffs deputy director for regional operations. Taylor said nine Air Force C-17s had arrived at the airport delivering about 1,000 troops and their equipment in recent hours. Seven C-17s also departed the airport, known as HKIA, evacuating some 700 to 800 passengers, including 165 Americans, since early Tuesday morning, the general said. Taylor said U.S officials estimated they could evacuate 5,000 to 9,000 people per day from the Kabul airport, if operations went smoothly. He said the Taliban had not interfered with airport operations as of Tuesday. Corey Dickstein A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transported approximately 640 Afghan citizens from Hamid Karzai International Airport Aug. 15, 2021. (U.S. Air Force) Hundreds of Afghans airlifted on Air Force cargo jet A U. S. military cargo jet safely airlifted over 600 Afghans fleeing the encroaching Taliban from Kabul late Sunday, the Air Force said. A C-17 Globemaster III that flight tracking software showed belongs to the 436th Airlift Wing based at Dover Air Force Base, Del., evacuated what might be among the most people have ever flown on the 174-foot-long aircraft, Defense One reported Monday, citing unnamed defense officials and photos. The four-engine jet with a wingspan of 169 feet, operating under the call sign Reach 871, was not expected to take so many people, a defense official told the news site. But many anxious Afghans who were cleared to evacuate on later flights pulled themselves onto its half-open ramp. The crew chose not to force them off. The crew made the decision to go, one defense official said. Some 640 Afghan civilians disembarked when the plane landed, the official said. The crew apparently believed there were as many as 800 on board a recording of radio communications spread online Sunday in which one official expressed surprise at that estimate. American heroes all, retired Adm. James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, tweeted Monday morning about the evacuation flight, saying he heard of it from an Air Force general and citing the higher number. From an AF General who was on my team at NATO In this aircraft that is designed to transport 102. The 800 on board have arrived safely. Thank you 816th EAS...American heroes all. pic.twitter.com/9grs5TjILS stavridisj (@stavridisj) August 16, 2021 Several other flights managed to take off with hundreds of people aboard, one official told Defense One. U.S. Air Forces Central referred Stars and Stripes' query to the Pentagon. Officials there did not immediately respond. Chad Garland Notes from Kabul The following is a Tuesday morning dispatch from Stars and Stripes reporter Zubair Babakarkhail in Kabul: Most shops are open, but the currency exchanges, banks, jewelry stores, factories and government offices are closed. Some schools are open; private and government hospitals are open for patients. In Kabul, most purchases are made with cash, so the lack of money could affect access to basic needs like food if this doesnt change. "It is a big uncertainty right now. People are just waiting to see what happens next," Sardarwali Khan, a tribal elder in eastern Kabul, said in a phone call. "We need the Taliban to start providing public services as soon as possible. No one is going to their job right now; banks are closed. People will starve in a few days because everyone is running out of money. The electricity is actually better, but mainly because big users like factories and government facilities arent functioning. People try to get close to the Taliban fighters whenever they stop on the road. Most try to ask them "What will happen next?" Taliban fighters showed up in my village's mosque to pray in the evening, and my neighbors asked them the same question. Things will be fine you will know us better after we spend some time here, and no one has to be worried, they answered. One of the fighters was clean and well-dressed. The others had scary looks on their faces and appeared as if they had just come out of a jungle, my neighbors said. The Taliban are going door to door in the city and checking parking lots for government vehicles. They are taking them for their own use and giving receipts that specify the person who handed over the vehicle. They are providing contact numbers too. There are still safety concerns about what the Taliban will do once they are better settled. "Taliban are new in the city now, Khan said. They are busy with collecting government arms, vehicles and going through offices. They will start questioning people after they are done with that. I'm worried. The Taliban have said they will call back all the security forces to work at an appropriate time. Zubair Babakarkhail Body found in landing gear of transport plane that departed Kabul airport; military evacuation flights resume A body was found in the landing gear of an American military C-17 transport aircraft hours after departing Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, according to media reports. A video screen grab shows throngs of people running along side a U.S. Air Force C-17 preparing for takeoff at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. (YouTube) Two sources familiar with the matter told Politico that the discovery rendered the aircraft temporarily inoperable. The Washington Post reported that the body was discovered when the aircrafts crew diverted and landed in a nearby third country after being unable to retract the landing gear during flight. It is unclear exactly when the body was discovered. The news comes after at least seven people have died in three days of chaos at the airport, including two Afghans who fell to their deaths from the wheel well of a departing U.S. military cargo jet Monday morning. Video of the incident spread rapidly across social media, prompting one anonymous defense official to confirm to the Washington Post that the military is assessing the situation. Meanwhile, Reuters reported military evacuation flights resumed at Kabuls airport Tuesday morning less than a day after U.S. forces suspended all flights at the airport until Afghan civilians could be cleared from the runway. On Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters that, once the situation at the airport stabilized, officials hoped to transport as many as 5,000 people out of Afghanistan per day. Kat Bouza Its unclear how many US citizens remain in Afghanistan, State Department spokesman says The State Department does not know how many United States citizens and dual-citizens remain in Afghanistan as evacuations from the country are underway, an agency official said Monday. It is not a tally that we keep in the context of Afghanistan or any other country. The embassy has been in touch with many of these individuals, chief State Department spokesman Ned Price said during a news briefing. It is incumbent on Americans in any given country to reach out to the embassy to notify the embassy of their presence. There are many dual nationals who are also part of the equation as well. He said the State Department has been in regular contact with American citizens who have indicated interest in leaving the country. He also said individuals should shelter in place and not attempt to come to Kabuls Hamid Karzai International Airport until they are instructed to do so by the department. By Sunday, all civilian personnel who were located at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul had been relocated to the airport. The embassy is in an area that has been heavily fortified. So, we do not have an American presence on the ground at the embassy, Price said. Acting U.S. ambassador Ross Wilson remains at the airport where he has been since last Sunday night, Price said. The spokesman said U.S. military aircraft have transported about 1,600 individuals out of Afghanistan, excluding 2,000 Afghans who obtained special immigrant visas. It was unclear Monday who was included in the 1,600 people flown out of the country. Sarah Cammarata Biden: Decision to leave Afghanistan is the right one for America President Joe Biden said Monday that the Talibans rapid takeover of Afghanistan amid the collapse of its U.S.-backed government and military only cemented his decision to end Americas 20-year war efforts there. Biden said he could not risk more American lives fighting a civil war in Afghanistan if the Afghan troops trained by the United States through the last two decades would not fight for themselves. The president spoke at the White House in his first public remarks since the Talibans lightning offensive captured virtually all of Afghanistan, including its capital of Kabul on Sunday. Heres what I believe to my core: It is wrong to order American troops to step up when Afghanistans own armed forces would not, Biden said during the speech. The president also admitted his administration had not expected the Taliban would grasp power so quickly. Im left to ask again of those who argue that we should stay, How many more generations of Americans daughters and sons, would you have me send to fight Afghanistans civil war, when Afghan troops will not? How many more lives, American lives, is it worth? he asked. Biden placed blamed largely on Afghan President Ashraf Ghanis government, which he said failed to plan for the Talibans advances and believed its military would continue to fight. Ghani fled Afghanistan on Sunday before the Taliban took Kabul. Biden also said Ghanis government was responsible for the slow efforts to evacuate Afghans who had worked to support U.S. and NATO forces and other officials against the Taliban. He said Ghanis government had urged against a mass exodus of U.S.-allied Afghans for fears of sparking a crisis of confidence in the Kabul government. Biden pledged Monday to evacuate the Americans remaining in Afghanistan and thousands of the Afghans and their families who have helped the United States during the past 20 years. He said he knew his decision to continue the U.S. drawdown from Afghanistan, which he ordered completed by the end of August, would be criticized. He said he would not change his mind. I would rather take all that criticism than to pass this decision on to another president of the United States yet another one, a fifth one, Biden said. Because, its the right decision for our people, the right one for our brave service members who risk their life serving our nation, and its the right one for America. Corey Dickstein Its our duty to help those who helped us: France sends aircraft, special forces to Afghanistan France has sent two military transport planes and special forces troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate French citizens and Afghans who worked with them, President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech Monday. Our absolute priority is to bring our compatriots to safety, as well as Afghans who worked for France, he said in the prime-time speech, broadcast live on radio and television. Hundreds of Afghans who worked for the French have already arrived in France with their families. But dozens more are still in Afghanistan, and we remain fully mobilized to help them, the French head of state said. It is our duty to protect those who help us: interpreters, drivers, cooks and so many others. Several thousand French troops were deployed to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014, when France was militarily involved in the U.S.-led war in the country, Macron said. They fought against Islamist terrorism and those who enable it, he said. Their fight was honorable. One day it will bear fruit, he pledged, calling on allied nations to work together to prevent Afghanistan once again becoming a sanctuary for terrorist groups, now that the Taliban have seized control of the country. Karin Zeitvogel Security Council urges talks on Afghan crisis The U.N. Security on Monday called for an immediate end to violence in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the country and inclusive talks to form a new Afghan government that includes women. In its first statement since the Taliban a day earlier ousted the U.S.-backed President Ashraf Ghani, who has since fled Afghanistan, the council stressed that Afghan territory should not be used by the Taliban or any other group to threaten or attack any country. The U.N.s most powerful body called for urgent talks to resolve the current crisis of authority in the country and to arrive at a peaceful settlement through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process of national reconciliation. It said a new government must be united, inclusive and representative including with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to violence and urged the international community to unite to ensure that the human rights of all Afghans are respected. He said he was particularly concerned by accounts of mounting human rights violations against the women and girls of Afghanistan who fear a return to the darkest days in the 1990s when the Taliban ruled and barred girls for getting an education and imposed draconian measures on women. Associated Press US commander warns Taliban not to interfere with evacuations One of Americas top military commanders has met face-to-face with senior leaders of the Taliban, urging the longtime U.S. enemy not to interfere with the massive airport evacuation as the United States withdraws from Afghanistan, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, warned the Taliban officials that the U.S. military would respond forcefully to defend the airport if necessary, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks not yet announced publicly. McKenzies session Sunday in Doha, Qatar, the base for long-running talks among senior Taliban political officials, Americans and others, underscored the swift rise in power of the Taliban, Americas opponent in 20 years of fighting, after a weeklong push in which the group captured control of Afghanistan. A U.S. defense official said American warplanes which had been hitting Taliban targets during the withdrawal, in a failed effort to help Afghan forces block the Taliban blitz were not currently conducting any airstrikes. The official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, added there was no sign Monday of any significant ongoing fighting by any forces of the now-routed U.S.-backed Afghan government. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday as the Taliban entered Kabul. Associated Press Biden to address nation on chaos in Afghanistan President Joe Biden will return to the White House Monday to address the nation on the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan, as the planned withdrawal of American forces turned deadly at Kabuls airport as thousands tried to flee the country a day after the Talibans takeover. The White House says Biden will travel back to Washington from the Camp David presidential retreat to speak at 3:45 ET Monday afternoon from the East Room. It will be his first public remarks on the Afghanistan situation in nearly a week, after Biden and other top U.S. officials had been stunned by the pace of the Talibans swift routing of the Afghan military. The Pentagon confirmed Monday that U.S. forces shot and killed two individuals it said were armed, as Biden ordered another battalion of troops about 1,000 troops to secure the airfield, which was closed to arrivals and departures for hours Monday because of civilians on the runway. Associated Press This satellite photo from Maxar Technologies shows swarms of people on the tarmac at Kabul International Airport on Monday Aug. 16, 2021. (Satellite image 2021 Maxar Technologies/AP) UN to work with de facto Afghan authorities The U.N. resident coordinator in Afghanistan says they will continue to work with the de facto authorities to provide humanitarian assistance after the Taliban takeover. Ramiz Alakbarov told The Associated Press on Monday that the recent fighting had displaced some 600,000 people, and that because of the fluidity of the situation, humanitarian teams are not able to help everywhere. Alakbarov, who is in Kabul, says he thought the international community should have invested more in health, education, and the future of women and young people, not necessarily so much in security infrastructure, if it had wanted to avoid the results that we have now. He noted that the U.N.s humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan, 1.3 billion dollars for 2021, is funded only to 38%. Associated Press Deaths reported at Kabul airport Senior U.S. military officials say the chaos at the Kabul airport this morning left seven people dead, including some who fell from a U.S. military cargo jet. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss ongoing operations. Several Afghans who snuck into the wheel well of a departing U.S. military cargo jet fell to their deaths at the Kabul airport on Monday morning, an eyewitness has told Stars and Stripes. Video of the fall was circulated on Twitter and conflicting reports put the number involved at two or three, though the eyewitness said it was four. Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of the capitals airport on Monday as thousands tried to flee the country after the Taliban seized power with stunning speed. Afghans began swarming Hamid Karzai International Airport as the Taliban entered the city Sunday, said the witness, who works security at the airport and asked not to be named for safety reasons. Many arrived with receipts for Indian visas, though their passports were still at the Indian Embassy, the worker said. Others who came included those with Special Immigrant Visas for travel to the U.S. and Afghans with similar hopes of travel to NATO countries theyd supported during the 20-year war. Others with no documents or tickets at all, pleading for asylum, also arrived. The roads to the airport remain clogged with Afghans seeking refuge amid rumors that Canada had sent planes and was taking anyone seeking to leave, the witness told Stars and Stripes. The civilian side of the airport was left unsecured, the witness said. Crowds entered the terminal and got onto the runway, where they slept during the night and continue to roam. U.S. service members warned them several times away from the military side of the facility, the witness said. Video shared on Twitter by Afghanistans Pajhwok news agency showed crowds running alongside a taxiing C-17 and clamoring up onto its fuselage. Another witness told the BBC that at least two civilians were killed amid the airport crowd. The Wall Street Journal put the number of dead at three, while Reuters reported five deaths, each citing witnesses. People broke windows in the terminal and destroyed furniture, the witness told Stars and Stripes. Officials at U.S. Central Command werent immediately available for comment, The Wall Street Journal reported. A U.S. Air Forces Central spokesman referred Stars and Stripes to the Pentagon, where a press duty officer said the military did not have a statement. U.S. troops have taken over security operations at the airport as the U.S. and other foreign governments continue to fly their workers and citizens out of the country. Commercial flights have been mostly suspended, the BBC reported Monday morning. Chad Garland and Zubair Babakarkhail; Associated Press Afghan military plane crashes in Uzbekistan; cause disputed An Afghan military plane crashed in Uzbekistan over the weekend, and Uzbek authorities on Monday issued conflicting reports on the cause. The wreckage came as dozens of Afghan military aircraft carrying hundreds of servicemen reportedly reached Uzbekistan, among the thousands fleeing the country after the Taliban recaptured the Afghan capital of Kabul. The plane crash in southeastern Uzbekistan, in the Surkhandarya region on the border with Afghanistan, was first reported by local media. Uzbekistans Defense Ministry initially said it was studying videos and reports of the crash, then confirmed that the plane did crash, without elaborating. Later Monday, Russias state news agency RIA Novosti reported that it was told by the Uzbek Defense Ministry that Uzbekistans air defense system had downed the plane and averted an attempt by an Afghan military plane to illegally cross Uzbekistans air border. Two pilots, the agency said, were hospitalized in serious condition. Within hours, the Prosecutor Generals office in Uzbekistan issued a statement saying that an Afghan military plane had collided with an Uzbek plane that was scrambled to escort it to the airport at Termez, a city in Surkhandarya. The office later retracted that statement, which also alleged that 22 warplanes and 24 military helicopters from Afghanistan carrying 585 servicemen illegally crossed into Uzbek airspace over the weekend and were forced by Uzbek authorities to land at Termez. The Prosecutor Generals office later apologized for a hasty statement on the messaging app Telegram and said it was not based verified data from the relevant authorities. The Associated Press couldnt immediately reconcile all the conflicting reports or independently verify them. Caroline Tabler, a communications director for Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, said the GOP lawmakers office was working urgently to support Afghan pilots fleeing from the Taliban to Uzbekistan. She appeared to confirm that at least some Afghan military personnel had reached Uzbekistan. Were working with an intermediary whos been in touch with the pilots, she told the AP. We have not heard from them since last night (Washington) time. We know Uzbekistan has taken their cellphones. Our primary concern is making sure Uzbekistan does not turn them over to the Taliban. We are frantically reaching out to the State Department on this case and trying to get them asylum and literally cant get a response. A plane carrying more than 100 Afghan servicemen landed in Tajikistan on Monday, the Tajik Foreign Ministry said. Officials told Russias state news agency Tass that Tajikistan received an SOS signal and allowed a plane bound from Afghanistan to land at an airport in the Khatlon province, which borders both Afghanistan and Uzbekistans Surkhandarya region. On Sunday, Uzbekistans Foreign Ministry reported that 84 Afghan servicemen crossed the border into Uzbekistan, asking for assistance. The group was detained by border guards and included three wounded soldiers who needed medical help. The men were offered food and temporary accommodation in Uzbekistan, and the ministry said it was in touch with Afghan officials regarding the return of the Afghan soldiers. Associated Press Germany military sends aircraft to Kabul Three German military transport planes took off for Kabul on Monday to help airlift German nationals and Afghans who worked with them, the defense ministry said. Germany will work with international partners to evacuate as many people as possible from Afghanistan for as long as possible, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was quoted by German radio Deutschlandfunk as saying. For the army its clear: as long as possible and this depends a great deal on support from the Americans we will make as many rounds as we can out of Kabul, she said. Afghans who worked with the German military have been provided with exit documents, but the foreign ministry has urged them not to go to Kabul International Airport, Deutschlandfunk reported. In comments made at a closed-door meeting of her Christian Democratic Union party Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly said Germany may have to evacuate up to 10,000 people from Afghanistan, including 2,500 local support staff, human rights activists and lawyers, Reuters news agency reported. Around 40 members of the German Embassy in Kabul who were flown out of the country Sunday on a U.S. aircraft have arrived in Qatar, officials said. Karin Zeitvogel Report: Afghans who worked for US may temporarily go to bases in Wisconsin and Texas The U.S. intends to evacuate tens of thousands of at-risk Afghans who worked for the U.S. and was looking at temporarily housing them at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin and Fort Bliss in Texas, a U.S. official told Reuters on Monday. U.S. officials had considered bases in Qatar and Kuwait as possible landing spots for Afghans who applied for the Special Immigrant Visa program, which was designed to save Afghans who worked for the U.S. military and other government agencies. Veteran advocates and lawmakers also had suggested Guam as a destination. Hundreds of Afghans who were furthest along in the SIV process arrived with their families at Fort Lee in Virginia last month. Many thousands more have applied for the SIV program, which a State Department Inspector General report in June found was plagued by delays, understaffing and poor coordination. The State department has since set up a Priority 2 program for Afghan journalists, nongovernmental agency workers and others who worked with U.S. organizations not covered by the SIV. Report: US stops evacuation flights temporarily The U.S. is halting evacuation flights from Kabul to clear the runway, Reuters reported Monday afternoon. The United States military has temporarily halted all evacuation flights from Kabul to try and clear the airfield, which has filled up with people, US official says. Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) August 16, 2021 Music and journalism disappear in Taliban takeover Many of the Taliban arrived in Kabul on motorcycles Sunday but by Monday appeared to have upgraded to the Humvees and pickup trucks the U.S. had provided for Afghan security forces. Some Afghan security forces dropped their body armor and fled, but residents didnt touch the abandoned gear for fear of getting caught by the Taliban and facing strict punishment for theft. On some of Kabuls crowded roads, some cars played Taliban poetry, but none were heard playing music. The Taliban banned music as part of their interpretation of Islam when they took power in the 1990s. The flourishing of music has been touted as a cultural dividend of the U.S. reconstruction effort in the two decades since the militant group was ousted from power. So has the growth of Afghan news media. Now the state-owned Radio Television Afghanistan is under Taliban control. It is broadcasting Quran readings and Taliban poetry, but no music. Tolo TV, which began after a $220,000 grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development, is only broadcasting recaps of a Turkish historical drama called Resurrection: Ertrugul. Considered a Muslim Game of Thrones, the popular series focuses on the founding of the Ottoman Empire and its battles against Christendoms crusaders and the Mongol horde. Chad Garland and Zubair Babakarkhail Adviser says Biden stands by US withdrawal WASHINGTON U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the failure of the Afghan military is to blame for the Talibans swift takeover of Afghanistan. Sullivan said Monday that President Joe Biden didnt want the U.S. to enter a third decade of conflict in Afghanistan and believed it was time for the Afghan army to defend the country two decades after billions of dollars of investment and training by the U.S. But Sullivan said, we could not give them the will and ultimately they decided that they would not fight for Kabul. He added that the worst-case scenario for the U.S. would be to send thousands of troops to fight in a civil war when the Afghan army wasnt prepared to fight itself. Sullivan says Biden faced bad choices on the subject. The president ultimately opted to bring U.S. troops home and leave the Afghans to fight for themselves. He says its heartbreaking to see whats happening in Kabul but that Biden stands by his decision. Sullivan spoke Monday on ABCs Good Morning America and NBCs Today. USAFE stands by U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa aircraft and units have not been tasked to support operations in Afghanistan but are standing by if called upon, said Capt. Erik Anthony, a command spokesman. Jennifer H. Svan Like many, I struggle to make sense of it all Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, who said he spent a third of his career in and out of Afghanistan, is urging airmen to talk about their feelings about the crisis there to put your own experiences in some context which will allow you to move forward positively and productively. Chad Garland EU foreign ministers to hold emergency talks BRUSSELS European Union foreign ministers will hold emergency talks Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, after the president fled and the Taliban seized control of the capital, Kabul, over the weekend. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a tweet Monday that he decided to convene the extraordinary videoconference so the ministers can make a first assessment of developments. Borrell says that Afghanistan stands at a crossroad. Security and wellbeing of its citizens, as well as international security are at play. European nations have been caught by surprise at the speed of the takeover. Theyve been evacuating embassies and leaving the strife-torn country in recent days. The EU has small diplomatic mission in Kabul. Its one of Afghanistans biggest aid donors. UN says humanitarian aid agency is staying in Afghanistan GENEVA The U.N. humanitarian aid coordination agency says it and partners are staying and delivering to people in need despite a complex security situation in Afghanistan following a sweep by Taliban forces across the country. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, or OCHA, says in a note: The humanitarian community both the U.N. and nongovernmental organizations remains committed to helping people in the country. OCHA said thousands of internally displaced people who have been identified in recent weeks have received assistance including food, cash, health care, water, and sanitation support. While the security environment is highly complex, humanitarian agencies are staying and delivering to people in need, OCHA said. Even before the upheaval, some 18.4 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, OCHA said, and its $1.3 billion humanitarian response plan for the country is only 38% funded. German government expresses concern for Afghanistan BERLIN The German government has called on the Taliban to show restraint, protect the lives of the Afghan people and make sure needed humanitarian aid can reach them. A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said Monday that Germany is concerned about the fates of individual Afghans as well as the development of the entire country. Steffen Seibert said Monday that these are bitter developments, when looking at them against the background of the years-long missions of the western community of states. The government also said it is personally contacting all embassy staff, including local hires, whom they are trying to evacuate out of Kabul. A spokesman for the countrys foreign ministry warned people not to independently try to reach the airport because of the volatile and dynamic situation there. Christofer Burger told reporters Monday that the embassy is calling and emailing everyone who is on evacuation lists and giving them personal instructions. Hundreds of people run alongside a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane, some climbing on the plane, as it moves down a runway of the international airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16. 2021. (Verified UGC via AP) At just short of 20 years, the now-ending U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan was Americas 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. 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. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed through the Senate this week includes an amendment to expand the 25-mile Interstate 14 that passes along Fort Hood, Texas, into a 1,300-mile highway that connects 12 military bases in five southern states. Advocates said the new highway would allow the military to travel more easily between bases and to strategic Gulf Coast ports. (Killeen Daily Herald ) A proposed stretch of interstate highway that would connect a dozen military bases between Texas and Georgia made its way into the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate this week with the expectation it will improve access to bases located in some of the more isolated stretches of the South. The highway is a major step in advancing Interstate 14 as a future corridor for handling freight movement, military facility connectivity, coastal evacuation and sparking economic development, said John Thompson, chairman of the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition, a group of community leaders who advocate for the highway. If the House passes the sweeping legislation and sends it to President Joe Biden to sign into law, it will expand Interstate Highway 14 from its 25 miles near Fort Hood, Texas, into Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and onto Augusta, Ga. The proposed 1,300-mile route runs between Interstate Highways 10 and 20 and would primarily upgrade already existing roads. It would better connect tens of thousands of troops and families at bases including Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Fort Polk, La., Camp Shelby and Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., and Fort Benning, Robins Air Force Base and Fort Gordon in Georgia, advocates contend. By linking to other interstate highways, it could also ease travel as far west as Fort Bliss, Texas, and as far east as Fort Stewart, Ga., and the Port of Savannah, according to a map of the proposed route. Thompson, a former county judge for Polk County, Texas, where the highway is planned to stretch across, used the phrase forts to ports to describe the proposed route. (Map provided by the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition) Its about moving troops and material, and it creates an ease in the ability to keep our country safe, he said. Of the Armys 11 armored brigade combat teams, six reside in Texas, said Keith Sledd, a coalition board member. Sure, you can go to the Texas ports, but what if something happens like [Hurricane Harvey] in Houston several years ago? he said. In 2017, the massive storm closed the Port of Houston for an entire week. The nearby Port of Beaumont, which Sledd said is also used by the military, remained closed to large ships for several weeks after Harvey and suffered eroded shorelines and infrastructure damage that took years to fully repair. To get them to another port, thats what this highway offers. Its the ability to move to ports over in Louisiana or Mississippi or Alabama, or vice versa, said Sledd, a retired Army colonel and executive director of the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance. Based outside of Fort Hood in Killeen, the nonprofit is funded by local governments to advocate on issues that benefit the military in central Texas and the surrounding communities. Fort Stewart is home to three Army brigades but also experiences hurricanes. The new highway would allow those brigades to get to other ports to the west to deploy, if needed, he said. [Hurricanes] often interdict I-10 and it may lead to flooding or sometimes physical damage to the road structure itself or bridges. What this gives you is an ability if there is a contingency going on at the same time youve got one of those extreme weather events going on, you now can bypass it further inland, Sledd said. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., proposed the amendment to the bill with support from the other eight senators in the five affected states. The House has not released a scheduled of when lawmakers might debate the infrastructure bill. Cruz said passage of the amendment clears the way begin the necessary work to upgrade this road system and connect strategic military installations across our states. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed through the Senate this week includes an amendment to expand the 25-mile Interstate 14 that passes along Fort Hood, Texas, into a 1,300-mile highway that connects 12 military bases in five southern states. Advocates said the new highway would allow the military to travel more easily between bases and to strategic Gulf Coast ports. (Killeen Daily Herald ) This planned route would connect military installations across Georgia and drive economic opportunities to our rural communities, Warnock said. Outside of the military, local communities could also see an economic bump, Sledd and Thompson said. Where I-10 and I-20 run through some of the largest cities in these five states, proposed I-14 would bring life to some smaller towns, including many where military families live, shop and seek employment. All the large corporations, distribution centers or manufacturing companies, they want to locate where their logistics is simplified and it's usually adjacent to an interstate system, Sledd said. In the existing stretch of I-14 running near Fort Hood, where about 89,000 trucks make deliveries each year, he said theyve already seen positive improvements to traffic and new business development. Federalizing the highway also allowed for the road to expand from two lanes to three in each direction. Rose Thayer The Lava Fire, near Mount Shasta and Lake Shastina in Siskiyou County, California, on June 27, 2021. (Paul Kuroda, Zuma Press/TNS) (Tribune News Service) Seven weeks before an important wildfire monitoring program is slated to lose access to Pentagon satellite data, 31 Democrats from California on Monday demanded the Defense Department commit to continuing the access that firefighters have come to rely on. Since 2019, the Pentagon has been providing data from its classified infrared satellites to help firefighters in California and around the country spot and track wildfires. But that access is scheduled to end Sept. 30, and there is no assurance it will be extended. "Its ending brings new dangers to firefighters on the front lines," the lawmakers, led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), and including Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, wrote to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday. "We believe that the Department must extend this program." The Los Angeles Times reported last month that Fireguard faced losing access to the military's material and that the Pentagon was hesitant to permanently renew it. Heeding the praise from fire officials for the program, lawmakers have become more vocal in their concerns in recent weeks. The program relies on satellite and drone data from a variety of sources, including the military, to provide on-the-ground fire officials with a holistic and almost real-time view of fires. It can be used to identify a fire spark in a remote region or track a fire in action, aiding with evacuations and firefighting. "During the 2020 fire season, the FireGuard program produced invaluable reports that provided early detections of fires and gave firefighters, as well as state and local agencies, the ability to assess the situation on the ground, which helped save lives and property," they wrote. "With fire seasons lasting longer and growing more dangerous each year due to climate change, ending the program in the middle of this year's fire season could be devastating to state and local firefighting efforts, and potentially prove costly in terms of both lives and property." The Democratic lawmakers asked for assistance to be extended through the end of next year. They also said they plan to draft "legislative remedies to ensure the smooth continuation of FireGuard." A Schiff spokesperson said they expect to address FireGuard in the Intelligence Authorization Act, which is expected to be taken up in the fall, and that legislative language is still being developed. Questions remain about how far Congress can go in ordering the Pentagon to share material it deems classified. 2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Tesla 2018 Model 3 sedans on display outside a Tesla showroom in Littleton, Colo., in 2018. The U.S. government has opened a formal investigation into Tesla's Autopilot partially automated driving system, saying it has trouble spotting parked emergency vehicles. (David Zalubowski/AP) US probing Autopilot problems on 765,000 Tesla vehicles DETROIT The U.S. government has opened a formal investigation into Tesla's Autopilot partially automated driving system after a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles. The investigation covers 765,000 vehicles, almost everything that Tesla has sold in the U.S. since the start of the 2014 model year. Of the crashes identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of the probe, 17 people were injured and one was killed. NHTSA says it has identified 11 crashes since 2018 in which Teslas on Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control have hit vehicles at scenes where first responders have used flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board or cones warning of hazards. The agency announced the action Monday in a posting on its website. The probe is another sign that NHTSA under President Joe Biden is taking a tougher stance on on automated vehicle safety than under previous administrations. Previously the agency was reluctant to regulate the new technology for fear of hampering adoption of the potentially life-saving systems. The investigation covers Tesla's entire current model lineup, the Models Y, X, S and 3 from the 2014 through 2021 model years. The National Transportation Safety Board, which also has investigated some of the Tesla crashes dating to 2016, has recommended that NHTSA and Tesla limit Autopilot's use to areas where it can safely operate. The NTSB also recommended that NHTSA require Tesla to have a better system to make sure drivers are paying attention. NHTSA has not taken action on any of the recommendations. The NTSB has no enforcement powers and can only make recommendations to other federal agencies. "Today's action by NHTSA is a positive step forward for safety," NTSB Chair Jennifer L. Homendy said in a statement Monday. "As we navigate the emerging world of advanced driving assistance systems, it's important that NHTSA has insight into what these vehicles can, and cannot, do." Last year the NTSB blamed Tesla, drivers and lax regulation by NHTSA for two collisions in which Teslas crashed beneath crossing tractor-trailers. The NTSB took the unusual step of accusing NHTSA of contributing to the crash for failing to make sure automakers put safeguards in place to limit use of electronic driving systems. The agency made the determinations after investigating a 2019 crash in Delray Beach, Florida, in which the 50-year-old driver of a Tesla Model 3 was killed. The car was driving on Autopilot when neither the driver nor the Autopilot system braked or tried to avoid a tractor-trailer crossing in its path. "We are glad to see NHTSA finally acknowledge our long standing call to investigate Tesla for putting technology on the road that will be foreseeably misused in a way that is leading to crashes, injuries, and deaths," said Jason Levine, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, an advocacy group. "If anything, this probe needs to go far beyond crashes involving first responder vehicles because the danger is to all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians when Autopilot is engaged." Autopilot has frequently been misused by Tesla drivers, who have been caught driving drunk or even riding in the back seat while a car rolled down a California highway. A message was left seeking comment from Tesla, which has disbanded its media relations office. Shares of Tesla Inc., based in Palo Alto, California, fell 4.3% Monday. NHTSA has sent investigative teams to 31 crashes involving partially automated driver assist systems since June of 2016. Such systems can keep a vehicle centered in its lane and a safe distance from vehicles in front of it. Of those crashes, 25 involved Tesla Autopilot in which 10 deaths were reported, according to data released by the agency. Tesla and other manufacturers warn that drivers using the systems must be ready to intervene at all times. In addition to crossing semis, Teslas using Autopilot have crashed into stopped emergency vehicles and a roadway barrier. The probe by NHTSA is long overdue, said Raj Rajkumar, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University who studies automated vehicles. Tesla's failure to effectively monitor drivers to make sure they're paying attention should be the top priority in the probe, Rajkumar said. Teslas detect pressure on the steering wheel to make sure drivers are engaged, but drivers often fool the system. "It's very easy to bypass the steering pressure thing," Rajkumar said. "It's been going on since 2014. We have been discussing this for a long time now." The crashes into emergency vehicles cited by NHTSA began on Jan. 22, 2018 in Culver City, California, near Los Angeles when a Tesla using Autopilot struck a parked firetruck that was partially in the travel lanes with its lights flashing. Crews were handling another crash at the time. Since then, the agency said there were crashes in Laguna Beach, California; Norwalk, Connecticut; Cloverdale, Indiana; West Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Cochise County, Arizona; Charlotte, North Carolina; Montgomery County, Texas; Lansing, Michigan; and Miami, Florida. "The investigation will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist and enforce the driver's engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation," NHTSA said in its investigation documents. In addition, the probe will cover object and event detection by the system, as well as where it is allowed to operate. NHTSA says it will examine "contributing circumstances" to the crashes, as well as similar crashes. An investigation could lead to a recall or other enforcement action by NHTSA. "NHTSA reminds the public that no commercially available motor vehicles today are capable of driving themselves," the agency said in a statement. "Every available vehicle requires a human driver to be in control at all times, and all state laws hold human drivers responsible for operation of their vehicles." The agency said it has "robust enforcement tools" to protect the public and investigate potential safety issues, and it will act when it finds evidence "of noncompliance or an unreasonable risk to safety." In June, NHTSA ordered all automakers to report any crashes involving fully autonomous vehicles or partially automated driver assist systems. Tesla uses a camera-based system, a lot of computing power, and sometimes radar to spot obstacles, determine what they are, and then decide what the vehicles should do. But Carnegie Mellon's Rajkumar said the company's radar was plagued by "false positive" signals and would stop cars after determining overpasses were obstacles. Now Tesla has eliminated radar in favor of cameras and thousands of images that the computer neural network uses to determine if there are objects in the way. The system, he said, does a very good job on most objects that would be seen in the real world. But it has had trouble with parked emergency vehicles and perpendicular trucks in its path. "It can only find patterns that it has been quote-unquote trained on," Rajkumar said. "Clearly the inputs that the neural network was trained on just do not contain enough images. They're only as good as the inputs and training. Almost by definition, the training will never be good enough." Tesla also is allowing selected owners to test what it calls a "full self-driving" system. Rajkumar said that should be investigated as well. It seems the Bay of Plenty is quite the hotspot for New Zealand music legends.Glyn Tucker Jnr, ex-producer, record label owner and the lead singer of 1960s hit-makers The Gremlins, has called Katikati home for about a year. The bands hit single, The Coming Generation, was number two on the New Zealand Hit Parade charts in 1966second only to The Beatles Yellow Submarine. Glyns music career continued for more than 50 years, and he was part of several bands before founding Mandrill recording studio and a record label of the same title, later renamed Reaction. The label signed The Crocodiles, Satellite Spies and The Mockers, to name but a few. Glyn helped produce many of these bands hits, like The Crocodiles Tears and The Mockers Forever Tuesday Morning. Living in Katikati, were closer to more surrounding towns compared to when we lived in Ruakaka, which provides great opportunity for live music, says Glyn. It was only a few years ago that he decided to play music again, starting with guitar. At the studio we worked with some incredibly proficient singers Jacqui Fitzgerald springs to mind, he says. I never wanted to sing again because I knew that I couldnt get anywhere near what they did. But with a pending hip replacement hindering his retirement activity of choice golf he began taking on songs from his mothers old music books. I stumbled into playing Frank Sinatra, and thought with a bit of work, I could probably sing these. I soon realised that his vocal range is very similar to Neil Diamond, so I started doing Neil Diamond shows. Hes teamed up with 70s New Zealand TV star and performer Barbie Davidson for a cabaret-style show called Divas and Diamonds, featuring Glyns versions of Neil Diamond songs, as well as hits from Glen Campbell, Gene Pitney, Dean Martin and more. For the Divas part of the show, Barbies performances will include Cilla Black, Barbara Streisand and Dusty Springfield. Renowned Kiwi guitarist, Gray Bartlett, will feature at Divas and Diamonds Tauranga show at Baycourt on Sunday, September 26. Glyn says theres an appetite amongst the older generation to hear hits from the earlier days, which he says is very different to what plays on the radio nowadays. Many songs today repeat one very simple idea, and I often think all they need is a good bridge to become great. There is so much talent out there. Modern artists that do please his producers ear include local legends L.A.B, and Six60. Divas and Diamonds debuted at a local retirement village, which Glyn says was a great success. In my generation, we never knew that wed still be here at this age. The Whos My Generation says I hope I die before I get old, but now that were old, we dont really want to die we want to keep enjoying life. Divas and Diamonds tickets can be purchased at the Baycourt box office, or by calling: 0800 Ticketek. Construction of Omokoroa Domains new million-dollar playground has officially begun, kicking off the construction of a feature that will undoubtedly become a drawcard for kids and adults alike. Downer was awarded the playground construction contract in July, but works have been delayed until the final pieces of play equipment arrived from overseas. Councils reserves and facilities projects and assets manager, Scott Parker, says theyre thrilled the final playground pieces have arrived, as construction can now get underway and the playground will be ready for use in summer. Its been a long journey to get to this point. We undertook thorough community consultation over 18 months with tangata whenua, representatives from the community, businesses and schools. The final playground was designed to echo our community voices and provide a space for everyone to connect and have fun. The new playground equipment will include a tower slide structure, a new double rope swing that replaces the old lullaby, trampolines, tunnels and a hamster wheel, creating a new recreation experience for all. Local schools Omokoroa No 1, Omokoroa Point, Pahoia, Whakamarama and Te Puna also got involved in the design of the play equipment, giving the project team some inspiration by bringing their ideas for the playground to life with models. The effort and enthusiasm from students was great, and weve done our best to reflect their ideas, says Scott. The new fit-for-purpose playground is an important part of the Omokoroa Domain upgrade which will ultimately include a boardwalk along The Esplanade and foreshore, a covered BBQ, footpaths, fitness equipment and landscaping. The playground upgrade is funded through a mix of existing asset renewal funding and capital works funding. For more information about this project, visit: www.westernbay.govt.nz/omokoroa-playground-upgrade A concept plan of the new playground. The government has agreed to help New Zealanders and their families evacuate from Afghanistan, as well as Afghan nationals deemed under risk. Watch here: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced this afternoon that the Cabinet has also agreed to assist at least 37 Afghan nationals who worked with NZDF, police, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade or who helped with Operation Burnham and who now may be at risk. An NZDF C-130 and personnel will be deployed for at least a month to help with evacuation efforts, but there are no more details at this stage. Foreign officials had been working to bring home New Zealanders as Taliban militants secured control of all major Afghan cities. President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country as the Taliban moved in, signalling the culmination of a long shift in power former NZ prime minister Helen Clark has labelled a "catastrophic failure" of Western foreign policy intelligence. Ardern was joined by Defence Minister Peeni Henare and Chief of Defence Force Kevin Short to provide an update on the situation in Afghanistan when addressing media. The prime minister says New Zealand is gravely concerned about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and "the advance of the Taliban and the threat that poses to those attempting to get out, including foreign nationals". She says the government has offered 53 New Zealand citizens there consular support. "We are working through this with the utmost urgency," she says. She says the government will also look at ways New Zealand can support the humanitarian response. Three aspects of New Zealand's assistance were discussed at Cabinet today, she says. These were getting NZ citizens and their family out safely; support for Afghan nationals who assisted the NZ Defence Force and may be at risk, and NZ Defence Force deployment to the region to assist with evacuations. MFAT officials are also looking at providing support to contact affected Afghanis. Potential partners include the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN Refugee Agency. Ardern says Cabinet will continue to make efforts to support New Zealand citizens and their families, and made an in-principle decision to help evacuate Afghan nationals who had helped the NZ Defence Force, police, MFAT, or provided material assistance to the Operation Burnham inquiry. This applied if there were reasonable grounds to believe the safety of the individual or their immediate family is at risk from their association with New Zealand and no other partner government would be more appropriate to help. It will apply to the specific individual and their immediate nuclear family only. Longer term there may be opportunities to resettle additional applicants from Afghanistan, she added. The government is aware of 37 individuals who had helped the NZDF. Defence officials are in close contact with partners to discuss operational decisions but this would not be discussed, partially for security reasons. Chief of Defence Force Kevin Short. Image: RNZ/Sam Rillstone. Kevin Short says there will be Defence personnel help with evacuating people, including providing security of the aircraft itself. "What we will deploy with is people to maintain and operate the aircraft for a number of weeks, and also have our own air movements, maintenance personnel, logistics support, medical and security," he says. This may or may not include New Zealand's SAS. "At this stage we're planning to deploy for a month but we're not sure the security situation will allow us to operate for that long, so we'll do as much as we can over the next few weeks." Ardern says there was no expectation internationally that the situation in Afghanistan would deteriorate so quickly. "But it has happened rapidly and so we have responded rapidly." There had until recently been commercial opportunities for people in the country to flee, but that is no longer the case, she says, and the government is doing what it can to help. Short says the NZDF is planning to work with Australia at this point but may do some New Zealand-only operations as well, if required. Helping Afghan nationals Ardern says some Afghan nationals would not have fallen within the criteria created by the 2012 National government, and work is being done to change the criteria but the decisions made by Cabinet now have ditched that completely. Ardern says individuals will not be evacuated and brought to New Zealand immediately. "That will enable us some time us to work through the wider logistical arrangements around managed isolation," she says. She says the numbers are believed to be small enough to be manageable within the managed isolation contingency rooms New Zealand already has available. Communication with people on the ground in Afghanistan is mostly being done at the moment through Immigration New Zealand, and agencies will need to work on expediting identity verification and matching people with lists provided by the New Zealand groups that have received help from locals. Ardern says agencies for the most part had lists of individuals who had helped them, so any possible fraudulent applications would largely be people impersonating someone else. The groups that have been identified are the ones who are being prioritised because they are the ones New Zealand has the ability to quickly help in this way. Short says the troops deployed would not be readied for combat, but instead would have self-protection rules. The US and UK forces will have thousands of troops securing the airfield itself, he says. He says they are planning on being able to help hundreds of people - about 200 from the initial family groupings of those who have helped the NZDF, and they expect there will be many more, for example those who helped the Operation Burnham inquiry. Defence Minister Peeni Henare. Image: RNZ/Sam Rillstone. Appeal to Taliban Ardern appealed to the Taliban to show, by their actions, the kind of administration they intend to be and allow people to leave safely, take into account the wellbeing of women and girls, and their rights to education. "The whole world will be watching," she says. "It will all come down to what's demonstrated, it will be all about the actions, not the words." "New Zealand will always fall back on its values. What we want to see is human rights upheld. We want to see women and girls being able to access work and education - these are things that have traditionally not been available to them when there has been governance by the Taliban." She says she spoke with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison about operational deployment and says each country would make their own decisions about who they were engaging with and assisting. She confirmed New Zealand may also help other countries evacuate their foreign nationals. Henare defended New Zealand's role in the country. He says about 3500 personnel have been sent to Afghanistan in the past 20 years or so, and "if we reflect back on it I am confident, and I believe that, our contribution is a positive one". The comments were echoed by Ardern. She says every member of the NZDF who went to Afghanistan did so to make the lives of the people there better, "and they did make a difference". RNZ. Lawton, OK (73501) Today Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 74F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 74F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Google has been rumored for a showcase event of the Pixel 5a, the latest Android smartphone from the internet company which would be its most powerful yet. The initial rumors have said that it might bring the device to a showcase event this Tuesday, August 17, giving people the update of the smartphone for this year. Most smartphones are expected to have a yearly update, despite how advanced their device and technology are for the current release. This is evident with Apple's smartphone lineup with the latest iPhone 12 already having a successor, the iPhone 13. However, it does not solely center on Apple, like other smartphone makers like Samsung's Galaxy series, and Google's Pixel series also release it on an annual basis. Google Pixel 5a: August 17 Showcase Google's Pixel 5a has been rumored to have an August 17 showcase, and according to the Android Police, it showed "repair shop" images of the device. The raw device resembles the Pixel 4a, or the previous generation of the device, but it would have a better specs sheet compared to it. The Internet company has not changed much of a design, apart from the plastic shell and colors which it would bring. The setup would still have the almost bezel-less design and its dual-camera setup for its rear lens. The Pixel 5a would still be a budget phone, and it would help users get a device with all its features and offers, at an affordable price. It would be like its predecessors which would not have that much of a price tag, rather something which provides a great choice when funds are tight. Rumors also point out its release with the Android 12 or the latest operating system by Google. Read Also: Google Wear OS3 Offers First Exclusive YouTube Music Smartwatch App, But You Still Need To Have One Thing To Access It Google Pixel 5a Specs Engadget says that the smartphone would rely on the Snapdragon chips for its Pixel 5a, and would forego its supposed use of the Tensor SoC chip that is going to be available on the Pixel 6. The Snapdragon to be included here would be around the top variant or mid, which is the Snapdragon 765G, which would sport a capability to feature the 5G network. Moreover, the Pixel 5a was said to have a larger battery capacity, having a prior 3,800 mAh with the Pixel 4a 5G. The new battery would be a 4,680 mAh pack, which is the same as other brand new phones from Xiaomi and OnePlus. Would Pixel 5a be Worth It? The Pixel 5a will bring a new option for people that are looking for a budget phone to buy and use. It would feature a great specs sheet without having to cost the user much. However, if they can save up and go for a higher spec Android phone, they may wait and opt for the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro. It would have the latest Tensor chip, which is something that would be on par with Snapdragon and the Apple A-chips. Related Article: Google Pixel 6 Additional Specs: Expect Wireless Charging Stand and Cooling Fans This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Like many other educators, Kelli Joseph thought the worst was over. Yet, the superintendent in rural St. Helena Parish is once again starting a new school year with cases of the deadly coronavirus on the rise. Its unnervingly familiar. Actually, its worse. It feels like deja vu on steroids, Joseph said. The latest numbers suggest she has good reasons for concern. Since the viruss fourth wave through Louisiana began in early July, cases have skyrocketed across all age groups. That includes school-age children, a group that suffered little early in the pandemic. During the first week of August, there were 5,320 cases among 5- to 17-year-olds. Thats almost double Louisianas previous peak in early January and seven times as many as a year ago when the 2020-21 school year began. Driven by the much more infectious delta variant, the virus has recently taken brutal advantage of the relatively low vaccination rates among the states 4.7 million residents, quickly overwhelming its health care system. Those rates are even lower among eligible children. Just 30% of the states 330,000-plus 12- to 17-year-olds are at least partially inoculated. The national average is around 43%. In six states, more than 60% of that age range have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Only five states have rates lower than Louisiana. And then theres the 800,000 children in the state younger than 12 who are ineligible for vaccination. They arent expected to be eligible until later this year or perhaps early next year. Vaccinations, though, have been picking up as the virus has reasserted itself, including among 12- to 17-year-olds. This is especially true in Acadiana, the Houma-Thibodaux area and on the north shore. Seven parishes have increased their vaccinations rates by more than 20 percentage points during July and early August. Ascension and East Baton Rouge parishes have increased by 19 percentage points each. Even so, Orleans Parish is the only parish where more than half of 12- to 17-year-olds are at least partially vaccinated, and even there, only 35% have received both shots. Unlike adult vaccinations, the pace of vaccinations among children has been hampered by the need for parental consent. Thats tough in a state where many parents are hostile to COVID-19 vaccinations, especially when it comes to children. Even parents open to the idea have been hesitant due to potential health risks as well as the still-common perception that the virus spares children. Persuading families that children should get vaccinated has been a tough sell even in parishes like West Feliciana. The parish is second only to Orleans in its vaccination rates for adults but lags slightly behind the state when it comes to vaccinating 12- to 17-year-olds. Betsy Levasseur and her husband, Christophe, had been putting off getting vaccinated, both for themselves and for their three daughters. We were hesitant about the vaccine across the board. My husband had (COVID-19), and then I had it, Levasseur said. We delayed being vaccinated just to let some of the dust settle. As the fourth wave poured through Louisiana, sending younger and younger folks to the hospital, Levasseur had second thoughts. You just see the age of people being put on ventilators, she said. Its not what we saw at the beginning of the pandemic. After talking with her father, a doctor himself, and their family physician, the couple recently took the plunge both for themselves and their two older daughters, ages 12 and 14 their youngest just turned 11 and is not yet eligible. On Wednesday, the couple got their second shot at West Feliciana Parish Hospital. On Friday, their two older daughters got their final shots at school via an arrangement with the hospital. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Hollis Milton, superintendent of schools in the parish, had worked with the hospital this past spring to vaccinate some 80% of the districts employees, so it was natural to work together again. Our hospital reached out to see if we would be able to do it, Milton said. We like the idea because the hospital has vetted all the paperwork to be signed by the parent and so that streamlines everything for our school nurses. Some schools are going further. In St. Helena Parish, theres a clinic at every school where employees and students, provided they have parental consent, can get vaccinations and routine COVID-19 testing through an arrangement with Southeast Community Health System. Joseph said the fast spread of the delta variant has forced her staff to up their game. Now its not just about keeping in place the things we did last year but to put extra things in place to keep kids safe, she said. Yet, it only goes so far. The school system can only do so much, Joseph said. Thats a big fear for me. As a parent of a school-age child, Im just as concerned as any other parent would be. While schools across the state were able to reopen over the past two weeks without apparent incident, there were exceptions. A Catholic high school in Donaldsonville shifted to virtual-only for 10 days after 15 students tested positive. And a couple of charter schools in Baton Rouge decided to delay the start of school, in one case because of a faculty member who tested positive. Virtual instruction has been dialed down substantially this year compared with last year in favor of in-person instruction, though it still exists and is in demand. For instance, East Baton Rouge Parish school officials recently expanded access to their lone virtual option, EBR Virtual Academy, and had enrolled 723 students at the end of last week quadruple its enrollment two weeks earlier. Its unclear how many coronavirus cases the schools are contending with. State-level public recording of cases in K-12 schools has yet to restart and many school districts release little to no additional information. One exception is New Orleans public schools. That charter-only school district has recorded a total of 120 cases at 88 campuses, forcing 638 people to quarantine. Warren Easton High has had the most cases, 21, while Booker T. Washington High has had just eight cases but the most quarantines, with 174. Meanwhile, a new federally funded, state-run COVID-19 testing in schools program has grown from five to 12 parish or city school districts, as well as a smattering of newly adopting charter and private schools, including the Diocese of Baton Rouge. The late start of the testing program led one school, Louisiana Key Academy in Baton Rouge, to delay its start date for the new school year by 10 days to this Monday. The K-8 charter school, which focuses on children with dyslexia, was one of the only schools last year to routinely test staff and students for coronavirus via an arrangement with Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The school started with twice-a-week testing before downscaling to testing once at the start of every week. It became like carpool, just a thing you do on Monday morning, Principal Heather Bourgeois said. She said it was effective in getting an early read on the spread of the virus and limit who would have to quarantine. Besides safety, the goal was to allow for the greatest possible in-person instruction, which Bourgeois said is even more important when it comes to children with dyslexia. For a dyslexic kid to have to go home for five days here, five days there, its very disruptive, Bourgeois said. This year, the school planned to shift to the state testing program, but its not set to start until the week of Aug. 23 at earliest. As cases of the virus proliferated, Bourgeois and the schools board decided to not take any chances. So they put off the start of school until they could purchase additional testing to cover the days until the state program would kick in. We are going to go ahead and pay for the first round of testing, because we know how important it is, she said. Louisiana Key Academy is also heavily promoting vaccinations. Its held two vaccine clinics already and is planning a third. Its also holding its own vaccine lottery, which is open not only to the 112 older students eligible to get vaccinated but also to their family members and the family members of younger students if they can show all the eligible members of their household are already vaccinated. Were encouraging households, or even that really good friend you hang out with a lot, to come out and get vaccinated, Bourgeois said. Louisiana's top school board will soon decide whether to defy Gov. John Bel Edwards and let school districts decide if public school students should be forced to wear face masks because of the coronavirus pandemic. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is set to take up the issue during its meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday. While BESE issues rarely boil down to partisan splits, majority Republicans on the board are said to be especially interested in debating the mask issue and Democrat Edwards' authority. The topic could also spark a heavy turnout of residents because face masks for students have sparked controversy in St. Tammany Parish and elsewhere. Sandy Holloway, president of BESE, said she does not know what the 11-member panel will do. But Holloway noted that, before the governor issued his mask mandate on Aug. 2, BESE made a point of saying the issue should be left to the state's 69 school districts. "Decisions regarding masking and other prevention measures were granted to Louisiana's local school systems to have authority to develop COVID-19 policies appropriate for their communities," Holloway said in July. What set off the latest debate was an opinion issued Aug. 6 by GOP state Attorney General Jeff Landry, who has clashed with Edwards on a wide range of issues. Jeff Landry says state school board, not governor, has final say on face masks in schools Escalating a political feud, state Attorney General Jeff Landry issued an opinion Friday that said Louisiana's top school board has the final Landry said BESE, not the governor, has the final say on whether students should be required to wear masks despite the governor's order, which applies to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Edwards called Landry's opinion "completely wrong," irresponsible and dangerous. The governor, who is also an attorney, said he clearly has the authority to act during a public health emergency. Michael Melerine, a Shreveport attorney and BESE's newest member, said state law gives the board the authority to set COVID-19 rules. "Our local communities are in the best position to craft safety guidelines for their schools," Melerine said in an email response to questions. "I have faith that our local communities will weigh all information available and, with the input of families, teachers, staff and health professionals, develop appropriate policies." Doris Voitier, one of Edwards' three appointees on BESE, said the fact that an executive order is in place is crucial. "Unless someone can convince me different, I am of the opinion an emergency situation and executive order by the governor supersedes any decision we would make," said Voitier, who is the longtime superintendent of the St. Bernard Parish school system. Jim Garvey, a Metairie attorney and the board's longest-serving member, said while he has not made up his mind on any BESE mask stance, he has always taken the position that local control is best. "But I do feel that right now, decisions are being made for the state as a whole, and situations in St. Tammany could be hugely different from the situation in Tensas Parish," Garvey said. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Belinda Davis, a BESE member who lives in Baton Rouge and an appointee of the governor, said it is hard to imagine that the Legislature envisioned allowing BESE to overrule a governor during an emergency. "Even if I believed we could overturn his order, and to be clear I do not, it is irrefutable that medical experts say we need the mask mandate," Davis said. "That is enough for me." Edwards, in a letter last week to legislative leaders, said without a mask mandate, children will get sick and die from the delta variant. "Without a requirement that our kids return to school wearing face coverings, we will have created the perfect environment for delta to strengthen its hold in Louisiana," he said. "We will see massive disruptions in classrooms and schools." The debate will take place amid skyrocketing cases of the virus in Louisiana and just as schools open statewide after a pandemic-plagued 2020-21 school year. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that students and adults wear face masks. To stop the 'terrifying' COVID surge, Louisiana's top public health official urges mask-wearing As Louisianas hospitals buckle under a crushing wave of new COVID-19 infections, the states top public health official said Friday the only Critics contend whether students wear face masks is best left to families and local school officials, and that kindergarten students are an especially big challenge when it comes to masks. Others note that BESE's most recent stance let local school systems decide the mask issue was approved in early July, well ahead of the state's fourth surge of the virus. BESE debates often boil down to advocates for traditional public schools versus those who favor major overhauls in classroom operations. This one may be more political. Republicans enjoy a 6-5 majority on BESE. Edwards has three appointees: Voiter, Davis and Thomas Roque, of Alexandria all Democrats. +4 Students must wear masks, John Bel Edwards reiterates; he blames attorney general for confusion Gov. John Bel Edwards has accused state Attorney General Jeff Landry of causing confusion over face mask rules for children and reiterated tha State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley, who was Edwards' choice for the job in June 2020, is walking a political tightrope on the face mask debate. Asked if BESE should enact a policy that leaves the decision to local educators, Brumley said, "Our position has been, and we think it is important, that local control take place. "But look, there is a governor's order in place. We have promulgated to systems that a governor's order is in place." New LSU System president and chancellor William F. Tate IV answers questions at a press conference during his first day on the job Tuesday July 6, 2021, in Baton Rouge, La. LSU held a media availability with Tate in the LSU Tiger Card Office on the first floor of the Student Union. In an essay about craft and purpose that writers often share, the novelist Zadie Smith writes: To speak personally, the very reason I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life. Smith is a humourist as well as a novelist, and Im convinced this line was written for the express amusement of anyone whos ever known a writer. For all that may be pleasurable and interesting about writing, so much of it seems to have been specifically designed to stand in the way of lessons that would otherwise ease ones life, or at least make it possible to more accurately recognise the situation ones found oneself within. In practical terms, I know that its not over till its over, that all things have to function as theyre intended to. Its not enough to don the characteristics of ones chosen form in this case, every time, a 70,000-word document, which my novel has been sitting on plus/minus for more than a year now, which is great, except that it just doesnt work. You get into strange territory when you say what makes books work; they dont all have to work in the same way, or for the same people; but when a book does start working, you feel it, you just do. Until that point, you kind of have to sit there in the fuzz of it, then drag yourself slowly towards that feeling. Loading Between writing the draft of this short piece and coming back to edit it, I was in a Microsoft Teams meeting with about 15 people with our mics off because someone was presenting. As we watched the presentation, you could slowly see the faces of the attendees grow in consternation as we heard the news one by one, in our own little windows, whether this came from our phones or unseen, off-screen loved ones: Melbourne was about to enter its sixth (sixth!) COVID lockdown, and it was happening now, tonight, so quick. Despite its rapidity, it didnt feel as overwhelming as it could have felt if we hadnt just left a lockdown eight days earlier. Most people Ive talked to since just kind of felt resigned to it: time and again these 18 months, weve resolved to bunker in, then resolved to drag ourselves out of it, then examine the detritus for semi-salvageable best-laid plans, which we then project into a sketchy/unseeable future. Part of the fatigue is that its the same every lockdown, but its also different in all those unsettling ways the low points are in different places; the same pick-me-ups dont work; we dont excel or crack at the same points as the last time, and the people around us dont either. When the curtain rose on Bangarras powerful tribute to the people of the Kimberley in Brisbane on Monday night it brought to a successful climax a three-state journey to outrun border closures and changing public health restrictions. Weeks ago, 16 dancers and a nine-member production crew left their families behind to quarantine in Darwins Howard Springs, before heading to Brisbane to keep the dance companys only national tour for 2021 alive. Kassidy Waters of Bangarra Dance Theatre exercising during 14 days of quarantine at Howard Springs. Credit:Bangarra Dance Theatre Its one example of how the race by performance companies to stay a step ahead of shutdowns has led to madcap scrambles and unexpected detours across the country. Musica Vivas Hywel Sims is juggling seven national tours and has managed to present 50 concerts and a full schools program. He is trying to stay ahead of closures, and using replacement artists in affected cities where needed. That climate sceptic rogue from Rockhampton, Queensland Liberal National senator Matt Canavan, fired up social media with an attention-grabbing post asking Does anyone know whether the Taliban will sign up to net zero? The tasteless tweet prompted furious behind-the-scenes action on the Nationals federal MPs WhatsApp group, which presented Canavan with an ultimatum: take the tweet down in an hour or else. Canavan responded with a riposte of do your worst and former leader Michael McCormack and Victorian MP Darren Chester swung into action, labelling the tweet as offensive, disrespectful and totally lacking in any compassion. Impact: zero. Meanwhile, new Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce maintained his Twitter silence, lest the spat overshadow his August 10 public service announcement promoting Rail Safety Week. But behind the scenes BJ was attempting to manage the crisis, holding Zoom meetings from his paddock in Tamworth before counselling Canavan that his comment was an unnecessary conflation of two issues. Many of his dreams have already come true he is studying engineering and doing an undergraduate internship with the West Gate Tunnel project. But today, while his feet are in Footscray, his mind is in Kabul. More than anything he craves permanent residency and to be able to bring his family to Australia. That would be the best thing that could happen to me in my life. The federal government is facing pleas to protect Afghan nationals in Australia on temporary visas by extending their visas indefinitely and implementing an emergency humanitarian intake plan for people in Afghanistan at risk from the Taliban. Amnesty International Australia refugee co-ordinator Dr Graham Thom said Australia had the capacity to manage this humanitarian intake, just as we did for those fleeing the crisis in Syria. The Australian government must also act to protect Afghan nationals in Australia on temporary visas by extending their visas indefinitely. Afghan community leader Bassir Qadiri. Credit:Eddie Jim Afghan Australian leader Bassir Qadiri said the community was heartbroken. We dont know what will happen next, said Mr Qadiri, the chairperson of the Bakhtar Cultural Association. The dark age has started again over there. Six weeks ago, he applied for a humanitarian visa for his mother, concerned for her safety. My mother worked as a womens rights activist and educator for the past four decades. She has worked with government and NGOs such as UNICEF since 2002 to establish schools for girls in rural parts of Kabul, he said. Displaced Afghan women and children sheltering in a mosque in Kabul. A wave of refugees fleeing Afghanistan has already started. Credit:Getty Images She believed she could bring changes to womens lives in Afghanistan. The application was declined, but Mr Qadiri said he had applied again on Monday. He called on the Australian government to give Afghan Australians on temporary protection visas permanent protection and resettle the 7612 refugees from Afghanistan who remain marooned in Indonesia. Those people in Indonesia are suffering for nine years its time we raise our voices and stand up for them, he said. The Refugee Action Coalition called on the Morrison government to establish a special category for Afghan refugees to at least match Canadas announced intake of 20,000. It said Australias intake should include all those Afghans stranded in Indonesia because of the Australian government ban on accepting UNHCR refugees from Indonesia. Loading We are calling for all Afghan refugees and asylum seekers on temporary protection or bridging visas to be granted permanent visas, and for immediate arrangements to be made to bring their families to Australia, spokesperson Ian Rintoul said. A government source speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment said the issue of humanitarian visas was not the focus at the moment while the government worked on the operation to rescue people from Kabul. Government figures show that as of June 2021 more than 4200 people from Afghanistan are in Australia on temporary protection visas. Afghan Association of Victoria president Altaf Hussein said the mental stress was severe for people in Australia on such visas whose families were trapped in Afghanistan. Mr Husseins mother, a permanent resident, couldnt sleep on Sunday night after she lost contact with her family when the Taliban bombed the telephone tower in the district of Jaghori, where they live. I cant even imagine the problems of the [temporary visa] holders, Mr Hussein said. Through tears, he lamented: I cant do anything except write letters to the government saying what good residents they are; please bring their families here. What can I do? I am not a religious person, but now I am saying, Please God help me, let me do something for people from my country. You cannot imagine what is happening. Sayed Hussainizada an Australian Hazara, in his family restaurant in Sydneys Campbelltown. Credit:James Brickwood The same fears are being felt by Afghan Australians around the country. Sayed Hussainizada said his daughter-in-law scrambled to get out of Kabul on Saturday after her original flight to Sydney via Dubai was cancelled. The family had to pay an extra $5000 to get her a business class flight after her economy class ticket was cancelled. She arrived in Sydney on Sunday night and is in hotel quarantine. Mr Hussainizada, 50, who arrived in Australia as a refugee 21 years ago, said he barely slept on Sunday night because he was worried about the safety of friends and extended family. Mr Hussainizada, who is the founder and president of the Afghan Fajar Association and works in a family restaurant in Campbelltown, in Sydneys west, is also part of the persecuted Shiite Hazara community. We are worried about dark days in our history coming back, he said. Im really fearful for what is to come: Sydney lawyer Mariam Veiszadeh. Credit:Wolter Peeters Sydney lawyer and human rights advocate Mariam Veiszadeh, who was born in Kabul and arrived in Australia at the age of seven with her parents and older brother in 1990, said she spent Sunday night watching this human tragedy unfold in Afghanistan. She said Australia should be rescuing more vulnerable people and providing humanitarian aid. Its really hard to watch and feel helpless and sense of frustration that Western countries, including Australia, should be and could be doing more, she said. Im really fearful for what is to come. Crown casino has launched an investigation into one of its employees after it was revealed the man is part of a neo-Nazi group and boasted about bossing around the f---g n----rs who are his subordinates at the Melbourne casino. The first part of an eight-month investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes published on Sunday detailed an unprecedented infiltration of Australias largest neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Network. The investigation exposed the networks secret membership lists and its leaders support for the Christchurch terrorist and terror suspects facing trial in NSW and South Australia. The Porsche driver who filmed dying police officers in the aftermath of the fatal Eastern Freeway crash has dramatically demanded that his bail application be withdrawn moments before it was due to be heard, telling a court he would get better justice in Belarus. Richard Pusey, who has spent almost 14 of the past 15 months in jail, appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates Court hearing on Monday via video link from prison to apply for bail. A recent sketch of Richard Pusey facing court. Credit:Nine News However, during a discussion about the redaction of documents for release to the media, Mr Pusey abruptly stood and said: I dont want a bail application. Im not interested ... Im not interested in this judicial system, it doesnt work, it doesnt help anyone. Id get better justice in Belarus under [Alexander] Lukashenko ... goodbye. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has vented his frustration at illegal gatherings, introducing stricter measures to control Melbournes worsening COVID-19 outbreak, including a curfew, the closure of playgrounds and a two-week extension of the citys lockdown. Lockdown will be extended until September 2 with Melburnians required to stay home between 9pm and 5am. Playgrounds, skate parks and outdoor exercise equipment will be closed. Mr Andrews said the new restrictions, which come into force at 11.59pm, have been introduced to combat mystery cases and to stamp out rule-breaking behaviour and illegal gatherings. Victorias building industry says the tougher lockdown announced for Melbourne on Monday will add more than $500 million a day to the economic cost of the states latest COVID-19 outbreak. Major building jobs will be limited to 25 per cent of their usual workforce on site, while smaller projects will have a cap of just five people on the job at a time, as part of the raft of tighter restrictions in force from midnight. Master Builders Association chief executive Rebecca Casson says th sector has a good record for COVID-19 infection control. Credit:Scott McNaughton The Master Builders Association of Victoria says tens of thousands of construction workers will be stood down, with the loss of up to $63 million a day in wages, while about $455 million in revenue will be lost daily to the industry more broadly. The grocery trade will also be hit by the tougher lockdown, with hundreds of supermarkets reducing their opening hours to comply with the 9pm-to-5am curfew. On Thursday, residents of Melbourne will pass the sombre milestone of having spent 200 days in lockdown since the country first shut down in March last year. In Sydney, case numbers have remained persistently above 400 with multiple cases infectious in the community, and stricter lockdown measures came into place today, limiting peoples movement further. Eighteen months after coronavirus reared its ugly head, Australians, who initially sailed through the pandemic as the envy of the global community, now peer enviously overseas at successful vaccination programs, life returning to normal and a broadly effective management of living with the virus. Today on Please Explain, Nathanael Cooper is joined by The Age city editor Bianca Hall to talk about lockdown fatigue and parochialism. Australia is desperately trying to negotiate a landing spot at Kabul airport to rescue hundreds of Australians and Afghans, after cabinet gave the green light for a mission to Afghanistans Taliban-controlled capital. Cabinets national security committee on Monday approved a military evacuation plan to send multiple RAAF aircraft to Kabul to rescue up to 200 Australian citizens and their family members. Australian soldiers will also evacuate Afghan interpreters and other locals who have been granted humanitarian visas under the plan. The rescue operation which will include 250 Australian troops will take place in the coming days. Air force and army personnel leave RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland to travel to the Middle East to support an effort to evacuate people from Afghanistan. Credit:Defence A KC-30A transport tanker departed RAAF Base Amberley on Monday for Australias main operating base in the Middle East. It will then refuel and help support a wider US-led operation later this week. Multiple Defence sources, who were not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed that the nations ready deployment group, based in the North Queensland city of Townsville, had been given 30-minute notices to take off for Afghanistan. The operation will likely include two C-17 aircraft. Two of Australias top university chiefs have called for a rethink of how essential research is funded, warning the sectors financial pain will worsen as the pipeline of international students continues to contract. University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell said the current research funding model, which is heavily subsidised by the high fees paid by international students, should be abolished in favour of more direct federal government funding. University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell say the current research funding model for universities should be torn up. Credit:Justin McManus I do think that we need to tear up our research funding model and start again and start from scratch, Professor Maskell said on Monday. If the government chose to give a higher percentage of the full cost of research, then that would remove pressure on the universities to find other sources of income. It would give us more freedom, in fact, to choose how many international students to take and how to set that entire system up. 4. WESTERN BULLDOGS 60 pts 134.5% RUN HOME: Essendon (Lost), Hawthorn (Lost), Port Adelaide (H) WE SAY: How quickly things can change. The Bulldogs could have taken outright top spot had they beaten Essendon last week but successive defeats for the first time this season now have them scrambling to even hold on to fourth spot. Should Melbourne beat the Cats, and the Bulldogs tame the surging Power, the Dogs could finish top two and have a home qualifying final. However, should the Dogs lose, and Brisbane defeat West Coast by a strong margin, the Dogs could finish outside the top four. A season-ending knee injury to Josh Bruce and Stef Martins groin issues have hurt the balance, while a midfield regarded as the leagues deepest is being beaten in the clearances. That the Dogs managed a season low 37 points against the Hawks is not the sign of a premiership fancy. 5. BRISBANE LIONS 56 points 132.7% RUN HOME: Fremantle (Won), Collingwood (Won), West Coast (H) WE SAY: The Bulldogs are not the only side to have had their recent fortunes change. Where the Lions premiership hopes had taken a hit with three defeats over four rounds, culminating in the loss to the Hawks, they have rebounded over the past fortnight and could yet finish in the top four should they beat the Eagles, the Power edge the Bulldogs, and percentage goes the Lions way. Joe Danihers strong recent form has been crucial, while the Lions need Lachie Neale to stay fit and healthy. 6. SYDNEY 56 points 115.1% RUN HOME: St Kilda (Lost), North Melbourne (Won), Gold Coast (H) WE SAY: This has been a great tale of endurance for the Swans have been away from home for eight weeks, yet have won six of their past seven matches, and were able to rest Lance Franklin and Jake Lloyd against the Kangaroos. They have a home elimination final, possibly against the Giants, locked in regardless of this weeks clash against the Suns but will be without Nick Blakey, who was ruled out for the rest of the season with a cracked right fibula, and Josh Kennedy (hamstring). They will also hope Callum Mills (Achilles tendonitis) can return in time for the finals. 7. GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 42 pts 98.9% RUN HOME: Geelong (Won), Richmond (Won), Carlton (A) WE SAY: Like the Swans, the Giants have been on the road for eight weeks, and thoroughly deserve a finals berth should they, as expected, lock that in against the Blues when Toby Greene returns from suspension. However, should they lose, the Giants could slip out of the eight if two of Essendon, West Coast and Fremantle win. The Giants were inspired by the USAs Miracle on Ice win over the Soviet Union in 1980 when they beat Geelong, but it was simply a clinical effort against the Tigers, reinforcing why they are a serious premiership threat. 8. ESSENDON Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli army operation overnight to arrest Palestinian Hamas leader Qais al-Saadi at his home in the Jenin refugee campin West Bank on Oct. 4, 2015. (JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty Images) 4 Palestinians Killed During Israeli Operation to Arrest Hamas Suspect: Reports RAMALLAH, West BankUndercover Israeli forces on a raid to arrest a Hamas suspect from a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank exchanged fire with terrorists on Monday, Israeli police said, while a Palestinian local official said at least four Palestinians were killed. The incident occurred at a camp in the city of Jenin, where, Israeli police said in a statement, special forces disguised as Palestinians came under heavy fire from a large number of terrorists while on a mission to detain a terror suspect. During the operation, heavy fire was opened on the force from short ranges and by a large number of terrorists. The Border Polices undercover forces returned fire at the terrorists and neutralized them, the police said. Israeli police said there were no Israeli casualties. The Jerusalem Post identified the Hamas terror suspect as Mohammed Abu Zaina. Another two men were injured in the clash, Palestinian media reported. Palestinians in Jenin have declared a general strike and a day of mourning over the deaths. The Epoch Times contributed to this report. Education Minister Alan Tudge at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 9, 2020. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) Absolute Garbage: Education Minister on Academics Call to Rename English Australian Education Minister Alan Tudge has called an academics proposal to rename English to Language Arts absolute nonsense. University of Melbourne senior lecturer Melitta Hogarth told a conference for the Australian Association for the Teaching of English that she believed using the name English was an act of assimilation, reported The Courier-Mail. Hogarth, an Indigenous Australian, proposed to use other names such as Language Arts or Languages, Literacy, and Communications. Tudge said he would not support such suggestions and described his concern that a senior lecturer in an Australian university was advocating for such moves. Absolute garbage which shouldnt be part of our school system, Tudge told 2GB radio. It wasnt just wanting to change the name. She went on to say that English was about maintaining power and privilege and asserting the besieged sovereignty of the colonial state. Hogarth said in the conference that Indigenous Australians had their lands, children, and language removed from them. They were then directed by controlled government missions to speak English. The power of the coloniser within colonial Australia is clear when we consider how essential to the teaching and learning and schooling in Australia is the privileging of Standard Australian English, Hogarth said. A supposedly superior language, the language of the oppressor, and just to make sure you didnt know who the oppressor was, lets call that subject English. So Im left asking, is subject English just another act of assimilation? People walk past a statue of Captain James Cook stands in Sydneys Hyde Park on August 25, 2017 (William West/AFP via Getty Images) Tudge expressed his concern around the future of education in Australia which has been seeing a dramatic decline in resultswhen people with these notions were training the countrys future teachers. Shes an Assistant Dean in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, Tudge said. So, shes part of the training of our future teachers, and this is what makes me really concerned about these particular views. Not just the fact that theyre nonsense, we can reject those from the curriculum, but the fact is shes teaching our future teachers. 6PR Mornings executive producer Karalee Katsambanis said the push to rename English studies was absolutely ridiculous and expressed concern that it came from a senior academic. English is English. Lets just teach our children English and Maths and get back to the basics in education, Katsambanis told Sky News Australia. Australias English literacy standards have been in freefall for the last two decades, leaving graduating students with a lack of confidence in the area. The 2021 review into the national curriculum offered an opportunity to address the falling standards of education. However, the proposed curriculum was instead revealed to have removed all references to the nations democratic and Christian heritage. Under the proposed revisions curriculum, Indigenous Australians will be renamed as First Nation Australians, which Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine criticised. He said it was a term from Canada that had little relation to Australia. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan talks to reporters during the daily news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on June 7, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Biden National Security Adviser Says Afghanistan Army Lacked Will to Defend Against Taliban President Joe Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday defended the White Houses withdrawal from Afghanistan but admitted the South Asian country fell to the Taliban terrorist group faster than officials had anticipated. It is certainly the case that the speed with which cities fell was much greater than anyone anticipated, including the Afghans, including many of the analysts who looked hard at this problem, Sullivan said during a Monday morning interview on the Today show. The reason why Afghanistans armed forces and government collapsed so quickly, he said, is that we could not give them the will and they ultimately decided that they would not fight for Kabul and they would not fight for the country, while noting that the United States spent 20 years and billions of dollars in nation-building after the 2001 invasion. Over the past several days, as the Taliban made swift advances across the country before taking Kabul and the presidential palace on Sunday, Bidens administration has received blowback for the execution of the withdrawal. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul, at one point, issued a warning to staff to shelter in place due to gunfire being reported at the Kabul airport. Reports said that Americans are still sheltering in place at the Kabul airport. About a month ago, Biden said the pullout of Afghanistan is dissimilar to the fall of Saigon in 1975, when Vietnamese communist forces overran Vietnams capital city, which produced enduring images of American staff and civilians hastily evacuating on U.S. military helicopters. Theres going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a embassy, Biden said last month, adding that it was highly unlikely the Taliban would take over the country. Bidens words came back to haunt him over the weekend, with some pundits and GOP lawmakers accusing the president of failing to execute the pullout. Theyve also criticized the president for taking a vacation and not issuing any televised statements as the Afghan army collapsed. Sullivan on Monday insisted that the helicopter evacuations in Kabul were not unusual. To be fair, the helicopter has been the mode of transport from our embassy to the airport for the last 20 years, he said, again noting that the terrorist group took over Afghanistan faster than the administration anticipated. Sullivan also said that the military had additional contingencies in place, including adding more military forces to the Gulf to ensure they would be sent to Afghanistan. On Sunday and Monday, the terror group sought to project a more moderate face, promising to respect womens rights and protect both foreigners and Afghans. But many Afghans fear the Taliban will return to past harsh practices with their imposition of sharia. During their 1996-2001 rule, women could not work and punishments such as public stonings, whipping, and hangings were administered. Both the United Nations and the United States said last week they had received reports that Taliban fighters were executing surrendering government soldiers. Reuters contributed to this report. President Joe Biden speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Aug. 3, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Biden Returns to Washington, Will Deliver Remarks on Afghanistan President Joe Biden returned to Washington on Monday and plans to deliver an address regarding the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Biden touched down at Fort McNair at 1:12 p.m. The president walked to a waiting vehicle, taking no questions. Biden will make public remarks regarding Afghanistan at 3:45 p.m., according to the White House. Bidens schedule initially only had one listing: a briefing at presidential retreat Camp David in Maryland, where hes been staying for several days. But the White House sent an update at approximately 10:59 a.m., saying Biden planned to travel to Washington in the afternoon before delivering remarks on Afghanistan at the White House. Biden was accompanied to Washington by assistants Annie Tomasini, Yohannes Abraham, and Ashley Williams. Vice President Kamala Harris, who was already in Washington, plans to attend Bidens speech, according to a White House official. Biden hasnt spoken publicly about Afghanistan since Saturday, when he said in a written statement that he had 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. The Taliban seized the presidential palace in Kabul over the weekend and is poised to declare the country an Islamic republic, a well-placed source told The Epoch Times. Taliban officials told media outlets in Afghanistan that the conflict between the terrorist group and government forces is over. According to some estimates, the Taliban control upwards of 90 percent of the country after decisively gaining ground in recent days as the United States pulled troops out. U.S. Embassy staffers and officials were forced to quickly dispose of sensitive documents and rush to the airport. A U.S. military helicopter flies above the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images) Biden has said he doesnt regret authorizing the withdrawal. He blamed former President Donald Trump on Saturday for the turmoil. 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 U.S. Forces, he said. Shortly before he left office, he also drew U.S. 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 countrys 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. Trump hit back in a series of statements, saying the way the United States has been pulling out is not in line with plans set out by the Trump administration. He urged Biden to resign. The outcome in Afghanistan, including the withdrawal, would have been totally different if the Trump administration had been in charge. Who or what will Joe Biden surrender to next? Someone should ask him, if they can find him, he said. Other Republicans also said Biden should address the nation after the major developments in Afghanistan. Biden hasnt said a single word about Afghanistan on camera in close to a week, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said before Bidens schedule was updated. And apparently he has no plans to speak about it today either. This morning, the President of the United States is still nowhere to be found & his spokesperson is on vacation, added Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.). Meanwhile, the Taliban freed thousands of terrorists from jail & theres nothing Biden is doing to stop them from entering our country through the Southern border. People enjoy the sunshine as they walk along the beach in Blackpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom on March 16, 2021. (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images) Study Finds SunNot CO2May Be Behind Global Warming New peer-reviewed paper finds evidence of systemic bias in UN IPCC's data selection to support climate-change narrative The sun and not human emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) may be the main cause of warmer temperatures in recent decades, according to a new study with findings that sharply contradict the conclusions of the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The peer-reviewed paper, produced by a team of almost two dozen scientists from around the world, concluded that previous studies did not adequately consider the role of solar energy in explaining increased temperatures. The new study was released just as the UN released its sixth Assessment Report, known as AR6, that once again argued in favor of the view that man-kinds emissions of CO2 were to blame for global warming. The report said human responsibility was unequivocal. But the new study casts serious doubt on the hypothesis. Calling the blaming of CO2 by the IPCC premature, the climate scientists and solar physicists argued in the new paper that the UN IPCCs conclusions blaming human emissions were based on narrow and incomplete data about the Suns total irradiance. Indeed, the global climate body appears to display deliberate and systemic bias in what views, studies, and data are included in its influential reports, multiple authors told The Epoch Times in a series of phone and video interviews. Depending on which published data and studies you use, you can show that all of the warming is caused by the sun, but the IPCC uses a different data set to come up with the opposite conclusion, lead study author Ronan Connolly, Ph.D. told The Epoch Times in a video interview. In their insistence on forcing a so-called scientific consensus, the IPCC seems to have decided to consider only those data sets and studies that support their chosen narrative, he added. The implications, from a policy perspective, are enormous, especially in this field where trillions of dollars are at stake and a dramatic re-organization of the global economy is being proposed. Wind turbines stand behind a solar power park near Werder, Germany on Oct. 30, 2013. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Paper Examines Sun Vs. CO2 Using publicly available data sets from the U.S. government and other sources, it is easy to explain all of the warming observed in recent decades using nothing but changes in solar energy arriving on Earth, according to the new paper. Indeed, while it agrees that using the data sets chosen by the UN would imply humans are largely to blame, the study includes multiples graphs showing that simply choosing different data sets not used by the UN upends the IPCCs conclusion. If confirmed, the study, published in the international scientific journal Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA) by experts from over a dozen countries, would represent a devastating blow to the UN IPCC and its conclusion that mans emissions of CO2 are the sole or even primary driver of warming. While the paper calls for further research to resolve differences between conflicting data sets and studies, the authors show conclusively that, depending on the data sets being used, it is entirely possible that most or even all of the warming has nothing to do with man. Using 16 different estimates on the amount of solar energy, dubbed Total Solar Irradiance, the review compares that data with over 25 estimates of temperatures in the Northern hemisphere stretching back to the 1800s. When solar data from NASAs ACRIM sun-monitoring satellites are compared to reliable temperature data, for example, virtually all of the warming would be explained by the sun, with almost no role at all for human emissions. And yet, for reasons that the study authors say are murky at best, the UN chooses to ignore the NASA ACRIM data and other data sets in favor of those that support the hypothesis of human responsibility for climate change. The UN IPCC reports, including the recently released 6th Assessment Report, have consistently blamed human activities such as the emission of so-called greenhouse gases for the observed changes. Many studies in the scientific literature have agreed with the UN IPCC position. However, the new study, titled How much has the Sun influenced Northern Hemisphere temperature trends? An ongoing debate, cites dozens of other studies that have pointed to the sunnot human activityas the primary driver of climate changes. According to the study authors, these dissenting scientific views have been deliberately suppressed by the IPCC and have not been reflected in the UN IPCC reports, for reasons that have not been adequately explained. A spokesman for the IPCC denied wrongdoing by the UN body in comments to The Epoch Times and said the new study had been accepted for publication after the deadline for consideration. The paper in RAA agrees that the planet has warmed somewhat since the late 19th century, when reliable data collection began in the northern hemisphere. However, in another challenge to the UNs influential report, even the temperature data sets used by the IPCC are subjected to criticism in the new paper and others. Among other concerns, the study highlighted apparent flaws in the approach used by the IPCC for estimating global temperature changes using data from both urban and rural locations. According to the studys authors, including urban data sets results in an artificial upward skewing of temperatures due to the well-known urban heat island effect that must be taken into account. Basically, cities tend to be warmer than the countryside due to human activity and structures, so temperature stations that had cities grow up around them will show artificial temperature increases caused by the urbanization rather than global warming. The IPCC has rejected those concerns, arguing that urbanization only played a very minor role in the estimate temperature increase. Ronan Connolly, Ph.D. (courtesy Ronan Connolly) Why the Apparent Bias? Asked why these views have been ignored and even suppressed, lead study author Connolly suggested confirmation bias was at work. This is when individuals only consider information that supports their bias, something Connolly said affects all scientists. While this may be at work in the IPCCs selection of data sets and studies to consider and include, it is hard to know for sure, he said, expressing concern that the UN IPCC was only considering data sets and studies that support the chosen narrative. Whether they were deliberately doing it or whether it was simply confirmation bias is difficult to say, but it is clear that data sets are being selected that support the IPCC view while data contradicting it have been excluded, added Connolly, who has a doctorate in Computational Chemistry and is affiliated with the Center for Environmental Research and Earth Sciences (CERES). Connolly also said that the IPCC ignored key recent papers contradicting its conclusions, even denying that any such new papers existed despite leading IPCC scientists having cited those same papers in their own work. For instance, a related 2015 paper published in the prestigious Earth-Science Reviews journal titled Re-evaluating the role of solar variability on Northern Hemisphere temperature trends since the 19th century was cited favorably by IPCC Working Group 1 Co-Chair Panmao Zhai of China. That paper argued, among other points, that the urban heat effect is not being properly addressed. And yet, in the latest IPCC Assessment Report, the UN body claims that No recent literature has emerged that would cause an altering of its conclusion that the urbanization issue explains less than 10 percent of the apparent rise in global land temperatures. Asked why the 2015 study in a major journal cited by one of its own leaders, among other key papers, was not mentioned in its latest report, a spokesman for the IPCC told The Epoch Times after consulting with IPCC Working Group 1 Co-Chair Panmao that decisions on citations are up to the chapter team authors not the co-chairs. A spokesman for the UN body told The Epoch Times that he asked Panmao for an answer but that any potential response would not likely be forthcoming prior to publication. In another case, the IPCC misrepresented a 2019 study that Connolly was involved in on snow cover, falsely implying that it showed less snow in all four seasons. In reality, the study showed more snow cover in fall and winter and that current climate models get all four seasons wrong. Part of the problem is that the IPCC is mandated to find a scientific consensus, according to Connolly. This may have seemed like a good idea at the beginning, but where the scientific community has dissenting opinions, trying to force a premature consensus unfortunately hinders scientific progressit is unhelpful and leads to an unjustified confidence in the conclusions, Connolly told The Epoch Times in an interview. Attempting to explain the absence of various published scientific viewpoints in the UNs reports, the study cited researchers and papers to suggest that scientific results that might potentially interfere with political goals are unwelcome. In this handout from NASA, a solar eruption rises above the surface of the sun in space on Dec. 31, 2012. (NASA/SDO via Getty Images) Systemic Bias or Deliberate Fraud? Another study author, Willie Soon, Ph.D. echoed those concerns and argued that ignoring the suns activity is the equivalent of ignoring the elephant in the room. Blasting the IPCC as cartoon science rather than science, the astrophysicist from CERES essentially accuses the UN body of deliberate fraud. I think the latest IPCC report will continue to mislead most of the unsuspecting public on how their works will be a fair and objective review of all relevant scientific works published over the past 8 years, he told The Epoch Times in one of a series of interviews on the subject. Soon, who has been researching the relationship between the sun and the Earths climate at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics for three decades, blasted the IPCCs Summary For Policymakers (SPM) as well. It is no wonder that the draft SPM report has sold everyone yet another blatant untruth, that it is all about the CO2 that has driven all the temperature change on Earth, while they continue to hide the fact that our new and comprehensive research paper concludes that all these conclusions are not only premature but factually misleading and confusing, he said. Our scientific review shows that the changes in the Suns irradiance are a plausible and important factor that can explain most of the observed changes in the thermometer data, added Soon. So now why is IPCC still playing this childish hide-and-seek game while thinking that we can all be permanently hoodwinked by their one-trick agenda? Soon said he hopes the systematic review of the relationship between the sun and the climate can help the scientific community return to a more realistic approach to understanding changes in the planets climate systems. It is time for this abuse of science by the IPCC to be stopped, he concluded. Incidentally, Soon believes global temperatures may decline in the coming decades, also due to changes in solar activity. Chinese workers commute as smoke billows from a coal fired power plant in Shanxi, China on Nov. 25, 2015. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) What is Climate Change? Study co-author Professor Laszlo Szarka, a geophysicist and member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, told The Epoch Times that the new review represented a crucial milestone in restoring the scientific definition of climate change. Asserting that the definition has become distorted over the last 30 years, Szarka argued that the scientific community must remember that science is not based on authority or consensus, but on the pursuit of truth. The definition of climate change was distorted in 1992 in a way that is incompatible with science, the geophysicist explained, pointing to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its exclusion of natural causes from the definition of climate change. In reality, the term climate change used toand must againinclude not just changes wrought by man, but also natural changes in temperature, rainfall, wind patterns, and other factors that occur over decades or longer time periods. The obscuration of the classical definition of climate change has paved the way for any change in the climate to be attributed and accounted to anthropogenic emission, Szarka explained to The Epoch Times in highlighting the significance of the study. But it does not have to be that way. He suggested that even non-scientist laymen could and should work to discover the truth. Regular people are able to decide who is fishing in troubled waters, if they systematically ask politicians, decision makers, and journalists what they mean by the term climate change, he said. Rain from Tropical Storm Elsa covers the Empire State Building in New York City on July 8, 2012. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images) Outside Opinions Even some UN IPCC reviewers have expressed skepticism of the dominant narrative and support for the work of Soon and others. When contacted by The Epoch Times, accredited UN IPCC reviewer Howard Brady, Ph.D. of Australia praised the work of Soon and other authors behind the study as probably the best around. Acknowledging a lack of expertise regarding the sun specifically, Brady slammed the IPCC and its models. Among other concerns, he noted that they still predict more storms even though they are declining, and they still report accelerating sea level [rise] when that does not exist. Over the years, numerous IPCC scientists have dissented from the views advanced by their colleagues. For instance, the late Dr. Nils-Axel Morner, who served as an IPCC reviewer on sea-level, frequently accused the UN body of getting it wrongmost likely for political rather than scientific reasons. Another outside expert contacted by The Epoch Times for insight into the new study and the latest IPCC report also expressed major concerns. Alabama State Climatologist John Christy, distinguished professor of Atmospheric and Earth Sciences at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, noted that the IPCC report indicates high confidence in model simulations while at the same time noting in the main body of the report how the models poorly represent the real atmosphere. The IPCC claims its models accurately portray the impact of all the forces that affect the climate and that nothing else could have caused the warming over the last 40 years except human emissions, he explained. This indicates a bit of hubris and lack of imagination, said Christy, who also serves as the director of the Earth System Science Center. Acknowledging that he had not had time to read the new paper or carefully review the latest IPCC report, the world-renowned climatologist told The Epoch Times that the UNs models cannot even reproduce the natural variations of the last 150 years, such as the natural warming during the first half of the 20th century. They also overdo the warming of the last 40 years, again, not matching the real world, he said. So, if they cant reproduce natural variations with sufficient skill and they overheat the atmosphere over the last 40 years, how are they then endowed with the ability to tell us why changes are happening with such unequivocal confidence? he asked. Dr. Christy was blunt in his conclusions, saying the models certainly dont agree with each other regarding the future. That limits their results to the realm of speculative hypotheses, not policy-determining tools. Willie Soon, Ph.D. speaks at the 39th annual meeting of the Doctors for Disaster Preparedness in Tucson, Ariz. on July 31, 2021. (Courtesy of Willie Soon) Response from NASA and IPCC When contacted about the new paper, Gavin Schmidt, who serves as acting senior advisor on climate at NASA and the director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, was also blunt. This is total nonsense that no one sensible should waste any time on, he told The Epoch Times. He did not respond to a follow-up request for specific errors of fact or reasoning in the new RAA paper. However, even Schmidt, a leading proponent of the man-made warming hypothesis, has conceded that the IPCCs models have been inaccurate. You end up with numbers for even the near-term that are insanely scaryand wrong, Schmidt was quoted as saying by the journal Science. By contrast, IPCC Communications chief Jonathan Lynn told The Epoch Times that the UN body remained very confident in its conclusions. Asked about the new paper and its authors assertions that the IPCC was inaccurately blaming human emissions, Lynn responded: The IPCC doesnt seek to blame anyone or anything for anything. We do try to attribute climate change to explain its causes. Pointing to Chapter 3 of the new IPCC report, Lynn echoed the UN bodys assessment that the more than 14,000 papers it examined demonstrate that warming has been driven by human emissions. The new 2021 paper may well challenge the underlying IPCC conclusion that CO2 and human emissions are behind the warming of recent decades, Lynn added in a follow-up statement to The Epoch Times. But if it is included in the next assessment, its unlikely to completely overturn that conclusion which is based on thousands of other pieces of research. The next IPCC assessment is expected more than five years from now. One of the authors of the new IPCC report, Jim Kossin, celebrated that people were starting to get scared about climate changes due to the bodys findings. I think thatll help to change peoples attitudes, he said. And hopefully thatll affect the way they vote. On the hottest day of the year a couple enjoy the sunshine on Brighton Palace Pier in Brighton, England on July 23, 2019. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) Detainee Says China Has Secret Jail in Dubai, Holds Uyghurs A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai, along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a black site beyond its borders. Wu Huan, 26, was on the run to avoid extradition to China because her fiance was considered a Chinese dissident. Wu told The Associated Press she was abducted from a hotel in Dubai and detained by Chinese officials at a villa, converted into a jail, where she saw or heard two other prisoners, both Uyghurs. She said she was questioned and threatened in Chinese, and forced to sign legal documents incriminating her fiance for harassing her. She was finally released on June 8 and is now seeking asylum in the Netherlands. While black sites are common in China, Wus account is the only testimony known to experts that Beijing has set one up in another country. Such a site would reflect how China is increasingly using its international clout to detain or bring back citizens who have left the country, whether they are dissidents, corruption suspects, or ethnic minorities like the Uyghurs. The AP was unable to confirm or disprove Wus account, and she could not pinpoint the exact location of the black site. However, reporters have seen and heard corroborating evidence including stamps in her passport, a phone recording of a Chinese official asking her questions, and text messages that she sent from jail to a pastor who was helping the couple. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, What I can tell you is that the situation the person talked about is not true. Dubai did not respond to multiple phone calls and requests for comment. Yu-Jie Chen, an assistant professor at Taiwans Academia Sinica, said she had not heard of a Chinese secret jail in Dubai, and that such a facility in another country would be unusual. However, she also noted that it would be in keeping with Chinas attempts to do all it can to bring select citizens back, both through official means, such as signing extradition treaties and unofficial means, such as revoking visas or putting pressure on family back home. [China] really wasnt interested in reaching out until recent years, said Chen, who has tracked Chinas international legal actions. Chen said Uyghurs in particular were being extradited or returned to China, which has been detaining the mostly Muslim minority on suspicion of terrorism or for even relatively harmless acts like praying. Wu and her fiance, 19-year-old Wang Jingyu, are not Uyghur. They are Han Chinese, the major ethnicity in China. Wu Huan (R) and Wang Jingyu stand together in a safe house in the Ukraine on June 30, 2021. (AP Photo) Dubai has a history of being a place where Uyghurs are interrogated and deported back to China; and activists say Dubai itself has been linked to secret interrogations. Radha Stirling, a legal advocate who founded the advocacy group Detained in Dubai, said she has worked with about a dozen people who have reported being held in villas in the UAE, including citizens of Canada, India, and Jordanbut not China. There is no doubt that the UAE has detained people on behalf of foreign governments with whom they are allied, Stirling said. I dont think they would at all shrug their shoulders to a request from such a powerful ally. However, Patrick Theros, a former U.S. ambassador to Qatar, who is now strategic advisor to the Gulf International Forum, called the allegations totally out of character for the Emiratis. On May 27, Wu said, she was questioned by Chinese officials at her hotel and then taken by Dubai police to a police station for three days. On the third day, a Chinese man, who introduced himself as Li Xuhang, came to visit her. He told her he was working for the Chinese consulate in Dubai, and asked her whether she had taken money from foreign groups to act against China. Li Xuhang is listed as consul general on the website of the Chinese consulate in Dubai. The consulate did not return multiple calls asking for comment and to speak with Li directly. Wu said she was handcuffed and put in a black Toyota. After a half-hour drive, she was taken inside a three-story white villa, where rooms had been converted into individual cells, she said. Wu was taken to her own cell, with a heavy metal door, a bed, a chair, and a white fluorescent light that was never turned off. She said she was questioned and threatened several times in Chinese. She saw another prisoner one time, a Uyghur woman, while waiting to use the bathroom, she said. A second time, she heard a Uyghur woman shouting in Chinese, I dont want to go back to China, I want to go back to Turkey. Wu said she identified the women as Uyghurs based on their distinctive appearance and accent. A guard gave her a phone and sim card and instructed her to call her fiance and pastor Bob Fu, the head of ChinaAid, a Christian non-profit, who was helping the couple. Wang confirmed to the AP that Wu called and asked him for his location. Fu said he received four or five calls from her during this time, a few from an unknown Dubai phone number, including one where she was crying and almost incoherent. The AP also reviewed text messages Wu sent to Fu at the time, which were disjointed and erratic. The last thing Wus captors demanded of her, she said, was to sign documents testifying that Wang was harassing her. I was really scared and was forced to sign the documents, she told the AP. After Wu was released, she flew to Ukraine, where she was reunited with Wang. After threats from Chinese police stating that Wang could face extradition from Ukraine, the couple fled to the Netherlands. Wu said she misses her homeland. Ive discovered that the people deceiving us are Chinese, that its our countrymen hurting our own countrymen, she said. Staff reporters Nomaan Merchant and Matt Lee contributed to this report from Washington, D.C. Diver Finds Gold Coin Worth $98,000 in 400-Year-Old Spanish Shipwreck off Florida Keys For decades, treasure hunters in search of gold have been diving to explore shipwrecks off the Florida Keys. In 1985, a mother lode gold haul was found inside the Nuestra de Atocha Spanish galleon which, heavily laden with precious gems and metals, tobacco, bronze cannons, and indigo, was ripped apart by a hurricane in 1622. Leading up to the anniversary of that epic find, on July 19, second-generation treasure hunter Zach Moore found a gold coin worth $98,000 at the wreck. It is the first Atocha gold coin found at the site since 2001, Mel Fishers Treasures stated, as well as the 121st Atocha gold coin found, to date. Moore, an engineer from Vero Beach, Florida, joined the crew of Mel Fishers Treasures salvage vessel J.B. Magruder a few years ago. His father, William Moore, had been part of the crew that recovered the mother lode of Atocha in 1985. During one dive, Bill and the other divers found 165 pounds of gold finger bars, chains, and discs! Mel Fishers recounted of that initial find. [Zachs] mother, Julie Moore, was also a diver on the Atocha site during the motherload find and was part of many amazing finds as well. Zach has also worked as a treasure hunter on the 1715 Treasure Fleet, where he made another exciting discovery. He found an encrusted object, which he and his dad conserved together and which turned out to be a very rare silver pendant and a rosary with a still intact figure of Christ. For several years, William Moore worked as chief conservator for 1715 Fleet Operation at Mel Fishers Treasure Museum in Sebastian Florida. The recent find came just days ahead of the 1985 Atocha Motherlode discoverys 36th anniversary on July 20as well as Mel Fishers annual celebration and fundraiser. Looking forward, Mel Fishers Treasures team continues to hunt for the remaining Atocha and Margarita treasures, the group stated. As Mel Fisher would say, Todays the day! 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 Dutch Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld looks on during the parliamentary debate in The Hague in the Netherlands on May 14, 2020. (Bart Maat/ANP/AFP via Getty Images) Dutch Military Plans to Send Several Flights to Afghan Capital for Evacuations A Dutch military plane is on the way to the Afghan capital to pick up people in Kabul following a Taliban takeover on Aug. 15, the countrys defense minister said on Monday. A military plane is currently en route to becoming the first to evacuate interpreters, local embassy personnel, and families from Kabul, Dutch Minister of Defense Ank Bijleveld said in a statement. She added that because of the uncertain situation in the landlocked South Asian country, the northwestern European nation has several flights planned, but right now just one military plane is confirmed to be on its way. It is unclear how many interpreters of Dutch or Afghan origin who are claiming aid are still in Kabul. Last week, Bijleveld put the number of Afghan translators and local staff to be evacuated at a few dozen. Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also addressed reporters in The Hague on the situation, explaining the situation in Kabul is currently very complicated. Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, talks during a media conference at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin on July 9, 2020. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/Pool via AP) We are doing all we can to get embassy staff, translators, and others who deserve our protection out, Rutte said. The Dutch Parliaments defense commission is due to return from a summer recess on Tuesday to debate the situation in Afghanistan including asylum for translators and others stranded in Kabul. The evacuation order comes as Taliban terrorists reached the Afghan capital over the weekend after rapidly conquering multiple major cities and provincial capitals in the country over the past week. The Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan was over after terrorists took control of the presidential palace in Kabul on Aug. 15. Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD News Federal Authorities Launch Probe Into Teslas Autopilot System Following Crashes The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a formal probe into Teslas partially automated driving system after a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles. According to an NHTSA document issued on Aug. 13 (pdf), the agencys Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened a probe encompassing 765,000 Tesla vehicles. In the document, the agency said it had identified 11 crashes in which various Tesla models approached locations where emergency crews were responding to incidents and struck one or more vehicles at the scene. A total of 17 people were injured in the crashes and one person was killed. Most of the crashes took place after dark and involved scenes where first responders used flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board, or cones warning of hazards. The probe will include examining the contributing circumstances. All involved Tesla vehicles were confirmed to have been engaged in either autopilot or traffic-aware cruise control as they approached the crashes. The probe is looking into Tesla Models Y, X, S, and 3, from model years 2014 to 2021. The investigation will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist, and enforce the drivers engagement with the dynamic driving task during autopilot operation, the document reads. The earliest crash into emergency vehicles dates back to Jan. 22, 2018, in Culver City, California. The other crashes were in Laguna Beach, California; Norwalk, Connecticut; Cloverdale, Indiana; West Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Cochise County, Arizona; Charlotte, North Carolina; Montgomery County, Texas; Lansing, Michigan; Miami, Florida; and San Diego, California. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which also has investigated some of the Tesla crashes, has recommended that NHTSA and Tesla limit autopilots use to areas where it can operate safely. The NTSB also recommended that NHTSA require Tesla to have a better system to make sure drivers are paying attention. NHTSA hasnt taken action on any of the recommendations. The NTSB has no enforcement powers and can only make recommendations to other federal agencies such as NHTSA. There have been reports of Tesla drivers misusing the autopilot feature, including an SF Gate report of a stunt involving a man sitting in the back seat of a Tesla looking straight into the camera as the vehicle rolled down the street near Berkeley, California. The Epoch Times has reached out to Tesla for comment on the probe. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Former CDC Chief Doesnt Foresee Fresh Lockdowns Over Recent COVID-19 Spike A former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Aug. 15 that schools might close over a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, but that he doesnt believe lockdowns will be reimposed. I dont think so, Richard Besser, an acting director of the CDC during the Obama administration, said on ABCs This Week, when asked whether society would again grind to a halt due to harsh mandates. I think what were going to see is schools closing when cases spread through schools. Were going to see more recommendations for use of masks. The reason its not going to be the same as it was early in the pandemic is that there is a vaccine, and we have done a very good job at vaccinating people who are at the greatest risk, so elderly people, people with underlying medical conditions, front-line health care workers. There should be a push to get more people vaccinated, but its not going to be the same kind of situation that we saw a year ago, said Besser, who is currently the president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations with COVID-19 has increased sharply in recent weeks. The seven-day average of cases jumped by more than 18 percent through Aug. 13 when compared to the week before, according to federal data. New hospital admissions increased by nearly 30 percent across the same timespan. Officials in Florida, California, and other states have seen hospital admissions increase, leading to concerns that hospitals could be overwhelmed and prompting measures such as the delay of elective surgeries. The number of deaths in the United States among those with COVID-19 has also started to rise. The seven-day average increased by 21 percent, hitting 492 as of Aug. 13, although it remains more than 59 percent lower than the peak seen on Aug. 2, 2020. In response to the rising trends, some officials across the United States have reinstated mandates, primarily mask measures. So far, there havent been orders issued for non-essential businesses to close. Those orders, imposed by most governors in 2020, crushed the economy, leading to widespread unemployment. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, appears before a Senate hearing to discuss vaccines in Washington on Sept. 9, 2020. (Michael Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images) The number of COVID-19 cases is expected to continue rising, Dr. Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health, which includes the CDC, said on Aug. 15. This is going very steeply upward with no signs of having peeked out. So I will be surprised if we dont cross 200,000 cases a day in the next couple of weeks. And thats heartbreaking, considering we never thought we would be back in that space again. That was January, February. That shouldnt be August. But here we are with Delta variant, which is so contagious, and this heartbreaking situation where 90 million people are still unvaccinated who are sitting ducks for this virus, and thats the mess were in, Collins said on Fox News Sunday. Statistics show most hospitalizations are among those who arent vaccinated, but Collins and other top health officials have drawn criticism for downplaying or ignoring the growing body of evidence signaling that people who get COVID-19 and recover enjoy immunity at the same or even higher levels than those that receive a vaccine. There are 14 studies that show that natural immunity is effective. Its durable. And its going strong. And, yet, there has been this inexplicable denial of it, Dr. Marty Makary, a surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, said during a recent appearance on Fox News. Makary took issue with a study the CDC published from Kentucky that researchers said showed vaccines provided better protection than natural immunity. After a lot of public pressure now from our public health leaders to talk about natural immunity, they come up with this study that they essentially jerry-rigged in Kentucky showing that maybe it was 2.3 times higher among those with previous infectionthats the natural immunity groupthan those who are vaccinated, Makary said of the study. Guess what? The rate of getting subsequent infection in those with natural immunity was 0.09 percent. And those who are vaccinated in that time period it was 0.03 percent. The conclusion is its extremely rare in both groups. Besser, though, came down on the other side of the argument. Theres more and more data coming in on that, that you will get longer-lasting, higher levels of protection if you also get vaccinated. You know, its not true for every infection. There are many infections where getting a natural infection provides you with life-long protection, Besser said. But here, what theyre seeing is that people who are vaccinated have a higher level, stronger level of protection. So, even if you had a COVID infection, you should get the vaccine. Still, Collins noted that data show vaccine effectiveness is waning as time goes on, a fact that some attribute to the newer CCP virus variants that have emerged. The waning efficacy prompted drug regulators to authorize a booster shot for some immunocompromised people and the CDC to recommend the booster for those people. Just on Friday, CDCs advisory group, and the CDC director accepted it, approved a third shot for people who are immunocompromised, Collins said. What about the rest of us? Again, we are looking at this data almost daily. Yet there is a concern that the vaccine may start to wane in its effectiveness over months. And Delta is a nasty one for us to try to deal with. The combination of those two means we may need boosters, maybe beginning first with health care providers, as well as people in nursing homes, and then gradually moving forward. (Left to Right) Alison, David, and Jess Lea-Wilson, the family behind Halen Mon. Halen Mon (Welsh for "Anglesey sea salt") is collected from the Menai Strait, a thin ribbon of sea between Wales and the tiny island of Anglesey. (Courtesy of Halen Mon) Halen Mon: The Art and Science of Harvesting Sea Salt From the pristine waters off the coast of Anglesey, Wales, Halen Mon gathers and hand-harvests award-winning artisanal salts Salt is the most powerful flavor enhancer in any cooks tool kit, Jess Lea-Wilson said. To use it only to make food more salty is to do it a huge disservice. Used correctlyand sparinglyit draws out and complements the other ingredients, awakening their sweetness, savoriness, or spice. Lea-Wilson is brand manager at Halen Mon, the award-winning sea-salt producer on Anglesey, a tiny island thats separated from mainland Wales by a thin ribbon of the sea called the Menai Strait. She was still a child when her parents, Alison and David, started their business in 1997. But she can still remember those experimental early days, when saucepans of seawater from the strait would be bubbling on the kitchen stove, waiting for an alchemical miracle that would produce glistening crystals of pure salt. It was very hit and miss, she said. Sometimes, the result was something with terrific mouthfeel and crunch, but an unappealing appearance, and at other times, theyd end up with beautiful flakes that failed the taste test. A quality salt, she explained, adds more than just taste. It can tantalize the senses with texture, color, and even sounda satisfying crunchheightening the dining experience in a way that refined salttypically mined from underground deposits and put through mineral-stripping processingnever could, Lea-Wilson said. The Lea-Wilsons persevered. They invested in some equipment and eventually came up with a methodology and formula that worked so well that they were able to produce enough Halen Mon to take to a trade show in London. This got them their first big saleironically from a butcher who happened to live on Angleseywhich was followed by national orders from some of the UKs leading stores, including Fortnum & Mason, and by praise from renowned chefs and food writers, such as Heston Blumenthal and Jamie Oliver. Orders came in from the United States and more than 20 other countries, and food producers contacted them wanting to use their salt in products from potato chips to chocolate-covered caramels. In 2014, Halen Mon became the first product in Wales to be awarded Protected Designation of Origin status by the European Commission. From Sea to Pantry But what was it that led her parents to start the business? They had an aquarium, which was so seasonal that keeping staff on throughout the year was tricky, Lea-Wilson said. They wanted to provide year-round employment, so they had a think about what they could do. They knew the waters of the Menai Strait were perfect for salt production. There is a huge mussel bed in the Strait with each mollusk filtering five liters [a little more than one gallon] of water every hour, so its very clean. The Lea-Wilsons timing was good. They launched as public awareness of sustainability and provenance was growing. There was a desire to know where food came from, how it was made, and whether its production had a negative impact on the environment. There was also the fact that doctors were urging people to reduce their salt consumptionwhich the couple saw as a help rather than a hindrance. Small doses of salt are essential to our survivalall our muscles need it to functionbut too much can lead to heart disease. My parents had seen how people often traded up when they cut down on something, be that chocolate or wine or clothes, and hoped the same would happen with salt, Lea-Wilson said. They felt foodies might eschew the refined variety for quality sea salt that had valuable trace elements such as zinc, selenium, and iodine. And they were right. Their production process has barely changed since the beginning. Every day, my dad goes into the Strait with his refractometer to assess whether there is enough salt in the sea to start pumping. Once we have drawn enough, we evaporate it in a vacuum so that it boils at 80 degrees Celsius [176 degrees Fahrenheit]. As the salt forms, it drops to the bottom of the containers. We then use a shovel to lift this out of the brine and transfer it to crystallization tanks, which go into a drying chamber. About 24 hours or so later, our beautiful, shiny crystals are ready to be packed by hand. Essentially, Lea-Wilson explained, they use extraction methods that arent far removed from those used by early humans to collect salt from the sea, but with modern equipment, such as the vacuum and drying chambers, incorporated into the process to boost efficiency. And weve swapped wooden shovels for steel ones, she said. It sounds like a simple enough process, but, as Lea-Wilson pointed out, salt comes from a living source, so we are at the mercy of nature. Producing a consistent product that looks and tastes the same each time is impossible. Of course, the difference in taste between batches is too tiny to be detectable, but each one is unique, and thats its beauty. A Symphony of Success Today, Halen Mon continues to thrive, constantly evolving and diversifying. Over the years, theyve created new salt blends, including Tahitian vanilla, a beautiful pairing for lobster, scallops, and white fish, and a prize-winning oak-smoked variety, described by the judges of the 2019 Great Taste Awards as the most wonderful sea salt, with subtle notes of smokiness and a rich umami. In 2019, Lea-Wilson and her parents wrote a book, Do Sea Salt, the Magic of Seasoning, and opened a cafe on the banks of the Menai Strait. Salt is immensely versatile, and complements sweet foods as well as it does savory ones, Lea-Wilson said. I think that the difference between a good cook and an excellent one is how they use seasoning. She recommends seasoning throughout the cooking process, rather than waiting until the food is on the plate. My advice is to add it in stages to build flavor incrementally. You can sprinkle it on food as part of your prep, then as its cooking, and finally as a flourish at the end, Lea-Wilson said. Too much or too little can ruin a dish, but if you get the balance right, you can create a perfectly orchestrated symphony of flavors, with each pinch of this or that bringing out the best in all the ingredients. How Parents Can Overcome the Fear of Failure in Home-Schooling Their Children For the families across America whose educational experience has been turned upside down this year due to the lockdowns, Sam Sorbo gives an inspirational and encouraging message in an episode of Schools Out titled Fear of Failure. Schools Out with Sam Sorbo is a series about education, primarily what you dont know, what you should know, and what you can do about it. In this episode she talks about the unwarranted and conditioned fear parents have of failing to adequately educate their children themselves. She says that we are all afraid of something, but we cannot let fear control our lives and keep us from being able to live with risk and unknowns. Sorbo talks of an email she received from a family whose parents were both public school educators, the father even being a university chemistry professor. You would think if anybody could home-school it would be them, but when they made their decision to self educate, their family was scandalized by it. Common questions home-school parents receive have to do with socialization, and the big fear that their kid will turn out like a freak, says Sorbo, adding, like there are no freaks in school. This couple wanted Sorbo to know that their son was now grown, owned his own home, and was a successful, happy engineer, while his public-schooled cousins seemed to flounder in life, lacked good social skills, and led aimless lives. What is it about school that makes people think that a rowdy room full of sixth graders or a playground smackdown is effective socializing? Sorbo asks. Sorbo encourages parents struggling with fear and lack of confidence. You can do this, even if you lack the credentials. She says that standing out from the crowd should not be feared, it should be admired, saying that the lack of forgiving our cancel culture has embraced is wrong and dangerous. We want our kids to excel do we not? Yet we enroll them in a system that reinforces compliance and conformity. Sorbo encourages parents to acknowledge the sense of adventure in standing away from the crowd, pointing out that home schooling has more than doubled in the past year, meaning that parents really are not so alone after all. Fear of Failure | Schools Out [Trailer] Watch the full episode here. However, the big fear among parents is the fear of failure. Sorbo reminds parents that failure is not the opposite of success, as we have been taught, but rather it is an integral and necessary component of success. As J.K Rowling said, It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default. Who would know better than Rowling, after 12 publishing houses turned down the first Harry Potter book? All creative endeavors require embracing the potential to fail, Sorbo says, while acknowledging that we hate failure as a society, and suggesting that perhaps this is a learned fear due to ridicule, oftentimes in school itself. Sorbo talks about how self-education is such a new paradigm, and many enter it with misguided conceptions because of their own schooling, which can make it difficult to break in order to see the truth. She talks about conversations with moms who were afraid to home-school because of the fear they will fail their children. The advice she gives these moms is that they cant fail, they wont fail, because they are her children, and she loves them. She also reminds them that failure or success will not be decided today or next week or next year. Parents will have time to regroup, reevaluate, and redirect. They will have people and resources to help them in their journey. She encourages parents to ask themselves, what are you truly afraid of? Is that fear justified? Do you have the ability to read, write, reason? Do you have any accomplishments to your name? Did you believe the lie that you are incompetent because the teacher said so? Will you admit that you personally have something to offer or are you designed to be superfluous? This entire miracle of a country was founded by home-schooled individuals, self-taught individuals, intellectual giants who still by todays standards were absolute geniuses, Sorbo reminds her listeners. For them, the Bible, history, and common sense were all they needed. The Magna Carta and the Mayflower Compact were enough to inspire the Constitution that would set the course of freedom for the world. These Founding Fathers and historical figures were committed to hard work, they dedicated their minds, and they showed tremendous courage despite the intimidation of the worlds greatest superpower, Great Britain. Many educators in the media over this past year have talked about how children may fall behind due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and shutting down of schools. Sorbo points out that what was missing from all the mainstream media reporting were articles on how to actually succeed with educating children at home, after parents were virtually abandoned by their public schools. She says its almost as if the schools and media outlets didnt even want parents to try. Sorbo talks about her friend who sent her a video from their school. The video was from teachers to students. In the video, the teachers repeated that they wished they could be together and often told the kids to wash their hands and stay safe. Nowhere did a teacher actually mention education, by saying something like keep reading, or practice your spelling words and math assignments, or I cant wait to talk about Winnie the Pooh with you. She said although the video was a nice gesture, it was so very lacking. The simplest explanation for why a school would send out a video that had nothing to do with education is that the schools are not primarily centers for education, but rather centered on compliance. Sorbo calls the school system a training ground for behavior modification, that has no interest in education, but is beholden to the great god of government, compliance. The antidote to fear is courage. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, Courage is not the absence of fear, but it is the determination that something else is more important. Our children are something else. They should occupy the place of supreme importance in which no challengers are matched. So tell your fear to take a hike, says Sorbo, encouraging parents to put fear into perspective. She admits that deciding to educate children yourself takes courage, primarily because culture expects you to fail and the education system tries to diminish your confidence. However, Sorbo reminds parents that just because society thinks that way doesnt make it true, citing multiple testimonies of home-schooled children winning national spelling, math, science, and technology competitions, as well as achieving overall happiness and success in life. Children who are decidedly different struggle in a one-size-fits-all environment. But when you give the child the opportunity to pursue his own interests, you have opened up the world for him. Confining a child to sit for seven hours a day learning what the government has deemed necessary will shackle them, and worse, discourage them from original thought. Maybe your child isnt a genius, but maybe he or she has the brain power to create, or the compassion to compose. The last thing we should want to do is sentence that child to conform instead. Many of todays thought leaders were rebellious about school, including many current tech giants who dropped out of school at some point. Tesla billionaire Elon Musk himself says that jobs at his company shouldnt require a degree. The world is changing, but people are afraid of change, Sorbo says, encouraging parents not to shy away from it, but to embrace it and get on board. She says to be grateful for it, because your children are your legacy and the future. Recognize the economic and practical revolution that is happening right under your nose and harness it for the good of your family and your children, she says. It takes courage, but parents love their children and want to give them the best shot at a successful life, as well as wanting to have good relationships with them, talk together, and share their values. Sorbo tells parents to do their research and find others who are stepping out and not relinquishing power to the system but confronting their fear head on and doing what is best for their children. She says to be part of this new breed of parents. The episode also dives into the belief that public education is primarily about behavior modification. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States is now only average in international education rankings. A decades-long decline in quality of education should at least make us raise our eyebrows and ask what we are paying for. By leaving the school system, parents are leaving the system that is keeping them from making this decision to begin with. Sorbo ends with telling parents to pursue what they want for their children without being hindered by fear. Everything carries risk, but life is meant to be an adventure. Arent you tired of being told not to try out of fear of failure? Quiet that voice in your head. Schools Out premiers every Monday at 6 p.m.exclusive on EpochTV. Follow EpochTV on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Larry Elder Vows to Reverse Vaccine, Mask Mandates If He Replaces Newsom as California Governor California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder is vowing to reverse any COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates Gov. Gavin Newsom has put in place if hes chosen to replace the Democrat. Elder told reporters on Aug. 13 that he saw the possibility of fresh mandates being issued by Newsom and other officials in California. If I become governor, when I become governor, assuming there are mandates for masks and statewide mandates for vaccines, they will be suspended right away. This is America. We have freedom in America. Virtually anyone in California who wants to be vaccinated can do so, Elder said during a press conference, local media reported. Newsom, in his first term, is facing a recall election. Voters are slated to head to the polls on Sept. 14. Some have already received mail-in ballots. Voters can choose to recall Newsom. If they do, theyll also select who would replace him. Elder, an EpochTV host, is the leading GOP candidate in the recall race, according to several polls. Newsom last week ordered teachers and other school employees to either get a COVID-19 vaccine or get tested regularly for COVID-19, several weeks after he issued a similar order for state and health care workers. Elder said he believes vaccines work and that hes gotten a shot, but has throughout the campaign emphasized his belief that freedom is important. Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer (C) greets a supporter after a news conference in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2021. (Jae C. Hong/AP Photo) Other Republican candidates also oppose mandates. Businessman John Cox said after the latest one was imposed that the governor is a power-hungry politician who wants to control every aspect of peoples lives. Gavin Newsom was the slowest governor to make the vaccine available and is now the quickest to make it mandatory. This mix of incompetence and overreach is the hallmark of California government. As governor, I would immediately end the State of Emergency and reverse Newsoms outrageous mandates. State control will give way to liberty and citizen service, state Rep. Kevin Kiley said in a statement. Kevin Faulconer, the former San Diego mayor, said last month that Los Angeles County officials shouldnt have reinstated an indoor mask mandate. Vaccinated individuals dont need to wear masks, medical experts have made that clear. We need to be reopening our state, not reimposing unnecessary restrictions. If Gavin Newsom had any common sense, hed step up and oppose this, thats what Ill do as governor, he wrote at the time. Newsom responded last week to Elders pledge during a recent press conference. Day one, he proudly states, as do all the other Republican candidates, day one, they proudly state, day one, that they would eliminate any mask requirements in our public schools to keep our kids safe and healthy and in-person to get the social, emotional support they deserve. Day one he would repeal that as he would repeal any requirement for vaccine verifications, including [for] health care workers, he told reporters. The stakes are profound, he said, urging Democrats to make sure to vote in the recall election. If no action is taken, the cost of the National Disability Insurance Scheme will grow to $8.8 billion passed budget expectations by the 2024-25 financial year. (Steve Buissinne/Pixabay) National Disability Insurance Scheme Costs Ballooning Out of Control The Australian federal and state governments will partner up within the next fortnight to develop a new financial sustainability plan for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) after the schemes budget increased beyond expectations. Ministers discussed the issue in a meeting on Friday and agreed to accelerate the development of an NDIS sustainability work plan. This will encompass an interim report to disability ministers in October and then a final report by the end of the year. There is now a common understanding (among ministers) that there is a serious emerging sustainability issue, and that we now need to do more work together to gain a common understanding of the cost drivers, federal NDIS minister Linda Reynolds told The Australian. Federal and state treasuries will be involved in the plan development, considering the substantial amount of funding that the NDIS receives. Over the past two budgets, the federal government alone has allocated over $17 billion (U.S, $12.5 bn) into the scheme. In July, a financial sustainability report was published by the NDIS and revealed that the schemes spending was projected to grow to $40.7 billion (U.S.$29.9 bn) a year by 2024-25, or $8.8 billion above the expected cost set in the May budget. According to the report, the federal NDIS budget for the next four years until 2024-25 is on course to end up $22.5 billion (U.S.$16.5 bn) short without intervention. When costs are going up at 12.5 percent a year, and we were expecting and budgeting for 2.5 percent, we must carefully examine cost drivers to ensure the NDIS can endure, she said in a speech in July. Australian Government Services Minister Linda Reynolds speaks during a Senate inquiry at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on May 3, 2021. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) Reynolds said that the federal government demonstrated its ongoing support for the scheme through its substantial funding every year. However, its rising costs were a cause for concern. While Commonwealth Government is committed to fully funding the scheme, we all know that for any taxpayer funded scheme, demand driven cannot mean unlimited, she said. Reynolds revealed on Friday that the scheme was currently supporting over 466,000 participants, with more than half of those receiving disability support for the first time. She said the government would be examining the schemes cost in several areas, including eligibility. Weve now got people on the NDIS with chronic health conditions, not permanent significant disabilities as their primary diagnosis, for example, people with dementia, she said. The scheme was never ever designed for people with dementia. We also have to look further at the conduct of providers because there is a lot of anecdotal evidence of gouging and unethical behaviour, in addition to fraud. Neo-Nazi Groups Account For Half of Australias Domestic Counter-Terrorism Caseload: Spy Chief Australias domestic intelligence chief has said half of Australias domestic terrorism caseload is coming from far-right groups that promote acts of violence, with the Australian government listing far-right neo-Nazi group, Sonnenkrieg Division (SKD), as a terrorist organisation in March. This comes after a joint investigation by The Age and 60 Minutes has revealed how the National Socialist Network, a neo-Nazi group, has infiltrated Australia, with people as young as 16 being radicalised by the group. Its currently 50 percent of our priority onshore counter-terrorism caseload, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess told The Age. That concerns us. Theyre middle-class, well educated; they understand the ideology. They look like everyday Australians, and theyre not openly showing their true ideology and not openly showing their violent beliefs or their use of violence, which they believe is justified. In January 2021, members of the National Socialist Network were seen performing Nazi salutes and chanting related slogans in the Grampians. The groups leader also posted images on social media of members posing in front of a burning cross, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Additionally, in March 2021, Thomas Sewell, a leader of the National Socialist Network, was charged with assault following an alleged attack on a guard at Channel Nines Melbourne Office just hours before the TV news network aired a story about the organisation. Burgess said the threat posed by the group was concerning and urged greater public awareness about the organisation. It is a big deal if you truly understand their ideology and what they believe, and actually what theyre inspired by, of past events in history, and how they would like to see the world corrected and what theyre prepared to do, or some of them are prepared to do to make that happen, he said. Neo-Nazi organisations adhere to a violent white-supremacist ideology inspired by the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) that brought Adolf Hitler to power in Germany prior to World War II and was linked to the communist movements in the Soviet Union. According to the Australian government, organisations like SKD, seek to encourage lone-actor terrorist attacks against its political, racial and ethnic enemies to bring about an apocalyptic race war and create a global white ethnostate. According to The Age, a range of issues such as the COVID-19 lockdownswhich have been communicated through encrypted platformshas [supercharged] domestic and international white supremacist networking, rhetoric and recruiting. People dont like the lockdowns. They will protest against that, they can use that to fuel economic problems or bring hardship on people. It can make them susceptible to these ideologies, and people can be drawn in, and they know that, and they will use that to their advantage, Burgess said. The National Socialist Network intends for a complete changing of the trajectory of Australia, according to the organisations website. It seeks a revolution and does not care in what way this is achieved. The Age also reported that the groups leader Tom Sewell compared white supremacist Brenton Tarrant to Nelson Mandela, telling members that Tarrant will stay in jail until we win the revolutionreferencing a race war or societal collapse the group is aiming for. Additionally, the groups members have been instructed by its leaders to destroy evidence to thwart ASIO and counter-terrorism investigations, including their networking activities with bikie gang networks and members of other international neo-Nazi groups such as Combat 18. When asked about the likelihood of terror attack, Burgess said ASIOs assessment was that a lone wolf or small cell was most likely. Its a reflection of the global trend, Burgess said. Weve dedicated more resources to this threat, and this is us working through the understanding and identifying these threatsso we can determine whether these are people with just extreme ideological views, or these are people with just extreme ideological views that are promoting acts of violence. And its the acts of violence that we are focusing on. A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs told The Epoch Times in an email, that ASIO has said multiple times that the threat of ideologically motivated violent extremism, including from nationalist and racists individuals and groups, is very real and growing in Australia. Ideologically motivated individuals and groups are more organised, sophisticated and security conscious than in the past, the spokesperson said. The threat from nationalists and racists has been in the governments sights for many decades and our intelligence and law enforcement agencies continue to dedicate resources to this threat. The spokesperson also noted that this year the federal government had made a record $1.3bn investment in ASIOs most sensitive capabilities which the spokesperson said would help the agency detect and deter extremists. The comments from Burgess and the Home Affairs spokesperson come after the former Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said in December 2020 that there was no difference between neo-Nazi or Islamic extremists and that any alleged implication that ASIO was lenient to right-wing groups was false. We are not going to take our foot off the throat of somebody who is an extremist, who is seeking to kill Australians or, you know, take somebody hostage or whatever it might be because of their ideology. I just dont care what their ideology is. Victoria-Kelly Clark contributed to this report. Members of the Taliban terrorist group sit on a vehicle along the street in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2021. (/AFP via Getty Images) Saigon All Over Again Commentary America and the world are watching in rapt dismay as Afghanistan falls into the hands of the Taliban. Just weeks ago, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that wouldnt happen. The Afghan Security Forces have the capacity to sufficiently fight and defend their country, he said. President Joe Biden, too, insisted that Afghan forces would continue to fight valiantly. Never have such confident assessments proven more wrong. The Afghan army, trained by the United States for 20 years at almost incalculable cost, proved to be no match whatsoever for the Taliban. To put it bluntly, when asked to perform by themselves on the battlefield, the whole army just got up and ran away. What does this say about U.S. military training? Many commentators are making snide remarks about how woke the American military has become. Perhaps, one sarcastically noted, with a few more men in high heels, a few more transgender surgeries, a few more courses in white rage and critical race theory, the U.S. military would be ready once again to become the most feared in the world. The blithe reaction of the Biden administration has made a catastrophic situation worse. Right when the Taliban was launching its blitzkrieg, the White House released a video of a prancing gay intern bopping around the West Wing. While this was undoubtedly not meant as a response to the serious crisis abroad, it conveyed a frivolous message of, We may be losing, but we sure know how to lose with style. More significant, the State Department and press secretary Jen Psaki made statements that bordered on the absurd. The State Department warned the Taliban to slow its advance because, if it didnt, the United States might withhold diplomatic recognition of the new regime. Psaki said the Taliban should carefully weigh the impact of its actions on its chances for full acceptance by the international community. Even now, after our long engagement in Afghanistan, do these people have no idea whom theyre dealing with? The Taliban are tribal warriors who function in the ancient style. Their name means student, but many of them are in middle or even advanced age. These are people who dont want women over the age of 10 to be educated. They had no qualms about destroying the Bamiyan Buddha statues. They couldnt care less about such things as U.S. diplomatic recognition or full acceptance by the United Nations. One can envision a Taliban commander responding to the State Department and Psaki thus: We would be willing to come to your international meetings if we can bring our arms and our animals. We insist upon the right to sell some drugs on the side to fund our operations. We do not wish to leave the meeting without beheading everyone who is there. And to show our true feelings about the international community, wed like to defecate on the floor before we leave. This is intended half-jokingly, but only half-jokingly. The entirely serious question that we should be asking is, how did we get this disastrous outcome that has produced a human debacle, an abandonment of allies, and an enduring loss of U.S. credibility in the world? This isnt a question of whether the United States should get out of Afghanistan. Thats an entirely separate issue from the question of how the United States gets out. The Biden administration doesnt, of course, bear responsibility for the war itself. It does bear responsibility for the shameful way the war was concluded. But how did Biden and Milley make such a miscalculation about the tenacity and durability of the Afghan forces? It seems that despite two decades of costly and unrelenting effort, the United States never trained the Afghans to operate as an independent fighting force. From the start, they were treated and trained as an adjunct of the U.S. military. Yaroslav Trofimov of The Wall Street Journal writes: The Afghan army fighting alongside American troops was molded to match the way the Americans operate. The U.S. military, the worlds most advanced, relies heavily on combining ground operations with air power, using aircraft to resupply outposts, strike targets, ferry the wounded, and collect reconnaissance and intelligence. So Biden pulled air support, intelligence, and contractors servicing Afghanistans planes and helicopters, and that means the Afghan military simply couldnt function anymore. Chillingly, Trofimov writes, The same happened with another failed effort, the South Vietnamese army in the 1970s. Once again, the worlds most powerful military has been humiliated by a group of Third World tribesmen and peasants. Theres no denying it was the Biden administrations precipitous withdrawal that brought on the debacle. Its hard to believe that Trump would have done it this way. True, Biden campaigned on full withdrawal, and in this respect, the Afghans knew that getting out was a possibility. But evidently, the Afghan government, including President Ashraf Ghani, couldnt believe the United States would actually do it. Now, the Taliban will control Afghanistan once again, as 20 years ago they did. China will seek to establish friendly relations with the new regime, and unfurl its plan to build routes connecting China to Afghanistan to Pakistan. Americas enemies, from Russia to China to the radical Muslims in the Middle East, all will feel emboldened. American allies are now on notice that they cant count on the reliability of U.S. forces who are subject to domestic political whims and vicissitudes. In retrospect, the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan, following the Soviet invasion of 1979, signaled the beginning of the end for the Soviet Union. Americas defeat at the hands of the same fierce tribesmen of Afghanistan wont signal the end of America, but it might signal the beginning of the end of America as the worlds sole superpower. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Self-Isolation Rules End for Double Vaccinated in England The legal requirement to quarantine after close contact with people testing positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus has now ended in England, but only for those under 18 or who have been double vaccinated. The requirement to self-isolatecurrently for 10 dayshas been in place in various forms since the beginning of the pandemic and was one of the few remaining restrictions in England after so-called Freedom Day last month. The date of the change in self-isolation policy, Aug. 16, was announced last month. Health Secretary Sajid Javid previously described the change as a huge step back towards our normal lives. If contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service, people who are double vaccinated are now advised to get a PCR test. That test will not be compulsory and they will not have to self-isolate while they wait for the result. People who test positive for the virus or have symptoms are still legally required to self-isolate, regardless of vaccination status. Those over the age of 18 who have not had two doses of the vaccine must still self-isolate if a close contact tests positive for the virus. Breaking self-isolation rules is subject to punishment by a 1,000 fine, which in theory can increase to up to 10,000 for repeat offences and for the most egregious breaches. However, with past public surveys suggesting very low levels of compliance with the rules, it appears only a tiny fraction have ever been fined. Since the start of the pandemic only 165 people have been fined for failing to self-isolate in England and Wales after being contacted by NHS Test and Trace, according to data from May 2021. 500 in compensation is still available for those on low incomes who have to isolate. The change in policy for under-18s comes before pupils return to school and college in England, meaning the previous bubble system will end, along with social distancing and staggered start and finish times. Two on-site tests should be taken by each secondary school and college student on return, followed by twice-weekly testing at home, said a Health Department statement. The government will review testing requirements by the end of September. There are exemptions from the requirement to self-isolate for those who can evidence that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. The government says that updates will be made to the COVID-19 app in line with the new requirements. If someone is called by NHS Test and Trace and told they are a contact, they will be asked their age and their vaccination status, according to the Health Department. If using the NHS COVID-19 app, people will be asked to self-declare if they are under 18 or double vaccinated. There are a few extra requirements for health and social care staff. If a close contact tests positive, they will require a negative PCR test to go work, and will need to take daily lateral flow tests for 10 days. Currently, according to official statistics, over three quarters of adults have now had two vaccinations. In July, the National Police Chiefs Council said if officers are given information that someone is not self-isolating they are guided to visit their address and encourage the person to isolate or issue an FPN [fixed penalty notice] if the person is blatantly breaching the regulations and refuses to comply. PA contributed to this report Senators Demand Lifting Nuclear Ban To Ensure Reliable Energy Future Senators are calling to uproot Australian legislation banning nuclear energy, suggesting that the technology could play a key role in ensuring energy reliability amid a pivot away from fossil fuels. This comes after an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report spurred environmental activists to vandalise Parliament House and demanded Australia do more to address climate concerns. Currently, nuclear power is prohibited under the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (ARPANS), and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC). But Senator Jacqui Lambie has questioned why nuclear power is not on the table to support Australias energy security as the nation fast-tracked its emissions reduction efforts. Senator Jacqui Lambie following a television appearance in the media gallery at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Mar. 18, 2021. (Photo by Sam Mooy/Getty Images) France and Sweden replaced their whole coal fleet with nuclear power, and they now have the lowest per capita carbon emissions in the world, Lambie told the Senate (pdf). Meanwhile, weve got nearly a third of the worlds uranium here, but for some reason, we wont use it ourselves. Nationals Senator Sam McMahon plans to introduce a bill to amend legislation prohibiting nuclear energy, and has received support from coalition senatorsincluding fellow Nationals senator Matthew Canavan and two votes from Pauline Hansons One Nationbut currently is short of one vote to hold a majority in the upper house. The Australian government had previously considered reversing the moratorium as part of its technology, not taxes approach to emissions reduction. In particular, the federal government has put forward small modular reactors (SMRs) as a technology that promises to address fundamental issues with traditional nuclear reactorssuch as cost, and safetywith a recently announced partnership with the United Kingdom to include research in the field. SMRs promise pre-fabrication of individual components at specialist facilities, greatly reducing production costs, and can incorporate contemporary fail-safe mechanisms that greatly eliminate the risk of catastrophic failure. The New South Wales productivity commissioner also suggested SMRs as a pathway to reboot the states economy following the recession caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus. However, a professor of engineering at the University of Melbourne with a background in nuclear systems, Iven Mareels, raised concern that the technology for SMRs was not yet proven, particularly in Australia. For example, Mareels outlined that Australia had not developed any nuclear submarines that utilise the SMR technology. We can perhaps ask why Australia does not have a nuclear submarine? It is, after all, the better way to have a submarine being reliable and quiet, Mareels told The Epoch Times. If we want proof that the technology works modularly, that is a good place to start. Currently, no SMR projects in the private sector have been completed, with many state-funded projects delayed or over-budget. Mareels, while not opposed to the idea of nuclear power, pointed to a lack of available workforce capable of developing and operating SMR infrastructure. True, nuclear can help, but do we have the time to train a whole new workforce in this space? Are we willing to import yet another technology and create even more dependencies in our power system on externalities? Mareels believes that nuclear power instead only served to delay Australias emissions reduction efforts, and that the only way the technology would work would be to completely overhaul multiple foundational aspects of Australias society. Nuclear is one step removed from providing a timely solutionunless we import technology and workforce together, make the necessary regulatory changes, and educate the public to live with something we have avoided forever, Mareels said. Nationals Senator Matthew Canavan at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Jun. 22, 2021. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) But Canavan, who backed Lambies calls for a nuclear revolution, argued that Australia would only benefit from promptly developing green, reliable energy. I agree that it will take a long time to build up a new nuclear industry, but all the more reason to start now, Canavan told The Epoch Times. As the old Chinese saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the next best time is today. Canavan emphasised that the development of the new nuclear tech would benefit future Australians, presenting them the option for more carbon-emission-free energy. New nuclear technologieslike small, modular reactorsmean that future Australians may want to build nuclear power stations. If we dont start work today, we will reduce options for future Australians. Afghan people sit as they wait to leave the Kabul airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021, after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistan's 20-year war (Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images) White House: Significant Number of Americans Remain in Afghanistan, Chaos Erupts at Airport Official confirms US trying to determine the number of Americans still in the country Violence and gunfire erupted on the Kabul airport as thousands of Afghans and others were trying to evacuate Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover on Sunday. At one point, numerous Afghans and others tried to hold on to the outside of an American plane as it was departing the airport, according to video footage. At least one person fell hundreds of feet after the plane took off, other footage shows. I saw one person grabbing the plane when it moved and then later he fell down, one man at the airport, who didnt give his name, told the Wall Street Journal at the scene before he rushed away. More videos shared on Twitter showed throngs of people crowding around military planes on the tarmac. As of Sunday evening, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul was totally evacuated, said State Department Ned Price, who confirmed that they were relocated to the Kabul airport. The airports perimeter, he added, was secured by American troops who were deployed in recent days. We can confirm that the safe evacuation of all Embassy personnel is now complete, Price said in a statement Monday. All Embassy personnel are located on the premises of Hamid Karzai International Airport, whose perimeter is secured by the U.S. Military. On Monday morning, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed there were numerous Americans still inside Afghanistan. US soldiers take up their positions as they secure the airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021 (Shakib Rahmani/AFP via Getty Images) We intend to carry out those evacuation flights after securing the airport over the coming days, he told CBS News, adding that the White House still wanted to evacuate thousands of people in total. That includes a significant number of Americans, he said, adding: We are still doing outreach to establish the total number of Americans in [the] country. Afghans crowd at the tarmac of the airport in Kabul as they wait to flee Taliban control of Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and conceded the insurgents had won the 20-year war on Aug. 16, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images) Afghans crowd at the airport in Kabul as they wait to leave on Aug. 16, 2021. (Shakib Rahmani/AFP via Getty Images) Some have likened the evacuation of Americans from Afghanistan to the capture of Saigon by Vietnamese communists in 1975, capping the end of the Vietnam War. As in Siagon more than 40 years ago, scenes of U.S. military helicopters flying staff away emerged on Sunday in Kabul. The Afghan Civil Aviation Authority announced Monday that all civilian flights in and out of the Kabul airport were suspended, urging citizens not to travel there. On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani confirmed that he fled Afghanistan to Tajikistan, saying the Taliban had won. Top officials with the Taliban, speaking from within the presidential palace in Kabul, also declared victory. The Taliban have won with the judgment of their swords and guns, and are now responsible for the honor, property, and self-preservation of their countrymen, Ghani said. The Epoch Times has contacted the Department of State for additional comment. A worker is seen inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, capital of China's Hubei province, on Feb. 23, 2017. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images) Chinas State Media Delete Claims by Swiss Biologist State media in China have quietly scrubbed reports of an alleged Swiss biologist criticizing the United States efforts to investigate the origins of the pandemic, after Switzerlands embassy in Beijing said the biologist was unlikely to be a real person, according to their records. Swiss diplomats began searching for the biologist, named Wilson Edwards, after his name dominated Chinese state-backed media reports at the end of July. According to Chinese social media chatter and state media reports, the researcher allegedly suffered intimidation from the United States for supporting the World Health Organizations (WHO) investigation into the origins of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Virus. On Aug. 10, the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing said that Edwards may not exist. They said there were no registered citizens named Wilson Edwards, nor were any biology papers published under that name. If you exist, we would like to meet you! the embassy wrote in a post, in both English and Chinese on Twitter and Weibo. The embassy said reports on the account are likely to be fake news and asked Chinese media outlets to remove such reports. Looking for Wilson Edwards, alleged biologist, cited in press and social media in China over the last several days. If you exist, we would like to meet you! But it is more likely that this is a fake news, and we call on the Chinese press and netizens to take down the posts. pic.twitter.com/U6ku5EGibm Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing (@SwissEmbChina) August 10, 2021 The story has since removed from Chinas English-language broadcaster CGTV and other Chinese state-backed media outlets, but CGTVs Chinese article could still be viewed as of Friday. A Facebook account that acted as the source of information for the Chinese news reports has also disappeared. Swiss diplomats said the account had one post and three friends after it opened on July 24. According to reports, Edwards Facebook account described him as a Swiss biologist. He wrote that the push for the WHO second phase investigation into the origin of COVID-19 was a result of political pressure from the U.S. Last month, the WHO announced a proposal for a phase-two origins investigation that included an audit of the Wuhan lab and research institutions where the virus was first identified. The agency said Beijing didnt share raw patient data with the initial probe and called on the Chinese regime to be transparent and cooperative. Beijing has rejected efforts for an unsupervised investigation into the origin of the CCP virus, which causes the disease COVID-19. Top Chinese health officials asked the WHO to get rid of political interference on July 22. On July 30, state media outlets, such as Global Times and China Daily, shared a report about the Facebook post from Chinas central broadcaster CGTV. In the report, the so-called biologist cited a source at the WHO, saying the United States was attacking the Chinese regime as it was calling for tracing the virus origin. Some of his fellow researchers were under enormous pressure and intimidation from the U.S. and some media outlets, Edwards posts stated, as repeated by Chinese media reports. Security personnel keep watch outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology during the visit by the World Health Organization (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) Meanwhile, a recent report by the Center for Information Resilience (CIR) found that a sprawling Chinese social media network has attempted to sow doubts about U.S. claims that there is growing evidence that the CCP virus originated from a Wuhan lab. The accounts, existing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, have fake profile images almost indistinguishable from real people. CIR pointed out the networks intent in their report. Our research shows evidence of a deliberate effort to distort international perceptions on significant issuesin this case, in favor of China, said Benjamin Strick, the author of the CIR report. The aim of the network appears to be to delegitimize the West by amplifying pro-Chinese narratives, Strick said. There appears to be close overlaps in narratives shared by the network, to those shared by the social media accounts of China state representatives and state-linked media. A guard wears protective gear as he stands at the entrance to the Hubei provincial centre for disease control and prevention while members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of COVID-19 visit the centre in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 1, 2021. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) Intelligence Report U.S. intelligence is also currently drafting a report for President Joe Biden as the deadline of a three-month investigation into the viruss origin approaches. It comes amid the possibility that the CCP virus leaked from Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) gains wider recognition. Anthony Fauci, the chief of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in May he was not confident that the CCP virus developed naturally, though earlier, he insisted that transmission from animal to human was the most likely origin. The WHO admitted in July that it was premature to rule out the possibility of a lab leak, which the agency had previously said was extremely unlikely in a report in March. The Chinese regime had previously claimed that the pandemic started from the Wuhan seafood market. However, three members of the WIV were reportedly admitted to hospital in November 2019, several weeks before Beijing acknowledged the first infected case. Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe (L) and Galveston Constable Jimmy Fullen outside the sheriffs office in Brackettville, Texas, on Aug. 16, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Texas County Sends Law Enforcement Help to Border Region BRACKETTVILLE, TexasGalveston Constable Jimmy Fullen reported for duty 370 miles from home, at the Kinney County Sheriffs Office, on Aug. 16. For the next two weeks, Fullen will help beef up the law enforcement presence in the small border county. Not sure what to expect. But Im sure were going to get our feet wet pretty quick, Fullen told The Epoch Times. Kinney County has been struggling to keep up with the number of illegal aliens passing through, especially those walking through the ranches and cutting fences, destroying property, and stealing vehicles. The county sits in Texass Del Rio Border Patrol Sector, which has become the second-busiest along the border for illegal crossings. In July, Border Patrol detected but failed to apprehend almost 10,000 illegal aliens, according to Customs and Border Protection statistics released by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). The county has started prosecuting illegal aliens for criminal trespass and, with the Texas state troopers help, has booked more than 120 into jail in the past week. Kinney County has 14 jail spaces, so its utilizing state facilities in neighboring Val Verde and the Briscoe Unit in Dilley, Texas, which has been repurposed to detain nearly 1,000 illegal aliens. Fullen said his county declared an emergency last week, and hes been able to access federal funds to backstop his position in Galveston by calling up his reserves. The federal government gave Galveston County $63 million for COVID relief and COVID abatement, Fullen said. So we figured, in our minds, this is COVID abatementtrying to keep the illegal [aliens] from coming over. You know, eventually theyre going to move up to our area. Border cities have struggled with the influx of illegal immigrants and the potential increase in COVID-19 theyre bringing in. The mayor of McAllen, Texas, Javier Villalobos, said 15 percent of the 1,800 illegal immigrants apprehended per day have COVID-19. On July 20, the city of Laredo sued the Biden administration over the flood of illegal immigrants being bussed in from other areas. The lawsuit was dismissed on Aug. 9 after the parties reached an agreement. City officials last week said 40 percent of illegal aliens being released had tested positive for COVID-19, Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz told the Washington Examiner. Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe is gratefully accepting any help he can get. His stable of six full-time deputies is often depleted, and theyve got 1,360 square miles of mostly rural ranchland to cover. Aside from Fullen, Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset is sending four deputies to start work in Kinney County on Aug. 19. Weve gotten so much assistance. Every time theres a storm or hurricane, everybody comes to help us, so at this point, we just feel like were returning some of the favor, Trochesset told The Epoch Times on Aug. 9. The deputies will operate under a mutual aid agreement, and although its not technically required, Coe intends to swear them in. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to the border on Aug. 12 and told Border Patrol agents the current border crisis is unsustainable and were going to lose if borders are the first line of defense, according to a leaked audio file obtained by Fox News. On Aug. 10, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) filed articles of impeachment against Mayorkas. Secretary Mayorkas is a threat to the sovereignty and security of our nation, Biggs wrote in a statement. He is willfully refusing to maintain operational control of the border and is encouraging aliens to enter our country illegally. Transformative Change Needed in BC Forest Management to Curb Wildfires: Forestry Scientist The B.C. government needs to rethink how it manages the provinces forests and adapt its approach to fires, including prioritizing the use of prescribed burning, to reduce the severity of ever-worsening wildfires, says a forestry scientist. Our old policy was always to put out every fire, thinking fire was only bad, that all it did was damage, said Lori Daniels, a forestry professor at the University of British Columbias Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences. So for many decades, we were very successful at detecting and suppressing all fires, and that had an impact on the forests that make them more susceptible to fire today. Daniels told The Epoch Times that wildfires are an important part of how forests and ecosystems function, and in the past, low-intensity surface fires in remote areas would be allowed to burn, removing fuel without killing the big trees while at the same time stimulating growth. But the long-term, widespread use of fire suppression has led to the accumulation of dead and burnable material, making forests denser and creating more biomass to burn when a wildfire ignites. So now when the fires start in those forests, its no longer a low-intensity surface fire, but it can quickly become a higher-intensity crown fire that does much more damage to the trees, she said. A policy of allowing managed wildfires was implemented in B.C. only around 10 years ago, Daniels said, and the use of prescribed burning to reduce fuel loads in dry forests began after the devastating fires in the Kelowna region in 2003, but it is far from reaching the necessary scale. My constructive criticism is were not doing it fast enough. Theres hundreds of thousands of hectares that need to be treated, she said. Its expensive to do it, but we have not really invested the degree of funding that is needed to address this problem at the landscape level, nor to support all of the communities that would like to be addressing this problem. B.C. had some of the most catastrophic forest fires in its recorded history over the last 18 years. The 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fires burned more than 25,000 hectares, forcing over 33,000 people from the Naramata and Kelowna communities to evacuate, according to the BC Wildfire Service. Over 230 homes were lost or damaged. In 2017, over 1.2 million hectares of forests were burned across the province, and roughly 65,000 people evacuated. This year, 767,302 hectares have burned since April, with 268 fires still burning as of Aug. 16. Lori Daniels, forestry professor at the University of British Columbia (Courtesy of Lori Daniels) In the wake of the 2003 and 2017 wildfires, the B.C. government commissioned independent reviews to examine the causes and make recommendations to prevent such catastrophic events from happening again. The Filmon Report in 2004 and the Abbott/Chapman Report in 2018 outlined steps to create an integrated forest and fire management policy to reduce the threat to B.C. communities. The 2018 report led to an increase in wildfire management funding by 58 percent as well as other changes, including improved integration in aviation and increased use of technology. But Daniels says much more is needed. We have a lot of work to dowere behind the eight ball on this one. Daniels isnt the only one raising the concerns. In July, more than 30 forest and environmental experts from B.C. and the United States released a paper reminding governments of the urgent need to implement effective wildfire reduction strategies. Recommendations include forest thinning, prescribed burning, tree planting (deciduous and conifer), rehabilitation and restoration work, as well as developing strategies to deal with the immense quantities of fuel that need to be removed from our forests in ecologically sustainable ways. If our investments in fuel treatments fall short of treating a high enough percentage of fire-prone landscapes, we are not likely to have enough of an impact given the scale and severity of wildfires to reduce negative consequences, the paper states. Daniels said there is a need to reintroduce biodiversity into forests in areas that have been logged to build up their resilience against wildfire. We have a very intensive focus in British Columbia on needle leaf trees only, and thats because its the needle leaf treesthe pines, the spruce, and the firthat we use for timber products, she said. But when broadleaf treeswhich are more resistant to fireare removed to make space for needle leaf trees, it makes forests more vulnerable to fire. So for forest management, we need transformative change. We need to stop tinkering within the current system, she said. We need to focus on resilience, not timber products or other forest products. Because if we dont find a way to make our forests more resilient to drought, to insects, to pathogens, to fire, there will be no sustainable forest products into the future. UK Military Cannot Return to Afghanistan: Former NATO Head The former head of NATO has said the UK military cannot return to Afghanistan after the country was retaken by the Taliban on Sunday. Lord Robertson, who served as general secretary of the military alliance between 1999 and 2004and issued a statement invoking article five of the treaty that provides for collective defence after the attack on the World Trade Centre on 9/11said on Monday that the UK should focus on increasing its defences against terrorism at home. The Taliban marched into Kabul on Sunday, taking the presidential palace with little resistance, while President Ashraf Ghani was forced to flee. Lord Robertson said on Good Morning Scotland on Monday that the speed of the takeover showed a failure of intelligence from allied forces. He said he was sad and sickened by the scenes from the country, where coalition forces had been stationed for 20 years. I find it ironic at best but tragic at worst that the anniversary of 9/11 is going to be commemorated in a few weeks time with the Taliban back in control of Kabulthat is deeply, deeply depressing, he said. But he added that the time for military intervention in the country is over and the focus must shift to stopping terrorist acts on British soil. I dont think were going to be back in there again. We cant go in there militarilythats over, thats finished. Thats an episode well have to reflect on and learn lots of lessons from. But what we have to do is to make sure that our own defences are much more resilient as a consequence of this particular failure, and weve got to watch what the international ramifications are going to bethey will not be good. Thats why I think its tragic that we will commemorate the disaster that was 9/11 with the Taliban back in control of the presidential palace in Kabul. The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan happened far too quickly, he said on Monday. It didnt have to be like this. If we had learned the lessons of what happened in Bosnia and Kosovo then a gradual withdrawal based on facts on the ground and success on the ground may have stopped this catastrophe from happening. But sadly, we dont learn from the past, we dont learn from previous experiences, and therefore a wholesale withdrawal of American forces meant that the country was left in a condition that has now led to the Taliban taking over. The UK should act swiftly and generously to aid Afghan citizens who helped UK forces during the two-decade conflict. Lord Robertson also criticised Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who was on holiday abroad last week as the Taliban advanced towards the Afghan capital. I think it was amazing, staggering, that the foreign secretary was still on holiday while Afghanistan was collapsing to the Taliban, he said. Youve got to be on duty during that sort of period where we are so deeply and intimately involved in it. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Raab had been personally coordinating the UKs response and returned to the UK on Sunday. Looking at the British handling of the war in Afghanistan in the past 20 years, the former NATO secretary-general said: We bear a big responsibility ourselves. We never really took Afghanistan and the conflict there with the seriousness that it demanded. We sent people into danger, troops into danger, and people died and yet we were not fully, it would appear, committed to the campaign that was going on there. Ive been critical all along about our country not taking this situation seriously and now the chickens have come home to roost and were facing a humiliation and a disaster for all of our people. By Craig Paton Members of Joint Forces Headquarters deploying to Afghanistan to assist in the draw down of troops from the area on Aug. 13, 2021. (LPhot Ben Shread/Ministry of Defence/Crown Copyright via PA) UK to Evacuate At Least Hundreds Every Day From Afghanistan Hundreds of people will be flown out of Afghanistan each day as British troops race against the clock to evacuate the remaining UK nationals and eligible Afghans following the dramatic fall of the countrys Western-backed government to the Taliban. A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that he believes at least hundreds every day will be leaving [on] the flights, but obviously this is a fluid situation. Asked how long the evacuation will last, the spokesman said the government want[s] to obviously continue to do this as long as we are able to do so and as long as it is safe to do so. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that while civilian and charter flights at Kabul airport are currently suspended, the military part of the airport is still open and secure. If we manage to keep it in the way were planning to, we should have [the] capacity for over 1,000 people a day to exit to the United Kingdom, Wallace told BBC Breakfast on Monday. Currently, this is not about capacity on planes, its about processing speeds, so thats why Im trying to fix that. He said over 600 forces were sent in over the weekend to keep the airport functioning and to process and escort people onto planes. Wallace told Sky News that 300 British citizens had been evacuated on both Saturday and Sunday. The government plans to get 782 Afghans out over the next two days, and the aim is to evacuate 1,2001,500 people each day. Asked when he expects to have a full evacuation, Wallace told LBC radio that the plan is to evacuate all British passport holders, British officials, and eligible Afghans by the end of the month. At the very least, our obligation has to be, is [to get as] many of these people through the pipeline as possible, he said. British Defense Minister Ben Wallace addresses a news conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on Jan. 25, 2021. (Thomas Mukoya/Reuters) Choking with emotion, Wallace said he regrets that some people wont get back, and that the UK will have to do its best in working with other countries to process those people. Its sad that the West has done what its done. And we have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligationsand 20 years of sacrificesits what it is, Wallace said. Speaking with Sky News, Wallace acknowledged that the Taliban is in control of Afghanistan and he had sought safe passage from the Taliban for people the British government is helping. I dont know about a win. I acknowledge that the Taliban are in control of the country, I mean, you dont have to be a political scientist to spot thats where were at, Wallace said when pressed to acknowledge that the Taliban had won the war. I have engaged to a third country yesterday to make sure we seek assurances from the Taliban to protect our people and indeed the people were trying to work to get out. Asked if people who dont want to live under Taliban rule can leave the country, spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told the BBC on Sunday that the Taliban wants all Afghans to stay as it needs talents to rebuild the country. Wallace said he had assurance from the Taliban leadership via a third country that the evacuees would not be interfered with and that they wanted to demonstrate that people could come and go to Afghanistan as freely as possible. However, Wallace said he does acknowledge that the situation may deteriorate and hes working with the UK home secretary and foreign secretary to accelerate the process, including finding a way to accept Afghans without the need of passports. Apart from people still in Afghanistan, Wallace said there are a significant number of Afghans who managed to get out of the country over the last few weeks and are in refugee camps around the world. Were going to be processing them wherever they are, and were going to continue to do that after weve gone we will do everything we can to bring as many people as possible, Wallace said. PA contributed to this report. Understanding the Constitution: The Force of the Preamble Commentary My last essay discussed the style of the Constitutions preamble. Gouverneur Morris, its principal author, composed a passage that was grand, euphonious, and balanced. This essay addresses the preambles substance. The preamble of a legal instrument recites understood facts and the intent and goals of the party or parties creating the instrument. Edward Coke, the 17th-century legal scholar whose writings were at the core of the Founders legal education, said a preamble is a key to the minds of the makers. As the U.S. Supreme Court noted in Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905) (pdf), a preamble isnt a source of binding rules. Rather, it sheds light on the rules found elsewhere in the document. Suppose you arrive home to find that your spouse has left you a note. It reads: We need more food. Please go to the store and buy meat, bread, and vegetables. The preamble to the listWe need more foodexplains the rest. It tells you why youre going and sheds light on the meaning of the three listed items. It informs you that youre not being asked to purchase firewood, even though firewood is technically vegetable matter. The Constitutions preamble reads as follows: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. We the People The phrase We the People identifies those creating the new government and granting it political power. The term the people wasnt, as sometimes claimed, limited to wealthy white males. In nearly all states, men of very modest means were enfranchised, and some states extended the vote to women, free African Americans, and Native Americans living under state (rather than tribal) jurisdiction. Outside of the electoral context, the Constitution, as amended by the Bill of Rights, repeatedly employs the people to mean all free adults. And as a historical matter, a huge portion of the American populous was active in the debates over the Constitutions adoption. Ordain and Establish In the 18th century, the definitions of ordain and establish overlapped. However, ordain often meant a one-time order or authorization, while establish referred to a more time-consuming process. A statute might ordain creation of a postal system, but the postal system was established by the process of erecting buildings, selecting routes, entering into contracts, hiring employees, adopting laws and procedures, and so forth (pdf). The preamble tells us that the rest of the document ordains the delegation of power to a new political system, which is established under the Constitution. The Preambles Goals The preamble lists six goals or reasons why We the People are ordaining and establishing the new government. They are as follows: To render an existing union more perfect. Modern commentators often misinterpret this to mean a better union. But in the 18th century, perfect usually meant complete. This goal was to tightenmake more completethe union created by the Articles of Confederation. To establish Justice. A core value in the Founders political philosophy was government impartiality. Yet some states had acted unjustly by playing favorites among citizens, and the Founders aimed to correct that. Note the word establish, which contemplates erecting a just order over time. To insure domestic Tranquility. Peace in the United States was threatened by contention among states and social classes. A stronger central authority could ensure domestic peace. To provide for the common defence. Not only were the Articles of Confederation insufficient for the needs of defense, but they permitted authorities to favor the defense of some states over othersas occasionally happened during the Revolutionary War. The Constitution was designed to provide for the common (universal) defense. To promote the general Welfare. This has nothing to do with the modern welfare state, which nearly all the Founders would have opposed. General is a synonym for common or universal. It refers to all Americans, as opposed to particular individuals, regions, or interests. Welfare means human happiness and flourishing. The phrase general Welfare appears later in the Constitution, also. As I shall explain in a future essay, no constitutional phrase is so misunderstood and abused. To secure the Blessings of Liberty. This reflects another of the Founders core political values: freedom. Observe that democracy doesnt appear in the preamble. One reason is that self-government is inherent in the phrase We the People. Another reason is that democracy might imply unchecked majoritarian control of day-to-day government decisions, something the Founders opposed. The six goals in the preamble may come into conflict. Excessive liberty may impair domestic tranquility. A large military establishment for the common defence may threaten the Blessings of Liberty. Government efforts to ensure the general Welfare may also threaten liberty. Commentators sometimes make the mistake of preferring some of the preambles goals over the rest. Today, the most common error is to raise the perceived general Welfare above the Blessings of Liberty. Nothing in the preamble suggests that this is proper. All the goals are of equal importance. When there are conflicts among the goals, the Constitution often provides guidance on how to resolve them. For example, the Constitution preserves the traditional Anglo-American writ of habeas corpus, because that writ preserves liberty and furthers justice. But in certain cases of insurrection or invasion, Congress may suspend the writ to preserve domestic Tranquility. Similarly, the Constitution allows Congress to impose taxes for the common defense and general welfare, but in the interest of liberty and impartiality, the Constitution limits the ways Congress may do so. Future essays will explore such issues in more detail. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. US Military Bases to House Thousands of Afghan Refugees in Coming Days The United States is preparing to accommodate thousands of Afghan refugees in the coming days on American military installations while evacuating Americans from the country now controlled by the Taliban terrorist group. We want to have the capacity to get up to several thousand immediately, and want to be prepared for the potential of tens of thousands, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told Fox News on Sunday. [Forts] Bliss and McCoy have the capability right nowand whats advantageous is with a little bit of work, they could increase their capacity in very short order. Fort Bliss is a military base in El Paso, Texas, and Fort McCoy is in Wisconsin. Kirby also implied that American citizens would not always be prioritized over Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) applicants. Once we get more airlift out of Kabul, were going to put as many people on those planes as we can. There will be a mix, not just American citizens, but perhaps some Afghan SIV applicants as well, Kirby said. Its not going to be just Americans first, then SIV applicants. Were going to focus on getting as many folks out as we can. Lieutenant Colonel Chris Mitchell, a spokesperson from the Defense Department, told The Epoch Times that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved two requests for assistance from the State Department on Sunday to transport and temporarily house Afghan SIV applicants, their families, and other individuals at risk. Under the first request, the Department will provide temporary housing, sustainment, and support inside the United States for up to 22,000 Afghan SIV applicants, their families and other at-risk individuals. The US Northern Command will coordinate details with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Health and Human Services, as necessary. This support will be provided under Presidential Drawdown Authority to the maximum extent possible, with additional support being provided on a reimbursable basis, Mitchell said via email. Under the second request, the Department will provide protection, air transportation, and processing of up to 30,000 at-risk individuals from Kabul. This total includes embassy personnel, US citizens, Afghan SIV applicants, and other at-risk individuals, Mitchell continued. Mitchell said 8,000 of those would be transported to a third country for processing, with an additional 22,000 being transported to the United States. The Department of State will be responsible for onward travel for all transported individuals. The Department of State didnt immediately respond to a request from The Epoch Times for comment. In a joint statement issued Sunday, the two departments asserted they would work together to evacuate Americans and Afghan refugees to the United States in the coming days. And we will accelerate the evacuation of thousands of Afghans eligible for U.S. Special Immigrant Visas, nearly 2,000 of whom have already arrived in the United States over the past two weeks. For all categories, Afghans who have cleared security screening will continue to be transferred directly to the United States. And we will find additional locations for those yet to be screened, the statement reads. Afghan people sit as they wait to leave the Kabul airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021, after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistans 20-year war (WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images) The statement also pointed out that nearly 6,000 troops would be deployed to take over air traffic control and facilitate the evacuation in the next 48 hours. World leaders expressed shock and dismay after the Taliban took over Afghanistans capital, Kabul, so swiftly. Republicans and some Democrats have harshly criticized President Joe Bidens decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan so quickly. Biden is expected to give a speech on Afghanistan on Monday afternoon. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. US soldiers take up their positions as they secure the airport in Kabul on Aug. 16, 2021. (Shakib Rahmani/AFP via Getty Images) US Troops Shot At, Return Fire at Kabul Airport and Kill Armed Individuals: Pentagon U.S. soldiers deployed at the Kabul airport have been shot at and were forced to return fire, killing two, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Aug. 16. Two armed individuals were shot and killed in separate incidents at the airport, Kirby told reporters in an off-camera briefing, coming as thousands of people crowd around the facility to try to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban took over the country and declared victory on Aug. 15. About 2,500 troops are currently at the airport, Kirby said. There are preliminary indications that one U.S. soldier may have been wounded. The United States will now focus on securing the Kabul airport, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told reporters on Aug. 16, adding that additional U.S. troops were being sent to the airport. Images and videos uploaded online showed Afghan citizens attempting to cling to U.S. military planes that were performing evacuations. At least two fell hundreds of feet from the military planes to their deaths, the footage showed. There were unconfirmed reports citing U.S. military officials that stated at least seven people died amid the Kabul airport chaos. As of Aug. 16, U.S. forces were working with Turkish and other international troops to clear the Kabul airport to allow international evacuation flights to continue, Kirby told reporters. He said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of another battalion to the airport. People try to get into Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 16, 2021. (Reuters/Stringer) Afghan people sit as they wait to leave the Kabul airport in Kabul on Aug. 16, 2021, after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistans 20-year war. (Wakil Kahsar/AFP via Getty Images) The Taliban swept into Kabul on Aug. 15 after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing an end to a two-decade campaign in which the United States and its allies had tried to transform Afghanistan. The countrys Western-trained security forces collapsed or fled ahead of the planned withdrawal of the last U.S. troops at the end of the month. Residents raced to Kabuls international airport, where the civilian side was closed until further notice, according to Afghanistans Civil Aviation Authority. The U.S. military and other Western forces continued to organize evacuations. Shafi Arifi, who had a ticket to travel to Uzbekistan on Aug. 15, was unable to board his plane because it was packed with people who had raced across the tarmac and climbed aboard, with no police or airport staff in sight. There was no room for us to stand, he told The Associated Press. Children were crying, women were shouting, young and old men were so angry and upset, no one could hear each other. There was no oxygen to breathe. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, is facing a barrage of criticismeven from his own diplomats, Democratic lawmakers, and mainstream media punditsover how the pullout was handled. If President Biden truly has no regrets about his decision to withdraw, then he is disconnected from reality when it comes to Afghanistan, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote on Twitter. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Western Australia Likely to Continue Zero-COVID Strategy, Despite Vaccine Roadmap West Australian (WA) Premier Mark McGowan has suggested the state will continue to pursue a zero-COVID strategy even when 80 percent of the population has been vaccinated. This is despite agreeing to a national cabinet plan to relax restrictions once that benchmark was reached. It also follows a decision by the WA government to impose hard borders on visitors from New South Wales (NSW). We will do whats required to keep the people of our state safe, the premier told reporters on Aug. 16. We are following the national roadmap. Its there in black and white, he added. If we have 80 percent vaccination, we still have 20 percent of eligible people (in Western Australia) unvaccinated. Thats 400,000 people (in Western Australia), McGowan said. Some of them may well be very vulnerable. My view is people in this state want the right to stay safe. In late July, the national cabinetan intergovernmental body involving the prime minister and state and territory leadersagreed on a three-stage plan to open the country. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (centre) and State Premiers Annastacia Palaszczuk, Daniel Andrews (left) and Gladys Berejiklian (right) address the media in the Main Committee Room at Parliament House, in Canberra, Australia, on December 11, 2020. Sam Mooy/Getty Images) If 70 percent of the population is vaccinated, then the state will enter Phase B, where stay-at-home orders and restrictions would be largely lifted. Upon reaching the 80 percent vaccination target, Phase C is triggered, and the country will begin reopening international borders. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said McGowans comments did not reflect the agreement made by the national cabinet. First of all, when you move from Phase B, you move from managing cases to ensure youre managing hospitalisations, serious illness and things of that nature, he told Sky News Australia. And that was done in our first discussion on the national plan, and it was then agreed in principle with the targets that were set by the Doherty Institute, which made it very clear that once you get to 70 percent and 80 percent at that level, particularly at 80 percent, youre managing the virus just like you would the flu, he added. Thats what the national plan was about; it gives people that hope and the path forward. It is the path out. That was the plan that was agreed to. The states still maintain the right to implement domestic border closures, according to McGowan, who said that even at Phase C, highly-targeted lockdowns were allowed. WA is currently experiencing the slowest vaccination rates in the country, with 22.9 percent of the states population fully vaccinated. This is compared to the national average of 26.6 percent. Meanwhile, from Aug. 17, WA will also demand arrivals from NSW to provide evidence of a negative PCR test in the last 72 hours, and prove they have received at least one vaccine dose. It will be a future requirement for any jurisdiction recording an average of 50 infections per day. NSW is currently under an extended lockdown periodthat has stretched to over nine weeksfollowing an outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19. The Taliban take control of the Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2021. (Zabi Karimi/AP Photo) Biden Remains Silent as Taliban Swarms Kabul President Joe Biden hasnt spoken with the media about the Taliban overthrowing the government in Afghanistan since his last statement on Saturday, one day before the terrorist group swarmed Kabul. [W]e 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 U.S. personnel or our mission at risk there, will be met with a swift and strong U.S. military response, a white house statement said August 14. The Taliban seized the presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul, the countrys capital. Taliban officials declared the conflict between the terrorist group and Afghan forces over. The Taliban is prepared to declare the nation the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, a highly placed source told The Epoch Times. At the same time, the U.S. Embassy warned Americans still in Kabul to shelter in place as the airport there reportedly took fire from Taliban terrorists. Video footage also showed Afghans storming the airport in an attempt to get onto flights leaving the country. The major developments, coming as the United States worked on completing its withdrawal after two decades in the country, have not received a public address from Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, or White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Harris, the last person in the room when Biden chose to withdraw from Afghanistan, has not spoken publicly since Aug. 10. Psaki, who typically briefs the press daily on weekdays, hasnt held a press conference since Aug. 11. Biden went to Wilmington, Delaware, and later Camp David, Maryland, after making remarks on prescription drug pricing on Aug. 12. This morning, the President and Vice President met with their national security team and senior officials to hear updates on the draw down of our civilian personnel in Afghanistan, evacuations of SIV applicants and other Afghan allies, and the ongoing security situation in Kabul. pic.twitter.com/U7IpK3Hyj8 The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 15, 2021 Biden didnt take questions when leaving for Delaware or for Camp David. He last spoke in real-time about Afghanistan on Aug. 10, telling reporters that he didnt regret greenlighting the U.S. withdrawal and that Afghan fighters would have to fight for themselves, fight for their nation. In a written statement on Saturday, Biden said he was in close contact with his national security team and giving them direction on how to protect our interests and values as we end our military mission in Afghanistan. The president said he authorized the deployment of some 5,000 U.S. troops to help evacuate Americans and allied personnel, as well as Afghans who assisted troops over the past years. He also said that U.S. officials had conveyed to the Taliban that any action they took that put U.S. personnel or the U.S. mission at risk will be met with a swift and strong U.S. military response. He also defended the U.S. pullout, saying he faced a choice when he became president: following through on a deal former President Donald Trump cut with the Taliban, or sending more troops to Afghanistan. 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, he said. A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies over the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo) On Sunday, the White House posted a picture of Biden alone in a room at Camp David holding a briefing with top officials at other sites, including Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Harris, as well as CIA personnel and U.S. intelligence officials in Doha, Qatar. This morning, the President and Vice President met with their national security team and senior officials to hear updates on the draw down of our civilian personnel in Afghanistan, evacuations of SIV applicants and other Afghan allies, and the ongoing security situation in Kabul, the White House said. SIV stands for Special Immigrant Visas. Bidens lack of a public address on whats happening has triggered criticism from some, including Republican members of Congress. Im stunned at whats missing- where is Pres Biden? How is he MIA during this generational foreign policy crisis? We have a total leadership vacuum that is humiliating + inexcusable. Especially in these impossible times, we need leaders who will stand up and be counted! Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) wrote on Twitter. President Biden owes the American public an explanation as to why he led from behind and allowed terrorists to prevail, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) said in a statement. Psaki is out of the office from Aug. 15 to Aug. 22, according to an automated email message The Epoch Times received early Monday in response to questions. Her absence also drew some attention. Biden is out of sight and emails to the White House press secretary get an out-of-office reply, Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for Trumps 2020 campaign, said on social media. Secretary of State Antony Blinken did appear on a Sunday talk show, pushing back on criticism of the administration. The fact of the matter is this, we went to Afghanistan 20 years ago with one mission in mind, and that was to deal with the people who attacked on 9/11. And that mission has been successful. We brought Bin Laden to justice a decade ago. Al-Qaeda, the group that attacked us, has been vastly diminished. Its capacity to attack us again from Afghanistan right now, does not exist. And were going to make sure that we keep in place in the region the capacity, the forces necessary to see any reemergence of a terrorist threat, and to be able to deal with it, he said. Still, Blinken acknowledged that the Afghan forces proved incapable of defending the country. And that did happen more rapidly than we anticipated, he said. The Pentagon and the State Department later Sunday said that they were securing the Hamaz Karzai International Airport in Kabul to enable the safe departure of U.S. and allied personnel, bumping up the number of troops there by nearly 1,000, after abandoning Bagram Air Base. Tomorrow and over the coming days, we will be transferring out of the country thousands of American citizens who have been resident in Afghanistan, as well as locally employed staff of the U.S. mission in Kabul and their families and other particularly vulnerable Afghan nationals, the agencies said. And we will accelerate the evacuation of thousands of Afghans eligible for U.S. Special Immigrant Visas, nearly 2,000 of whom have already arrived in the United States over the past two weeks. For all categories, Afghans who have cleared security screening will continue to be transferred directly to the United States. And we will find additional locations for those yet to be screened. Taliban terrorists take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2021. (Zabi Karimi/AP Photo) World Leaders Shocked, Express Disappointment Over Afghanistan Collapse World leaders expressed shock and dismay after the Taliban took over Kabul, Afghanistans capital, following swift advances that caught the United States off guard as it was withdrawing from the country. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the Taliban takeover as extremely difficult, noting that its very important the West collectively should work together to get over to that new government, be it by the Taliban or anybody else. He said that nobody wants Afghanistan, once again, to be a breeding ground for terror. Johnson noted that it was fair to say the White Houses move to withdraw accelerated things, but this has in many ways been a chronicle of an event foretold. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the Taliban on Aug. 15 to exercise utmost restraint in Afghanistan, just hours after the group entered Kabul and later, the presidential palace. Guterres is particularly concerned about the future of women and girls, whose hard-won rights must be protected, according to a U.N. statement. Over the weekend, the U.N. stated that its Security Council would meet on Aug. 16 to discuss the situation in the country. Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Luigi di Maio told the newspaper Corriere della Sera on Aug. 15 that there wouldnt be a military incursion in Afghanistan. Surely the West has made mistakes and it is correct to admit it, di Maio told the newspaper, according to translation. Men try to get inside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 16, 2021. (Stringer/Reuters) In public comments made on Aug. 15, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau similarly expressed disappointment. Weve been constantly monitoring the rapidly evolving situation, Trudeau said. We are heartbroken at the situation the Afghan people find themselves in today. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison noted that the government would work to evacuate people still in Afghanistan, namely those who aided the Australian effort in the country. Our focus now is to ensure that we continue to support those who have aided us and ensuring that 400 people have already been brought to Australia as we have been working on this quite rapidly in recent months as the situation continues to deteriorate, Morrison said. We will continue to redouble our effort in that regard with our partners. Speaking on Aug. 16, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that as many as 10,000 people have to be urgently evacuated from Afghanistan by the German government. They include Afghan translators, human rights activists, and lawyers. We are witnessing difficult times, Merkel said. Now we must focus on the rescue mission. President Joe Biden, who announced last month that the United States would withdraw after 20 years, hasnt issued any televised addresses in recent days. Last week, the White House released a statement that partially blamed former President Donald Trump for attempting to negotiate with the Taliban to exit Afghanistan. Within the United States, Republican lawmakers and even some Democrats sharply criticized the White House for how it handled the situation, comparing the withdrawal to the 1975 fall of Saigon that capped the end of the Vietnam War. The White House hasnt said whether Biden will issue another statement on the deteriorating situation. Hartford Prints! Hartford Prints! is, of course, based in Hartford. The shop sells all kinds of trendy Connecticut goods, from shirts to cups to hats to notebooks, baby onesies and candle votives. There are products with artsy designs depicting Hartford and New Haven and phrases that advertise the state like small state, big heart. The store was opened in 2013 by thee sisters who, according to the stores website, embrace the idea that a company can both make and do good things. 42 1/2 Pratt St., Hartford; 860-578-8447; hartfordprints.com NORWALK A car accident has pulled down wires and closed a road in the city Monday morning. A vehicle crashed into a utility pole on Flax Hill Road on Monday morning, police said. No one was injured in the accident, police said. Flax Hill Road between Keeler and Rowayton avenues will be closed for an extended time due to down wires and a transformer, police said. Police did not say how long the road will be closed. As of just after 8:30 a.m., Eversource was on the scene, according to police. christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com WASHINGTON Dozens of nations from around the world are calling on all involved in events in Afghanistan to respect and facilitate the departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country. More than 60 nations released a joint statement Sunday night citing what they call the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. The statement says that those in power and authority across the country bear responsibility and accountability for the protection of human life and property, and for the immediate restoration of security and civil order. The nations' statement also says that roads, airports and border crossings must remain open, and that calm must be maintained. The statement concludes: The Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security and dignity. We in the international community stand ready to assist them. The statement was distributed to U.S. media by the State Department. ___ SEOUL, South Korea South Koreas Foreign Ministry said it has temporarily closed its embassy in Kabul and evacuated most of its staff to an unspecified third country in the Middle East. The ministry said a few diplomats, including Ambassador Choi Taeho, remain at a safe location in Afghanistan to support the evacuation of a South Korean national in the country and that the Seoul government is closely working with the United States and other countries to ensure their safe evacuation. Afghanistan has been on South Koreas travel ban list since 2007. There were reportedly around five South Koreans living in Afghanistan before the Seoul government in June called for all of them to leave the country within 10 days as the United States and NATO proceeded with troop pullouts. ___ WASHINGTON A State Department official says the American flag is no longer flying at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul amid evacuations from Afghanistans capital. The official tells The Associated Press that nearly all embassy personnel have been relocated to the citys international airport. The official says the flag itself is with embassy personnel, who are among thousands of Americans and others waiting for flights. The official was not authorized to discuss the details publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity In a joint statement Sunday night, the State Department and the Pentagon say they are taking steps to secure the airport for safe departures by way of civilian and military flights. The statement says the U.S. security presence will have expanded to nearly 6,000 troops over the next two days and will take over air traffic control. Those leaving include American citizens who have been living in Afghanistan, locally employed staff of the U.S. mission in Kabul and their families, and other particularly vulnerable Afghan nationals. Also part of the departure plan are thousands of Afghans eligible for U.S. special immigrant visas. Nearly 2,000 of those with special visas have arrived in the United States over the past two weeks. Matthew Lee. ___ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden and other top U.S. officials have been stunned by the pace of the Talibans nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan, as the planned withdrawal of American forces urgently became a mission to ensure a safe evacuation. The speed of the Afghan governments collapse and the ensuing chaos posed the most serious test of Biden as commander in chief, and he was the subject of withering criticism from Republicans who said that he had failed. Biden campaigned as a seasoned expert in international relations and has spent months downplaying the prospect of an ascendant Taliban while arguing that Americans of all political persuasions have tired of a 20-year war, a conflict that demonstrated the limits of money and military might to force a Western-style democracy on a society not ready or willing to embrace it. By Sunday, though, leading figures in the administration acknowledged they were caught off guard with the utter speed of the collapse of Afghan security forces. The challenge of that effort became clear after reports of sporadic gunfire at the Kabul airport prompted Americans to shelter as they awaited flights to safety. ___ UNITED NATIONS U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging the Taliban and all other parties to exercise utmost restraint in order to protect the lives of Afghans and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Sunday that the United Nations remains determined to contribute to a peaceful settlement, promote the human rights of all Afghans, notably women and girls, and provide life-saving humanitarian assistance and critical support to civilians in need. The U.N. humanitarian office said members of the humanitarian community both from the U.N. and non-governmental organizations remain committed to helping the millions of Afghans needing assistance and are staying in the country despite the highly complex security environment. The office, known as OCHA, said in a statement Sunday that more than 18.4 million people were already in need of assistance before more than 550,000 people were displaced by conflict this year, a figure that doubled since May. ___ This story has been corrected to show that OCHA said more than 18.4 million people were already in need of assistance, not 550,000. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan A Taliban spokesman and negotiator tells The Associated Press that the militant group is holding talks aimed at forming an open, inclusive Islamic government in Afghanistan. Suhail Shaheen spoke to the AP after the Taliban overran most of the country in a matter of days and pushed into the capital, Kabul, as the United States scrambled to withdraw diplomats and other civilians. Earlier, a Taliban official said the group would announce a new government from the presidential palace, but those plans appear to be on hold. ___ WASHINGTON The United States is sending another 1,000 troops to Afghanistan, raising the U.S. deployment to roughly 6,000. A defense official tells The Associated Press on Sunday that 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne are going directly to Kabul instead of going to Kuwait as a standby force. The defense official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a deployment decision not yet announced by the Pentagon. On Saturday, President Joe Biden authorized the U.S. troop deployment to rise to roughly 5,000 by adding about 1,000. Since then, the Taliban have entered the capital of Kabul and Afghanistan's president has fled the country. Helicopters have been evacuating personnel from the U.S. Embassy, and several other Western missions also are preparing to pull their people out. Robert Burns ___ KABUL, Afghanistan The Al-Jazeera news network is airing footage of a large group of Taliban fighters inside the presidential palace in the capital of Afghanistan. The Taliban are expected to announce their takeover from the palace, renaming the country as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The militants have taken over most of Afghanistan in a matter of days as the U.S. scrambles to withdraw after 20 years of war. ___ LONDON Britains Defense Ministry says U.K. troops have arrived in Kabul to help evacuate remaining Britons there. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said after chairing a Cabinet emergency committee meeting Sunday that the priority is to get out British nationals, as well as Afghans who helped U.K. forces in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, as fast as we can. The ambassador is working round the clock, has been there in the airport to help process the applications, he told Sky News. We certainly have the means at the moment to get them out ... Its just a question of making sure that theyre able to do it over the next few days. The vast bulk of embassy staff and officials have already left Afghanistan, Johnson added. ___ NEW YORK The Latest developments on Afghanistan, where a Taliban blitz has taken large swaths of territory just weeks before the final pullout of American and NATO troops: The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Afghanistan Monday morning (10 am EDT) at the request of Estonia and Norway. Council diplomats said Sunday that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will brief council members on the latest situation following the Taliban takeover of the capital, Kabul. The U.N. chief on Friday had urged the Taliban to immediately halt their offensive in Afghanistan and negotiate in good faith to avert a prolonged civil war. He also said he is deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan Senior U.S. military officials say Kabuls international airport has been closed to commercial flights as military evacuations continue. The suspension of commercial flights cuts off one of the last avenues to escape the country for Afghans fearful of Taliban rule. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations. The Taliban captured most of the country in a matter of days and swept into the capital on Sunday. Scenes of chaos played out at the airport earlier, as Afghans rushed to get on the last flights out of the country. Videos circulating online showed airport personnel struggling to coral crowds boarding a plane on the tarmac, while a man with an injured leg lay on the ground. In the background, a U.S. Air Force plane was landing. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan A Taliban official says the group will soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in the capital, Kabul. That was the name of the country under the Taliban government ousted by U.S.-led forces after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan The U.S. Embassy in Kabul has suspended all operations and told Americans to shelter in place, saying it has received reports of gunfire at the international airport. The U.S. is racing to airlift diplomats and citizens out of Afghanistan after the Taliban overran most of the country and entered the capital early Sunday. The security situation in Kabul is changing quickly and the situation at the airport is deteriorating rapidly," the embassy said in a statement. "There are reports of the airport taking fire and we are instructing U.S. citizens to shelter in place. The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan has suspended consular operations effective immediately. Do not come to the Embassy or airport at this time. ___ PARIS France is relocating its embassy in Kabul to the airport to evacuate all citizens still in Afghanistan, initially transferring them to Abu Dhabi. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drain said in a statement Sunday that military reinforcements and aircraft would deploy in the hours ahead to the United Arab Emirates, so that the first evacuations toward Abu Dhabi can start. Evacuations have been in progress for weeks and a charter flight put in place by France in mid-July. Since May, France has taken in Afghan employees at French structures under potential threat, with 600 people relocated to France. France gradually pulled out troops from Afghanistan between 2013 and 2015, and since then former personnel who worked for the French Army and their families, some 1,350 Afghans, were brought to France, the statement said. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan Afghan leaders have created a coordination council to meet with the Taliban and manage the transfer of the power, after the religious militia's lightening offensive swept to the capital, Kabul. In a statement posted on social media by former president Hamid Karzai, he said the body will be led by the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, as well as the leader of Hizb-e-Islami, Gulbudin Hekmatyar, and himself. The statement said the move was to prevent chaos and reduce the suffering of the people, and to manage peace and a peaceful transfer. ___ BERLIN The United Nations refugee agency says more than 550,000 people in Afghanistan have fled their homes due to the conflict since the start of this year. A situational update published Sunday by Geneva-based UNHCR shows about 126,000 people were displaced in the previous month to Aug. 9, the most recent date for which figures are available. A spokeswoman for UNHCR said that while the situation inside Afghanistan is fluid, for now the displacement is largely internal. There is a need to support the humanitarian response in the country, Shabia Mantoo told The Associated Press. If we do see cross border movement then additional support outside the country will be necessary too. The agency continues to have international and Afghan staff on the ground, she said. ___ BERLIN German media have issued an urgent appeal to Chancellor Angela Merkel and the countrys foreign minister for an emergency visa program to help local staff who worked for them to leave Afghanistan. In an open letter Sunday, major German newspapers, public and commercial broadcasters, and the dpa news agency warned that the lives of these freelance staff are now in acute danger. The media outlets stressed that reporting from Afghanistan over the past two decades would have been unthinkable without the efforts and bravery of the Afghan staff who supported us on the ground: local journalists, stringers and translators. Citing several recent fatal attacks on journalists, the letter said that due to the advance of the Taliban it must be feared that such murders will now dramatically increase - and many of our staff are at risk. We are convinced: there is no time to lose now, it adds. Our staff who want to leave the country are at risk of persecution, arrest, torture and deaths. That is why we ask you act quickly. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan Afghan officials say embattled President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country as the Taliban moved further into Kabul. Two officials speaking on condition of anonymity as they werent authorized to brief journalists told The Associated Press that Ghani flew out of the country. Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, later confirmed Ghani had left in an online video. He left Afghanistan in a hard time, God hold him accountable, Abdullah said. Ghani's whereabouts and destination are currently unknown. ___ TORONTO -- Canada has suspended diplomatic operations in Afghanistan and Canadian personnel are on their way back to Canada. Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said in a statement the decision to suspend operations is temporary and the embassy will reopen if the security situation allows staff to be safe. Some 40,000 Canadian troops were deployed in Afghanistan over 13 years as part of the NATO mission before pulling out in 2014. More than 150 Canadian soldiers died during the Afghanistan mission. ___ WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is evacuating remaining staff at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as the Taliban enter the Afghan capital. But he is playing down Americas hasty exit, saying this is manifestly not Saigon. Speaking on ABCs This Week on Sunday, Blinken said: The compound itself, our folks are leaving there, and moving to the airport. Blinken also confirmed that U.S. Embassy workers were destroying documents and other items ahead of fleeing the embassy, but insisted this is being done in a very deliberate way, its being done in an orderly way, and its being done with American forces there to make sure we can do it in a safe way. The evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul had U.S. military helicopters lifting off from embassy grounds Sunday, and sent puffs of black smoke up into the skies over Kabul as U.S. officials worked to keep sensitive material from falling in Taliban hands. The scene comes after President Joe Biden earlier this year played down any idea that the Taliban could capture the country, or that the Afghanistan war would end up in scenes reminiscent of the Vietnam one, with military helicopters taking off from embassy rooftops. Blinken defended Bidens decision to end the nearly 20-year U.S. military mission in Afghanistan, saying Bidens hands were tied by a withdrawal deal President Donald Trump struck with the Taliban in 2020. If Biden had called off the withdrawal, we would have been back at the war with the Taliban, and forced to surge tens of thousands of American forces back into Afghanistan, Blinken said. __ Ellen Knickmeyer in Oklahoma City. Phuket officials push for Phang Nga, Krabi Sandbox travel bubble PHUKET: Phuket officials are moving ahead with plans to create a Phuket - Phang Nga - Krabi sealed area for Phuket Sandbox tourists, Phuket Vice Governor Vikrom Jakthee confirmed yesterday (Aug 16). tourismCOVID-19Coronavirushealtheconomics By The Phuket News Monday 16 August 2021, 11:04AM Phuket Vice Governor Vikrom Jakthee explained the tri-province Sandbox travel bubble plan to CCSA members yesterday (Aug 15). Photo: PR Phuket The move is hoped to bring economic relief to tourism suffering areas off the island and give potential tourists more reason to come to Thailand via the Phuket Sandbox scheme. The Phuket Sandbox scheme to welcome vaccinated foreign tourists is continuing very well, and we want to have the Phuket Sandbox 7+7, under which tourists can stay in Phuket for seven days and stay in Phang Nga or Krabi for the other seven days, V/Gov Vikrom explained via video conference with committee members of the Center for COVID Situation Administration (CCSA) in Bangkok. The project is to connect the attractions in the Andaman region together under the sealed route. However, officers of the national government and other relevant officials will discuss details for approval later, Vice Governor Vikrom explained at the meeting. From the opening of Phuket Sandbox on July 1 until Aug 14, a total 20,727 arrivals have come to the island. Only 57 arrivals have tested positive during their stay in Phuket, and seven of them have been discharged from care, he said. According to a report on Aug 15 [Sunday], 6,022 arrivals are in Phuket. Other arrivals have returned to their home countries or traveled to other provinces, such as Bangkok, Surat Thani, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chonburi and Phang Nga, he said. From the latest provincial order issued by Phuket Governor on Saturday, the measure to refuse all arrivals from the mainland by land, sea, and air will remain in effect until Aug 31, V/Gov Vikrom noted. However, Phuket Sandbox tourists who travel to other provinces and want to return to Phuket are one of the 16 groups of people exempted from the measure. The tourists must present the negative test result of COVID-19 conducted within 72 hours prior to arrival, he said. They must also register their local travel details www.gophuget.com and present documents to prove that they are tourists under the Sandbox scheme to officers at the checkpoint, he added. Taliban take control of Afghanistan, panic in Kabul KABUL: The Taliban were in control of Afghanistan today (Aug 16) after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and conceded the insurgents had won the 20-year war. By AFP Monday 16 August 2021, 09:37AM Taliban fighters are seen in Afghanistans Laghman province - the militants are effectively in power after the countrys president Ashraf Ghani fled. Photo: AFP The astonishingly quick collapse of the government, with militants taking over the presidential palace last night, triggered fear and panic in the capital. Thousands of people were today trying to escape Kabul and the feared hardline brand of Islamic rule of the Taliban, with scenes of chaos as crowds gathered at the airport. Ghani fled yesterday as the insurgents encircled Kabul, with the Taliban sealing a nationwide military victory that saw all cities fall to them in just 10 days. The Taliban have won with the judgement of their swords and guns, and are now responsible for the honour, property and self-preservation of their countrymen, Ghani said in a statement posted to Facebook, his first since fleeing. In a video posted to social media, Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar also announced his movements victory. Now its time to test and prove, now we have to show that we can serve our nation and ensure security and comfort of life, he said. Government forces collapsed without the support of the US military, which invaded in 2001 after the September 11 attacks and toppled the Taliban for its support of Al Qaeda. The United States ultimately failed to build a democratic government capable of withstanding the Taliban, despite spending billions of dollars and providing two decades of military support. President Joe Biden was determined to withdraw all American troops by the end of this month, insisting there was no choice and he would not pass this war onto another president. Rapid collapse But the US administration was left shocked by the rapid collapse of the Afghan government. Despite insisting there would be no Saigon-style panicked evacuations from Kabul, American officials, their Afghan allies and other residents fearful of the Taliban were all trying to flee today. The United States had sent 6,000 troops to the airport to fly out embassy personnel as well as Afghans who assisted the United States as interpreters or in other support roles. However the US government conceded it was not in control at the airport. We are completing a series of steps to secure the Hamid Karzai International Airport to enable the safe departure of US and allied personnel, the Pentagon and State Department said in a joint statement. The United States then released a statement with more than 65 nations urging the Taliban to let Afghans leave the country, warning of accountability for any abuses. The United States joins the international community in affirming that Afghans and international citizens who wish to depart must be allowed to do so, Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on Twitter. Those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan bear responsibility - and accountability - for the protection of human life. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the Taliban and all parties to exercise restraint and said the rights of women and girls, who suffered under the previous Taliban regime, must be protected. The UN also said the Security Council would meet over Afghanistan today. Isolated Ghanis government was left completely isolated yesterday after the insurgents overran the anti-Taliban northern stronghold of Mazar-i-Sharif and the eastern city of Jalalabad. Like with most of the other captured cities, the seizure of power came after government forces surrendered or retreated. They then surrounded the capital. Thousands of police and other government security forces suddenly abandoned their posts, uniforms, and even weapons last night. After initially ordering fighters not to enter the capital, a Taliban spokesman confirmed they had entered Kabul last night to ensure security. Three senior Taliban sources told AFP that their fighters had taken control of the presidential palace and were holding a meeting on security in the capital. For the tens of thousands who have sought refuge in Kabul in recent weeks, the overwhelming mood was one of apprehension and fear. I am worried there will be a lot of fighting here, one doctor who arrived with his 35-strong family from Kunduz told AFP, asking not to be named. I would rather return home, where I know it has stopped. Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Belarus on Wednesday rescinded its permission for the U.S. ambassador's appointment and told the U.S. to cut its embassy staff in retaliation for Washingtons sanctions. President Joe Biden's administration slapped Belarus with new sanctions Monday, the anniversary of last year's election in Belarus that was denounced by the opposition as rigged. Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko responded to protests against his re-election to a sixth term with a sweeping crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police. The new U.S. sanctions target Belarus' giant potash producer that has been a top revenue earner for the country, the Belarusian National Olympic Committee and 15 private companies with ties to Belarusian authorities. Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz on Wednesday denounced the U.S. action as blatant and openly hostile and announced the decision to rescind an earlier agreement for the appointment of Julie Fisher as the U.S. ambassador to the country. He said Belarus also told the U.S. to cut its embassy staff in Minsk to five diplomats until Sept. 1. In view of Washington's actions to halt cooperation in all spheres and strangle our country economically we see no reason in the presence of a significant number of diplomats at the U.S. diplomatic mission, Glaz said in a statement. While Belarus agreed to Fisher's appointment in December as the first U.S. ambassador to Belarus since 2008, it never issued her an entry visa. Fisher has remained in neighboring Lithuania where she maintains contacts with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition challenger in the Aug. 9, 2020, election who was forced to leave Belarus under pressure from authorities. Commenting on Belarus' moves, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Belarussian authorities are responsible for the deterioration in U.S.-Belarus relations through relentless repression against their citizens, noting they have targeted civic groups, media, athletes, students, legal professions and others. The United States government, Ambassador Fisher, personnel at our embassy in Minsk will continue to support the democratic aspirations of the people of Belarus," Price said. "U.S. diplomats will continue to engage with Belarusians, including leaders of the pro-democracy movement, media professionals, students and other elements of civil society wherever they are. ___ AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. The beating blades of U.S. military helicopters whisking American diplomats to Kabuls airport on Sunday punctuated a frantic rush by thousands of other foreigners and Afghans to flee to safety as well, as a stunningly swift Taliban takeover entered the heart of Afghanistans capital. Two weeks from the Biden administration's planned full military withdrawal, the United States was pouring thousands of fresh troops back into the country temporarily to safeguard what was gearing up to be a large-scale airlift. Shortly before dawn Monday Kabul time, State Department spokesman Ned Price announced the U.S. had completed the evacuation of its embassy in Afghanistan, lowering the American flag. At the same time, the administration announced it was taking over air-traffic control at Kabul's international airport, to manage the airlifts. Sporadic gunfire there Sunday frightened Afghan families fearful of Taliban rule and desperate for flights out, one of the last avenues for escape in an evacuation made far more urgent by the Taliban's weeklong sweep across the country. NATO allies that had pulled out their forces ahead of the Biden administrations intended Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline were sending troops back in as well this weekend to protect evacuations of their own. Some complained the U.S. was failing to move fast enough to bring to safety Afghans at risk of reprisal from the Taliban for past work with the Americans and other NATO forces. This is murder by incompetence, said U.S. Air Force veteran Sam Lerman, struggling Sunday from his home in Woodbridge, Virginia, to find a way out for an Afghan contractor who had guarded Americans and other NATO forces at Afghanistans Bagram air base for a decade. Massouma Tajik, a 22-year-old data analyst, was among hundreds of Afghans waiting anxiously in the Kabul airport to board an evacuation flight. I see people crying, they are not sure whether their flight will happen or not. Neither am I, she said by phone, with panic in her voice. Educated Afghan women have some of the most to lose under the fundamentalist Taliban, whose past government, overthrown by the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, sought to largely confine women to the home. Taliban forces moved early Sunday into a capital beset by fear and declared they were awaiting a peaceful surrender. That arrival of the first waves of Taliban insurgents into Kabul prompted the U.S. to begin evacuating the embassy building in full, leaving only acting ambassador Ross Wilson and a core of other diplomats operating at the airport. Even as CH-47 helicopters shuttled American diplomats to the airport, and facing criticism at home over the administration's handling of the withdrawal, Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected comparisons to the 1975 fall of Saigon. This is being done in a very deliberate way, its being done in an orderly way, Blinken insisted on ABCs This Week. A joint statement from the U.S. State and Defense departments pledged late Sunday to fly thousands of Americans, local embassy staff and other "particularly vulnerable Afghan nationals out of the country. It gave no details, but high-profile Afghan women, journalists, and Afghans who've worked with Western governments and nonprofits are among those who most fear Taliban targeting for perceived Western ways or ties. The statement promised to speed up visa processing for Afghans who used to work with American troops and officials in particular. To many, the evacuations, and last-ditch rescue attempts by Americans and other foreigners trying to save Afghan allies, appeared far from orderly. An Italian journalist, Francesca Mannocchi, posted a video of an Italian helicopter carrying her to the airport, an armed soldier standing guard at a window. Mannochi described watching columns of smoke rising from Kabul as she flew. Some were from fires that workers at the U.S. Embassy and others were using to keep sensitive material from falling in Taliban hands. She said Afghans stoned an Italian convoy. She captioned her brief video: Kabul airport. Evacuation. Game Over." Hundreds or more Afghans crowded in a part of the airport away from many of the evacuating Westerners. Some of them, including a man with a broken leg sitting on the ground, lined up for what was expected to be a last flight out by the country's Ariana Airlines. U.S. officials reported gunfire near the airport Sunday evening and for a time urged civilians to stop coming. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the airport was open for commercial flights the only escape left for many ordinary Afghans but would experience stoppages. U.S. C-17 transport planes were due to bring thousands of fresh American troops to the airport, then fly out again with evacuating U.S. Embassy staffers. The Pentagon was now sending an additional 1,000 troops, bringing the total number to about 6,000, a U.S. defense official said Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a deployment decision not yet announced by the Pentagon. The Pentagon intends to have enough aircraft to fly out as many as 5,000 civilians a day, both Americans and the Afghan translators and others who worked with the U.S. during the war. It was by no means clear how long Kabuls deteriorating security would allow any evacuations to continue. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, whose government had been one of many expressing surprise at the speed of the U.S. withdrawal, told reporters in Berlin on Sunday that it was difficult to endure watching how quickly the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and how little government troops were able to do to stop them. At a North Carolina-based adoption agency, Mary Beth Lee King sought a way to extricate two Afghan boys, ages 11 and 2, due for adoption by families in America. Even if the U.S. wont admit them to the U.S., get them somewhere, so that ... we know that they are alive and safe, King said of the two Afghan children. In Virginia, Lerman, the Air Force veteran, stayed up overnight Saturday to Sunday to finish an application for a special U.S. visa program meant to rescue Afghans who had worked with Americans. When Lerman hit send, he got a message saying the State Department email box for the rescue program was full, he said, sharing screenshots. The Afghan security contractor he was working to get out was sitting frightened inside his home with the blinds drawn and Taliban fighters outside, he said. The State Department said late Sunday afternoon it believed it had fixed the problem. Never in my life have I been ashamed to be an American before," Lerman said. "And I am, deeply. ___ Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City and Barry from Rome. Samya Kullab in Baghdad, Krista Larson in Dakar, Frank Jordans in Berlin and Robert Burns and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Poland's government said Monday that its ambassador to Israel will remain in Poland until further notice after Israel downgraded diplomatic ties with Warsaw and strongly criticized a new Polish law that restricts the rights of Holocaust survivors to reclaim property seized by the countrys former communist regime. Meanwhile, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki defended the new legislation, which affects non-Jews and Jews alike, saying that it will end a period of criminal abuse in his country. The spat erupted after P oland's president's signed the new law on Saturday despite heavy pressure not to by the United States government and warnings from Israel that it would harm ties. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid denounced it as "an immoral, anti-Semitic law as he recalled his nation's top diplomat from Poland only hours after it was signed by President Andrzej Duda. Israel also suggested that the Polish ambassador, who was on vacation in Poland, not return to Israel. Poland's Foreign Ministry said Monday that Ambassador Marek Magierowski would stay in Poland until further notice in response to what it called unjustified actions by Israel and unacceptable statements by Lapid and other government members. The dispute is the latest to erupt over history between Poland, home to Europe's largest Jewish community before World War II, and Israel, which was founded as a safe haven for Jews driven from Europe by German dictator Adolf Hitler and his helpers. An earlier crisis broke out in 2018 over a Polish law that would have criminalized false claims of Poland collaborating with Nazi Germany. Israel saw it as an attempt to whitewash Polish crimes against Jews during the Holocaust. The legislation was eventually watered down. The negative impact on our ties began the moment that Poland chose to begin passing laws aimed at harming the memory of the Holocaust and the Jewish people in 2018," Lapid said on Sunday. Gone are the days when Poles harmed Jews without consequence." The new legislation establishes that any administrative decision issued 30 years ago or more can no longer be challenged, meaning that most property owners who had their homes or business seized in the communist era can no longer get compensation. Israel says Poles today are profiting from the homes and business which were taken first by Nazis and then by the Polish communist regime. Poland argues that it was the victim of Germany and does not bear responsibility for the consequences of the original seizure of properties. Morawiecki on Monday defended the law, arguing that it was needed to fight fraud carried out by criminals who have claimed in courts to represent prewar owners, thus gaining ownership of valuable properties to which they had no rights. Wild re-privatization has led to many human tragedies in Poland. Tens of thousands of people have been thrown out of the homes in which they have lived all their lives -- just because there was a law in our law that allowed for an indefinite return of real estate, Morawiecki said. He said the new law restores elementary justice and the rule of law in Poland. The law does not distinguish between Jews and non-Jews, and the vast majority of those who will be affected by the legislation are expected to be non-Jews. Nonetheless, the issue looms large in relations with Israel and with the United States due to the determination by both countries as homes to many Holocaust survivors to defend their interests. The issue of property claims is extremely complex. Before the war Poland was a multi-ethnic state including citizens who were Jews, Germans and Ukrainians, many of whom lost their properties. After the war, Poland's borders were shifted westward, with some territory in the east given to Ukraine, while Poland gained some former German territory. Poland has so far never passed comprehensive legislation that would offer restitution or compensation to former owners. Successive Polish governments have said the Polish state could not afford to do so. ___ Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed. The Washington Post recently published an analysis of data released this summer by the U.S. Geological Survey highlighting where most development has taken place across the country. The survey shows that suburbs are continuing to grow in the South and West. It also shows that between 2001 and 2019, building in America, including buildings, roads and other structures, have expanded into previously undeveloped areas, adding more than 14,000 square miles of new development across the United States. In the Metro East, this development has been in places like Godfrey, Glen Carbon, O'Fallon and Fairview Heights, with development also popping up in Bethalto, Wood River, South Roxana, Mitchell, Edwardsville, Troy, Granite City and East St. Louis. James Hanlon, an associate professor in the Department of Geography at Southern Illinois University and the program coordinator for the Urban Studies minor, said the Washington Post map shows the expansion of commercial and industrial land uses, and the Metro East's location along major transportation corridors has contributed to these categories of growth (like with the Gateway Commerce Center). That job increase has also increased housing demand. "In most cases residential growth is driven primarily by job availability, and to a lesser extent school quality, cost of living, and peoples perceptions of overall quality of life," Hanlon wrote in an email. "Outlying suburban areas of the Metro East have seen such growth for these reasons." The Washington Post found that uneven development across the country has been driven in large part by rising housing costs. "What explains the divergence in urban growth in the last 20, 30 years is really the housing market," Albert Saiz, an associate professor at MITs Department of Urban Studies and Planning, told the Washington Post. "As cities on the coasts have become more and more expensive, there has been an influx of people and industries into other parts of the country, creating the perfect conditions for rapid sprawl into available land in the South and West." Additional growth can strain resources, infrastructure and ecosystems, Hanlon said. That strain is reduced by the fact that the amount of expansion in the Metro East has been relatively modest compared to other parts of the country. "We are starting to see more higher density and mixed-use development in the area," Hanlon wrote. "For example, the Whispering Heights development has a much smaller footprint than the same type of development built at one or two stories and relies on existing infrastructure (though perhaps not without some upgrading). This kind of development can also potentially reduce automobile dependency, to a small degree at least." Hanlon said that if local governments in the region continue to encourage more sustainable urban growth, the impacts of growth on area resources, infrastructure and ecosystems can be reduced significantly compared to the same amount of development in "traditional suburban sprawl." "Any growth can negatively impact the environment, but what is important is the kind of growth that takes place," Hanlon wrote. "Building at higher densities, mixed-use development, and infill development will reduce environmental impacts. Encouraging increased sustainability across the existing built environment is also vitally important. Edwardsvilles efforts to adopt a sustainability plan is a good example of this." This urban development in the area is coming at the same time as people are leaving the area. The Census shows that the counties around the Metro East are shrinking, as just 15 counties in Illinois grew from 2010 to 2020 and the others all shrank in population. However, Hanlon said people are continuing to move into the Metro East, just not in large enough numbers to offset departures. Midwestern states and urban areas are growing very slowly, if at all. Most of the migrants to the South and West parts of the U.S. are from the interior of the country and the Midwest, and without a significant influx of new arrivals, departures can bring an area's net population change down to or below zero. Parts of the Metro East are shrinking faster than others, according to Hanlon. Those areas include where some of the urban construction growth has happened, including Alton, Granite City, East St. Louis, and potentially Belleville. Other areas have continued to see growth, including O'Fallon and Edwardsville. This is a trend not just seen in the Metro East, but in many older suburban areas, as people move to outlying suburban areas. "What it will mean for the region depends on the path we take going forward," Hanlon wrote. "Sustainable growth is vitally important for balancing the economic benefits of that growth (such as increased job opportunities and stronger tax bases) with the need to maintain healthy ecosystems and not overburden our resources and infrastructure. "Another important strategy for continued growth will be to reinvest in the Metro Easts older urban areas and try to mitigate their population losses," Hanlon continued. "Creating good jobs, building new housing, and improving educational opportunities can help to capitalize on their existing advantages of centrality and underutilized infrastructure. This would not only improve the outlook of these areas of the Metro East but also increase the sustainability of the region as a whole." WASHINGTON The collapse of Afghanistans government led lawmakers and advocates to urge the Biden administration to rapidly evacuate thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. during its lengthy war there. The U.S. has evacuated around 2,000 applicants for the Afghan special immigrant visa program and their families, but as many as 50,000 remain in the nation now under control of the Taliban, advocates estimate. The U.S. has slots for 34,500 under its SIV program. The State and Defense departments said Sunday they are working to evacuate particularly vulnerable Afghan nationals. The departments also pledged to accelerate the evacuation of thousands of Afghans eligible for U.S. Special Immigrant visas. In a joint statement, the two departments said the U.S. is working to secure the airport in Kabul with the aid of nearly 6,000 troops. On Twitter, videos circulated Sunday of desperate Afghans clinging to U.S. Air Force planes flying out of Kabul in an effort to escape the country, with some falling to their deaths as the aircraft took flight. For all categories, Afghans who have cleared security screening will continue to be transferred directly to the United States. And we will find additional locations for those yet to be screened, the State and Defense statement said. For many lawmakers and immigrant advocates who have spent months sounding the alarm on the danger faced by Afghan allies in the face of a Taliban takeover, it was too little, too late. To say that today is anything short of a disaster would be dishonest, said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass. America and our allies must drop the onerous visa requirements where a typo can condemn an ally to torture and death, and the military must continue the evacuation for as long as it takes. The Biden administrations blind eye to Afghan nationals is a stain on the United States, said Ali Noorani, president of the National Immigration forum, in a statement Sunday. What is astonishing is the utter lack of planning by the administration to develop a plan to protect the tens of thousands of Afghan nationals who worked with our military. The Afghan SIV program, designed to provide a safe haven for U.S. military allies in Afghanistan, has long been beleaguered by onerous requirements and wait times that stretch for years. Last month, lawmakers authorized an additional 8,000 visa slots in a law to improve Capitol security, as well as more than $1 billion to fund the evacuation. State Department officials in recent weeks have cited plans to move SIV applicants who have not yet completed security vetting to third countries while their applications are processed, and to expand priority refugee pathways for Afghans who dont qualify for the SIV programs narrow parameters but are likely to face persecution after the U.S. withdrawal. Educators and womens rights activists are among those seen as vulnerable. It is not clear how the U.S. can carry out those plans in a Taliban-run country without a functional U.S. Embassy. The situation is pretty hopeless, said James Miervaldis, chairman of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit organization that helps SIV applicants. He and other veterans have spent months trying to rescue Afghan interpreters they worked with while they were deployed. Strategically, this is a disaster, he said. Everyone believed in the process and the systems. 2021 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden is acknowledging that the collapse of the Afghan government occurred much faster than his administration expected. The president says in Monday's remarks at the White House, The truth is this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated. Afghanistan erupted into disarray as the Taliban swept across the country in recent days, taking the capital of Kabul this weekend as the United States has been attempting to withdraw its forces, diplomats, allies and Afghans who worked with the coalition over the course of the 20 year war. Yet the president says that the rapid end of the Afghan government only vindicates his choice to end the war. Biden says, American troops cannot and should not be fighting the war, and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves. MORE ON THE CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN: Taliban take over Afghanistan: What we know and whats next Chaos as thousands flee Afghanistan after Taliban takeover Afghan woman in limbo at Kabul airport after Taliban sweep Concerns over US terror threats rising as Taliban hold grows Biden team surprised by rapid Taliban gains in Afghanistan HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: PARIS President Emmanuel Macron promised on Monday that France would not abandon Afghans who worked for his country from translators to kitchen staff, as well as artists, activists and others under threat from the Taliban. Macron said that protecting those who helped France over the years is an absolute urgency, adding that two military transport planes, with special forces, were due to arrive in Kabul in the coming hours. The exact timing was not immediately clear since the United States temporarily shut down the Kabul airport to civilian and military flights following deadly chaos on the tarmac that left at least seven people dead. The aircraft would fly from a base in Abu Dhabi, a transit stop for Frances evacuees. According to Macrons pre-recorded speech, its not known how many would be involved in the evacuation. France has already pulled out some 1,400 Afghan employees and families, and evacuated citizens on a charter flight in July. Paris withdrew all its soldiers from Afghanistan after 13 years by December 2014, but continued work with civil society. The French president vowed that the fight against Islamic terrorism in all its forms would not end. Afghanistan cannot again become the sanctuary for terrorism that it was, Macron said. Stability can only come about through political and diplomatic actions to be defined in the days ahead with the U.N. Security Council. We will do everything so that Russia, the United States and Europe can cooperate efficiently because our interests are the same, he said and also said France along with Germany and other European countries would work swiftly on developing a robust response to another major concern for many countries, a flux of irregular migration by Afghans. Afghanistan, he said, will also need in the times ahead its (people) and Europe cannot alone assume the consequences of the current situation. KABUL, Afghanistan A Taliban official said Monday in a news conference at the Afghan presidential palace that he had been held for eight years by the U.S. at the Guantanamo Bay detention center before he was released under former President George W. Bush. Gholam Ruhani was among 13 Afghan prisoners released in December 2007. A military review panel had recommended he be transferred out of U.S. custody after concluded he posed a medium risk to the U.S. and its allies. He was one of 485 prisoners sent back to their home countries from Guantanamo under the Bush administration. Ruhani, who was among the first prisoners brought to what was then a makeshift prison on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2002, had admitted to the military panel that he had been a member of the Taliban and spent four years in their intelligence service in Kabul. Now about 46, Ruhani grew up in the Ghazni area and fled the country for Iran during the Afghan-Soviet war, returning to the country in 1992. He told the U.S. military that he was conscripted by the Taliban in 1996 after working in his familys store. He also admitted that his brother-in-law was the chief of intelligence for the Taliban. BLUFFTON, South Carolina A Republican congressman who served in the air force in Afghanistan says both the Trump and the Biden administration are to blame for what is happening in Kabul now. Adam Kinzinger, from Illinois, spoke to The Associated Press about the dramatic scenes from Kabuls airport on Monday, with people falling off of a C17 aircraft in the mad scramble to get out. He says: This is going to make Saigon look like Disney World in comparison. Kinzinger added that the impact to Americas reputation would also be considerable and that this is an embarrassment to our country. He condemned both Republicans and Democrats for what he said were their efforts to pin it on one person or one party. He said all Republicans, all Democrats bear some blame. And the last administration and this one bear huge. Kinzinger added: You really have to question whether this was worth it in the long run. WASHINGTON U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the failure of the Afghan military is to blame for the Talibans swift takeover of Afghanistan. Sullivan says President Joe Biden didnt want the U.S. to enter a third decade of conflict in Afghanistan and believed it was time for the Afghan army to defend the country two decades after billions of dollars of investment and training by the U.S. But Sullivan says, we could not give them the will and ultimately they decided that they would not fight for Kabul. He says the worst-case scenario for the U.S. would be to send thousands and thousands of troops back to fight and die in a civil war when the Afghan army wasnt prepared to fight itself. Sullivan says Biden faced bad choices and that he chose to bring U.S. troops home and leave the Afghans to fight for themselves. He says its heartbreaking to see whats happening in Kabul but that Biden stands by his decision. Sullivan spoke on Monday on ABCs Good Morning America and NBCs Today. ANKARA, Turkey The leader of Turkeys main nationalist party, allied with President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling party, says he sees no reason for Ankara to withdraw its troops or diplomats from Afghanistan, insisting that Turkeys presence there is legitimate, friendly and peaceful. Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Action Party also said on Monday that the presence of ethnically Turkic groups in Afghanistan imposes a responsibility on Turkey. On the threat of a possible Afghan migrants making their way to Turkey, Bahceli said the government should consider every option, including negotiating with the Taliban to prevent an influx. It is not possible for Turkey to digest irregular migration originating from Afghanistan, he said. GENEVA A top aviation industry association says airlines are avoiding the airspace over Afghanistan a key route for travel between Europe and Asia which could raise costs for airlines. The International Air Transport Association says Afghan airspace no longer has operations from a civilian air traffic service. IATA said on Monday that countries near Afghanistan have indicated they can accommodate additional traffic. It said that the use of alternative routes through these states will support safe and secure operations, but will have time, operational and fuel impacts upon airlines. The association also said traffic through the area had already been reduced due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. WASHINGTON The Biden administration is reaching out to top rivals Russia and China as the situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate amid a scramble to evacuate Americans, other foreigners and at-risk Afghans from the Kabul airport. The outreach also comes amid concerns that either or both Moscow and Beijing might stymie an international consensus on isolating the Taliban should conditions worsen. The State Department says Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Monday to his Chinese and Russian counterparts about developments in Afghanistan, including the security situation. Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov a day after the U.S. evacuated its embassy in Kabul and relocated remaining diplomats to the airport. China has in recent weeks expressed an interest in working with the Taliban while Russia has its own history in Afghanistan. Earlier Monday, China said its embassy in Kabul remains open and is willing to assist with Afghan reconstruction. The foreign ministry would not say if Beijing would recognize the Taliban as the new government but said China would respect the choice of the Afghan people. Russias foreign ministry said Lavrov and Blinken discussed the situation in Afghanistan after the flight of the countrys leader, disintegration of the existing government bodies and a de-facto ongoing regime change. It said Lavrov had shared Russian assessments of the situation and Moscows contacts with representatives of all main political forces in Afghanistan in the interest of ensuring stability and order. The two agreed to continue consultations that would involve China, Pakistan, other interested nations and the UN to try to press for an intra-Afghan dialogue. BERLIN German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called the latest developments in Afghanistan bitter, dramatic and awful. Merkel told reporters on Monday night that the breathtaking speed with which the Taliban have taken over is especially bitter for the millions of Afghans who supported a more liberal society and who counted on the support of the Western countries when it comes to democracy, education, womens rights and who also had achieved important progress. Merkel said the development was also bitter for Germany and the other allied nations who fought against terrorism under the lead of the United States and NATO in Afghanistan for 20 years after the terror attacks of September 11. The chancellor added that especially in these difficult hours one should never forget the people who gave their lives in this conflict including 59 Germans who died in Afghanistan and many more who were injured. She said a thorough analysis was needed of what went wrong and lessons had to be drawn for future military engagement. Merkel also vowed to support neighboring countries such as Pakistan when it comes to helping refugees fleeing the crisis in Afghanistan. LONDON The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday he has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Johnson said he planned to host a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven leaders on Afghanistan in the next few days, Downing Street said. He stressed the need for the international community to come together and take a unified approach on Afghanistan, both in terms of recognizing any future government and in working to prevent a humanitarian and refugee crisis, his office said in a statement. Johnson and Macron agreed that Britain and France should work together at the United Nations Security Council, including a possible joint resolution. They also agreed on the importance of cooperation in helping their citizens and others get to safety. UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council is calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in Afghanistan and establishment of a new government that is united, inclusive and representative and that also includes women. The council said in its first statement since the Taliban takeover that institutional continuity and adherence to Afghanistans international obligations, as well as the safety and security of all Afghan and international citizens, must be ensured. Council members called for an immediate end to the violence in Afghanistan and the restoration of security, civil and constitutional order, as well as urgent talks to resolve the current crisis of authority and find a resolution through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process. The council without singling out the Taliban also called for all parties to adhere to international human rights norms and standards and put an end to all abuses and violations. It also called for immediate access for U.N. and other humanitarian personnel to provide aid to millions in need, including across conflict lines. The statement, drafted by Estonia and Norway, was approved by all 15 council members at an emergency meeting on Afghanistan. WARSAW, Poland Polands prime minister says the country is sending planes to Afghanistan to evacuate translators and other people who have helped Poland over the years. Our priority now is to ensure the safety of all those who are associated with Poland in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, adding that some these activities must, for obvious reasons, remain secret. He said that more planes than necessary will be sent and that Poland will be in a position to help other allies evacuate people as well. He said Poland would do its best to everyone who has helped Poland over the years, whether as a translator or in any other form of assistance as humanely as possible. CAIRO Japans top diplomat has urged all parties in Afghanistan to work on restoring security and order in the country after the Taliban seized power there. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi spoke on Monday at a joint news conference in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukry. Motegi also called for all concerned parties in Afghanistan to ensure the protection of lives and property in the country. He said he has agreed to cooperate with Egypt, as an influential power in the Islamic world, to ensure that the latest developments in Afghanistan dont cause further unrest. KABUL, Afghanistan The U.N. resident coordinator in Afghanistan says they will continue to work with the de facto authorities to provide humanitarian assistance after the Taliban takeover. Ramiz Alakbarov told The Associated Press on Monday that the recent fighting had displaced some 600,000 people, and that because of the fluidity of the situation, humanitarian teams are not able to help everywhere. Alakbarov, who is in Kabul, says he thought the international community should have invested more in health, education, and the future of women and young people, not necessarily so much in security infrastructure, if it had wanted to avoid the results that we have now. He noted that the U.N.s humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan, 1.3 billion dollars for 2021, is funded only to 38%. UNITED NATIONS -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is calling for a halt to attacks on Afghan civilians, protection of the human rights of all people in the country especially women, girls and minorities, and for all parties to prevent terrorism. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday that we must all ensure Afghanistan cannot ever, ever again be a base for terrorism. She reemphasized that civilian populations, including journalists and non-combatants, must be protected. Thomas-Greenfield made no mention of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan but said the role of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the two U.N. envoys -- special representative Deborah Lyons and personal envoy Jean Arnault -- is especially vital now as we enter an uncertain and crucial period that requires the international community to speak with a clear and unified voice. She called on the Taliban to permit humanitarian organizations to continue their vital work in Afghanistan, stressing that in addition to violence the Afghan people are suffering acutely from the effects of COVID-19 and drought and their needs must remain a top priority in the days, weeks and beyond. The U.N. World Food Program is reporting that more than 500 tons of aid are currently sitting at border crossings taken by the Taliban, the U.S. ambassadorsaid, urging that this aid be allowed into Afghanistan immediately. Finally and critically, all Afghan nationals and international citizens who wish to depart must be allowed to do so safely, Thomas-Greenfield said, adding that the U,S, promises to be generous in resettling Afghans and we need to all do more. LJUBLJANA, Slovenia Slovenias right-wing Prime Minister Janez Jansa has described the deadly chaos in Afghanistan and the handover of modern weapons to the Taliban as the greatest defeat for NATO in history. Jansa tweeted on Monday that leaving Afghan allies to the Taliban terror has been a shameful act. All this is a symbol of the end of an era, said Jansa, who is known as a backer of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The Biden administration and much of the international community have been stunned at the Taliban blitz and the speed with which the insurgents seized power, two weeks before the U.S. is set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war. CHICAGO United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic rerouted flights to avoid passing over Afghanistan amid the Taliban takeover. A United flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Delhi jogged east on Monday to avoid Afghan airspace. Due to the dynamic nature of the situation we have begun routing affected flights around Afghanistan airspace, a United spokeswoman said, adding that the change affects only flights to and from India. A spokeswoman for U.K.-based Virgin Atlantic said that following the latest situation reports in Afghanistan, we will be re-routing our upcoming services to avoid Afghanistans airspace. The airlines last plane to pass over Afghanistan was Sunday from London to Lahore, Pakistan. The airlines flights to Pakistan and India typically pass over Afghanistan, but are being rerouted. The airline also avoid flying over Iran. Neither carrier said how long the changes would last, but said they were in contact with aviation regulators to monitor the situation. Also on Monday, a Turkish Airlines jetliner landed in Kabul and departed more than five hours later and landed in Istanbul, according to tracking service Flightradar24. UNITED NATIONS -- Afghanistans U.N. ambassador says there is no time for the blame game anymore. He is urging the Security Council and secretary-general to use every means at their disposal to call for an immediate halt to violence and respect for human rights and to prevent Afghanistan descending into a civil war and becoming a pariah state. Ghulam Isaczai told an emergency meeting of the U.N.s most powerful body on Monday that he was speaking on behalf of millions of people in Afghanistan, whose fate hangs in the balance and are faced with an extremely uncertain future, including millions of Afghan girls and women who are about to lose their freedom to go to school, to work and to participate in the political, economic and social life of the country. Isaczai, who was appointed by Ashraf Ghanis government that was ousted by the Taliban on Sunday, expressed extreme concern that the Islamic militant group will not honor commitments and agreements it made during talks in Qatars capital Doha and other international meetings. We have seen gruesome images of Talibans mass executions of military personnel and target killing of civilians in Kandahar and other big cities, he said. Kabul residents are reporting the Taliban have already started house-to-house searches in some neighborhoods, registering names and looking for people in their target list. There are already reports of target killings and looting in the city. Kabul residents are living in absolute fear right now. He urged the Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call on the Taliban to stop the violence, targeted killings and revenge attacks and respect their own previous general amnesty offer, and to unequivocally state that it does not recognize the restoration of the Islamic Emirate. Isaczai said the U.N. should also urge the Taliban not to demolish works of art as they did in the 1990s and stress that anyone violating the human rights of Afghans and international humanitarian law will be held accountable. The ambassador also called for the urgent establishment of a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of those at risk of Talibans retributions and attacks and for neighboring countries to open their borders to people trying to escape and for humanitarian goods entering the country. GENEVA Some two-dozen human rights experts working with the United Nations say countries must not stand on the sidelines now that the Taliban a U.N.-listed terror organization have seized control of Afghanistan. A sharply worded statement on Monday demanded action from the U.N. Security Council. The experts denounced the Talibans relentless campaign against civilians, aid workers and journalists that have included assassinations, illegal restrictions on the rights of women and girls, and mass executions of civilians. It is unacceptable for states to stand on the sidelines when a United Nations Security Council listed terrorist organization overruns the territory of Afghanistan and engages in acts that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the experts said in a joint statement that drew an unusually large number of signatures. They cited unspecified reports from 16 provinces in Afghanistan that have shown women and girls have faced rights violations including the requirement to wear full-body burqas, forced marriage, ban on employment and limits to freedom of movement and health care. The experts alluded to similar restrictions when the Taliban last held power before being toppled by a U.S.-led coalition two decades ago. The experts called on the Security Council which was holding a special session on Afghanistan on Monday to be unequivocal in action. The people of Afghanistan deserve better than to endure the silence and by-standing of the member states of the United Nations at this perilous moment, they wrote. We cannot stand idly by as the lives of the Afghan people are treated with contempt, derision, and weariness. The experts also demanded accountability for what they said were the deaths of 1,000 civilians who were killed last month alone. WASHINGTON The U.S. military is sending another battalion of about 1,000 troops to help safeguard the Kabul airport as American forces killed two armed individuals there during a chaotic evacuation. Thats according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, who briefed reporters on Monday. The development is a sign of the ongoing turmoil and violence as thousands of Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of Kabuls international airport following a swifter-than-expected Taliban takeover of the country. The speed at which the Taliban seized power, two weeks before the U.S. is set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war, has stunned the Biden administration and many in Afghanistan and the international community. BERLIN Germanys foreign minister has acknowledged that the German government and also the international community has misjudged the situation in Afghanistan and the speed with which the Taliban would take over the country. Heiko Maas said on Monday that, all of us, the government, the intelligence services, the international community, all of us misjudged the situation. Neither we nor our partners and experts did foresee the speed which with the Afghan security forces withdrew and capitulated. The foreign minister added that the images from Kabul are very painful and that the government is doing everything to evacuate as many people as possible. Maas said that of the 2,500 embassy staffer who had been identified previously for evacuation, 1,900 had already been brought to Germany. In addition to the 600 still remaining on the ground, Maas added that Germany feels responsible to evacuate another 2,000 people including human rights activist and their families. He said one of the biggest problems right now was to get the people from their homes or safe houses to the airport to fly them out. BUDAPEST, Hungary A Hungarian official on Monday criticized the pullout of American-led forces from Afghanistan and said Hungary will not take in refugees fleeing the country after its takeover by the Taliban. Levente Magyar, a state secretary with Hungarys foreign ministry, told state news agency MTI that the government would not make Hungarians pay for the flawed geopolitical decision of the U.S. military withdrawal by accepting refugees without any kind of restrictions. Hungarys right-wing government is a staunch opponent of immigration, and in 2015 built a fence along its southern border in response to an influx of refugees from the Middle East and Africa. That fence would be used to deter a potential wave of refugees from Afghanistan, Magyar said, adding that the government is assessing how it can help those Afghans who have worked as interpreters or in other capacities for Hungarian troops. On Sunday, more than 60 countries issued a joint statement calling for all Afghans wishing to depart Afghanistan to be allowed to do so. Of the 27 member states of the European Union, only Hungary and Bulgaria did not sign the statement. GENEVA The head of the U.N. refugee agency says its recent interaction with the Taliban Afghanistans new rulers has been relatively positive and that humanitarian aid teams will stay in the country to help people in need after the Kabul government was toppled. Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said UNHCR discussions with the Taliban may at times be difficult. In an interview at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, Grandi said the agency would continue to press for respect of the rights of women and girls, who had faced strict rules and bans on school education, for example, when the Taliban previously ran the country -- before a U.S.-led international coalition drove them from power in 2001. Grandi noted that most of the displacement in recent weeks has been within Afghanistan, but appealed to other countries to keep their borders open and take in any refugees who could flee in the future. He said a half-million people have been internally displaced this year, the vast majority of which in the last few weeks alone. He said that while UNHCR and partners have been previously in contact with Taliban leaders in rural areas before its forces swept into cities in recent weeks. Most of the recent interaction has been on issues like security and safety of the sites of UNHCR and partners UNITED NATIONS The United Nations chief is calling for an immediate end to violence in Afghanistan and urging the international community to unite to ensure that the human rights of all people, especially women and girls, are respected. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the U.N. Security Council at an emergency meeting on Monday and the international community as a whole to stand together, work together and act together. He said he is particularly concerned by accounts of mounting human rights violations against the women and girls of Afghanistan who fear a return to the darkest days in the 1990s when the Taliban ruled and barred girls for getting an education and imposed draconian measures on women. Guterres said the world is following events in Afghanistan with a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead and with the countrys future and the hopes and dreams of a generation of young Afghans in the balance, the coming days will be pivotal. At this grave hour, the secretary-general urged all parties, especially the Taliban, to exercise utmost restraint to protect lives and to ensure that humanitarian needs can be met. Guterres said the U.N continues to have staff and offices in areas now under Taliban control, and which so far have been respected. Above all, we will stay and deliver in support of the Afghan people in their hour of need. We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan, he said. MOSCOW -- The Russian embassy in Kabul alleged Monday that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has fled from Kabul with four cars and a helicopter full of cash, Russias state news agency RIA Novosti reported. The report quoted embassy spokesman Nikita Ishchenko as saying that the collapse of the regime ... is most eloquently characterized by how Ghani escaped from Afghanistan: four cars were filled with money, they tried to shove another part of the money into a helicopter, but not everything fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac. Ghani left Kabul on Sunday as the Taliban swept into the Afghan capital. Media reports suggested that the president went to the neighboring Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, but there was no official confirmation of his whereabouts. Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov on Monday described Ghanis flight from Kabul as disgraceful, adding that Ghani deserves to be brought to justice and held accountable by the Afghan people. KABUL, Afghanistan The Taliban entered Afghanistans most popular TOLO-TV compound in the capital on Monday, looking for government-issued weapons, said the stations owner Saad Mohsini. They sent a bunch of people just to look at the security to check the weapons . . . They are collecting government-issued weapons and other assets, they let us keep our own weapons, he said. They were polite. Mohsini said, adding that the insurgents offered to keep a watch outside and even offered to provide security inside the compound. Mohsini said the station declined. There was no mention of the many women who work for TOLO TV. The TV staff were told to continue with their transmissions. No mention of the women reporters, Mohsini said. They just said keep your transmissions, normal programming going. MOSCOW -- A plane carrying more than 100 Afghan servicemen landed in Tajikistan on Monday, the Tajik Foreign Ministry said. Officials told Russias state news agency Tass that Tajikistan received an SOS signal and allowed a plane bound from Afghanistan to land in an airport in the Khatlon province, which borders with Afghanistan and Uzbekistans Surkhandarya region, where an Afghan warplane was shot down on Sunday. More than 100 Afghan military disembarked from the plane, the Foreign Ministry said. It wasnt immediately clear why the plane sent an SOS signal. The announcement by the ministry came as thousands packed into the Kabul airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government the day before. BERLIN The head of German Chancellor Angela Merkels center-right party has refused to make any kind of commitment regarding the possible intake of Afghan refugees following the takeover of the country by the militant Taliban. Armin Laschet, who is also running to succeed Merkel in national elections next month, said Monday that, I dont think we should send out the signal that Germany can accept all those who are currently in trouble. German news agency dpa reported that Laschet added the focus of support for Afghans must be on giving humanitarian aid locally on the ground in time different from 2015. In 2015, Germany took in more than 1 million migrants fleeing war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. The influx of migrants helped strengthen the anti-migrant, far-right party AfD. BRUSSELS NATO envoys are set to meet Tuesday to discuss security developments in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the strife-torn country over the weekend. The 30-nation military organization said Monday that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who will chair Tuesday mornings meeting of ambassadors, will hold a news conference after it, at 1300 GMT. NATO took charge of international security operations in Afghanistan in 2003 its first major mission outside Europe and North America aiming to help stabilize the government, build up local security forces and remove a potential rear-base for terrorist groups. The U.S.-led military alliance wound down combat operations in 2014 to focus on training Afghan security forces but the Afghan armed forces withered before the insurgent offensive. The Taliban were emboldened by the Biden administrations decision to withdraw U.S. troops and wind up the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. The mission numbered about 10,000 personnel a year ago. An official said Sunday that there are no troops under NATO command in Afghanistan currently. NATO also has a small diplomatic mission in Afghanistan. An official said Sunday that the military organization continues to maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul. ISLAMABAD Pakistans political and military leadership on Monday called for a political settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan, a day after the Taliban swept into Kabul after the government collapsed there. The appeals comes shortly after Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan, government officials and army chiefs met to review the latest situation in Afghanistan. At the meeting of National Security Committee, Khan directed that all possible facilities be made available to repatriate Pakistanis, diplomats, journalists and staff of international organizations seeking to leave Afghanistan, according to a government statement. It said Pakistan would continue to work with the international community and all Afghan stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive political settlement in the country. The National Security Committee noted positively that major violence had been averted in Afghanistan, the statement said. LONDON British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace held back tears as he conceded that Britain was unlikely to be able to evacuate all its Afghan allies from Kabul. Speaking on Monday via webcam on LBC Radio, Wallace said it was a really deep part of regret for me that not all Afghans eligible to come to the U.K. will be able to do so during the current evacuation drive. In addition to the 4,000 or so U.K. nationals in Afghanistan, Britain is processing claims of Afghan citizens, such as interpreters, who have helped in the 20 years since first arrived following the 9/11 attacks. A visibly emotional Wallace, a former captain in the Scots Guard. said that Britain will in the future have to do our best in third countries to process those people. Asked why he felt the situation so personally, Wallace said it was because he was a soldier and because its sad and the West has done what its done, and we have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations and 20 years of sacrifice is what it is. WASHNGTON A U.S. defense official says the head of Central Command has met face-to-face with senior Taliban leaders to urge their fighters not to interfere with the U.S. militarys evacuation operations at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan. The official said that in the meeting on Sunday in Doha, Qatar, Gen. Frank McKenzie won Taliban agreement to establish a deconfliction mechanism an arrangement by which evacuation operations at the airport can continue without interference by the new rulers of the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks not yet announced publicly. The official said McKenzie urged the Taliban not to interfere with the evacuation and said the U.S. military would respond forcefully to defend the airport if necessary. Robert Burns in Washington; NEW DELHI Indias Foreign Ministry has said the suspension of commercial operations at the Kabul airport has forced the Indian government to pause its repatriation efforts but the process would restart once the flights are resumed. In a statement on Monday, the ministry said it is in touch with some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return to the country and that it has been issuing periodic advisories for their safety and security. The ministry said it is in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities and it will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan. There are also a number of Afghans who have been our partners in the promotion of our mutual developmental, educational and people to people endeavors. We will stand by them, the statement said. The ministry said the Indian government is monitoring the rapidly developing situation on a constant basis at high levels and that it will ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and our interests in Afghanistan. BUCHAREST, Romania Romanias president on Monday ordered the emergency involvement of the Romanian Air Force to help evacuate Romanian citizens from Kabul airport, the presidents office said in a press release Monday. This decision was taken at the proposal of the Prime Minister of Romania given the accelerated deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, the press release said. Prime Minister Florin Citu said Monday that there are currently 35 Romanian citizens in Afghanistan and that an airplane needs to be sent to the country as soon as possible to repatriate them. We have two options, Citu told the press Monday. A NATO plane or a plane of ours going there. But we need to send a plane as soon as possible. ROME An Afghan-Italian doctor who was evacuated from Kabul had harsh words on the Wests decision to leave Afghanistan in the hands of the Taliban after 20 years. Dr. Arif Oryakhail told reporters at Romes Leonardo da Vinci airport on Monday, We left our colleagues to die. He was among some 20 Afghans who were on an Italian military flight also carrying about 50 embassy staff, including Italys ambassador, and other Italian citizens. We left Kabul destroyed, abandoned, Oryakhail said, his voice breaking. The big fear is for our colleagues who worked with us. The Taliban are going from house to house looking for them. They include doctors and nurses at clinics that the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation set up around Afghanistan. They believed in us, Oryakhail said. He called the Wests 20-year mission in Afghanistan totally failed, and of the countrys future he said: You ask me about the future? Ask those who failed. Italian Premier Mario Draghi underlined in a statement on Monday that Italys commitment is to protect the Afghan citizens who worked with us on our mission. The Italian plan called for an air bridge over the next three days, but the security situation at the airport is deteriorating. One Italian development agency expert who was evacuated, Pietro del Sette, said it might still be possible to get others out if the military part of the airport manages to stay open. He estimates some 300 Afghans who worked with Italian agencies and their family members are still in Afghanistan. THE HAGUE, Netherlands The Dutch defense minister says a Dutch military aircraft is en route to Afghanistan to evacuate embassy staff, their families and Afghan translators who worked with the Netherlands. Ank Bijleveld says in a tweet on Monday that more flights are planned in part due to the uncertain situation. PRAGUE A humanitarian organization that has been operating in Afghanistan since 2001 is facing uncertain times with the Taliban back in power. The deteriorating security situation forced the Prague-based People in Need organization to evacuate their foreign employees and halt all their activities. Were facing an uncertain future, People in Need regional director told the Associated Press. The key is the safety of their local cooperators. In recent weeks and days, weve noticed information from the Taliban with increasing frequency, that they want the humanitarian organizations to keep operating in Afghanistan, and that our international employees are safe. But we havent heard, any such assurances about the safety of our local employees, Kocian said That will certainly be part of our talks with the Taliban. Coming after the United States and their allies ousted the Taliban from power, the People in Need was involved in hundreds projects, ranging from humanitarian aid to building schools and infrastructure, including water and sewage networks and many others. It wants to continue but not at all costs. We can see what needs to be done and we are determined to keep our operations in Afghanistan but only on condition that it will be safe for our workers, Kocian said. ANKARA, Turkey Turkeys Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has been quoted as saying that Turkey is closely following the situation in Afghanistan and that measures have been taken to ensure the safety of Turkish troops in the country. A ministry statement said Akar made the comments after chairing a high-level military meeting to discuss the situation in the country on Monday. The commander of the Turkish forces in Afghanistan joined the teleconference meeting. The statement said the minister emphasized that the safety of (Turkish) personnel in Kabul is (the governments) first priority and announced that all kinds of measures have been taken regarding this. It did not elaborate on the safety measures. BERLIN Two German military transport planes that are on the way to Kabul to help with evacuations there, are currently stuck in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they initially stopped to get refueled. Germany news agency dpa reported on Monday afternoon that the A400M planes could not continue their flight to Kabul as planned because they currently could not land there because of the chaos at the airport in the Afghan capital. The news agency reports that one of the planes will try to continue its trip to Afghanistan later Monday to be near the airport when it opens again for evacuation planes. All in all, the German Air Force has sent three planes to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of embassy staff and local employees. LONDON Families of British soldiers who died in Afghanistan have expressed dismay at the sudden fall of the country to the Taliban. Graham Knight, the father of 25-year-old Ben Knight who was killed when his Nimrod aircraft exploded in Afghanistan in 2006, said the British government should have moved more quickly to get civilians out. The 69-year-old said the Taliban made their intent very clear that, as soon as we went out, they would move in. He said the evacuation process should have started about a week ago and voiced worry that some hothead American, or British hothead, will decide that the Taliban isnt behaving how they want, shoot at them and that will be it. Ian Sadler, whose 21-year-old son Jack died when his Land Rover struck a mine in Afghanistan in 2007, was surprised that the U.S. and its allies had so much confidence in the Afghan national army. The 71-year-old said it was left without any direction after the sudden withdrawal of allied forces. MOSCOW -- The Uzbek authorities said the Afghan military plane that crashed in Uzbekistan on Sunday with only two pilots on board was downed by the countrys air defense system. Uzbekistans Defense Ministry told Russias state RIA Novosti news agency that the countrys air defense system averted an attempt by an Afghan military plane to illegally cross Uzbekistans air border. The incident took place in the Surkhandarya region in southeastern Uzbekistan on Sunday and was first reported by local media. Uzbekistans Defense Ministry initially said it was studying the reports of the crash, then confirmed the crash took place without offering any details, and only later on Monday revealed the plane was downed. According to RIA Novosti, two pilots of the plane survived the crash and have been hospitalized in serious condition. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Islamic militant group Hamas has congratulated the Taliban for their swift takeover of Afghanistan and the end to the United States 20-year presence in the country. In a statement on Monday, Hamas welcomed the defeat of the American occupation on all Afghan land and praised what it said was the Talibans courageous leadership on this victory, which was the culmination of its long struggle over the past 20 years. Hamas, a Palestinian group that opposes Israels existence, has governed the Gaza Strip since taking over the area in 2007, a year after it won a Palestinian election. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the U.S. and the European Union. It wished the people of Afghanistan future success and said the ouster of the American troops proves that the resistance of the peoples, foremost of which is our struggling Palestinian people, is due for victory. VILNIUS, Lithuania The Baltic country of Lithuania is trying to evacuate 30 Afghan interpreters who helped the countrys troops during peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, an official said Monday. The possibilities for transporting them are decreasing fast, deputy minister Margiris Abukevicius told reporters. Lithuania estimates that when the family members are included, the figure is of 100 people. The Baltic country depends on other nations, he said. The only option is one of partners military transport as Lithuania currently has no troops or other personnel of Afghanistan soil he added. Vilnius chiefly had troops in the southern Ghor province. The Baltic country joined the multinational operation in Afghanistan in 2002 BERLIN Germanys defense minister says the countrys military will airlift as many people as possible out of Afghanistan as long as it is possible. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told reporters that three A400M military transport planes had left for Kabul on Monday. The defense minister said: For the army its clear: as long as possible and this depends extremely on the support by the Americans we will make as many rounds as we can out of Kabul. She added that in addition to German and local staff at the embassy in Afghanistan, Germany is also considering flying out people who had been supportive of the Germans. She said she could not give a concrete figure of how many people were affected. ROME An Italian military flight carrying 70 embassy staff, Afghan employees and Italian nationals has landed at Romes Leonardo Da Vinci Airport. All were undergoing COVID tests before being allowed to leave the airport after the overnight flight from Kabul. Francesca Mannocchi, an Italian journalist who was among those evacuated, said 20 were Afghan employees and their families, including women and children, who have been evacuated for their safety. The airlifts come as thousands packed into the Kabul airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government. U.S. troops fired warning shots as they struggled to manage the chaotic evacuation. MILAN The Italian right-wing is sharply critical of the Wests withdrawal from Afghanistan, citing the renewed threat of terrorism, while more centrist parties opened the door to self-criticism. Far-right opposition leader Giorgia Meloni lashed out on Monday, saying the Wests handling of Afghanistan could not have been worse, and will foment extremists, which will have serious repercussions for our security. She took specific aim at the United States, saying Lets give a welcome back to the cynical Obama-Clinton-Biden doctrine: If you cant win, create chaos'." Right-wing political leader Matteo Salvini criticized Western governments for their cowardly flight, from Afghanistan, and decried the abandonment of Afghan women and children in the hands of Islamic cutthroats. The leader of the League, which is part of the Draghi government, also said that the ascent of the Taliban would encourage terrorism, violence, fear and illegal immigration. Italy had one of the largest contingents active in Afghanistan over the last two decades, deploying 50,000 servicemen and women to Herat and Kabul. Former Premier Matteo Renzi called the withdrawal from Afghanistan an error. And the head of the Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, said that the last two decades in Afghanistan were full of bad choices, of which we unfortunately also took part. The West comes out in pieces. And we are only at the start of the count of disasters. WASHINGTON U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the failure of the Afghan military is to blame for the Talibans swift takeover of Afghanistan. Sullivan said Monday that President Joe Biden didnt want the U.S. to enter a third decade of conflict in Afghanistan and believed it was time for the Afghan army to defend the country two decades after billions of dollars of investment and training by the U.S. But Sullivan said, we could not give them the will and ultimately they decided that they would not fight for Kabul. He added that the worst-case scenario for the U.S. would be to send thousands of troops to fight in a civil war when the Afghan army wasnt prepared to fight itself." Sullivan says Biden faced bad choices on the subject. The president ultimately opted to bring U.S. troops home and leave the Afghans to fight for themselves. He says its heartbreaking to see whats happening in Kabul but that Biden stands by his decision. Sullivan spoke Monday on ABCs Good Morning America and NBCs Today. DUBAI Doctors Without Borders says its operations across Afghanistan have not been affected by the recent developments in Kabul. While many foreigners have fled the country, the group known by its French initials, MSF continues to have some international staff on the ground. It also has more than 2,300 Afghan colleagues spread out across five Taliban-held provinces: Kandahar, Herat, Kunduz, Khost and Helmand. Filipe Ribeiro, MSFs country representative in Afghanistan, told The Associated Press that the groups female medical practitioners in these provinces have resumed work and were already veiled or in the sky-blue burqas before the Taliban takeover, in line with local norms and customs. We do not face any impediments with regards to female staff coming to work, he said, referring to MSF-run projects in those provinces. As the Taliban pushed to takeover Helmand and Kunduz, MSF staff tended to large numbers of people wounded in the fighting, he said. Speaking from his base in Kabul, Ribeiro said the capitals streets were quiet and calm on Monday, despite scenes of chaos unfolding at the airport. The group halted its main operation in Kabul after May 2020 following an attack on a maternity ward that was blamed on the Islamic State group. Ribeiro said the focus remains on supporting Afghanistans welfare. We have to keep in mind the health system was already dysfunctional beforehand, and nowadays its important to keep supporting the Afghan population and to guarantee that the medical services will continue, he said. BERLIN Leading German opposition members have expressed criticism of what they perceive to be a slow and uncoordinated evacuation of German and local Afghan embassy personnel from Kabul and other parts of the country. Annalena Baerbock, the Green Partys candidate for chancellor in national elections next month, said Monday that all those people and employees who have supported the NATO troops on the ground in recent years, whether as interpreters, engineers, freelance journalists, who have reported on the situation in Afghanistan, or womens rights activists who have campaigned on the ground for girls to be able to go to school, must fear for their lives. She called for their quick evacuation and said that it is more than overdue that the German government finally does everything to evacuate the people. Sevim Dagdelen, a senior lawmaker with the opposition leftist Die Linke party said in a statement Monday that the government has completely failed when it comes to the crisis in Afghanistan and apparently, in a misjudgment of the real condition, not made any emergency plans for evacuations. Dagdelen added that: It is a shame that after weeks of inactivity and blockades now thousands of helpers are being left behind in Taliban-controlled regions and must fear for their lives. BRUSSELS European Union foreign ministers will hold emergency talks Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, after the president fled and the Taliban seized control of the capital, Kabul, over the weekend. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a tweet Monday that he decided to convene the extraordinary videoconference so the ministers can make a first assessment of developments. Borrell says that Afghanistan stands at a crossroad. Security and wellbeing of its citizens, as well as international security are at play. European nations have been caught by surprise at the speed of the takeover. Theyve been evacuating embassies and leaving the strife-torn country in recent days. The EU has small diplomatic mission in Kabul. Its one of Afghanistans biggest aid donors. GENEVA The U.N. humanitarian aid coordination agency says it and partners are staying and delivering to people in need despite a complex security situation in Afghanistan following a sweep by Taliban forces across the country. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, or OCHA, says in a note: The humanitarian community both the U.N. and nongovernmental organizations remains committed to helping people in the country. OCHA said thousands of internally displaced people who have been identified in recent weeks have received assistance including food, cash, health care, water, and sanitation support. While the security environment is highly complex, humanitarian agencies are staying and delivering to people in need, OCHA said. Even before the upheaval, some 18.4 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, OCHA said, and its $1.3 billion humanitarian response plan for the country is only 38% funded. BERLIN The German government has called on the Taliban to show restraint, protect the lives of the Afghan people and make sure needed humanitarian aid can reach them. A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said Monday that Germany is concerned about the fates of individual Afghans as well as the development of the entire country. Steffen Seibert said Monday that these are bitter developments, when looking at them against the background of the years-long missions of the western community of states. The government also said it is personally contacting all embassy staff, including local hires, whom they are trying to evacuate out of Kabul. A spokesman for the countrys foreign ministry warned people not to independently try to reach the airport because of the volatile and dynamic situation there. Christofer Burger told reporters Monday that the embassy is calling and emailing everyone who is on evacuation lists and giving them personal instructions. COPENHAGEN, Denmark - The staff with the Finnish Embassy in Kabul have fled to a neighboring country. The Finland daily Helsingin Sanomat reported Monday that the country's armed forces took part in the evacuation and according to the newspapers sources, the staff flew out on an American plane. In Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Danes are working round the clock. We are in the process of evacuating, adding the work was done in extremely difficult conditions. MOSCOW -- Moscow will decide whether to recognize the new Taliban government based on its conduct, the Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan said in an interview Monday. Zamir Kabulov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station that no one is going to rush the decision. Recognition or non-recognition will depend on the conduct of the new authorities, Kabulov said. Russia labeled the Taliban a terrorist organization in 2003, but has since hosted several rounds of talks in Afghanistan, most recently in March, that involved the group. Moscow, which fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with Soviet troops withdrawal in 1989, has made a diplomatic comeback as a mediator, reaching out to feuding Afghan factions as it has jockeyed with the U.S. for influence in the country. Kabulov said Monday the Taliban was deservedly declared a terrorist group in Russia two decades ago. The Taliban have learned this lesson well. If they havent learned it in full, they will have to face great difficulties in relations not only with Russia, but with the entire global community, Kabulov said. BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Slovakias Prime Minister Eduard Heger says his country will give asylum to 10 Afghan nationals who have intensively cooperated with European Union member states in recent years. Heger says his country is providing a military plane to transport them to Slovakia together with several Slovak nationals who have asked for it. BEIJING China says its embassy remains open in Kabul and expressed a willingness to support its reconstruction. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying did not answer explicitly when asked whether Beijing would recognize the Taliban as the new government but said that China would respect the choice of the Afghan people. She noted the Taliban pledges to negotiate the establishment of an inclusive Islamic government and to ensure the safety of both Afghans and foreign missions. China, she added, hopes that would ensure a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan. LONDON -- A leading British lawmaker from Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative Party is calling the mayhem at Kabul airport Saigon 2.0, comparing it to U.S. evacuation of South Vietnam's capital in 1975. Tobias Ellwood, a former defense minister and British Army captain. said the images of the mayhem Monday at Kabul airport echoed the evacuation of the South Vietnam capital after North Vietnamese troops entered the city. The advance of the North Vietnamese prompted the U.S. to evacuate thousands of its nationals and troops as well as South Vietnamese civilians who had helped during the war. The most dramatic images involved the evacuation of people from the roof of the U.S. Embassy. If this is not Saigon 2.0, I dont know what is, Ellwood said. Is this how we thought wed depart Afghanistan? I repeat my call for a U.K. inquiry. U.S. President Joe Bidens decision earlier this year to announce the timeline for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan led the other nations in the NATO coalition, including the U.K., to announce their own departures, two decades after they first arrived in Afghanistan. TEHRAN, Iran Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday called for national reconciliation in neighboring Afghanistan. The official IRNA news agency quoted Raisi as saying Iran will support efforts to restore stability in Afghanistan as a first priority. He called Iran a brother and neighboring nation to Afghanistan. He also described the Americans' rapid pullout as a military failure that should turn to an opportunity for restoring life, security and stable peace. Iran shares nearly 600 miles of borders with Afghanistan and is home to about 800,000 registered Afghan refugees and more than two million undocumented Afghans. The influx began after Soviet forces entered Afghanistan in 1979. MOSCOW Russia will evacuate some of its embassy staff in Kabul in order not to create too big a presence, the Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan said Monday. Zamir Kabulov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station that some of roughly 100 Russian embassy staff will be placed on leave or evacuated in some other fashion just in order not to create too big a presence. Kabulov said that the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov will meet a Taliban representative on Tuesday to discuss security for the diplomatic mission, adding that the outside perimeter of the embassy is already being guarded by the Taliban. Kabulov also said that the Talibans swift takeover of the Afghan capital was somewhat unexpected. He said Russia was too optimistic in our assessment of the quality of the armed forces trained by the Americans and NATO. Kabulov said of those forces, "They dropped everything at the first shot. MOSCOW -- The Uzbek Defense Ministry has confirmed that an Afghan military plane crashed in Uzbekistan on Sunday, but wouldnt reveal the details of the accident. Ministrys spokesman Bakhrom Zulfikarov told Russias state news agency Tass on Monday that the plane crashed in the Surkhandarya region in southeastern Uzbekistan and that the details of the accident are currently being studied, information about it will be revealed later. Uzbek media reported that the plane went down Sunday evening in the southeast of the country not far from the border with Afghanistan. At least one person was reported injured. CANBERRA, Australia Australia is sending three transport and air-to-air refueling jets with 250 military personnel to repatriate more than 130 Australians and their families from Afghanistan, officials said on Monday. Australia is also working to evacuate an undisclosed number of refugees, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement. The support comes as the U.S. and other nations scramble to evacuate diplomats and Afghan employees and their families from Kabul. The Taliban a day earlier toppled the Western-backed government. An Airbus A330 airliner modified for aerial refueling would support U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan later thisa week, Australias Defense Department said in a statement. Two C-17A Globemaster heavy transport aircraft would also be sent to the Middle East, the statement said. Australia shut its Kabul embassy in May and withdrew the last of its troops from Afghanistan in June. More than 39,000 Australian military personnel have served in Afghanistan since 2001, and 41 died there. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Sarah, Duchess of York has described the Queen as more of a mother to her than her own was. The duchess, who divorced the Duke of York in 1996, has sparked a raft of royal scandals over the years, but said the monarch was her greatest mentor and had always believed in her. Speaking on the Tea with Twiggy podcast as she promoted her Mills & Boon romance novel Her Heart For A Compass, the duchess paid tribute to the Queen for being modern, flexible and forgiving. My greatest mentor and person who believes in me is the Queen and has never faltered. I absolutely admire the incredible way Her Majesty is so modern and how flexible, and how understanding, and how forgiving and how generous. The duchess and ex-husband Andrew were said to have joined the Queen on holiday at Balmoral last week, hours after a civil lawsuit was filed against the duke over allegations of sexual abuse. Andrew, who stepped down from royal duties in 2019, is being sued by Virginia Giuffre, who accuses him of sexually abusing her when she was a minor under US law after she was trafficked by billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. It is the duchesss first proper summer break at Balmoral since she was cast out of the royal family amid a toe-sucking scandal in the 1990s. The Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April, reportedly refused to let his former daughter-in-law stay at the castle at the same time as him. Sarah, in the podcast released on Monday, referred to Andrew as her lovely ex-husband who always believes in me. She told model Twiggy, whose real name is Dame Lesley Lawson: I think to myself that honestly my mother-in-law has been more of a mother to me than my mother. I absolutely think there is no greater mentor because, from a little girl to now, the consistency of Her Majesty has been a great honour, its a huge honour makes me want to cry. The duchesss mother Susan Barrantes left her behind in the UK when she was 13 to start a new life in Argentina with polo player Hector Barrantes. She was killed in a car crash in 1998 the year after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealand has detected its first community transmission of the coronavirus in months, triggering urgent meetings among top lawmakers. Health officials say the positive case was found in Auckland on Tuesday afternoon and has no known link to outside the country. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised a tough approach, including possible lockdowns, for any outbreaks of the delta variant as New Zealand continues to pursue a zero-tolerance approach toward the virus. The last community outbreak was in February and New Zealand has reported just 26 virus deaths since the pandemic began. - MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: Many Bible Belt preachers silent on shots as COVID-19 surges Fans will not be allowed at the Paralympics starting next week in Japan, which has extended its coronavirus emergency Virus claims more young victims as deaths climb yet again US mulls COVID vaccine boosters for elderly as early as fall Amid a limited supply of vaccines, tensions arise in Africa between those seeking first and second vaccine shots Public forums before local school boards and city councils are the latest source of misinformation about COVID-19 Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: HONG KONG Hong Kong will tighten entry restrictions for travelers arriving from the United States and 14 other countries beginning Friday, increasing the quarantine period to 21 days. Previously, the 15 countries, which also includes Malaysia, Thailand, France and the Netherlands, were classified as medium risk, with travelers able to serve only seven days of quarantine if they were fully vaccinated. A resurgence of coronavirus cases in these countries due to the delta variant has led to Hong Kongs about-face. The change comes after a domestic worker who returned to Hong Kong from the U.S. earlier this month tested positive for the coronavirus despite receiving two shots of vaccine. ___ SYDNEY Australias most populous state has reported its third-highest daily count of coronavirus infections in the pandemic, and the government leader says the spread of the delta variant in Sydney has not yet peaked. There were 452 new infections reported in New South Wales on Tueday, down from 475 on Monday and 466 on Saturday. An unvaccinated woman in her 70s had died in a Sydney hospital Monday, bringing the death from the outbreak discovered in mid-June to 53. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she expects daily infections counts to remain high. She adds that "our challenge is to make sure that we keep vaccination rates up. About half New South Waless population has had at least one injection of the two-shot Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine. The government wants 80% of the population fully vaccinated before it eases Sydneys lockdown, which began on June 26. ___ MONTGOMERY, Alabama Alabamas intensive care units are near capacity amid the states surge in COVID-19 cases. The head of the Alabama Hospital Association says the state has 1,562 intensive care unit beds and 1,560 patients needing intensive care Monday. Dr. Don Williamson says that this is the greatest demand on the ICU system weve ever had. Alabama has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus and the states low vaccination rate. Infections and hospitalization numbers are quickly approaching what they were at the winter peak of the pandemic. Williamson says COVID-19 patients accounted for 48% of Alabamas ICU patients Monday. He says the overwhelming majority of them are unvaccinated. ___ COLUMBIA, S.C. Another local government in South Carolina is joining the state capital in requiring masks in schools despite a state budget proviso that bans districts from doing so without risking funding. The Richland County Council voted Monday evening to mandate masks for students and for educators who work with children ages 2 through 14 in public and private schools and at day care centers. The ordinance says schools arent required to use public funds to provide face coverings. Columbias city government already made masks mandatory for schoolchildren too young to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Columbias mayor has said the measure relies on local funds, not state appropriations. Education groups are pushing for state lawmakers to repeal the state budget provision that went into effect July 1 and prohibits South Carolina educational institutions from using appropriated funds to mandate masks. ___ ATLANTA At least 10 Georgia school districts or charter schools have sent all students home because of exposure to the coronavirus, including Screven County, which announced its decision Monday. Those districts have more than 26,000 students combined, about 1.5% of the statewide public school enrollment. Some other districts have sent students home from individual schools, and thousands of students and teachers have been quarantined after two weeks of school for many Georgia districts. ___ CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Wyomings governor says the state will not return to a statewide mask order or mandate vaccination against the coronavirus despite a resurgence of the virus. Gov. Mark Gordon imposed a statewide mask mandate in December and lifted it in March. He said Monday that mandates can cause some people to resist wearing masks. Gordon also says he doesnt expect any shutdowns like the public health orders that forced many Wyoming businesses and public places to close or limit occupancy through much of 2020 and into 2021. Coronavirus infections are back up to levels not seen in Wyoming since January. Beckers Hospital Review says Wyoming has one of the nations lowest vaccination rates, about 37%. ___ AUSTIN, Texas Texas health officials say they asked for five mortuary trailers from the federal government as coronavirus infections and hospitalizations for COVID-19 reach the highest levels since January. But the Texas Department of State Health Services also said Monday that no local officials so far have reached out with needs for extra mortuary space. Texas reported more than 11,700 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, a 17% increase from a week ago. The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 deaths is also back above 50 for the first time since spring. The pandemic is blamed for more than 52,000 deaths in Texas. ___ RALEIGH, N.C. --- North Carolina health officials say medically vulnerable residents with certain health conditions can get an additional dose of coronavirus vaccine, though some have already had a third shot after the FDA approved that last week. The FDA signed off on the additional dose after emerging data suggested people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems do not necessarily build the same level of immunity as others. Data from the state Department of Health and Human Services shows that coronavirus infections and hospitalizations for COVID-19 are at their worst levels in more than six months. ___ HONOLULU Some private schools in Hawaii are mandating coronavirus vaccination for students, faculty and staff. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser says Parker School in Waimea on the Big Island will require all employees and eligible students to be vaccinated by Oct. 1. The coeducational day school will test all students and employees for the virus before the school year. It plans to provide weekly testing while infection rates remain high on the Big Island. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. In Honolulu, the Iolani School is requiring all eligible students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated or seek a health or religious exemption. A spokeswoman says the schools faculty and staff already have a 99% vaccination rate, while eligible students in grades 7 to 12 are at 95%. Younger students arent eligible for the shots. ___ JERUSALEM Israel says more than 1 million people over age 50 have received a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Israel began offering the boosters to its older population two weeks ago, becoming the first country in the world using a Western vaccine to do so. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Monday that more than half of the target population has now received a booster shot. Israel was one of the worlds leaders in vaccinating its population early this year, using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. But it has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks spread largely by the delta variant of the coronavirus. Tthe World Health Organization has said it would be better to provide vaccines to poorer countries that have not yet inoculated their people. ___ BELGRADE, Serbia Serbia will start administering a third, or booster, dose of vaccines this week to people who previously were vaccinated at least 6 months ago, after cases of infections have surged in recent days. Authorities on Monday said that citizens will receive text messages with invitations for booster shots. Initially, heath authorities will contact people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, medical workers and those whose jobs require frequent travel. Serbia, a Balkan nation of around 7 million people, has vaccinated over 50% of its population. The country loosened anti-virus rules during the summer which has led to a rise in confirmed new cases and hospitalizations mostly from the highly contagious delta variant. ___ DALLAS Some Texas counties and school districts remained defiant Monday and kept in place mandates requiring students and others to wear facial coverings despite rulings a day earlier by the Texas Supreme Court halting mask mandates in two of the largest counties in the nation. However, other school districts and communities rescinded their mask mandates following Sundays court ruling, creating confusion for Texas students returning to in person classes this week. The order by the states highest court halts mask requirements that county leaders in Dallas and San Antonio put in place as new infections soar and students begin returning to school. ___ NEW YORK New York City will begin requiring proof of coronavirus vaccinations Tuesday for anyone wanting to partake in much of public life including dining at an indoor restaurant, working out at a gym or strolling through a museum. The list of public venues widened Monday as Mayor Bill de Blasio moved forward with an unprecedented move by the countrys largest city to goad more people into getting vaccinated and control a pandemic that has wrought havoc on the economy and peoples day-to-day lives. While the new requirement goes into effect Tuesday, enforcement wont begin until Sept. 13 to give the public and employees more time to receive at least the required first shot. ___ MADISON, Wis. Cardinal Raymond Burke, one of the Catholic Churchs most outspoken conservatives and a vaccine skeptic, says he has COVID-19 and his staff says he is breathing through a ventilator. Burke tweeted Aug. 10 that he had caught the virus, was resting comfortably and was receiving excellent medical care. Please pray for me as I begin my recovery, the 73-year-old Burke said in the tweet. Let us trust in Divine Providence. God bless you. On Saturday, his staff tweeted that he had been hospitalized and was on a ventilator, but that doctors were encouraged with his progress. ___ JACKSON, Miss. Mississippis only Level I trauma center is setting up a second emergency field hospital in a parking garage to treat some of the sickest COVID-19 patients as the virus continues to ravage the state. Samaritans Purse will set up the mobile intensive care unit with a team of medical staff in a garage near Childrens of Mississippi, the states only pediatric hospital. Since the start of the pandemic, the Christian relief charity has set up five other emergency hospitals in areas of the world hard hit by the virus, including New York City and Los Angeles County. Mississippi, one of least vaccinated states in the country, has seen numbers of new COVID-19 cases double in the past two weeks, surpassing records for hospitalizations all previous surges of the virus since the start of the pandemic. After facing a shortage of beds and staff needed to treat patients, the University of Mississippi Medical Center set up an emergency field hospital in a different parking garage last week, with the help of the federal government. In the coming days, an additional tent will be set up where people who are positive for COVID-19 can receive monoclonal antibody treatment, Woodward said. Paul Buckowski/Times Union Assembly Judiciary Committee members were told Saturday morning that, tentatively, a report on its mostly secretive findings to date on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo would be released to the public, according to a text message sent to them. Its a reversal on the committee's plans it announced Friday. (TU) Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul avoided committing to any specific plans to reduce the spread of COVID-19, rejected party labels and continued to emphasize her distance from the departing administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in interviews on CNN's "State of the Nation" with Jake Tapper and CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday morning. (TU) BEIJING (AP) Asian stock markets declined Tuesday amid concern about turmoil in Afghanistan and unease about China's economic outlook after weak July activity. Investors looked ahead to a speech by U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell for an update on the health of the biggest global economy. Traders also were waiting for U.S. sales and factory data. Shanghai, Hong Kong and South Korea declined while Tokyo gained. Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 hit a new high despite rising U.S. coronavirus infections. Traders got some positive sentiment from Wall Street but also were paying close attention to the situation in Afghanistan, said Anderson Alves of ActivTrades in a report. Landlocked Afghanistan's economy is tiny, but other governments were caught off guard by the speed of the collapse of its government. Thousands of people tried to flee the country after the Taliban seized the capital, Kabul. Markets also were digesting news that Chinese factory output, consumer spending and investment grew slower in July than expected. The government blamed flooding in central China and controls on travel and business to fight outbreaks of the coronavirus's delta variant. That led to a drop in oil prices Monday as traders adjusted forecasts of Chinese demand. Beijing's policy of pursuing zero virus cases points towards the risk of aggressive measures that may continue to put a cap on growth, said Yeap Jun Rong of IG in a report. The Shanghai Composite Index lost less than 0.1% to 3,514.29 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gained 0.2% to 27,569.84. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed less than 0.1% to 26,162.22. The Kospi in Seoul sank 0.8% to 3,144.58 while Sydneys S&P-ASX 200 declined 0.9% to 7,515.90. New Zealand and Bangkok gained while Singapore and Indonesia declined. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% to 4,479.71. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3% to 35,625.40. The Nasdaq fell 29.14 points to 14,793.76. Technology and health care stocks accounted for much of the gain in the S&P 500. Sectors traditionally considered lower risk, including utilities and companies that make food and personal goods also helped lift the market. Those gains outweighed a pullback in banks, energy stocks and a swath of retailers and travel sector companies. Analysts had expected U.S. economic growth to slow from its breakneck pace earlier this year, but the highly contagious delta variant has prompted even more caution from investors. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose 10 cents to $67.36. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 16 cents to $69.62. The dollar gained to 109.28 yen from Monday's 109.24. The euro declined to $1.1772 from $1.1776. SARATOGA SPRINGS When Hall and Oates played the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Sunday night, Daryl Hall offered a review of his own. Hall used a pause in the music to give a withering review of the band's hotel in downtown Albany. Hall was unimpressed with the accommodations at the Albany Hilton on Lodge Street, telling the crowd his room was windowless and grimy. "I'm giving you the worst review of a hotel ever," Hall told the crowd. Hall said the band stayed at the Albany hotel because no rooms were available closer to the Saratoga Springs amphitheater. "I can't stay here because they were all booked because you all were, like, here." "I had to vent on this. It was bad news," Hall told the crowd. Hall's review quickly drew attention on social media. "Was shocked crowd went quiet #awkward," one person wrote on Twitter. A woman who answered the phone at the hotel said no one could offer an immediate comment Monday morning but took a message for management. It's not the first time the Albany Hilton has faced criticism from an entertainer. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. In October 2017, Cardi B assailed the place as racist when staff called the police to complain about a noise complaint against a member of her team. Hotel staff said they smelled marijuana, though a police spokesman later said there was no evidence the smell came from the entertainer's group. In a video posted to her Instagram page afterward, Cardi B said no one in her group smokes marijuana and that she believes they were asked to leave because they were the only non-white people on the floor. Hall and Oates played SPAC as part of their North American tour. FYI Indiana hotels: The band's next show is Thursday at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, an Indianapolis suburb. A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called black site beyond its borders. The woman, 26-year-old Wu Huan, was on the run to avoid extradition back to China because her fiance was considered a Chinese dissident. Wu told The Associated Press she was abducted from a hotel in Dubai and detained by Chinese officials at a villa converted into a jail, where she saw or heard two other prisoners, both Uyghurs. She was questioned and threatened in Chinese and forced to sign legal documents incriminating her fiance for harassing her, she said. She was finally released on June 8 and is now seeking asylum in the Netherlands. While black sites are common in China, Wus account is the only testimony known to experts that Beijing has set one up in another country. Such a site would reflect how China is increasingly using its international clout to detain or bring back citizens it wants from overseas, whether they are dissidents, corruption suspects or ethnic minorities like the Uyghurs. The AP was unable to confirm or disprove Wus account independently, and she could not pinpoint the exact location of the black site. However, reporters have seen and heard corroborating evidence including stamps in her passport, a phone recording of a Chinese official asking her questions and text messages that she sent from jail to a pastor helping the couple. China's Foreign Ministry denied her story. What I can tell you is that the situation the person talked about is not true, ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Monday. Dubai Police stated Monday that any claims of a Chinese woman detained by local authorities on behalf of a foreign country are false, and that Wu freely exited the country with her friend three months ago. Dubai does not detain any foreign nationals without following internationally accepted procedures and local law enforcement processes, nor does it allow foreign governments to run any detention centers within its borders, said a statement from the Dubai government media office. Dubai also follows all recognized global norms and procedures set by international organizations like Interpol in the detainment, interrogation and transfer of fugitives sought by foreign governments. Black sites are clandestine jails where prisoners generally are not charged with a crime and have no legal recourse, with no bail or court order. Many in China are used to stop petitioners with grievances against local governments, and they often take the form of rooms in hotels or guesthouses. Yu-Jie Chen, an assistant professor at Taiwans Academia Sinica, said she had not heard of a Chinese secret jail in Dubai, and such a facility in another country would be unusual. However, she also noted that it would be in keeping with Chinas attempts to do all it can to bring select citizens back, both through official means such as signing extradition treaties and unofficial means such as revoking visas or putting pressure on family back home. (China) really wasnt interested in reaching out until recent years, said Chen, who has tracked Chinas international legal actions. This trend is increasingly robust. Chen said Uyghurs in particular were being extradited or returned to China, which has been detaining the mostly Muslim minority on suspicion of terrorism even for relatively harmless acts like praying. The Uyghur Human Rights Project tracked 89 Uyghurs detained or deported from nine countries from 1997 to 2007 through public reports. That number steadily increased to reach 1,327 from 20 countries from 2014 until now, the group found. Wu and her fiance, 19-year-old Wang Jingyu, are not Uyghur but rather Han Chinese, the majority ethnicity in China. Wang is wanted by China because he posted messages questioning Chinese media coverage of the Hong Kong protests in 2019 and Chinas actions in a border clash with India. Along with Uyghurs, China has been cracking down on perceived dissidents and human rights activists, and has launched a massive effort to get back suspect officials as part of a national anti-corruption campaign. Under President Xi Jinping, Chinas most authoritarian leader in decades, Beijing brought back 1,421 people in 2020 alone for alleged corruption and financial crime under Operation Skynet. However, the AP could not find comprehensive numbers for how many Chinese citizens overall have been detained or deported from overseas in recent years. Dubai also has a history as a place where Uyghurs are interrogated and deported back to China. And activists say Dubai itself has been linked to secret interrogations involving other countries. Radha Stirling, a legal advocate who founded the advocacy group Detained in Dubai, said she has worked with about a dozen people who have reported being held in villas in the UAE, including citizens of Canada, India and Jordan but not China. There is no doubt that the UAE has detained people on behalf of foreign governments with whom they are allied, Stirling said. I dont think they would at all shrug their shoulders to a request from such a powerful ally. However, Patrick Theros, a former U.S. ambassador to Qatar who is now strategic advisor to the Gulf International Forum, called the allegations totally out of character for the Emiratis. "They dont allow allies freedom of movement, he said. The idea that the Chinese would have a clandestine center, it makes no sense. The U.S. State Department had no comment on Wus specific case or on whether there is a Chinese-run black site in Dubai. We will continue to coordinate with allies and partners to stand against transnational repression everywhere, it said in a statement to the AP. HELD IN A VILLA Wu, a Chinese millennial with cropped hair dyed blonde, never cared about politics before. But after her fiance was arrested in Dubai on April 5 on unclear charges, she started giving interviews to media and getting in touch with overseas-based Chinese dissidents for help. On May 27, Wu said, she was questioned by Chinese officials at her hotel, the Element al-Jaddaf, and then taken by Dubai police to the Bur Dubai police station. Staff for the hotel declined in a phone interview to confirm her stay or her departure, saying it was against company policy to disclose information about guests. She was held for three days at the police station, she said, with her phone and personal belongings confiscated. On the third day, she said, a Chinese man who introduced himself as Li Xuhang came to visit her. He told her he was working for the Chinese consulate in Dubai, and asked her whether she had taken money from foreign groups to act against China. I said no, I love China so much. My passport is Chinese. Im a Chinese person. I speak Chinese, she said. I said, how could I do that? Li Xuhang is listed as consul general on the website of the Chinese consulate in Dubai. The consulate did not return multiple calls asking for comment and to speak with Li directly. Wu said Li took her out of the police station along with another Chinese man who handcuffed her, and they put her in a black Toyota. There were multiple Chinese people in the car, but Wu was too scared to get a clear look at their faces. Her heart thumping, they drove past an area where many Chinese lived and owned businesses in Dubai called International City, which Wu recognized from an earlier trip to Dubai. After driving for half an hour, they stopped on a deserted street with rows of identical compounds. She was brought inside a white-colored villa with three stories, where a series of rooms had been converted into individual cells, she said. The house was quiet and cold in contrast with the desert heat. Wu was taken to her own cell, a room which had been renovated to have a heavy metal door. There was a bed in her room, a chair and a white fluorescent light that was on all day and night. The metal door remained closed except when they fed her. Firstly, theres no sense of time, Wu said. And second, theres no window, and I couldnt see if it was day or night. Wu said a guard took her to a room several times where they questioned her in Chinese and threatened that she would never be allowed to leave. The guards wore face masks all the time. She saw another prisoner, a Uyghur woman, while waiting to use the bathroom once, she said. A second time, she heard a Uyghur woman shouting in Chinese, I dont want to go back to China, I want to go back to Turkey. Wu identified the women as Uyghurs based on what she said was their distinctive appearance and accent. Wu said she was fed twice a day, with the second meal a stack of plain flatbread. She had to ask the guards for permission to drink water or go to the bathroom. She was supposed to be allowed to go the bathroom a maximum of five times a day, Wu said, but that depended on the mood of the guards. The guards also gave her a phone and a SIM card and instructed her to call her fiance and pastor Bob Fu, the head of ChinaAid, a Christian non-profit, who was helping the couple. Wang confirmed to the AP that Wu called and asked him for his location. Fu said he received at least four or five calls from her during this time, a few on an unknown Dubai phone number, including one where she was crying and almost incoherent. She again blamed Wang and said Fu should not help him. The AP also reviewed text messages Wu sent to Fu at the time, which are disjointed and erratic. I could tell she was hiding from telling me her whereabouts, said Fu. At that point we concluded that something has happened to her that prevented her from even talking. Wu said towards the end of her stay, she refused meals, screamed and cried in an effort to be released. The last thing her captors demanded of her, she said, was to sign documents in Arabic and English testifying that Wang was harassing her. I was really scared and was forced to sign the documents, she told the AP. I didnt want to sign them. __ HUB FOR CHINESE INTELLIGENCE Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. Reports have emerged in recent years of Emiratis and foreigners being taken to villas, sometimes indefinitely. Perhaps the best-known case involves Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of the ruler of Dubai. Sheikha Latifa tried to flee in 2018 by boat, but was intercepted by the Indian coast guard in the Arabian Sea and handed back to the UAE. In videos published by the BBC in February, she claims she was held against her will in a villa in Dubai. Im a hostage, she says in one of the videos. This villa has been converted into jail. A statement since issued on behalf of Sheikha Latifa said she is now free to travel. China and the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, have deep economic and political ties and also work together on counterintelligence. China ratified an extradition treaty with the UAE in 2002 and a judicial cooperation treaty in 2008. The UAE was an experimental site for Chinas COVID vaccines and cooperated with China on making tests. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and de facto ruler of the UAE, has said he was willing to work with China to jointly strike against terrorist extremist forces, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a militant group Beijing has accused of fostering Uyghur separatism. In late 2017 and early 2018, local authorities arrested and deported at least five Uyghurs to China, according to four friends and relatives who spoke by phone with the AP. In one case, a long-time UAE resident, Ahmad Talip, was called in for questioning at a local police station and detained, according to his wife, Amannisa Abdullah, who is now in Turkey. In another case, eight plainclothes officers broke into a hotel room and arrested a 17-year-old boy who had just fled a police raid in Egypt. The detentions were carried out by Arabs who appeared to be UAE police, not Chinese agents, the Uyghurs said. However, one of the detainees, Huseyin Imintohti, was sought by three Chinese agents at a Uyghur restaurant in Dubai before his deportation, according to his wife, Nigare Yusup. Another Uyghur detainee, Yasinjan Memtimin, was interrogated twice by people in the UAE who appeared to be Chinese police, said his wife, who declined to be named out of fear of retribution. She said she had heard from a Uyghur who fled overseas of a detention facility in the UAE where Uyghurs were detained and interrogated, but she could not offer more details. The UAE appears to be a hub for Chinese intelligence on Uyghurs in the Middle East, former Uyghur residents told The AP. A Uyghur linguist, Abduweli Ayup, said he had spoken with three Uyghurs coerced into working as spies in Turkey who passed through Dubai to pick up SIM cards and cash and meet Chinese agents. Jasur Abibula, a former Xinjiang government worker, also told the AP that Chinese state security lured him from the Netherlands to the UAE in 2019 after his ex-wife, Asiye Abdulaheb, obtained confidential documents on internment camps in Xinjiang. He was greeted by a dozen or so people working for the Chinese government in Dubai, he said, including at least two who introduced themselves as working for Chinas Ministry of State Security. One, a Uyghur man in his fifties who gave his name as Dolet, said he was stationed in Dubai. The other, a Han Chinese man who spoke fluent Uyghur, said he was on a mission to uncover the source of the leaks, according to Abibula. The agents presented Abibula with a USB and asked him to insert it in his ex-wifes computer. They offered him money, put him up in a Hilton resort and bought toys for his kids. They also threatened him, showing him a video of his mother back in China. On a drive through dunes of sand, one said it reminded him of the deserts back in Xinjiang. If we kill and bury you here, nobody will able to find your body, he recalled them telling him. Abibula is now back in the Netherlands, where the AP spoke to him by phone, and he sent photos of some of the agents, his hotel and his plane ticket to support his claims. Besides the UAE, many other countries have cooperated with China in sending Uyghurs back. In 2015, Thailand repatriated over 100 Uyghurs to China. In 2017, Egyptian police detained hundreds of Uyghur students and residents and sent them back as well. Rodney Dixon, a London-based rights lawyer representing Uyghur groups, said his team has filed a case against Tajikistan in the International Criminal Court, accusing local authorities of aiding China in deporting Uyghurs. China isnt the first country to hunt people deemed terror suspects outside its borders. After 9/11, the U.S. government also operated and controlled a network of CIA clandestine detention facilities overseas in countries including Thailand, Lithuania and Romania. The CIAs detention and interrogation program ended in 2009. ___ I'M AFRAID TO CALL YOU After Wu was released, she was taken back to the same hotel she had stayed at and given her personal belongings. She immediately reached out to Fu, apologized for her past calls and asked for help, in text messages seen by the AP. Im afraid to call you, she told Fu in one message. Im afraid I will be overheard. On June 11, she flew out of Dubai to Ukraine, where she was reunited with Wang. After threats from Chinese police that Wang could face extradition from Ukraine, the couple fled again to the Netherlands. Wu said she misses her homeland. Ive discovered that the people deceiving us are Chinese, that its our countrymen hurting our own countrymen, she said. That is the situation. Staff writers Nomaan Merchant and Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington, D.C. A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called black site beyond its borders. The woman, 26-year-old Wu Huan, was on the run to avoid extradition back to China because her fiance was considered a Chinese dissident. Wu told The Associated Press she was abducted from a hotel in Dubai and detained by Chinese officials at a villa converted into a jail, where she saw or heard two other prisoners, both Uyghurs. She was questioned and threatened in Chinese and forced to sign legal documents incriminating her fiance for harassing her, she said. She was finally released on June 8 and is now seeking asylum in the Netherlands. While black sites are common in China, Wus account is the only testimony known to experts that Beijing has set one up in another country. Such a site would reflect how China is increasingly using its international clout to detain or bring back citizens it wants from overseas, whether they are dissidents, corruption suspects or ethnic minorities like the Uyghurs. The AP was unable to confirm or disprove Wus account independently, and she could not pinpoint the exact location of the black site. However, reporters have seen and heard corroborating evidence including stamps in her passport, a phone recording of a Chinese official asking her questions and text messages that she sent from jail to a pastor helping the couple. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: What I can tell you is that the situation the person talked about is not true. Dubai did not respond to multiple phone calls and requests for comment. Yu-Jie Chen, an assistant professor at Taiwans Academia Sinica, said she had not heard of a Chinese secret jail in Dubai, and such a facility in another country would be unusual. However, she also noted that it would be in keeping with Chinas attempts to do all it can to bring select citizens back, both through official means such as signing extradition treaties and unofficial means such as revoking visas or putting pressure on family back home. (China) really wasnt interested in reaching out until recent years, said Chen, who has tracked Chinas international legal actions. Chen said Uyghurs in particular were being extradited or returned to China, which has been detaining the mostly Muslim minority on suspicion of terrorism even for relatively harmless acts like praying. Wu and her fiance, 19-year-old Wang Jingyu, are not Uyghur but rather Han Chinese, the majority ethnicity in China. Dubai has a history as a place where Uyghurs are interrogated and deported back to China, and activists say Dubai itself has been linked to secret interrogations. Radha Stirling, a legal advocate who founded the advocacy group Detained in Dubai, said she has worked with about a dozen people who have reported being held in villas in the UAE, including citizens of Canada, India and Jordan but not China. There is no doubt that the UAE has detained people on behalf of foreign governments with whom they are allied, Stirling said. I dont think they would at all shrug their shoulders to a request from such a powerful ally. However, Patrick Theros, a former U.S. ambassador to Qatar who is now strategic advisor to the Gulf International Forum, called the allegations totally out of character for the Emiratis. On May 27, Wu said, she was questioned by Chinese officials at her hotel and then taken by Dubai police to a police station for three days. On the third day, she said, a Chinese man who introduced himself as Li Xuhang came to visit her. He told her he was working for the Chinese consulate in Dubai, and asked her whether she had taken money from foreign groups to act against China. Li Xuhang is listed as consul general on the website of the Chinese consulate in Dubai. The consulate did not return multiple calls asking for comment and to speak with Li directly. Wu said she was handcuffed and put in a black Toyota. After half an hour, she was brought inside a white villa with three stories, where rooms had been converted into individual cells, she said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. Wu was taken to her own cell, with a heavy metal door, a bed, a chair and a white fluorescent light that was on all day and night. She said she was questioned and threatened several times in Chinese. She saw another prisoner, a Uyghur woman, while waiting to use the bathroom once, she said. A second time, she heard a Uyghur woman shouting in Chinese, I dont want to go back to China, I want to go back to Turkey. Wu identified the women as Uyghurs, she said, based on their distinctive appearance and accent. The guards also gave her a phone and a sim card and instructed her to call her fiance and pastor Bob Fu, the head of ChinaAid, a Christian non-profit, who was helping the couple. Wang confirmed to the AP that Wu called and asked him for his location. Fu said he received at least four or five calls from her during this time, a few on an unknown Dubai phone number, including one where she was crying and almost incoherent. The AP also reviewed text messages Wu sent to Fu at the time, which are disjointed and erratic. The last thing Wu's captors demanded of her, she said, was to sign documents testifying that Wang was harassing her. I was really scared and was forced to sign the documents, she told the AP. After Wu was released, she flew to Ukraine, where she was reunited with Wang. After threats from Chinese police that Wang could face extradition from Ukraine, the couple fled again to the Netherlands. Wu said she misses her homeland. Ive discovered that the people deceiving us are Chinese, that its our countrymen hurting our own countrymen, she said. Staff reporters Nomaan Merchant and Matt Lee contributed to this report from Washington, D.C. SCOTIA - Michele Kilgore, former commander of the New York Air National Guards 109th Airlift Wing, Scotia, has advanced to brigadier general. Maj. Gen. Timothy LaBarge, commander of the New York Air National Guard, promoted Kilgore during a ceremony at the Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia. Kilgore, who commanded the 109th Airlift Wing from 2017 through 2020, currently serves as the deputy chief of Homeland Division, Western Hemisphere Directorate in the Joint Plans and Policy Office at the Pentagon. She also provides the National Security Council, Department of State, Department of Defense policy recommendations to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Kilgore is a 1992 graduate of the Air Force Academy who initially trained as a fighter pilot. She has flown more than 3,900 hours in six different aircraft. She commanded an MQ-9 unit at the 174th Attack Wing in Syracuse prior to taking command of the 109th Airlift Wing. She has deployed to combat seven times during her career in both the active Air Force and the Air National Guard. The general has earned an Aerial Achievement medal, an Antarctic Service medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, an Air Force Commendation Medal, and Navy Achievement medal. New commanders Col. Matthew Liepke, an Oswego resident and medical doctor, assumed command of the New York Army National Guard Medical Command during a ceremony at the Camp Smith Training Site, Peekskill. Liepke replaced Col. Richard Green of Schuylerville, who had led the command since 2014. The New York Army National Guard Medical Command oversees medical operations and health care issues for the 10,500 members of the New York Army National Guard across the state. Liepke previously served as the division surgeon of the 42nd Infantry Division during its deployment to Kuwait and the Middle East in 2020. During this deployment he served as the chief medical officer for the U.S. Army's COVID-19 response in six countries and 14 bases. He has served in the Army Reserve and New York Army National Guard since 1992. He enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1992 as a member of Charlie Company of the 479th Engineer Battalion and served as a combat engineer. He served for 11 years as an enlisted soldier before earning a commission as a captain in the Individual Ready Reserve in 2003. He transferred to the New York Army National Guard in 2005 and served as the brigade surgeon for the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and a surgeon assigned to the 466th Area Medical Support Company, and in various roles with the Medical Command. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. Liepke deployed to Iraqi with the 466th Area Support Medical Company in 2007 and to Afghanistan with the 402nd Military Police Battalion in 2011. He served as the New York Army National Guard State Surgeon from 2016 to 2019. He is a graduate of Clarkson University with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and environmental toxicology and earned a master of business administration from Quinnipiac University. He studied medicine at the Upstate Medical University and completed his internship in internal medicine and pediatrics at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He also is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College. He is a diplomat of the American Boards of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The doctor has earned a Meritorious Service Medal, and an Army Commendation Medal. . More Information News of your troops and units can be sent to Times Union, Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com See More Collapse New York Army National Guard Major Doug Berinstein of Clifton Park resident, has assumed command of the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment for the Joint Force Headquarters - New York. Berinstein took command of the company during a change of command ceremony in Latham. He replaced Maj. Amy Crounse, who retired. As company commander, Berinstein leads 321 soldiers who work in the state headquarters. The headquarters detachment includes soldiers who work for the two-star general who commands the New York National Guard. He began his career in 2006, enlisting in the field artillery and completing basic training in Fort Sill, Okla. Berinstein received his officer's commission in 2009 as a military police officer and was assigned to 206th Military Police Company as a platoon leader. Berinstein deployed in 2012 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba after a transfer to the 107th Military Police Company and served as platoon leader and later as company executive officer. He transferred to the 104th Military Police Battalion Headquarters in 2013 as an assistant operations officer and was promoted to captain. Berinstein transferred to the Joint Forces Headquarters in January 2016 and served on the Joint Staff in the operations directorate before serving in the 102nd Military Police Battalion Headquarters in June 2017 as the battalion logistics officer. He also had served at the Camp Smith Training Site as the Garrison executive officer. He earned his law degree from Albany Law School and holds a bachelor of arts in political science from New England College. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Kevin Hamilton, University of Hawaii (THE CONVERSATION) On the evening of Sept. 5, 1883, people in Honolulu witnessed a spectacular sunset followed by a period of extended twilight described as a singular lurid after sunset glow. There were no signs of anything else out of the ordinary, but these exceptional twilight glows returned each morning and evening over the following weeks. Among the mystified Honolulu citizens was 56-year-old Rev. Sereno Edwards Bishop, who in his varied career in Hawaii had been a chaplain, school principal and surveyor, and who had a keen interest in science. Over the subsequent weeks and months, the exceptional twilight glows occurred around the whole globe. Remarkably, as scientists first grappled with understanding the origin of the twilight glows, Bishops efforts would lead to the first convincing explanation. His discoveries led to scientific investigations of the winds high above the ground and ultimately yielded information that today is used to forecast weather over extended periods. I am a meteorologist in Hawaii who helped revive appreciation of Bishops seminal contribution to the scientific exploration of the upper atmosphere. A volcanic eruption half a world away Today we know that the 1883 glows were caused by the sun below the visible horizon illuminating a mist of small liquid droplets in the atmosphere high above the ground. The mist was made of sulfuric acid droplets that were formed by reactions of the massive amounts of sulfur dioxide gas produced by the explosive eruption of Mount Krakatoa close to the equator in Indonesia on Aug. 27, 1883. The eruption sent the droplets high into the atmosphere, where the winds transported them around the world. They spread gradually, and it was November before people in London began to notice the glow. Much later, scientists observed similar effects after the June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. The material Pinatubo injected into the upper atmosphere could be followed in detail with satellite observations, and their connection with spectacular sunsets and twilight glows was clearly established. In 1883, Bishop had no idea that there had been a volcanic eruption until the San Francisco newspapers arrived. Very quickly, he formulated a hypothesis that he published as a letter in his local newspaper. I am disposed to conjecture that some very light element among the vapors of the Java eruptions has continued at a very great height in the atmosphere, and has been borne across the Pacific into this region, Bishop wrote. He realized that he could connect the eruption to the glowing skies most credibly by gathering reports of the first appearance of the glows elsewhere and tracking the initial spread of the vapor from Krakatoa. Bishop continued his letter: I earnestly invite, in behalf of science, all shipmasters and mates to publish what they may have observed at sea. Bishop assembled a dozen such reports over the first three weeks after the eruption and was able to show that the vapor that produced the glows had moved westward from Krakatoa, along the equator to reach Honolulu 10 days later. This implied that there was a wind high in the atmosphere blowing steadily with an extreme speed that, at ground level, is seen only in hurricanes. Bishop published his observations in The Hawaiian Monthly, concluding that there was a vast stream of smoke due west with great precision along a narrow equatorial belt with an enormous velocity, around the globe. The equatorial jet stream Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. Bishop called the motion of the volcanic aerosol a smoke stream. In fact, the equatorial winds transporting the aerosol were the first discovery of what meteorologists now call a jet stream. A half-century would pass before the experiences of pilots flying at heights of several miles revealed the existence of the extratropical jet streams lower down in the atmosphere that are now familiar from TV newscasts. Jet streams are strong, typically narrow bands of wind. The more familiar lower atmospheric jet streams move weather systems in the middle latitudes from west to east. By contrast, Bishops jet stream circles the equator at high altitudes and actually can blow from east to west. Bishops work opened further exploration of the equatorial jet stream that culminated in the 1961 discovery that the equatorial jet stream varied from strong east winds to strong west winds roughly every other year. This so-called Quasi-biennial Oscillation has been shown to connect with weather near the ground, particularly in Europe and the North Atlantic, a fact that is now routinely exploited in making long range forecasts for the weather. Bishops contribution was acknowledged by the scientists who first followed him, and he won a prize from New Yorks Warner Observatory in a contest for essays explaining the post-Krakatoa glows. Bishop even merited a brief obituary in an American meteorological science journal. Bishop, who was the son of missionaries, could also be a divisive figure in Hawaii. He supported the U.S. annexation of the islands, and his religious views opposed some native Hawai'ian traditions, such as the hula dance. His contributions to science were largely forgotten in the 20th century. An international scientific committees celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Quasi-biennial Oscillation discovery is an opportunity to remember Bishop and his discovery. [Youre smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversations authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter.] This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/how-a-volcano-and-flaming-red-sunsets-led-an-amateur-scientist-in-hawaii-to-discover-jet-streams-164299. ALBANY Suneeta stared intently into her phone on Sunday morning, her thumbs tapping out a text message at a staccato clip. In ordinary times, she could be mistaken for an ordinary mom talking to her kids. But at that exact moment, Suneetas four children were by themselves in a taxicab circling the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan as the Taliban began moving in, gunshots reportedly ringing out overhead. Theyre very scared and concerned, said Suneeta through an interpreter, especially now that the situation is getting worse with the Taliban taking over the country. The Times Union met with Suneeta, an Afghani refugee living as a lawful permanent resident in Albany on Sunday morning Eastern Standard Time, shortly after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Within the next half-hour, the government had collapsed and a Taliban official said they will soon declare the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in Kabul. Meanwhile, the taxicab continued to circle the airport as Suneetas kids desperately tried to find their way onto an airplane to safety. After her husband went missing in 2013, Suneeta said his family used the anachronistic and cruel Afghan rule of the husband's family having the right to keep the children, and forcibly took them from her. Were trying to find someone with a plane, said Sara E. Lowry, a staff attorney with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Four seats on any plane to get them out of there. Escape by land is not possible, and half of border crossings have been seized. The Times Union is only using Suneetas first name and is not naming her children for security reasons. The kids, ages 7 to 17, live by themselves in a Kabul apartment building. Suneetas husband worked with the U.S. military as an interpreter and team leader with the security forces. While she was pregnant with her fourth child in 2013, he disappeared, believed to be captured by the Taliban due to his work with U.S. forces. He hasnt been heard from since and is presumed to be dead. Suneeta and the kids fled to neighboring Pakistan, where they were given refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. But one of Suneetas brothers-in-law later kidnapped the children during a family visit and whisked them back to stay with her husbands family in Afghanistan, where women dont have custody rights if the father dies. They took the kids unwillingly, Suneeta said. Now all four children have been holed up the apartment building. As the country began to fall to the Taliban over the weekend, they made a break for it. All four children have already been approved for whats known as "humanitarian parole. Ordinarily, they would then go for an interview at the U.S. Embassy for visas, which would enable them to get on a commercial airline to the U.S. But amid the transition process even before the government fell Sunday the U.S. Embassy paused visa services. Weve been waiting for an interview since [June], Lowry said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. Seventy-five Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) were issued in 2020 for people who have relocated to the Capital Region, and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants expects to receive 400 refugees next year, 25 percent of them SIVs including, hopefully, Suneetas kids. Suneeta didnt sleep at all Saturday into Sunday. Instead, she was glued to her phone and talking with her kids and watching as one provincial capital fell after another to the Taliban. The oldest, she said, is naturally loud and noisy (but not outside, where shes terrified because she's a teenage girl), while the second-oldest is clever. They watch over the little ones. Suneeta is worried they have targets on their backs because of their fathers status as a U.S. interpreter and ally. Someone may come into the house, take them and theyll be killed, Suneeta said. Theyre there by themselves, scared and unsupervised in a very bad situation. Despite the fast-moving events, Suneeta was calm and composed, her face betraying no sign of emotion except for a stray smile, albeit fleeting, when asked to describe her children. She paused, typed out a message on her phone and looked up. Theyre in extreme danger, she said. SCHENECTADY After getting routed in the Democratic primary, a Schenectady city council member is launching what she acknowledges as a longshot bid for re-election and is rankling her colleagues who say shes leaning on divisive language. City Councilwoman Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas pledged to be the pro-police candidate in her campaign to retain her seat. Without specifically naming her, Zalewski-Wildzunas singled out Jamaica Miles, a newly-elected school board member and the citys most prominent activist for racial justice, and said she was in favor of defunding the police. Because of her demands, we need to draw a line in the sand, said Zalewski-Wildzunas, who stood in front of City Hall flanked by several dozen supporters last Tuesday. Zalewski-Wildzunas blamed low voter turnout for her loss and will run on the Conservative Party line. We need to untie the hands of our police and ensure we dont allow a few loud voices to succeed in pressuring politicians to implement unreasonable restrictions that could make dangerous jobs more dangerous, Zalewski-Wildzunas said. The lawmaker, who is seeking a second four-year term, was appointed in 2016 following a vacancy, and won re-election the following year. The Conservative Party in Schenectady has traditionally, but quietly, been a party that supports police - not necessarily one that aligned with Republican or traditionally conservative ideals. As such, often in past Schenectady races Democrats would also be endorsed by the city's Conservative Party. Several law enforcement officials attended Zalewski-Wildzunas announcement, including city Police Chief Eric Clifford, who declined to comment. Zalewski-Wildzunas ranked last in a four-way primary in June, coming in behind city Councilwoman Marion Porterfield, City Council President John Mootooveren and newcomer Damonni Farley, which meant she was pushed off the Democratic line in November. Zalewski-Wildzunas, Miles said, is opting to ignore the "lived experiences" of residents who have expressed concerns with the police during the ongoing national reckoning on systemic racism and police brutality. Like other conservative and right-leaning politicians, Karen has decided to traffic in fear, not solutions an age-old tradition that suggests that people should fear change, Miles said. The truth is that investment in the people of our communities is the best tool to address the safety needs of our community. Investing, developing and supporting education and economic programs lead to less offenses, she said. This will necessarily mean a reallocation or refocusing of government funding. Democratic Majority Leader John Polimeni and Councilwoman Carmel Patrick, neither of whom are up for re-election, appeared with Zalewski-Wildzunas at her campaign reboot. A parallel Democratic primary contest to fill two vacancies saw Carl Williams and Doreen Ditoro notch victories over Haileab Samuel. Zalewski-Wildzunas alluded to her opponents as being anti-police. Regardless of their public comments, I believe that some of my opponents quietly and actively support demonizing the police, she said. We need to stop them now. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. The race is unfolding as Schenectady has moved into the next phase of implementing its state-mandated police reform plan, which includes diversifying the department, steering mental health calls to outside agencies and boosting community policing, all of which Zalewski-Wildzunas said she supports. Porterfield said Zalewski-Wildzunas comments were reminiscent of Trump-level ugliness. Nothing is further from the truth, Porterfield said. She has no facts to base it on. Rather than building on our strength, shes decided to demonize her opponents and shes doing it based solely on race. Porterfield is Black, as are Williams and Farley. Schenectady's voters deserve solution-based, responsive leaders who build bridges rather than barriers, Farley said. We will continue to connect with voters to build a community safety agenda that promotes peace and prosperity in all of our city's neighborhoods. Zalewski-Wildzunas said she owes it to the Conservative Party to finish her campaign, and also cited bolstering economic development and homeownership as key issues. Im sure that some will react to my comments today with calls of racism, which couldnt be further from the truth, she said. Ten candidates are running for five slots: Joining Zalewski-Wildzunas, Porterfield, Mootooveren, Farley, Williams and Ditoro are three Republicans: Vivian Parsons, Kevin Hammer and Brendan Nelly. Thearse McCalmon will appear on the Working Families Party line. With nearly a 4-to-1 Democratic voter registration edge in the city, Democrats have a huge advantage to win the general election in November. Senior Taliban leader Amir Khan Muttaqi is said to be in the Afghan capital negotiating with Kabuls political leadership, including Abdullah Abdullah, who once headed the countrys negotiating council, and former President Hamid Karzai. That is according to an official familiar with the talks and who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.. Muttaqi was a higher education minister when the Taliban last ruled and he began making contacts with Afghan political leaders even before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani secretly slipped away from the Presidential Palace on the weekend, leaving a devastating vacuum that Taliban who were surrounding the city strode in to fill. The official says the talks underway in the Afghan capital are aimed at bringing other non-Taliban leaders into the government that Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen has said will be an inclusive Afghan government. There is little indication about the substance of the talks, but Shaheen earlier told The Associated Press that a government will be announced after negotiations with non-Taliban leaders are completed. Afghans familiar with the talks say some rounds have gone late into the night and have been underway since soon after Ghanis departure. ___ MORE ON THE CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN: Taliban take over Afghanistan: What we know and whats next Chaos as thousands flee Afghanistan after Taliban takeover Afghan woman in limbo at Kabul airport after Taliban sweep Concerns over US terror threats rising as Taliban hold grows Biden team surprised by rapid Taliban gains in Afghanistan ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: UNITED NATIONS Pakistans ambassador at the United Nations says U.S. President Joe Bidens endorsement of the previous American administrations decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan was a logical conclusion to this conflict. Munir Akram told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday that the international community must now work together to ensure an inclusive political settlement for a long-term peace, security and development of Afghanistan. He says Pakistans stance that the conflict in Afghanistan never had a military solution has been confirmed. The envoy says the best time to end the conflict through negotiations probably was when U.S. and NATO troops were at a maximum military strength in Afghanistan. Akram adds that therefore, endorsement by the Biden administration of the previous U.S. administrations decision of troop withdrawal was indeed a logical conclusion to this conflict. Akram says leaders of a number of Afghan political parties and groups representing all the multiethnic groups apart from the Pashtuns are in Pakistans capital and met with the foreign minister and other leaders Monday. He says Pakistan will work with them and with Taliban representatives to advance the goal of an inclusive political government. ___ WASHINGTON The family of a Navy veteran who was abducted in Afghanistan last year has met in Washington with senior Biden administration officials. The meeting took place Monday as the family of Mark Frerichs appealed for the U.S. governments help getting him home. Frerichs is a civil engineer who was abducted in Kabul on Jan. 31, 2020. It is believed he is being held by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network. Frerichs sister Charlene Cakora says in a statement that if it would help get her brother home, she would support the release from U.S. prison of a drug trafficker that the Taliban has said it wants freed. She says that if the administration is not prepared to support the trade, then officials should tell the family what it will do instead. ___ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden is acknowledging that the collapse of the Afghan government occurred much faster than his administration expected. The president says in Mondays remarks at the White House, The truth is this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated. Afghanistan erupted into disarray as the Taliban swept across the country in recent days, taking the capital of Kabul this weekend as the United States has been attempting to withdraw its forces, diplomats, allies and Afghans who worked with the coalition over the course of the 20 year war. Yet the president says that the rapid end of the Afghan government only vindicates his choice to end the war. Biden says, American troops cannot and should not be fighting the war, and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves. ___ PARIS President Emmanuel Macron promised on Monday that France would not abandon Afghans who worked for his country from translators to kitchen staff, as well as artists, activists and others under threat from the Taliban. Macron said that protecting those who helped France over the years is an absolute urgency, adding that two military transport planes, with special forces, were due to arrive in Kabul in the coming hours. The exact timing was not immediately clear since the United States temporarily shut down the Kabul airport to civilian and military flights following deadly chaos on the tarmac that left at least seven people dead. The aircraft would fly from a base in Abu Dhabi, a transit stop for Frances evacuees. According to Macrons pre-recorded speech, its not known how many would be involved in the evacuation. France has already pulled out some 1,400 Afghan employees and families, and evacuated citizens on a charter flight in July. Paris withdrew all its soldiers from Afghanistan after 13 years by December 2014, but continued work with civil society. The French president vowed that the fight against Islamic terrorism in all its forms would not end. Afghanistan cannot again become the sanctuary for terrorism that it was, Macron said. Stability can only come about through political and diplomatic actions to be defined in the days ahead with the U.N. Security Council. We will do everything so that Russia, the United States and Europe can cooperate efficiently because our interests are the same, he said and also said France along with Germany and other European countries would work swiftly on developing a robust response to another major concern for many countries, a flux of irregular migration by Afghans. Afghanistan, he said, will also need in the times ahead its (people) and Europe cannot alone assume the consequences of the current situation. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan A Taliban official said Monday in a news conference at the Afghan presidential palace that he had been held for eight years by the U.S. at the Guantanamo Bay detention center before he was released under former President George W. Bush. Gholam Ruhani was among 13 Afghan prisoners released in December 2007. A military review panel had recommended he be transferred out of U.S. custody after concluded he posed a medium risk to the U.S. and its allies. He was one of 485 prisoners sent back to their home countries from Guantanamo under the Bush administration. Ruhani, who was among the first prisoners brought to what was then a makeshift prison on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2002, had admitted to the military panel that he had been a member of the Taliban and spent four years in their intelligence service in Kabul. Now about 46, Ruhani grew up in the Ghazni area and fled the country for Iran during the Afghan-Soviet war, returning to the country in 1992. He told the U.S. military that he was conscripted by the Taliban in 1996 after working in his familys store. He also admitted that his brother-in-law was the chief of intelligence for the Taliban. ___ BLUFFTON, South Carolina A Republican congressman who served in the air force in Afghanistan says both the Trump and the Biden administration are to blame for what is happening in Kabul now. Adam Kinzinger, from Illinois, spoke to The Associated Press about the dramatic scenes from Kabuls airport on Monday, with people falling off of a C17 aircraft in the mad scramble to get out. He says: This is going to make Saigon look like Disney World in comparison. Kinzinger added that the impact to Americas reputation would also be considerable and that this is an embarrassment to our country. He condemned both Republicans and Democrats for what he said were their efforts to pin it on one person or one party. He said all Republicans, all Democrats bear some blame. And the last administration and this one bear huge. Kinzinger added: You really have to question whether this was worth it in the long run. ___ WASHINGTON U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the failure of the Afghan military is to blame for the Talibans swift takeover of Afghanistan. Sullivan says President Joe Biden didnt want the U.S. to enter a third decade of conflict in Afghanistan and believed it was time for the Afghan army to defend the country two decades after billions of dollars of investment and training by the U.S. But Sullivan says, we could not give them the will and ultimately they decided that they would not fight for Kabul. He says the worst-case scenario for the U.S. would be to send thousands and thousands of troops back to fight and die in a civil war when the Afghan army wasnt prepared to fight itself. Sullivan says Biden faced bad choices and that he chose to bring U.S. troops home and leave the Afghans to fight for themselves. He says its heartbreaking to see whats happening in Kabul but that Biden stands by his decision. Sullivan spoke on Monday on ABCs Good Morning America and NBCs Today. ___ ANKARA, Turkey The leader of Turkeys main nationalist party, allied with President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling party, says he sees no reason for Ankara to withdraw its troops or diplomats from Afghanistan, insisting that Turkeys presence there is legitimate, friendly and peaceful. Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Action Party also said on Monday that the presence of ethnically Turkic groups in Afghanistan imposes a responsibility on Turkey. On the threat of a possible Afghan migrants making their way to Turkey, Bahceli said the government should consider every option, including negotiating with the Taliban to prevent an influx. It is not possible for Turkey to digest irregular migration originating from Afghanistan, he said. ___ GENEVA A top aviation industry association says airlines are avoiding the airspace over Afghanistan a key route for travel between Europe and Asia which could raise costs for airlines. The International Air Transport Association says Afghan airspace no longer has operations from a civilian air traffic service. IATA said on Monday that countries near Afghanistan have indicated they can accommodate additional traffic. It said that the use of alternative routes through these states will support safe and secure operations, but will have time, operational and fuel impacts upon airlines. The association also said traffic through the area had already been reduced due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. ___ WASHINGTON The Biden administration is reaching out to top rivals Russia and China as the situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate amid a scramble to evacuate Americans, other foreigners and at-risk Afghans from the Kabul airport. The outreach also comes amid concerns that either or both Moscow and Beijing might stymie an international consensus on isolating the Taliban should conditions worsen. The State Department says Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Monday to his Chinese and Russian counterparts about developments in Afghanistan, including the security situation. Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov a day after the U.S. evacuated its embassy in Kabul and relocated remaining diplomats to the airport. China has in recent weeks expressed an interest in working with the Taliban while Russia has its own history in Afghanistan. Earlier Monday, China said its embassy in Kabul remains open and is willing to assist with Afghan reconstruction. The foreign ministry would not say if Beijing would recognize the Taliban as the new government but said China would respect the choice of the Afghan people. Russias foreign ministry said Lavrov and Blinken discussed the situation in Afghanistan after the flight of the countrys leader, disintegration of the existing government bodies and a de-facto ongoing regime change. It said Lavrov had shared Russian assessments of the situation and Moscows contacts with representatives of all main political forces in Afghanistan in the interest of ensuring stability and order. The two agreed to continue consultations that would involve China, Pakistan, other interested nations and the UN to try to press for an intra-Afghan dialogue. ___ BERLIN German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called the latest developments in Afghanistan bitter, dramatic and awful. Merkel told reporters on Monday night that the breathtaking speed with which the Taliban have taken over is especially bitter for the millions of Afghans who supported a more liberal society and who counted on the support of the Western countries when it comes to democracy, education, womens rights and who also had achieved important progress. Merkel said the development was also bitter for Germany and the other allied nations who fought against terrorism under the lead of the United States and NATO in Afghanistan for 20 years after the terror attacks of September 11. The chancellor added that especially in these difficult hours one should never forget the people who gave their lives in this conflict including 59 Germans who died in Afghanistan and many more who were injured. She said a thorough analysis was needed of what went wrong and lessons had to be drawn for future military engagement. Merkel also vowed to support neighboring countries such as Pakistan when it comes to helping refugees fleeing the crisis in Afghanistan. ___ LONDON The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday he has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Johnson said he planned to host a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven leaders on Afghanistan in the next few days, Downing Street said. He stressed the need for the international community to come together and take a unified approach on Afghanistan, both in terms of recognizing any future government and in working to prevent a humanitarian and refugee crisis, his office said in a statement. Johnson and Macron agreed that Britain and France should work together at the United Nations Security Council, including a possible joint resolution. They also agreed on the importance of cooperation in helping their citizens and others get to safety. ___ UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council is calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in Afghanistan and establishment of a new government that is united, inclusive and representative and that also includes women. The council said in its first statement since the Taliban takeover that institutional continuity and adherence to Afghanistans international obligations, as well as the safety and security of all Afghan and international citizens, must be ensured. Council members called for an immediate end to the violence in Afghanistan and the restoration of security, civil and constitutional order, as well as urgent talks to resolve the current crisis of authority and find a resolution through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process. The council without singling out the Taliban also called for all parties to adhere to international human rights norms and standards and put an end to all abuses and violations. It also called for immediate access for U.N. and other humanitarian personnel to provide aid to millions in need, including across conflict lines. The statement, drafted by Estonia and Norway, was approved by all 15 council members at an emergency meeting on Afghanistan. ___ WARSAW, Poland Polands prime minister says the country is sending planes to Afghanistan to evacuate translators and other people who have helped Poland over the years. Our priority now is to ensure the safety of all those who are associated with Poland in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, adding that some these activities must, for obvious reasons, remain secret. He said that more planes than necessary will be sent and that Poland will be in a position to help other allies evacuate people as well. He said Poland would do its best to everyone who has helped Poland over the years, whether as a translator or in any other form of assistance as humanely as possible. ___ CAIRO Japans top diplomat has urged all parties in Afghanistan to work on restoring security and order in the country after the Taliban seized power there. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi spoke on Monday at a joint news conference in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukry. Motegi also called for all concerned parties in Afghanistan to ensure the protection of lives and property in the country. He said he has agreed to cooperate with Egypt, as an influential power in the Islamic world, to ensure that the latest developments in Afghanistan dont cause further unrest. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan The U.N. resident coordinator in Afghanistan says they will continue to work with the de facto authorities to provide humanitarian assistance after the Taliban takeover. Ramiz Alakbarov told The Associated Press on Monday that the recent fighting had displaced some 600,000 people, and that because of the fluidity of the situation, humanitarian teams are not able to help everywhere. Alakbarov, who is in Kabul, says he thought the international community should have invested more in health, education, and the future of women and young people, not necessarily so much in security infrastructure, if it had wanted to avoid the results that we have now. He noted that the U.N.s humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan, 1.3 billion dollars for 2021, is funded only to 38%. ___ UNITED NATIONS -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is calling for a halt to attacks on Afghan civilians, protection of the human rights of all people in the country especially women, girls and minorities, and for all parties to prevent terrorism. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday that we must all ensure Afghanistan cannot ever, ever again be a base for terrorism. She reemphasized that civilian populations, including journalists and non-combatants, must be protected. Thomas-Greenfield made no mention of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan but said the role of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the two U.N. envoys -- special representative Deborah Lyons and personal envoy Jean Arnault -- is especially vital now as we enter an uncertain and crucial period that requires the international community to speak with a clear and unified voice. She called on the Taliban to permit humanitarian organizations to continue their vital work in Afghanistan, stressing that in addition to violence the Afghan people are suffering acutely from the effects of COVID-19 and drought and their needs must remain a top priority in the days, weeks and beyond. The U.N. World Food Program is reporting that more than 500 tons of aid are currently sitting at border crossings taken by the Taliban, the U.S. ambassadorsaid, urging that this aid be allowed into Afghanistan immediately. Finally and critically, all Afghan nationals and international citizens who wish to depart must be allowed to do so safely, Thomas-Greenfield said, adding that the U,S, promises to be generous in resettling Afghans and we need to all do more. ___ LJUBLJANA, Slovenia Slovenias right-wing Prime Minister Janez Jansa has described the deadly chaos in Afghanistan and the handover of modern weapons to the Taliban as the greatest defeat for NATO in history. Jansa tweeted on Monday that leaving Afghan allies to the Taliban terror has been a shameful act. All this is a symbol of the end of an era, said Jansa, who is known as a backer of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The Biden administration and much of the international community have been stunned at the Taliban blitz and the speed with which the insurgents seized power, two weeks before the U.S. is set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war. ___ CHICAGO United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic rerouted flights to avoid passing over Afghanistan amid the Taliban takeover. A United flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Delhi jogged east on Monday to avoid Afghan airspace. Due to the dynamic nature of the situation we have begun routing affected flights around Afghanistan airspace, a United spokeswoman said, adding that the change affects only flights to and from India. A spokeswoman for U.K.-based Virgin Atlantic said that following the latest situation reports in Afghanistan, we will be re-routing our upcoming services to avoid Afghanistans airspace. The airlines last plane to pass over Afghanistan was Sunday from London to Lahore, Pakistan. The airlines flights to Pakistan and India typically pass over Afghanistan, but are being rerouted. The airline also avoid flying over Iran. Neither carrier said how long the changes would last, but said they were in contact with aviation regulators to monitor the situation. Also on Monday, a Turkish Airlines jetliner landed in Kabul and departed more than five hours later and landed in Istanbul, according to tracking service Flightradar24. ___ UNITED NATIONS -- Afghanistans U.N. ambassador says there is no time for the blame game anymore. He is urging the Security Council and secretary-general to use every means at their disposal to call for an immediate halt to violence and respect for human rights and to prevent Afghanistan descending into a civil war and becoming a pariah state. Ghulam Isaczai told an emergency meeting of the U.N.s most powerful body on Monday that he was speaking on behalf of millions of people in Afghanistan, whose fate hangs in the balance and are faced with an extremely uncertain future, including millions of Afghan girls and women who are about to lose their freedom to go to school, to work and to participate in the political, economic and social life of the country. Isaczai, who was appointed by Ashraf Ghanis government that was ousted by the Taliban on Sunday, expressed extreme concern that the Islamic militant group will not honor commitments and agreements it made during talks in Qatars capital Doha and other international meetings. We have seen gruesome images of Talibans mass executions of military personnel and target killing of civilians in Kandahar and other big cities, he said. Kabul residents are reporting the Taliban have already started house-to-house searches in some neighborhoods, registering names and looking for people in their target list. There are already reports of target killings and looting in the city. Kabul residents are living in absolute fear right now. He urged the Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call on the Taliban to stop the violence, targeted killings and revenge attacks and respect their own previous general amnesty offer, and to unequivocally state that it does not recognize the restoration of the Islamic Emirate. Isaczai said the U.N. should also urge the Taliban not to demolish works of art as they did in the 1990s and stress that anyone violating the human rights of Afghans and international humanitarian law will be held accountable. The ambassador also called for the urgent establishment of a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of those at risk of Talibans retributions and attacks and for neighboring countries to open their borders to people trying to escape and for humanitarian goods entering the country. ___ GENEVA Some two-dozen human rights experts working with the United Nations say countries must not stand on the sidelines now that the Taliban a U.N.-listed terror organization have seized control of Afghanistan. A sharply worded statement on Monday demanded action from the U.N. Security Council. The experts denounced the Talibans relentless campaign against civilians, aid workers and journalists that have included assassinations, illegal restrictions on the rights of women and girls, and mass executions of civilians. It is unacceptable for states to stand on the sidelines when a United Nations Security Council listed terrorist organization overruns the territory of Afghanistan and engages in acts that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the experts said in a joint statement that drew an unusually large number of signatures. They cited unspecified reports from 16 provinces in Afghanistan that have shown women and girls have faced rights violations including the requirement to wear full-body burqas, forced marriage, ban on employment and limits to freedom of movement and health care. The experts alluded to similar restrictions when the Taliban last held power before being toppled by a U.S.-led coalition two decades ago. The experts called on the Security Council which was holding a special session on Afghanistan on Monday to be unequivocal in action. The people of Afghanistan deserve better than to endure the silence and by-standing of the member states of the United Nations at this perilous moment, they wrote. We cannot stand idly by as the lives of the Afghan people are treated with contempt, derision, and weariness. The experts also demanded accountability for what they said were the deaths of 1,000 civilians who were killed last month alone. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. military is sending another battalion of about 1,000 troops to help safeguard the Kabul airport as American forces killed two armed individuals there during a chaotic evacuation. Thats according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, who briefed reporters on Monday. The development is a sign of the ongoing turmoil and violence as thousands of Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of Kabuls international airport following a swifter-than-expected Taliban takeover of the country. The speed at which the Taliban seized power, two weeks before the U.S. is set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war, has stunned the Biden administration and many in Afghanistan and the international community. ___ BERLIN Germanys foreign minister has acknowledged that the German government and also the international community has misjudged the situation in Afghanistan and the speed with which the Taliban would take over the country. Heiko Maas said on Monday that, all of us, the government, the intelligence services, the international community, all of us misjudged the situation. Neither we nor our partners and experts did foresee the speed which with the Afghan security forces withdrew and capitulated. The foreign minister added that the images from Kabul are very painful and that the government is doing everything to evacuate as many people as possible. Maas said that of the 2,500 embassy staffer who had been identified previously for evacuation, 1,900 had already been brought to Germany. In addition to the 600 still remaining on the ground, Maas added that Germany feels responsible to evacuate another 2,000 people including human rights activist and their families. He said one of the biggest problems right now was to get the people from their homes or safe houses to the airport to fly them out. ___ BUDAPEST, Hungary A Hungarian official on Monday criticized the pullout of American-led forces from Afghanistan and said Hungary will not take in refugees fleeing the country after its takeover by the Taliban. Levente Magyar, a state secretary with Hungarys foreign ministry, told state news agency MTI that the government would not make Hungarians pay for the flawed geopolitical decision of the U.S. military withdrawal by accepting refugees without any kind of restrictions. Hungarys right-wing government is a staunch opponent of immigration, and in 2015 built a fence along its southern border in response to an influx of refugees from the Middle East and Africa. That fence would be used to deter a potential wave of refugees from Afghanistan, Magyar said, adding that the government is assessing how it can help those Afghans who have worked as interpreters or in other capacities for Hungarian troops. On Sunday, more than 60 countries issued a joint statement calling for all Afghans wishing to depart Afghanistan to be allowed to do so. Of the 27 member states of the European Union, only Hungary and Bulgaria did not sign the statement. ___ GENEVA The head of the U.N. refugee agency says its recent interaction with the Taliban Afghanistans new rulers has been relatively positive and that humanitarian aid teams will stay in the country to help people in need after the Kabul government was toppled. Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said UNHCR discussions with the Taliban may at times be difficult. In an interview at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, Grandi said the agency would continue to press for respect of the rights of women and girls, who had faced strict rules and bans on school education, for example, when the Taliban previously ran the country -- before a U.S.-led international coalition drove them from power in 2001. Grandi noted that most of the displacement in recent weeks has been within Afghanistan, but appealed to other countries to keep their borders open and take in any refugees who could flee in the future. He said a half-million people have been internally displaced this year, the vast majority of which in the last few weeks alone. He said that while UNHCR and partners have been previously in contact with Taliban leaders in rural areas before its forces swept into cities in recent weeks. Most of the recent interaction has been on issues like security and safety of the sites of UNHCR and partners ___ UNITED NATIONS The United Nations chief is calling for an immediate end to violence in Afghanistan and urging the international community to unite to ensure that the human rights of all people, especially women and girls, are respected. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the U.N. Security Council at an emergency meeting on Monday and the international community as a whole to stand together, work together and act together. He said he is particularly concerned by accounts of mounting human rights violations against the women and girls of Afghanistan who fear a return to the darkest days in the 1990s when the Taliban ruled and barred girls for getting an education and imposed draconian measures on women. Guterres said the world is following events in Afghanistan with a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead and with the countrys future and the hopes and dreams of a generation of young Afghans in the balance, the coming days will be pivotal. At this grave hour, the secretary-general urged all parties, especially the Taliban, to exercise utmost restraint to protect lives and to ensure that humanitarian needs can be met. Guterres said the U.N continues to have staff and offices in areas now under Taliban control, and which so far have been respected. Above all, we will stay and deliver in support of the Afghan people in their hour of need. We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan, he said. ___ MOSCOW -- The Russian embassy in Kabul alleged Monday that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has fled from Kabul with four cars and a helicopter full of cash, Russias state news agency RIA Novosti reported. The report quoted embassy spokesman Nikita Ishchenko as saying that the collapse of the regime ... is most eloquently characterized by how Ghani escaped from Afghanistan: four cars were filled with money, they tried to shove another part of the money into a helicopter, but not everything fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac. Ghani left Kabul on Sunday as the Taliban swept into the Afghan capital. Media reports suggested that the president went to the neighboring Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, but there was no official confirmation of his whereabouts. Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov on Monday described Ghanis flight from Kabul as disgraceful, adding that Ghani deserves to be brought to justice and held accountable by the Afghan people. ___ KABUL, Afghanistan The Taliban entered Afghanistans most popular TOLO-TV compound in the capital on Monday, looking for government-issued weapons, said the stations owner Saad Mohsini. They sent a bunch of people just to look at the security to check the weapons . . . They are collecting government-issued weapons and other assets, they let us keep our own weapons, he said. They were polite. Mohsini said, adding that the insurgents offered to keep a watch outside and even offered to provide security inside the compound. Mohsini said the station declined. There was no mention of the many women who work for TOLO TV. The TV staff were told to continue with their transmissions. No mention of the women reporters, Mohsini said. They just said keep your transmissions, normal programming going. ___ MOSCOW -- A plane carrying more than 100 Afghan servicemen landed in Tajikistan on Monday, the Tajik Foreign Ministry said. Officials told Russias state news agency Tass that Tajikistan received an SOS signal and allowed a plane bound from Afghanistan to land in an airport in the Khatlon province, which borders with Afghanistan and Uzbekistans Surkhandarya region, where an Afghan warplane was shot down on Sunday. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon update. More than 100 Afghan military disembarked from the plane, the Foreign Ministry said. It wasnt immediately clear why the plane sent an SOS signal. The announcement by the ministry came as thousands packed into the Kabul airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government the day before. ___ BERLIN The head of German Chancellor Angela Merkels center-right party has refused to make any kind of commitment regarding the possible intake of Afghan refugees following the takeover of the country by the militant Taliban. Armin Laschet, who is also running to succeed Merkel in national elections next month, said Monday that, I dont think we should send out the signal that Germany can accept all those who are currently in trouble. German news agency dpa reported that Laschet added the focus of support for Afghans must be on giving humanitarian aid locally on the ground in time different from 2015. In 2015, Germany took in more than 1 million migrants fleeing war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. The influx of migrants helped strengthen the anti-migrant, far-right party AfD. ___ BRUSSELS NATO envoys are set to meet Tuesday to discuss security developments in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the strife-torn country over the weekend. The 30-nation military organization said Monday that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who will chair Tuesday mornings meeting of ambassadors, will hold a news conference after it, at 1300 GMT. NATO took charge of international security operations in Afghanistan in 2003 its first major mission outside Europe and North America aiming to help stabilize the government, build up local security forces and remove a potential rear-base for terrorist groups. The U.S.-led military alliance wound down combat operations in 2014 to focus on training Afghan security forces but the Afghan armed forces withered before the insurgent offensive. The Taliban were emboldened by the Biden administrations decision to withdraw U.S. troops and wind up the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. The mission numbered about 10,000 personnel a year ago. An official said Sunday that there are no troops under NATO command in Afghanistan currently. NATO also has a small diplomatic mission in Afghanistan. An official said Sunday that the military organization continues to maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul. ___ ISLAMABAD Pakistans political and military leadership on Monday called for a political settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan, a day after the Taliban swept into Kabul after the government collapsed there. The appeals comes shortly after Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan, government officials and army chiefs met to review the latest situation in Afghanistan. At the meeting of National Security Committee, Khan directed that all possible facilities be made available to repatriate Pakistanis, diplomats, journalists and staff of international organizations seeking to leave Afghanistan, according to a government statement. It said Pakistan would continue to work with the international community and all Afghan stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive political settlement in the country. The National Security Committee noted positively that major violence had been averted in Afghanistan, the statement said. ___ LONDON British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace held back tears as he conceded that Britain was unlikely to be able to evacuate all its Afghan allies from Kabul. Speaking on Monday via webcam on LBC Radio, Wallace said it was a really deep part of regret for me that not all Afghans eligible to come to the U.K. will be able to do so during the current evacuation drive. In addition to the 4,000 or so U.K. nationals in Afghanistan, Britain is processing claims of Afghan citizens, such as interpreters, who have helped in the 20 years since first arrived following the 9/11 attacks. A visibly emotional Wallace, a former captain in the Scots Guard. said that Britain will in the future have to do our best in third countries to process those people. Asked why he felt the situation so personally, Wallace said it was because he was a soldier and because its sad and the West has done what its done, and we have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations and 20 years of sacrifice is what it is. ___ WASHNGTON A U.S. defense official says the head of Central Command has met face-to-face with senior Taliban leaders to urge their fighters not to interfere with the U.S. militarys evacuation operations at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan. The official said that in the meeting on Sunday in Doha, Qatar, Gen. Frank McKenzie won Taliban agreement to establish a deconfliction mechanism an arrangement by which evacuation operations at the airport can continue without interference by the new rulers of the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks not yet announced publicly. The official said McKenzie urged the Taliban not to interfere with the evacuation and said the U.S. military would respond forcefully to defend the airport if necessary. Robert Burns in Washington; ___ NEW DELHI Indias Foreign Ministry has said the suspension of commercial operations at the Kabul airport has forced the Indian government to pause its repatriation efforts but the process would restart once the flights are resumed. In a statement on Monday, the ministry said it is in touch with some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return to the country and that it has been issuing periodic advisories for their safety and security. The ministry said it is in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities and it will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan. There are also a number of Afghans who have been our partners in the promotion of our mutual developmental, educational and people to people endeavors. We will stand by them, the statement said. The ministry said the Indian government is monitoring the rapidly developing situation on a constant basis at high levels and that it will ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and our interests in Afghanistan. ___ BUCHAREST, Romania Romanias president on Monday ordered the emergency involvement of the Romanian Air Force to help evacuate Romanian citizens from Kabul airport, the presidents office said in a press release Monday. This decision was taken at the proposal of the Prime Minister of Romania given the accelerated deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, the press release said. Prime Minister Florin Citu said Monday that there are currently 35 Romanian citizens in Afghanistan and that an airplane needs to be sent to the country as soon as possible to repatriate them. We have two options, Citu told the press Monday. A NATO plane or a plane of ours going there. But we need to send a plane as soon as possible. ___ ROME An Afghan-Italian doctor who was evacuated from Kabul had harsh words on the Wests decision to leave Afghanistan in the hands of the Taliban after 20 years. Dr. Arif Oryakhail told reporters at Romes Leonardo da Vinci airport on Monday, We left our colleagues to die. He was among some 20 Afghans who were on an Italian military flight also carrying about 50 embassy staff, including Italys ambassador, and other Italian citizens. We left Kabul destroyed, abandoned, Oryakhail said, his voice breaking. The big fear is for our colleagues who worked with us. The Taliban are going from house to house looking for them. They include doctors and nurses at clinics that the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation set up around Afghanistan. They believed in us, Oryakhail said. He called the Wests 20-year mission in Afghanistan totally failed, and of the countrys future he said: You ask me about the future? Ask those who failed. Italian Premier Mario Draghi underlined in a statement on Monday that Italys commitment is to protect the Afghan citizens who worked with us on our mission. The Italian plan called for an air bridge over the next three days, but the security situation at the airport is deteriorating. One Italian development agency expert who was evacuated, Pietro del Sette, said it might still be possible to get others out if the military part of the airport manages to stay open. He estimates some 300 Afghans who worked with Italian agencies and their family members are still in Afghanistan. ___ THE HAGUE, Netherlands The Dutch defense minister says a Dutch military aircraft is en route to Afghanistan to evacuate embassy staff, their families and Afghan translators who worked with the Netherlands. Ank Bijleveld says in a tweet on Monday that more flights are planned in part due to the uncertain situation. ___ PRAGUE A humanitarian organization that has been operating in Afghanistan since 2001 is facing uncertain times with the Taliban back in power. The deteriorating security situation forced the Prague-based People in Need organization to evacuate their foreign employees and halt all their activities. Were facing an uncertain future, People in Need regional director told the Associated Press. The key is the safety of their local cooperators. In recent weeks and days, weve noticed information from the Taliban with increasing frequency, that they want the humanitarian organizations to keep operating in Afghanistan, and that our international employees are safe. But we havent heard, any such assurances about the safety of our local employees, Kocian said That will certainly be part of our talks with the Taliban. Coming after the United States and their allies ousted the Taliban from power, the People in Need was involved in hundreds projects, ranging from humanitarian aid to building schools and infrastructure, including water and sewage networks and many others. It wants to continue but not at all costs. We can see what needs to be done and we are determined to keep our operations in Afghanistan but only on condition that it will be safe for our workers, Kocian said. ___ ANKARA, Turkey Turkeys Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has been quoted as saying that Turkey is closely following the situation in Afghanistan and that measures have been taken to ensure the safety of Turkish troops in the country. A ministry statement said Akar made the comments after chairing a high-level military meeting to discuss the situation in the country on Monday. The commander of the Turkish forces in Afghanistan joined the teleconference meeting. The statement said the minister emphasized that the safety of (Turkish) personnel in Kabul is (the governments) first priority and announced that all kinds of measures have been taken regarding this. It did not elaborate on the safety measures. ___ BERLIN Two German military transport planes that are on the way to Kabul to help with evacuations there, are currently stuck in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they initially stopped to get refueled. Germany news agency dpa reported on Monday afternoon that the A400M planes could not continue their flight to Kabul as planned because they currently could not land there because of the chaos at the airport in the Afghan capital. The news agency reports that one of the planes will try to continue its trip to Afghanistan later Monday to be near the airport when it opens again for evacuation planes. All in all, the German Air Force has sent three planes to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of embassy staff and local employees. ___ LONDON Families of British soldiers who died in Afghanistan have expressed dismay at the sudden fall of the country to the Taliban. Graham Knight, the father of 25-year-old Ben Knight who was killed when his Nimrod aircraft exploded in Afghanistan in 2006, said the British government should have moved more quickly to get civilians out. The 69-year-old said the Taliban made their intent very clear that, as soon as we went out, they would move in. He said the evacuation process should have started about a week ago and voiced worry that some hothead American, or British hothead, will decide that the Taliban isnt behaving how they want, shoot at them and that will be it. Ian Sadler, whose 21-year-old son Jack died when his Land Rover struck a mine in Afghanistan in 2007, was surprised that the U.S. and its allies had so much confidence in the Afghan national army. The 71-year-old said it was left without any direction after the sudden withdrawal of allied forces. ___ MOSCOW -- The Uzbek authorities said the Afghan military plane that crashed in Uzbekistan on Sunday with only two pilots on board was downed by the countrys air defense system. Uzbekistans Defense Ministry told Russias state RIA Novosti news agency that the countrys air defense system averted an attempt by an Afghan military plane to illegally cross Uzbekistans air border. The incident took place in the Surkhandarya region in southeastern Uzbekistan on Sunday and was first reported by local media. Uzbekistans Defense Ministry initially said it was studying the reports of the crash, then confirmed the crash took place without offering any details, and only later on Monday revealed the plane was downed. According to RIA Novosti, two pilots of the plane survived the crash and have been hospitalized in serious condition. ___ GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Islamic militant group Hamas has congratulated the Taliban for their swift takeover of Afghanistan and the end to the United States 20-year presence in the country. In a statement on Monday, Hamas welcomed the defeat of the American occupation on all Afghan land and praised what it said was the Talibans courageous leadership on this victory, which was the culmination of its long struggle over the past 20 years. Hamas, a Palestinian group that opposes Israels existence, has governed the Gaza Strip since taking over the area in 2007, a year after it won a Palestinian election. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the U.S. and the European Union. It wished the people of Afghanistan future success and said the ouster of the American troops proves that the resistance of the peoples, foremost of which is our struggling Palestinian people, is due for victory. ___ VILNIUS, Lithuania The Baltic country of Lithuania is trying to evacuate 30 Afghan interpreters who helped the countrys troops during peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, an official said Monday. The possibilities for transporting them are decreasing fast, deputy minister Margiris Abukevicius told reporters. Lithuania estimates that when the family members are included, the figure is of 100 people. The Baltic country depends on other nations, he said. The only option is one of partners military transport as Lithuania currently has no troops or other personnel of Afghanistan soil he added. Vilnius chiefly had troops in the southern Ghor province. The Baltic country joined the multinational operation in Afghanistan in 2002 ___ BERLIN Germanys defense minister says the countrys military will airlift as many people as possible out of Afghanistan as long as it is possible. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told reporters that three A400M military transport planes had left for Kabul on Monday. The defense minister said: For the army its clear: as long as possible and this depends extremely on the support by the Americans we will make as many rounds as we can out of Kabul. She added that in addition to German and local staff at the embassy in Afghanistan, Germany is also considering flying out people who had been supportive of the Germans. She said she could not give a concrete figure of how many people were affected. HALFMOON With plans to open in early fall, the Capital Regions second Trader Joes supermarket is searching for crew members by hosting an on-site hiring event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The company says candidates should fill out an online application ahead of time at traderjoes.com/careers. Applicants unable to attend the event will still be considered and are encouraged to apply. Senior Taliban leader Amir Khan Muttaqi is said to be in the Afghan capital negotiating with Kabuls political leadership, including Abdullah Abdullah, who once headed the countrys negotiating council, and former President Hamid Karzai New PENNCREST school board member Theresa Croll (middle) is sworn in after being appointed to a position left vacant by Mark Gerow. Kansas firefighter dies after being shocked by power lines Authorities say a southwest Kansas firefighter died after being shocked by power lines while working at the scene of a traffic crash Authorities have released the name of the woman shot and killed by police in suburban Boston over the weekend Oil Festival was this past weekend. As people converged on the streets, what was your favorite part? You voted: [August 16, 2021] Alabama Expands Use of LETRS Professional Learning Course Statewide Lexia Learning, a Cambium Learning Group company, announced today that all schools throughout Alabama can now boost literacy instruction via LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional learning. This professional learning experience provides the knowledge and tools for successfully applying the science of reading in classrooms. The Alabama State Department of Education funding is to support kindergarten through third grade teachers, in addition to Pre-K, administrators, and other support positions that impact K-3 literacy in the state. Educators can earn continuing education units (CEUs) or professional learning units (PLUs). "This implementation shows Alabama's commitment to supporting all teachers of foundational literacy," said Lexia Learning and Voyager Sopris Learning President, Nick Gaehde. "Our LETRS professional learning program has more than a decade of demonstrated success in schools and districts across the United States, and it's been proving itself in Alabama cohorts over the last few years." The Alabama State Department of Education adopted use of LETRS as part of the Alabama Literacy Act, which in addition to providing foundational literacy support, also provides intensive support for the state's lowest performing elementary schools. Even before the act was signed into law, Alabama was piloting the program with a small cohort during 2018. At that time, 109 participants completed the LETRS for Early Childhood Educators course, and 97.2% showed growth in knowledge. Approximately 200 elementary educators participated in the LETRS Third Edition course during this pilot. "Alabama is blessed to have a state superintendent, Dr. Eric Mackey, who is committed to providing the funding and support for LETRS Training to all our pre-kindergarten through third grade teachers and administrators," said Bonnie Short, Coordinator, Alabama Reading Initiative at the Alabama State Department of Education. "Through collaborative efforts with the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, we can work toward a seamless system of literacy instruction. As the leader for the Alabama Reading Initiative, I am excited to have this opportunity to positively impact student achievement throughout the state. When our teachers and administrators are equipped with increased knowledge in the Science of Reading, our students win!" LETRS addresses four critical outcomes for effective literacy instruction: understanding the science of reading, converting research o practice, enhancing teacher effectiveness, and transforming instruction. Educators can choose from the following courses: LETRS for Early Childhood Educators (for Pre and Kindergarten educators) LETRS for Third Edition (for foundational literacy educators in grade k and up) LETRS for Administrators (for principals and district-level administrators) Leveraging more than two decades of research, LETRS is designed to fill the gaps in language structure and language development that historically were not taught in teacher-preparation courses. The program provides practical support with tools that are available 24/7-online, print, and in-person consulting services-and ongoing support throughout the school year with strategies specific to instruction. "The most important factor in student success is the teacher," said Gaehde. "But studies have shown that only 51 percent of higher education teaching preparation programs include the science of reading. Learning to read is incredibly complex, and teaching reading requires a deep understanding of the processes and science behind it. LETRS is an investment in teachers' literacy knowledge and professional practice, and we're excited to have this opportunity to support Alabama's educators and students." For more information on the Alabama program or to register please visit our landing page; or for more information on The LETRS Suite, visit our website. About Lexia Learning Lexia Learning, a Cambium Learning Group company, is the structured literacy expert. For over 35 years, the company has focused solely on literacy, and today, provides a full spectrum of solutions for both students and teachers. With robust offerings for differentiated instruction, personalized learning, assessment, and professional learning, Lexia helps more learners read, write, and speak with confidence. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com. About Cambium Learning Group Cambium Learning Group is the education essentials company, providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 markets. With an intentionally curated portfolio of respected global brands, Cambium serves as a leader in the education space, helping millions of educators and students feel more universally valued every day. In everything it does, the company focuses on the elements that are most essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a meaningful difference right now. To learn more, visit www.cambiumlearning.com or follow Cambium on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Medium. The Cambium family of companies includes: Cambium Assessment, Lexia Learning, Learning A-Z, Voyager Sopris Learning, ExploreLearning, Time4Learning, and Kurzweil Education. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005434/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] ALYI Publishes EV Taxi Pilot Program Progress Report Dallas, TX, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTC Pink: ALYI) (ALYI) today release a report from CEO Dr. Randell Torno on the companys Electric Vehicle (EV) Taxi Pilot program in Africa. Dr. Torno recently returned to Dallas following EV Pilot waypoint meetings in Nairobi managing the companys ongoing EV Taxi Pilot Program. Dr. Torno also visited Addis Ababa in conjunction with an anticipated expansion of the Pilot into Ethiopia. Below is Dr. Tornos report following the waypoint meetings. CEO EV Taxi Pilot Program Waypoint Report: There is a key word we use to describe our Electric Vehicle Pilot Program. That word is comprehensive. Its important, I think, for people to understand that we are not testing an electric motorcycle, we are testing a specific business solution that utilizes electric motorcycles. Piloting an electric motorcycle is a simple process. Piloting an enterprise that engages an electric motorcycle is comprehensive. We already know the electric motorcycles in the Pilot Program work. We know how far the batteries can take the bikes. We know how much weight can be carried by the bikes. Now we are trialing a business solution that has the potential rapidly utilize thousands of electric motorcycles. If we were introducing an electric motorcycle to the consumer market, we would have to develop an overall marketing program that created demand amongst individuals with the resources to individually purchase an electric motorcycle. Wed be competing with brand names to include Harley Davidson, and Harley Davidsons not had too much success, with all the resources behind their brand, getting an electric motorcycle introduced to the consumer market. Instead, we are introducing an electric motorcycle solution to an existing enterprise that already uses millions of combustion engine motorcycles the motorcycle taxi or boda-boda market in Africa. We are not trying to convince millions of individual consumers on the benefits of our value proposition. We are trying to convince a few individuals that have decision making authority over the engagement of millions of motorcycles on the benefits of our value proposition. The purpose of our pilot is to demonstrate that the deployment of electric motorcycles into the boda-boda enterprise can work as efficiently, if not more efficiently, than the combustion engine motorcycles currently deployed in the boda-boda enterprise. Our pilot program has to address, importing, maintenance, charging, and financing among other enterprise pacing items. Our electric motorcycle solutions ability to address key enterprise pacing points has to be deemed credible by boda-boda management firms, drivers co-ops, local financing institutions, local manufactures and importers as well as the government officials that regulate various aspects of the boda-boda enterprise. I believe our pilot program is being well received by all boda-boda key parties in regard to all essential boda-boda pacing points. I am optimistic that our first electric motorcycle deployment target following the pilot can be 20,000 electric motorcycles far surpassing the 2,000 trial order we built the pilot around. I believe the number can rapidly grow from 20,000. Electric motorcycles are good for the environment, but the business deployment of electric motorcycles has to be equally efficient to combustion engine motorcycles in order for the environmental benefits to be achieved. While the argument that any additional expenses that come with the adoption of eletric vehicle alternatives should be acceptable in order to achieve the associated environmental benefits might hold water in a developed economic region, that argument is a reach in a developing economic region already suffering essential resource shortages. Our comprehensive pilot has the goal of achieving environmental benefits with an economically efficient solution. I am confident our pilot can meet this goal. I expect to be back in Kenya later this month and I look forward to continuing to report on the progress of our pilot. Dr. Randell Torno, CEO ALYI has seeded an overall EV ecosystem solution with the development of its own EV motorcycle business discussed above. Instead of introducing a single EV product, ALYIs business focus is on the introduction of an EV ecosystem that addresses the entire EV adoption environment from the perpetual design of best in class vehicles to the perpetual design of the myriad of mechanical and digital systems that go into a best in class vehicle; from the charging and maintenance infrastructure that goes into supporting consumer and commercial vehicles, to the EV value proposition itself that drives consumers and businesses to transition from combustion engines to electric powered vehicles. Ultimately, ALYI does not intend to go it alone on the overall development and rollout of its EV Ecosystem. ALYI is building a core element into its ecosystem that attracts, if not compels the participation of all would be brand name EV industry leaders in an annual EV symposium and conference. The EV symposium and conference will be anchored by an EV race event in Kenya that comes with a substantial brand name. The EV race market was valued in 2019 at over $80 billion dollars and is anticipated to grow to over $200 billion by 2025 . ALYIs EV ecosystem is founded on building participation in an EV race event as a central component in advancing EV technology and EV branding. ALYI has been developing a partnership with a major EV racing brand for more than two years now. Over a year ago, ALYI entered into a formal partnership agreement that includes that EV racing brand. The first milestone objectives contemplated under the agreement have been achieved and the next steps are imminent. ALYI expects the next steps to include naming the EV racing brand at which time, ALYI management anticipates ALYIs overall visibility within the global EV market to be substantially elevated. The objective of the EV symposium and conference anchored by an EV race is to advance EV technology by building EV solutions for the African market a power constrained, rugged environment with one of the lowest per capita transportation deployments in the world. EV solutions for the African market will be applicable the world around. EV solutions designed and built in Africa also contribute to building an autonomous African economy. ALYI has designed its EV ecosystem solution to include democratized participation. ALYI has partnered with RevoltTOKEN to finance ALYIs growth by offering participation in the EV ecosystem through the sale of Revolt Tokens. To learn more about RevoltTOKEN and how to participate in ALYIs electric vehicle ecosystem through the purchase of Revolt Tokens, visit https://rvlttoken.com/ . ALYI plans to make a major announcement later this month regarding the EV race that management expects will garner substantial attention to ALYIs overall EV Ecosystem strategy. For more information and to stay up to date on ALYI's overall latest developments, please visit www.alternetsystemsinc.com . Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur. For more information, please visit: http://www.alternetsystemsinc.com Alternet Systems, Inc. Contact: Randell Torno info@lithiumip.com +1-800-713-0297 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Audiomack Drives Down Risk with Public Bug Bounty on the Bugcrowd Platform Bugcrowd, the industry-leading crowdsourced cybersecurity platform, today announced Audiomack, a free music sharing and discovery platform, is launching a public Bug Bounty program to strengthen the security of its Internet-connected assets. The program enables Audiomack to leverage the expertise of the Crowd, a global network of on-demand security researchers, who continuously uncover vulnerabilities that today's best tools would otherwise miss. Audiomack has also operated a Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP) through the Bugcrowd platform over the last year, helping them streamline the process of triaging and validating potential issues so that they can focus their security efforts on remediation. "The Bugcrowd VDP has helped us filter out the noise of duplicate submissions, prioritize valid vulnerabilities, and gain critical insight into our previously unknown areas of risk," said Sean Coker, Director of Engineering, Audiomack. "We are now expanding our partnership to include all researchers on the Bugcrowd platform with a pay-for-results model that attracts a wider variety of testing skills and niche experiences, helping us to find and fix critical security gaps before they can be exploited." With the recent surge of cyberattacks, companies across all industries are finding it increasingly challenging to identify vulnerabilities before bad actors. According to vulnerability data collected by the Bugcrowd platform during 2020, one out of five valid vulnerabilities is now of critical or high severity, with a 73% increase in both of these categories between 2019 and 2020. "The pairing of Bugcrowd VDP and Bug Bounty exemplifies the security-first approach Audiomack is taking to ensure continuous and context-aware visibility of their exposure potential," said Ashish Gupta (News - Alert) , CEO, Bugcrowd. "Our crowdsourced Bug Bounty program is a vital safeguard for evolving businesses seeking to reduce their risk of breach, ransomware attacks or reputation damage, and will be pivotal in helping Audiomack protect its users with a proactive approach to cybersecurity." This new investment in Bugcrowd Bug Bounty now enables Audiomack to reward trusted security researchers for continuously-and competitively-applying their unique expertise to strengthen the music sharing website's existing cybersecurity practices. For more information on getting started with Bugcrowd Bug Bounty or VDP, visit https://www.bugcrowd.com "Bugcrowd" is a trademark of Bugcrowd Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, trade names, service marks and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies. About Bugcrowd Bugcrowd is the award-winning crowdsourced cybersecurity platform that evolves with emerging threats to help organizations secure innovation sooner. Bugcrowd sources and deploys the security skills organizations need-when they need them-so they can reduce risk faster with a global network of world-class security researchers and SDLC-integrated services. Top enterprises trust our platform for context-aware vulnerability and risk intelligence that's backed by expert ingenuity. Based in San Francisco, Bugcrowd enables organizations to rapidly uncover and fix vulnerabilities before they interrupt their business. Bugcrowd is backed by Blackbird Ventures, Costanoa Ventures, Industry Ventures, Paladin Capital Group, Rally Ventures, Salesforce Ventures and Triangle Peak Partners. Learn more at www.bugcrowd.com. About Audiomack Audiomack, which launched in 2012, is playing an integral role in breaking new acts, such as Roddy Ricch and Kaash Paige; serving as a trusted partner to Eminem and Nicki Minaj, among other notable artists, to debut exclusive releases; and helping rising African stars, such as Omah Lay, reach an international audience. As of January 2021, Audiomack has been the No. 1 iOS app in the Music category in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, and Kenya. The company is ramping up production in 2021 of their popular video series Trap Symphony, Fine Tuned, and Bless The Booth. In addition, the company's editorial arm, Audiomack World, is expanding its written content, with a focus on sharing the stories behind our favorite artists. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005143/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Bluetooth Headphones Market Size to Reach USD 41110 Million by 2027 at a CAGR of 11.7% | Valuates Reports BANGALORE, India, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bluetooth Headphones Market is Segmented by Type (Mono Bluetooth Headphones, Ordinary Stereo Bluetooth Headphones, True Wireless Stereo Bluetooth Headphones), by Application (Online, Offline) : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212027. This report is published on Valuates Reports under Consumer Electronics Category. The global Bluetooth Headphones market size is projected to reach USD 41110 Million by 2027, from USD 18760 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 11.7% during 2021-2027. Global Bluetooth Headphones key players include Apple(Beats), Samsung, GN (Jabra/Vxi), GN(Jabra/Vxi), Huawei, etc. Global top five manufacturers hold a share of about 90%. Major factors driving the growth of the Bluetooth headphone market are: Increasing penetration of smart devices such as smartphones, tablets, television, and laptops is expected to have a strong impact on the market growth. Increasing investment for the development of advanced products & features such as on-bound storage, gesture recognition, hands-free calling, increasing quality, and sound sophistication is expected to further propel the Bluetooth headphone market. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/reports/QYRE-Othe-2J471/bluetooth-headphones TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES MARKET: The growing adoption of smartphones and other portable connected devices such as tablets and portable music players is a major factor influencing the Bluetooth Headphone Market. With smartphones becoming a necessity in the modern lifestyle it, in turn, fuels the demand for Bluetooth headphones as they further simplify the way users attend calls or listen to music. Increasing acceptance of wireless headsets among sport and fitness enthusiasts is expected to fuel demand for Bluetooth headphones. Furthermore, features such as water resistance, noise cancellation, enhanced sound format, 3D surround sound technology, storage capacity, and the ability to perform a variety of functions(Gesture recognition, sensors, and biometric recognition) other than answering calls and streaming music are further driving the Bluetooth Headphone Market. Get Free Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Othe-2J471/Bluetooth_Headphones_Market BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Based on region, China is the largest market, with a share of about 75%, followed by America and Japan, both having a share of over 16 percent. Based on type, Wireless Stereo Bluetooth Headphones is the largest segment, with a share of over 84%. Quality and sound sophistication are becoming important factors for consumers while purchasing headphones. Based on application, the Online Sales segment is expected to be the largest, followed by Offline Sales, etc Inquire for Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Othe-2J471/Bluetooth_Headphones_Market BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES MARKET SEGMENTATION Bluetooth Headphones Breakdown Data by Type Mono Bluetooth Headphones Ordinary Stereo Bluetooth Headphones True Wireless Stereo Bluetooth Headphones. Bluetooth Headphones Breakdown Data by Sale Channel Online Offline. Key Companies: Apple(Beats) Samsung Mi GN(Jabra/Vxi) QCY LG Huawei Poly Sony Dacom Philips Bluedio Sennheiser Bose ZEALOT. Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-2J471&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-2J471&lic=enterprise-license SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS - Wireless Bluetooth Headphones market size was USD 9220 Million and it is expected to reach USD 18680 Million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 10.6% during 2021-2027. - In Ear Mono Bluetooth Headsets Market is segmented by Type High-end, Middle-end, Low-end, by Application Distribution Channels, Third-party Retail Channels, Direct Channels and by various regions. - True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Bluetooth Headphones market is segmented by Type In-Ear Headphones, Over-ear Headphones and by various regions. - Stereo Bluetooth Headphones Market is segmented by Type Over-Ear, Earbuds and In-Ear and by various regions. - Bluetooth Earphone Market is segmented by Type Mono, Stereo, Wireless, by Application Business, Daily and by various regions. - Earphone Headphone Market is segmented by Type Wired, Wireless Bluetooth, by Application Computing Device, Smartphone, Wearable and by various regions. - Mobile Phone Accessories Market is expected to grow from USD 25,285.88 Million in 2019 to USD 37,071.56 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.58%. - The Portable Mini Bluetooth Speakers market was valued at USD 5562.8 Million 2020 and will reach USD 6561.4 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 2.8% during 2022-2027. - Music Headphone Market - Development Trends of TWS Application Chips - Industrial Bluetooth Market - Automobile Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Module Market - Bluetooth 4.0 Market - Bluetooth Neckband Headphones Market Click here to see similar reports on Bluetooth Headphones Market ABOUT US Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains detail research methodology employed to generate the report, Please also reach to our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources CONTACT US Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll-Free Call +1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91 9945648335 Website:https://reports.valuates.com Follow on Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Follow on Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Follow on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg [August 16, 2021] Carrier Rocket Market to Reach $25.42 Billion, Globally, by 2030 at 11.9% CAGR: Allied Market Research Increase in demand for small satellites to carry out earth observation services and rise in space expeditions fuel the growth of the global carrier rocket market. PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Carrier Rocket Market by Payload Type (Cargo, Satellite, and Others), Payload Carrying Capacity (Less than 4 tons, 4 tons to 8 tons, and Above 8 tons), Range (LEO, MEO, GEO, and Others) and End User (Government, and Commercial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030." According to the report, the global carrier rocket industry generated $9.24 billion in 2020, and is estimated to garner $25.42 billion in 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 11.9% from 2021 to 2030. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities Rise in demand for small satellites for earth observation services and surge in number of space expeditions drive the growth of the global carrier rocket market. However, high costs regarding the development and complexities associated with periodic maintenance of rockets hinder the market growth. On the other hand, increase in demand for reusable rockets and development of hybrid rocket fuel present new opportunities in the coming years. Download Report (292 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/9466 Covid-19 Scenario Strict lockdown measures implemented across the world led to the reduced rate of space launches and lowered the demand for carrier rockets. Different obstacles such as shortage of raw materials disrupted supply chain, and logistical difficulties presented challenges in production activities. Market players reduced expansion and R&D expenditure for compensating the loss of revenue for the space industry and overall performance. However, surge in commercial space launches by market players such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin are expected to surge the demand for carrier rockets steadily in 2021. Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/9466 The satellite segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period Based on payload type, the satellite segment contributed to the largest share in 2020, accounting for around three-fourths of the global carrier rocket market, and is projected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. Moreover, this segment is estimated to witness the largest CAGR of 11.8% from 2021 to 2030. This is due to rise in adoption of advanced satellites by telecommunication organizations to implementing high-speed internet services worldwide. The report also discusses segments including cargo and others. The government segment to continue its lead position during the forecast period Based on end user, the government segment accounted for the highest share in 2020, holding more than around three-fifths of the global carrier rocket market, and is estimated to continue its lead position during the forecast period. This is due to increase in deployment for defense and monitoring services by government organizations. However, the commercial segment is expected to portray the highest CAGR of 12.4% from 2021 to 2030. This is attributed to surge in initiatives undertaken by commercial space organizations for deploying advanced space payloads and conducting space exploration missions. Interested to Procure The Data? Get It Now at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/carrier-rocket-market/purchase-options North America to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2030 Based on region, North America held the largest market share in 2020, contributing to more than one-third of the global carrier rocket market, and is expected to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2030. This is due to the presence of leading rocket manufacturers in the region. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the largest CAGR of 12.0% during the forecast period, owing to the booming space industry in the region. Leading market players Antrix Corporation Limited Arianespace Cubecab IHI Corporation Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Lockheed Martin Corporation Northrop Grumman Corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Rocket Lab USA SpaceX Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts to Find Solution for Your Business at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/9466 Similar Reports We Have on Space & Aeronautics Industry: Space Launch Services Market by Payload (Satellite, Human Spaceflight, Cargo, Testing Probes, and Stratollite), Launch Platform (Land, Air, and Sea), Service Type (Pre-Launch and Post-Launch), Launch Vehicle (Small [Less than 300 ton] and Heavy [Above 300 ton]), and End-User (Government & Military and Commercial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030. Man-portable Rocket Launcher Market by Type (Shoulder-Launched and Tripod Mounted), by Range (Extended Range, Medium Range, and Short Range), and by Technology (Guided and Unguided): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030. Expendable Launch Vehicle Market by Payload (Rocket, Missile, and Satellites), Application (Commercial and Military), End Use (Communication, Navigation, Surveillance, and Orbital Spaceflight): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030. Reusable Launch Vehicle Market by Configuration (Single Stage and Multiple Stage), Type (Partially Reusable and Fully Reusable), and Vehicle Weight (Up to 4000lbs, 4000 to 9000lbs, and Over 9000lbs): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030. Rocket Launchpad Market by End-use (Rocket Assembling, Inspecting), Rocket Type (Solid-Fuel Rocket, Liquid-Fuel Rocket, Ion Rocket, Plasma Rocket): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030. Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Systems Market by Technology (Satellite Manufacturing, and Satellite Launch Systems), By End User (Commercial, and Military), By Application (Communication Satellite, Military Surveillance, Navigation Satellite, Earth Observation Satellite, and Others), By Satellite Type (LEO Satellites, MEO Satellites and GEO Satellites): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast (20212030). About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] CCC Announces New General Counsel and Appoints Three New Directors CCC, a leader in advancing copyright, accelerating knowledge, and powering innovation, announces Catherine Zaller Rowland has joined CCC as General Counsel. Additionally, Alastair Adam, Kelly Lake, and Nothando Migogo have been appointed to its Board of Directors. Rowland has held a range of positions in the private sector and federal government, including most recently as Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Public Information and Education at the U.S. Copyright Office. While at the U.S. Copyright Office, she served as one of four principal legal advisors to the head of the Office on a variety of complex matters, chaired the board that considers second appeals of registration decisions, and co-chaired the group responsible for updating the ompendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices. She also advised the U.S. Copyright Office on a number of issues involving domestic and international copyright law, policy, and legislation. This included analyzing domestic and international copyright issues such as copyrightability and artificial intelligence and representing the Office at meetings of foreign government officials concerned with the international aspects of intellectual property. Rowland is a frequent public speaker and has been a key contributor to trade agreement implementation negotiations. Before her tenure at the U.S. Copyright Office, Rowland was in private practice focusing on intellectual property litigation, transactions, and counseling. Adam is the Co-CEO of FlatWorld, a digital-first college textbook publisher committed to expanding access to high quality, affordable content. He is Chair of the Board of Public Library of Science (PLOS), a nonprofit, Open Access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. Lake is CEO and Executive Director at Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), a self-supporting program of the University of California founded in 1947 to educate veterans returning to the practice of law after service in World War II. Prior, she was Vice President of Platforms for Thomson Reuters and Chief Technology Officer of Thomson Reuters UK and Ireland. Migogo is a copyright lawyer, licensing expert, and former non-executive director of the SAMRO Foundation, a nonprofit organization for promotion of the arts in South Africa. She has spent the last decade leading copyright licensing organizations in the creative industries and has made a significant impact on the music royalty collection landscape both in South Africa and the African continent. "We are pleased to welcome Catherine Zaller Rowland to the team," said Tracey Armstrong, President and CEO, CCC. "And Alastair, Kelly, and Nothando bring a tremendous set of experience to CCC's Board which will be of enormous value as CCC finds new ways to make it easy for people to get, use, and share content on a global basis." ABOUT CCC A pioneer in voluntary collective licensing, Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) helps organizations integrate, access, and share information through licensing, content, software, and professional services. With expertise in copyright and information management, CCC and its subsidiary RightsDirect collaborate with stakeholders to design and deliver innovative information solutions that power decision-making by helping people integrate and navigate data sources and content assets. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005419/en/ [August 16, 2021] CI Global Asset Management Announces August 2021 Distributions for CI ETFs CI Global Asset Management ("CI GAM") announces the following regular cash distributions for the month ending August 31, 2021 in respect of CI ETFs. In all cases, the distribution will be paid on or before August 31, 2021 to unitholders of record on August 25, 2021. The ex-dividend date for all ETFs is August 24, 2021, with the exception of CI High Interest Savings ETF, which has an ex-dividend date of August 25, 2021. Trading Symbol Distribution Amount (per unit) CI Canadian Convertible Bond ETF CXF $0.0400 CI Active Utility & Infrastructure ETF FAI $0.0444 CI Active Credit ETF FAO $0.0450 FAO.U $0.0450 (US$) CI Active Canadian Dividend ETF FDV $0.0312 CI Short Term Government Bond Index Class ETF FGB $0.0261 CI Investment Grade Bond ETF FIG $0.0320 FIG.U $0.0248 (US$) CI Preferred Share ETF FPR $0.0768 CI Enhanced Short Duration Bond Fund (ETF Series) FSB $0.0150 FSB.U $0.0150 (US$) CI Canadian REIT ETF RIT $0.0675 CI Global Asset Allocation Private Pool (ETF Series) CGAA $0.0186 CI High Interest Savings ETF CSAV $0.0222 CI Alternative Investment Grade Credit Fund (ETF Series) CRED $0.0500 CRED.U $0.0500 (US$) CI Marret Alternative Absolute Return Bond Fund (ETF Series) CMAR $0.0500 CMAR.U $0.0500 (US$) CI Marret Alternative Enhanced Yield Fund (ETF Series) CMEY $0.0510 CMEY.U $0.0510 (US$) CI Global REIT Private Pool (ETF Series) CGRE $0.0860 CI Global Infrastructure Private Pool (ETF Series) CINF $0.0690 CI Global Real Asset Private Pool (ETF Series) CGRA $0.0770 CI DoubleLine Core Plus Fixed Income US$ Fund (ETF Series) CCOR $0.0315 CCOR.B $0.0284 CCOR.U $0.0315 (US$) CI DoubleLine Income US$ Fund (ETF Series) CINC $0.0989 CINC.B $0.0892 CINC.U $0.0992 (US$) CI DoubleLine Total Return Bond US$ Fund (ETF Series) CDLB $0.0402 CDLB.B $0.0363 CDLB.U $0.0403 (US$) CI Yield Enhanced Canada Aggregate Bond Index ETF CAGG $0.0977 CI Yield Enhanced Canada Short-Term Aggregate Bond Index ETF CAGS $0.0740 CI ONE North American Core Plus Bond ETF ONEB $0.0830 Supporting investors' needs Stay in the market, minimize costs, and take advantage of a smart, simple and efficient feature designed to support investors' needs. The CI Distribution Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) will automatically reinvest cash distributions into the CI ETF making the distribution. All of the distributions indicated in the table above will be paid in cash unless the unitholder has enrolled in the applicable DRIP of the respective ETF. A copy of the Distribution Reinvestment Plan is available at www.firstasset.com. About CI Global Asset Management CI Global Asset Management is one of Canada's largest investment management companies. It offers a wide range of investment products and services and is on the web at www.ci.com. CI Global Asset Management is a subsidiary of CI Financial Corp. (TSX: CIX, NYSE: CIXX), an independent company offering global asset management and wealth management advisory services with $309.3 billion in total assets as of July 31, 2021. This communication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase exchange-traded funds (ETFs) managed by CI Global Asset Management and is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax, legal or accounting advice, and should not be relied upon in that regard. Individuals should seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding any particular investment. Investors should consult their professional advisors prior to implementing any changes to their investment strategies. These investments may not be suitable to the circumstances of an investor. Some conditions apply. Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in ETFs. You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell units of an ETF on recognized Canadian exchanges. If the units are purchased or sold on these Canadian exchanges, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying units of the ETF and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them. Please read the prospectus before investing. Important information about an exchange-traded fund (ETF) is contained in its prospectus. ETFs are not guaranteed; their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. CI Global Asset Management is a registered business name of CI Investments Inc. CI Investments Inc. 2021. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005101/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI) Highlights Health Data Utility Model at 2021 SHIEC Annual Conference The Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI), a collection of the nation's largest and most robust nonprofit health data networks, will participate at the 2021 SHIEC (Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative) Annual Conference, which convenes in Scottsdale, Ariz., from Aug. 15 to 18. "We are excited about the opportunity to meet our health data network colleagues at the 2021 SHIEC Annual Conference," said Morgan Honea, Executive Vice President of Denver-based Contexture (the umbrella organization of health data networks in Colorado and Arizona) and President and Board Chair, CSRI Board of Directors. "The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated the need for the health data utility model, which can support healthy communities around the country. Our goal is to empower health data networks to provide broader and deeper clinical and non-clinical data at the state, regional, and national level." "The health data utility model is essential to help healthcare providers, payers, and public health departments tackle the challenges associated with economies of scale and health data," said Honea. "CSRI is developing innovative solutions that cross state lines and can help serve broader public health goals than we did at the start of th COVID-19 pandemic." Participating as presenters and in panel discussions at the 2021 SHIEC Annual Conference are CSRI board members including: Melissa Kotrys, CEO, Contexture; Board Member, CSRI; Board Chair, SHIEC Board of Directors, will present with Lisa Bari, Interim CEO, SHIEC, and Craig Brammer, President and CEO, Portland, Maine-based Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement, during the Welcome and Opening Remarks, which takes place Monday, Aug. 16, from 10:00 to 10:45 am (PT). David Horrocks, President and CEO, Columbia, Md.-based CRISP (regional health data network for Maryland, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Alaska); Board Member, CSRI, and Honea will participate with Don Rucker, M.D., former National Coordinator, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), and Bari in a panel discussion called "Multi-State Affiliations: The Continuing Evolution of HIEs and the Opportunities that Lie Ahead," which takes place Monday, Aug. 16, from 1:00 to 2:10 pm (PT). Horrocks and Kotrys will participate in a panel discussion with Claudia Williams, CEO, Emeryville, Calif.-based Manifest MedEx; Board Member, CSRI, John Kansky, President and CEO, Indiana Health Information Exchange; Board Member, CSRI, Jaime Bland, President and CEO, Omaha-based CyncHealth (statewide health data network for Nebraska); Board Member, CSRI, in addition to Bari, Jess Kahn, Partner, McKinsey & Company (News - Alert) , and Angie Bass, Executive Vice President, Velatura HIE Corp., in a panel discussion called "The Public Health Data Utility Model for HIE: A Post-Pandemic Statewide Vision," which takes place Tuesday, Aug. 17, from 9:20 to 10:10 am (PT). About CSRI: The Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI) is a collection of the nation's largest and most robust nonprofit health data networks. Collectively, our nonprofit organizations connect over 80 million records for patients across several states and provide a wide range of services to healthcare organizations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005437/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Crestone Services Group Acquires Dillie & Kuhn and Agave Underground DENVER, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Crestone Services Group, LLC, ("Crestone" or the "Company"), a Denver based communications and utility services company, is pleased to announce the strategic acquisitions of Dillie & Kuhn, Inc ("D&K"), a turnkey communications contractor headquartered in Southern Colorado, and Agave Underground Utility ("Agave") a premier underground specialty contractor located in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1983, D&K has served phone and internet service providers, wireless carriers, and government agencies for nearly 40 years. Adding D&K expands Crestone's position in Southern Colorado and New Mexico. The company will continue to operate as Dillie & Kuhn and be led by Bryan Crawford, the company's general manager, and Brian Erker, its operations manager. Larry Dillie and Brad Kuhn, D&K founders, said, "Crestone is the best choice to carry on our legacy. We are delighted for our employees, customers, and company, as they paricipate in what we believe will be the most exciting period in the industry's history." Agave, a specialty underground fiber to the premises and 5G wireline contractor, will be merged with Crestone's Arizona based business, Diversified Solutions Infrastructure, ("DSI"). The merger provides DSI additional resources to meet the record level of demand in the Phoenix market. Sam Ledezma, Agave's founder, will join DSI's leadership team. "We look forward to contributing to Crestone's success, and being able to offer enhanced services through DSI, to our many valuable customers", Sam added. Crestone has completed twelve transactions in the past two years with four acquisitions completed since January 2021. "These two deals represent the continuation of our existing strategy. Namely, acquiring the best operators in the most attractive geographies that align and scale our platform. The acquisitions of D&K and Agave do this by adding needed capacity in our busiest markets. We are excited to welcome the talented teams of D&K and Agave to further cement our position as the leading communications infrastructure provider in the Mountain West," said Rick Barrett, CEO of Crestone Services Group. About Crestone Services Group Crestone Services Group, LLC, ("Crestone" or the "Company"), was formed in 2015 to develop a leading utility services company pursuing strategic acquisitions in the communications, power, and gas utility markets. To date, the Company has completed thirteen acquisitions of businesses supporting communications carriers and public utility owners. Crestone is a joint investment between Diamond State Ventures, Banyan Investment Partners, Asydan Capital Management, Post Road Group and ORIX Corporation USA's Special Opportunities Group and is led by former Blackeagle Energy Services CEO, Rick Barrett. Further information is available at www.crestoneservices.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crestone-services-group-acquires-dillie--kuhn-and-agave-underground-301355497.html SOURCE Crestone Services Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Destinations Career Academy of New Mexico Ready to Help Students Navigate These Uncertain Times in Education Destinations Career Academy of New Mexico (NMDCA), a full-time, online program serving students in grades K-12 throughout the state, is ready to kick off the new school year and give students an education option designed to help them reach their full potential. NMDCA students and teachers open their laptops to start the 2021-2022 school year today, August 16. "Last year was rough for a lot of New Mexico families, it was a very challenging year. NMDCA can provide that consistency parents need for their child's growth and education," said Sean Wooton, NMDCA high school principal. "And we can help give your student a leg up on their next level of work or education too!" Students who attend NMDCA have the opportunity to look to the future. High school students can participate in the Career Prep Program and enroll in classes that will help them discover and explore potential careers in IT, and Health & Human Services. Students can earn college credits while still in high school, giving them a head start in their state and potentially saving them thousands of dollars in college tuition costs. For most parents, the new school year comes with cautious optimism. Many families realized during the pandemic that attending school nline is a safe alternative that allows them to focus on their child's future. According to a recent survey by Stride, Inc., 91 percent of parents agree that it's important for their children to have multiple school options, including full-time online or a hybrid model that blends online and in-person learning. And almost two-thirds of parents would consider full-time online programs after their 2020 pandemic-driven virtual education experience. Students choose online learning for a variety of reasons, including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment, and the flexibility to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs while maintaining a focus on academics. NMDCA's online platform gives students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals in a supportive environment and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. NMDCA is still accepting enrollments for the 2021-2022 school year. To learn more and how to enroll, visit NMDCA, or download the Stride K12 mobile app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices - where families can enroll, prepare for the first day of school, and monitor students' academic progress throughout the school year. About Destinations Career Academy of New Mexico Destinations Career Academy of New Mexico (NMDCA) is an accredited, full-time program of the Gallup McKinley School District that serves New Mexico students in grades K-12. As part of the New Mexico public school system, NMDCA is tuition-free, and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN). Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build their skills for the future. For more information about NMDCA, visit nmdca.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005001/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] FAIRR names Israel's Mileutis as a leader in combating resistance to antibiotics NESS ZIONA, Israel, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent report by the FAIRR (Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return) Initiative, an investor network with 250 investor members representing $40 trillion assets under management, recognized Israeli biopharma company Mileutis for taking the lead in combating anti-microbial resistance (AMR). Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity, according to the World Health Organization. A leading cause of AMR is the overuse of antibiotics. The more we use antibiotics, the more chances bacteria will become resistant to them. This means that antibiotics will not work as well when we need them in the future. The Director-General of the World Health Organization and the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, recently warned that: "So far 3.4 million lives have been lost to COVID-19, but the death toll from AMR could be higher unless there is urgent action." As part of its research report, FAIRR assessed leading companies in the animal health sector, to understand how these companies are addressing AMR through improved stewardship, sales and marketing practices, manufacturing production, investment in R&D, etc. The FAIRR report chose to profile Mileutis as a company which brings an alternative to the widespread use of antibiotics in the animal health sector. The report stated that Mileutis is "taking the lead in combating AMR," and noted that "in addition to addressing the global challenge of AMR, Mileutis' products have many benefits for the farmers, consumers, the environment, and the dairy cows themselves." Mileutis, which was established in 2004, is headed by its co-founder David Javier Iscovich, who serves as the company's CEO. The R&D effort is being led by Dr. Jose Iscovich, president, chief scientific oficer and co-founder of the company. In October 2020, the company announced that it raised $20 million from NovaQuest Capital Management, a first-time investment in the animal health sphere by the North Carolina based private equity firm. Mileutis plans to introduce Imilac, for use in the management, treatment, and prevention of bovine mastitis at dry-off, with estimated potential annual revenue of above $1 billion globally. Mastitis is the most frequent disease in dairy herds worldwide, and the most costly. The novel residue-free peptide developed by Mileutis is the first in a series of patented products targeting the growing concern of antibiotic resistance and overuse of antibiotics in the global dairy industry. Dr. Jose Iscovich stated: "It is an honor for Mileutis to be featured by a top investment network such as FAIRR as one of the leading companies in the animal healthcare sector, working to reduce the risk of AMR with our revolutionary technology and products. Our vision is clear: we are working to solve the global problem of antibiotics resistance, first in animals and in the long run, in humans. We do it by developing biologically sourced, safe, and residual-free therapies. Those new products will reduce the use of antibiotics for a wide variety of indications in animal and later in human health." About FAIRR Established by the Jeremy Coller Foundation, the FAIRR Initiative is a collaborative investor network that raises awareness of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities brought about by intensive livestock production. With offices based in London, FAIRR provides cutting-edge research, best practice tools and collaborative engagement opportunities to help investors integrate these risks and opportunities into their investment decision-making and active stewardship processes. FAIRR members include high profile companies such as Fidelity, Pimco, Somitomo Mitsui, and many others. Note to editors Referring to Mileutis' product, the new report by FAIRR noted that "consumers will receive a product free of antimicrobials and hormones; the farmer benefits from advanced technology that increases milk production per cow for added revenues, while reducing wasted milk, nutrient input, and waste output per unit for cost savings; and the cows' wellbeing is improved by a faster dry off (involution) period and a more efficacious treatment of mastitis in severe cases." "The product is easy to use for the farmers and has a clear safety profile," FAIRR added. "With increased output per cow, fewer cows will be needed to produce the same amount of milk. Benefits to the environment include reduced GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions and increased availability of arable land for food and other crops as less land will be needed for grazing." Referring to Mileutis technology, the report stated: "Today there are no FDA approved, non-antibiotic non-genetically modified (GMO), intramammary treatments for the management of mastitis. Mileutis is solving this problem with its next generation biologically sourced, safe, and residual free biopharmaceuticals, Imilac, administered at the beginning of the Dry-Off period and Milac, administered during lactation. These natural and innovative novel treatments act through an immune-modulatory effect enabling the management of infectious and chronic diseases without the use of antibiotics revolutionizing the way veterinarians treat and mange mastitis." Media contact: Amir Ben Artzi Meirovitch PR amir@meirovitch.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fairr-names-israels-mileutis-as-a-leader-in-combating-resistance-to-antibiotics-301355769.html SOURCE Mileutis Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Future Investors Head Back to Class Nearly half a million high school students across the U.S. will be learning money principles that will stay with them for a lifetime as they go back to school this fall. They'll be taking Foundations In Personal Finance: High School Edition, the course from Ramsey Solutions trusted by educators for more than 10 years. Foundations teachers say that today's students are curious about building wealth through investments, and test scores prove that Foundations makes complex money topics like investing easy to understand. "The kids are learning how to actually do this stuff," said Jim King, executive vice president of Ramsey Education, a division of Ramsey Solutions. "The entire focus of the Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum is to teach them the how, not just the what. We do that by equipping students with steps they can start implementing right now. We're excited that the test scores prove the principles being taught are working." Ramsey Solutions compiled four years of test results from more than a million students who had been enrolled in a class using the Foundations In Personal Finance: High School Edition curriculum. The students were tested before and after studying subjects like saving, credit and debt, investing and retirement, careers and taxes, insurance, consumer awareness, and more. Comparing pre-test and post-test scores shows an average increase of 22 percentage points with investing topping the scores with a 27-percentage point increase. "Students of today could very well be the millionaires of tomorrow," sad Jason Pearson, a Foundations in Personal Finance teacher in Frankfort, Illinois. "Compound interest is one of the biggest light bulb moments for my students. When I show them how investing just $100 a month can grow, they start to look at the money they spend on wants in a very different way. Foundations shows them how to take advantage of the one thing they have plenty of, and that's time." One year after the pandemic and the economic fallout of 2020, financial literacy is trending. So far this year, 25 states have introduced legislation that would add personal finance education to their high school course offerings. For more information about Ramsey Solutions' Foundations In Personal Finance, visit ramseysolutions.com/education. About Ramsey Solutions Ramsey Solutions is committed to empowering people in the areas of money, business, leadership, and personal development using biblically based, commonsense principles and education. Every day, Ramsey Solutions reaches millions with nationally syndicated radio shows and columns, No. 1 national best-selling books, products and courses, and industry-renowned podcasts and video channels. Ramsey Solutions' world-class speakers and authors give inspiration, practical advice, and hope to audiences across the country. Ramsey Solutions and its team of more than 1,000 are dedicated to doing work that matters. For more information, visit ramseysolutions.com. Methodology Ramsey Education collected the data of more than 1.4 million U.S. high school students' pre-tests and post-tests included in the digital curriculum of Foundations in Personal Finance: High School Edition. Before starting a new chapter, students would take an assessment (pre-test) about the material they were about to learn. This assessment told the teacher their level of knowledge about and familiarity with the material. After the chapter was completed, the students would take the same assessment (post-test) as an evaluation of their understanding of the information in that chapter. Data was pulled from August 1, 2017 to April 12, 2021. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005099/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] H.I.G. WhiteHorse Finances Groupe Astek H.I.G. WhiteHorse, a credit affiliate of global investment firm H.I.G. Capital ("H.I.G."), announced today that it has arranged a financing package for Groupe Astek ("Astek" or the "Group"), which includes a significant growth capital component. Founded in 1988 and still controlled by its founder Jean-Luc Bernard, Astek is the last independent and fully private global French engineering & IT consulting specialist. It is headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France with over 500 employees operating in 17 countries. Led by Julien Gavaldon since 2013, the Group has grown significantly through a mix of organic and external growth, with six targeted acquisitions completed over the past two years. H.I.G. WhiteHorse has arranged a 170 million financing package, which will be used to refinance the Group's existing indebtedness, finance the buy-out of several minority shareholders, and provide additional capital to finance growth, supporting the Group's expansion, especially through its active buy-and-build strategy. H.I.G. WhiteHorse, through some of its affiliates, acted as the sole arranger. Jean-Luc Bernard, Founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Astek, said: "With this financing, Astek will continue to build upon its strong performance to reach its billion-dollar turnover target." Julien Gavaldon, Chief Executive Officer of Astek, said: "I would like to thank H.I.G. for their confidence in helping us reach this new milestone in the development of Astek. Based on the skils and commitment of our teams, we plan to keep up the momentum, driven by our ability to innovate and support our customers in their digitalisation efforts." Pascal Meysson, Head of H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe, said: "Astek has grown significantly in recent years, including in 2020, despite the Covid-19 crisis. Today, Astek is well-positioned in a market with strong growth prospects, driven by an increasing need for digitalisation among businesses and a fragmented market that continues to consolidate. We are excited to contribute to the future success of the group with our tailored financing." About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. is a leading global alternative assets investment firm with $45 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/value-added approach: H.I.G.'s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve- outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.'s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.'s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. * Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005319/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] North Carolina Virtual Academy Ready to Help Students Get Back on Track North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA), a full-time, online public school serving students in grades K-12 throughout the state, is ready to kick off the new school year and give students an education option designed to help them reach their full potential. NCVA students and teachers open their laptops to start the 2021-2022 school year today, August 16. "Last year was rough for a lot of North Carolina families, but NCVA can provide that consistency parents need for their child's growth and education," said Marcia Simmons, head of school for NCVA. "And we can help give your student a leg up on their next level of education too!" Students who attend NCVA can earn Dual Credits towards their college career. The Career & College Promise program allows eligible NCVA high school students to enroll in college classes at North Carolina community colleges and universities. Students can earn college credits while still in high school, giving them a head start in their state and potentially saving them housands of dollars in college tuition costs. For most parents, the new school year comes with cautious optimism. Many families realized during the pandemic that attending school online is a safe alternative that allows them to focus on their child's future. According to a recent survey by Stride, Inc., 91 percent of parents agree that it's important for their children to have multiple school options, including full-time online or a hybrid model that blends online and in-person learning. And almost two-thirds of parents would consider full-time online public school after their 2020 pandemic-driven virtual education experience. Students choose online learning for a variety of reasons, including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment, and the flexibility to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs while maintaining a focus on academics. NCVA's online platform gives students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals in a supportive environment and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. NCVA is still accepting enrollments for the 2021-2022 school year. To learn more and how to enroll, visit NCVA, or download the Stride K12 mobile app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices - where families can enroll, prepare for the first day of school, and monitor students' academic progress throughout the school year. About North Carolina Virtual Academy North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA) is a full-time online public charter school authorized by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction that serves students in grades K-12. As an authorized public charter school program in North Carolina, NCVA is tuition-free, and gives families the choice to access curriculum and tools provided by Stride Inc. (NYSE: LRN). For more information about NCVA, visit ncva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005003/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Northwest Ohio Real Estate Information System (NORIS) Adopts Remine Pro as a Member Benefit Remine, a leading real estate technology company, announced today that Northwest Ohio Real Estate Information System (NORIS) has adopted the fully featured Remine Pro as a complimentary member benefit to their more than 2,020 members in Northwest Ohio. Remine Pro unlocks powerful new features and places key data into the hands of real estate professionals. This innovative tool brings together MLS, public, and people records to increase agent productivity and broker business. "We look forward to offering Remine Pro as a member benefit," said Megan Foos, CEO of NORIS. "In today's competitive real estate market it is important that we supply our members with best-in-class technology to power their businesses." "We are excited to partner with NORIS by providing our premier technology, Remine Pro, to its members," explained Tim Dain, VP and GM of MLS at Remine. "This partnership furthers Remine's mission of modernizing the digital rel estate journey by creating modular platforms that offer real estate professionals the solutions needed to succeed." About Remine Remine is transforming MLS software solutions. We offer a complete MLS 2.0 operating system for MLSs which includes Remine Pro (a full front-end operating system), Add/Edit, Database, and RESO Platinum API solutions. In addition, Remine offers SSO Dashboard, Docs+ Transaction Management, and MLS Website. Remine is ISO 27001 Certified and ProTech Breakthrough's "Residential Data Management Platform of the Year." Remine serves the majority of REALTORS in the US - over 1,000,000 real estate professionals subscribe via their MLS or Association of REALTORS. We are headquartered in Northern Virginia with remote employees across the US and in Canada. For more information, visit info.remine.com. About Northwest Ohio Real Estate Information System NORIS MLS is owned by Northwest Ohio Realtors headquartered in Maumee, OH. NORIS and NOR serves members in Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Williams, and Wood Counties. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005123/en/ [August 16, 2021] Postal operators in five African countries will distribute Lleida.net services to all their citizens MADRID and ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lleida.net (BME: LLN) (EPA: ALLLN) (OTCQX: LLEIF) has signed contracts with the postal operators of five African countries to provide them with digital postal services and registered electronic communications technology to serve their citizens. This weekend, in the framework of the 27th Congress of the Universal Postal Union, the national postal operators of Gambia, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea and Madagascar have immediately adhered to the framework agreement signed in July by Lleida.net, its partner in North Africa, eGate and the Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU) to distribute the Spanish company's patented technology in Africa under the name DigitalPost.Africa. As part of this service, Lleida.net will offer these new countries Digital Postal Services through Registered Electronic Communications, mainly Registered Emails, Registered SMS and Registered eStatements. With the signing of thse five new national postal operators, Lleida.net is already a provider of registered communications technology to the postal companies of 11 countries, including South Africa, Colombia and the United Arab Emirates. Held in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, the Universal Postal Union Congress is taking place from August 9 to August 27, with the presence of 900 representatives from 190 countries. The framework agreement with the allows the 55 national postal operators of the African continent to offer Lleida.net services automatically to their millions of customers. Within the framework of this meeting, the Secretary-General of the organization, Younous Djibrines and Bishar Hussein, Director General of the Universal Postal Union, met with Lleida.net. Lleida.net is the European leader in the eSignature industry. Listed in New York (OTCQX), Paris (EURONEXT GROWTH) and Madrid (BME GROWTH), is the leading company in Europe in the field of electronic signature, notification and registered electronic contracting and one of the companies in its field with a stronger presence in Africa. It has received so far more than 205 patents from more than 60 countries. South Africa, Nigeria, the United States, the European Union, Japan, China and Australia, among them. In 2020, its shares appreciated by more than 900 per cent. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/postal-operators-in-five-african-countries-will-distribute-lleidanet-services-to-all-their-citizens-301355649.html SOURCE Lleida.net [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Search Meeting Transcripts in Your Inbox Using Panopto Panopto, the leading video management system provider, has enhanced its Smart Chapter feature so that it automatically sends an email to meeting participants, including a table of contents and a complete transcript of the meeting recording. The email contains the transcript of every word spoken in the meeting, along with a snapshot of key moments from the meeting. The snapshot is created by Smart Chapters, which auto-generates a table of contents so viewers can navigate quickly to specific moments of interest. Meeting attendees, including those who missed the meeting, can now search for the meeting, scan the table of contents, and read the transcript without leaving their email inbox. The use of meeting recordings in enterprises and large institutions continues to accelerate, according to a recent report from Wainhouse (News - Alert) Research. Wainhouse found that 77% of IT staff expect to record and store more content from meetings than they did a year ago. This growth in the storage of recordings presents security challenges and provides the opportunity to improve employee productivity if the recordings are used properly. Recorded in video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Webex Meetings, and Microsoft (News - Alert) Teams, tese meeting recordings are stored in secure video management systems so that they can be searched, automatically shared, and preserved as corporate assets harnessing institutional knowledge. Employees gain significant time savings when they can comprehensively search across every internal meeting by every word spoken or written, then read the transcript that is automatically organized with a table of contents. After a meeting host records a video conference, Panopto automatically uploads, converts, and transcribes the recorded meeting. Just as knowledge workers read email daily, with Panopto, they can now read the transcript of a meeting they attended or missed directly from their email inbox. Those who missed an hour-long meeting, for example, can quickly scan the automatically-generated table of contents to read the moments that matter to them. The entire transcript is linked directly to the corresponding points in the video in case they want to watch a particularly important moment. "If you think attending a meeting is painful, try watching an hour-long recording," said Eric Burns, Panopto's CEO. "Panopto saves attendees' time by transcribing recorded meetings and delivering key moments straight to their inboxes. With Smart Chapters and click-to-watch transcripts, it's now easier than ever to watch the important parts and skip the rest." Smart Chapters is available with a Panopto Enterprise license. For more information, visit www.panopto.com. About Panopto Panopto helps businesses and universities create secure, searchable video libraries of their institutional knowledge. Since 2007, the company has been a pioneer in video capture software, video management, and inside-video-search technology. Today, Panopto's video management system is the largest repository of expert learning videos in the world. Headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Pittsburgh, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney, Panopto has received industry recognition for its innovation, rapid growth, and company culture. For more information, visit www.panopto.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005079/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] SQream Has Enhanced Its Management With New Members Who Will Help Propel Fast Analytics at Scale TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SQream, which has developed a platform for accelerating analytics at scale, has announced a series of new appointments to its management. The company welcomed on board CMO Aliza Tamir, Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) Rony Greenberg, and VP R&D Matti Rosengart. The three have extensive experience in managing technology companies and will help to drive SQream's accelerated growth worldwide. Before being appointed CMO at SQream, Aliza Tamir was on the founding team of Microsoft Israel. In her 16 years in the company, she has held several senior positions at Microsoft Global in Seattle and Europe. During her time at Microsoft Europe, she assisted leading the company transformation to Microsoft Azure. Tamir has held key executive positions in different Israeli companies such as CMO of Netafim and VP Global Marketing at NICE. Before joining SQream, Aliza served as CMO of OptimalPlus, which was recently acquired. Rony Greenberg, who has been appointed Chief Business Development Officer, has held senior management and business development positions in a number of start-up companies, including Eyesight Technologies, Paz Enterprse, Eunambol, IXI Mobile, as well as board membership positions at VIBE Imaging Analytics and NeoClarus. Before that, he held management positions within global companies such as Director of Strategic Investments and Director of Marketing and Sales at Intel. He also held the position of VP Sales at DSP and Region Director of the Northern Europe Region for Fibronics. Matti Rosengart, who was appointed VP R&D, has an extensive portfolio as R&D Leader in different domains at long line of companies. Matti has served as Director of Catalog and Classification at eBay Inc. and was VP of R&D in start-up companies including Netformx, Orchestra Group, Time to Know, and Zend Technology. Ami Gal, CEO and Co-Founder of SQream: "SQream has been accelerating growth over the past year due to the rapid adoption of the platform by global giants in fields such as telecom, banking, manufacturing, amongst many other verticals. This is due to the transition from the age of big data to the world of massive data. The need to process terabytes to petabytes of data within minutes and derive business value is essential. The exceptionally talented and experienced management team we have recruited will lead the development of the next generation of our solutions and the next stage of our growth in the global market." About SQream SQream is the leader of peta-scale data analytics. The SQream platform accelerates analytics on terabytes to petabytes of data on-cloud and on-prem. With SQream, organizations gain access to fast, accurate, and previously unobtainable business insights. SQream is trusted by leading enterprises including LG Uplus, C&S, Pubmatic, AIS, and more. Media Contact: Aliza Tamir CMO SQream alizat@sqream.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sqream-has-enhanced-its-management-with-new-members-who-will-help-propel-fast-analytics-at-scale-301355791.html SOURCE SQream [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Synergy Pharmaceuticals introduces the small step for natural medicine, one giant leap for ending herpes Melbourne, Australia, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synergy Pharmaceuticals is proud to introduce its product against herpes, as nearly 800,000 people are newly infected with herpes each year. During 2011, Roger was one of those patients. He was intentionally infected with HSV-2 and suffered several painful outbreaks each year. He was convinced his life was permanently altered and he fell into a depressive state. But, determined to overcome the virus, he formulated a combination of natural ingredients that gradually reduced his outbreaks and then completely removed the virus from his bloodstream. He passed his findings on to officials at New York City-based biopharmaceutical company Synergy Pharmaceuticals, who conducted clinical trials and confirmed that the right holistic treatment could indeed cure herpes. Finally, after years and years of stumbles, false starts, and ethical crises, the medical industry had a cure for herpes. So, why havent more professionals supported it? Synergy Pharmaceuticals Introduces the Product Against the Herpes Virus Rogers results were verified in a series of clinical tests involving randomly selected herpes patients. The patients were tested for the IgG herpes antibody after taking a single natural ingredient and after taking five natural ingredients. There was no noticeable improvement after taking the single-ingredient treatment, but 80% of patients were herpes-free after a few months of the five-ingredient treatment. The five components of Synergy Pharmaceuticals Combination Herpes Treatment are L-Lysine, Tribulus, Astragalus, Rhodiola, and a Unique Amino Formula. For the best outcome, patients are instructed to take 1-2 pills of each, every morning for 4-6 months. This treatment stands in stark contrast to standard herpes treatment protocols. Standard protocol involves one of three types of FDA-approved antiviral medications acyclovir, valacyclovir, or famciclovir. The medications are then used in one of two therapeutic approaches. In episodic therapy, the patient starts taking their prescribed medication at the first sign of an outbreak. Theyll only continue medicating until the outbreak subsides, which is usually just a few days. In suppressive therapy, patients take antiviral medications every day, which has been shown to reduce outbreaks by 75%. _____________________________________________________________________ 1. CDC. (January 31, 2017). Genital Herpes CDC Fact Sheet (Detailed). Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes-detailed.htm 2. Synergy Pharmaceuticals. (April 18, 2019). Combination Herpes Treatment. Retrieved from: https://www.treatment4herpes.com/products/ 3. American Sexual Health Association. (April 18, 2019). Herpes treatment. Retrieved from: http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/stdsstis/herpes/herpes-treatment/ The Synergy Pharmaceuticals approach is remarkable in that it has a finite treatment period, after which outbreaks, and the virus as a whole,are gone. Patients dont need to medicate for life. This is a tremendous breakthrough permanent relief for herpes sufferers, a huge financial benefit for Synergy, and an even bigger opportunity for any other companies who develop similar treatments. But the medical industry has been slow to celebrate the discovery. Surely, cures for any other formerly incurable virus would be headline news. The reluctance to embrace the Combination Herpes Treatment could be a side effect of a bigger issue herpes cure fatigue. The Controversy of Vaccines The closest the medical industry came to a herpes cure was through Rational Vaccines, the brainchild of the late William Halford. Halford created Theravax, a herpes vaccine that effectively eradicated herpes from the bloodstream. One of Halfords test patients, Richard Mancuso, shared that he was herpes-free after receiving just three shots over a 6-month period. There was tremendous buzz about Halfords results, and Rational Vaccines rallied support from major backers like billionaire investor Peter Thiel. But Theravax was quickly overshadowed by unethical practices. A federal investigation was launched in 2018 after the FDA received knowledge that the testing had been conducted without proper oversight. Halford was a respected professor and researcher at Southern Illinois University, but he was not a doctor and injecting patients with a vaccine without the right licensing or credentials was a controversial choice that could have serious legal repercussions. Sadly, Halford passed away from cancer before any conclusions could be drawn. Theravax, once the beacon of light in the search for a herpes cure, was bogged down by controversy. (However, Rational Vaccines official website says its research is still ongoing.) Though Rational Vaccines was the first company to claim discovery of a cure, it wasnt the first to try. Genocea, a vaccine and immunotherapy company, had promising results with its initial work on the GEN-003 vaccine, but abandoned the program after more involved testing delivered disappointing outcomes. The company also faced its own controversy after one of its investors filed a lawsuit following the programs dissolution. And biopharmaceutical company Vical Incorporated walked away from its herpes cure research after a similar failure. _____________________________________________________________________ 4. Bloom, Josh. (February 8, 2018). I Met With A Theravax Herpes Vaccine Patient And Here Is What He Said. Retrieved from: https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/02/08/i-met-theravax-herpes-vaccine-patient-and-here-what-he-said-12543 5. Taylor, Marisa. (April 12, 2018). FDA Launches Criminal Investigation Into Unauthorized Herpes Vaccine Research. Retrieved from: https://khn.org/news/fda-launches-criminal-investigation-into-unauthorized-herpes-vaccine-research/ 6. May, Brandon. (July 10, 2018). Abandoned Genital Herpes Vaccine GEN-003 Found to Reduce Lesions, Decrease Viral Shedding at Varying Doses. Retrieved from: https://www.contagionlive.com/news/abandoned-genital-herpes-vaccine-gen003-found-to-reduce-lesions-decrease-viral-shedding-at-varying-doses Overcoming biases against alternative medicine Additionally, existing attitudes and biases toward holistic medicine might also have some impact on Synergys uphill battle to acclaim. Theres a structure in American medicine that depends on the FDAs guidance when determining if medication is safe and effective. Though there is a long, ancient history of powerful alternative medicines, and Synergy has verified its results in exhaustive medical trials, the industry is still looking for the one source of validation it recognizes the FDA stamp of approval. Its clear that Synergy Pharmaceuticals has accomplished something revolutionary a herpes cure that works, thats affordable (at just $30 a month), and thats right at the publics fingertips. Whats lacking is the awareness. Theres a medical industry that has been burned time and time again through failed herpes trials, and it seems unwilling to both move forward and accept that a holistic treatment is the most viable and effective option on the market. The cure is right in front of them; they just have to accept it. A failure to do so means denying millions of herpes sufferers access to lifelong relief. _____________________________________________________________________ 7. Raymond, Nate. (December 7, 2018). Genocea Biosciences ducks investor lawsuit over herpes vaccine. Retrieved from: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-genocea/genocea-biosciences-ducks-investor-lawsuit-over-herpes-vaccine-idUSL1N1YC215 8. Globe Newswire. (June 11, 2018). Vical Reports Phase 2 Trial of HSV-2 Therapeutic Vaccine Did Not Meet Primary Endpoint. Retrieved from: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/11/1519433/0/en/Vical-Reports-Phase-2-Trial-of-HSV-2-Therapeutic-Vaccine-Did-Not-Meet-Primary-Endpoint.html 9. Parikh, Rahul. (May 2, 2011). Why does your doctor hate alternative medicine? Retrieved from: https://www.salon.com/2011/05/02/alternative_medicine_and_doctors_oz/ Media contact Company: Synergy Pharmaceuticals Contact Name: Marcus Torres (Media and Public Relations Manager) E-mail: Media@synergy-pharmaceuticals.com Location: Collins Square Tower Five, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3008. Australia Website: https://www.synergy-pharmaceuticals.com/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Thermo Fisher Scientific Collaborates with ChromSword to Deliver Rapid Automated HPLC and UHPLC Method Development System GERMERING, Germany, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, and ChromSword, a provider of innovative software products, have collaborated to launch an automated high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method development system that enables chromatographers to deliver robust and validated methods in less time and with higher confidence. The new Thermo Scientific Vanquish Method Development HPLC and UHPLC system provides an integrated, network-deployable solution for automated method development and validation for diode-array, charged aerosol and mass spectrometric detection. Built for ease-of-use and speed, the system strategically combines the leading Vanquish HPLC and UHPLC systems and the Thermo Scientific Chromeleon Chromatography Data System (CDS) with ChromSwordAuto and ChromSword AutoRobust software. It leverages artificial intelligence to minimize manual interaction and enables method creation for complete compound detection with no prior sample knowledge required. Enhanced confidence is assured through multiple detection capabilities, and the integrated Chromeleon Data ault further reinforces data integrity and compliance. "Liquid chromatography method development is an incredibly time-consuming and labor-intensive process. To efficiently develop robust methods, frequent manual interactions and extensive method development experience are critical," said Christoph Nickel, senior director software marketing, Thermo Fisher Scientific. "The Vanquish Method Development HPLC and UHPLC system solves this challenge by allowing our customers to automate method development and validation, saving time and eliminating prerequisite expert user knowledge." Dr. Sergey Galushko, head of research and development at ChromSword, said "Chromeleon CDS and ChromSwordAuto are two of the most powerful chromatography software systems available. By combining the intelligent method development capabilities of ChromSwordAuto with Chromeleon software's flexible instrument control functionalities, we're providing users with a complete suite of method development and validation tools. Through this package, a substantial reduction in method development time is possible for Chromeleon CDS users working with small and large molecules." In addition to speed and ease-of-use, the system offers unparalleled method flexibility to pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, chemical and food testing laboratories, boasting automated column switching and universal analyte detection, with mass spectrometry-based peak tracking capabilities delivering more reliable results. Using Chromeleon CDS with ChromSwordAuto Chromeleon Connect and ChromSword AutoRobust Chromeleon Connect enables chromatographers to automate method development tasks, including method scouting, impurity profiling, fine optimization and method validation. Through next-generation automation, the system is well-placed to meet the changing needs of laboratories as they look to implement broader digitalization strategies and reduce on-site personnel. For more information visit the Thermo Scientific Vanquish Method Development HPLC and UHPLC system webpage. About Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $30 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 80,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com Media Contact Information: Laura Bright Thermo Fisher Scientific +1 562-335-8318 laura.bright@thermofisher.com Janice Foley BioStrata +1 617-823-5555 jfoley@biostratamarketing.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thermo-fisher-scientific-collaborates-with-chromsword-to-deliver-rapid-automated-hplc-and-uhplc-method-development-system-301355141.html SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] VTrips Announces Significant Minority Equity Investment From Hudson Hill Capital To Accelerate M&A JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- VTrips, a Florida based technology-enabled vacation rental manager throughout North America, announced today that it received a significant minority equity investment from Hudson Hill Capital ("HHC"), with all capital being funded to the balance sheet. VTrips will leverage the investment to accelerate the company's acquisition strategy and to further strengthen its technology offering. VTrips expects to deploy over $250 million in the near-term to acquire attractive vacation rental management companies. Founded in 2002 by CEO Steve Milo, VTrips offers full-service vacation rental management, including digital marketing, coupled with local market operations to service and maintain vacation properties, with the majority of its inventory in the Southeast today. VTrips' mission is to deliver a superior financial outcome and concierge-level experience to its property owners while simultaneously delivering a better and differentiated vacation experience to travelers. Steve Milo, founder and CEO of VTrips, commented, "Our new investors have placed a significant vote of confidence in our vision, our people and our technology that will further enhance the customer experience. This investment, combined with Hudson Hill's track record of scaling businesses like ours will help us extend our market leadership through a carefully designed acquisition strategy that will further build our category defining technology and service offering. VTrips possesses a very promising future." According to Eric Rosen, Managing Partner of Hudson Hill, "Steve has built VTrips into the leading independent vacation rental management platform and one of only a select number of operators with a multi-state footprint. Perhaps more notable about VTrips is its proven ability to operate effectively and profitably over multiple decades. HHC is excited to partner with Steve during the company's next phase of growth and to use our collective exerience to help build the company's footprint both organically and through M&A, capitalizing on the tailwinds within the growing vacation rental market." According to Mr. Milo, "This significant investment represents another key milestone for our company as the vacation rental resort market in North America continues to boom, especially in drive-to markets, and there is far more demand than supply which has resulted in a more than 20% increase in Average Daily Rates in many markets. Covid-19 accelerated the adoption of vacation rentals over hotels and the sector also benefited significantly from social distancing, remote work and remote learning which allows more flexibility for travel." VTrips already completed three acquisitions in the first half of 2021, most recently acquiring Panama City, FL-based Resort Collection with close to 800 units. The Resort Collection deal follows several other acquisitions in the Southeast region, including Distinctive Vacation Rentals in Fort Myers Beach, Florida and Resort Properties in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The company has completed over 20 acquisitions since its founding. The vacation rental industry is very fragmented yet, according to Mr. Milo, owners of smaller property management companies are increasingly concerned about who they sell to. "We are encountering more and more sellers who want a buyer that will hire all their staff, take care of their brand and legacy, and allow them to live in their community with pride. With this capital infusion, we are poised to accelerate our activity as a buyer and represent a unique landing place for an independent vacation rental operator." About VTrips Located in Ponte Vedra, Florida, VTrips manages 3,000 exclusive vacation rental properties in traditional resort destinations ranging from Florida to Hawaii. VTrips CEO and founder Steve Milo is a recognized thought leader regarding the evolution of the highly fragmented vacation rental industry and is a regular keynote speaker at leading conferences in North America and Europe. For more information, visit www.vtrips.com. About Hudson Hill Based in New York, HHC (www.hudsonhillcapital.com) is a private investment firm founded by Eric Rosen, Jason Palmatary, and Alexander Stacy. Departing from the prevailing short-term orientation of the private equity industry, HHC invests with families, entrepreneurs, and management teams who are attracted to patient, long-term capital partners. Hudson Hill invests its own capital alongside like-minded partners in attractive growth-oriented opportunities in industries benefiting from long-term secular growth tailwinds. HHC's industry focus includes the business services, software, and financial services sectors. Media Contact: Chris Tofalli Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC 914-834-4334 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vtrips-announces-significant-minority-equity-investment-from-hudson-hill-capital-to-accelerate-ma-301355234.html SOURCE Hudson Hill Capital [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 15, 2021] CYFIRMA launches Threat Visibility and Cyber Intelligence Capabilities in AWS Marketplace; joins AWS ISV Accelerate Program SINGAPORE, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CYFIRMA, a threat discovery and cyber-intelligence platform company funded by Goldman Sachs, Zodius Capital and Z3Partners, today announced the availability of CYFIRMA's two core products, DeCYFIR and DeTCT, in Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace. AWS offers an unmatched portfolio of cloud services designed to help organizations build secure, resilient, and efficient infrastructure for their applications. DeCYFIR and DeTCT provide an added layer of security to help businesses navigate the evolving threat landscape. CYFIRMA has also been inducted into the AWS Independent Software Vendore (ISV) Accelerate program, which provides CYFIRMA with co-sell support and benefits to easily gain access to millions of active AWS customers with AWS field sellers globally. DeCYFIR is a threat discovery and cyber-intelligence platform that arms businesses with personalized and predictive intelligence. To prevent data breaches and cyberattacks, DeCYFIR employs a systematic approach guiding defenders to swiftly identify threats and applying remedial actions to avoid financial and brand damage. The cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform is non-intrusive, can on-board customers within two hours, and provides customers with insights related to their threat landscape within 24 hours. DeCYFIR provides visibility into the external threat landscape by monitoring the dark web, hacker forums and various closed communities to look for threat indicators that would signal cybercriminals planning to exploit security weaknesses that could lead to business disruption. DeCYFIR helps customers complement AWS's robust cloud security features and services by delivering six foundation pillars of threat discovery and cyber-intelligence on a single unified platform. Attack surface discovery provides real-time continuous monitoring to identify shadow IT or porous systems which can be accessed by cybercriminals. Awareness of attack surface will allow businesses to conduct a realistic cost-benefit analysis of each asset and decide how to srink their attack surface. provides real-time continuous monitoring to identify shadow IT or porous systems which can be accessed by cybercriminals. Awareness of attack surface will allow businesses to conduct a realistic cost-benefit analysis of each asset and decide how to srink their attack surface. Vulnerability intelligence ensures vulnerabilities are mapped to assets and associated exploits and ranked based on criticality. This allows the business to optimize resources to focus on the most important and urgent gaps. ensures vulnerabilities are mapped to assets and associated exploits and ranked based on criticality. This allows the business to optimize resources to focus on the most important and urgent gaps. Brand intelligence helps businesses understand who, why and how their brand is being targeted and get a complete view of brand infringement by ensuring it is not being tarnished by corporate espionage, insider threats or other malicious bad actors. helps businesses understand who, why and how their brand is being targeted and get a complete view of brand infringement by ensuring it is not being tarnished by corporate espionage, insider threats or other malicious bad actors. Digital risk discovery unveils digital footprints and cases of impersonation and data leaks. Businesses obtain near real-time alert on data leaked in the wild, enabling them to plug the gap and avert any further reputation and financial damage. unveils digital footprints and cases of impersonation and data leaks. Businesses obtain near real-time alert on data leaked in the wild, enabling them to plug the gap and avert any further reputation and financial damage. Situational awareness provides a quick view of cyberattacks, incidents and breaches taking place in the client's industry, the technology they use, and the geography they operate in. These insights guide important business decisions including cyber investments. provides a quick view of cyberattacks, incidents and breaches taking place in the client's industry, the technology they use, and the geography they operate in. These insights guide important business decisions including cyber investments. Cyber-intelligence gives a complete view and insights to the client's external threat landscape. The client is equipped to keep the enemy at bay by receiving early warning to fend off cyberattacks avoiding disruption that could threaten the business. By making DeCYFIR and DeTCT available in AWS Marketplace, businesses can further increase cloud security by using threat intelligence to protect themselves against cyberattacks. "Customer safety and their personal information remain our utmost priority at Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. With the rising level of cyberattacks, cybersecurity threat intelligence information becomes paramount as a countermeasure and deterrence to these risks. We are confident that CYFIRMA is the right partner for us to work with," said Mr. Yoshinori Yamane, General Manager of Information Security Management Office, Mitsubishi Motors. "DeCYFIR is a powerful platform that enhances our cybersecurity posture as it goes one step further in providing critical early warning intelligence to identify attack surfaces and vulnerabilities at the earliest stages, allowing our security team to take rapid action in mitigating risk." "As a healthcare services company delivering life-saving medicines to those who need them the most, we own and operate some of the most advanced cold chain facilities, managing temperature-sensitive medicines through innovative and digitalized processes. The rapidly evolving threat landscape in the healthcare industry has shown us the importance of managing cybersecurity in dynamic ways, particularly as we continue rolling out more digitalization initiatives. CYFIRMA's DeCYFIR has guided us in our response to cyber risks by providing us with real-time insights and early warnings to malicious activities targeting us," said Mike Brewster, Vice President Technology, Zuellig Pharma. "At AWS, security will always be our top priority, and the availability of a broad and deep set of Cloud security services is why customers choose AWS Cloud to run their mission-critical workloads. To augment our native cloud security services, AWS is committed to building a partner ecosystem to provide our customers with the most comprehensive range of security offerings available today. The AWS Marketplace helps ASEAN ISVs scale internationally and we are excited to add CYFIRMA's cybersecurity platforms so that AWS's millions of active customers across the globe can benefit from their offerings," said Conor McNamara, Managing Director, ASEAN at AWS. "According to Interpol, in just over a year, cyber threats have increased multifold, leading many firms to reassess how they have been managing cybersecurity. We are happy to make our two key products, DeCYFIR and DeTCT, available in AWS Marketplace to assist businesses globally with strenghtening their cloud security. With DeCYFIR, clients will acquire threats insights to perform successful intelligence hunting and attribution, connecting the dots between hacker, motive, campaign, and method to gain a full perspective of their threat landscape - all on a single unified platform. DeTCT's real-time digital risk profiling will enable businesses with the much-needed visibility into their risk state, allowing them to take action to enhance their cybersecurity posture. With both DeCYFIR and DeTCT, businesses of all sizes can accelerate their digitalization journeys knowing we have got their back when it comes to fending off cyberattacks," said Kumar Ritesh, Founder & CEO of CYFIRMA. ABOUT CYFIRMA CYFIRMA is a threat discovery and cyber-intelligence platform company. We combine cyber intelligence with attack surface discovery and digital risk protection to deliver predictive, personalized, contextual, outside-in, and multi-layered insights. We harness our cloud-based AI and ML-powered analytics platform to help organizations proactively identify potential threats at the planning stage of cyberattacks. Our unique approach of providing the hacker's view and deep insights into the external cyber landscape help clients prepare for upcoming attacks. CYFIRMA works with many Fortune 500 companies. The company has offices located in the USA, Japan, Singapore and India. Official websites: https://www.cyfirma.com SOURCE CYFIRMA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 15, 2021] UnionPay International launches first contactless e-wallet in Tajikistan SHANGHAI, Aug. 15, 2021 /CNW/ -- UnionPay International (UPI) announced today that it has partnered with the International Bank of Tajikistan to launch the country's first contactless e-wallet, making UnionPay the first payment brand to offer mobile contactless payment services in the country. As a result, the number of e-wallets outside the Chinese mainland that support UnionPay cards reaches 100. Meanwhile, the number of merchants accepting UnionPay mobile payments has exceeded 10 million. The two milestones mark the forming of an interconnected UnionPay cross-border mobile payment ecosystem. An Evolving Product Portfolio The growth of the global mobile payment industry has accelerated in recent years, with the transaction scale up by nearly three times from 2017 to 2020. In line with the trend, UPI continues to apply the technology, specifications and market experience of Chinese mainland mobile payments to the international market. As the first international card scheme engaged in switching and clearing of mobile payments, UnionPay now offers a variety of wallet products such as the UnionPay App, mobile QuickPass and QR code e-wallets outside the Chinese mainland. Users can enjoy diverse payment experiences with a scan, tap or click. In particular, UnionPay launched the new mobile QuickPass this year, with some products integrating contactless, QR code and in-app payments. This means the payment demands in all use cases in and outside the Chinese mainland can be met with one mobile phone. UnionPay standard e-wallets have been launched in more than 20 countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Macao, South Pacific, and Southeast Asia, and nearly ten new e-wallets were rolled out in the second quarter of this year alone. One out of every five transactions initiated by cards issued outside the Chinese mainland goes through mobile payment tools. For example, the Hong Kong ad Macao versions of the UnionPay App provide access to almost all local card-issuing banks, driving 18 e-wallets in the region to support UnionPay QR codes, with over 1 million cards enrolled. Localized Cooperation Arab News Express, a prominent news website in the UAE, commented that the cooperation between UnionPay and local institutions has improved the mobile payment environment in the Middle East and protected consumer health. Khmer Times, a Cambodian media outlet, said that UPI's diversified cooperation with local banks in mobile payment has helped accelerate Cambodia's transition to a cashless society. The rapid localization of UPI's mobile payment business has benefitted from several factors: firstly, the four-party model under which UPI operates is in line with the regulatory requirements of each country and makes it easier to develop deep and win-win cooperation with local partners; secondly, UPI offers a wide range of solutions to meet the needs of users in different markets; thirdly, all types of products are compliant with EMV specifications and hence can be used in cross-border use cases, which adds to the appeal. The e-wallet launched in Tajikistan reflects these features. Local POS terminals supporting UnionPay QuickPass account for over 80% of the total, and the International Bank of Tajikistan has also issued a large number of UnionPay cards within the country over the past three years. Taking into account the characteristics of the local acceptance network and the needs of cardholders, the UnionPay contactless e-wallet solution has less demanding requirements on mobile hardware and high Android compatibility. Users can simply link their UnionPay cards with their wallets to make tap-and-go payments at home and abroad seamlessly. A Mobile Payment Ecosystem Taking Shape In addition to a wide range of localized products, the increasingly sophisticated acceptance network and enhanced digital payment service capabilities have accelerated the formation of the UnionPay mobile payment ecosystem. Currently, UnionPay's physical acceptance network has been extended to 180 countries and regions, more than half of which support UnionPay's mobile payment services. UnionPay QR payments have been rolled out in 45 countries and regions, with over 1.5 million merchants outside the Chinese mainland accepting the payment product, three times the number of the same period last year. Additionally, 9 million POS terminals outside the Chinese mainland accept UnionPay QuickPass payments, doubling the number last year. Tokenization is the core technology of UnionPay's digital payment services. By generating multiple stand-ins that replace the authentic bank card information, the technology not only ensures the security of enrollment and transactions of physical cards, but also enables the over-the-air issuance of virtual cards, which allows users outside the Chinese mainland without a physical card to enjoy mobile payment services. UPI has also developed more than 20 technical platforms, including the UPI Mobile Payment Service Platform (UMPS), to support partners around the globe in efficiently developing e-wallets and use cases. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unionpay-international-launches-first-contactless-e-wallet-in-tajikistan-301355537.html SOURCE UnionPay International [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Basilea awarded additional USD 4.3 million by BARDA to support phase 3 development of ceftobiprole BARDA further supports phase 3 program aiming at regulatory approval in the U.S. ERADICATE study on track for topline results in first half of 2022 Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Basel, Switzerland, August 16, 2021 Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN) announced today that it has been awarded an additional USD 4.3 million of non-dilutive funding by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in the context of the existing contract to support the phase 3 program of Basileas antibiotic ceftobiprole. The total contract value thus increases up to USD 134.2 million. Dr. Marc Engelhardt, Chief Medical Officer, said: We are very pleased that BARDA continues to fund the development of new antibiotics, which are urgently needed, as recently highlighted by the United Nations when announcing their Call to Action on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021. BARDA funding has supported the successful completion of our skin infections phase 3 TARGET study. With the continued support, we are looking forward to the upcoming completion of patient enrolment in the bloodstream infections ERADICATE study and to filing a New Drug Application (NDA) in the U.S., if the study is successful. The first pivotal study, the TARGET study, in patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, was completed successfully in 2019.1 The second study, the ERADICATE study, is evaluating the use of ceftobiprole for the treatment of patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, a form of complicated bacterial bloodstream infection, for which there are only limited treatment options available.2 Basilea expects that patient enrolment into the ERADICATE study will be completed around year-end 2021 and that topline results of the study will become available as planned in the first half of 2022. If approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the brand would have ten years of market exclusivity in the U.S., based on its status as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product, which was granted by the FDA to ceftobiprole under the U.S. GAIN Act. About ceftobiprole Ceftobiprole medocaril, the prodrug of the active moiety ceftobiprole, is a cephalosporin antibiotic for intravenous administration, with rapid bactericidal activity against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This includes methicillin-susceptible and resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, MRSA) and susceptible Pseudomonas spp.3 The brand is currently approved and marketed as Zevtera and Mabelio in a number of countries in Europe and beyond. Basilea has entered into license and distribution agreements for the brand in Europe, Eurasian countries, Latin America, China, Canada, Israel, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions. Basilea's ceftobiprole phase 3 program is funded in part (up to USD 134.2 million, which is approximately 70% of the total potential program costs) with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Develpment Authority (BARDA), under contract number HHSO100201600002C. About Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is a leading cause of bloodstream infections, responsible for a broad variety of complications and has been associated with significant morbidity and a mortality of 20 to 40%.4, 5 Several studies have demonstrated that MRSA bacteremia is associated with a significantly higher mortality rate compared with MSSA bacteremia.6, 7 Infections of the inner lining of the heart or heart valves (infective endocarditis) and bone infections (osteomyelitis) are common complications of SAB. About Basilea Basilea is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Switzerland. We are committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative drugs to meet the medical needs of patients with cancer and infectious diseases. We have successfully launched two hospital brands, Cresemba for the treatment of invasive fungal infections and Zevtera for the treatment of severe bacterial infections. We are conducting clinical studies with two targeted drug candidates for the treatment of a range of cancers and have a number of preclinical assets in both cancer and infectious diseases in our portfolio. Basilea is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: BSLN). Please visit basilea.com. Disclaimer This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements, such as "believe", "assume", "expect", "forecast", "project", "may", "could", "might", "will" or similar expressions concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. and its business, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical studies for product candidates. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact: Peer Nils Schroder, PhD Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Phone +41 61 606 1102 E-mail media_relations@basilea.com investor_relations@basilea.com This ad hoc announcement can be downloaded from www.basilea.com. References TARGET study: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03137173. J. S. Overcash. C. Kim, R. Keech et al. Ceftobiprole compared with vancomycin plus aztreonam in the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections: results of a phase 3, randomized, double-blind trial (TARGET). Clinical Infectious Diseases 2020, ciaa974; https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa974 ERADICATE study: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03138733. K. Hamed, M. Engelhardt, M. E. Jones et al. Ceftobiprole versus daptomycin in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a novel protocol for a double-blind, phase III trial. Future Microbiology 2020 (15), 35-48; https://doi.org/10.2217/fmb-2019-0332 Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) Zevtera: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/9164/smpc [Accessed: August 15, 2021] A. G. Jensen, C. H. Wachmann, F. Espersen et al. Treatment and outcome of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a prospective study of 278 cases. Archives of Internal Medicine 2002 (162), 25-32 J.-L. Wang, S.-Y. Chen, J.-T. Wang et al. Comparison of both clinical features and mortality risk associated with bacteremia due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2008 (46), 799-806 S. I. Blot, K. H. Vandewoude, E. A. Hoste et al. Outcome and attributable mortality in critically Ill patients with bacteremia involving methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Archives of Internal Medicine 2002 (162), 2229-2235 S. E. Cosgrove, G. Sakoulas, E. N. Perencevich et al. Comparison of mortality associated with methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a meta-analysis. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2003 (36), 53-59 Attachment Press release (PDF) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] ESR launches new China development platform to invest up to US$4 billion SHANGHAI and HONG KONG, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ESR Cayman Limited ("ESR"; SEHK Stock Code: 1821), the largest APAC focused logistics real estate platform, has entered into an agreement to launch its latest logistics development platform in China ("ESR China Development Platform", or "ECDP"), with Dutch pension fund asset manager APG Asset Management ("APG") and another global institutional investor. ECDP, with an initial equity commitment of US$1 billion, provides the potential investment capacity of up to US$4 billion over time. ECDP focuses on a continuation of ESR's strategy to develop and own modern, institutional-grade logistics facilities in major logistics hubs across China with a focus on Tier 1 and Tier 1.5 cities. Jeffrey Shen and Stuart Gibson, Co-founders and Co-CEOs of ESR, said: "Capital partner support has been key to the growth of ESR's new economy real estate platform. We are thrilled to extend ESR's successful collaboration and close relationship with these two leading institutional investors, with whom ESR has already delivered strong results in China and across the Asia Pacific region. "The acceleration of e-commerce continues to drive growth in China's logistics market. What's more, structural shifts in supply chain management, and consumers' shopping habits and lifestyle changes are reshaping the market. These trends are opening new development and investment opportunities to ESR and our capital partners as the demand for advanced, large-scale and well-located logistics assets becomes even greater." Global e-commerce sales are expected to grow US$1.5 trillion by 2025 to reach US$3.9 trillion, which will require an additional 138 million sqm logistics space[1]. In China, which boasts one of the world's highest levels of e-commerce penetration, demand for prime logistics assets is set to continue a robust upward trajectory. "The China logistics sector continues to be a critical part of the China growth story. We believe that building new assets designed to meet environmental standards and ever-changing occupier demand is one of the better ways to create a resilient portfolio for long-term performance. To do this, it is essential to have development partners that offer first-class sourcing and execution capabilities, which is why we have embarked on our second China-focussed platform with ESR," commented Graeme Torre, Head of Real Estate Asia Pacific for APG. ESR's integrated fund management platform has provided its capital partners with access to some of the world's best secular growth opportunities propelled by the positive trends of e-commerce, urbanisation and domestic consumption in the region. In China, ESR manages a best-in-class logistics real estate portfolio of US$6.7 billion in AUM and 8.5 million sqm in GFA, as of 31 December 2020. ESR also holds the largest development pipeline in the country's leading economic and logistics hubs Greater Shanghai, Greater Beijing and Greater Guangzhou. The transaction is subject to relevant regulatory approval. [1] Source: Global E-Commerce Outlook report by CBRE [2] Reported AUM of US$29.9 billion for ESR as of 31 December 2020 adjusted for AUM announced in 1H2021 (Milestone Portfolio US$2.8 billion, RJLF3 US$675 million, Korea Income JV US$500 million) About ESR ESR is the largest APAC focused logistics real estate platform by gross floor area ("GFA") and by value of the assets owned directly and by the funds and investment vehicles it manages with a growing presence in data centres. ESR and the funds and investment vehicles it manages are backed by some of the world's preeminent investors including APG, CPP Investments, JD.com, Oxford Properties, PGGM and SK Holdings. The ESR platform spans major economies across the APAC region, including China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, India, Vietnam and Indonesia. As of 31 December 2020, the fair value of the properties directly held by ESR and the assets under management with respect to the funds and investment vehicles managed by ESR recorded approximately US$34 billion[2], and GFA of properties completed and under development as well as GFA to be built on land held for future development comprised over 20 million sqm in total. Listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited in November 2019, ESR is a constituent of the FTSE Global Equity Index Series (Large Cap), Hang Seng Composite Index and MSCI Hong Kong Index. For more information on ESR, please visit www.esr.com. Investor Relations Chang Rui Hua Group Managing Director Capital Markets and Investor Relations +852 2376 9623 rh.chang@esr.com Media Contact Antonia Au Group Executive Director Corporate Communications +852 2376 9617 antonia.au@esr.com SOURCE ESR Cayman Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Ultromics Raises $33M in Series B Funding to Help Transform Cardiac Disease Treatment Led by Blue Venture Fund, new funding will accelerate Ultromics' use of AI-enabled echocardiograms to improve patient outcomes OXFORD, England, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultromics, a leader in AI enabled cardiovascular imaging solutions, announced today that it has raised $33 million in a Series B funding round. The round was led by the Blue Venture Fund with participation from Optum Ventures, GV, and existing investor Oxford Sciences Innovation. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the world, with an estimated 17 million deaths each year. Ultromics will use the new funding to help accelerate the use of AI-enabled echocardiograms to help improve patient care, and bring improved diagnostic quality and resource savings to hospitals. "Echocardiograms uploaded to the cloud and analyzed by artificial intelligence are set to revolutionize cardiac disease treatment pathways by helping more people understand their risk of heart disease earlier and with greater accuracy," said Dr. Ross Upton, CEO and co-founder of Ultromics. "This funding with leading U.S.-affiliated venture capital funds will allow Ultromics to dramatically accelerate the use of AI-enhanced Echo into studies that currently use more expensive and less accurate imaging techniques." Founded in 2017, Ultromics' EchoGo Core and EchoGo Pro platforms quickly deliver highly accurate assessments of heart function that support the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, heart failure and amyloidosis. Both were spun out of the University of Oxford and built-in partnership with the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS). Oxford Sciences Innovation, an organization that helps scientific breakthroughs become world-changing businesses, helped get Ultromics' business off the ground, and doubled down on its support of Ultromics during the Series B funding round. EchoGo Core and EchoGo Pro are already being used and validated by several organizations, including Mayo Clinic and the Oregon Health and Science University. EchoGo Core was recently featured in groundbreaking research that showed Ultromics' AI-generated echocardiography analysis could provide meaningful predictors of health outcomes , where manual analysis did not. Blue Venture Fund a unique collaboration among Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) companies, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and Sandbox to which 35 BCBS companies have committed over $890 million across four funds, led the Series B round to help accelerate adoption o AI-enabled echocardiograms and address impact of cardiovascular disease on Americans. "Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, and Ultromics offers groundbreaking AI solutions for more accurate diagnosis," said Dr. Emir Sandhu, Managing Director at the Blue Venture Fund. "We are excited to partner with Dr. Ross Upton and the Ultromics' team, as they promote improved patient outcomes." "Ultromics' software significantly improves the ability of clinicians to leverage low-cost ultrasound imaging to address cardiovascular disease, one of the greatest healthcare burdens of our generation" said Dr. Vijay Barathan, Optum Ventures. "We are thrilled to be supporting the Ultromics team in their mission to improve patient lives through AI enabled cardiovascular imaging solutions." "Echocardiography is the most accessible, lowest cost, least-invasive, safest and most convenient means of imaging the heart," said Dr. Upton. "With Ultromics' AI, we have proven that it can now be as accurate and effective as more expensive modalities that are not available to all patients. This trio of investors presents Ultromics with a unique opportunity to substantially scale our technology globally, so that more people can get the care they need and deserve earlier. "This Series B funding round will propel our company forward to a place that transforms disease pathways and saves more lives." For more information about Ultromics, visit ultromics.com . About Ultromics Ultromics is a fully automated software as a service platform powered by AI that allows clinicians to make fast, accurate decisions when using ultrasound images to diagnose cardiovascular disease. Born at the University of Oxford and built-in partnership with the U.K.'s NHS, Ultromics has developed the first fully automated solution for echocardiography and analysis of global longitudinal strain (GLS). Ultromics delivers analysis to any vendor within minutes, with zero variability, without any disruption to workflow, and can even predict a patient's risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD). Ultromics has collaborated with leading research institutions, including the American Society of Echocardiography and Mayo Clinic. For more information, visit ultromics.com . About the Blue Venture Fund The Blue Venture Fund is a unique collaboration among BCBS companies, BCBSA, and Sandbox to which thirty-five BCBS companies have committed over $890 million across four funds. The Blue Venture Fund invests in promising emerging companies of strategic relevance to Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield companies and provides the portfolio with access to BCBS companies to deploy innovation at scale. Sandbox is an independent company that provides healthcare-related investment management exclusively for the Blue Venture Fund. For more information, visit www.blueventurefund.com. About Optum Ventures Optum Ventures is the independent venture fund of Optum, a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone, and part of the UnitedHealth Group. Optum Ventures invests in digital health companies that use data and insights to help improve consumers' access to health care services and how care is delivered and paid for, and that make the health care system more reliable and easier to navigate. For more information, please visit www.optumventures.com . Oxford Sciences Innovation Oxford Sciences Innovation is a science business builder. We build world-changing businesses, bringing Oxford science to the world faster. Since 2015, we have worked with over 200 of Oxford's leading academics to build a portfolio of more than 100 companies, worth over $2 billion, all based on Oxford science, created +1,500 new jobs and added +55,000 square-feet of laboratory and startup space; building on Oxford's renowned research legacy to create a leading science ecosystem. A place where scientific breakthroughs become world-changing businesses. Our portfolio of companies spans four sectors, Life Sciences, Deep Tech, Health Tech and Software & AI, tackling challenges like the diagnosis and treatment of devastating rare diseases and cancer, sustainability, nuclear fusion, quantum computing and cyber-security. For more information, visit www.oxfordsciencesinnovation.com. Media Contacts: Michael Stern Account Executive, Pinkston michael.stern@pinkston.co +1 571.405.1497 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Onlive Server Launched KVM Hypervisor Based USA VPS Hosting with CPanel and SSD Storage GHAZIABAD, India, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Company also provides several advanced features of Linux and Windows Based USA VPS Hosting. Our best features of Linux and Windows-based VPS Hosting are: *Enhanced cPanel: Onlive Server provides a highly acclaimed 'enhanced cPanel' interface with several desirable features. *Performance and power: Onlive Server Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) very efficiently allows the multiple operating systems with SSD VPS hosting that provides breakthrough speed and efficiency. *Cloud Technology: Onlive Server offers Cloud VPS Hosting is very well-designed and built on tried and tested Cloud Technology to offer flexibility, and control. Onlive Server also provides multiple benefits and hosting solutions such as dedicated server, VPS Hosting, Domain Name Registration, and Other hosting solutions. These services are available for our new & existing customers. Web Control Panel configuration, CMS setup, and integration are free with your VPS Hosting services. Our team of server experts provides full support for server setup, security solutions & more. Why Customer Needs KVM Hypervisor Based Cheap VPS Hosting. Let's Know Why is Choose VPS hosting Services? *Manage Multiple VPS Servers: Onlive Server's Cheap VPS Hosting has the bandwidth of managing multiple VPS servers simultaneously, which ensures complete value for money. *Deploy Any Application on USA Linux VPS: You have the flexibility of deploying any application on KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) USA VPS and use it for web hosting, as database servers etc. *Cheap USA VPS Add-Ons: Another great feature of Onlive Server's USA-based Linux VPS Hosting is that you can get cheap VPS Server add-ons when it comes to increasing your server performance, self-installation of OS. *Instant Provision for Best Windows VPS Servers: The Company also offers Windows VPS Hosting comes with instant provision for the best convenience for the users. There are facilities for quick setup etc. *Uptime robust infrastructure: Windows/Linux VPS hosting guarantees 99% uptime as we provide incredibly reliable servers that are highly efficient and powerful. *24x7 Support: USA VPS Hosting comes with a Fully Managed VPS Hosting and an in-house monitoring system that monitors the VPS Hosting 24X7. We take proactive measures to resolve issues all that time they occur to streamline the operations and ensure the best service. Our clients didn't suffer any of the hustle. Therefore, choose the Hypervisor-based VPS hosting provider and make your website stay safe and perform in a better way. Media Contact: Call / WhatsApp - +91 9718114224 Skype ONLIVEINFOTECH info@onliveserver.com +91 9718114224 Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12881383 Press release distributed by PRLog View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/onlive-server-launched-kvm-hypervisor-based-usa-vps-hosting-with-cpanel-and-ssd-storage-301355564.html SOURCE Onlive Server [August 16, 2021] Everli grows leadership team with three strategic hires in preparation for expansion MILAN, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Everli, Europe's leading marketplace for online grocery shopping, today announced it has onboarded three new additions to its executive leadership team. The move has scaled its leadership team to match its rapid international expansion and ambitious plans to further develop and expand its products and services for consumers and partners. The new hires include former Treatwell Director, Alice Coverlizza joining as Chief Business Officer; former Booking.com Director Siddharth Goyal as Chief Product Officer; and former Deliveroo and LinkedIn Director Alex Sonnenberg as Chief Marketing Officer. Alice Coverlizza who joins as Chief Business Officer brings a wealth of relevant operating experience with a strong international business expansion background. Before joining Everli, Alice held the role of VP Global Operations & Expansion at DICE, a world leader in ticketing. During her five years at Treatwell, the largest beauty and wellness booking site in Europe, she has held numerous global roles and has contributed to the growth of the business and team, respectively from one market to ten and from 60 to 550 employees. Prior to that Alice worked for four years at eBay. "I am excited to be joining Everli's leadership team in a pivotal moment for grocery commerce in Europe. I've gotten to know Federico and the management team over the last year and have been impressed by how they've successfully steered the company through a time of unprecedented growth, while building a sustainable business that daily brings value to customers, retail partners, personal shoppers and brands." Siddharth Goyal, who joins as Chief Product Officer, and will be based in the Netherlands, brings extensive experience in product, leading the 0 to 100x journey for marketplaces both in his role as a start-up founder, as well as corporate expeience within Rocket Internet and Booking.com. "Grocery has been a challenging vertical for e-commerce. It's complex, it's demanding and it's a great time now, more than ever to solve it for our customers. I am incredibly excited to join a committed team with great ambition and perseverance to take all sides of the marketplace along." Alex Sonnenberg joins as Chief Marketing Officer based out of London. Alex has a background in global roles within the tech industry from his time as Marketing Director at both Deliveroo and LinkedIn, where he worked on consumer growth and engagement in the EMEA region, and more recently as Chief Marketing Officer at Wefarm, a social platform operating in developing markets, where he helped them scale their brand and marketplace in East Africa. "I was impressed with everything I saw at Everli, from its strong unit economics to its incredible levels of growth ambition, but ultimately the most impressive thing of all was its culture and passion around placing the customer at the heart of everything it does. I see an amazing opportunity to increasingly turn that passion inside out and showcase the genuine love and care that Everli puts into its customer experience." The appointments come at an exciting time for the company. Everli has just completed a Series C funding round of $100M with investment from Verlinvest, DN Capital, Luxor, C4 Ventures, FITEC and 360 Capital Partners. It has recently launched into France and the Czech Republic and is preparing for further market launches in the near future. Since 2014, Everli has become the delivery partner of choice for some of Europe's largest grocery brands, including Lidl, Kaufland, and Carrefour, offering access to over 300,000 products across 100 cities in Italy, Poland, Czech Republic and France. In 2020, Everli's sales almost quadrupled to US$130m, as consumer shopping habits continue to rapidly shift towards online grocery shopping. Since its launch, Everli has continued to expand rapidly and its international presence accounts today for over 20% of its orders already. Federico Sargenti, CEO said: "Alice, Sid and Alex bring great knowledge and insight to the company and help us in our vision to deliver customers peace of mind with a trouble-free grocery experience they always love and trust. We are looking forward to working with them and the rest of our executive team to expand our footprint within Europe and scale up our operations." About Everli Everli is on a mission to help people achieve peace of mind, by simplifying their life when shopping for groceries. No more queuing, no more parking, no more carrying heavy weights: Everli's dream is to bring just the best parts of grocery shopping, directly to your home. Started in 2014, Everli is now the main European e-grocery marketplace. Headquartered in Milan, with offices also in Verona and Warsaw, Everli's team has grown to more than 250 people, and has created more than 100 partnerships with retailers and CPG companies, serving more than 80 cities around Europe, and having delivered groceries more than 3 million times. Visit us at everli.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/everli-grows-leadership-team-with-three-strategic-hires-in-preparation-for-expansion-301355641.html SOURCE Everli [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Biosight Announces Initiation of Investigator Sponsored Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Aspacytarabine for Relapsed/Refractory AML and MDS with the Groupe Francophone des Myelodysplasies First Patient Enrolled to the Phase 2 Trial, which will Evaluate Single-Agent Aspacytarabine in Second Line Relapsed/Refractory AML and MDS Study sponsored by Groupe Francophone des Myelodysplasies, the French Study Group of the European Myelodysplastic Syndromes Cooperative Group AIRPORT CITY, Israel, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biosight Ltd., a pharmaceutical development company developing innovative therapeutics for hematological malignancies and disorders, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 trial to evaluate aspacytarabine (BST-236), Biosights proprietary antimetabolite, as a second line treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The investigator sponsored trial will be led by Dr. Pierre Fenaux of the Groupe Francophone des Myelodysplasies (GFM), the French Study Group of the European Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Cooperative Group (EMSCO). GFM is a non-profit organization comprised of most French hematology centers that conducts and sponsors clinical trials and translational research and coordinates diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for MDS. This new trial is an important step forward in expanding the reach of aspacytarabine to a broader patient population, addressing the unmet needs in the treatment of relapsed/refractory AML and MDS, said Dr. Ruth Ben Yakar, Chief Executive Officer of Biosight. Initiating an additional trial furthers our clinical momentum, building on updated, encouraging data from our ongoing first-line Phase 2b study presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and the receipt of Orphan Medicinal Product Designation for the European Medicines Agency. GFM is an ideal partner to expand the clinical evaluation into MDS with their extensive network of hematology centers, including registered centers of excellence, and we look forward to applying their expertise in clinical trials, treatments and diagnostics as we advance this Phase 2 trial. Professor Pierre Fenaux, M.D., Ph.D., Head of Hematology at Hospital Saint Louis in Paris, and founding member and Chairman of GFM, said, The first-line Phase 2b data that were presented at ASCO, with demonstrated efficacy across key measures including encouraging complete remission andnegative minimal residual disease rates, duration of response and overall survival, further increase my conviction that aspacytarabine may serve as a more tolerable, end effective standard of care treatment for patients with both AML and MDS. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Biosight to advance this potentially transformative treatment for relapsed or refractory MDS and AML patients who currently are faced with poor prognoses and no effective standard of care treatment. About Aspacytarabine (BST-236) Aspacytarabine is a novel proprietary anti-metabolite. It is composed of cytarabine covalently bound to asparagine, acting as a pro-drug of cytarabine. Cytarabine serves as the backbone of AML therapy for over 45 years due to its superior efficacy, however, it is associated with severe bone marrow, gastrointestinal, and neurological toxicities, which significantly limit its use, especially in older and medically compromised patients. Due to its unique pharmacokinetics and metabolism, aspacytarabine enables high-dose therapy with lower systemic exposure to free cytarabine and relative sparing of normal tissues. As such, aspacytarabine may serve as a new therapy for AML and other hematological malignancies and disorders, including for older adults who are unfit for intensive therapy. Aspacytarabine was granted FDA Fast Track Designation for treatment of AML patients unfit for standard chemotherapy, and FDA and EMA Orphan Drug Designations, which entitle Biosight to seven and ten years of market exclusivity in the U.S. and Europe, respectively, upon aspacytarabine marketing approval for the treatment of AML in each territory. Interim results from an ongoing Phase 2b study evaluating aspacytarabine as a single-agent first-line AML therapy demonstrate safety and single-agent activity, and additional studies are launched to evaluate aspacytarabine as a second line treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory MDS or AML. For more information regarding the Phase 2b clinical study of BST-236, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov. About Biosight Ltd. Biosight is a private Phase 2 clinical stage biotech company developing innovative therapeutics for hematological malignancies and disorders. Biosights investigational product, aspacytarabine (BST-236), is an innovative proprietary anti-metabolite which addresses unmet medical needs by enabling high-dose chemotherapy with reduced systemic toxicity. Aspacytarabine is currently being investigated as a single agent in a Phase 2b clinical trial, recently completed enrollment, for the first-line treatment of AML. Interim results demonstrate tolerability with promising efficacy in the challenging population of AML patients unfit for intensive standard-of-care chemotherapy. An additional Phase 2 study was initiated in patients with relapsed/refractory AML and MDS in collaboration with the European cooperative group, Groupe Francophone des Myelodysplasies (GFM). A similar Phase 2 study is to be initiated in the US in 2021. For additional information, please visit www.biosight-pharma.com . About Groupe Francophone des Myelodysplasies Groupe Francophone des Myelodysplasies (GFM) is a Study Group of the European Myelodysplastic Syndromes Cooperative Group (EMSCO), which was founded in 2013 upon an initiative of the European Leukemia Network (ELN), and serves as a platform to foster academic clinical research, cooperation and education in the field of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). GFM is a non-profit organization that includes most French hematology centers, several of them registered as centers of excellence of the International MDS Foundation. Amongst others, the group conducts and sponsors clinical trials and translational research, coordinates the online French registry of MDS since 2003 and updates diagnostic guidelines and therapeutic procedures. Contact: Chuck Padala 646-627-8390 LifeSci Advisors, LLC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Friendship Public Charter School Online Ready to Help D.C. Students Get Back on Track Friendship Public Charter School Online (FPCSO), a full-time, online public charter school authorized by the Public Charter School Board and serving students in grades K-8 throughout the District, is ready to kick off the new school year and give students an education option designed to help them reach their full potential. FPCSO students and teachers open their laptops to begin their exciting school year on August 23. By combining personalized online instruction, a hands-on curriculum, and the support of highly qualified Washington, D.C. certified teachers, FPCSO helps students discover and reach their full potential. "Last year was difficult for a lot of D.C. families, but FPCSO can provide that consistency parents need for their child's growth and education," said Tracy Sloane, Head of School. "No matter what happens next with COVID-19 and the variant, we will be here to make sure your child succeeds." For most parents, the new school year comes with cautious optimism. Many families realized during the pandemic that attending school online is a safe alternative that allows them to focus on their child's future. According to a recent survey by Stride, Inc., 91 percent of parents agree that it's important for their children to have multiple school options, including full-time online or a hybrid model that blends online and in-person learning. And almost two-thirds of parents would consider full-time online public school after their 2020 pandemic-driven virtual education experience. Students choose online learning for a variety of reasons, including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment, and the flexibility to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs while maintaining a focus on academics. FPCSO's online platform gives students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals in a supportive environment and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. FPCCO is still accepting enrollments for the 2021-2022 school year. To learn more and how to enroll, visit FPCSO, or download the Stride K12 mobile app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices - where families can enroll, prepare for the first day of school, and monitor students' academic progress throughout the school year. About Friendship Public Charter School Online Friendship Public Charter School Online (FPCSO) is an accredited, full-time online public school program that serves students in grades K through 8. FPCSO is available tuition-free to students in the District of Columbia and gives families the chance to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about FPCSO, visit https://fpcso.k12.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005005/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Virginia Virtual Academy Ready to Help Students Get Back on Track Virginia Virtual Academy (VAVA), a full-time, online public school serving students in grades K-12 throughout the state, is ready to kick off the new school year and give students an education option designed to help them reach their full potential. VAVA students and teachers open their laptops to start the 2021-2022 school year today, August 16. "Last year was rough for a lot of Virginia families, but VAVA continues to provide that consistency and has the experience that parents need for their child's growth and education in an uncertain world," said Suzanne Sloane, Head of School for VAVA. For most parents, the new school year comes with cautious optimism. Many families realized during the pandemic that attending school online is a safe alternative that allows them to focus on their child's educational choices directly. According to a recent survey by Stride, Inc., 91 percent of parents agree that it's important for their children to have multiple school options, including full-time online or a hybrid model that blends online and in-person learning. And almost two-thirds of parents would consider full-time online public school after their 2020 pandemic-driven virtual education experience. Students choose online learning for a variety of reasons, including advanced learning, a bully-free environment, health concerns, curriculum selection, and the flexibility to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs while maintaining a focus on academics. VAVA's online platform gives students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals in a supportive environment and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. VAVA is still accepting enrollments for the 2021-2022 school year. To learn more and how to enroll, visit VAVA, or download the Stride K12 mobile app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices - where families can enroll, prepare for the first day of school, and monitor students' academic progress throughout the school year. About Virginia Virtual Academy VAVA is available tuition-free to students state-wide, giving families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN), one of the nation's preeminent tech-enabled education companies. For more information about VAVA, visit vava.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005002/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Avenue 8 Names Partners Trust and DBL Founder and Former Compass Co-President Nick Segal Managing Director, Southern California Avenue 8, the industry's only mobile-first residential real estate brokerage, today announced the appointment of real estate luminary Nick Segal as the company's first Managing Director, Southern California. In this role, Segal will be responsible for the continued development of Avenue 8's West Coast presence, managing and growing the brokerage's fast-growing team of Southern California agents, and helping to shape strategy, community engagement, and agent development for Avenue 8. "Nick has long established himself as one of Southern California's top real estate agents and executives, having personally sold well over a billion dollars of real estate and overseeing 20x that amount, while also setting the bar for professionalism and ethical practices in our industry," said Justin Fichelson, co-founder, Avenue 8. "Not only is Nick celebrated by both clients and his peers as a top broker, his entrepreneurial success has demonstrated a keen understanding of what it takes to develop talent, serve his clients, and drive corporate growth, simultaneously. We are lucky to have a leader like Nick join us at the helm of Avenue 8." A nationally renowned entrepreneur, senior real estate executive, sought-after speaker and celebrated author, Segal has had an immeasurable impact in shaping the Southern California real estate market over his three-plus decades in the business. He founded and developed two of the most prominent real estate brokerages in the nation through both of their acquisitions and beyond: DBL Realtors, acquired by Sotheby's, and Partners Trust, acquired by Pacific Union International, after achieving more than $11 billion in sales in only eight years. While serving as CEO of Partners Trust and then Co-President of Compass (News - Alert) after its acquisition, Segal received both the "Realtor of the Year" and "William May Garland" awards for industry excellence. "Since day-one Avenue 8 has stood out by virtue of its tech-acumen, agility, and keen understanding of what it's going to take to succeed in today's market," said Nick Segal, Managing Director, Southern California, Avenue 8. "Justin and co-founder Michael Martin get the new psychology of the modern agent and homeowner, and possess the digital savvy, creativity, and courage required to create something truly fantastic to benefit modrn brokers and their clients. When I saw that Michael, Justin and the influential Investors of Avenue 8 shared that enthusiasm, I became inspired to join them. Avenue 8 is poised to be the brokerage of tomorrow, and I am thrilled to help the agency lead the charge into real estate's next frontier." Avenue 8 was built expressly to make all residential real estate agents more mobile, nimble, and effective, while also allowing them to keep more of their income. Avenue 8 has seen rapid monthly agent growth and 95% customer retention since launching in March 2020, due in large part to the unique technology powering the Avenue 8 platform, which produces 4x more effective marketing ROI than industry benchmarks, while also saving agents hundreds of hours and unlocking millions of dollars in potential commissions. The company remains laser-focused on staying ahead of demand by bringing on top industry talent to lead key business functions, and consistently launches platform upgrades and new service offerings to the market. "As the expectations of residential agents, buyers, and sellers evolve, we're observing technological advancement in the platforms serving these constituencies," said Ryan Orley, Partner at Zigg Capital, an Avenue 8 investor. "The Avenue 8 team has an acute understanding for the needs of today's successful brokers. Nick is a respected leader in the industry and has consistently demonstrated a forward-thinking approach throughout his career. Nick's mindset perfectly aligns with that of Avenue 8, and we're excited to see what he will bring to the table at a key inflection point for the brokerage and industry as a whole." With over 30 years in the real estate business, Segal brings deep expertise in real estate sales, property development, savvy negotiation, and corporate growth to Avenue 8. Prior to joining the brokerage, Partners Trust was one of the true thought leading and most successful real estate companies in Los Angeles. As CEO and President, Nick Segal championed early agent digital adoption strategies, agent empowerment programs, and was the chief architect of what has now become "Coming Soon," a marketing program adopted by brokerages across the country. As an industry innovator with an impeccable reputation, Segal's credibility and connectivity becomes one of Avenue 8's latest competitive advantages in the Los Angeles real estate market. Segal has been recognized by multiple industry organizations and publications for his leadership in real estate. He is also a best-selling author of the definitive guide on success creation and negotiation, titled On Your Terms, co-written with his wife, Laura Segal, and is the host of "The Exchange'' podcast, where he talks with other entrepreneurs about their personal and professional playbooks, the power of partnerships, and more. Segal was raised in New York, relocating to Los Angeles in the 1980s before quickly establishing himself as a top Southern California real estate agent. Segal received his BA in Dramatic Arts from Vassar College. Avenue 8 has seen unprecedented organic growth and agent demand since its launch and roll out in the greater Southern California market last year, with over 100 agents and nearly half a billion in home sales through its platform. The brokerage will continue its growth into additional national markets, including New York City and Miami, later this year. About Avenue 8 Avenue 8 is a new kind of real estate brokerage - one that simplifies and elevates the experience for agents, buyers, and sellers. Through intuitive technology, integrated services and responsive human support, Avenue 8 provides the tools to manage real estate transactions with radical efficiency, giving agents the freedom to work how they want. For more information, visit: https://www.avenue8.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005376/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Day of Shecurity Announces Fall 2021 Conference SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Day of Shecurity , a series of conferences that provide cybersecurity skills and career development to women at no cost, announced it will host a virtual conference on October 28-29, 2021. This announcement comes after its highly successful March 2021 pivot to virtual events. With such a strong response from the March 2021 Day of Shecurity event and the high demand for jobs in the cybersecurity field, Secure Diversity and the Lookout Foundation will host its next virtual Day of Shecurity on October 28 and 29, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PDT (UTC - 7). For the first time, the conference will occur over two days to ease any concerns about devoting a whole day to conferencing and breaking it up for fewer hours over more dates. Presented by Secure Diversity and The Lookout Foundation , Day of Shecurity is an initiative that launched a San Francisco-based lunch and learn in 2017 to provide career development and skills training to women interested in pursuing cybersecurity careers. The founding partners have since hosted five in-person conferences, including one international event - all free of charge to attendees. The inaugural virtual event, held on March 23, 2021, drew 1,711 registrations and 933 attendees from 53 countries. There were 85 unique presentations by 117 speakers between the main stage and session rooms. The majority of the presentations are available on the Day of Shecurity YouTube channel . This content does not include the number of technical and non-technical presentations provided by the sponsors in their expo booths. Some highlights from the main stage included: Cybersecurity consultant and researcher Tomiko Evans turned poetry into a rap as her presentation asked the question, "Do we really take security seriously in this industry?" turned as her presentation asked the question, "Do we really take security seriously in this industry?" Hacker and security evangelist Alyssa Millr talked about the value of women in cybersecurity and made recommendations about how to be successful and achieve goals. talked about the and made recommendations about how to be successful and achieve goals. Technology and cyber leader Jameeka Aaron from Auth0 discussed using emotional intelligence as the framework for cybersecurity culture. Founding : Lookout and Secure Diversity : Lookout and Secure Diversity VIP : Atlassian, Auth0, AWS, Boston Cybernetics Institute, Bridgecrew, CyberSN, Detectify, Okta, Palo Alto Networks, & Patreon : Atlassian, Auth0, AWS, Boston Cybernetics Institute, Bridgecrew, CyberSN, Detectify, Okta, Palo Alto Networks, & Patreon Gold : Earnin, Gusto, Google, Highmark Health, Lyft, Oportun, Ramagine, Salesforce, Security Innovation, Segment, & Snap : Earnin, Gusto, Google, Highmark Health, Lyft, Oportun, Ramagine, Salesforce, Security Innovation, Segment, & Snap Silver : Flexport, Netflix, PagerDuty, Pinterest, Raytheon Technologies, Technium, Verkada, & Virsec : Flexport, Netflix, PagerDuty, Pinterest, Raytheon Technologies, Technium, Verkada, & Virsec Bronze : Chime, CircleCI, Open Raven, Sequoia Capital, Snyk, & Tinder : Chime, CircleCI, Open Raven, Sequoia Capital, Snyk, & Tinder In-Kind: CyberPreserve, CyberRisk Opportunities, NIFTWIT, INE, Innovation Women, Sightline Security, We Hack Purple, Wehmeyer & Associates, & Women's Cyberjutsu A Critical Need A recent study found that women now comprise up to "30% [of cybersecurity workers]...up from 24% the year before. While men still make up a majority of the cybersecurity workforce, the growing percentage of women, and their positions within organizations, suggests cybersecurity provides a rewarding career path for women who choose to pursue it." Although numbers of women in cybersecurity rose according to the (ISC)2 2020 data, the pandemic resulted in an estimated 2.3 million women leaving the U.S. workforce between February 2020 and February 2021. American women are participating in the professional workforce at the lowest rates since the late 80's. The cybersecurity workforce demand has increased, evidenced by a 2020 report from The Tessian Opportunity that found: The cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by 145% to meet the current global demand. There are more than four million unfilled cybersecurity jobs. If the number of women working in cybersecurity rose to equal that of men, the industry's economic footprint in the U.S. would increase by $30.4 billion . To register, visit https://www.dayofshecurity.com/fall-2021-conference. Early Bird registration opens on August 15, 2021. Companies interested in supporting this initiative are encouraged to reach out . Press Contact: Kelly Thibault Phone: 510.847.8478 Email: 316435@email4pr.com Website: www.dayofshecurity.com Brief: Day of Shecurity Conference, a series of events aimed at increasing the number of women in cybersecurity professions, has announced its next event. This free-to-attend online event will take place on Oct. 28-29, 2021, on HopIn. The Sponsorship drive is now open. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/day-of-shecurity-announces-fall-2021-conference-301355021.html SOURCE Day of Shecurity [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Castellum, Inc. Announces the Acquisition of Specialty Systems, Inc. and Filing of Record Second Quarter Financial Results POTOMAC, Md., Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Castellum, Inc. (OTC: ONOV) announces that it has acquired Specialty Systems, Inc. (SSI) a Toms River, New Jersey based government contractor. Castellum also has posted its record second quarter financial results at www.otcmarkets.com. SSI provides critical mission support to the Navy at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in the areas of software engineering, cyber security, systems engineering, program support and network engineering. The company was founded by the CEO, Emil Kaunitz and will bring nearly 90 employees to the Castellum family of companies. My long-time business partner, Bill Cabey, COO of SSI, and I, along with the rest of the SSI team, are very excited about becoming part of Castellum with all of us remaining at SSI in our current roles, said Mr. Kaunitz. Our customers will continue to enjoy the same high level of support that they have come to expect over the last 43 years along with new capabilities that we can now bring from Castellum. Operationally, the exceptional team of professionals at SSI brings new and expanded expertise that Castellum can offer to existing and future customers, noted Mark Fuller, President and CEO of Castellum. This acquisition is immediately accretive to both revenue and EBITDA per share and, along with our recently announced Merrison Technology transction, establishes a $33 million dollar annualized revenue run rate for our company that takes us to another level in competing for larger government contracts. Castellums overall financial picture continues to strengthen. Revenue for Q2 2021 was a record $4.19 million. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, was approximately $260,000 (excluding non-cash depreciation, amortization, and stock compensation). Cash-on-hand at quarter end was over $2 million, Current Assets were a record $4.58 million and net working capital was a record $3.19 million, up from $2.23 million in Q1. Our business continues to generate excellent results, said Mark Fuller, President, and CEO of Castellum. Revenue remained strong in Q2 and adjusted EBITDA continues to be positive while we grow through acquisition and new business. Our liquidity and overall balance sheet continue to improve. This continued growth and positive outlook for the balance of 2021 and beyond is important as we begin the process of looking to up-list to the NYSE American. About Castellum, Inc. Castellum, Inc. (OTC:ONOV) is a defense-oriented technology company which is executing strategic acquisitions in the cyber security, information technology, information warfare, software engineering, and electronic warfare space. In June 2019, the company brought on a new management team specifically to pursue an acquisition-led growth strategy - http://castellumus.com/ . Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters disclosed at www.otcmarkets.com. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Contact: Mark Fuller, President & CEO info@castellumus.com 301-961-4895 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/60cbd605-4b55-490b-8784-5d48a35ce766 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Worldiwde Airline Digitalization Growth Opportunities - Expected to Achieve more than $35 Billion by 2030 DUBLIN, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Airline Digitalization Growth Opportunities" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The airline digitalization market is a growth market forecast to achieve more than $35 billion in revenue by 2030. It is a highly fragmented market, with the top 15 companies accounting for nearly 26.5% of the market share. This share amount is not expected to change significantly over the forecast period (2021-2030). The market's top companies by estimated revenue include Amadeus, Sabre, SITA, IBM, Boeing, Airbus, and PROS. The market is estimated to have more than 100 companies and will continue to grow as new start-ups increasingly enter the market with niche solutions based on next-generation technologies targeting specific airline needs. Major airlines globally have committed to migrating their entire information technology (IT) infrastructure to a cloud infrastructure within the next decade. Traditional full-service carriers with a significant amount of IT workloads on legacy systems and facing stiff digital competition from low-cost carriers are anticipated to lead this market trend. Migrating workloads to the cloud, increasing touchless passenger experiences, optimizing internal processes, improving customer outreach through personalization, and enhancing ancillary revenues are the key growth drivers of the airline digitalization market. A notable success factor for airlines is creating a team with dedicated budgets for digital initiatives, but training employees and recruiting digitally skilled employees are major challenges. Real-time data analytics with an interactive display/graphical user interface is also a key focus area and expected to have a higher penetration in the medium term (2024-2025). Additionally, blockchain is gaining traction in aviation research and development investment as airlines investigate its potential usage in distribution, loyalty programs, and supply chain management. Major processes receiving high investments in aviation are disruption management and personalization initiatives. The key components airlines seek in a digital solution include modular capabilities, high interoperability with existing and new systems, and partnerships with digital stakeholders. The growth in interconnected solutions has created a vulnerable data ecosystem, resulting in various data regulations across regions moitoring efforts to increase sensitive data security. These factors, along with a heightened global focus on data privacy, will intensify airlines' spending on cybersecurity solutions. As such, the adoption of data platforms enhancing operations and commercial activities is expected to rise over the forecast period. Traditional aircraft and engine manufacturers also play a significant role in this market. These participants can identify and realize new revenue streams as they undergo their own digital transformation. These firms, along with technology firms and start-ups, will potentially shift the dynamics of the market over the forecast period. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the global airline digitalization market. While digital solutions have increased to ensure a safe passenger experience, the pandemic has reduced operations, leading to historically low revenues and limiting airlines' digital and information technology budgets. The market growth depends on how quickly airlines can recover from the pandemic. Despite the pandemic, the airline digitalization market is anticipated to continue growing in the long term. Key Topics Covered: 1. Market Overview Key Highlights Trends to Watch Top Growth Opportunities in the Airline Digitalization Market 2. Strategic Imperatives Why is it Increasingly Difficult to Grow? The Strategic Imperative The Impact of the Top Three Strategic Imperatives on the Airline Digitalization Industry Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine 3. Growth Opportunity Analysis Scope of Analysis Airline Type Segmentation Airline Tier Segmentation Digital Transformation Process Airline Digital Transformation Digital Transformation - Key Performance Indicators Digitalization Benefits - Operational KPIs Airline Digitalization - Top Priorities and Challenges Key Metrics for Successful Digital Airlines Key Trends for Post-pandemic Digital Airlines 4. Market Trends Future of Consumer Electronics Digitalization in Travel and Tourism Current Status of Legacy Systems and the Future of Infrastructure Future of Data Regulations Digital Solutions for a Sustainable Future Loyalty Programs Spotlight on Cargo Digitalizing Cargo Operations Key Competitors for Airline Digitalization Key Growth Metrics for Airline Digitalization Growth Drivers for Airline Digitalization Growth Restraints for Airline Digitalization Forecast Assumptions Revenue Forecast Revenue Forecast by Airline Tier Revenue Forecast by Region Revenue Forecast by Airline Type Revenue Forecast Analysis Revenue Forecast Analysis by Airline Type Pricing Trends and Forecast Analysis Competitive Environment Revenue Share Revenue Share Analysis Notable Start-ups in Airline Digitalization Notable Investments in Start-ups by Key Airlines 5. Growth Opportunity Analysis - Airline Digitalization: Africa 6. Growth Opportunity Analysis - Airline Digitalization: Asia-Pacific 7. Growth Opportunity Analysis - Airline Digitalization: Europe 8. Growth Opportunity Analysis - Airline Digitalization: Latin America 9. Growth Opportunity Analysis - Airline Digitalization: Middle East 10. Growth Opportunity Analysis - Airline Digitalization: North America 11. Growth Opportunity Universe Growth Opportunity 1: Disruption Management and Fuel Optimization for Improved Operational Efficiency Growth Opportunity 2: Big Data Platforms for Enhanced Operations and Merchandising Growth Opportunity 3: Cybersecurity for Robust Operational Resilience Growth Opportunity 4: Workload Migration to Cloud for Scalability and Cost Efficiency Key Takeaways 12. Next Steps Your Next Steps List of Exhibits Legal Disclaimer Companies Mentioned Airbus Amadeus Boeing IBM PROS Sabre SITA For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4iqz2o Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worldiwde-airline-digitalization-growth-opportunities---expected-to-achieve-more-than-35-billion-by-2030-301355738.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] EdgeConneX to Acquire Global Data Center (GDC), an Israeli-based Data Center Operator HERNDON, Va., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EdgeConneX, the pioneer in global Hyperlocal to Hyperscale Data Center Solutions, today announces that it has agreed to acquire Global Data Center (GDC), an Israel-based data center operator headquartered in Herzliya, the hub of Israel's hi-tech district. Once completed, the acquisition will bring two new facilities into the EdgeConneX global data center platform, including GDC's state-of-the-art, and highly secure underground facilities in Herzliya and Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv. "I am pleased to announce the expansion of the EdgeConneX global footprint to the Middle Eastern region with the acquisition of GDC," said Randy Brouckman, CEO of EdgeConneX. As always, the Company's focus is on its customers and providing them with the capacity they want, where they want it, and when they want it. In the case of Israel, GDC's talented leadership team, strong operational track record and existing infrastructure helps us accelerate meeting these requirements by providing a ready-made solution with a premium platform that is already well established in the market." Global Data Center was founded in 2013 by Moshe Lasman in cooperation and with the financial backing of he Viola Group, a leading private equity investment firm. The Company is operating two highly secure, sub-terranean data centers in the area of Tel Aviv, one in Herzliya Pituach, and the second in Petah Tikva. Both sites are built in accordance with the Tier 3 Uptime global standard that serves as the current standard for advanced data centers. Backed by EQT Infrastructure, one of the world's largest infrastructure funds, EdgeConneX brings significant financial and professional resources and digital infrastructure industry experience to GDC. This backing and support will accelerate GDC's development and ability to invest in new capacity in Israel ushering in an exciting growth phase for the Company. "Global Data Center is joining EdgeConnex following seven years of great momentum in our business," commented Moshe Lasman, Global Data Center Founder and CEO. "EdgeConneX brings over a decade of experience building out a global data center platform that includes approximately 50 data centers in over 40 markets around the world and spans everything from hyperlocal edge facilities to hyperscale data center campuses. Together, we will be able to best serve the local data center infrastructure needs in Israel and global requirements anywhere in the world." "For our Israeli customers, nothing changes practically in regard to Global Data Center, organizationally, operationally, or strategically," Lasman added. "I will continue to lead the business in Israel and the rest of the GDC team will remain in place. The GDC teams supporting each customer will continue to perform in the same manner as before. If anything, we will look to further grow and augment the existing teams with additional talent and continue to operate our data centers as before. We will provide each customer with the space, power, and connectivity, where they need it to best serve their needs and that of their customers." "Israel attracts multinational players, which turn the country into a global hub in cloud computing, and the deal we're announcing today shows the trust in the potential of the local market," said Harel Beit-On, co-founder and general partner at Viola. "As early investors with significant share in Global Data Center, we have been accompanying the development in the data center landscape for the past seven years and believe that the entrance of EdgeConneX to the Israeli market will further drive its growth. We congratulate Moshe Lasman and the management of Global Data Center for the deal." About EdgeConneX EdgeConneX provides a full range of data center solutions worldwide, from Hyperlocal to Hyperscale, from purpose-built to build-to-order, working closely with our customers to offer choice in location, scale and type of facility. Delivering flexibility, connectivity, proximity and value, EdgeConneX is a global leader in anytime, anywhere and any scale data center services for a diverse portfolio of industries, including Content, Cloud, Networks, Gaming, Automotive, SaaS, IoT, HPC, Security and more. Empower Your Edge with EdgeConneX. For more information, please visit edgeconnex.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/edgeconnex-to-acquire-global-data-center-gdc-an-israeli-based-data-center-operator-301355492.html SOURCE EdgeConneX [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Allina Health Selects Icertis To Accelerate Digital Transformation of Contracting BELLEVUE, Wash., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Icertis, the contract intelligence company that pushes the boundaries of what's possible with contract lifecycle management (CLM), announced today that Allina Health, an innovative not-for-profit healthcare system headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, has selected the Icertis Contract Intelligence (ICI) platform as the primary CLM solution for the company's digital transformation of contracting. The initiative advances the organization's procurement operations, helps to ensure regulatory and industry compliance, and maximizes the value of their contracts long after each one is signed. "We evaluated several CLM solutions, but the Icertis platform offered the most comprehensive functionality." Allina Health operates 11 hospitals, more than 90 clinics, and has more than 29,000 employees, as well as 6,000 associated and employed physicians. The healthcare system provides care for more than six million patient visits per year, across Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. Allina Health embarked on a digital transformation initiative to become even stronger for their community by functioning more efficiently, minimizing risk, and finding new value in operations across the enterprise health system. A key area the organization identified for modernization was contract data. The provider needed to easily access disparate data sources, centralize data across systems to ensure compliance, track contract renewals, and match transactional data like purchase orders and invoices from Workday Financial Management to negotiated contract terms through Icertis' certified integration with Workday. "Allina Health is committed to our mission of Whole Person Care. Foundational to that mission is operational excellence. It became evident that a critical component for success was going to be the implementation of an advanced CLM system to support the operating model that we're developing," explained Jonathan Shoemaker, Chief Information and Improvement Officer, Allina Health. "We evaluated several CLM solutions, but Icertis' platform offered the most comprehensive functionality and the company's experience in the healthcare field made them knowledgeable about the challenges we face in today's competitive environment." Healthcare providers operate in an ever-changing, complex regulatory and commercial environment, requiring the ability to react quickly to new laws and collaborate with third-party business partners to stay competitive and compliant. Icertis has a bold vision to enable forward-thinking healthcare companies to utilize contract intelligence to address these challenges, while positioning themselves to capitalize on new opportunities. From ensuring supplies are procured from properly credentialed sources, to verifying that physician contracts comply with internal rules, ICI helps healthcare providers ensure regulatory compliance, monitor contracting processes for efficiency, and improve patient safety. "Leading hospital groups are reimagining contract management to survive and thrive in an increasingly complex marketplace," said Nitin Khorana, Vice President, Healthcare and Pharma, Icertis. "We are excited to be partnering with Allina Health on their journey to transform contracting. ICI will enable seamless contract collaboration between procurement and suppliers, between the managed care team and insurance companies, and for all other stakeholders who work with contracts at Allina Health. This modernization will improve negotiation and risk management by delivering a 360-degree view of obligations and entitlements." Allina Health joins some of the world's leading healthcare, pharmaceutical, and life sciences organizations that have implemented ICI to address their sector's most pressing issues related to contract data. For more information about how ICI is used by healthcare providers and payers, visit https://www.icertis.com/contract-management/solutions/industry/healthcare/ About Icertis With unmatched technology and category-defining innovation, Icertis pushes the boundaries of what's possible with contract lifecycle management (CLM). The AI-powered, analyst-validated Icertis Contract Intelligence (ICI) platform turns contracts from static documents into strategic advantage by structuring and connecting the critical contract information that defines how an organization runs. Today, the world's most iconic brands and disruptive innovators trust Icertis to govern the rights and commitments in their 10 million+ contracts worth more than $1 trillion, in 40+ languages and 90+ countries. Contact Liza Colburn Director of Corporate Communications CorpComm@icertis.com +1 (781) 562-0111 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/allina-health-selects-icertis-to-accelerate-digital-transformation-of-contracting-301355174.html SOURCE Icertis [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] BCG Digital Ventures and MISC Announce Co-Investment in Three Ventures to Disrupt the Maritime Solutions Space with Deep Tech BCG Digital Ventures (BCGDV), the business-building and corporate innovation arm of Boston Consulting Group (BCG), today announced its previous investment in three ventures: SOL-X, Chord X, and Spares CNX. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005088/en/ BCGDV's investment was made last year while the ventures were in stealth mode to allow for a deeper focus on business development activities, including staffing, product development, and target market acquisition. With the objective of disrupting the shipping industry, BCGDV has also announced that the three maritime ventures are joining its broader portfolio of innovative businesses and products with the backing of BCGDV and leading international shipping company MISC Group. These three separate start-ups differ in their approach, yet together they powerfully demonstrate the transformational power of strategically applying digital and deep tech, such as AI, ML, and IIoT, to create massive operational efficiencies across the shipping value chain in a way that has never been done before. The ventures will be key drivers for the smart ship, which leverages automation and assistive technologies to ensure safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability. "With 90% of the world's goods transported by ships, and considering the fragmented attempts at innovation, we believe these investments are going to be absolutely transformative to the maritime industry, as well as to industries such as mining, energy, and industrial goods," said Sid Shah, Managing Director & Partner and Global Leader of BCGDV's Energy Practice. "We couldn't be more excited to support these teams on their bold journeys." All three ventures are based in Singapore, a critical hub for BCGDV that was recently placed at the top of the IMD World Competitive Center's ranking in digital competitiveness. The Ventures SOL-X is redefining maritime safety by creating an industry-first Safety 4.0 company centered on human factors. Combining deep industry knowledge with IIoT and predictive AI, SOL-X focuses on improving safety and copliance outcomes, increasing operational productivity, and enhancing crew well-being. With 66% of maritime incidents caused by human error, SAFEVUE.ai, the company's flagship solution, addresses the core of human factors by combining the Control of Work with crew well-being data to deliver near real-time safety intelligence on the edge. SOL-X recently signed a multiyear fleetwide agreement to partner with Eaglestar and meet the maritime industry's ever-increasing demands for operational and safety excellence. Chord X, a maritime data analytics company, is advancing ship management by utilizing sensors, data integration and analytics, machine learning, and human experts to achieve operational and emission efficiency in large maritime assets. Chord X provides predictive insights to customers, enabling them to take immediate corrective actions on their maritime assets' equipment and keeping their performance at its optimal best. Chord X measures and analyzes the emission footprint of maritime assets. It also provides an emission module that supports regulatory reporting compliance, enabling increased oversight over carbon tax with greater accuracy than current methods, and it is working toward providing insights for maritime asset operators to use and control in weighing operational decisions that impact the emission footprint of their maritime assets. Chord X achieves reduced asset operating expenditures, enhanced asset reliability, and cleaner combustion for maritime asset owners and operators. Spares CNX is reinventing the shipping supply chain by providing an automated inventory management solution that can track the life cycle of spare parts on shore and across the fleet. An integrated hardware and software solution, PROPELLER Ship, uses RFID, QR, and other imaging technologies to monitor the location and consumption of spares. Onboard vessel engineers follow the intuitive workflows that are built into the portable tablet as they perform their day-to-day operations. The device interacts with the pretagged spare parts, ensuring that accurate and complete information is captured at the time and place of work while data flows seamlessly to the existing PMS or ERP systems. The accompanying AI-driven analytics platform, PROPELLER Shore, empowers managers and procurement officers with actionable insights and recommendations for stock level optimization, rebalancing, and forward bulk procurement opportunities. With this unique approach, Spares CNX addresses an inventory inaccuracy problem that costs the global shipping industry up to $2 billion annually in spend leakage on spare parts, with massive second-order implications on day-to-day operations. In addition to the rich feature set in the market today, Spares CNX is building capabilities to address frictions around FIFO, consumable goods, onshore warehouse partner integrations, and many other areas. "We are proud to invest in these three digital start-ups, which in many ways allow us to explore available opportunities to harness the power of digitalization in the maritime industry. The challenges faced by the shipping industry brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic have forced us to rethink our approaches and operational practices," said Mr. Yee Yang Chien, President/Group CEO of MISC. "I believe that in order for us to move forward, we must be bold in exploring the endless opportunities to further improve operational excellence in various areas, including safety and process efficiency. I am confident about the prospects that the three digital ventures offer and that this partnership will enhance our contribution toward the sustainability of MISC Group's environmental, social, and governance agenda." Additional information about the co-investment by BCG Digital Ventures and MISC in Sol-X, Chord X and Spares CNX, can be found here. About BCG Digital Ventures BCG Digital Ventures is a corporate innovation, incubation, and investment firm. We invent, launch, scale, and invest in industry-changing new businesses with the world's most influential companies. Our diverse, multidisciplinary team of entrepreneurs, operators, and investors works cross-functionally, rapidly moving from paper to product to business in less than 12 months. Founded in 2014 as a subsidiary of Boston Consulting Group, we have Innovation Centers and satellite locations in four continents and continue to expand our footprint across the globe. About MISC MISC Berhad (MISC) was incorporated in 1968 and is a world-leading provider of international energy-related maritime solutions and services. The principal businesses of the Group comprise energy shipping and its related activities, owning and operating offshore floating solutions, marine repair and conversion, engineering and construction works, integrated marine services, port and terminal services, and maritime education and training. As of 31 December 2020, MISC Group's fleet consists of more than 100 owned and in-chartered vessels comprising Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Petroleum, and Product vessels, Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs), 14 Floating Production Systems (FPS), and two (2) LNG Floating Storage Units (FSUs). The fleet has a combined deadweight tonnage (dwt) capacity of more than 11 million tonnes. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005088/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] NewEdge Wealth Adds Three New Team Members to Support Ongoing Growth and National Expansion NewEdge Wealth, LLC, a registered investment adviser specializing in ultra-high-net-worth, family office and institutional clients, has appointed three new members to its rapidly growing team. Frank Ackerman joins as Senior Vice President, Susan Kim, CFA joins as Vice President and Relationship Manager, and Jason Fay joins as a Financial Advisor. Ackerman, Kim and Fay will support NewEdge's long-term growth strategy and provide direct support for the firm's ultra-high-net-worth client base. Ackerman brings nearly 40 years of experience in the financial services industry with extensive background in the hedge fund space. As a Senior Vice President, he will work closely with NewEdge clients in designing fixed income, alternative and equity-based investment strategies. Kim has over 15 years of experience in investment banking and is an advocate for women's financial empowerment. She plans to spearhead the NewEdge Women's Initiative, which will focus on advancing female voices and leaders within the financial services industry. Kim will serve as Vice President and Relationship Manager and will create comprehensive and customized wealth and financial plans for NewEdge clients. Fay holds over 20 years of experience in the financial services space with a focus on wealth strategy and relationship management. At NewEdge, Fay will cultivate new client relationships and advance the firm's mission of providing comprehensive wealth management solutions for its ultra-high-net-worth clients. "We maintain a steadfast focus on providing an exceptional experience for our lients that is rooted in superior service and quality advice," said John Straus, President of NewEdge Wealth. "Our success in meeting this goal has been harnessed by our team and alignment with the industry's brightest individuals. We are excited to bring this talented group on board and provide added support for our clients." NewEdge has grown rapidly since it was established, in partnership with EdgeCo Holdings, in December 2020. Most recently, the firm appointed Glen Mintz, an experienced portfolio manager, as a Managing Director to open its new office in Park City, Utah. Collectively, NewEdge is seeking to provide high-quality service, dynamic wealth management insight and expertise, and a customized experience for its client group. NewEdge Wealth is a division of NewEdge Capital Group, which currently has $26 billion in client assets. "NewEdge is at an exciting and pivotal period of growth, driven by our commitment to client service," said Rob Sechan, Managing Partner, Co-Founder of NewEdge Wealth. "We are exceedingly confident that our newest team members will propel our growth and are eager to leverage their respective insights and expertise for our clients." Ackerman and Fay will be based in NewEdge's Connecticut office, while Kim will split time between Connecticut and Southern California. All three team members joined NewEdge in the last month. About NewEdge Wealth NewEdge Wealth is a registered investment adviser designed to meet the needs of ultra-high-net-worth, family office and institutional clients. The firm was established in 2020 as the result of a partnership between EdgeCo Holdings and a four-person wealth management team comprised of Jeffrey Kobernick, Robert Sechan, Walter Granruth and John Straus, Jr. The firm provides comprehensive wealth and lifestyle management services for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. NewEdge Wealth is a division of EdgeCo Holdings. NewEdge Wealth, LLC, is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC (News - Alert) . Securities are offered through Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation, LLC. Member FINRA/SIPC. For more information, visit www.newedgewealth.com About EdgeCo Holdings Through its subsidiaries, EdgeCo Holdings is a leading provider of best-in-class technology-enabled solutions for financial intermediaries and their clients. For over four decades, EdgeCo companies have provided a suite of technology and support services including full-service retirement plan administration, brokerage, advisory, and trust and custody services to a diverse national client base of financial intermediaries. This client base includes registered representatives, investment advisors, and other financial intermediaries including retirement plan recordkeepers, TPAs, bank trust departments, broker dealers, and insurance companies. The firm services approximately $150 billion in client assets under custody or administration and more than 15,000 financial advisors and 500 financial institutions. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005181/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] MeridianLink Announces Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results Conference Call MeridianLink, Inc. (NYSE: MLNK) will release its second quarter 2021 financial results after market close on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, with a conference call and webcast to follow at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). MeridianLink Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results Conference Call Date: Tuesday, September 7, 2021 Time: 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET) Conference Call: (877) 284-4396 from the United States and Canada or (873) 415-0298 International with Conference ID 4917618 Webcast: ir.meridianlink.com; replay will also be archived on this website Telephone Replay: (800) 585-8367 from the United States and Canada or (416) 621-4642 International with Conference ID 4917618; available until 8:59 p.m. PT (11:59 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 About MeridianLink MeridianLink (NYSE: MLNK) is a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, specialty lending providers and consumer reporting agencies. Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, MeridianLink provides services to more than 1,900 customers, including a majority of the financial institutions on Forbes' 2020 lists of America's Best Credit Unions and Banks. Further information can be found at www.meridianlink.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005071/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Tauriga Sciences, Inc. Publishes Positive Mid-Quarter Update for its 2nd Fiscal Quarter 2022 (Period: July 1st - September 30th, 2021) The Companys E-Commerce and Retail Business Segments are Both Experiencing Strong Levels of Growth NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) (Tauriga or the Company), a New York based diversified Life Sciences Company, has today published a positive Mid-Quarter update for its 2ndFiscal Quarter 2022 (Period: July 1st September 30th, 2021). Over the past few weeks, the Company has acquired inventory for all of its new and enhanced products and product lines. The Company was materially affected by COVID-19 related production delays, between the months of May-July 2021. The Company was negatively affected by these delays, during its 1stFiscal Quarter 2022 (Period: April 1st June 30th, 2021). However, these substantial product delivery issues (relating to availability of inventory) are no longer adversely affecting the Company as of todays date. The Company has been able to operate at full capacity, since approximately August 1, 2021. The Company has already generated record Quarterly revenue (net revenue), in just the first 6 weeks of this Quarter. The Companys E-Commerce and Retail business segments are both experiencing strong levels of growth and demand. The Companys recent commercial launch of its enhanced Tauri-Gum product line (11 SKUs in Total) has accelerated revenue growth over the past 2 weeks. The Companys gross margins have continued to improve as well. The Company has been in discussions with a number of potential distributors, large retail customers, joint venture partners, international vendors, and professional athlete(s). The Company is confident in its ability to consummate agreements that have the potential create shareholder value. In addition, the Company has recently increased its product offerings on Amazon.com (Amazon) to include its Cherry Lime Rickey flavor 50mg Caffeine Infused Tauri-Gum. The Companys product sales on Amazon continue to increase as well. Amazon Link (Cherry Lime Rickey Tauri-Gum): https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Taurigum-Caffeine-Chewing-Gum/dp/B09C8YQ3TP/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Tauri-Gum+caffeine&qid=1629080403&sr8-5 Lastly, the Company is continuing to progress in its ongoing Pharmaceutical development efforts. This relates to the development of a proposed, Cannabinoid based, Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum - for nausea regulation (specifically designed for the following indication: Patients Subjected to Ongoing Chemotherapy Treatment). The Company expects to issue a comprehensive update on such efforts within the near term. ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES INC. Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, engaged in several major business activities and initiatives. The company manufactures and distributes several proprietary retail products and product lines, mainly focused on the Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) Edibles market segment. The main product line, branded as Tauri-Gum, consists of a proprietary supplement chewing gum that is Kosher certified, Halal certified, and Vegan Formulated (CBD Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Mint, Blood Orange, Pomegranate), (CBG Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Peach-Lemon, Black Currant), (DELTA 8 THC Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Evergreen Mint), (Vitamin C + Zinc Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Pear Bellini), (Caffeine Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Cherry Lime Rickey), & (Vitamin D3 Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Golden Raspberry). The Companys commercialization strategy consists of a broad array of retail customers, distributors, and a fast-growing E-Commerce business segment (E-Commerce website: www.taurigum.com). Please visit our corporate website, for additional information, as well as inquiries, at http://www.tauriga.com Complementary to the Companys retail business, is its ongoing Pharmaceutical Development initiative. This relates to the development of a proposed Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum, for nausea regulation (specifically designed for the following indication: Patients Subjected to Ongoing Chemotherapy Treatment). On March 22, 2021, the Company announced that it had Converted its U.S. Provisional Patent Application (filed on March 17, 2020) into a U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application. The Patent, filed with the U.S.P.T.O. is Titled MEDICATED CBD COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT. On December 18, 2020 the Company disclosed that it had entered into a Master Services Agreement with CSTI to lead the Company's clinical development efforts. The Company is headquartered in Wappingers Falls, New York. In addition, the Company operates two full time E-Commerce fulfillment centers: one located in Montgomery, Texas and the other in Brooklyn, New York. DISCLAIMER -- Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent managements beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as may, will, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, believes, or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on managements present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the Risk Factors section of Taurigas Form 10-K and other periodic filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Contact: Tauriga Sciences, Inc. 4 Nancy Court, Suite 4 Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Chief Executive Officer Mr. Seth M. Shaw Email: sshaw@tauriga.com cell # (917) 796 9926 Company Instagram: @taurigum Personal Instagram: @sethsms47 Twitter: @SethMShaw Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com Attachment A. Press Release August 16th [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Cindy Tindell, Appointed as Managing Director, Head of U.S. for Matrix Renewables MADRID, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Matrix Renewables, the TPG-backed global renewable energy platform, has announced the addition of Cindy Tindell to its executive team as Managing Director, Head of U.S. In her new position, Tindell will lead the strategy and execution of Matrix Renewable's growth in the U.S., building out a U.S.-based presence, aligned with corporate goals to develop, construct, acquire, and operate renewable energy and storage assets. Tindell joins an experienced management team that has come together over the past year with the support of The Rise Fund, TPG's global impact investing platform. Prior to joining Matrix Renewables, Cindy was Vice President of M&A at NextEra Energy. She held several diverse leadership positions at the company where she led investment decisions, managed P&L for multiple regions, helped develop a competitive transmission business as well as overseeing the development of Florida Power & Light's conventional and solar thermal fleet. Previously, she held a Vice President position in investment banking and served as an official at the U.S. State Department. Speaking of her new position, Tindell notes, "I'm delighted to undertake this new opportunity to work with the Matrix Renewables team. I'm looking forward to helping urther develop Matrix Renewables' global growth goals in the U.S. in promoting renewable and clean energy, backed by the sponsorship of The Rise Fund, TPG's global impact investing platform and a global climate and environmental leader." In recognition of Tindell's appointment, the Matrix Renewables Board issued a statement, "we are pleased to have Cindy join as the Head of the U.S. for Matrix Renewables. The US is a geography of strategic focus for growth of the business. Cindy brings decades of relevant sector experience that will be instrumental in Matrix building a significant presence in the U.S renewables market." Matrix Renewables was founded in 2020 and is supported by global alternative asset manager TPG and its impact investing fund The Rise Fund. Matrix currently has a significant solar and storage portfolio in operation, under construction, and at different phases of development in across Europe and Latin America. The organization plans to materially increase its presence in the U.S. over the coming months. About Matrix Renewables Matrix Renewables is a renewable energy platform created and backed by global alternative asset manager TPG and its more than $11 billion impact investing platform TPG Rise. Matrix Renewables' current portfolio is comprised of 1.5 GW of operational, under construction, or near ready-to-build solar PV projects and a further 3.2 GW pipeline of renewable energy projects under development, across Europe, US and LATAM. For more information, visit matrixreneweables.com or send an email to info@matrixrenewables.com For further information, please contact: Marina Dorado: +34 917 45 86 64, mdorado@webershandwick.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cindy-tindell-appointed-as-managing-director-head-of-us-for-matrix-renewables-301355897.html SOURCE Matrix Renewables [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Pasternack Launches New Series of Mechanically Tunable Waveguide Gunn Diode Oscillators IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pasternack, an Infinite Electronics brand and a leading provider of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, has released a new line of waveguide Gunn diode oscillators that are ideal for electronic warfare, electronic countermeasures, microwave radio systems, military and commercial communications systems and more. Pasternack's new mechanically tunable waveguide Gunn diode oscillators cover WR-90, WR-42 and WR-28 waveguide sizes and support X, K and Ka bands. All models in this line operate at 50 ohms and incorporate a mechanical tuning screw to fine tune the output frequency for specific applications. They deliver output power levels up to +18.5 dBm typical and utilize Indium Phosphide (InP) Gunn diodes that yield higher output power, higher efficiency and lower AM noise than GaAs counterparts. These waveguide Gunn diode oscillators feature compact package designs that are highly reliable and designe to meet MIL-STD-202 test conditions for shock, vibration, altitude and humidity. They are available in rugged compact package designs with operational temperature ranges from -40C to +85C. "Our new lineup of waveguide Gunn diode oscillators is truly innovative with desirable waveguide sizes covering popular frequency bands and utilizing InP semiconductor technology that yields higher output power with higher efficiency and lower AM noise. Plus, these models are available in-stock with no MOQ," said Tim Galla, Product Line Manager. Pasternack's new waveguide Gunn diode oscillators are in-stock and available for immediate shipment. For inquiries, Pasternack can be contacted at +1-949-261-1920. About Pasternack: A leader in RF products since 1972, Pasternack is an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer and supplier offering the industry's largest selection of active and passive RF, microwave, and millimeter wave products available for same-day shipping. Pasternack is an Infinite Electronics brand. About Infinite Electronics: Based in Irvine, Calif., Infinite Electronics offers a broad range of components, assemblies and wired/wireless connectivity solutions, serving the aerospace/defense, industrial, government, consumer electronics, instrumentation, medical and telecommunications markets. Infinite's brands include Pasternack, Fairview Microwave, L-com, MilesTek, ShowMeCables, NavePoint, INC Installs, Integra Optics, PolyPhaser, Transtector, KP Performance Antennas, RadioWaves & Aiconics. Infinite Electronics serves a global engineering customer base with deep technical expertise and support, with one of the broadest inventories of products available for immediate shipment. Press Contact: Peter McNeil Pasternack 17792 Fitch Irvine, Calif. 92614 (978) 682-6936 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pasternack-launches-new-series-of-mechanically-tunable-waveguide-gunn-diode-oscillators-301350287.html SOURCE Pasternack [August 16, 2021] Verizon Authorized Retailer CellOnly Expands Southward, Acquires 14 Locations Across Texas and Oklahoma AMARILLO, Texas, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verizon Authorized Retailer CellOnly today announced the acquisition of 14 Communication Connection locations across Texas and Oklahoma, bringing the retailers total footprint to 56 stores across the Midwest and beyond. Communication Connection stores in Amarillo, Borger, Childress, Dumas, Haskell, Hereford, Hudson Oaks, Mineral Wells, Pampa, Perryton, Shamrock, and Vernon TX as well as Elk City and Guymon, OK will now operate under the CellOnly brand. All 14 locations will retain local staff and management. We are pleased to welcome Communication Connections employees and leadership to our team and look forward to serving the new communities we call home, said Chief Operations Officer Anna Heeney. As a Verizon Authorized Retailer, CellOnly offers the nationwide power and dependability of Verizons top-rated service, plus the comfort of working with friendly professionals close to home. At CellOnly, customers can find the best wireless plan to fit their needs, plus shop the latest smartphones, tablets and smart watches from top manfacturers like Apple, Samsung, Google and more. CellOnlys sales associates are knowledgeable, professional and committed to helping every customer find the best products or service to suit their lifestyle, at the best value. When a guest visits a CellOnly location, they can expect extraordinary customer service, said VP of Sales Alex Hobbs. Customers leave our store with the best device and plan suited to their individual needs plus the confidence of knowing how to use their new product or service. We are honored to continue the legacy set by the Symons family and look forward to welcoming customers across Texas and Oklahoma in to experience the CellOnly difference. In addition to its Texas and Oklahoma stores, CellOnly operates locations in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.cell-only.com. About CellOnly CellOnly is a Verizon Authorized Retailer with locations throughout the Midwest and beyond, serving communities in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. In addition to cellular phones, tablets, wireless service, devices and accessories, CellOnly has built a reputation for exceptional customer service and an unmatched store experience. For more information, visit www.cell-only.com For more information, contact: Alex Hobbs (605) 275-5900 Alex.hobbs@cellonly.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Freshfields Appoints Sarah K. Solum as US Regional Managing Partner Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP has appointed Sarah K. Solum as its new regional managing partner for the United States. She succeeds Matthew Herman in the role. Freshfields' Senior Partner Georgia Dawson commented, "I am delighted that Sarah will be leading our US practice. Sarah's appointment is a powerful affirmation of our commitment to ensuring the firm is driven by a shared purpose and values, and diverse perspectives. Sarah is an exceptional lawyer, renowned in the market for her high energy and her outstanding client service, and I am proud to call her my partner." "Sarah is the ideal choice to lead us forward and continue our strong trajectory in the US. From day one, she has done a phenomenal job serving our clients, supporting our colleagues, and integrating into the fabric of our firm" added Alan Mason, Freshfields' US-based global managing partner. "She has been vital to the success of Freshfields' Silicon Valley office, bringing in diverse, top-tier lawyers and serving our tech and life sciences clients, for whom our ability to advise on complex M&A, global antitrust and other boardroom issues is critical to their strategies. In her new role, Sarah will play an even greater part in steering us into the future." Ms. Solum joined Freshfields in 2020 as a co-founder and managing partner of the firm's Silicon Valley office, a role she will continue to hold. She also serves as head of US capital markets, where she is widely recognized as a leading practitioner, ranked Band 1 by Chambers for equity, debt and convertible offerings. She has an active IPO practice, advising companies and their boards on the transition to public company status, including on public benefit corporation matters and bespoke founder governance structures, and represents a number of public companies. "I am privileged to serve Freshfields as regional managing partner in the US, where we are carrying on the firm's longstanding reputation for excellence and client service. Freshfields is both one of the world's largest global law firms and the most cohesive across practice areas and jurisdictions, which means we are uniquely positioned to serve clients on their most strategic, complex and sensitive matters," said Ms. Solum. "I look forward to working with my partners, our global leadership team and our entire firm to drive the firm's continued success for our clients and our people." ENDS About Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is a global elite law firm with a long-standing track record of successfully supporting the world's leading national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments on groundbreaking and business-critical mandates. Our 2,800-plus lawyers deliver results worldwide through our own offices and alongside leading local firms. Our commitment, local and multinational expertise, and business know-how means our clients rely on us when it matters most. Freshfields is ranked by Chambers Global in Band 1 across the six areas of antitrust, corporate/M&A, litigation, international arbitration, tax, and public international law. For more information visit Freshfields.us. This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005516/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] CloudLinux Appoints David Mello as Chief Experience Officer CloudLinux, Inc., the company behind the successful CloudLinux operating system widely used in the hosting community, has appointed Dave Mello to the position of chief experience officer (CXO). In this newly created role Mello is responsible for the strategy and execution of the customer experience and engagement journey with CloudLinux, and will lead teams including technical support, professional services and customer education. He will report directly to Igor Seletskiy, CloudLinux CEO, and serve alongside the broader CloudLinux executive team to design new programs and systems to improve customer relationships, retention, support, services and overall satisfaction. Dave Mello joins CloudLinux with more than two decades of executive leadership at preeminent technology firms in secure managed file transfer, cybersecurity and e-commerce. In his previous position at Globalscape, he served as executive vice president of technical services, leading all aspects of the pre- and post-sales customer technical experience, as well as having responsibility for product management, product marketing, and development. Under Mello's leadership Globalscape consistently achieved customer satisfaction rates in the 97th percentile, as well as NPS scores of 75+. Mello was a key member of the executive team at Globalscape, which was acquired last year. Prior to that as senior vice president of support and services for Kaspersky Lab (News - Alert) , he led the customer experience for both commercial and consumer business segments, growing services revenue by 122% over three years. His tenure there included designing and successfully launching the company's premium support offerings, achieving ISO 9001 certification, and cosistently winning industry awards such as the Technical Services Industry Association Certified Support Staff Excellence Award, the Stevie Award for Customer Service and the CRN Channel Sales award for Support and Service.. "Customers' expectations for exceptional service and support are increasing exponentially, so it was crucial for us to add to the CloudLinux executive team a strong CXO who can provide a thoughtful and complete customer perspective that informs executive decisions," said Igor Seletskiy. "Dave has an extensive and impressive track record in customer-facing roles for a variety of leading technology companies which - coupled with his passion for customer excellence - will be instrumental in leading us to achieve our vision of customer-centricity and success, helping our clients to optimize use of our products and services in order to extract the greatest possible value." "I'm excited to be a part of the CloudLinux executive team. It is a privilege to help set the strategy for this new role, especially given the remarkable recent success and growth of the company," said Mello. "The dynamic nature of technology is driving much-needed improvements in customer experiences. Successful organizations will not simply react but will proactively seek to learn from their customers in order to shape a mutually-beneficial - and profitable - relationship, particularly with larger enterprise customers. The establishment of 'a seat at the (executive) table' advocating and speaking for customers demonstrates that the CloudLinux leadership team understands this paradigm, and highly values their customers." This appointment comes at a time of unprecedented growth for CloudLinux, much of it based on the increasing momentum of its TuxCare brand, which offers a family of enterprise support services including live patching, extended lifecycle support and Linux support. TuxCare services are the umbrella offering of the CloudLinux family of enterprise support services which include live patching for critical components in the Linux stack, from the kernel all the way to widely-used shared libraries. This eliminates the need for lengthy and costly service disruptions while servers or services are restarted to install the latest security patches, and no longer requires a disruptive maintenance window. Also, with TuxCare Linux Support Services, regular patches and updates are delivered for all components of enterprise Linux systems, as well as 24/7 incident support -- even when systems are past their End-of-Life (EOL). About CloudLinux CloudLinux is on a mission to continually increase security, stability and availability of Linux servers and devices. Headquartered in Palo Alto (News - Alert) , California, CloudLinux Inc. develops a hardened Linux distribution, Linux kernel live security patching, extended support options for Linux, and web server security software used by enterprises, service providers, governments, and universities all over the world. CloudLinux has more than 4,000 customers and partners, more than 500,000 product installations globally, and dedicated analysts and developers that together have more than 450 years' worth of Linux experience along with a passion for delivering the best customer care. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005569/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] Nightingale College Celebrates Decade of Growth, Impact on Nursing Education Nationwide Nightingale College, a national leader in blended learning programs for nursing education, commemorates 10 years of operations during its annual Flame Forward! conference slated to be held Monday, Aug. 16 through Wednesday, Aug. 18. The annual conference inspires employees to strengthen their alignment with Nightingale's mission, vision and values through keynote speakers, breakout sessions, a gala event and awards ceremony, and much more. Additionally, the College's refreshed branding will be unveiled on the first day of the conference. A decade after its founding, focused on improving geographic, socioeconomic and demographic access to nursing education, the college has graduated more than 1,200 learners with associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. The college also has seen significant growth over the past year alone, with more than 600 new learners starting their nursing education journey in August, supported by close to 400 faculty and staff. "In the spirit of its mission fulfillment, Nightingale College has made a difference in nursing education with our innovative blended learning programs," said Mikhail Shneyder, MBA, RN, President and CEO of Nightingale College. "Our Flame Forward! conference brings us together to focus on delivering the most effective nursing education that offers flexibility in obtaining a degree while fulfilling the dreams of our learners to become nurses. We are excited for what the future holds for nursing education at Nightingale!" At the beginning of the pandemic, the college successfully pivoted to a new remote,blended learning education platform, supported by partnerships with healthcare organizations across the U.S. When nationwide shutdowns went into effect at the start of the pandemic, the college revamped its learning facilitation system to continue helping students progress in their education. Today's educational platform brings nursing education to students across the country so they may serve their local communities after graduation. The college will pilot AR/VR simulations, in partnership with Oxford Medical Systems and Oculus, in the fall semester to enhance the educational experience. Speakers Vallie Collins, Monday 3:15 p.m., Salt Palace Main Ballroom Vallie Collns will speak about being a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549 that landed in New York's Hudson River on January 15, 2009. Vallie will share the details and lessons of the 'Miracle on the Hudson' that will inspire and motivate. Wednesday 1:30 p.m. Meg Johnson, Wednesday afternoon, Salt Palace Main Ballroom Meg Johnson was paralyzed in a hiking accident when she was 22, but that hasn't stopped her from playing Murderball with the Utah Scorpions, competing in Ms. Wheelchair America and being a mom. Her fight to be happy led her to develop Happiness 101 in books and an online course. #FlameForward! About Nightingale College Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Nightingale College is a pioneer in distance learning for nursing education. The College offers programs with its accredited distance education for learners to earn associate's, bachelor's, and master's nursing degrees. Supporting the growing need for nurses and providing strategies to combat the nursing shortage, the College's programs work to develop and maintain a steady supply of homegrown nurses, with the help of local health care systems. Nightingale College emphasizes graduating future nurses who are confident, competent and compassionate. Since its establishment in 2010, the College has graduated more than 1,200 students and currently enrolls students across the nation, with supervised on-ground field experiences offered in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Ohio, Maryland, and Mississippi. To learn more about Nightingale College, its mission and programs, visit nightingale.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005163/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 16, 2021] FirePower Capital Provides Funding for Ubiweb FirePower Capital ("FirePower"), Canada's entrepreneurial lender, investor and M&A advisor, and Ubiweb Media, Inc. ("Ubiweb"), a Montreal-based web development and digital marketing service provider, are pleased to announce the closing of a term debt facility. These funds will be deployed to support Ubiweb's talent acquisition objectives and growth strategy. "I'm ecstatic to be working with FirePower, a partner that took the time to understand Ubiweb's business model," said Patrick Desrochers, Ubiweb's President and Co-Founder. "FirePower's non-dilutive investment in Ubiweb will assist us in further accelerating Ubiweb's growth. The facilities offered by FirePower will be dedicated to the expansion of Ubiweb's sales and operations teams, while continuing to assure the exceptional support of our existing clientele that we are known for." "We are excited to be partnering with Ubiweb as the company hires extensively to continue its North American expansion. The company's service-bsed business model has resulted in exceptional customer acquisition, alongside their tailor-made website solutions. We are very pleased to support Ubiweb through their next phase of growth," said Trevor Simpson, Associate Partner at FirePower Capital. About Ubiweb Media, Inc. Ubiweb Media, Inc. is a digital partner that meets all marketing needs and supports its customers in the management and growth of a business online. The company supports the design of a website, optimization, ad campaigns as well as through verticalized applications by industry. www.ubiweb.ca. About FirePower Capital FirePower Capital is the private capital and M&A advisory firm built for Canada's entrepreneurs. Its team of 40+ deal professionals helps their mid-market businesses complete mission-critical transactions, by advising them or by investing in their companies directly. For more information please visit www.firepowercapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005597/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Health is acting upon recent guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding an additional dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for moderately and severely immunocompromised individuals. On August 13, the CDC accepted ACIP recommendations for an additional dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. This includes approval for a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (approved for individuals age 12 years and above) and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (approved for individuals age 18 years and above). The recommendation from the CDC does not include approval for an additional dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Tennesseans should talk with their health care provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them. Based on the recommendations from the FDA and CDC, moderately and severely immunocompromised individuals, are defined as: Receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome) Advanced or untreated HIV infection Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response For more information on the CDCs recommendation for an additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is available online. A notification has been sent to all Tennessee providers with information on these recommendations. Providers are encouraged to begin offering the additional dose option to eligible patients. Visit www.Vaccines.gov to find a vaccine site offering the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Patients do not need to prove their diagnosis to be eligible for an additional vaccine dose. Local health departments across the state will be administering the additional dose option with no appointment necessary. Individuals seeking more information on the COVID-19 vaccines can visit covid19.tn.gov or www.vaccines.gov to schedule an appointment with a local vaccine provider. The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health. Connect with TDH on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @TNDeptofHealth! Submission Process and Requirements The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is pleased to announce the FY2022 Call for Research Needs Statements. Ideas are now being accepted for various research projects in Tennessee through the WebGrants application system. Access the WebGrants system at the following link: https://grants.tdot.tn.gov/index.do. Proposed Research Themes The Tennessee Department of Transportation is looking to research various topics during this call with a desire to sponsor innovative research projects. For this research cycle, the following themes and specific topic area have been identified: Research Themes Technology readiness for integration with current infrastructure - Implementation of research is the cornerstone of State DOT research programs, and future technologies need to be able to integrate readily with Tennessee's infrastructure. - Implementation of research is the cornerstone of State DOT research programs, and future technologies need to be able to integrate readily with Tennessee's infrastructure. Quality of Research - Research ideas should have measurable outcomes that prove its quality. This theme should be engrained in submissions or look at improving this idea directly. - Research ideas should have measurable outcomes that prove its quality. This theme should be engrained in submissions or look at improving this idea directly. Emerging and Enabling Transportation Technologies Implementation - Innovation needs to be focused on long-term applicability. Tennessee needs proven and adaptable innovations that will stand the test of time. - Innovation needs to be focused on long-term applicability. Tennessee needs proven and adaptable innovations that will stand the test of time. Security, Preservation, and Enhancement of the Existing System -Whether it is extreme weather events, natural deterioration, cyber threats, or anything in-between, TDOT works within the confines of its existing systems, which should be catered to through research ideas. -Whether it is extreme weather events, natural deterioration, cyber threats, or anything in-between, TDOT works within the confines of its existing systems, which should be catered to through research ideas. Organizational Transformation - Institutional knowledge and general knowledge management best practices and new methods. - Institutional knowledge and general knowledge management best practices and new methods. Multimodal Mobility Solutions Benefiting Safety and the Tennessee Economy - Mobility is ever-changing, and TDOT's greatest motivations for solving mobility problems comes down to the safety and economic benefits. Specific Topic Areas Aquatic Organism Passage as it relates to transportation. as it relates to transportation. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as it relates to planning. as it relates to planning. Resiliency as it relates to planning. Submission Guidance The following is required to complete a research need submission: Approved Webgrants Account Go to the WebGrants log in page: https://grants.tdot.tn.gov/index.do, select "Click here to Register," and follow the prompts. In-depth instructions can be found through the WebGrants Registration Instructions document. Once approved, log into WebGrants. Navigate to the Funding Opportunities section on the left-hand navigation menu. Click the FY 2022 Call for Research Needs Statements opportunity. Follow the prompts. Refer to the Research Idea Submission Instructions for an in-depth guide on the submission process. Submit the Research Needs Statement. Both the submitter and the Research Office will receive notification of the submission by automated email. Submitters external to TDOT are limited to two ideas each in order to both bring about the best ideas and to allow for timely review. Evaluation Process Once the submission period ends, the Research Office will organize research idea submissions by the Divisions the submitter selects for review. Please be as accurate as possible as to which Division(s) should review statements. If a project might not be very relevant to a Division selected, this can hurt the chances of its approval to move into the Request for Proposals process. Division Directors will be asked to review all research ideas most relevant to their Division. The ideas are rated on a 5-star scale. These reviews will then be submitted to the Research Oversight Task Force to further review and condense the pool down to 15-25 projects total, dependent on available funding. We anticipate that this process will take 4-6 weeks. Those submitting selected ideas will be notified. Any ideas that conclude in a completed research project with a final report will require that the idea submitter be acknowledged in the report. Proposal Deadline: September 27th, at 5:00pm CST. Hard copy and emailed submissions will NOT be considered. Expected Timeline Call for Research Needs Statements Submission: Open August 30th, 2021 Research Needs Statements due in WebGrants: Closes September 27th, 2021 Call for Proposals Submission: Open November 29th, 2021 For more information, please contact TDOT.Research@tn.gov.*All dates are subject to change. The United States just lost another war. There's a lot of ways to talk around this fact of life but the excuses are nothing more than politics and have very little to do with the real world. Another unfair truism . . . The defeat makes the entire Democratic Party look weak and Prez Biden doesn't seem like he's in charge of much given that he can't even control his dog. Of course hypocrite partisan "right-wing" scumbags are forgetting that Prez W. Bush started this losing fight with a dangerous religious fervor that set the U.S. down the impossible road of nation building. Nevertheless . . . The mightiest military the world has ever witnessed retreated from a collection of very mean goat herders who are seemingly celebrating their conquest by putting all of their women in potato sacks. The end game doesn't help Americans even as pundits attempt to spin the tragedy to the advantage of various demographic groups, superstitious sects or feeble ideologies. Tragic trends continue to advance, unabated . . . White dudes are deathly (and justifiably) afraid of a world where they're no longer #1. Even worse . . . Our activist friends seem willfully ignorant of how much freedom they enjoy in the United States and that their antics wouldn't last 10 minutes in any other country. For the record, NO LIVES MATTER IN CHINA and most Asian countries are pretty remarkably and openly racist. Meanwhile . . . Amid culture war and a constant struggle to garner attention on divergent media platforms . . . Very few people understand the horrific cruelty required to support this American house of cards. There was aand, at the very least, put the fear of God into the fake Afghan turncoat armyBut it looks like Prez Biden blinked. And so we're forced to endure a litany of Saigon references today. Meanwhile, all that TKC can think about is BILLIONS WASTED IN AFGHANISTAN. All of that cash could have built high-speed rail across the continental U.S., sparked space exploration, saved the manatees, given us an extra year before AOC's doomsday 12 year deadline OR paid off student loan debt for losers who mistakenly majored in communication studies and freed up a great deal of cash so that bloggers could buy more chicken wings for amicable, chubby 30-something blondes with low standards. Oh, the humanity. Accordingly, and amid the decline of Western Civilization, we share these links and resources in hopes that our blog community of brilliant video game chair generals can make sense of all this . . . President Biden, VP Harris avoid the cameras as Kabul falls to Taliban President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris avoided appearing on camera as Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban on Saturday and Sunday. Biden spent the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat, going on vacation as the situation worsened in Afghanistan. Sen. Marshall on Afghanistan: Biden White House 'continues to get it wrong' on foreign policy KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) --- U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall said Sunday's events in Afghanistan were caused by a "chaotic" pull out by the Biden Administration. "This White House continues to get it wrong every time on foreign policy," Marshall said. World leaders react as the Taliban take Kabul LONDON - World leaders have expressed their dismay and concern at the chaotic scenes coming from Kabul, Afghanistan, with the Taliban now effectively taking control of the country. Since the U.S. began winding down its Afghan operation, the Taliban - which seeks to enforce an austere version of Islamic law - has been seizing new territory on an almost daily basis. Chaotic scenes at Kabul airport as Afghans and foreign nationals flee Taliban Thousands of Afghans have amassed on the tarmac at Kabul's international airport in the hours following the Taliban's breach of the city. The chaotic scenes at Hamid Karzai International Airport Monday captured by news crews and cell phones convey a terror and desperate rush to escape the country, which was now been entirely overrun by Taliban militants in the lead-up to the complete departure of U.S. Biden administration struggles to project order as Taliban enters Kabul | CNN Politics President Joe Biden and his administration struggled Sunday to project order amid a race by American and other foreign personnel to evacuate Afghanistan as Taliban fighters entered Kabul. Afghanistan: US takes control of Kabul airport to evacuate staff from country There have been scenes of panic at Kabul airport as desperate residents try to flee following the seizure of the Afghan capital by the Taliban. Eyewitnesses told the BBC that at least three civilians died on Monday in the chaos at the airport, which is being secured by US troops. 'Were all of our sacrifices wasted?' War veterans react to stunning Afghanistan collapse 'Were all of our sacrifices wasted?' Veterans of Afghanistan war grapple with collapse at hands of Taliban Rebekah Sanderlin has never been to Afghanistan, and yet she says the war-torn nation of 39 million has "permeated every single part of our lives'' for the last two decades. Kansas City woman whose family fled from Afghanistan reflects on turmoil from U.S. withdrawal KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - The eyes of the world are on Afghanistan tonight as the government collapses while the United States withdrawals from the country, ending a 20 year campaign to transform the nation. Afghans around the world are mourning today, even right here in Kansas City. China's state media mocked the US withdrawal in Afghanistan, saying the Taliban takeover was 'more smooth than the presidential transition in the US' China's state media said the "power transition" in Afghanistan was smoother than the US presidential transfer of powers. The opinion was tweeted by Hu Xijin, the editor of the Global Times, part of China's state media. Hu referenced posts on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, that compared the Capitol riot to the Taliban's takeover. Biden team surprised by rapid Taliban gains in Afghanistan WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden and other top U.S. officials were stunned on Sunday by the pace of the Taliban's nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan, as the planned withdrawal of American forces urgently became a mission to ensure a safe evacuation. Worse Than Saigon | National Review In yielding Afghanistan to the Taliban, Joe Biden has engineered the worst foreign-policy disaster in a generation. W hile President Joe Biden cowers at Camp David, the Taliban are humiliating America. The retreat from Afghanistan is our worst foreign-policy disaster in a generation. 'Game over': Westerners rush to leave Kabul, rescue Afghans The chop of U.S. military helicopters whisking American diplomats to Kabul's airport punctuated a frantic rush by thousands of other foreigners and Afghans to flee to safety as well, as a stunningly swift Taliban takeover entered the heart of Afghanistan's capital. One last thing . . . We normally don't share stuff that we actually like . . . But . . . Given that we've seen the "Fall of Saigon" part deux and the U.S. is mired in economic inequity, racial hateration and a declining t-cell count amid plauge like some 1979 New York City disco queen who can't quite shake a persistent cough . . . This tune seems apropos and reminds us that societies rise and fall but the song remains the same . . . Developing . . . AND WE'RE BACK!!! In this morning news collection we're sharing just a few links inspired by hottie Irina and her newsworthy body of work as we check pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check-it . . . Crashing Into Monday Person in critical condition after hit by car near downtown Kansas City KANSAAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -- The Kansas Highway Patrol and Kansas City, Kansas police are investigating after a pedestrian was struck. It happened at 4:30 a.m. Monday on eastbound Interstate 70 just past Fairfax Trafficway. The two left lanes of I-70 at that location are closed due to the investigation. Not Yet Derailed Canadian National, Kansas City Southern CEOs keep up push for $33B deal - Kansas City Business Journal Kansas City Southern's board may have delayed a shareholder vote on a proposed sale of the company, but the push to keep the deal rolling isn't slowing down. KC Southern CEO Patrick Ottensmeyer and Canadian National Railway Co. CEO JJ Ruest will appear together Tuesday as part of a conference scheduled by Deutsche Bank. East Side Burns Overnight Firefighters battle apartment fire at 11th, The Paseo KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Firefighters are battling a two-alarm apartment fire. The call came out just before 5 a.m. Monday morning at a three-story apartment building located at East 11th Street and The Paseo. When firefighters arrived on the scene smoke was coming from both the third and second floors. Thigh High Fashion Statement Irina Shayk sizzles in over-the-knee PVC boots as she drinks neat gin in Ibiza THE thigh's the limit for Irina Shayk in these PVC boots. Model Irina reclined on a sofa and sipped a neat gin while on holiday in Ibiza. Earlier in the day she'd worn the over-the-knee heels with a lime green bikini as she soaked up the sun by a private pool. Former Prez Not Making It Better Trump calls on Biden to 'resign in disgrace' over crisis in Afghanistan Former President Donald Trump Sunday called on President Joe Biden to "resign in disgrace" over his handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and other issues. "It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan, along with the tremendous surge in COVID, the Border catastrophe, the destruction of energy independence, and our crippled economy," the former president wrote in a statement. Fear The Minority Report Early indicators suggest Democrats' House majority is in jeopardy WASHINGTON - Democrats with proven track records of winning tough districts aren't running for re-election. Republicans are enjoying early fundraising windfalls. And, as Donald Trump and Barack Obama both learned the hard way, midterm elections almost always break against the president's party. Cancel Rent Fight Ahead Landlords turn to appellate court to block CDC's latest eviction moratorium Landlord groups challenging the Biden administration's eviction moratorium are now turning to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to try to block the extension of the moratorium. Plague Ramps Up US could see 200,000 Covid cases a day again: 'Unvaccinated are sitting ducks' The US could soon see Covid-19 cases return to 200,000 a day, a level not seen since among the pandemic's worst days in January and February, the director of the National Institutes of Health warned on Sunday. No Everybody Can Be A Princess 'Out of touch' Meg HUMILIATED as 'rubbish' mentoring plan totally flops SINCE leaving the Royal Family, Meghan Markle has embarked on a number of ventures she claims will help women around the world. But her recently launched mentoring programme is just one of several that appears to have flopped, not because it isn't a worthy cause, but because the Duchess of Sussex made the project "all about her", an expert has claimed. Eat Out Indian Style In Oakview, Missouri, Buddha Belly Chef blends Indian-inspired flavors and burgers on one menu In the Kansas City metro area, chef Josh Dillon has finally brought all of his favorite flavors together under one roof. Buddha Belly Chef opened in July in Oakview, Missouri, serving a menu of both Asian-fusion dishes and burgers. Dillon first started cooking in 2010 at a southern Indian restaurant with some friends after being laid off from a previous job. Dead-Tree Real Estate Reporting Rotting 'raccoon house' abandoned by former Kansas City Chiefs star sells for $278K Neighbors are shocked at the price the miserable house sold for. With rotted wood and water damage, with soffits collapsed under the weight of raccoon feces, an Overland Park home belonging to, but long-abandoned by, former Kansas City Chiefs star Tony Richardson has sold for $278,000, county records show. Monday According To Katie Fall-like morning, summer afternoon Monday Hide Transcript Show Transcript FALL LIKE FOOTBALL FEEL. KATIE: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL AUTNUM LIKE MORNING. WILL BE A SUMMER AFTERNOON WITH THE TEMPERATURES RHTIG WHERE TH HEYOW ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR. WE GET EVEN HOTTER THAN NORMAL IN A FEW DAYS. ENJOY THIS IF YOU FIND THIS PLEASA.NT 67 DEGREES, SOUTHEAST WINDS 9 MILES AN HOUR. Black Eyed Peas, Saweetie, Lele Pons - HIT IT is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. One of our favorite local writers broke this story a few weeks ago . . . Now it's gaining momentum. Here's the recap from a worthwhile NYC tabloid . . . "When he gave notice to the Comanche Elementary School in Overland Park, school district officials said hed have to pay a $1,000 liquidation penalty for resigning after a specific deadline in his contract." His Go Fund Me has already raised $20K. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . . Austria/Vienna reopens for British guests! A moment for the spontaneous ones? There are worries that situation could worsen by end of September. Austria was moved to the British green list, Sunday 8 August. Entry requirements for Brits entering Austria starting 15 August 2021: New regulations coming into force on 15 August 2021, the United Kingdom is no longer considered a virus variant area. Austria has removed the general entry ban for travellers arriving from the UK. Either proof of vaccination, proof of recovery from COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test result must be presented upon entry into Austria. Fully vaccinated people no longer have to self-isolate. The following people are exempt from quarantine and registration requirements (among others): 1) persons who enter as part of regular commuting - to attend school or university - for family purposes or to visit a partner. 2) persons who can present a vaccination certificate, given that 14 days have passed after the last dose necessary for a full vaccination, as well as people who can present a medical certificate which confirms full vaccination. For full information see: Vienna Waits for You Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal assures that the land market continues to function in a routine mode, smoothly and without conflicts. The number of registered transactions exceeded 6,500. "The land market continues to operate in a routine mode, smoothly and without conflicts. The number of registered transactions has already exceeded 6,500. Everyone can exercise the right to freely dispose of land, and the growing number of transactions proves that the market is efficient, transparent and operates for the benefit of Ukrainian citizens," the Head of Government posted on Facebook, commenting on the economic results of the week. The Prime Minister also noted that the Government had adopted two important documents creating additional tools to support small farms. The first mechanism involves compensations to farmers for losses due to possible damage to crops. "For example, if a farmer loses a significant part of winter or grain crops due to drought, they will be able to receive the state support of UAH 4,700 per hectare. This will protect small farmers from unforeseen emergencies. The program will apply to farms smaller than 50 hectares," Shmyhal said. He added that a mechanism had been established to provide a budget subsidy of up to UAH 5,000 per hectare to buckwheat producers with a limit of 300 hectares of land cultivated by one recipient. "The program aims to boost the potential for buckwheat production to ensure domestic consumption and to increase export potential in the long run," the Prime Minister wrote. As reported, on July 1, 2021, the land market was officially launched in Ukraine. Until 2024, only natural persons and citizens of Ukraine will be able to buy agricultural land with a limit of 100 hectares. The land market law prohibits foreigners from buying land. The issue of selling land to stateless persons and foreigners will be decided on a national referendum. ol The Ukrainian delegation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Strategic Industries Oleh Urusky, will visit the IDEF 2021 defense exhibit which will be held in Turkey on August 17-20. Thats according to a report by the Ministry of Strategic Industries, seen by Ukrinform. During the visit, a number of official meetings have been scheduled with heads of Turkish government agencies and leading Turkish and other foreign defense companies. Also, the delegation will see the latest models of weapons and military equipment presented at IDEF 2021. "The IDEF International Defense Industry Fair 2021 will be held in Istanbul under the auspices of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Turkey with the organizational support of the Ministry of Defense, the Turkish Armed Forces, and TUYAP," the statement said. The joint exposition of the state-owned Ukroboronprom defense conglomerate, organized by SE Ukrspetsexport, will feature products of Ukrainian defense companies the Skif anti-tank guided missile system, Vilkha guided propelled rocket, Kvitnyk-E guided homing projectile with automatic laser aiming, Neptun R-360 cruise missile, and others. Ukraine will also showcase prototypes of the 1760KR composite floating dock with a submarine, the Bohomol rocket artillery boat, the Kaira-150 multifunctional boat, etc. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the largest defense exhibition, annually held in Turkey with the participation of hundreds of defense companies from around the globe, was postponed from May to August due to coronavirus restrictions. im Speaker of the Senate George Furey will officially represent Canada at the Crimea Platform summit in Kyiv on August 23. "We have received official confirmation that Speaker of the Senate of Canada George Furey will arrive in Kyiv to take part in the Crimea Platform summit and mark the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence," Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Andriy Shevchenko told Ukrinform. The presence of high-ranking Canadian politicians at the Crimea Platform summit was called into question due to the likely early parliamentary elections in Canada in September as Canada banned participation of politicians running in international events during the election campaign. However, members of the Senate of Canada are not elected by popular vote but are appointed by the decision of the Prime Minister, so senators are not subject to this restriction. After the parliament is dissolved and before a new government is formed, the speaker of the Senate is the highest political position in the country. 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. The Crimea Platform is expected to be presented at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. ol The Constitutional Court of Ukraine is operating "absolutely fine" so there were no grounds for allegations of a negative impact on its work by the removal of its head, Oleksandr Tupytsky, says President's Representative to the CCU, MP Fedir Venislavsky. The comment came as Venislavsky spoke with Ukraine 24 TV on August 15, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "There were many insinuations that the Constitutional Court had been paralyzed as political opponents accused the President of blocking its work because he removed Mr. Tupytsky... Today the Constitutional Court is working perfectly fine, there is no crisis in the Constitutional Court as Acting CCU Chairman Deputy Chairman Mr. Holovaty successfully manages CCU work. So there is no reason to say that the absence of Mr. Tupytsky has a negative impact on the activities of the Constitutional Court," Venislavsky said. In this context, he reminded that in June-July, the CCU made what he said was a historic decision on the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language, as well as on the restoration of social guarantees for "Chornobyl victims," as well as a number of other important decisions. Venislavsky also noted that the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court has sufficient legal grounds to declare legitimate the Decree of President Volodymyr Zelensky on canceling the appointment of Oleksandr Tupytsky as a CCU judge. As reported earlier, on December 29, 2020, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree removing Tupytsky from the post of a CCU judge for a period of two months. On February 26, the President extended Tupytsky's suspension for another month. On March 27, 2021, Zelensky revoked the decrees of ex-president Viktor Yanukovych on the appointment of Oleksandr Tupytsky and Oleksandr Kasminin as CCU judges. He noted that Yanukovych's decrees of 2013 on the appointment of Tupytsky and Kasminin had been revoked following the audit of the ex-president's decrees, run to implement the decision of the National Security and Defense Council. Dismissed judges appealed the President's decree to the Supreme Court. The Administrative Court of Cassation with the Supreme Court declared unlawful the Presidential Decree of March 27, 2021, which revoked Yanukovychs decree to appoint Oleksandr Tupytsky a CCU judge. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, told Ukrinform an appeal would be filed against the ruling. im Ukrainian diplomatic missions in Tajikistan and Pakistan are monitoring the situation in Afghanistan, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said. "In the current situation in Afghanistan, I instructed our embassy in Islamabad to strengthen our colleagues in Dushanbe. Now two Ukrainian diplomatic missions - in Tajikistan and Pakistan - are monitoring the situation and are ready to help citizens," Kuleba wrote on his Twitter account. On the morning of August 15, 2021, Taliban fighters surrounded Kabul and began entering the Afghan capital without a fight. The Taliban have said they control all of Afghanistan. The spokesman for the Taliban's political office, Mohammad Naeem, said the war in Afghanistan was "over" and added that no diplomatic organization had been targeted. The United States and a number of EU countries started evacuating their embassy staff from Kabul. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that a Ukrainian plane had flown 80 people, including eight Ukrainians, out of Kabul. The UN Security Council will hold an extraordinary meeting on the situation in Afghanistan on August 16. op We keep observing the reaction of Russias foreign ministry and propaganda mouthpieces The founding of the Crimea Platform as a permanent venue was an extremely accurate and timely decision the Ukrainian authorities and diplomacy made. This is like a "Pinned Post" option on social media. Everything else may go hand in hand, in parallel lines, while this topic will remain a constant, showing that Ukraine has not accepted and will never accept the occupation of its peninsula and that it will not allow the process of "creeping recognition" of the occupation to go on. IF THEY CANT OFFER A RESPONSE, THEY TRY TO MARGINALIZE THE INITIATIVE Over a little less than a year into the announcement of the Crimea Platform initiative, Moscow by and large failed to offer a systemic, strong response. The episodes of Kremlin's reaction were agitated, as well as quite expected. First of all, of course, it was about repeating, again and again, Vladimir Putin's mantras that "the issue of Crimea has been closed for good." And most often this narrative was put in the mouths of Crimea-based collaborators. Another option was the Kremlin's vow to draw rough conclusions over international support for the Crimea Platform. And the first efforts to this end have been taken as Moscow directly intimidated several hesitating governments to make sure they dont send their official to Kyiv on August 23. And heres a peculiar detail In early July, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said in an interview he didnt want to disclose the list of countries that had already agreed to take part in the Crimea Platform initiative. This seems to be in order not to help Russias intelligence... Four days later, Russias SZR intelligence service decided to respond to the statement. The agencys spox said Russian intelligence was not investigating members of the Crimea Platform. Dmytro Kuleba But it is worth looking into how exactly the SZR press office chief Sergey Ivanov substantiated his statement: Don't be naive, Minister Kuleba [...]Do you want us right now to name the countries willing to join this Platform? But we wont because everything is already known. So why mention Russias SZR if everything is clear as day? Trust me, Russian spies have much more important things to do today." Ivanov also recalled that at last years 75th UN General Assembly, President Zelensky announced the creation of the Crimea Platform and voiced invitations, including to the EU, the United States, Britain, Canada, and Turkey. And then Ivanov added that the media had reported of high-ranking officials from Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia who dont mind making a visit and talking Crimea." Sergey Ivanov Isnt it strange that an intelligence press chief first says were not engaged in this and then he goes "we can name all participants if you wish and offers a detailed account of the current progress? Needless to say, nowadays, intelligence analysts get much of the required information from open sources. So why try to dismiss Kulebas statement as naive? And, by the way, what was that with his sexist remarks addressing Kulebas first deputy, Emine Dzheppar, calling her "naive charming first deputy?" In fact, Russia has no other response options. The only thing left is to try to ridicule and marginalize the event. SO WAS IT LAVROV'S FOREIGN VISIT TO CRIMEA? THATS WHAT THEY SAID! Thus, Russia's reaction to the Crimea Platform initiative in the external arena was rather harsh and outraged, but for domestic information consumers, it was pretty sluggish. Only in late July and early August, just a few weeks ahead of the inaugural summit and after the name of the U.S. official to attend the event was revealed (it will be Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg) that Russia somewhat revived its public response efforts. Pete Buttigieg/ Photo: DPA But then again, nothing interesting or new here. Chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Leonid Slutsky, said the Crimea Platform was a "populist and stillborn format in terms of results." Simultaneously, the head of a similar committee in the Federation Council, Grigory Karasin, branded the idea of the Platform "large-scale and provocative" (thanks for the scale though). In turn, Russian propaganda media, less burdened with diplomatic regulations, once again flashed out a range of homophobic remarks targeting Pete Buttigieg. And then on Thursday, at last, came a higher level reaction. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited a youth forum in occupied Crimea, he personally addressed the Crimea Platform. However, the meeting kicked off with a blunder. Russias top diplomat had to correct the presenter, twice. At first, when he said the Russian foreign minister was on his first Crimea visit. "No, its not my first time here!" Lavrov said. Then the presenter, trying to correct himself, approached the issue from the other side: "First official visit?" And that was a really awkward moment for Lavrov because such terminology is used when a foreign minister is on a foreign trip. So here the presenter was exactly right (despite him being loyal to the occupation authorities, it was probably the subconscious: in Crimea, people dont perceive Lavrov as one of their kind). "Im not on an official visit now," Lavrov reacted sharply. This is our country. We dont travel around our country with official visits." So it was a fly in the ointment for Russias diplomacy chief. Sergei Lavrov And then came the aria of the official "high guest". Honestly, every time you listen to such things, you still get bewildered: how can these serious adults apply such rotten Soviet-era phraseology with a poker face? "In a week, another Sabbath will take place the Crimea Platform, where the West will continue to nurture the neo-Nazi, racist sentiments of the incumbent Ukrainian government." Straight from a Soviet newspaper some half a century ago... But the man is absolutely serious, and he is channeling these narratives onto youngsters who are oblivious of the Soviet propaganda cliches. WE CAN PREDICT WHAT RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA WILL BE SPINNING ON AUGUST 23 Lavrov's address during his trip to the occupied Crimea actually forms of a plot, consisting of three acts. Act 1: "Shamefully Western. This is an explanation of why the Western powers position on Crimea is "shameful." Lets follow his argument: "When the referendum took place, with our support, of course, because the servicemen from our military base ensured order, and thanks to them it (the vote ed.) saw no bloodshed, we were suddenly told: You have annexed Crimea. So this is exactly the shameful position by our Western partners (by the way, its not only Western" powers who share this opinion but most countries across the world ed.) who encouraged this coup (as Russian officials label Ukraines Revolution of Dignity ed.)". However! What an interesting idea, indeed, Lavrov has about the legality of a referendum as such: it saw no bloodshed," period. It appears that no other parameters are required to recognize the poll as legitimate. So much for the Kremlins perception of law... Act 2: Belarusian. Responding to Lukashenko's recent reflections, where he allegedly recognized occupied Crimea as Russian territory (spoiler alert: he didnt), Lavrov applied some proven tricks by the Sophists, trying to "prove" that no separate recognition of Russian Crimea is needed from the Belarusian dictator: "We have a Union State Treaty with Belarus, it has been in place since 1999. According to this treaty, the territory of the Union State is the territory of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, in accordance with their legislation. Our legislation says the Republic of Crimea is part of the Russian territory so it is also part of the Union State we have with our Belarusian friends." And thats where it gets interesting if looking closely into the statement. After all, within the framework of the "Union State", Lavrov put the annexed region, Crimea, and the supposedly sovereign Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko, on the same board. I wonder if Mr Lukashenko will somehow react to this. Or perhaps hell pretend he didn't notice Act 3: Paradoxically Western. The plot actually loops the initial statement. It turns out that the West doesnt recognize Crimea in order to ... bring Russia out of balance. Theres not much to say, really, about the assumption. But what an imagination flow: "All of them (Western powers ed.) are well aware that Crimea is Russian, and now, only to throw us off balance, theyre trying to play up openly racist, neo-Nazi-type actions and plans of the incumbent Kyiv regime." It seems that all this isnt some random mind game by the Russian minister. In fact, this will be the main outline of Russian propaganda flow on August 23, on the day the inaugural summit of the Crimea Platform is held. It might be not too convincing, but its still better than nothing, Moscow apparently believes. And heres another observation: it is very difficult for Moscow to even talk about the Crimea Platform as such. Thats why they link the initiative to either the "neo-Nazi Kyiv regime" or Lukashenko's statements on Crimea. It's like "dandelion wine" if you do not add a few raisins (albeit moldy) therell be no fermentation. Oleh Kudrin, Riga im On Monday, the Rostov-on-Don Southern Military District Court sentenced four defendants in the Hizb ut-Tahrir Alushta case. "The court, represented by presiding judge Roman Saprunov, rejected all motions filed by defense and sided with the prosecution, sentencing Crimean Tatars to 12-18 years in a maximum security penal colony," Crimean Solidarity posted on Facebook. In particular, Ruslan Mesutov was sentenced to 18 years in a maximum security penal colony, Lenur Khalilov 18 years, Eldar Kantemirov 12 years, Ruslan Nahayev 13 years. They will also face one-year restriction of liberty after release. On June 10, 2019, the men were detained after searches of their houses and have been in prison ever since. All of them are charged with belonging to an Islamic political party, which has been banned in Russia since 2003. The organization operates without restrictions at the level of national legislation in the territory of Ukraine and most countries of the world. Ruslan Nahayev was engaged in business activities in Alushta, Lenur Khalilov was the leader and founder of the Muslim community "Alushta", and Ruslan Mesutov worked in it as a security guard. Eldar Kantemirov graduated from the Kyiv Islamic University. According to the case files, the defendants did not have weapons, explosives, ammunition, did not plan to commit a terrorist act, and did not call on others to commit terrorist acts. On July 18, 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on Russia to release all Ukrainian political prisoners, including defendants in this criminal case. ol Turkey is one of the most active supporters of the Crimea issue in the international arena. "Turkey is one of the most active supporters of the Crimea issue in the international arena," First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar said in a comment to Anadolu Turkish state news agency on the eve of the Crimea Platform summit. The deputy minister stated that Ukraine hoped to intensify international efforts to liberate the peninsula with the help of the Crimea Platform. "The occupation of Crimea remains an open wound for Ukraine and an example of the fragility of the world security system. This unprecedented problem of international security requires intensive national and international efforts and mechanisms to address this issue," the politician said. Dzheppar explained that the Crimea Platform was a new tool for coordinating international efforts to ensure the territorial integrity of Ukraine, aiming to return the issue of Crimea to the international agenda. "Promoting policy of non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea, strengthening the effect of sanctions, protecting human rights and freedoms in the temporarily occupied Crimea which limits the militarization of the peninsula. This will be a priority," Dzheppar said. According to her, the Crimea Platform summit in August will mark the main activity. The summit is expected to be held in a political dimension every two or three years to evaluate the results of activities and determine future goals. 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. The Crimea Platform is expected to be presented at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. ol Ambassador of Ukraine to Hungary Liubov Nepop considers it necessary to remember the centuries-old history of Ukraines struggle for independence in order to stop Russias attempts to identify our country only as a part of the post-Soviet space. Ambassador Nepop shared her thoughts in an interview with the Budapest Times newspaper on the eve of the 30th anniversary of Ukraines Independence Day. According to the Ambassador, it is important to remember that Ukraine restored, not received its independence in 1991 when some people are still trying to present Ukraine as a young state and Ukrainians as a newly created nation, or even more as one that does not exist, being only a part of one nation with Russians. The Ukrainian state, despite its relatively short recent history, has deep historical roots which go to the era of Kyiv Rus and even deeper, connecting us with the Trypillian culture, which was one of the oldest cultures in the world and existed in the territory of modern Ukraine," Nepop emphasized. Freedom and independence were not given to Ukrainians as a gift in 1991, the Ambassador underscored. Ukrainians were fighting for this for centuries. The Ambassador mentioned the establishment of the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1917, the Holodomor of 1932-1933, the victims of World War II, and the struggle of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army against the Nazi and Soviet regimes. It is important to remember all these facts to finally stop the practice whereby some people are still trying to identify Ukraine as a part of the mythical post-Soviet space, not wanting to acknowledge that our countrys membership in the Soviet Union was not our wish and it was just one episode in our centuries-old history, she said, emphasizing that such a post-Soviet approach just nourishes Moscows desire to justify the theory of its sphere of influence. Last month, Russian president Vladimir Putin published a propaganda article On the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians which directly refutes the right of Ukrainians to declare independence and pursue independent foreign policy. ol The Appeals Chamber of Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) is considering a complaint filed by the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) against the selection of a measure of restraint for Mykola Chaus, a former judge of the Dniprovsky District Court of Kyiv. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, an SAP prosecutor asked the court to choose a measure of restraint for the ex-judge in the form of detention without the right to post bail. On August 4, HACC placed Chaus under round-the-clock house arrest. In August 2016, detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau exposed Chaus for receiving a $150,000 bribe. In September 2016, the Verkhovna Rada upheld the Prosecutor General's Office's request for consent to detain the judge and hold him in custody. However, Chaus fled Ukraine and was hiding in Moldova. On April 3, 2021, Chaus's lawyer, Yulian Balan, said a group of unidentified gunmen had abducted Chaus in central Chisinau. On July 30, a number of Ukrainian media outlets reported that fugitive ex-judge Chaus surfaced in a village in Vinnytsia region. A resident of the village of Mazurivka allegedly told police that Chaus had been spotted in the area. The police detained the ex-judge before the latter was allegedly "intercepted" by SBU operatives who drove him away. Later, the SBU stated that SBU agents did not "kidnap" Chaus, but acted within the law and their powers, as they are investigating the kidnapping of the ex-judge and his illegal transportation across the state border. op The Appeals Chamber of Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has left Mykola Chaus, a former judge of the Dniprovsky District Court of Kyiv, under round-the-clock house arrest, the court's press secretary, Karyna Stoika, has told Ukrinform. "The HACC's Appeals Chamber has upheld the trial court's judgment," she said. Accordingly, the court dismissed the request by a prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office to choose a measure of restraint for Chaus in the form of detention without the right to post bail. On August 4, HACC placed Chaus under round-the-clock house arrest. In August 2016, detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau exposed Chaus for receiving a $150,000 bribe. In September 2016, the Verkhovna Rada upheld the Prosecutor General's Office's request for consent to detain the judge and hold him in custody. However, Chaus fled Ukraine and was hiding in Moldova. On April 3, 2021, Chaus's lawyer, Yulian Balan, said a group of unidentified gunmen had abducted Chaus in central Chisinau. On July 30, a number of Ukrainian media outlets reported that fugitive ex-judge Chaus surfaced in a village in Vinnytsia region. A resident of the village of Mazurivka allegedly told police that Chaus had been spotted in the area. The police detained the ex-judge before the latter was allegedly "intercepted" by SBU operatives who drove him away. Later, the SBU stated that SBU agents did not "kidnap" Chaus, but acted within the law and their powers, as they are investigating the kidnapping of the ex-judge and his illegal transportation across the state border. Chief of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland Michal Dworczyk has said that Ukraine will receive 650,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Tuesday, August 17. According to Radio Poland, the head of the Polish Government Agency for Strategic Reserves (RARS), Michal Kuczmierowski, in turn, said that the prices for the vaccines resold by Poland were not disclosed. "There is a rule not to lose and not to earn. Some countries cover the costs of transport, which we organize," he added. Kuczmierowski stressed that the resale of vaccines was a huge international logistics campaign. According to the report, Poland has so far sent Pfizer vaccines to Spain and Portugal, and Moderna vaccines to Norway. Lithuania on August 4 sent the first 54,000 doses of the Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca) to Ukraine -- out of 131,000 doses that it plans to donate. op Some 400,000 Afghans have been forced from their homes since the beginning of the year. UNHCR/Edris Lutfi UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is alarmed by the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan today. As widespread fighting intensifies, the United Nations in Afghanistan continues to call for a permanent ceasefire and a negotiated settlement in the interests of the Afghan people. The human toll of spiraling hostilities is immense. The United Nations Assistance Mission has warned that without a significant de-escalation in violence, Afghanistan is on course to witness the highest ever number of documented civilian casualties in a single year since the UNs records began. We are particularly worried about the impact of the conflict on women and girls. Some 80 per cent of nearly a quarter of a million Afghans forced to flee since the end of May are women and children. Nearly 400,000 were forced from their homes since the beginning of the year, joining 2.9 million Afghans already internally displaced across the country at the end of 2020. Ongoing fighting has been reported in 33 of Afghanistans 34 provinces. The overwhelming majority of Afghans forced to flee remain within the country, as close to their homes as fighting will allow. Since the beginning of this year, nearly 120,000 Afghans have fled from rural areas and provincial towns to Kabul province. UNHCR is urging the international community to urgently step up its support to respond to this latest Afghanistan displacement crisis. Our teams, as part of the broader UN effort, has assessed the needs of almost 400,000 internally displaced civilians this year. Responding initially to the most critical priorities, we are providing food, shelter, hygiene and sanitary kits and other lifesaving assistance, together with partners. UNHCR is calling on countries neighbouring Afghanistan to keep their borders open in light of the intensifying crisis in Afghanistan. An inability to seek safety may risk innumerable civilian lives. UNHCR stands ready to help national authorities scale up humanitarian responses as needed. In the context of generalized insecurity in many parts of Afghanistan, it is increasingly clear that Afghans outside of the country may have international protection needs. UNHCR calls for all states to ensure they are able to seek safety, regardless of their current legal status. Given the dramatic escalation in conflict, UNHCR welcomes the actions now taken by several states to temporarily halt deportations of failed asylum-seekers and ensure access to asylum procedures. For more information on this topic, please contact: In Bangkok, Catherine Stubberfield, [email protected], +66 65 929 8062 In Geneva, Shabia Mantoo, [email protected], + 41 79337 7650 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter (@fidahassanain) The Finance Minister in his meeting with Canadian High Commissioner Wendy Gilmour says Canada is one of the major development partners of Pakistan and both countries have long-standing and multidimensional ties. LAHORE: (UrduPoint / UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 16th , 2021) Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin has stressed the need to further strengthen business and economic linkages with Canada. Talking to Canadian High Commissioner Wendy Gilmour who called on him in Islamabad on Monday, the Finance Minister said Canada is one of the major development partners of Pakistan and both countries have long-standing and multidimensional ties. The Finance Minister briefed the Canadian High Commissioner about the recent economic developments and initiatives. He said enhancing revenue collection, boosting exports, increasing remittances, and making the energy sector sustainable are the foremost priorities of the current government. The Canadian High Commissioner informed the Finance Minister that the Canadian Business Community sees great investment potential in wind-power generation, power transmission systems as well as mining sector in Pakistan. She said government's support in these areas will attract Canadian investors to bring their businesses to Pakistan. The Finance Minister on this occasion, assured the Canadian High Commissioner of his support for attracting investment in Pakistan. (@FahadShabbir) Tokyo, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2021 ) :Japan's economy grew 0.3 percent in the three months to June, slightly more than expected despite a surge in virus cases and new restrictions, data showed Monday. The growth came after a contraction in the world's third-largest economy in the previous quarter, driven by a slowdown in consumption after the government introduced stay-at-home requests as infections surged. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast just 0.1 percent quarter-on-quarter growth. The data released by the cabinet office also showed a slight upwards revision for the first quarter, when the economy shrank 0.9 percent, compared to a previous estimate of 1.0. Japan recorded growth in the two quarters to December, but that came to a halt with a resurgence in coronavirus cases over winter that led to the imposition of states of emergency. Tokyo and other regions have now spent much of the year under virus restrictions, with the vaccine rollout beginning later than other developed nations and moving more slowly. The programme has picked up speed and around a third of Japanese are now fully vaccinated but infections are at record levels, with nationwide daily cases topping 20,000 in recent days. The surge in cases, driven by the more contagious Delta variant, has clouded the chances for a strong and fast vaccine-driven recovery. Analysts said there was still hope on the horizon. "Output only edged higher in the second quarter and won't do much better this quarter as the Delta-driven fifth wave holds back consumer spending," wrote Tom Learmouth, of Capital Economics. "But with the vaccine rollout still moving fast, a strong recovery in Q4 remains on the cards." He noted that the 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter rise in private consumption was stronger than expected and offset most of the fall in the previous quarter. As throughout the pandemic though, uncertainty remains. "With severe cases surging, the risks to our forecast that consumer spending will tread water in Q3 are currently tilted to the downside," Learmouth acknowledged. Still, he said the solid pace of the vaccination programme now would leave Japan "well-placed" for a strong Q4 rebound. Kano, Nigeria, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2021 ) :Gunmen have killed three people at an agricultural college in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state and kidnapped 15 students among others, school officials and police said Monday, in the latest in a wave of mass abductions. Armed kidnappings for ransom now make almost daily headlines in Africa's most populous country, seven years after Boko Haram extremists shocked the world by taking 276 girls from Chibok. Schools targeted by criminal gangs in the north and centre of the West African country are usually in remote areas where students stay in dormitories with only watchmen for security. On Sunday at the College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Bakura, "unknown gunmen attacked the school around 10 pm (2100 GMT)," registrar Aminu Khalid Maradun told AFP. They killed a policeman and two security officers, "and abducted 20, including 15 students," he said. The five other abductees are staff and family members, he added. Another school official confirmed the attack. "The gunmen forced themselves into the school through the pedestrian gate and took away the hostages," Abdullahi Aminu, in charge of accommodation at the school, told AFP. "They killed three security personnel in a shootout." The official said the school received a phone call early Monday from the kidnappers, saying they were holding 20 hostages. Police said on Monday afternoon that 15 students were kidnapped in the attack but said only four staff were taken -- and three were later "rescued". "15 students and 4 staff were abducted by the bandits," local police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said in a statement, adding that police operatives rescued three staff while searching the area. The bandits were "heavily confronted" by security officers during the Sunday night attack, Shehu added, but a "police inspector" and two "civilian guards lost their lives." Mexico City, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2021 ) :Norway, which is facilitating talks between the Venezuelan government and opposition in Mexico, said Sunday initial meetings toward resolving the country's political and economic crisis had been "constructive." "We confirm that we have held constructive meetings under the facilitation of the Kingdom of Norway on August 14 and 15," the Norwegian foreign ministry said in a statement. Representatives of the two Venezuelan sides on Friday signed a document agreeing to undertake "a comprehensive dialogue and negotiation process" mediated by Norway and hosted by the Mexican government in Mexico City. Talks are expected to focus on lifting sanctions and holding elections to try to end a crippling political and economic crisis in the country. The Norwegian ministry said the parties "discussed the establishment of a mechanism for consultation with political and social actors that is as inclusive as possible."They agreed to reconvene from September 3 to 6. Previous inter-Venezuelan talks in the Dominican Republic in 2018 and Barbados the following year failed to resolve disputes centered on President Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido, the opposition leader considered president by about 60 countries. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2021 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday expressed Pakistan's commitment and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia. Talking to Chief of General Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces General Fayyadh bin Hameed Al-Rowailly, the prime minister underlined the importance Pakistan attached to Saudi Arabia in broadening mutual cooperation and strengthening the people-to-people contacts. During the meeting, views were exchanged on a range of important issues of common interest. Imran Khan expressed confidence that the recently established Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council (SPSCC) would play a catalytic role in fostering enhanced bilateral cooperation in all fields. He welcomed the Saudi delegation and conveyed his warm regards to King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He added that the people of Pakistan always accorded special reverence to the Saudi leadership. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the robust defence relationship between the two countries, and hoped that bilateral defence cooperation would grow further in the years ahead. He also expressed Pakistan's support for resolving the conflict in Yemen through dialogue and diplomacy, and appreciated Saudi efforts in this regard. General Al-Rowailly acknowledged the excellent collaboration and appreciated the professionalism of Pakistan armed forces.Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long-standing and historic fraternal relations, rooted deep in common faith, shared history and mutual support. Regular andhigh-level exchange of visits is a reflection of excellent relations between the two countries. KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2021 ) :Federal urdu University of Arts Science and Technology (FUUAST) Acting vice chancellor, Professor Dr. Rubina Mushtaq along with other notables Monday visited the shrine of Baba-e-Urdu Maulvi Abdul Haq to pay him homage on his 60th death anniversary, here on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, Professor Dr. Rubina Mushtaq said that language was the identity of any individual as well as the nation and Maulvi Abdul Haq dedicated his entire life for promotion of the Urdu language. She said that Urdu Language was our greatest asset and we had to carry forward the lamp lit by Baba-e-Urdu Maulvi Abdul Haq. We have to successfully fulfill the mission of Baba Urdu, he added. She said that Urdu was one of the great languages of the world and if it was given importance, it would be considered as one of the most important languages of the world. She said that special attention was being paid to education and research work to materialize the dream of Baba-e-Urdu regarding promotion and development of Urdu. Dr. Rubina Mushtaq said the Federal Urdu University was fruit of life-long struggle of Maulvi Abdul Haq. On this occasion, President of Anjuman-e-Tarqi-e-Urdu Wajid Jawwad, Acting Registrar Dr. Muhammad Sarim, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zahid, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zia-ud-din, Treasurer Danish Ehsan, Najam-ul-Aarfeen, Dr. Kamal Haider and others laid a wreath at the shrine of Baba-e-Urdu and also recited Fatiha. China's Long March-7 Y4 rocket, which will launch the new cargo craft of China's space station, on Monday arrived at its launch site in southern China's Hainan Province WENCHANG (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2021 ) :China's Long March-7 Y4 rocket, which will launch the new cargo craft of China's space station, on Monday arrived at its launch site in southern China's Hainan Province. The rocket, alongside the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft that has already been transported to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, will be assembled and tested at the launch site, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said on Monday. The manned spacecraft and carrier rocket for the Shenzhou-13 manned space mission are also undergoing preparations as scheduled at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, according to the CMSEO. The CMSEO said the facilities and equipment at both launch sites are in good condition and all systems that will be involved in the mission are undergoing orderly preparations. Firefighters gained ground Monday against a wildfire in central Spain that forced hundreds from their homes, as their colleagues across the border battled a blaze in southern Portugal Madrid, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2021 ) :Firefighters gained ground Monday against a wildfire in central Spain that forced hundreds from their homes, as their colleagues across the border battled a blaze in southern Portugal. The Spanish teams were helped by falling winds and an easing of what may well be a record-setting heatwave. But the two Mediterranean countries were only the latest in Europe to face extreme weather and fierce fires, which climate scientists warn will become increasingly common because of manmade global warming. In Spain, nearly 1,000 firefighters backed by 15 water-dropping aircraft have been battling a blaze burning since Saturday morning in Avila province, that at one point was fed by winds of up to 70 kilometres an hour (54 miles per hour). Monday's weaker winds gave them some respite however. Crews achieved "a certain control" of the fire's perimeter, said Juan Carlos Saurez-Quinones, environment minister of the regional government of Castilla y Leon region. If the improved weather conditions continued, firefighters should be able to stabilise the blaze on Monday, he told journalists. The wildfire has so far destroyed 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of land and forced the evacuation over the weekend of nearly 1,000 people from several nearby towns and villages. Spain has been in the grip of a heatwave since Wednesday which has sparked several fires, as the state meteorological agency (AEMET) recorded what appeared to be record temperatures. Their provisional data registered a peak of 47.4 degrees Celsius (117.3 Fahrenheit) at around 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) Saturday in the southern city of Cordoba. That is a tenth of a degree higher than the last record, also recorded there, in July 2017. (@FahadShabbir) Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who stepped down to prevent further violence in his country, was fleeing Kabul escorted with cars filled with cash, the Russian embassy told Sputnik on Monday, adding that some cash was left in the airport MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2021) Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who stepped down to prevent further violence in his country, was fleeing Kabul escorted with cars filled with cash, the Russian embassy told Sputnik on Monday, adding that some cash was left in the airport. "As for the collapse of the regime, it is most eloquently characterized by the way Ghani fled from Afghanistan: four cars were full of money, they tried to put part of the money into a helicopter, but everything did not fit. And some of the money was left on the runway," the spokesman of the Russian diplomatic mission, Nikita Ishenko, said. Gunmen have killed three people at an agricultural college in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state and kidnapped 20 others, including 15 students, school officials said Monday Kano, Nigeria, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2021 ) :Gunmen have killed three people at an agricultural college in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state and kidnapped 20 others, including 15 students, school officials said Monday. "Unknown gunmen attacked the school around 10:00pm (2100 GMT) on Sunday," registrar Aminu Khalid Maradun said. "They killed three people...and abducted 20, including 15 students." Another school official also confirmed the attack. Britain's interior ministry on Monday asked police to review the social media accounts of people applying for gun licences and revisit existing permits, after the country's worst mass shooting since 201 London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2021 ) :Britain's interior ministry on Monday asked police to review the social media accounts of people applying for gun licences and revisit existing permits, after the country's worst mass shooting since 2010. On Thursday Jake Davison, 22, shot and killed five people -- including his mother and a three-year-old girl -- in Plymouth in southwest England before taking his own life. His social media accounts revealed misogynistic views and an interest in right-wing politics, guns and violent video games. But the local police restored Davison's gun licence and his weapon in July months after they had been removed following an assault allegation -- a decision now being scrutinised by the police watchdog. The UK government is planning to publish guidance on firearms licensing applications that will affect all 43 police forces in England and Wales. "Incidents such as Thursday's horrific events in Plymouth are thankfully rare, but their impact is profound," an interior ministry source said. "Today, as a matter of urgency, we are asking the police to review their practices and whether any existing licences need to be looked at again. "This will help reassure people that all necessary checks have been made to keep them safe." Britain has low gun crime rates and strict controls on the ownership of firearms, with most police unarmed. Only four percent of homicides were caused by shooting in England and Wales in the year to March 2020, according to the latest government figures. Licences are granted for sporting rifles and shotguns only after stringent background checks, including character references and mental health assessments. Private ownership of firearms is banned in nearly all cases. Plymouth observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims at 11:00 am (1000 GMT). UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomes the agreement reached between the Venezuelan government and opposition, United Nations spokesperson Stephan Dujarric said on Monday UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2021) UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomes the agreement reached between the Venezuelan government and opposition, United Nations spokesperson Stephan Dujarric said on Monday. The Venezuelan government and opposition on Friday launched negotiations in Mexico City that are mediated by Norway. "The Secretary General welcomes the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Unitary platform of Venezuela for the start of the comprehensive negotiating process and encourages them to fully commit to inclusive and meaningful dialogue with full respect for human rights, Dujarric said during a press briefing. As the situation in Afghanistan unfolds with the Taliban (terrorist group, banned in Russia) entering Kabul, United Airlines has started routing affected flights around Afghanistan airspace, the company told Sputnik MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2021) As the situation in Afghanistan unfolds with the Taliban (terrorist group, banned in Russia) entering Kabul, United Airlines has started routing affected flights around Afghanistan airspace, the company told Sputnik. "Due to the dynamic nature of the situation we have begun routing affected flights around Afghanistan airspace. We will continue to work closely with the FAA and IATA to evaluate the situation and determine how we continue service to markets impacted," the company added. The company noted that that the measure applies to its flights to India. Founded in 1926, United Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world which operates across small and large cities in the United States as well as across six continents. Finnish flag carrier Finnair also announced on Monday it would avoid Afghanistan's airspace, which will increase the flight time to Thailand. On Sunday, British Airways also decided to reroute flights. Over recent weeks, Taliban have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan. On Sunday, Taliban militants entered Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani stepped down and left the country. Ghani said his decision was dictated by the desire to prevent violence as the militants were ready to carry out an attack on the capital. The pandemic could not divert USFs top faculty researchers from making big discoveries that shape our understanding of the past, present and future. TAMPA, Fla. One USF researcher brings dinosaurs to life through augmented reality while a colleague explores the origins of life through planetary chemistry. Another faculty members research sounded early alarms about people turning to alcohol amid the stress and fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, while her colleague is the co-founder of the new Center for Justice Research & Policy at USF. And in USFs Department of Physics, a professors discovery holds the potential to revolutionize the Internet of Things. These are just a few of the faculty research achievements newly recognized with USFs Outstanding Research Achievement Awards. Despite the COVID-19 pandemics interruptions to campus life in 2020, this years awards recognize 22 faculty membersthe largest group to datefor their achievements that defied the disruption caused by the last years shutdown. The University of South Floridas reputation as a top urban-based research university is fueled by our innovative faculty and researchers, said USF President Rhea Law. I congratulate each of the outstanding awardees for such a productive year in their work to change lives and shape the future. The largest internal recognition of its kind at USF, the annual nominations are submitted by deans, department chairs, center and institute directors, and associate deans of research. The nominations are reviewed by members of the USF Research Council. Each faculty member receives $2,000 with the award and recognition at an event later in the fall. Distinguished USF Health Professor and Distinguished University Professor, Center for Global Health Infectious Disease Research and USF Genomics Program College of Public Health Dr. Adams is an international expert in malaria research. His research focuses on hostparasite interactions and improving the understanding of infection and pathogenesis in malaria. His group is actively engaged in vaccine and drug discovery projects. In 2020, he received a National Institutes of Health grant to accelerate vaccine development for vivax malaria, the most prevalent type of malaria outside of the African continent. The project builds upon his groups successful development of a greatly improved liver culture system for the early infective stages of human malaria parasites. As the lead investigator on the grant, Dr. Adams brought together an international consortium from six institutions to prepare a vaccine for clinical trial. He also the lead investigator for an NIH 2020 exploratory grant to collaborate with researchers in Thailand to evaluate the pharmacogenomics of an antimalarial drug. Ryan Carney, PhD, MPH, MBA Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Biology College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Carney leads two innovative research programs, one in paleontology and one in epidemiology. In 2020, he was PI of a newly-awarded NSF proposal for more than $900,000 to fight mosquito-borne diseases worldwide using artificial intelligence. A first- and senior-authored paleobiology publication in Scientific Reports on the iconic Archaeopteryx fossil feather received substantial international recognition, including from The New York Times, and ranked in the 99th percentile in global coverage by Altimetric. A second paper describing the automation of mosquito identification using AI, which is crucial to disease-control efforts, has already been cited multiple times. His collaborative research in 2020 resulted in two new invention disclosures with plans for multiple patents. Dr. Carney's dinosaur research was featured in National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Learning's global curriculum, and three international outreach activities with total viewership of 150,000. Hadi Charkhgard, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering College of Engineering Dr. Charkhgard is an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering and the founder and director of the Multi-Objective Optimization Laboratory. Dr. Charkhgard published nine journal articles in 2020 in highly-ranked journals in operations research. Additionally, he has six journal articles currently under review which were submitted last year. Dr. Charkhgard is the co-PI on a $1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency working to prevent and control harmful algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee by optimizing the implementation of technologies and practices. Also in 2020, Dr. Charkhgard graduated two PhD students, applied for a U.S. Patent for his methodological invention on radiotherapy treatment planning, and submitted a scientific journal article about his invention to Physics in Medicine and Biology, which was published this year. George Davis, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology Morsani College of Medicine Dr. Davis is an internationally recognized leader in the field of blood vessel development and wound repair. He pioneered the use of three-dimensional collagen matrices as a platform for the study of blood vessels in the lab. His work has explained the molecular mechanisms governing capillary development and changes. More recently, his research has shed light on how aberrant cell signaling can result in abnormal blood vessels. Healthy communication, or molecular signaling, inside and outside capillaries appears to play a critical role in promoting healthy tissues such as the heart, lungs and liver. Many diseases arise from abnormalities in blood vessels that fail to communicate properly with tissues. Dr. Davis has 151 publications that have been cited 762 times in 2020 alone. He published six peer-reviewed manuscripts in 2020 four as author and two as co-author all in outstanding journals. In 2020, Dr. Davis was the PI on three high-level NIH grants. Richard Heller, PhD Professor, Department of Medical Engineering Morsani College of Medicine and College of Engineering Dr. Hellers research and innovations are focused on the delivery of plasmid DNA through pulse electric fields to solid tumors, skin, muscle, liver, heart and other tissues. In 2020, he was elected as a Fellow to the National Academy of Inventors. In addition, he continued working on four NIH grants, including three in which he serves as the PI. In 2020, he published four manuscripts in top journals, including one that was in the top 5% of all research outputs as scored by Altmetric. Dr. Heller also had four new U.S. patents issued and three additional patent applications filed. He also was involved in developing a new startup company focused on the technology he invented. Mark Jaroszeski, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Medical Engineering Morsani College of Medicine and College of Engineering Dr. Jaroszeskis research has focused on biomedical devices using pulsed electric fields for the delivery of genes and drugs, an area of research he pioneered more than three decades ago. In 2020, his efforts were focused on commercializing technology he invented while continuing to work on a recently awarded grant with a student funded by an NIH Diversity Supplement. He was part of the founding of the startup company EF Therapeutics, Inc., located in the USF incubator. Also in 2020, eight of his USF patents were licensed. He also contributed to the creation of a new general education course on the scientific process and in efforts to better prepare students for research careers. Autar Kaw, PhD Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering College of Engineering Dr. Kaws current research focuses on the impact of personalized and active learning on improving student achievement and on developing sustainable and quality open education resources. During 2020, he was a PI and co-PI on three highly competitive National Science Foundation grants. In one of the grant-funded programs, he is leading four universitiesUSF, Arizona State University, Alabama A&M University, and University of Pittsburghin investigating the effectiveness of personalized learning in flipped classrooms and using learner data to design early and successful interventions for struggling students. Additionally, he gave a keynote speech at the January 2020 International Symposium on Fusion of Science & Technology conference in Faridabad, India. Also, last year he published two peer-reviewed articles on personalized engineering education and presented two papers at the American Society for Engineering Education conferences on the impact of variable grading, cumulative tests, and practice examinations on improving blended learning. Dr. Kaw has been recognized nationally and internationally for his creative and effective teaching methods reaching engineering and mathematics students around the world via his blog and advocacy for open courseware. Mehran Mozaffari Kermani, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering College of Engineering Dr. Kermani's research focuses on the creation of novel hardware-oriented cyber-security techniques through post-quantum and lightweight cryptography to secure critical cyber infrastructures and computer hardware systems. He is the director of Cryptographic Engineering and Hardware Security Research Lab, and his research in 2020 resulted in more than $1 million in funding and grants where he served as either PI or Co-PI. In 2020, Dr. Kermani and his PhD students published five top journal papers (IEEE/ACM Transactions), three flagship conference papers, and one book chapter on hardware security in Springer Nature. Dr. Kermani has served as the associate editor of three prestigious journals in the field, editing more than 40 journal papers. Moreover, he was the publications chair for two prestigious conferences in the field, the Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS) and IEEE's International Symposium on Hardware Oriented Security and Trust (HOST), in 2020. Lynn B. Martin, PhD Professor, Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center College of Public Health Dr. Martin is an internationally-renowned expert in disease ecology and invasive species. In 2020, he was awarded a $1.5 million, four-year National Science Foundation grant to fund an international project on the molecular genetics of one of the worlds most invasive species, the house sparrow. The research will take him, postdocs and students to Senegal, Vietnam, Norway, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand to study how the sparrows became one of the most broadly distributed animals in the world. He also submitted several other large grant proposals in 2020 which are still pending decisions. In 2020, he and his trainees and collaborators published 10 papers in high-profile journals including American Naturalist, eLife, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, and Bioscience. Two of those publications were invited (eLife and Bioscience), and all but two papers included a student or postdoc from his lab. Dr. Martin is also the co-creator and co-host of the popular podcast, Big Biology. Sunil Mithas, PhD Professor and World Class Scholar, School of Information Systems and Management Muma College of Business Dr. Sunil Mithas is a Senior Editor of MIS Quarterly, and Department Editor of Production and Operations Management, and Management Business Review. In 2020, he contributed nine published or forthcoming articles, of which seven are on a highly selective list of business journals considered in the University of Texas at Dallas and Financial Times ranking of top business schools. In the summer of 2020, Dr. Mithas began a three-year assignment as Visiting Professorial Fellow at the School of Information Systems, Technology and Management at the University of New South Wales Sydneys Business School. Dr. Mithas was the Muma College of Business' first World Class Scholar when he joined the college in 2018. Ivan Oleynik, PhD Professor, Department of Physics College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Oleynik is a fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS), and a fellow of American Physical Society and American Vacuum Society, is best known for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of computational materials science that led to predictions of new materials phenomena and behavior of matter at extreme conditions. In 2020, Dr. Oleynik was awarded a highly competitive and prestigious Department of Energy Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) grant, which provides access to Summit, the most powerful computer in the world, with computing time equivalent to $3 million. In 2020, he also led an international team of researchers that received another competitive and peer-reviewed award that grants access to Z Pulsed Power Facility at the Sandia National Laboratory, the most powerful radiation source in the world, to perform groundbreaking experiments to uncover properties matter at extreme conditions. The award was the equivalent of $1.2 million. Matthew Pasek, PhD Professor, School of Geosciences College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Paseks research focuses on geologic environments for the origin of life on the earth. He recently received a highly selective Ideas Challenge prize from the Templeton Foundation for work that advances "the study of goal-seeking phenomena in nature," related to his work in origins science. Dr. Pasek also authored the article Thermodynamics of Prebiotic Phosphorylation in Chemical Reviews, which has the highest impact factor of all chemistry journals. Additionally, Dr. Pasek published six more papers in 2020 and had two other papers accepted for publication. This work is in addition to ongoing NASA and NSF grants totaling more than $1.6 million over three years. Dr. Paseks expertise is routinely quoted in leading publications such as Nature and The New York Times. Christopher Passaglia, PhD Professor, Department of Medical Engineering Morsani College of Medicine and College of Engineering Dr. Passaglia investigates how the eyes communicate visual information to the brain in both normal and diseased conditions in his Occular Nueroscience & Neuroengineering Lab. He uses his findings to engineer new technologies for monitoring and treating ocular disorders. In 2020, he published five papers in top journals such, as Scientific Reports and Journal of Physiolog, that were highlighted by vision experts, covered by national media outlets, and featured on the National Eye Institute website. Additionally, Dr. Passaglia was awarded two high-level NIH grants in 2020 totaling approximately $2 million, one as co-investigator examining the effectiveness of assorted drug cocktails at promoting optic nerve regeneration and the other as a PI examining pressure fluctuations in normal and glaucomatous eyes and their effect on optic nerve health and function. He was issued two U.S. patents in 2020 based on devices that his lab created for measuring and controlling pressure within the eye or other organs. Manh-Huong Phan, PhD Professor, Department of Physics College of Arts and Sciences In 2020, Dr. Phan published 23 peer-reviewed ISI papers in top-ranked journals, including Advanced Materials, Advanced Science, and Materials Horizons, highlighting the new discoveries of atomically thin quantum magnetic materials and the Giant spin-Seebeck Effect, an interaction that allows heat to move magnetic information, that will potentially revolutionize quantum information technology and the Internet of Things. During 2020, he was one of the most highly cited researchers in his field, with more than 1,600 citations, and was featured in the list of the World's Top 2 Percent Scientists. As the managing editor, Dr. Phan successfully led the Journal of Science-Advanced Materials and Devices to achieve its first high impact factor of 3.8 in 2020. He has secured a continuing Department of Energy grant of $563,247 to exploit novel nanomaterials for spintronics. In 2020, he was selected for an Honorary Doctorate Degree Award by Vietnam National University Hanoi. Lindsey Rodriguez, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Psychology College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Rodriguez research focuses on the important role that personal and romantic relationships play in substance abuse and in developing and evaluating interventions for addictive behaviors. In 2020, she published 20 peer-reviewed manuscripts in high-impact journals. Her research on alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic received news coverage from several outlets, including NBC News, the Tampa Bay Times, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism directors webinar on COVID-19 and alcohol use, the American Heart Association, and the 2Scientists podcast, among others. Dr. Rodriguez was co-investigator on four new grants totaling $200,000 in 2020. She is an action editor for Addiction Research and Theory and the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. She presented at eight symposia and 18 posters. She also continued her funded work on three grants from the NIAAA focusing on reducing hazardous alcohol use. Brad Seibel, PhD Professor, Comparative Environmental Physiology College of Marine Science In 2020, Dr. Seibel investigated the response of marine animals to ocean warming and deoxygenation. He published a significant discovery on the novel quantitative relationship between the oxygen and temperature sensitivities of marine animals that had gone unrecognized, despite nearly a century of study. He used this relationship to determine whether a habitat is metabolically available and how it will shift with changing climate. It precisely measures the decrement in metabolism and the scope available for growth and reproduction with declining oxygen and increasing temperature. It was used to publish a new method for determining oxygen supply capacity in animals and led to new investigations of other marine species and ecotypes, such as ram ventilation in sharks, extreme temperature sensitivity in vertical migrators, gill development in larval fishes, and the success of invasive lionfishes. Dr. Seibel published in Nature and additionally is investigating bioluminescence, exercise physiology, and the effects of ocean acidification in marine animals with funding from NSF, the Office of Naval Research and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Patriann Smith, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Language, Literacy, Ed.D., Exceptional Education & Physical Education College of Education Dr. Smith pursues a transdisciplinary research agenda situated at the intersection of linguistics, immigration and migration, and race in literacy education. She advances a cross-cultural, cross-racial and cross-linguistic framework for literacy and language instruction and assessment for Black immigrant students and educators. In 2020, Dr. Smith published 15 refereed articles including one in the American Educational Research Journal and another in Reading Research Quarterly, the leading global journal in literacy. In 2020, she received contracts from Cambridge University Press and Teachers College Press for sole-authored and co-authored books, and was featured on media outlets and authored blog posts for the London Society for Economics United States Association for Public Policy. In 2020, Dr. Smith was elected to the Board of Directors of the national Literacy Research Association (LRA) and was a co-presenter of the report, Advancing Anti-Racism in Literacy Research, commissioned by the LRA. Earlier this year, Dr. Smith was awarded a three-year, $3.6 million grant from the United States Agency for International Development to partner with the University of the West Indies Cave Hill in Barbados in creating an educational research center to help support decision making and policy in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. Robert H. Tykot, PhD Professor, Department of Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Tykot is an archaeologist who studies the early history of Mediterranean civilizations. In 2020, Dr. Tykot had 10 formal publications (three as first or sole author), four technical reports, and eight published abstracts. One of his works was a major article on the chemical analysis of more than 1,000 obsidian artifacts from 10 archaeological sites on Ustica, a small Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, is highly significant because it demonstrates open-sea, long distance maritime travel as far back as 6000 BCE. His studies of ceramic artifacts, copper-based metals, marble, human diet, and radiocarbon dating were published in nine other articles. Dr. Tykot received funding in 2020 as the PI from the Archaeological Institute of America / National Endowment of the Humanities for a project focusing on the Central Po Valley, Italy; and as senior researcher from the National Science Foundation focusing on the Horn of Africa. He is editor-in-chief of Science and Technology of Archaeological Research and on the editorial board of nine other international journals. Edelyn Verona, PhD Professor, Department of Psychology College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Veronas research focuses on the intersections of psychology and crime. She studies biosocial risk factors, violence risk and prevention, and evidence-based interventions to reduce crime and incarceration. In 2020, Dr. Verona published or had accepted two book chapters and seven articles in top-ranked journals such as Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Personality Disorders: Theory, Research & Treatment, and Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Her articles have been cited more than 5,000 times, including 450 citations in 2020. In 2020, she secured $1.2 million of funding from the National Institute of Justice to implement and evaluate interventions in a county jail; co-authored an op-ed in the Tampa Bay Times, and was invited to join the Tampa Police Departments Community Advisory Board and the American Psychological Associations Commission on Accreditation. She recently co-founded the Center for Justice Research & Policy at USF, the first of its kind in Florida. Christian Wells, PhD Professor, Department of Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Wells is the director of USFs Center for Brownfields Research and Redevelopment and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, recognized for his research aimed at improving human-environmental health outcomes through the redevelopment of underserved urban communities. In 2020, he partnered with the CDC of Tampa in a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to create an environmental workforce development and job training program for residents of East Tampa. This grant was the only one awarded in Florida in 2020 and the first ever awarded to a partnership with a Florida university. The program is currently training 60 residents in environmental remediation skills who will be placed in full-time jobs by the end of 2021. This project is an outgrowth of his existing interdisciplinary collaboration with USF environmental engineers, in which he serves as co-PI of a $1.9 million NSF CRISP (Critical Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Systems and Processes) study of infrastructure in Tampa. Henry Lee Woodcock, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry College of Arts and Sciences Dr. H. Lee Woodcocks research is focused on developing and employing computational methodology to solve critical problems where biophysics, medicine, and/or materials science meets. In 2020, Dr. Woodcock co-led one of the most high-profile scientific efforts of the year in developing a new method to breakdown plastics that pollute the world. Listed as #39 in Altmetrics most impactful scientific efforts of 2020, the engineered cocktail of enzymes can digest plastic up to six times faster than previous efforts. The two combined enzymesPETase and MHETaseare described as two Pac-men joined by a piece of string, and provide new hope for tackling societys global plastic waste problem. Published in PNAS, the discovery was covered by the world-wide media ranging from The New York Times, the BBC, CNN, and many more. In addition to ongoing NIH and U.S. Department of Energy grants, Dr. Woodcock is in line to receive two new NIH grants for a combined total of more than $2 million. Sarah Y. Yuan, MD, PhD Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology Morsani College of Medicine Dr. Yuan is an internationally recognized leader in microvascular inflammation. Her discoveries have significantly advanced the understanding of complex interactions that regulate the vascular barrier that separates blood from tissues during inflammation, trauma, infection, sepsis, atherosclerosis, and diabetes, and how that process can lead to organ failure. Dr. Yuans discoveries are frequently cited by researchers worldwide 241 times in 2020 alone. She had eight senior author publications in 2020 in leading journals. Also in 2020, she was awarded the prestigious National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Outstanding Investigator Award. Dr. Yuan is the first USF faculty member to receive this particular award. The grant will provide an additional $6.250 million over the next seven years. Additionally, she received the 2020 Microcirculatory Society Landis Award recognizing her groundbreaking contributions to the field of vascular biology. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith says the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised swift action to uncover the truth behind the terrorist bomb attacks but after it came to power, its response has been faulty. By Vatican News staff writer A prominent Catholic Church leader of Sri Lanka on Friday expressed the Churchs disappointment with the government probe into the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks on churches and hotels in the country. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjit of Colombo said that 25 people charged last week in connection with the April 21 bomb attacks that killed 269 people could be smaller fish, and accused the government of still not taking steps to identify the big fish, still at large. Protest against government inaction Last month, the cardinal sent a 20-page letter, to President Rajapaksa over allegations that officials in state intelligence agencies knew and met with the attackers. Signed by 8 bishops, including Cardinal Ranjith and some Catholic priests, the letter also demanded action against former President Maithripala Sirisena and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for their soft approach towards Islamic terrorism. The signatories warned that Catholics would be obliged to agitate for action through alternative ways if their demands were not met. Cardinal Ranjith rejected Rajapaksas action as inadequate, saying he has not responded to his queries and issues he has raised. The cardinal urged the countrys Catholics to express their dissatisfaction publicly this week. "Raise a black flag on August 21 in front of your homes, institutions and market places as a strong symbol of the silent protest, he said at a press conference on August 13. Faulty process The 73-year-old cardinal said he was not satisfied with the legal action currently taken against suspects. We can never believe that the truth will come out through this ongoing process. We do not accept the appointment of a committee consisting of members of one political party above the recommendations of the report of the Presidential Commission. He said that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) should involve all political parties in order to make the process convincing. He said, The letter did not mention any action the government would take and a proper investigation into the serious issues we raised about the attacks. On Tuesday, the attorney general filed 23,270 charges against 25 people under the countrys anti-terrorism law. The charges include conspiring to murder, aiding and abetting, collecting arms and ammunition and attempted murder. The attorney general also asked the chief justice to appoint a special three-member high court bench to hear the cases speedily. We dont want to say the 25 persons are innocent but we have a question whether this is an attempt to net the smaller fish and let the sharks go. Cardinal Ranjith said. Intelligence-terrorism nexus Two local Muslim groups that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group were blamed for six coordinated suicide bomb attacks that occurred almost simultaneously on Easter Sunday of 2019. It is not known if the groups had actual links to the Islamic State. The blasts targeted three churches and three hotels. Of the 3 churches bombed, 2 belonged to the Archdiocese of Colombo - St. Anthonys Shrine, Kochchikade and St Sebastian's Catholic Church in Katuwapitiya, Negombo city. The evangelical Zion Church in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka was the third church targeted. Most of the Easter Sunday casualties occurred at St. Sebastians Church, with 113 killed. Another attacker who entered a fourth hotel left without setting off his bomb and later committed suicide by detonating his explosives at a different location. Churchgoers and many foreign tourists having breakfast in their hotels were among those killed. About 500 people were wounded. Cardinal Ranjith had previously said 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 the terrorist group ISIS to claim responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks. He complained that the link between the military intelligence and suicide bombers that was revealed during the PCoI has not been investigated by the government, keeping it a secret so far. False promises for political gains In a press statement posted on the website of the Archdiocese of Colombo, Cardinal Ranjith said the present government took political advantage of the Easter Sunday attack and promised to reveal within a month those who carried out the attack. He said, "It is clear from this procedure that after such a long time the government has no interest in finding out the truth about the attack and they are going to cover it up and wash their hands. He said the country is still insecure and attacks like those of Easter Sunday could take place any time. "The real killers must be identified and the country must know the truth. Politicians do not want to end this culture of killing. Extremism is beneficial to them and they continue their selfish journey through the tears of human suffering," Cardinal Ranjith added. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Zambias electoral commission announced Monday in Lusaka, that businessperson and leader of the United Party for National Development, Hakainde Hichilema, won the elections garnering more than 2.8 million votes. Citizens dissatisfaction with the collapse of Zambias economy led to his victory. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. As the United States withdraws from Afghanistan, the world has watched as the Taliban has swiftly taken back control of the country, entering Kabul on Sunday as former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and the United States evacuated its embassy. Now, many US veterans are expressing frustration and disappointment with how quickly the Taliban has taken hold after nearly 20 years of war. "I'm now sitting here 20 years removed almost from the very event that propelled me into the military, which was the attacks of September 11," said Matt Zeller, an Afghanistan veteran and the advisory board chair of the Association of Wartime Allies. "And now I'm wondering if the last 20 years were completely pointless and in vain," he told CNN. "All the friends I lost in Afghanistan -- what were their deaths for? What was their sacrifice for if this was the end state?" "I don't think I did anything worthwhile at this point," he told CNN. But for veterans like Zeller, the way America's longest war has come to an end is only part of it: They're also worried for the Afghan interpreters, translators and support personnel who spent years working with the United States at great risk to themselves and their families. Zeller deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 and served as an embedded combat adviser to Afghan security forces. On his 14th day in the country, Zeller's Afghan interpreter, Janis Shinwari, saved his life, killing two Taliban fighters who were about to kill him. To repay his life debt, Zeller later helped Shinwari get a visa and come to the United States. Realizing how difficult the process was, Zeller and Shinwari started No One Left Behind, an organization that helps bring interpreters who worked with US troops to America. Zeller has dedicated years to this work, including in recent months urging US officials to do more to ensure America's Afghan allies are safely evacuated. But now, watching Afghanistan fall into the hands of the Taliban as thousands of Afghan allies clamber for a way out, Zeller says, "I feel like a complete and total failure." Vets, families wonder about the sacrifice There's a wide range of opinions among Afghanistan war veterans about the withdrawal, said Tom Porter, an Afghanistan veteran and the executive vice president for government relations at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Stressing he doesn't speak for everyone, Porter said some veterans feel the withdrawal was overdue while others believe the United States should have stayed to prevent any violence. "But the vast majority of veterans I'm hearing from have great concern for the veterans that have sacrificed so much and the families that are Gold Star families that lost their sons and their husbands and their fathers and mothers and other family members over the last 20 years," Porter said. "They are wondering, was their loved ones' service worth it?" The images coming out of Afghanistan are quickly building a narrative, he said, that is going to shape veterans' views about the past 20 years. "That's going to color the way veterans and service members think about the end of their service, the result of their service," Porter said. "Everybody in the community's going to be looking to see, how is history going to remember what we did over there?" Gerald Keen, who served in Afghanistan, told CNN's Pamela Brown he knew this time would come. But he disagrees with the way the withdrawal has unfolded, believing American soldiers should not be sent back to do a job he feels should have been done prior to the closure of Bagram Airfield. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of 1,000 more US troops to Afghanistan, a defense official told CNN on Sunday, for a total of 6,000 US troops expected to be in country. "Now we've got to send soldiers back in harm's way to help evacuate the embassies and these interpreters who fought side by side with us every day," Keen said. Much of veterans' anxiety is tied to the effort of getting out those who helped the United States at risk to their families' lives, said Jeremy Butler, IAVA's chief executive. The US State Department has said there are some 20,000 Afghans who have applied for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) to be able to come to the United States. As of Friday, 1,200 Afghans and their families had been evacuated to America as part of the administration's "Operation Allies Refuge," and administration officials said they would accelerate efforts to get the applicants and their families out of Afghanistan and to the United States or a third country. Even with the accelerated pace of SIV relocation, there are tens of thousands of other Afghans who worked alongside the United States who either are stuck in the pipeline or do not qualify for the program and will need to pursue other ways out, such as the administration's new Afghan refugee designation. It's about keeping promises made, Butler said, not just by the US government, but also by veterans who are now back home and who had echoed that promise to their Afghan colleagues and allies. "Many of our veterans were reiterating and explaining because of this belief in the system we put forth. ... It's very personal, because (the veterans) were making that promise to them," he said. Said Noor spent 17 years serving the United States as an Afghan interpreter. He emigrated from Afghanistan and joined the US Army and said he's surprised at how quickly the Taliban has gained ground. But right now, the Army veteran is struggling to get his own family out of Afghanistan, saying they are calling him, looking for help. "How are they going to get out of Afghanistan, or are they going to become the next target for the Taliban?" he said. So far his effort has been in vain, Noor said, acknowledging that if it's this difficult for him as a US citizen to get his family out, he can't imagine what it's like for non-citizens. "If I put myself in the shoes of the other interpreters who do not have any US contact, or the local interpreters in Afghanistan, their life is in as much danger as my family's life is," he said. "And they have no way out of the country." 'These are people we relied on' Kristen Rouse served three tours in Afghanistan, spending a combined 31 months there. But asked whether she felt the past 20 years had been worth it, Rouse, the president of the New York City Veterans Alliance, told CNN, "It's a really hard question to answer." She said she felt troops should have been brought home long ago, but she compared the way the withdrawal has been executed with the United States yanking a carpet out from underneath the feet of Afghan allies. An interpreter she worked with -- a husband and father of five -- is currently in hiding, Rouse said, unable to overcome barriers in the visa program. Rouse said she was one of many veterans messaging with Afghan allies who can't get out. "It is gut-wrenching," she said. "These are people we relied on, that we promised that we wouldn't leave them behind. And we've abandoned them through bureaucracy and through failing to have a plan to get them out. And they're being hunted. They're being hunted and murdered." Zeller told CNN he agreed with ending the war, saying it was shameful that it had been allowed to go on long enough that his children could have fought in it. But said he's heartbroken for the people he's spent 10 years trying to help. "I fear we're going to leave Afghanistan the way we left Bagram: in the middle of the night, without telling our Afghan friends," he said. There are some stories of hope: Keen grew close to the Afghan interpreter he worked with, Rahim Haidary, after they met in Afghanistan in 2016. Since then, Gerald and his wife, Lynette, have fostered a relationship with Haidary and his family. They think of him as a son, and Haidary's children know Lynette and Gerald as grandma and papa, the couple told CNN's Pamela Brown. They have been working to get Haidary and his family to the United States through the SIV application program, with the help of the Association of Wartime Allies, they said. But Lynette said the process is taking years. The Keens have some relief: The family was able to evacuate to Canada, and last Sunday, Haidary and his family landed in Toronto, where they're undergoing a two-week quarantine, the couple said. Keen said he is grateful but that Haidary is only "halfway home," adding, "I hope this is a continuation to the US and not a destination." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. It's a tough moment to predict the future of the travel industry. Just look at Airbnb's stock. What's happening: The company had a huge second quarter, with revenue soaring nearly 300% as spring and summer bookings jumped. But shares remain almost 30% below the all-time high they hit in February. Some of the apprehension may come from Airbnb's rich valuation. The home-sharing startup is now worth $96 billion, which Bank of America points out is 13 times the bank's estimates for 2022 revenues. But the company is also in limbo due to uncertainty about the outlook, a problem made worse by the spreading Delta variant. Deutsche Bank noted Monday that cases have now been rising globally for eight consecutive weeks, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Australia and China are among countries that have recently tightened restrictions to try to stem a rise in infections. Airbnb explicitly outlined its concerns in a letter to shareholders that accompanied its latest results. "In the near term, we anticipate that the impact of Covid-19 and the introduction and spread of new variants of the virus, including the Delta variant, will continue to affect overall travel behavior, including how often and when guests book and cancel," the company said. As a result, it continued, future bookings "will continue to be more volatile and non-linear." Another warning: The University of Michigan said Friday that its influential consumer sentiment index plunged 13.5% from July to August, hitting a level of 70.2. That's the most bearish reading for the measure since December 2011. "There is little doubt that the pandemic's resurgence due to the Delta variant has been met with a mixture of reason and emotion," said Richard Curtin, the survey's chief economist. Step back: The travel industry is still doing its best to plan for the future. Hyatt announced Sunday that it's buying Apple Leisure for $2.7 billion. The move is a bet on the future of luxury travel, which has been recovering more rapidly. It will double Hyatt's global resort footprint, and expand the company's presence in Europe by 60%. Airbnb, meanwhile, is still projecting that third-quarter revenue will be its strongest on record. Long-term stays at its properties by remote workers as the Delta variant delays the return to the office are poised to help its business. "The company noted several positive trends that could continue post Covid, including longer stays and a growing percentage of bookings for non-traditional travel," Bank of America's analysts wrote in a research note. Yet the advent of highly infectious coronavirus variants makes it hard to say with confidence whether a strong summer season will continue into the fall dampening investors' enthusiasm. China's economic recovery is slowing down China's economic recovery is losing steam and it's not just the spread of the Delta variant that has economists and government officials on alert, my CNN Business colleague Laura He reports. The latest: Chinese officials on Monday released new data on industrial production, investment and retail sales for July showing signs of weakness in the economy. Growth in industrial production was the slowest it's been in 11 months, rising by 6.4% from a year ago. Car production was slammed by the global shortage of semiconductors. Growth in retail sales in July was the weakest it's been all year, while investment in fixed assets also missed economists' expectations. "The spread of the virus and natural disasters have affected the economy in some regions, and the economic recovery is still unstable and uneven," National Bureau of Statistics spokesperson Fu Linghui said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday. Remember: Along with the latest coronavirus outbreak, catastrophic flooding swept through central China last month, killing more than 300 people. Widespread damage and disruption has also caused direct economic losses totaling nearly $21 billion, according to government statistics released this month. Investor insight: The data triggered a fallback in global stocks Monday, ending a 10-day winning streak for shares in Europe. Big global banks have already slashed growth forecasts for the third quarter in China and revised down full-year estimates. The Chinese company putting H&M on notice Every night before bed, Anushka Sachan whips out her phone to log into an app. "It kind of becomes a habit," the 20-year-old Hong Kong University student told my CNN Business colleague Michelle Toh. The platform Sachan is using belongs to a Chinese brand called Shein pronounced "She In" which has rapidly attracted a global army of teen fans on TikTok. The mysterious online shopping upstart has made headlines recently for surpassing Amazon in app downloads in the United States. It's created a cult following for its fast fashion apparel sold all over the world. Some experts even say it's beating stalwarts like Zara and H&M at their own game, by making items more quickly and demonstrating digital savvy. Users check the app regularly so they can earn points to save on purchases. "They're making fast fashion look slow," said Erin Schmidt, a senior analyst at Coresight Research, a global advisory and research firm specializing in retail and technology. "They've changed the model." Up next Oatly reports earnings before US markets open. Roblox follows after the close. Also today: The Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the New York Fed arrives at 8:30 a.m. ET. Coming tomorrow: Home Depot and Walmart report results. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Afghanistans embattled president left the country Sunday, joining thousands of his fellow citizens and foreigners in a stampede fleeing the advancing Taliban and signaling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking the country. The Taliban fanned out across the capital, and an official with the militant group said it would soon announce the creation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in Kabul. That was the name of the country under Taliban rule before the militants were ousted by U.S.-led forces after the 9/11 attacks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. The Al-Jazeera news network later aired footage showing a group of Taliban fighters inside the presidential palace. The city was gripped by panic, with helicopters racing overhead throughout the day to evacuate personnel from the U.S. Embassy. Smoke rose near the compound as staff destroyed important documents, and the American flag was lowered. Several other Western missions also prepared to pull their people out. Afghans fearing that the Taliban could reimpose the kind of brutal rule that all but eliminated womens rights rushed to leave the country, lining up at cash machines to withdraw their life savings. The desperately poor who had left homes in the countryside for the presumed safety of the capital remained in parks and open spaces throughout the city. Though the Taliban had promised a peaceful transition, the U.S. Embassy suspended operations and warned Americans late in the day to shelter in place and not try to get to the airport. Commercial flights were suspended after sporadic gunfire erupted at the airport, according to two senior U.S. military officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations. Evacuations continued on military flights, but the halt to commercial traffic closed off one of the last routes available for Afghans fleeing the country. Still, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected comparisons to the U.S. pullout from Vietnam, as many watched in disbelief at the sight of helicopters landing in the embassy compound to take diplomats to a new outpost at Kabul International Airport. This is manifestly not Saigon, he said on ABCs This Week. The American ambassador was among those evacuated, said officials who spoke condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss ongoing military operations. He was asking to return to the embassy, but it was not clear if he would be allowed to. As the insurgents closed in Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani flew out of the country. The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation, said Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council. God should hold him accountable. Ghani later posted on Facebook that he had chosen to leave the country to avert bloodshed in the capital, without saying where he had gone. As night fell, Taliban fighters deployed across Kabul, taking over abandoned police posts and pledging to maintain law and order during the transition. Residents reported looting in parts of the city, including in the upscale diplomatic district, and messages circulating on social media advised people to stay inside and lock their gates. In a stunning rout, the Taliban seized nearly all of Afghanistan in just over a week, despite the billions of dollars spent by the U.S. and NATO over nearly two decades to build up Afghan security forces. Just days earlier, an American military assessment estimated it would be a month before the capital would come under insurgent pressure. For years, the U.S. has been looking for an exit for the war. Washington under then-President Donald Trump signed a deal with the Taliban in February 2020 that limited direct military action against the insurgents. That allowed the fighters to gather strength and move quickly to seize key areas when President Joe Biden announced his plans to withdraw all American forces by the end of this month. After the insurgents entered Kabul, Taliban negotiators discussed a transfer of power, said an Afghan official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the closed-door negotiations, described them as tense. It remained unclear when that transfer would take place and who among the Taliban was negotiating. The negotiators on the government side included former President Hamid Karzai, leader of Hizb-e-Islami political and paramilitary group Gulbudin Hekmatyar, and Abdullah, who has been a vocal critic of Ghani. Karzai himself appeared in a video posted online, his three young daughters around him, saying he remained in Kabul. We are trying to solve the issue of Afghanistan with the Taliban leadership peacefully, he said. Afghanistans acting defense minister, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, didnt hold back his criticism of the fleeing president. They tied our hands from behind and sold the country, he wrote on Twitter. Curse Ghani and his gang. The Taliban earlier insisted their fighters wouldnt enter peoples homes or interfere with businesses and said theyd offer an amnesty to those who worked with the Afghan government or foreign forces. But there have been reports of revenge killings and other brutal tactics in areas of the country the Taliban have seized in recent days and the reports of gunfire at the airport raised the specter of more violence. One female journalist, weeping, sent voice messages to colleagues after armed men entered her apartment building and banged on her door. What should I do? Should I call the police or Taliban? Getee Azami cried. It wasnt clear what happened to her after that. One Afghan university student described feeling betrayed as she watched the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy. You failed the younger generation of Afghanistan, said Aisha Khurram, 22, who is now unsure of whether she will be able to graduate in two months time. A generation ... raised in the modern Afghanistan were hoping to build the country with their own hands. They put blood, efforts and sweat into whatever we had right now. Sunday began with the Taliban seizing the nearby city of Jalalabad which had been the last major city besides the capital not in their hands. Afghan officials said the militants also took the capitals of Maidan Wardak, Khost, Kapisa and Parwan provinces, as well as the countrys last government-held border post. Later, Afghan forces at Bagram Air Base, home to a prison housing 5,000 inmates, surrendered to the Taliban, according to Bagram district chief Darwaish Raufi. The prison at the former U.S. base held both Taliban and Islamic State group fighters. ___ Akhgar and Faiez reported from Istanbul and Gambrell from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Kathy Gannon in Guelph, Canada; Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem; Matthew Lee in Washington; James LaPorta in Boca Raton, Florida; Aya Batrawy in Dubai; and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. More than 40 per cent of aged care staff across Australia are yet to have their first COVID-19 vaccination despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying in June that immunisation for nursing home workers was mandatory. The failure to achieve blanket vaccination of aged care staff only one month before mandatory immunisation rules come in at nursing homes underscores the challenge of getting a good percentage of Australian workers vaccinated. Aged care staff need to be vaccinated by September 17. Credit:Bloomberg Mr Morrison this month released modelling showing vaccinated Australians would only be likely to avoid lockdowns when vaccination rates for adults got to 80 per cent. The Department of Health on Monday emailed staff in aged care homes reminding them of the need to get vaccinated before September 17, when the mandatory rules will come in. Steph Lentz, the former teacher at Covenant Christian School, is in many ways to be commended. As she said in the pages of this paper earlier this week, I knew my contract required me to inform the school if I changed my mind about a point of religious doctrine, so she went and had a conversation with the Christian school where she worked. School teacher Steph Lentz. Credit:Kate Geraghty So, the question remains: is it reasonable for Christian schools to employ staff who share their beliefs? We believe it is. For our schools to provide an authentic Christian education they must be able to employ staff who share in the stated beliefs of the school. Billionaire Clive Palmer plans to once against challenge the validity of Western Australias hard border rules, this time arguing the requirement for travellers from high-risk areas to be vaccinated is unconstitutional. Under new measures coming into effect from Tuesday, anyone travelling from a jurisdiction experiencing between 50 to 500 daily COVID-19 cases must gain an exemption to enter WA, return a negative test, and have had at least one dose of the vaccine, if eligible. Here we go again. Billionaire Clive Palmer and the WA government look set to face off in court once again. Credit:WAtoday Queensland, Mr Palmers home state, announced a similar passport system on Monday as New South Wales recorded a record 478 daily cases. In a statement, the mining magnate claimed the move was discriminatory and unconstitutional. One video showed several people falling through the air as the plane gained altitude over the city. The Associated Press, citing senior military officials, said the chaos had left seven dead, including several who fell from the plane. The desperate scenes were visible from space. Private space infrastructure company Maxar Technologies published pictures showing thousands of people swarming the tarmac. A satellite photo shows swarms of people on the tarmac at Kabul international airport on Monday. Credit:Maxar Technologies via AP Shafi Arifi, who had a ticket to travel to Uzbekistan on Sunday, was unable to board his plane because it was packed with people who had raced across the tarmac and climbed aboard, with no police or airport staff in sight. There was no room for us to stand, the 24-year-old said. Children were crying, women were shouting, young and old men were so angry and upset, no one could hear each other. There was no oxygen to breathe. After a woman fainted and was carried off the plane, Arifi gave up and went back home. There were desperate scenes at Kabul airport as Afghans tried to board planes after the Taliban took control of the city. Credit:Twitter/@NicolaCareem The first of three German evacuation planes sent to Afghanistan has landed in Kabul to evacuate foreign nationals and local Afghan staff, security and government sources told Reuters late on Monday. The A400M was to load people to be evacuated and take them to the Uzbek capital Tashkent, one source said, adding passengers would travel on in civilian aircraft from there. A German Air Force A400M was sent to Kabul. Credit:AP The German military uses Tashkent as a hub for its air bridge to Kabul. The German government has pledged to rescue as many foreign nationals and local staff as possible while the airport is still open. Earlier on Monday, a German military aircraft had to divert to Tashkent because desperate people trying to flee Afghanistan were blocking the runway in Kabul. The world is watching Loading Speaking in Washington, US President Joe Biden has insisted he was right to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan. I stand squarely behind my decision, Biden said. After 20 years, Ive learned the hard way that there was never a good time withdraw US forces. Speaking publicly for the first time since Taliban forces seized control of Kabul, Biden said that the rapid collapse of the Afghan government justified the US decision to leave the country. American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves, he said. Loading In New York, the UN Security Council met for a snap session. It called for the establishment, through inclusive negotiations, of a new government that is united, inclusive and representative, including with full, equal and meaningful participation of women. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the coming days would be pivotal. The world is watching, he said. We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan. He said it was vital the Taliban continue to pay civil servants, maintained infrastructure, reopened the airport and kept hospitals and schools open. He also called on the Security Council and the international community to use all tools at its disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan. Hundreds of people run alongside a US Air Force C-17 transport plane at Kabul airport on Monday. Credit:AP Britains ambassador remained at the airport processing visas as pressure mounted in the UK for the government to urgently facilitate safe passage for interpreters and others who had assisted the allied military mission. The UKs Defence Secretary Ben Wallace broke down as he admitted that some people wont get back. Loading Its a really deep part of regret for me ... some people wont get back, he told radio station LBC. Some people wont get back and we will have to do our best in third countries to process those people. Asked why he felt the situation so personally, Mr Wallace said: Because Im a soldier. Because its sad and the West has done what its done, we have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations and 20 years of sacrifice is what it is, he said. Afghan military jet shot down Meanwhile, neighbouring Uzbekistan said it had shot down an Afghan military jet that violated its airspace on Sunday night, but did not say how many people were on board and if there were any survivors. The jet crashed in Uzbekistans southernmost Surxondaryo province adjacent to Afghanistan. Uzbekistans air defence forces prevented an attempt by an Afghan military aircraft to illegally cross Uzbekistans border, Bahrom Zulfikorov, a spokesman for Uzbekistans defence ministry, said. On Sunday, the Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, abruptly ending the Western-backed government, signalling a triumphant return of the Taliban who were ousted from the capital two decades ago, when the US began its longest-ever war after the September 11 attacks. Loading The US-trained Afghan army barely put up a fight as the Taliban advanced across the country in just over a week, culminating in the seizure of the capital, in a mostly peaceful manner, on Sunday. Taliban fighters entered the city after Ghani fled, having been instructed to wait outside the city until the government had surrendered. On Monday, they began collecting weapons from civilians, with a Taliban official saying citizens no longer needed them for their own personal protection. We understand people kept weapons for personal safety. They can now feel safe. We are not here to harm innocent civilians, the official told Reuters. Kabul resident Saad Mohseni, director of the MOBY group media company, said Taliban soldiers had come to his company compound to collect government issued weapons. There were scattered reports of looting and armed men knocking on doors and gates, and there was less traffic than usual on eerily quiet streets. Fighters could be seen searching vehicles at one of the citys main squares. with AP and Reuters Washington: On the day the Taliban seized control of Kabul, Joe Biden was unseen and unheard. The US President was not even in the US capital on the day that Americas 20-year long war in Afghanistan ended in chaos and humiliation. US President Joe Biden is expected to address the nation in coming days about Americas withdrawal from Afghanistan. Credit:AP Instead, Biden was at the presidential retreat in Camp David on a working summer holiday. White House officials said Biden, who had not spoken publicly about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan since last Wednesday (AEST), would address the nation about Afghanistan at some point in coming days. As of Monday, Aug. 16, everyone on the campus of Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky, will be required to wear a mask while in a public indoor setting. The college said it was requiring masks for all of its members and guests due to the current public health situation and the critical incidence rate of COVID-19 cases in Daviess County. This change is not permanent, and we will be revisiting the protocols as they are updated by the state regulations and the CDC," KWC President Thomas Mitzel said. The campus will continue to operate as usual, including in-person instruction, events, and activities, though all participants at indoor functions will now be required to wear masks. The college is strongly encouraging, not requiring, its students and staff members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. All KWC students are being offered a $250 incentive with proof of vaccine prior to or on Aug. 23. Over 90% of our faculty and staff are vaccinated, Mitzel stated in todays message. If we can reach 80% among our students, we will create a safe environment for our campus community, and our larger family surrounding the campus, allowing for the removal of the mask protocol. You can find more information on the college's COVID-19 policies and data on kwc.edu/coronavirus. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. At least seven people are dead after the main airport in the Afghan capital descended into chaos. Thousands of Afghans rushed onto the tarmac Monday, a day after the government fell to the advancing Taliban. Some people were so desperate to escape the country that they held onto an American military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths. By Monday night, witnesses said, hundreds of people remained trapped between American forces trying to push them out of the airport and Taliban forces trying to keep them in. In the U.S., a resolute President Joe Biden said he stood squarely behind his decision to withdraw American forces. In 1977, Elvis Presley died at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 42, and more events that happened on this day in history. Video 1962: The Beatles 1977: Elvis Presley 1977: Renee Richards 1978: James Earl Ray 1987: Northwest Airlines Flight 255 2011: Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy 2011: Barack Obama 2014: Jay Nixon 2016: John McLaughlin 2016: Simone Biles 2018: Aretha Franklin 2020: Death Valley 2020: The U.S. Postal Service Winnipegs first-ever Taco Week and Margarita Madness kicks off today with more than 45 local restaurants participating in the citys latest food and drink festival. Winnipegs first-ever Taco Week and Margarita Madness kicks off today with more than 45 local restaurants participating in the citys latest food and drink festival. The event runs until Aug. 23 with $1 from every taco and margarita sold going to support Harvest Manitoba and CanU, a youth mentorship program. Heres a sample of the tacos and margaritas on offer this week: Crunch Daddy 9000: A pork belly play on Taco Bells Crunchwrap Supreme straight from the "9th circle of Flavortown," $14, Kosmos Space Cowboy Food Cantina; El Luchador: Corn tortilla, house-made chorizo, slaw, feta, cilantro, pickled onion and pineapple tomatillo salsa, $5.75, Habanero Sombrero; Sweet Chili Prawn Taco: Apple slaw, sweet chili prawns, corn mango salsa, chili lime cream sauce, $16, Saddlery on Market; Chile Relleno: Oaxaca cheese and chorizo stuffed jalapeno pepper on Mexican rice topped with salsa roja on a house-made marble blue and white corn tortilla, $14 for two tacos, the Beer Can; Papaya Dulce: Seared pork belly, napa cabbage, tebasaki, local cucumber, pickled papaya, tajin, black sesame, $7, The Merchant Kitchen: Guava Rita: Teremana Reposado Tequila, Triple Sec, simple syrup, fresh squeezed lime juice and guava nectar, $12, La Roca; Jalapeno Watermelon Margarita: Blended fresh watermelon and jalapeno with salted rim, garnished with a slice of fresh jalapeno, $7. Carlos and Murphys. Visit tacoweek.ca for a full list of menu items and participating locations. Most farmers want to keep sightseers and selfie-takers away from their sunflower fields. But Dean and Roxanne Toews welcome them for a cause. Most farmers want to keep sightseers and selfie-takers away from their sunflower fields. But Dean and Roxanne Toews welcome them for a cause. The couple who grow corn, soybeans, edible beans, oats, wheat and sunflowers with Deans dad, two brothers and their spouses on their farm near MacGregor supports Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a church-based international relief and development agency based in Winnipeg. As part of their support, they planted 45 acres of sunflowers this year and invited the public to visit and take selfies in return for making a donation to the Foodgrains Bank. "People spent a lot of time in the field," he said, noting two women wandered through the sunflowers for more than an hour one weekend. "People really enjoy being among the sunflowers," he said, adding visitors are welcome to take home a sunflower head. More than $1,900 has been raised from visitors, including $500 that was donated last Sunday alone. Visitors are welcome, Toews said. There are still some late-blooming sunflowers in the field. The Toewses will donate the proceeds to the Foodgrains Bank when they harvest the crop in October. They estimate they will be able to give $15,000 to $20,000 to assist people who are hungry in the developing world, in addition to the donations from the selfie-takers. Those funds will be matched up to four-to-one by the federal government for food-related programs. The Toewses, both 45 and members of the Westend Community Church in MacGregor, said faith is the motivation behind the invitation. Jake Oldemkamp photo This year, Dean and Roxanne Towes have invited the public to visit and take selfies in their sunflower crop in return for making a donation to the Foodgrains Bank. "Its basically about loving your neighbour," Dean said. "And some of our neighbours around the world are hungry. As a farmer, I can do something about that." Roxanne agreed. "Jesus said to show love for your neighbours, and one way we can do that is by sharing food," she said. "So many places in the world need help." The Toewses, who are parents of four children, appreciate how the Foodgrains Bank provides food during emergencies, such as during droughts and wars, and how it enables people in the developing world to grow their own food. "Its great we can do a little bit to help them make a better livelihood for their families," Roxanne said. "Were just so thankful we can do something." Another motivation for Dean was his trip with the Foodgrains Bank to Ethiopia in 2014. The 10-day tour of projects supported by donations from Canadians was "life-changing," he said. "It opened my eyes to a different world." What impressed him most was seeing how projects supported by the agency helped people dig wells or irrigate land so they could grow high-value crops and look after their families. Do you appreciate the extensive faith coverage by the Free Press? Become a supporter of the Religion in the News project! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more can help us keep offering trusted coverage of faith in Manitoba. Become a supporter Click here to learn more about the project. The trip led him to become chairman of the FOCUS (Feed Other Countries Undo Starvation) growing project near Portage la Prairie, which brings local farmers together to grow a crop for the Foodgrains Bank. The group is growing 110 acres of canola this year. They raised more than $200,000 last year to help those who dont have enough to eat. Gordon Janzen, Manitoba representative for the Foodgrains Bank, said he appreciates the "creativity and commitment" of people like the Toewses. "People like Dean and Roxanne and other farmers are the backbone of our work," he said. "Their have a real concern to look beyond themselves to the needs of others." Manitoba farmers raised $1.9 million for the Foodgrains Bank through 39 growing projects last year. There are 38 projects this year. faith@freepress.mb.ca WARSAW, Poland (AP) U.S. company Discovery Inc. has been granted a Dutch license that would allow it to keep broadcasting its independent news channel TVN24 into Poland. FILE - This Thursday, July 8, 2021 file photo shows the Warsaw headquarters of Poland's TVN broadcaster that is owned by the U.S. company Discovery Inc., in Warsaw, Poland. The U.S. company Discovery Inc. said Monday Aug. 16, 2021, it has been granted a Dutch license that would allow it to keep broadcasting its independent news channel TVN24 into Poland. The announcement comes as Poland's state broadcasting authority has for a year and a half refused to renew TVN24's license, which expires Sept. 26. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File) WARSAW, Poland (AP) U.S. company Discovery Inc. has been granted a Dutch license that would allow it to keep broadcasting its independent news channel TVN24 into Poland. The announcement Monday comes as Poland's state broadcasting authority has for a year and a half refused to renew TVN24's license, which expires Sept. 26. The independent television channel is watched by millions of people daily in Poland and has published reports that criticize the country's right-wing nationalist government. In another challenge for Discovery, the lower house of Poland's parliament gave initial approval last week to a bill which if it gets final passage and the president's approval would force Discovery to sell its controlling share in its Polish network. This license does not in any way solve the situation we have with the new law, said Kasia Kieli, Discoverys president and managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The future of TVN and freedom of press in Poland is still at risk. Discovery considers the refusal to renew TNV24's license and the draft media bill to be discriminatory, and many people in Poland view the efforts as an attempt to silence the news outlet. The government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki denies that, saying it no longer wants companies from outside of Europe to have controlling stakes in Polish media companies, citing national security and sovereignty issues. However, President Andrzej Duda on Sunday vowed to defend freedom of speech and the principles of property rights, comments that were widely interpreted as him suggesting he plans to veto the legislation. The bill has also been sharply criticized by the European Union and many Poles, who view it as an attack on media freedom. It also is seen as a threat to the largest ever U.S. investment in Poland, one the company values at $3 billion. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Monday: We welcome President Dudas statement this weekend in support of freedom of expression, the sanctity of contracts, and the shared values that underpin our relationship. We strongly encourage him to act on these values in regard to pending legislation that, if passed in the current form, could severely affect media freedom and the foreign investment climate. The company said would only use the Dutch license, granted under European Union regulations, if Poland's national broadcasting council does not renew TNV24's license. We hope not to need the Dutch license, but are deeply committed to continuing to operate as an independent news network in Poland and central Europe, and serving viewers with reliable and factual journalism, Kieli said. Last week Discovery said it had initiated a procedure against Poland at an international arbitration court to defend its investment in Poland, which now includes 24 different television channels. WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. officials on Monday declared the first-ever water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West, triggering cuts to some Arizona farmers next year amid a gripping drought. A buoy sits above the waterline at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, near Boulder City, Nev. Water levels at Lake Mead, the largest reservoir on the Colorado River, have fallen to record lows. (AP Photo/John Locher) WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. officials on Monday declared the first-ever water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West, triggering cuts to some Arizona farmers next year amid a gripping drought. Water levels at the largest reservoir on the Colorado River Lake Mead have fallen to record lows. Along its perimeter, a white bathtub ring of minerals outlines where the high water line once stood, underscoring the acute water challenges for a region facing a growing population and a drought that is being worsened by hotter, drier weather brought on by climate change. States, cities, farmers and others have diversified their water sources over the years, helping soften the blow of the upcoming cuts. But federal officials said Monday's declaration makes clear that conditions have intensified faster than scientists predicted in 2019, when some states in the Colorado River basin agreed to give up shares of water to maintain levels at Lake Mead. The announcement today is a recognition that the hydrology that was planned for years ago but we hoped we would never see is here, said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton. People take pictures of Lake Mead near Hoover Dam at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, in Arizona. The bathtub ring of light minerals shows the high water mark of the reservoir which has fallen to record lows. (AP Photo/John Locher) Lake Mead was formed by building the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. It is one of several man-made reservoirs that store water from the Colorado River, which supplies household water, irrigation for farms and hydropower to Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and parts of Mexico. But water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the river's two largest reservoirs, have been falling for years and faster than experts predicted. Scorching temperatures and less melting snow in the spring have reduced the amount of water flowing from the Rocky Mountains, where the river originates before it snakes 1,450 miles (2,334 kilometers) southwest and into the Gulf of California. Were at a moment where were reckoning with how we continue to flourish with less water, and its very painful, said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. HOW IS THE RIVER WATER SHARED? Water stored in Lake Mead and Lake Powell is divvied up through legal agreements among the seven Colorado River basin states, the federal government, Mexico and others. The agreements determine how much water each gets, when cuts are triggered and the order in which the parties have to sacrifice some of their supply. A buoy rests on the ground at a closed boat ramp on Lake Mead at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, near Boulder City, Nev. Water levels at Lake Mead, the largest reservoir on the Colorado River, have fallen to record lows. (AP Photo/John Locher) Under a 2019 drought contingency plan, Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico agreed to give up shares of their water to maintain water levels at Lake Mead. The voluntary measures weren't enough to prevent the shortage declaration. WHO DOES LAKE MEAD SERVE? Lake Mead supplies water to millions of people in Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico. Cuts for 2022 are triggered when predicted water levels fall below a certain threshold 1,075 feet (328 meters) above sea level, or 40% capacity. Hydrologists predict that by January, the reservoir will drop to 1,066 feet (325 meters). Further rounds of cuts are triggered when projected levels sink to 1,050, 1,045 and 1,025 feet (320, 318 and 312 meters). A buoy once used to warn of a submerged rock rests on the ground along the waterline near a closed boat ramp on Lake Mead at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, near Boulder City, Nev. Water levels at Lake Mead, the largest reservoir on the Colorado River, have fallen to record lows. (AP Photo/John Locher) Eventually, some city and industrial water users could be affected. Lake Powell's levels also are falling, threatening the roughly 5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity generated each year at the Glen Canyon Dam. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming get water from tributaries and other reservoirs that feed into Lake Powell. Water from three reservoirs in those states has been drained to maintain water levels at Lake Powell and protect the electric grid powered by the Glen Canyon Dam. WHICH STATES WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE CUTS? In the U.S., Arizona will be hardest hit and lose 18% of its share from the river next year, or 512,000 acre-feet of water. That's around 8% of the state's total water use. This July 27, 2021, satellite image provided courtesy of Maxar Technologies shows Hoover Dam, in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. U.S. officials on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, declared the first-ever water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West. The anticipated forecast will mean Arizona farmers will do without as much water from the Colorado River next year and increasingly will turn to groundwater. A prolonged drought, higher temperatures and climate change have dropped one of the river's main reservoirs, Lake Mead, to record-low levels. (Satellite Image 2021 Maxar Technologies via AP) An acre-foot is enough water to supply one to two households a year. Nevada will lose about 7% of its allocation, or 21,000 acre-feet of water. But it will not feel the shortage largely because of conservation efforts. California is spared from immediate cuts because it has more senior water rights than Arizona and Nevada. Mexico will see a reduction of roughly 5%, or 80,000 acre-feet. WHO IN THOSE STATES WILL SEE THEIR WATER SUPPLY CUT? Farmers in central Arizona, who are among the states largest producers of livestock, dairy, alfalfa, wheat and barley, will bear the brunt of the cuts. Their allocation comes from water deemed extra by the agency that supplies water to much of the region, making them the first to lose it during a shortage. As a result, the farmers will likely need to fallow land as many already have in recent years because of persisting drought and rely even more on groundwater, switch to water-efficient crops and find other ways to use less water. Water suppliers have planned for the shortage declaration by diversifying and conserving their water supply, such as by storing water in underground basins. Still, water cuts make it harder to plan for the future. The Central Arizona Project, which supplies water to Arizonas major cities, will no longer bank river water or replenish some groundwater systems next year because of the cuts. Its a historic moment where drought and climate change are at our door, said Chuck Cullom of the Central Arizona Project. Cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson, and Native American tribes are shielded from the first round of cuts. CAN THE DECLINE OF LAKE MEAD BE REVERSED? Water levels at the reservoir have been falling since 1999 due to the dry spell enveloping the West and increased water demand. With weather patterns expected to worsen, experts say the reservoir may never be full again. Though Lake Mead and Lake Powell could theoretically be refilled, planning for a hotter, drier future with less river water would be more prudent, said Porter of Arizona State University. AP reporters Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, and Sam Metz in Carson City, Nevada, contributed to this report. The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/environment and drought coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/droughts. WASHINGTON (AP) Dr. Stephen Hahn had been Food and Drug Administration commissioner for just seven weeks when COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency. WASHINGTON (AP) Dr. Stephen Hahn had been Food and Drug Administration commissioner for just seven weeks when COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency. A political newcomer, Hahn was plunged into a period of unprecedented turmoil at FDA, which was responsible for reviewing and authorizing tests, drugs and vaccines to fight the pandemic. His boss, President Donald Trump, pressured and even threatened FDA regulators to speed up the process. This photo provided by Flagship Pioneering shows Dr. Stephen Hahn. Hahn had been Food and Drug Administration commissioner for just seven weeks when COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency. A political newcomer, Hahn was plunged into a period of unprecedented turmoil at FDA, which was tasked with reviewing and authorizing tests, drugs and vaccines to fight the pandemic. (Lota Hahn/Flagship Pioneering via AP) But last fall, Hahn openly defied the White House by publishing strict testing guidelines for upcoming COVID-19 vaccines. Those requirements effectively closed the door on Trumps goal of delivering a vaccine before Election Day. Now an executive with biotech venture firm Flagship Pioneering, Hahn spoke to The Associated Press about the importance of shielding the FDA from political influence. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Q: What is the FDA commissioner's role in managing outside pressure? A: The creed by which FDA lives is "science and data." But its a matter of fact that in Washington were in a political world. So I thought of the commissioners job as setting the agencys direction and priorities and to help shape decisions around those priorities. But also to protect the agency from outside political forces. We've certainly had many of them in the last couple of years -- not just in the U.S. -- but across the globe. But I really did see my role as doing the absolute best I could to make sure that decisions were made independently by the scientific experts at the agency. Now, everybody reads the papers, everybody understands the pressures of an election year. So you cant 100 percent protect, but you want your folks to be able to do the job theyre there for which is to protect and promote American health based upon science and data. One thing I feel very proud about is that every decision the agency made was based upon the best data available and that the career scientists made those decisions. Q: What could be done to better protect FDA? A: I believe we should take a very hard look at putting in place a structure for an independent FDA. Now, let me give one caveat: I do not believe that any federal agency is above oversight. But because the FDA has such an important role, because its decisions are life and death ones for Americans, and because its considered the gold standard around the world, I believe there has to be some mechanism in place for independent, scientific decision-making. Im sure there are different ways to do that. Q: How might that work? A: You can imagine a situation where the agency has political appointees as its head but like the Federal Reserve theres an independent board that provides oversight. So I think there are ways of doing it. I believe last year really taught us a lesson about the importance of scientific independence. Sometimes thats really difficult in a fast-moving public health emergency coupled with a political environment such as it was. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigned on Monday after less than 18 months in power, apologizing for his shortcomings but blaming those hungry for power. Embattled Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin waves from a car while entering the National Palace to meet with the King in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Muhyiddin arrived at the palace for a meeting with the king Monday, where he is expected to hand in his resignation after conceding he didn't have majority support to rule. (AP Photo/FL Wong) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigned on Monday after less than 18 months in power, apologizing for his shortcomings but blaming those hungry for power. Muhyiddin conceded that he had lost majority support to govern, making him the countrys shortest-ruling leader. I have tendered my resignation as prime minister and also for the entire Cabinet ... because I have lost the majority support of lower house members, he said in a televised final message after meeting the king. I take this opportunity to seek forgiveness ... for all my mistakes and weaknesses during my tenure as prime minister. I and my Cabinet colleagues have tried our best to save and protect lives ... in this period of crisis. However, as a human being, we are bound to make mistakes so I apologize." He said he had hoped to stay on until the country's coronavirus vaccination program is completed and the economy has recovered, but was thwarted by those hungry for power." FILE - In this July 26, 2021, file photo released by Malaysia's Department of Information, Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, speaks at the parliamentary session at parliament house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Embattled Prime Minister Yassin acknowledged Friday, Aug. 13, he may have lost majority support in Parliament but said he will seek bipartisan support to keep his government from collapsing and promised to call for election next year. (Famer Roheni/Malaysia's Department of Information via AP, File) Muhyidddins departure plunges the country into a new crisis amid a worsening COVID-19 outbreak. Political leaders have already begun to jostle for the top post, with his deputy, Ismail Sabri, rallying support to succeed Muhyiddin and keep the government intact. The palace said the king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, accepted Muhyiddin's resignation and appointed him as caretaker prime minister until a successor is found, in line with the constitution. Sultan Abdullah said a new election is not an option because many parts of the country are COVID-19 red zones and health facilities are inadequate. He urged the nation to stay calm and expressed hope that the political turmoil that has disrupted the country's administration will be swiftly resolved. In this Aug. 4, 2021, photo, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin waves from a car while entering the National Palace to meet the king in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With his last-ditch plan to seek opposition backing for his government rejected, embattled Muhyiddin appears set to resign after failing to cobble up majority support. Muhyiddin will submit his resignation to the king on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/FL Wong) The kings role is largely ceremonial in Malaysia, but he appoints the person he believes has majority support in Parliament as prime minister. Muhyiddin's resignation comes amid mounting public anger over what was widely perceived as his governments poor handling of the pandemic. Malaysia has one of the worlds highest infection rates and deaths per capita, with daily cases breaching 20,000 this month despite a seven-month state of emergency and a lockdown since June to tackle the crisis. Muhyiddin has been ruling on borrowed time. His poor governance, focus on survival politics and unwillingness to acknowledge his failings have led to his undoing, said Bridget Welsh of Malaysia's University of Nottingham, an expert in Malaysian politics. Police stand guard outside the main gate of the National Palace while Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin meets the King in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Embattled Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin arrived at the palace for a meeting with the king Monday, where he is expected to hand in his resignation after conceding he didn't have majority support to rule. (AP Photo/FL Wong) But his departure also puts Malaysia in unchartered waters. The focus now is on Malaysia having a peaceful transition to a new government that can manage the crisis," she said. Muhyiddin's government had a razor-thin majority and dodged leadership tests in Parliament from the start. It finally fell when 15 lawmakers from the United Malays National Organization, the biggest party in his alliance, pulled their support for his government. Two UMNO ministers also resigned from the Cabinet before Monday's actions. Muhyiddin had repeatedly insisted that he still had majority support and would prove it in Parliament next month. But in a U-turn on Friday, he sought opposition backing to shore up his government and promised to call general elections by next July. He also offered concessions including proposals to limit the prime ministers tenure, bolster checks and balances and give a senior minister role to the opposition leader, but his plea was rejected by all parties. Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin waves in the car as he leaves the National Palace after meeting the King in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Embattled Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin arrived at the palace for a meeting with the king Monday, where he is expected to hand in his resignation after conceding he didn't have majority support to rule. (AP Photo/FL Wong) Muhyiddin took a swipe at UMNO leaders who opposed him, several of whom have criminal cases against them. I could have taken the easy route and sacrificed my principles to remain as prime minister but that is not my choice. I will not compromise with kleptocrats or interfere with the judiciary just to stay in power, he said. The king will have a tough task picking a new leader because no coalition can currently claim a majority. A three-party alliance which is the biggest opposition bloc has nominated its leader, Anwar Ibrahim, as a candidate. But the bloc has less than 90 lawmakers, short of the 111 needed for a simple majority. Thats also less than the 100 lawmakers believed to have backed Muhyiddin. A car carrying mbattled Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin enters the National Palace to meet with the King in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Muhyiddin arrived at the palace for a meeting with the king Monday, where he is expected to hand in his resignation after conceding he didn't have majority support to rule. (AP Photo/FL Wong) Other contenders include Deputy Prime Minister Ismail who is from UMNO, but it's unclear if a deal can be struck and if the king will accept it. Local media said another possible candidate is Razaleigh Hamzah, an 84-year-old prince who was a former finance minister. Razaleigh, an UMNO lawmaker, is seen as a neutral candidate who could unite the warring factions in UMNO. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 96, has called for a national recovery council to be formed and led by professionals to resolve the countrys economic and health crises. Muhyiddin took power in March 2020 after initiating the collapse of Mahathir's reformist government that won 2018 elections. He pulled his Bersatu party out to join hands with the UMNO-led coalition that had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957 but was ousted in 2018 over a multibillion-dollar financial scandal. Mahathir abruptly resigned to protest Bersatus plan to work with the former government. Muhyiddin's government was unstable because UMNO was unhappy with playing second fiddle to his smaller party. Muhyiddin halted Parliament for months last year to shore up support. He again suspended Parliament in January and ruled by ordinance without legislative approval under a state of coronavirus emergency that ended Aug. 1. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Thousands of Afghans rushed into Kabuls main airport Monday, some so desperate to escape the Taliban that they held onto a military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths. At least seven people died in the chaos, U.S. officials said, as Americas longest war ended with its enemy the victor. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Thousands of Afghans rushed into Kabuls main airport Monday, some so desperate to escape the Taliban that they held onto a military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths. At least seven people died in the chaos, U.S. officials said, as Americas longest war ended with its enemy the victor. The crowds came while the Taliban enforced their rule over the capital of 5 million people after a lightning advance across the country that took just over a week to dethrone the country's Western-backed government. There were no major reports of abuses or fighting, but many residents stayed home and remained fearful after the insurgents' takeover saw prisons emptied and armories looted. In this photo provided by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, members of the 16 Air Assault Brigade arrive in Kabul as part of a 600-strong UK-force sent to assist with Operation PITTING to rescue British nationals in Afghanistan amidst the worsening security situation there. (Leading Hand Ben Shread/Ministry of Defence via AP) A resolute U.S. President Joe Biden said he stood squarely behind his decision to withdraw American forces and acknowledged the gut-wrenching images unfolding in Kabul. Biden said he faced a choice between honoring a previously negotiated withdrawal agreement or sending thousands more troops back to begin a third decade of war. After 20 years, Ive learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces, Biden said in a televised address from the White House. The president said American troops should not be fighting and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves." He warned the Taliban not to interfere with the evacuation efforts. Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi) Across Afghanistan, the International Committee of the Red Cross said thousands had been wounded in the fighting. Security forces and politicians handed over their provinces and bases without a fight, likely believing the two-decade Western experiment to remake Afghanistan would not survival the resurgent Taliban. The last American troops had planned to withdraw at the end of the month. The world is following events in Afghanistan with a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. As the U.S. military and others continued evacuation flights, Afghans swarmed over the international airport's tarmac. Some climbed into aircraft parked on the taxiway, while others dangled precariously off a jet bridge. In this photo provided by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, members of the 16 Air Assault Brigade arrive in Kabul as part of a 600-strong UK-force sent to assist with Operation PITTING to rescue British nationals in Afghanistan amidst the worsening security situation there. (Leading Hand Ben Shread/Ministry of Defence via AP) U.S. troops took positions to guard the active runway, but the crowd stormed past them and their armored vehicles. Gunshots rang out. As one U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III tried to take off, a helicopter did low runs in front of it to try to drive people off the runway. Videos showed a group of Afghans hanging onto the plane just before takeoff and several falling through the air as the airplane rapidly gained altitude over the city. Senior American military officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation, told The Associated Press that the chaos left seven dead, including several who fell from the flight. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said U.S. forces killed two people he described as carrying weapons in the melee. He said 1,000 more U.S. troops would be deployed to secure the airfield and back up the 2,500 already there. In this photo released by The White House, President Joe Biden meets virtually with his national security team and senior officials for a briefing on Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, at Camp David, Md. (The White House via AP) All flights at the airport both military and civilian were halted until Afghan civilians could be cleared from the runway, Kirby added. Late Monday night, hundreds of people remained trapped between American forces trying to push them out of the airport and Taliban forces trying to keep them in, witnesses said. An Associated Press journalist also saw what appeared to be an airstrike target two vehicles near the airport. Earlier, more than 300 people were evacuated aboard a Turkish Airlines flight after Turkish soldiers cleared the runway. Senol Celik, who identified himself as a Turkish Embassy employee, said people threw themselves in front of the plane. Pakistan soldiers check documents of travelers crossing the border to Afghanistan through a crossing point in Chaman, Pakistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. A special flight of Pakistans national airline PIA has arrived in Islamabad carrying 329 passengers from Kabul, and another carrying 170 people will arrive later today. A spokesman for the airline said Saturday that the airline will operate three flights tomorrow to transport Pakistanis and other nationalities looking to leave Kabul. (AP Photo/Jafar Khan) They wanted to board the plane. They wanted to escape Afghanistan, he said. We were afraid that the plane would return and that we would enter that chaos. We were sad for those people. Shafi Arifi, who had a ticket to travel to Uzbekistan on Sunday, was unable to board his plane because it was packed with people who raced across the tarmac and climbed aboard, with no police or airport staff in sight. There was no room for us to stand," said the 24-year-old. Children were crying, women were shouting, young and old men were so angry and upset, no one could hear each other. There was no oxygen to breathe. A Taliban fighter sits on the back of vehicle with a machine gun in front of the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The U.S. military has taken over Afghanistan's airspace as it struggles to manage a chaotic evacuation after the Taliban rolled into the capital. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) After a woman fainted and was carried off the plane, Arifi gave up and returned home. Other Afghans, like Rakhmatula Kuyash, are also trying to leave through land border crossings, all of which are now controlled by the Taliban. Im lost and I dont know what to do," said Kuyash, who crossed into Uzbekistan on Sunday after leaving his children and relatives in Afghanistan. I left everything behind. Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint on the road to the Afghan foreign ministry, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The U.S. military has taken over Afghanistan's airspace as it struggles to manage a chaotic evacuation after the Taliban rolled into the capital. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) Others were not so lucky. Uzbekistan air defenses shot down an Afghan military aircraft that tried to enter the country without permission. The two pilots were reportedly injured and in custody. Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani, who earlier left the country, faced Russian allegations he fled Kabul with four cars and a helicopter full of cash. His whereabouts remained unclear. The U.S. Embassy has been evacuated and the American flag lowered, with diplomats relocating to the airport to help with the evacuation. Other Western countries also closed their missions and were flying out staff and their citizens. This satellite photo from Planet Labs Inc. shows Kabul International Airport, also known as Hamid Karzai International Airport, Monday Aug. 16, 2021. Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of the capital's airport on Monday as thousands tried to flee the country after the Taliban seized power with stunning speed. Some clung to the side of a U.S. military transport plane before takeoff, in a widely shared video that captured the sense of desperation as America's 20-year war comes to a chaotic end. (Planet Labs Inc. via AP) In interviews with U.S. television networks, national security adviser Jake Sullivan blamed the Afghan military for the Taliban's rapid takeover, saying it lacked the will to fight. The Taliban offensive stunned American officials. Just days before the insurgents entered Kabul with little if any resistance, a U.S. military assessment predicted it could take months for the capital to fall. The rout threatened to erase 20 years of Western efforts to remake Afghanistan that saw tens of thousands of Afghans killed as well as more than 3,500 U.S. and allied troops. The initial invasion in 2001 drove the Taliban from power and scattered al-Qaida, which had planned the 9/11 attacks while being sheltered in Afghanistan. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Taliban fighters pray while raising their flag at the Ghazni provincial governor's house, in Ghazni, southeastern, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Gulabuddin Amiri) Under the Taliban, which ruled in accordance with a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, women were largely confined to their homes and suspected criminals faced amputation or public execution. The insurgents have sought to project greater moderation in recent years, but many Afghans remain skeptical. Filippo Grandi, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, separately described interactions with the Taliban as relatively positive. On Monday, Nillan, a 27-year-old resident of Kabul who asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of reprisals, said she did not see a single woman out on the streets during a 15-minute drive, only men and boys. It feels like time has stopped. Everythings changed, she told the AP. She added, "It feels like our life and our future has ended. Akhgar reported from Istanbul, Gannon from Guelph, Canada, and Gambrell from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem, Rahim Faiez in Istanbul, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Samya Kullab in Baghdad, Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Robert Burns in Washington, James LaPorta in Boca Raton, Florida, and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report. WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealand has detected its first community transmission of the coronavirus in months, triggering urgent meetings among top lawmakers. Police officers wearing face masks to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus stand guard to block possible rallies from protesters against the government in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. South Korean government ordered bans on street rallies that conservative groups had planned to hold the to mark the Korean Liberation Day from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, as concerns continue to mount over the spread of the coronavirus in the capital city. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealand has detected its first community transmission of the coronavirus in months, triggering urgent meetings among top lawmakers. Health officials say the positive case was found in Auckland on Tuesday afternoon and has no known link to outside the country. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised a tough approach, including possible lockdowns, for any outbreaks of the delta variant as New Zealand continues to pursue a zero-tolerance approach toward the virus. People wearing face masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus walk on a street in Tokyo Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Tokyo has been under what it calls a state of emergency. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) The last community outbreak was in February and New Zealand has reported just 26 virus deaths since the pandemic began. - MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: Many Bible Belt preachers silent on shots as COVID-19 surges Workers in protective suits carry a coffin containing the body of a COVID-19 victim into an ambulance to be taken for a cremation in Bali, Indonesia Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) Fans will not be allowed at the Paralympics starting next week in Japan, which has extended its coronavirus emergency Virus claims more young victims as deaths climb yet again US mulls COVID vaccine boosters for elderly as early as fall Amid a limited supply of vaccines, tensions arise in Africa between those seeking first and second vaccine shots A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is prepared to be administered, at the Assad Iben El Fourat school in Oued Ellil, outside Tunis, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Tunisia has launched its largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign as the country faces a surge of cases. Authorities aim to vaccinate over 1 million of people aged 40 and over in only one day, compared with 30,000 to 60,000 a day previously. (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi) Public forums before local school boards and city councils are the latest source of misinformation about COVID-19 Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: HONG KONG Hong Kong will tighten entry restrictions for travelers arriving from the United States and 14 other countries beginning Friday, increasing the quarantine period to 21 days. A soldier administers a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to a woman, at the Assad Iben El Fourat school in Oued Ellil, outside Tunis, Sunday, Aug.15, 2021. Tunisia has launched its largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign as the country faces a surge of cases. Authorities aim to vaccinate over 1 million of people aged 40 and over in only one day, compared with 30,000 to 60,000 a day previously. (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi) Previously, the 15 countries, which also includes Malaysia, Thailand, France and the Netherlands, were classified as medium risk, with travelers able to serve only seven days of quarantine if they were fully vaccinated. A resurgence of coronavirus cases in these countries due to the delta variant has led to Hong Kongs about-face. The change comes after a domestic worker who returned to Hong Kong from the U.S. earlier this month tested positive for the coronavirus despite receiving two shots of vaccine. SYDNEY Australias most populous state has reported its third-highest daily count of coronavirus infections in the pandemic, and the government leader says the spread of the delta variant in Sydney has not yet peaked. There were 452 new infections reported in New South Wales on Tueday, down from 475 on Monday and 466 on Saturday. Indonesian President Joko Widodo greets parliament members upon arrival to deliver his annual State of the Nation Address ahead of the country's Independence Day, at the parliament building in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. (Bagus Indahono/Pool Photo via AP) An unvaccinated woman in her 70s had died in a Sydney hospital Monday, bringing the death from the outbreak discovered in mid-June to 53. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she expects daily infections counts to remain high. She adds that "our challenge is to make sure that we keep vaccination rates up. About half New South Waless population has had at least one injection of the two-shot Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine. The government wants 80% of the population fully vaccinated before it eases Sydneys lockdown, which began on June 26. MONTGOMERY, Alabama Alabamas intensive care units are near capacity amid the states surge in COVID-19 cases. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaks to reporters about the extension of a state of emergency at his official residence in Tokyo Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The emergency for curbing surging COVID-19 cases will continue through Sept. 12 rather than ending at the end of this month as initially planned, the government decided Monday. (Yoshitaka Sugawara/Kyodo News via AP) The head of the Alabama Hospital Association says the state has 1,562 intensive care unit beds and 1,560 patients needing intensive care Monday. Dr. Don Williamson says that this is the greatest demand on the ICU system weve ever had. Alabama has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus and the states low vaccination rate. Infections and hospitalization numbers are quickly approaching what they were at the winter peak of the pandemic. Williamson says COVID-19 patients accounted for 48% of Alabamas ICU patients Monday. He says the overwhelming majority of them are unvaccinated. COLUMBIA, S.C. Another local government in South Carolina is joining the state capital in requiring masks in schools despite a state budget proviso that bans districts from doing so without risking funding. FILE - In this May 9, 2021 file photo, Rev. Joseph Jackson Jr. talks to his congregation at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Milwaukee during a service. Health officials have an unsteady partner as they try to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Bible Belt: churches and pastors. Some preachers are praying for more inoculations and hosting vaccination clinics. Others are skirting the topic of vaccines or openly preaching against them in a region that's both deeply religious and reeling from a spike in cases. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger, File) The Richland County Council voted Monday evening to mandate masks for students and for educators who work with children ages 2 through 14 in public and private schools and at day care centers. The ordinance says schools arent required to use public funds to provide face coverings. Columbias city government already made masks mandatory for schoolchildren too young to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Columbias mayor has said the measure relies on local funds, not state appropriations. Education groups are pushing for state lawmakers to repeal the state budget provision that went into effect July 1 and prohibits South Carolina educational institutions from using appropriated funds to mandate masks. ATLANTA At least 10 Georgia school districts or charter schools have sent all students home because of exposure to the coronavirus, including Screven County, which announced its decision Monday. FILE - This May 2, 2021 file photo shows workers at a mostly empty COVID-19 vaccination clinic located at Cathedral of the Cross A.O.H. Church of God in Birmingham, Ala. Health officials have an unsteady partner as they try to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Bible Belt: churches and pastors. Some preachers are praying for more inoculations and hosting vaccination clinics. Others are skirting the topic of vaccines or openly preaching against them in a region that's both deeply religious and reeling from a spike in cases. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves, File) Those districts have more than 26,000 students combined, about 1.5% of the statewide public school enrollment. Some other districts have sent students home from individual schools, and thousands of students and teachers have been quarantined after two weeks of school for many Georgia districts. CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Wyomings governor says the state will not return to a statewide mask order or mandate vaccination against the coronavirus despite a resurgence of the virus. Gov. Mark Gordon imposed a statewide mask mandate in December and lifted it in March. He said Monday that mandates can cause some people to resist wearing masks. FILE - This April 2, 2020 file photo shows Henrico County Health Districts Director Dr. Danny Avula, as he gestures during a news conference at the Government Center in Richmond, Va. Health officials have an unsteady partner as they try to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Bible Belt: churches and pastors. Some preachers are praying for more inoculations and hosting vaccination clinics. Others are skirting the topic of vaccines or openly preaching against them in a region that's both deeply religious and reeling from a spike in cases. (AP Photo/Steve Helber,File) Gordon also says he doesnt expect any shutdowns like the public health orders that forced many Wyoming businesses and public places to close or limit occupancy through much of 2020 and into 2021. Coronavirus infections are back up to levels not seen in Wyoming since January. Beckers Hospital Review says Wyoming has one of the nations lowest vaccination rates, about 37%. AUSTIN, Texas Texas health officials say they asked for five mortuary trailers from the federal government as coronavirus infections and hospitalizations for COVID-19 reach the highest levels since January. But the Texas Department of State Health Services also said Monday that no local officials so far have reached out with needs for extra mortuary space. Students and parents gather outside the Governor's Mansion to urge Gov. Greg Abbott to drop his opposition to public school mask mandates, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, in Austin, Texas. The Texas Supreme Court has blocked mask mandates ordered by two of the nations largest counties that defied Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as COVID-19 cases surge. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Texas reported more than 11,700 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, a 17% increase from a week ago. The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 deaths is also back above 50 for the first time since spring. The pandemic is blamed for more than 52,000 deaths in Texas. RALEIGH, N.C. --- North Carolina health officials say medically vulnerable residents with certain health conditions can get an additional dose of coronavirus vaccine, though some have already had a third shot after the FDA approved that last week. The FDA signed off on the additional dose after emerging data suggested people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems do not necessarily build the same level of immunity as others. FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2018 file photo, Cardinal Raymond Burke applauds during a press conference at the Italian Senate, in Rome. Cardinal Burke, one of the Catholic Church's most outspoken conservatives and a vaccine skeptic, said he has COVID-19 and his staff said he is breathing through a ventilator. Burke tweeted Aug. 10 that he had caught the virus, was resting comfortably and was receiving excellent medical care. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) Data from the state Department of Health and Human Services shows that coronavirus infections and hospitalizations for COVID-19 are at their worst levels in more than six months. HONOLULU Some private schools in Hawaii are mandating coronavirus vaccination for students, faculty and staff. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser says Parker School in Waimea on the Big Island will require all employees and eligible students to be vaccinated by Oct. 1. The coeducational day school will test all students and employees for the virus before the school year. It plans to provide weekly testing while infection rates remain high on the Big Island. In Honolulu, the Iolani School is requiring all eligible students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated or seek a health or religious exemption. A spokeswoman says the schools faculty and staff already have a 99% vaccination rate, while eligible students in grades 7 to 12 are at 95%. Younger students arent eligible for the shots. Children attend a mobile classroom set up in a parked bus by a social activist for children living in a slum in Mumbai, India Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) JERUSALEM Israel says more than 1 million people over age 50 have received a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Israel began offering the boosters to its older population two weeks ago, becoming the first country in the world using a Western vaccine to do so. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Monday that more than half of the target population has now received a booster shot. Israel was one of the worlds leaders in vaccinating its population early this year, using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. But it has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks spread largely by the delta variant of the coronavirus. Fans of the Union Espanola soccer club attend a match inside the Santa Laura stadium, in Santiago, Chile, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Following over a year of lockdown restrictions due to the new coronavirus pandemic, fans were allowed back into stadiums this weekend amidst a stringent security and social distancing protocol. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) Tthe World Health Organization has said it would be better to provide vaccines to poorer countries that have not yet inoculated their people. BELGRADE, Serbia Serbia will start administering a third, or booster, dose of vaccines this week to people who previously were vaccinated at least 6 months ago, after cases of infections have surged in recent days. Authorities on Monday said that citizens will receive text messages with invitations for booster shots. Initially, heath authorities will contact people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, medical workers and those whose jobs require frequent travel. Serbia, a Balkan nation of around 7 million people, has vaccinated over 50% of its population. The country loosened anti-virus rules during the summer which has led to a rise in confirmed new cases and hospitalizations mostly from the highly contagious delta variant. DALLAS Some Texas counties and school districts remained defiant Monday and kept in place mandates requiring students and others to wear facial coverings despite rulings a day earlier by the Texas Supreme Court halting mask mandates in two of the largest counties in the nation. However, other school districts and communities rescinded their mask mandates following Sundays court ruling, creating confusion for Texas students returning to in person classes this week. The order by the states highest court halts mask requirements that county leaders in Dallas and San Antonio put in place as new infections soar and students begin returning to school. NEW YORK New York City will begin requiring proof of coronavirus vaccinations Tuesday for anyone wanting to partake in much of public life including dining at an indoor restaurant, working out at a gym or strolling through a museum. The list of public venues widened Monday as Mayor Bill de Blasio moved forward with an unprecedented move by the countrys largest city to goad more people into getting vaccinated and control a pandemic that has wrought havoc on the economy and peoples day-to-day lives. While the new requirement goes into effect Tuesday, enforcement wont begin until Sept. 13 to give the public and employees more time to receive at least the required first shot. MADISON, Wis. Cardinal Raymond Burke, one of the Catholic Churchs most outspoken conservatives and a vaccine skeptic, says he has COVID-19 and his staff says he is breathing through a ventilator. Burke tweeted Aug. 10 that he had caught the virus, was resting comfortably and was receiving excellent medical care. Please pray for me as I begin my recovery, the 73-year-old Burke said in the tweet. Let us trust in Divine Providence. God bless you. On Saturday, his staff tweeted that he had been hospitalized and was on a ventilator, but that doctors were encouraged with his progress. JACKSON, Miss. Mississippis only Level I trauma center is setting up a second emergency field hospital in a parking garage to treat some of the sickest COVID-19 patients as the virus continues to ravage the state. Samaritans Purse will set up the mobile intensive care unit with a team of medical staff in a garage near Childrens of Mississippi, the states only pediatric hospital. Since the start of the pandemic, the Christian relief charity has set up five other emergency hospitals in areas of the world hard hit by the virus, including New York City and Los Angeles County. Mississippi, one of least vaccinated states in the country, has seen numbers of new COVID-19 cases double in the past two weeks, surpassing records for hospitalizations all previous surges of the virus since the start of the pandemic. After facing a shortage of beds and staff needed to treat patients, the University of Mississippi Medical Center set up an emergency field hospital in a different parking garage last week, with the help of the federal government. In the coming days, an additional tent will be set up where people who are positive for COVID-19 can receive monoclonal antibody treatment, Woodward said. OTTAWA - A Conservative government would have unvaccinated federal employees and air passengers pass COVID-19 tests instead of mandating they get inoculated, leader Erin O'Toole said late Sunday, breaking his silence on the issue. Conservative Leader Erin OToole speaks to the media as he launches his election campaign in Ottawa, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Canadians will vote in a federal election Sept. 20th. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz OTTAWA - A Conservative government would have unvaccinated federal employees and air passengers pass COVID-19 tests instead of mandating they get inoculated, leader Erin O'Toole said late Sunday, breaking his silence on the issue. The written statement capped off the first day of a hotly anticipated federal election campaign that began with the Liberals attacking O'Toole's lack of a position on vaccine mandates, saying he also lacks a plan to end the pandemic. Earlier in the day, O'Toole sidestepped questions about whether he supported a move by the Liberal government to require federal civil servants, workers in federally regulated industries and most travellers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. O'Toole later said the Liberals were trying to use mandatory vaccinations to drive a wedge in the country by making the shots political. Canadians want a reasonable and balanced approach that protects their right to make personal health decisions and the need to keep everyone safe," his statement read. "What they do not want is the politicization of the pandemic. Vaccines are not a political issue." Instead of mandatory vaccinations, O'Toole said a Conservative government would make unvaccinated people boarding a plane, ship or interprovincial train provide a negative COVID-19 test. It would also have unvaccinated federal employees pass a rapid test each day. O'Toole has yet to address whether he will make his own candidates get vaccinated against COVID-19 as they gear up to knock on doors and hold campaign events, or if he'd expect them to take rapid tests daily. At the same time, O'Toole kicked off his campaign Sunday by saying Trudeau is putting Canadians' health at risk with an unnecessary election. His tightrope walk came in a speech minutes after Trudeau announced that Gov. Gen. Mary Simon had granted the prime minister's request to dissolve Parliament, plunging the nation into its second federal election in less than two years. "A leader who cared about the best interests of Canadians would be straining every sinew to secure the recovery right now. Instead, Justin Trudeau has called an election," O'Toole said. "We shouldnt be risking that for political games or political gain." The Tory leader made his opening-day remarks from a broadcast studio erected earlier this year in a ballroom at the Westin hotel in downtown Ottawa. Equipped with multiple cameras and a massive background screen, the curtained space emits a soft blue glow amid the Conservative logos and stage lighting. Some three dozen journalists and staffers dotted the room, but no supporters or constituents were on hand for cheers and elbow bumps as O'Toole stressed pandemic safety. The top Tory, who has visited more than a half-dozen provinces over the past five weeks, said he would be speaking with Quebecers and British Columbians in virtual townhalls later Sunday. His approach stood in contrast with that of Trudeau, who bumped elbows and snapped selfies with locals while wearing a mask in a Montreal suburb on Sunday. Everyone who climbs aboard O'Toole's campaign bus or plane must be fully vaccinated, with the party explaining that the measure is necessary for smooth travel between provinces where unvaccinated people are required to quarantine upon arrival. "I can assure you the Conservative party all of our team members, all of our candidates will be working hard to try and work with public health leaders to follow health advice and to keep Canadians safe." O'Toole has also stopped short of supporting a vaccine passport for international travel, which the federal government has promised to deliver by early fall. Instead, he said Trudeau should partner with the provinces on their respective approaches, from proof-of-vaccination documentation to rapid testing. Calling an election amid a pandemic marks an effort to "confuse and divide people with respect to their health-care decisions," O'Toole added. Trudeau said earlier Sunday that Canadians need to choose how the country finishes the fight against COVID-19, making the case that its institutions are "strong" enough to handle an election during a fourth wave. In his speech, O'Toole rehashed part of his pre-election pitch to Canadians, stressing a "Canada recovery plan" he unveiled in March that pledges to restore within a year one million jobs lost to the pandemic. A Tory government would ease affordability problems for struggling families by revving up the economy alongside a balanced budget within the next decade he said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. New anticorruption laws, mental health funding and made-in-Canada pharmaceuticals also comprised part of the pitch. During a livestreamed question-and-answer with Quebecers, O'Toole responded to a query asserting that immigration could take jobs away from locals. "Immigration is very important for our country, particularly for our economic recovery," he said in French during the teleconference, adding that an unauthorized border crossing in the province's southeast where thousands of asylum seekers enter Canada each year must also be addressed. The words "climate change" and "environment" did not appear in O'Toole's speech. In April, O'Toole proposed a loyalty-card style of carbon pricing where consumers would see what they pay on fuel stored in an account that can be used for green purchases later. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2021. Catherine Collins couldnt wrap her head around it. For years, a vacant lot sat idly by where she lived home only to a dump of garbage, drug users and stray cars looking for free parking. "It wasnt like anything positive was happening there," Collins told the Free Press about the Harriet Street property in Winnipeg, sandwiched between McDermot and Notre Dame Avenues. "In this prime inner city location, where affordable housing was so desperately needed, I just absolutely could not look away." That was in early 2020, well before Collins had even formed her not-for-profit corporation, which would eventually buy out the empty lot. But in the months ahead, she faced challenge after challenge to first raise enough funds to acquire the property, then create architectural plans approved by the city, all while juggling the task of putting together a board of directors for her newly-created organization. "It was a lot of things to be doing smack dab in the middle of the pandemic," Collins said. "COVID-19 was actually making things extremely difficult for us, because all the people Id call up for fundraising were shy about getting involved in such a big project during a massive health crisis." She approached churches, social welfare groups, local politicians and even knocked door to door for help. "No one exactly supported us, and even when they did, there was the crucial side of meeting city plans that would frighten everyone," Collins said. Just over a year later, Harriet Street Seniors Housing Inc. is celebrating the completion of an agreement which provides the non-profit with a mammoth $550,000 loan to secure that property. Now, where over 22,000 square feet of empty space collected dust, will be a 48-unit building on three storeys. Affordable prices will be up for studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments all of which are created to be accessible for senior residents. "55 Harriet Street can finally be a safe space for Winnipeg seniors," Collins said. "And its all thanks to the Jubilee Fund." Launched in 2000, the Jubilee Fund is Manitobas only charitable investment fund. It aims to raise awareness of the interrelated issues of poverty reduction, financial assets, and access to credit while providing loan guarantees, direct loans, and bridge financing to non-profits working to reduce poverty. The loan to Harriet Street Seniors Housing represents the largest ever provided by the Jubilee Fund in its decades-long history. "It was like a no-brainer," Peter Cantelon, Jubilee Funds executive director, said in an interview. "The sheer passion and vision that this project had definitely won us over and we knew we had to suport it." Cantelon said it wouldnt have been possible without their own donors, including the provincial government and the Winnipeg Foundation, to greenlight something like this. "Its almost four times the funding compared to the previous such project weve financed," he said. "But we couldnt be more over the moon about it. I mean, this is something at the heart of the city that will not only improve the area, but also the lives of those living there." The project has received many letters of support from the City of Winnipeg, local MPs and MLAs, along with community and neighbourhood organizations. "This community driven projects goal of providing low-income residences for independent seniors of all ethnicities and religious affiliations would represent a much-needed investment in our housing stock," wrote Winnipeg Centre MP Leah Gazan in a letter dated Sept. 18, 2020. "This building will also serve to revitalize our neighbourhood by replacing some of the areas housing that has been lost from age and neglect," wrote city councillor Vivian Santos on March 5, 2021. Construction for the building will now begin in earnest, and is expected to wrap up by late 2022, if all goes as planned. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. An "urban character" has been described for the space, by the buildings developers. Its expected to focus on privacy and consider natural light, with six-foot-high wood fencing to separate from adjacent properties. There will be parking spaces off-site, across the street. "Of course, this loan still isnt a birthday gift. We do have to return it so thats top of mind, too," Collins said. "At the end of the day, this is something were proud of and the rest is a work in progress." temur.durrani@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @temurdur Manitobans running in the federal election are facing an additional adversary this time around. COVID-19 with its fierce Delta variant is the invisible foe, lurking in search of weakness and ready to strike. Manitobans running in the federal election are facing an additional adversary this time around. COVID-19 with its fierce Delta variant is the invisible foe, lurking in search of weakness and ready to strike. "Its quiet in Manitoba right now, but theres no question were entering a fourth wave nationally," said Winnipeg critical care specialist Dr. Anand Kumar. SUPPLIED Provencher Liberal candidate Trevor Kirczenows son Matthew, 10, cleans off his dads 2019 federal campaign lawn signs on Thursday in preparation for the Sept. 20 vote. On Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament, triggering a Sept. 20 election. "Sept. 20 could be right in the middle of fourth wave if not in Manitoba, then in other places," said Kumar, whose earlier predictions about the second and third waves in Manitoba have been fairly accurate. Manitoba has recorded low numbers of COVID-19 cases in recent days, with a Winnipeg test positivity rate of just 1.9 per cent on Friday. Thats expected to change over the next five weeks, Kumar warned. "I suspect well see a gradual increase now through Labour Day until people are back in school. Then were likely to see a rapid increase," said the University of Manitoba professor of critical care medicine and infectious diseases. "It will be significantly noticeable by late September or early October." When the fourth wave crests, it wont be as big as the springs third wave thanks to so many more Manitobans being vaccinated, said Kumar who offered advice to candidates on the COVID-19 campaign trail. "Less contact is better no contact is better, still," he said. "If were going to be heading into an election and going door to door, at a minimum both parties should be masked." On Day 1 of the election, you wont find Winnipeg Centre NDP incumbent Leah Gazan pounding the pavement she will be hitting the phones. "Its not as exciting," Gazan says, but with a deadly virus circulating, the fully-vaccinated candidate doesnt want to risk spreading the virus. "I think its unfortunate that the Liberal government has decided to call an unnecessary snap election in the middle of a pandemic with the risk of a fourth wave were seeing in other parts of the country," she said Friday. "People have lost jobs. People are becoming unsheltered for the first time. People are tired. People are grieving," said the MP for the inner-city riding with one of the lowest average incomes in the country. "I think it was a poor decision by the federal government." That may be the one thing that her Conservative counterpart in affluent Charleswood-St.James-Assiniboia-Headingley agrees with Gazan on. "This is a completely unnecessary and unwarranted election that nobody wants," Marty Morantz said Friday, taking a break from canvassing. "The last election was less than two years ago," Morantz said. "Its been a very stable, minority government and we supported the government on their emergency legislation. They got their budget passed," the Conservative incumbent said. "Theres really no need for this, especially with everything that everyone has been through the last year. This is, I think, just too much to ask Canadians to put them through another federal election at this point in time." Gazan said she called Canadas chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, for guidance on how to safely reach out to the community, and follows that guidance "very strictly" when she meets with folks and canvasses door-to-door in her riding. "I have already started visiting folks in Winnipeg Centre. The reception has been really positive. I love the community and Im going to do my part to make sure that we can be safe," she said. "I will be wearing a mask. I will be stepping back up from the door, even though Im double vaccinated. I want to make sure that I can do this as safely as possible." In the Conservative stronghold of Provencher, 10-year-old Matthew Kirczenow was cleaning off his dads 2019 campaign lawn signs with eager anticipation Thursday. The sooner the election begins the better, said Liberal candidate Trevor Kirczenow. Having Canadians going to the polls on Sept. 20 before the first official day of fall with colder weather and people heading indoors is safer in a pandemic than waiting until winter, said Kirczenow. "The campaign will happen during the summer when we can do things outdoors quite a bit," said the candidate who first ran in 2019 against Provencher Conservative incumbent Ted Falk. Of the 14 Manitoba MPs, Falk is the only one who wont say if hes been vaccinated for COVID-19. Provencher includes Hanover health district which a vaccine uptake rate of 45 per cent, among the lowest in the province. As of Friday, just over 80 per cent of Manitobans had had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Kirczenow said hes especially attuned to health and safety since his son Matthew was diagnosed with Type One diabetes right before the last federal election campaign. "COVID safety is incredibly important," said Kirczenow who plans to do a lot of canvassing by phone, mailouts and virtual meetings. "I want to make sure my volunteers are safe first and foremost," he said. Any in-person campaign events will be held in small groups outdoors, and any door-to-door canvassing will involve masks and social distancing, said Kirczenow. "I think well have to see how people feel about it," he said. "Its going to be OK to drop literature off at the door." Winnipeg South Liberal MP Terry Duguid said last Thursday that hed already begun door knocking. "Many of all political stripes are knocking on doors," he said at a funding announcement in Waverley West. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "I wear my mask. I step away from the door," said Duguid. "Were at a pretty good point in Manitoba. We have the highest vaccination rates in Canada. The federal government and province have been working very, very closely together to support the economy and public health measures." The last general federal election took place Oct. 21, 2019, which resulted in a Liberal minority government. The Liberals have been in government since 2015. The Liberals currently have 155 seats in the 338-seat House of Commons, while the Conservatives have 119. The Bloc Quebecois have 32, the NDP 24 and the Greens have two. There are also five Independents and one seat is vacant. In Manitoba, the Conservatives have seven seats, the Liberals have four and the NDP have three. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Its hard to imagine anything more politically self-serving than calling an unnecessary election during one of the worst public health emergencies in Canadas history. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did that Sunday, paying a visit to Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to formally request she dissolve Parliament and send Canadians back to the polls Sept. 20. Opinion Its hard to imagine anything more politically self-serving than calling an unnecessary election during one of the worst public health emergencies in Canadas history. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did that Sunday, paying a visit to Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to formally request she dissolve Parliament and send Canadians back to the polls Sept. 20. Its been less than two years since the last federal election, when the Liberals were reduced to minority status in the wake of the SNC-Lavalin scandal. This is political greed at its worst. By calling an election for no other reason than to try to regain majority status, while Canada remains in the throes of a deadly pandemic, Trudeau is showing he is willing to put his own interests, and that of the Liberal party, ahead of Canadians. This pandemic is not over, not by a long shot. Canadas vaccination rates are nowhere near where they need to be to wrestle the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the ground and return to a semblance of normalcy. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise again in many parts of the country, including in Ontario and Quebec, due in large part to the more contagious and virulent Delta variant. Canada has just entered the fourth wave of the pandemic and there are significant risks that hospitals could be swamped again with COVID-19 patients. Provincial and federal governments need to be committed with laser-like focus to doing everything possible to boost vaccination rates and mitigate further transmission of the virus. There is no higher priority right now. An election will undermine those efforts. Government cannot give the pandemic its full attention when its politicking on the campaign trail. There are still many challenges ahead in the pandemic: Children under 12 are returning to school in September and are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. They will not likely be fully immunized until December at the earliest. Steps must be taken to protect them from severe illness, while finding ways to mitigate transmission to more vulnerable people. Federal and provincial governments should be working around the clock to ensure a safe return to school. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. There is also a need for Ottawa and the provinces to develop a national vaccine passport, not just for international travel as was announced last week, but for domestic use as well. That type of work requires collaboration and negotiations between the two levels of government, a task that will be delayed during an election. Public health is a shared responsibility between Ottawa and the provinces. Both levels of government should be fully engaged to fight the pandemic. The federal government cannot do that when the prime minister and cabinet are temporarily absent from their executive duties. There is no valid reason to call an election right now. Trudeaus claim that he needs a fresh mandate from taxpayers to spend more of their money on the Liberal partys pet projects is bogus. The claim that opposition parties are holding up the Liberal governments legislative agenda is equally specious. Parliament has operated as it normally does in a minority setting, even passing a budget in the spring. Government has not been prevented from responding to the pandemic. There is nothing so pressing at the moment that requires the country to turn its attention away from the pandemic and towards a general election. The federal government should be focused on boosting economic growth, getting its fiscal house in order and making good on previous election commitments, like providing First Nations with safe drinking water. Trudeau doesnt need a fresh mandate from Canadians to do those things. Calling an election during a pandemic is the height of political arrogance. Its an insult to the thousands of health care workers still battling the pandemic on the front lines. It shows contempt to businesses and not-for-profits, many of which are still struggling to remain solvent. Sundays election call says to Canadians in no uncertain terms that their interests should take a back seat to the political aspirations of Justin Trudeau. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca After a patient suffered cardiac arrest while waiting hours for emergency care at St. Boniface Hospital last week, the hospital may soon divert some patients arriving by ambulance to maintain capacity for those requiring specialized treatment. After a patient suffered cardiac arrest while waiting hours for emergency care at St. Boniface Hospital last week, the hospital may soon divert some patients arriving by ambulance to maintain capacity for those requiring specialized treatment. St. Boniface Hospital chief executive officer Martine Bouchard informed staff and physicians of the looming change in a memo sent Friday. "Patients from our Emergency Department needing to be admitted to hospital for further care is the top operational priority for St. Boniface Hospital," the memo read in part. On Friday, the Free Press reported that a patient who had been waiting about four hours on a stretcher in a hallway, after being rushed to the emergency room by ambulance on Tuesday, became unresponsive and needed to be resuscitated. About 30 patients were in the waiting room at the time, and 14 ER beds had been closed because of a lack of staff. Only two nurses were expected to triage all of those waiting, hospital staff told the Free Press. The hospitals patient safety team and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority patient safety team are reviewing the event to determine if it meets the criteria of a critical incident. Following meetings with Shared Health, the WRHA and hospital physicians on Thursday evening, Bouchard said it was agreed that a modified emergency medical service redirect protocol would come into effect in the "very near future." Ambulance redirect protocols are routine within the WRHA, a spokesman said, noting hospitals that are experiencing higher volumes, are lacking beds, or are short on staff can temporarily turn away ambulances. Such redirect protocols can be in place for as little as two hours, or be in place for a longer period of time, and are only activated as needed. However, a modified redirect protocol ensures that patients who require the type of care best provided by St. Boniface Hospital such as emergency cardiac services will continue to be accepted into the facility. "Modified protocols are designed to preserve capacity for these specialized services," a WRHA spokesman said, adding the redirect protocol for Health Sciences Centre ensures it receives trauma patients, regardless of whether patients with other health concerns are sent to another emergency room. The spokesman said the new redirect protocol is not yet in place at St. Boniface. No details were provided on Saturday about when the redirect protocol would be activated, or which patients who require ambulance transport will be accepted. In her memo, Bouchard said hospital staff are doing their best to provide care "under what can only be described as very challenging circumstances." "You have been trained to provide high-quality care, and it is distressing to face obstacles to providing that care. The ongoing pandemic, nursing and other staffing shortages are adding to our challenges," Bouchard said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. According to the WRHA, many of its emergency and urgent care departments are experiencing "staffing challenges" and are short on in-patient beds, resulting in increased wait times in recent weeks. An incident command structure for the emergency and urgent care program was activated on Aug. 11. "Staffing is currently being augmented by the use of agency nurses, overtime, and nurse educators filling occasional shifts, among other measures across the system," the WRHA spokesman said. with files from Katie May danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Opinion A Facebook memory of a trip to beautiful British Columbia popped up on my timeline a few months ago. My sister Christina was heading to the West Coast for an event in 2017 and decided to extend her stay to enjoy a vacation with me and my daughter, who had tagged along. We spent the first part of the week visiting Riels grandparents on Salt Spring Island and the other part in Vancouver, exploring the city and visiting our Aunt Rose. The day we arrived in Vancouver, we got off the sky train in downtown Vancouver after a 90-minute ferry ride from Victoria. It was a sunny afternoon in the middle of the week. The city moved fast around us faster than I was used to. The sidewalks were bursting with people, the streets lined with bumper-to-bumper traffic, and the skyline of skyscrapers with a backdrop of mountains was enough to take anyones breath away. This wasnt my first time in Vancouver. Ive been there a handful of times in my life, and it has always been thrilling to be swallowed up by the big, bustling city. We walked briskly down the street lugging our suitcases and purses, a toddler who had missed her nap and two very overstuffed carry-on bags. It was a little after noon, and Riel, who was 2 at the time, was getting fussy. She was teetering on the brink of a tantrum when we foolishly popped into London Drugs on Granville Street, just a few blocks from our hotel, to grab a couple of things. I had bet that if we shopped quickly enough, we could vanquish an upset. It was, of course, a gamble I lost. As we were about to check out, my daughter had had enough, and she made sure everyone knew. She dropped to the floor kicking and screaming in a way I can only describe as epic. The poor baby was tired, out of her routine and mad as hell. I scooped her up as she flailed and then stiffened in my arms, screaming bloody murder as my sister paid for whatever it was we went in for. I dont even know how she did it, but my sister managed to lug all of our stuff out of the store while I balanced the feisty, screaming tornado of a child in my arms. As we crossed the street, I saw a woman sitting against a light standard asking people for change. She was sitting on a coat and had a backpack beside her. Most of the people walking by ignored her, as though she was invisible. She sat there on a street swarming with people, and most of them didnt acknowledge her existence. She said something to us as we walked by, but I couldnt hear her over my daughters wails. In the moment, I was annoyed. Couldnt she see I was busy? I literally had my hands full, trying not to drop my tantruming kid. What could this stranger possibly want to talk to me about while I was in the middle of this chaos? Some nerve! I turned to her with a scowl on my face only to see her outstretched arm, offering me a mini-Twix bar. "Maybe your little girl would be happy with this?" she said. I was dumbfounded. My agitation melted away, replaced by wonder and guilt. I declined the offer at first, thinking I wouldnt for a second consider giving my kid candy from a stranger. A second later, I changed my mind about accepting her kind gesture, taking it from her outstretched arm and stuffing it in my pocket. I was so touched. Mere moments before this interaction, the woman was asking people hurriedly moving around the downtown for help and being ignored by most of them. Yet when she saw us, she thought she could help us and gave us what she could, offering a little reprieve from our momentary hard time. "Thank you," I said. "Youre welcome." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. I started to walk away. By this time, Riel had become distracted by my interaction with the woman and was calming down. Christina and I looked at each other in disbelief. This was such a tiny but huge gesture. We scrounged up the little bit of money we had mostly change and gave it to her. "Thank you for being so kind to us." I still think about that woman, her gesture, and the person I was before and after it. I learned a lot that day. shelley.cook@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @ShelleyAcook As the Taliban claim Kabul, a Winnipeg man who fled Afghanistan as a refugee 30 years ago is anxiously watching developments in that country. As the Taliban claim Kabul, a Winnipeg man who fled Afghanistan as a refugee 30 years ago is anxiously watching developments in that country. Shoaib Ebadi, 55, is in constant contact with his sister, a high school principal, and other relatives in that city. "She is frightened, fearful and buying burqas for herself, daughters and granddaughters," he said. His sister said she expects her school to be closed, and to lose her job when the Taliban take over since that group doesnt allow women to work outside the home. "She is fearing for her life, and for the lives and future of her granddaughters," he said, adding she is worried they will be forced to marry Taliban fighters. She is pleading with him for help to get out, but there is nothing he can do. "Its a life and death situation," he said. In addition to worrying about his sister and other relatives in Afghanistan, Ebadi, who is executive director of Square One World Media, a Christian organization that shares religious programming around the world, is also in contact with others in the country. "I get many e-mails and messages," he said, including news about atrocities, killings and rapes. "Ive seen videos of the Taliban taking crying girls from their families," he said. This is different from just a month ago, he said, when social media from Afghanistan "was filled with laughter and music and dancing." Now these same people are fleeing the fighting and killing, he said. Ebadis main concern is for women and girls in Afghanistan, along with other vulnerable people like widows and orphans. "They cannot defend themselves," he said. He is also concerned for Christians, a very tiny minority in Afghanistan, who are especially afraid for the future. "They think they will be attacked," he said, adding other religious minorities are in danger, too. "They are afraid the Taliban will kill them." Ebadi, who came to Canada in 2000 as a refugee from Afghanistan, admits to feeling helpless about the fast-moving situation in that country. But he is holding on to hope. "My faith and hope is in God," he said. "I think God hears the cries of the women and children. I think God is weeping over the situation." Even though he acknowledges its hard to understand Gods will now for Afghanistan, "at the same time I always believe there is hope, to my last breath, that God will have mercy and rescue those who cant rescue themselves. I have to have hope in the midst of this despair." His message to Canadian Christians is to pray for Afghanistan. "I am asking for people to pray for peace, and for wisdom for world leaders," he said, adding he also is asking them to not forget people in that country. "I know it is hard, with the pandemic and other issues, but we need to pay attention," he said, adding Canadians can also contact their members of Parliament to voice their concern. "We need to give voice to the voiceless," he said. "Their dreams and life have crashed." Doing this will give hope to the estimated 1,000 to 1,500 Afghans in Winnipeg, he said, letting them know they arent forgotten. And if Canada follows through on its plan to resettle 20,000 Afghan refugees in this country, Ebadi hopes churches will respond by offering to be sponsors as so many did in 2015 when Syrian refugees were brought to this country. As for the future, he realizes things look bleak. "But I am trusting in God, hoping something good can come out of this darkness," he said. faith@freepress.mb.ca Canadas existing national education co-ordinating body, the Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC), will prove unequal to the challenge of tackling the recovery from what some analysts see as a lost year in education. Students have experienced adverse effects on their learning, achievement and well-being. Opinion Canadas existing national education co-ordinating body, the Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC), will prove unequal to the challenge of tackling the recovery from what some analysts see as a "lost year in education." Students have experienced adverse effects on their learning, achievement and well-being. While public calls have arisen for a more robust pan-Canadian presence in kindergarten to Grade 12 education, CMEC as its currently constituted is not the answer. The council has devolved over the years into a shell of an organization, little more than an exclusive club presided over by the 13 provincial and territorial ministers of education. Nudged provinces into larger-scale assessment While providing a forum for annual discussions, CMECs scope of activity is restricted by the need to respect provincial jurisdiction. Founded in 1967, CMEC did, at one time, perform a critically important role in forging pan-Canadian educational co-operation and nudging Canadian provinces into larger-scale student assessments. Sparked by uneven Canadian student mathematics performance on the 1988 International Assessment of Educational Progress, CMEC initiated in 1989 a national testing program, a form of which still operates today. The Pan-Canadian Assessment Program, begun in 2007, assesses Grade 8 students (or in Quebec, Secondary II students) in reading, math and science. Under the leadership of Paul Cappon, director general from 1996 to the early 2000s, CMEC began to focus on establishing national indicators in core skills (mathematics, reading, writing and science) and embracing participation in international assessment programs. Cappon wooed and won over the provinces, then paved the way for broader participation in programs such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Developments (OECD) flagship Program of International Student Assessment (PISA). Support for expanded student testing was galvanized by warnings of a looming literacy crisis affecting Canadas global competitiveness, which was amplified in an influential 1992 Economic Council of Canada report. Assessment in global context gave purpose Preparing Canadas provinces for PISA and other international assessments gave CMEC its rationale and sense of purpose. In 2000 and 2003, when Canadian 15-year-olds fared well in the first two rounds of PISA, CMECs viability was secure. Cappons 2004 departure left CMEC rudderless and a shell of its former self, chaired by the provincial and territorial education ministers serving on two-year rotations. Cappon initiated authoritative, evidence-based pan-Canadian research and performed excellent national advocacy work in his next role with the Canadian Council on Learning, but that body shut down after losing funding in 2010. CMEC devolved into a secretariat, convening meetings, producing short reports of aggregated data and research briefs amplifying the strengths of kindergarten to Grade 12 education. Provincial ministers held sway, ensuring that CMEC served the interests and upheld the reputations of the member provinces. Most of CMECs recent reports about student assessment in the bodys "Measuring Up" series compile aggregate student performance data, comparing countries and provinces, but tend to highlight strengths and minimize deficits. CMECs latest research brief, "Are You Smarter than a Fourth Grader?", released in March 2021, is a thinly veiled rationale for putting more emphasis on "reading literacy," defined as the capacity to understand and communicate in many forms and contexts rather than on reading fluency and comprehension, two critical indicators of reading effectiveness. Of course, in Grade 4, students capacities to understand increasingly complex texts and vocabulary is important, but the point is that in post-pandemic times, children already struggling with basic reading are going to need urgent support. Pandemic learning loss Policy-makers missed the early warning signals of pandemic learning loss, which have fallen unevenly on students from disadvantaged, racialized and marginalized communities. Provinces made school-closure decisions without any real knowledge of their impact upon student learning and well-being. A few months into the pandemic, in the fall of 2020, we had to look elsewhere (for example, Belgium), to learn that students in the middle grades suffered learning losses in mathematics and actually went backward in the case of language and writing skills. It took a U.S. management consultancy research summary, published in December 2020, to identify and provide reasonably reliable estimates of the total potential learning loss (amounting to five to nine months) to the end of the school year in June 2021. Where was cross-Canada analysis? To get an idea of how students were doing when it came to early reading, Canadian educators had to rely on two Alberta research studies, conducted by University of Alberta educational psychology professor George Georgiou, that demonstrated young readers are lagging behind the learning curve in the wake of school shutdowns and the default to online learning. CMEC didnt publish a comparative cross-Canada analysis of school closures or the effects on students. Instead, the best public information to date about this comes from research commissioned by the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. That study, released in June 2021, documented the actual number of instructional days lost province-to-province. It revealed the impact of mass and localized school closures, multiple models of educational provision and gaps in support for students with disabilities and socio-economic disadvantages. But researchers said gaping holes in data research adversely affected their capacity to develop learning recovery programs. Student absenteeism, disengagement, dropouts Teachers and educational experts have sounded alarm bells about students disengaging from remote schooling, and some social workers have expressed concern about chronic absenteeism. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. It became clear early in the pandemic that there were gaps in how aware schools or provinces were of student attendance or school participation. While student attendance tracking improved during the 2020-2021 school year, we still have no reliable data on student disengagement from the public school system. Policy reform advocate Irvin Studin has drawn attention to the cohort of children who fell through the cracks last year, and who are now either totally disengaged from or missing from public schools. Will they now be regarded as the human casualties of two years of disrupted education? Replacing CMEC has more resonance in the wake of the pandemic shock and its destabilizing effect on kindergarten to Grade 12 education. Its time to rethink and restructure a body thats now simply an aggregation of provincial authorities inclined to protect their own interests. Paul W. Bennett is an adjunct professor of education at Saint Marys University. This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca. FILL in the blank. Virtual learning is to live learning as phone sex is to ______ sex. There you have it a question from the 2021 Mensa test. Opinion FILL in the blank. Virtual learning is to live learning as phone sex is to ______ sex. There you have it a question from the 2021 Mensa test. In the spring of 2020, as the first benign COVID-19 wave came and passed, most teachers, primary, secondary, and post-secondary, hoped that virtual learning would be short-lived. As the summer progressed, my colleagues and I adjusted to the reality that virtual learning would last well into 2021 and maybe 2022. Working like crazed weasels, we learned how to use Zoom and other virtual platforms that had not been stressed-tested to support the crush of work and study at home. Students also needed to pivot. I remain impressed and grateful at how my students adapted with good humour, tolerated my fumbling around with the technology and, most importantly, treated each other with respect, patience and civility. Even if COVID-19 recedes completely, and in-person teaching resumes without restrictions, I plan to continue virtual teaching indefinitely and this is my conclusion after 40 years spent in the classroom. Also, my view applies to post-secondary teaching I fully appreciate the importance of in-person instruction for elementary and middle school; I also recognize that many high school and university courses require live labs and the close physical presence of the instructor. So is my preference for online learning simply a result of permanent cave mentality induced by 16 months of lockdown? I must confess, my dry-cleaning bill has disappeared and my wardrobe is now best described as "trailer park essential." I also have added some seven kilograms of pandemic "gravitas," so the head shots on Zoom are welcome. No, my preference for virtual teaching is based simply in the belief that in 2021, I can do a better job using virtual platforms rather than the classroom. Let me explain why: First, prior to COVID-19, many elements to support independent virtual learning were falling into place. One of my courses, developed in 2014, transitioned to completely virtual in 2017, with no lectures just a text, examples, and many videos. I still maintained in-person office hours, but few students turned up. This course uses Excel as the foundation, and new online teaching platforms offer a virtual environment in which students submit assignments and the instructor returns marked work. The entire process is electronic and very efficient. Second, while I still lecture, students have summaries prior to the class. My lectures are commentaries with animation, embedded videos and other "wake-up" devices. Further, the chat function allows shy students to ask questions that can be seen by the entire class, or just me. Polling software allows me to ask questions that students answer on their phones, with the group results compiled instantly, which supports direct discussion. Third, in the standard in-person classroom with 100 students, creating teams for collaboration and group learning is logistically impossible. The virtual environment makes this easy. It is especially good at supporting teams spread across the globe. In my typical class, 50 per cent of my students are international and in time zones up to 14 hours ahead of Winnipeg. Such asynchronous learning is becoming the norm. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Fourth, office hours were extremely inefficient in the "old" days. Students would line up outside my office waiting their turn, many just to ask the same question. Now, I schedule virtual office time, where students make 15-minute appointments. We can share screens, work collaboratively and, anytime I see a common problem emerging, I post the answer to the group. This saves everyones time. Fifth, artificial intelligence is entering the scene. Socratic software, guided by the instructor, rates student questions and answers, offering immediate scores. This leads to rapid self-improvement and enhanced learning. Students seem to like the quick feedback and reward. Of course, challenges remain. Cheating skyrocketed in the last academic year. Technology solutions include watching students while they complete exams and collecting the digital footprint left by every computer on documents. It is a bit creepy. Virtual testing remains a work in progress. Finally, virtual learning confronts middle-rank universities in Canada with two challenges: first, much of the physical infrastructure may become unnecessary and will need to be repurposed; and second, and more ominously, we are now competing with the big-league universities that have huge endowments to throw at dominating the post-secondary virtual learning market. I am pretty good at creating videos, but I am no Steven Spielberg. Gregory Mason is an associate professor of economics at the University of Manitoba. ALBANY, N.Y. (UPDATED) The New York State Department of Health is requiring health care workers to get vaccinated in September. The mandate applies to staff at hospitals, nursing homes, long-term or adult care facilities and any other congregate care settings. There may be limited exemptions for religious or medical reasons. Staff will be required to get the first dose by Sept. 27. Under Section 16 of public health law, the state health commissioner can issue a public health order like this if any person is causing, engaging in or maintaining a condition or activity which in his opinion constitutes danger to the health of the people While we have made tremendous progress in getting New Yorkers vaccinated, this pandemic is far from over and more must be done. The data and science tell us that getting more people vaccinated as quickly as possible is the best way to keep people safe, prevent further mutations, and enable us to resume our daily routines, said Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. This mandate will both help close the vaccination gap and reduce the spread of the Delta variant. I want to thank all New York State's health care workers for stepping up once again and showing our state that getting vaccinated is safe, easy, and most importantly, effective." Part of the order requires the facilities to develop and implement policies mandating employee vaccinations. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced his resignation last week, says Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochuls office has been briefed on this new mandate. Last month, Cuomo announced that employees at state-run hospitals would be required to be vaccinated by Labor Day or tested weekly for COVID-19. According to state data, there are around 450,000 hospital workers in New York, and about 75% of them are vaccinated. Of the roughly 30,000 adult care facility workers, 74% are vaccinated, and out of around 145,000 nursing home employees, 68% have been vaccinated. Out of the entire state population, 65% have had at least one vaccine dose, and 58% are fully vaccinated so far. Here are the vaccination rates locally according to state data: Oneida County 54.4% of total population with at least one vaccine dose 65.1% of 18+ population with at least one vaccine dose 58.2% of those 12 and older fully vaccinated (according to Oneida County dashboard) Herkimer County 49.2% of total population with at least one vaccine dose 58.7% of 18+ population with at least one vaccine dose Otsego County 56.7% of total population with at least one vaccine dose 64% of 18+ population with at least one vaccine dose Oneida, Herkimer and Otsego counties are all considered areas with high levels of COVID-19 transmission, according to the CDC. In those areas, people are encouraged to wear masks in indoor public settings, and get vaccinated if they arent already. A version of this article first appeared in the "Reliable Sources" newsletter. You can sign up for free right here. With futuristic speed, Afghanistan is being sent back in time, to what is often called a "dark age" of Taliban domination. The Afghan population is bearing witness with digital age tools, which means the heartache and terror is just a click away, filling cell phone screens and TV sets, if the world wants to see. While there were relatively few sources of video as Kabul fell to the Taliban on Sunday, there were endless posts on social media: -- When Afghanistan's ousted president Ashraf Ghani fled the country, acting defense minister Bismillah Mohammadi issued a tweet cursing him. Ghani later wrote a post on Facebook to justify his decision. -- Former president Hamid Karzai also used FB to communicate with citizens. He posted a video message wishing for peace while standing with his daughters. -- Rumors of the Taliban's presence in Kabul rocketed across social media platforms as journalists posted videos of the US helicopter evacuation effort. Other videos showed traffic jams along major arteries and emptied-out neighborhoods elsewhere. -- "Pro-Taliban social media accounts showed video clips of what they said were large numbers of insurgents arriving in pickup trucks to provide security for Kabul," the WSJ's Yaroslav Trofimov reported. -- Trofimov also shared one of the most up-close views of the evac from what appeared to be a military helicopter landing zone. He captioned it "The end." -- Late-night videos from the airport, on Snapchat and other platforms, showed absolute chaos. In one video, people were seen climbing into a US Air Force transport plane. Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi posted pictures from the tarmac. -- Amna Nawaz of PBS wrote about texting with sources in Kabul who "couldn't get to the airport. They're holed up in what they hope are safe spaces." -- Beyond Kabul, "Afghan government officials were shown in video footage accepting a handover of power to their Taliban counterparts in several cities," the NYT reported. Sign of the times Former NYT and WSJ reporter Quentin Hardy, now the head of editorial for Google Cloud, called it a "sign of the times: Choppers on the roof, the president has fled -- and the telecoms are fine. The besieged are interviewed on Internet calls, the insurgents post videos to social media." When I interviewed Megan Stack four days ago, she predicted this. She said we'd see a ton of "citizen journalism and decontextualized cell phone videos" as the Afghan government crumbled. Phones are the difference-maker since 2001, she said, when there were practically "no computers in Afghanistan." What remains to be seen: How, if at all, will the proliferation of smart phones and social platforms affect Afghanistan's next chapter? Will the Taliban clamp down on this technology and stop Afghans from telling their own stories? Disturbing stories have already tricked out of some Taliban-controlled provinces. CNN's Sam Kiley has a closer look at what "an Afghanistan under the Taliban look like" in this CNN.com analysis... It all happened so fast WaPo's Dan Lamothe wrote: "On Monday, the Washington Post published a scoop that U.S. intelligence officials had revised their assessment of Afghanistan to say that Kabul could fall in 90 days. Some said it could fall in 30. That was six days ago." The Taliban's seizure of Afghanistan was, many analysts said, shocking but not surprising. It was widely expected, but not so soon. Maybe this was a failure of imagination as well as a failure of American intelligence. When I sat down in the CNN anchor chair just before 11am ET, the international desk moved an URGENT that said "Taliban have entered Kabul." So we began the hour with the news of the Afghan government's collapse. We ended the hour with Kylie Atwood's reporting that the US flag was down at the embassy. It all happened so fast... Afghan journalists are "absolutely petrified" That's what Clarissa Ward told me during one of her live reports from Kabul on Sunday. She said Afghan journalists, particularly women, are "absolutely petrified" by the Taliban takeover. "They've been doing bold and incredible reporting for many years, and now there's a very real fear that they might face retaliations for that or that certainly they won't be able to do their work anymore." While we were speaking live on CNN, I was inundated with emails and tweets from viewers who were worried about Ward's safety. So I asked her about that. She said CNN's crews in Afghanistan are being "exceptionally cautious," and will leave if necessary. But "for so many Afghans, that's simply not an option," she pointed out. "They're here, they have to stay, they have to live with the consequences of this next chapter." Alexis Benveniste has more here... -- CPJ's Sonali Dhawan reports that the Taliban "invaded the homes of at least two female journalists in Kabul today. One managed to escape, one is unreachable." -- In a memo to staffers, NYT publisher AG Sulzberger said "we are doing everything we can to try to get our staff, former staff and their families out of harm's way as soon as humanly possible... Please keep our colleagues and their families in your thoughts and prayers." Newfound anonymity for Afghan women The Guardian has been publishing astonishing essays by Afghan contributors. This one is by a female resident of Kabul who now insists on anonymity for obvious reasons. On Sunday, she wrote, "all I could see around me were the fearful and scared faces of women and ugly faces of men who hate women, who do not like women to get educated, work and have freedom." The Fuller Project, the nonprofit newsroom covering women and injustice, also produced an agonizing thread full of reporting and reactions from Afghan journalists, many of whom spoke anonymously. Politico also published a story by a male Afghan journalist "who asked not to be identified to protect his safety..." Newfound attention for the "forgotten war" The US presence in Afghanistan has been a footnote for so long. Too long. Now it's suddenly the top story. As CNN's Nick Paton Walsh observed, "The kind of tragic, urgent attention Afghanistan is getting now is very clearly the result of the spectacular and exhausted inattention it got for about the last 9 years." I wonder if viewers and readers feel a sort of confused whiplash. Or if they feel anything at all. Kate Brannen of Just Security asked, is this "the first time in 20 years the American public is showing any interest in Afghanistan?" I said on CNN that I perceived that the American people "accepted" this defeat, so to speak, years ago. I was most struck by what Ruben Gallego, an Iraq War vet and Democratic lawmaker, said on Twitter on Saturday. "What I am feeling and thinking about the situation in Afghanistan, I can never fit on Twitter," he wrote. "But one thing that is definitely sticking out is that I haven't gotten one constituent call about it and my district has a large Veteran population." "IT'S OVER" The banner headline atop Monday's edition of the US military's proudly independent newspaper, the Stars and Stripes, says "IT'S OVER:" The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Barbara Abadia-Rexach spent months appearing in webinars and radio shows talking to Puerto Ricans about why they should identify as Black or more than one race on the 2020 Census. "If you are constantly being described as non-White, why would you still choose White?" said Abadia-Rexach, a Black Latina and member of Colectivo Ile, an anti-racism group of educators and organizers in Puerto Rico. The figures released by the Census Bureau Thursday show that the multiracial population in almost every county in the United States grew between 2010 and 2020. In Puerto Rico, half of the people said they were more than one race -- a trend that demographers say happened across the US as people shifted to multiracial identities. "Our analysis of the 2020 Census results show that the US population is much more multiracial, and more racially and ethnically diverse than what we measured in the past," said Nicholas Jones, the director and senior adviser of race and ethnic research and outreach in the US Census Bureau's population division. While the Census Bureau has cautioned that comparisons on race and ethnicity between 2010 and 2020 should be "made with caution" due to the changes made to its latest survey, the agency said it is confident the figures "likely reflect actual demographic changes in the population over the past 10 years." Clarissa Martinez-de-Castro, deputy vice president of policy and advocacy at UnidosUS, said the changes in the survey "allow us to fully own" being a multiracial community and the preponderance of one race was "more of a result of the choices we weren't given." "I think rather than a change, what you're seeing is that we have a more accurate option of how to express who we are," Martinez-de-Castro said. 'It makes you feel like less of a person' Sarah Gaither, a biracial Black and White woman, said the Black Lives Matter movement and events from last year led her to feel much more strongly about her mixed-race background than ever before. As the protests began last summer, Gaither, 36, began getting messages from other biracial people, questioning their identities and their role in the movement. It reminded her of her childhood years and led her to write an essay to help them see their unique opportunities to create change. MAP: Race and ethnicity across the nation Growing up in the mid-1980s in Sacramento, California, Gaither was able to play with dolls and toys from her different racial backgrounds, but she couldn't find any terms to accurately describe her identity. For her parents, Gaither says, it was really important to make sure that as a young girl, she knew she was "lots of different things at the same time." Although, she would see her father, a Black man, constantly being treated differently by strangers than her mother who is White. One of the hardest things for her, she says, was filling out school enrollment and job application forms. "That experience of asking anyone to choose a box that doesn't represent who they are, is really a sense of identity threat," Gaither said. "It makes you feel like less of a person, and it forces you to question who it is you are and how you fit into society." If there was an "other" option on a form, Gaither says she would choose that even when the term made her uncomfortable and she felt a further lack of belonging. Gaither, who is now an assistant professor in the psychology and neuroscience department at Duke University, says her experiences motivated her to focus her work on how race and ethnic identity shapes how people think about themselves and treat others. Changing identities doesn't mean racism is over The option to select more than one race on Census forms continues to be very new and experts say people have slowly embraced the option. Americans were only given the choice to pick one race before the 2000 survey. Yet, the growth in the multiracial population in the 2020 Census was significant. There were 9 million people in 2010 who identified with two or more races compared to 33.8 million people in 2020. That's a 276% increase. Like the options in the survey, other factors like family trees, where people live, how people are perceived by others and views about race and ethnicity in America are constantly changing and influencing how people answer the survey, said Carolyn Liebler, a sociologist at the University of Minnesota who studies identities among mixed-race people. One of those factors is whether a person marries outside their racial or ethnic groups. A higher percentage of Hispanic people, 39%, and Asians, 46%, born in the US have a spouse of a different race or ethnicity, according to the Pew Research Center. Liebler says the 2020 census findings will likely encourage more people to report their multiple races in the future "because they will see that it's not a small group" anymore. In Puerto Rico, one of the places where the most pronounced growth of multiracial population was reported, many people struggle to see themselves as Black or of African descent because they link it to slavery, racism and racial violence, Abadia-Rexach said. Her family never discussed why her mother always straightened her thick, curly hair to help her blend among her majority light-skinned classmates or how to react to microaggressions, the 40-year-old said. The Colectivo Ile worked for months to try to change the way the community sees race and show them that answering the census would be a way to make a point about Puerto Rico's relationship with the US. "We wanted to show Congress that Puerto Rico is not a White country, it's not our reality, especially for all the people of African descent who are extremely vulnerable and living in poverty," said Abadia-Rexach, who is also a Latina/Latino studies professor at San Francisco State University. While Gaither says she's excited for her children to grow up in a society where they can get exposed to a diversity of experiences, she and Abadia-Rexach worry the increased number of multiracial people could create a false idea that racist tendencies, including systemic racism, have ceased to exist. "Even if the White individuals in our country are decreasing numerically, it doesn't necessarily suggest that they're losing any of their power. These power structures are built into our systems, historically and will still be built pretty strongly going forward," Gaither said. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) When the Bloomington Reformed Presbyterian Church was founded, Indiana was 5 years old, Abraham Lincoln wasnt a teenager yet, and one year had passed since the state confirmed Bloomington as the site of Indiana Seminary, which later became Indiana University. Now, in 2021, the church is celebrating its 200th anniversary throughout the year with the theme Growing Under Grace. Members of the church at 302 E. First St. have been researching its history, digging into its influence on the Bloomington community and planning events to celebrate the milestone. The church is originally from South Carolina but formed in Bloomington as people moved toward the Midwest because of their opposition to slavery, Pastor Philip McCollum said. This church was part of the Underground Railroad, he said. This is what also makes us unique, historically, was that Reformed Presbyterians would not allow slaveholders to be members of the church to such an extent that they would be disciplined, they would be refused communion. Something else that sets a Presbyterian church apart is in the name, McCollum said. The word Presbyter derives from the Greek presbyteros, which means elder. Presbyterian churches are run by elders. That structure differs from a top-down hierarchy employed by many other denominations. The church being able to choose its elders and choose the pastor is a distinction, McCollum said. Reformed Presbyterians, also known as Covenanters, also sing a cappella, singing from Psalms in the Bible. McCollum said he thinks the church has stood the test of time because of its faithful preaching of Gods word and the desire people have to hear it. He said God has blessed the church because the church sought to be faithful to him even as many churches have compromised or taken their lead from the world. Slavery is really a case in point, he said. The world was saying slavery was good and right and they believed that slaves werent equal, and Reformed Presbyterians said, no, thats not what the Bible teaches. So they stood against culture and were faithful to Gods word, which meant giving up their homes. The church has a congregation of around 150 people, but the number fluctuates as students join during IUs academic year. It also houses the Bloomington Chinese Christian Church, which meets in the building on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Germaine Santos-Cochran used to be on staff with the Campus Crusade for Christ in the Philippines. There, she attended a Reformed Baptist church that brought in thousands of people on an average Sunday. Top musicians in the country led worship, she said. So when she came to Indiana, the Bloomington Reformed Presbyterian Church wasnt her typical preference or aesthetic for a church, she admits. But the first thing she remembers noticing is that people here love people very well. I came here because of marriage, but Ive grown to appreciate the strong body life and the good worship, she said. Santos-Cochran moved to the United States from the Philippines in 2015. Her husband, Keith Cochran, is from the U.S. and works at IU. In 2019, Santos-Cochran started thinking about, and preparing for, the milestone in 2021. I feel like were an undiscovered treasure, she said. She wanted to get the word out about the churchs history which got her involved in its 200th anniversary communications committee. She came up with topics to research from the churchs involvement in the Underground Railroad to the Covenanter Cemetery, which it owns and took on researching a topic herself. Santos-Cochran said before digital GPS existed, people navigated a community by knowing street names, so its always been her instinct to pay attention to them. She loves driving her red 2016 Subaru Forester, which she calls Barnabas because she wants anyone who gets in her car to feel encouraged. The name Barnabas means son of encouragement. It didnt take long for her to notice streets such as Covenanter Drive and Faris Way and wonder how they may be tied to the church. Through research, she found at least 18 streets in Bloomington with connections. Another topic was spearheaded by Nora Shipp, a junior at Seven Oaks Classical School. Shipp has been going to the church for around six years, but she still remembers her first Sunday there. She was around 10 years old and her family had just moved to Indiana from Texas. Everyone was joyful and welcoming. Shipp said she was asked to talk with families that have remained in the church for several generations. She asked people how long theyve been attending, what they thought when they first started attending, the differences between then and now, how theyve been involved over the years and their hopes for the future of the congregation. I think its just interesting how they all had, in a way, a similar story of just how happy they were that the church has grown so much, she said. There was a period where there were a lot of older people in the congregation, Shipp said, and they had prayer groups together to pray for growth of the church. Their prayers were answered, she said, and the church has grown a lot, including more young people and children over the past 50 years. This history and more has been captured by Cheryl Molin in her book Bloomington Reformed Presbyterian Church, Two Hundred Years of Gods Grace, which she spent about a year working on. Molin, a freelance writer and editor, and her husband, Greg Molin, have been attending the church for three years. She conducted research in various ways. Pastors at the church sent her information, such as essays written about previous pastors or about the church; she read an 800-page book about the history of the denomination and a handwritten history of the church from 1972. She combed through binders of newspaper articles from the church library and tracked down deeds for the church property and a map of the Covenanter Cemetery. People gave her photos from previous vacation Bible schools, church picnics and other events. There was a lot of information available, more in some aspects than I really expected to find, Molin said. So it was a lot of work, but it was also just fun to find how much information there was out there. She planned to go to the Lilly Library at IU last year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she ended up setting up a Zoom meeting where someone from the library would hold papers up to the screen so Molin could indicate what looked interesting to her that shed like a copy of. It wasnt as good as being there, but it was what was necessary in the midst of the pandemic, she said. I grew up, research is you go to a library and you pull a book off the shelf, Molin said. This is a very different way of doing it, but it was nice to have access to so much more than I would have had 30, 40 years ago. Molin said her husband looked through all the denominational magazines that were online, around 100 years worth, and made note of information such as when a new pastor was coming to the church. The Covenanter Witness magazine has all of its issues available digitally, she said, which led to finding things like the first couple married in the church. Without the internet, this book couldnt have been done, Molin said. Realistically, without being able to look through old archives, copies of the magazines, theres a lot I just simply would not have found. During the course of her research, Molin went to the Covenanter Cemetery, where some of the churchs former pastors are buried, to take photos. After finding their graves, she was able to track down their obituaries online. I just stumbled on, in some cases, some fascinating aspects of our history, like the fact that there are at least two people born into slavery buried in our cemetery, Molin said. She said she was delighted to then find an obituary and photo of one of the men, as well as the obituary of a wife, who wasnt born into slavery, of another. I wanted to find something that nobody else had found, Molin said. I wanted to find information that wasnt available. And so finds like the photo of somebody who was born into slavery and is buried in our cemetery were just incredible to me. Molin knew people who had attended the church for decades knew more of the history. Rich Holdeman, senior pastor of the church and a senior lecturer in the department of biology at IU, gives talks about the history of the church. When Holdeman told her hed learned some things by reading her book, she felt good. To be able to say Ive found new information was quite satisfying, Molin said. James Faris was the churchs first pastor, and Faris son wrote an essay about his father and what church services were like in the early years. Molin said she included the essay as an appendix in the book. I was expecting to find almost nothing about some of our pastors and was really surprised how much information there was, she said. Molin said Holdeman wrote an introduction to the book and McCollum wrote an afterword. Chapters of the book cover the heritage of the church, the denomination, church life, the churchs pastors, race relations and the Underground Railroad and more. Theres 200 years of history here, weve got 21 pastors, weve got our own cemetery, Molin said. There is a lot of material, and really the challenge was I cant use it all. The 190-page book will be printed on demand, Molin said, but copies will be available at the upcoming events to celebrate the 200th anniversary. Santos-Cochrans and Shipps columns can be found at HeraldTimesOnline.com/opinion. Other columns about topics including the Covenanter Cemetery and the churchs involvement with the Underground Railroad will be submitted to The Herald-Times throughout the rest of the year. John Cho 22, Kelly Crace to be honored for service to the community John Cho '22 is one of two recipients of this year's President's Award for Service to the Community. He and Kelly Crace (not pictured) will be recognized during Opening Convocation. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption Two members of the William & Mary community are being recognized for their work in promoting health and well-being on campus and in the local community. John Cho 22 and Kelly Crace, associate vice president for health and wellness, will receive the 2021 Presidents Award for Service to the Community at this years Opening Convocation ceremony Sept. 1 in the Wren Yard. The award is presented each year to one student and one faculty or staff member who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to service and made a significant and measurable impact on our community. The recipients are selected by the Office of Community Engagement and the Presidents Office, and each receives $500 to donate to the community organization of their choosing. "John Cho and Kelly Crace show us all what active citizenship looks like: seeing spaces where their strengths and commitments can be of use, and offering them so generously," said Melody Porter, director of the Office of Community Engagement. "Their care for community is more than just an activity or two that they're interested in; it's part of who they are. I'm so glad their service has been recognized." John Cho 22 Cho is being recognized for his work in advocating for students, health and public safety; promoting sustainability; and combating food insecurity. I want to dedicate this recognition to my community advisors, friends and family for supporting me unconditionally and helping me recognize that anyone and everyone can make a positive impact in our world, Cho said. With this award, I would like to celebrate the spirit of service that is embedded at William & Mary in hopes of helping others foster their passion for community service. A kinesiology and health sciences major, he began volunteering in high school and continued his community service work in college, inspired by what he had learned in helping to care for his little brother, who was born with Down syndrome. Currently serving as chief of staff for the Student Assembly, Cho founded and chairs the SAs Student EMS initiative. The initiative is made up of student EMTs who partner with the Williamsburg Volunteer Fire Department in order to increase student preparedness for emergencies and work toward creating a group of student EMT-volunteers who can respond to on-campus emergencies. Cho, who serves as a basic life support instructor for the American Heart Association, is an EMS lieutenant for the Isle of Wight Volunteer Rescue Squad. In addition to his work in emergency medical response, Cho also serves as a substance and alcohol safety sensibility specialist for the universitys Health Outreach Peer Educators (HOPE) organization. He was the Student Assemblys secretary of sustainability and is president of the W&M Food Recovery Network. In that role, he and his team recovered more than 700 pounds of food from on-campus partners and dining halls to provide more than 650 meals to the community. John has a demonstrated and distinguishable heart and care for service and promoting integrative wellness, said Thomeka Watkins 19, founder of the W&M Food Recovery Network, in a nomination letter. He also (has) the leadership, organizational skills and follow-through to keep the pieces together without compromising his own health, a rare and formidable combination. I have no doubt he will continue to contribute great things to the community. Kelly Crace Although Crace was already dedicated to promoting health and well-being in the W&M community, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused him to become more deeply involved in the external community and find new ways to address the increased mental health concerns that arose. "I am humbled and honored to receive this award, especially to be able to share this with John, who has been a wonderful advocate and leader for peer health education, said Crace. My goal this year was to support those suffering emotionally and psychologically from an overwhelming year. Therefore, the recognition should go to those who were doing the courageous work of recovery and healing. I also want to thank the Office of Community Engagement for bringing awareness to the transformational impact of active citizenship, most notably how it transforms those who serve." Since March 2020, he dedicated four evenings per week to work with non-university individuals and organizations on issues around emotional trauma, isolation, burnout and resilience, he said. Crace also conducted more than 50 workshops for local, regional and national groups, including those at other universities, all on a pro-bono basis. As part of his outreach, he created a 10-part video series on authentic leadership and excellence for the Mandela Washington Fellows program, reaching more than 5,000 leaders in Africa. He also helped develop a free educational resource for organizations to assess their group values culture and create new ways to sustain their efforts to be healthy, inclusive and flourishing. At W&M, Crace was invited to serve in leadership or advisory roles for myriad organizations. He also worked directly with multiple departments and individuals on issues around faculty and staff burnout. In addition, his work with students changed to focus on managing issues around remote learning. Kelly Crace is easily among the most generous, wise, and humble people Ive ever known, said Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler. Those personal qualities are among the many reasons Kelly is so deeply trusted in both the W&M community and in communities beyond. There is no question that he has a heart for service, giving of his time and talent to improve the lives of individuals and communities. Quite simply, Kelly is motivated to help others flourish. Advance Troops, a print by Wang Dong and Chen Huizhao [For China Daily] The province of Jiangxi is a land with a glorious past, linked to the history of the Communist Party of China. It was a place that saw several critical moments in the development of the CPC. An exhibition running at the National Art Museum of China through Aug 22 shows dozens of ink-water paintings and calligraphic pieces, depicting historical events in CPC history that took place in Jiangxi in the past century. The exhibition gives a summary of Jiangxi's Red heritage while hailing the idealism, devotion and heroism of generations of CPC members. An exhibition now on at the National Art Museum of China marks Jiangxi Province's "Red" glories. [For China Daily] An exhibition now on at the National Art Museum of China marks Jiangxi Province's "Red" glories. [For China Daily] Dujiang Campaign by Luan Bu [For China Daily] Fang Zhimin, an ink-water painting by Cai Chao [For China Daily] Halting the Floods, by Jin Xiaoming [For China Daily] Light by Zhi Lin [For China Daily] Luofang Conference, by Yuan Gelin and Wu Ying [For China Daily] Nanchang Uprising by Wang Shigang [For China Daily] Yingxia Railway by Ma Zhiming and Mi Haipeng [For China Daily] (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) A father plays with his 2-year-old son in a square near his home in Beijing. [For China Daily/Feng Yongbing] On Friday, the Constitution and Law Committee of the National People's Congress Standing Committee held a news conference to introduce the draft of the Family Education Law. The proposed law represents a major move of the legislative body to cover all aspects of the education sector. It comes at a time when the education authorities have forbidden off-campus agencies offering extracurricular courses that teach what should be taught at school. This has triggered concerns among parents that they will have the responsibility to make up for the loss of extracurricular tutoring. The NPC Standing Committee reviewed the draft of the law for the first time in January, and the draft has just passed a second review. During that half year there have been many policy changes in the education sector and the second draft is in line with these changes. For example, as extracurricular courses are now forbidden, the new draft clearly states that family education service agencies must be nonprofit organizations and sets penalty standards for those that exceed their allowed business. That move is expected to prevent agencies from tutoring parents in the name of "family education". Parents are the children's first teachers, and they play an important role in nurturing, guiding and influencing children's moral character, knowledge and skills, cultural accomplishment, and living habits. The quality of family education is related to the healthy growth of children, and it is more related to the quality of children's character. The second review has revised the name of the law, and it is now called the family education promotion law. That shows the law intends to promote the family education to a level equal to that of school education under the law, thus making the whole education system more complete and comprehensive. It will help parents to better carry out family education, rather than provide academic lessons for their children. Parents should pay more attention to providing moral education to their children, rather than putting the hope of academic success on tutoring agencies providing so-called family education. (Source: China Daily) Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, greets representatives of all who have participated in the preparations for the CPC centenary celebrations, in Beijing, July 13, 2021. [Xinhua/Li Xueren] BEIJING , Aug. 15 (Xinhua) In 2021, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has marked its centenary and the nation began to implement the 14th Five-Year Plan, getting off to a good start to fully build a modern socialist country. Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core, China has witnessed steady and sound economic growth since the beginning of the year. New progress has been made in the country's high-quality development, and the Chinese people enjoy a stable social environment. Good Start In early January, President Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addressed a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. He called on the over 190 provincial and ministerial-level officials at attendance to strive for a good start in fully building a modern socialist country. About two weeks later, chairing a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi reiterated the need to ensure sound economic and social development this year, as the "first step" of the 14th Five-Year Plan is crucial. According to Xi, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China should work to fulfill commitments in various areas, including the promotion of high-quality development, satisfying people's expectations for a high-quality life, and achieving sci-tech self-reliance at a higher level. The country has also begun to fast-track vitalizing the countryside. Xi demanded a steady pace to achieve progress. And progress does come about across the board, from economic growth to environmental protection, rule of law, and national defense. High-Quality Development Stressing the key task of fostering the new development paradigm and advancing high-quality development, Xi urged more efforts to achieve innovative, coordinated, green, open and inclusive development. On top of the list of tasks in the 14th Five-Year Plan is strengthening scientific and technological innovation. This year, Xi has inspected several sci-tech companies, where he repeatedly highlighted the importance of self-reliance and self-strengthening in high-level sci-tech innovation. Hefty investments are already pouring in to power innovation and growth. In the first half of the year, China's economy expanded 12.7 percent year on year, while investment into high-tech industries surged 23.5 percent year on year. Green is a hallmark of high-quality development. On his inspections across the country so far this year, Xi has underscored the importance of eco-environment protection in each trip. Progress has also been made on other fronts. The country has expanded its opening-up with concrete measures, with a guideline to support high-level reform and opening-up of the Pudong New Area in Shanghai and a negative list for cross-border trade in services in its southern island province of Hainan, among others. President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with the Dawa Gyaltsen family at Galai Village of Nyingchi, Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 21, 2021. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] For Better Life High-quality development should be firmly integrated with meeting people's aspirations for a better life, Xi noted. During his inspection tour of Northwest China's Qinghai Province, Xi visited Tibetan herdsman Sonam Tsering's home, where he learned about the pleasant changes in Sonam Tsering's life and inquired about the herdsman's future expectations. "Let's work together for a better life," Xi said. In his other tours of rural areas, Xi has expounded on issues including common prosperity, rural industries and agricultural science. Policies to strengthen grain security, develop the seeds industry and modernize farming have been rolled out. In the first half of the year, the per capita disposable income of China's rural residents reached 9,248 yuan (about $1,427), up 14.1 percent year on year. The pace of growth of rural residents' income was 3.4 percentage points faster than that of their urban counterparts. To address problems of wide public concern, a series of policy reforms have also been carried out, ranging from easing the burden of students, optimizing birth policies, to improving the healthcare system. For a Better World In 2021, humanity is still struggling with COVID-19 and its variants. The world is also facing rising uncertainties caused by unilateralism, isolation and confrontation. China has chosen to contribute its part for a better world. On August 5, in a written message to the first meeting of the international forum on COVID-19 vaccine cooperation, Xi declared that China will provide 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the world and offer $100 million to COVAX this year. China's commitment was welcomed by the international community. The World Health Organization issued a statement, expressing gratitude for China's contribution and noting that the country's efforts "will help save lives around the world." On January 25, at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda, Xi called on the world to "let the torch of multilateralism light up humanity's way forward." "The problems facing the world are intricate and complex. The way out of them is through upholding multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind," he said. To keep in close contact with the world amid the pandemic, Xi had 50 phone calls with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations this year. On July 6, he also met virtually with over 500 leaders of political parties and organizations in more than 160 countries, calling for shouldering responsibility for the pursuit of people's well-being and progress of mankind. "We believe that when the interests of the whole of humanity are at stake, China must step forward, take action, and get the job done," Xi said at the Davos Agenda event in January. At the invitation of US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the Leaders Summit on Climate via video link and delivers an important speech titled "For Man and Nature: Building a Community of Life Together" in Beijing, April 22, 2021. [Xinhua/Li Xiang] Toward Second Centenary Goal The year 2021 marks the critical juncture where the time frames of China's two centenary goals converge building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the CPC celebrates its centenary and building a great modern socialist country in all respects by the time the People's Republic of China celebrates its centenary, which is expected in 2049. "Over the past century, the CPC has made extraordinary historical achievements on behalf of the people. Today, it is rallying and leading the Chinese people on a new journey toward realizing the second centenary goal," Xi said at the CPC's centenary celebration on July 1. However, the new journey is by no means a smooth one. In 2021 alone, China faced severe challenges on both domestic and international fronts. Floods hit central Henan Province causing heavy casualties. Multiple places suffered from COVID-19 resurgence. China battled headwinds in China-US relations and guarded against foreign interventions in its Xinjiang and Hong Kong affairs. Still, under Xi's leadership and with a striving spirit, the Chinese people are confident in prevailing over all difficulties on the way forward. In April, visiting a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of the Xiangjiang River during the Long March in the 1930s, Xi recalled the great spirit of the indomitable Red Army. "We should bear in mind such faith while striving to achieve the second centenary goal and realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation," Xi said. (Source: Xinhua) BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday exchanged congratulatory messages with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. In his message, Xi said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties half a century ago, the relations between China and Iran have developed steadily and the traditional friendship between the two countries has grown stronger with time. Since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, Xi noted, the political mutual trust between the two sides has seen further consolidation and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields has witnessed steady progress. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Iran have stood closely together through thick and thin, and wrote a fine story of anti-pandemic cooperation, Xi noted. Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Iran relations, and is willing to work with President Raisi to take the 50th anniversary as an opportunity to deepen traditional friendship, advance deep and practical cooperation in various fields, and enrich the connotation of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, so as to benefit the two countries and their peoples. In his message, Raisi said that both Iran and China are ancient civilizations and their friendship stands as a towering old tree that draws nutrients from thousands of years of bilateral friendly exchanges, adding that the friendship has laid a profound foundation for the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Noting that the Iranian side is determined to build outstanding Iran-China relations, Raisi said as bilateral diplomatic ties enter the sixth decade, Iran is ready to continue upgrading strategic cooperation with China, strengthen communication on expanding practical cooperation in various fields and continuously deepen bilateral ties. (Source: Xinhua) This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. At the age of 92, Tian Guiying writes the following words to express her love for the Party: "Striving for 100 years, I will always be loyal to the Party". [Photo by Jiang Shoukai] Tian Guiying joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1948. She became China's first woman train driver in 1949. She was named a National Model Worker and she was received by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1950. She overcame obstacles, broke glass ceilings and pursued her ideals, and so she became a role model for thousands of young women. Tian's experiences and accomplishments were recorded in textbooks in those days, and they eventually became the basis for China's first movie about the railway industry, A Woman Chauffeur. Tian Guiying's daughter, Yu Qian, helps her mother attach a Party emblem to the model worker's ribbon. Over the years, Yu has taken good care of her mother. [Photo by Jiang Shoukai] Tian likes to look at old photos when she is relaxing at home. Her favorite photos are placed in the most prominent positions around her home. One image captures the moment she met Chairman Mao, while another shows her sitting in the cab of a locomotive. In the latter photo, she looks ahead through the window and has a white towel draped around her neck. The 91-year-old Tian seems to easily recall her youthful, passion-filled years whenever she talks about the past. Diligent Girl from Fisherman's Family In 1930, Tian was born into an impoverished fisherman's family, and they lived in Luda (now Dalian), a city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. Tian had five older sisters. The family depended on her father's fishing business to survive. When she was 12, Tian was given the opportunity to attend school, but she dropped out two years later due to the economic difficulties experienced by her family. Tian began working at a printing factory, as an apprentice, when she was 15. Later, she was hired to sell meal tickets at the canteen of Dalian's locomotive depot. In her spare time, Tian attended a night-school program organized by the locomotive depot. She was hungry to learn from books, which helped her expand her mind. In time, she grew determined to do something for her country, and that determination grew stronger after she witnessed China's rapid social progress. "As long as I can learn technology, I can do anything," said Tian. After seeing Tian's ambition and passion, the head of the locomotive depot sent her to learn to drive a light-rail car. Tian Guiying looks out of the locomotive's window. The steam train left Dalian for Lushun on March 8, 1950. [Photo supplied by Yu Qian] First Woman Train Driver in China Tian once saw a picture of a Soviet woman train operator in the locomotive depot's staff room. She admired the woman, and she desired to one day be a train driver. In 1949, Tian received exciting news: China planned to train its first group of women train drivers, at Dalian's locomotive depot, and was recruiting volunteers. There were very few women working in the locomotive depot at that time. As a Party member, Tian wanted to be among the first to sign up. But when she discussed the idea with her parents, she was doused with cold water. "The job of a train driver is tiring and dangerous. It's not a suitable job for a girl," said her parents. Tian Guiying was named a chief driver on February 25, 1950. [Photo supplied by Yu Qian] Fortunately for Tian, her sisters were supportive. After serious consideration, 19-year-old Tian ignored her parents' opposition and filled out the application form. After a strict selection process, Tian and eight other young women were chosen for the pre-job training. At that time, the trains were steam locomotives, which were run by burning coal. As such, the first step to becoming a train driver was to learn how to start the fire, and to keep it going by shoveling the coal. The women were trained on a model locomotive, and they were tasked with shoveling coal and keeping the fire going. The job was far from glamorous, and the women were always sweaty and tired. Tian comforted her comrades, by saying, "Everything is difficult at the beginning. If we get through this, victory is just around the corner." So, the young women encouraged each other, and they rolled up their sleeves and worked hard. Soon, their palms were covered with calluses. Although 72 years have passed, Tian still clearly remembers every detail of the training, followed by locomotive theory, which Tian found to be even more difficult. Every night, after they returned to the dormitory, the women discussed locomotive theory, and they didn't go to bed until they fully understood the content that was taught that day. Even after the lights were turned off, Tian would read in bed using a flashlight. Eventually, Tian's diligence and hard work paid off. Two months later, she passed the examination, and she stood out among the other women. She was hired, on a probationary period, as a train driver. With a senior train driver's guidance, Tian quickly mastered the skills necessary to drive the train, and she became a "real" locomotive handler. Tian Guiying's photo was published on the cover of Northeast Pictorial in 1950. [Photo supplied by Zhou Chong] 'Locomotive for Women' A ceremony was held to mark the debut of the "March 8th Women Train Crew," composed of nine women workers, in the square in front of Dalian railway station. That ceremony was on March 8, 1950. The locomotive on which they worked was named "March 8th." The flag dedicated to them read "locomotive for women." According to Tian, "That day was so memorable. I have remembered it my entire life." On the same day, Tian, at 20 years old, made her first train journey, as a locomotive operator. She operated the train from Dalian to Lushun, a district of Dalian. After she entered the driver's cabin, Tian put on the operator's uniform, for the first time, with skillful movements and a committed gaze. After the roar of the horn, the first woman locomotive operator in China pulled the train out of the station; in so doing, Tian wrote a new chapter in China's railway history. The next day, People's Daily newspaper published an article, headlined "Pioneering Work on the People's Railway! Dalian Woman Tian Guiying Drives 'March 8th' Locomotive." The story caught the attention of people across the country. In those days, many people thought only men could drive locomotives. Thanks to their determined spirit and hard work, Tian and the eight other women not only broke the stereotype that "women can't drive trains," but also inspired women, from all walks of life, to exercise determination and confidence to make contributions to society. "As long as we are willing to endure difficulties and work hard, women can do anything," Tian says. During Tian's nearly three years as a driver, the "March 8th" locomotive traveled more than 200,000 kilometers without a single accident. The movie, A Woman Chauffeur, was released nationwide in 1951. It was based on Tian's experiences, and it has long encouraged young women to serve their country. After the film's debut, Tian's name spread throughout China, and she became an idol to countless young women. Nowadays, Chinese women can be seen working in nearly every profession, clearly demonstrating that "women can hold up half the sky." Party's Cultivation In 1950, at just 20 years of age, Tian was elected as one of the first group of national model workers, in recognition of her serious work attitude and excellent work-related accomplishments. In September that year, Tian was sent to Beijing to attend the national congress of model workers, farmers and soldiers. With other role models, she was received by Chairman Mao. During that meeting, Mao asked Tian if she could start a big train. Tian was so excited that she could not speak; she simply held Mao's hand with great strength. Mao smiled and said she sure had the strength. Tian was sent to study at a special high school, for workers and farmers in Liaoning, at the end of 1952. As a result, she had to leave the railway line, on which she had worked for nearly three years. Tian was admitted to Tangshan Railway Institute (now Southwest Jiaotong University), in 1955, where she studied the theory of steam-powered engines in the mechanical department. Later, she worked in the Engineering Office of Shenyang Railway Bureau. In 1985, Tian retired from Shenyang Railway Bureau, at the age of 55. Since her retirement, Tian has continued to care about the railway industry. After China launched its nationwide railway-speed-acceleration program in 2007, Tian bought a ticket to ride on a Hexie (harmony) bullet train. Tian sighed as she sat in the clean and bright car. "In the early days, the trains were in poor condition, cold in winter and hot in summer, and the cab didn't even have a speedometer. It was driven entirely by experience. Today, bullet trains are comfortable and fast, and the changes over the past few decades have been earth shaking," she said. "I grew up, from a common girl in a fisherman's family to become a train driver and then an engineer, all of which was cultivated by the Party," Tian says. "I appreciate the Party, from the bottom of my heart, and I can never repay it." Zhang Lihua and Qian Jinxiang, former chief drivers of the "March 8th Train Crew" in Shenyang's locomotive depot, visit Tian. Two generations of women train drivers talk about the great changes to China's railway industry. [Photo by Jiang Shoukai] Photos Supplied by Jiang Shoukai, Yu Qian and Zhou Chong (Women of China English Monthly June 2021 issue) An exclave is a part of a country that is separated from the main part of that country by the territory of one or more other countries, as opposed to an enclave, which is a country that is completely surrounded by the territory of another country. There are exclaves in every part of the world. There are also different types of exclaves. There are exclaves that are also enclaves, exclaves that are not enclaves, semi-exclaves, pene-exclaves, historic exclaves, and potential exclaves. Types of Exclaves Exclaves That Are Also Enclaves Torres Strait islands. An exclave that is also an enclave is a part of a country that is separated from the main territory of that country by the territory of another country, which completely surrounds it. One example of a national exclave that is also an enclave is Australias Torres Strait Islands, which are several islands that are situated between the northern coast of Australia and the southern coast of Papua New Guinea. The islands in the Torres Strait that are under Australian sovereignty form seven enclaves that are surrounded by the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea. This arrangement is in accordance with a treaty signed between Australia and Papua New Guinea that went into effect in 1985. Ten years prior, Papua New Guinea gained independence. It was formerly governed by Australia. Because the Torres Strait Islands were so close to the New Guinea mainland, the original border between Australia and Papua New Guinea was also very close to the New Guinea mainland, which was an arrangement that did not please the government of Papua New Guinea. The Papua New Guinea government also objected to the complete Australian control of the waters that surrounded the Torres Strait Islands. Thus, Papua New Guinea wanted a new border arrangement in this area. But the Australians living on the Torres Strait Islands objected to any border modifications that would separate them from mainland Australia. The red line shows the international borders between countries. In 1982, Australia and Papua New Guinea reached an agreement whereby the international border between the two countries would be situated in the middle of the Torres Strait, but the Torres Strait Islands inhabited by Australians and in close proximity to mainland Papua New Guinea would remain under Australian sovereignty. The end result was that the Torres Strait Islands remained under Australian control, but became surrounded by the sovereign waters of Papua New Guinea. Exclaves That Are Not Enclaves Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan is an example of an exclave that is not an enclave. Exclaves that are not enclaves are exclaves that are surrounded by the territory of more than one country. One example of such an exclave is a part of Azerbaijan that is separated from the countrys main territory, known as the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Nakhchivan is separated from the main part of Azerbaijan by territory belonging to Armenia, which is situated to its north and east. Nakhchivan is bordered to the south and west by Iran. A part of Turkey also borders Nakhchivan to the west. Nakhchivan has a population of approximately 500,000, most of whom are ethnic Azeris. In the early 20th century, Nakhichivan was part of the Russian Empire. When the empire collapsed in the midst of the Russian Revolution and the civil war that followed, the territory was contested by the new states of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In 1920, the Bolsheviks proclaimed the establishment of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. To placate the Armenians, whose territory the Bolsheviks were on the verge of conquering, the Bolsheviks promised to cede Nakhchivan to Armenia. But Bolshevik leader, Vladimir Lenin, rejected this, and insisted that a referendum be held to decide the territorys future. This referendum, which was held in 1921, had 90% of Nakhchivans population vote in favor of joining Azerbaijan. Thus, Nakhchivan became an autonomous republic under the jurisdiction of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the republics of the Soviet Union. A view from the Nakhchivan Autonomous Region of Azerbaijan. In 1990, Nakhchivan was the first territory to declare independence from the Soviet Union. Following the complete breakup of the USSR, Nakhchivan became an autonomous republic within the newly-independent state of Azerbaijan. Since then, the exclave has suffered severe economic hardship, owing to its isolation from the rest of Azerbaijan. In fact, Nakhchivan arguably maintains closer economic relations with neighboring Turkey than with the rest of Azerbaijan. Making Nakhchivans isolation worse is the often tense relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Since Armenian territory separates Nakhchivan from the rest of Azerbaijan, the Armenians can control and impede movement between the two. In 2020, however, as part of a ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which ended a brief armed conflict between the two countries over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia agreed to guarantee security for transport connections between the main Azerbaijani territory and Nakhchivan. Semi-exclaves Map of Russia showing the territory of Kaliningrad to the extreme west. A semi-exclave is a part of a country that is separated from the main part of that country, but is not completely surrounded by the territory of other countries. On an international level, a semi-exclave could be a part of a country separated from that countrys main territory, but flanked on one or more sides by international waters rather than the territory of other countries. One example of a semi-exclave is the Russian oblast (province) of Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad is part of the Russian Federation, but is separated from the main territory of Russia. It is bordered to the northeast and east by Lithuania, and to the south by Poland. The reason it is not a full-fledged exclave, however, is because it is bordered to the north and west by the waters of the Baltic Sea. Kaliningrad Oblast location Prior to becoming part of Russia, Kaliningrad was part of the German region of East Prussia. Following World War II, however, the Soviet Union annexed the territory and made it part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Up until the USSR collapsed in 1991, Kaliningrad was one of the most militarized and closed parts of the Soviet empire. After the USSR collapsed, Kaliningrad remained part of what became the independent Russian Federation, but it was cut off from the rest of Russia by other newly-independent, ex-Soviet states, thereby making it a semi-exclave. Today, Kaliningrad is still a highly strategic territory for Russia, as the base of its Baltic Sea fleet, and the only ice-free port that the country has in Europe. Pene-Exclaves Map showing the location of the US state of Alaska. A pene-exclave is a part of the territory of one country that can only be conveniently accessed by traversing the territory of one other country. These are territories that may actually have a border with their parent countries, but for reasons normally related to geographical features, they are most conveniently accessed through the territory of another country. These types of exclaves can also be called functional or practical exclaves, because it is more practical to access them through the territory of another country than accessing them through the country that it is actually part of. One example of a pene-enclave is the US state of Alaska. The Russians were the first Europeans to control the territory of what is now Alaska. Colonial possessions of the British bordered Alaska to the east. To demarcate each others territory, Russia and Britain signed the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1825, which placed Alaskas eastern and southern borders well north of the 49th parallel that was established as the border between US and British territory in 1818. Thus, when the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, the land masses of Alaska and the Continental United States were already separated by British territory that would eventually become part of Canada. Alaska is a pene-exclave. Today, Alaska can be accessed by boat or plane from the Continental United States, but not by road. Taking a road trip from the Continental United States to Alaska inevitably means crossing the US-Canada border, as a large part of Western Canada separates Alaska from the rest of the United States. In fact, in some cases, it makes more sense for people in certain parts of Alaska wanting to travel to other parts of the state to travel through Canada. This is particularly true of those who live in the Alaska Panhandle. Because the Alaska Panhandle is so mountainous, road networks connecting it to the rest of the state do not exist. Thus, people in some communities in the Alaska Panhandle traverse Canadian roadways to access the rest of the state. Historic Exclaves Historic exclaves are exclaves that no longer exist. One example of this is the exclaves of India and Bangladesh, which existed prior to the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement between the two countries. Before this agreement, there were Bangladeshi enclaves in Indian territory and Indian enclaves in Bangladeshi territory. Another example is that of West Berlin between the end of World War II and the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. West Berlin was part of West Germany, but was surrounded by territory belonging to East Germany. Potential Exclaves Potential exclaves are exclaves that could be created pending the resolution of certain international disputes. For example, it is conceivable that Hans Island, an island in the Arctic disputed by Denmark and Canada, could become two pene-exclaves if the island is divided. There are also Serbian enclaves in Kosovo. A future peace agreement between Serbia and Kosovo could conceivably result in Serbia maintaining exclaves in Kosovo in the form of the current Serbian enclaves therein. Community campaign aims to raise 55k to restore historic church bells A communitys fundraising campaign to restore its historic churchs bells is being backed by local Member of the Senedd. Clwyd South MS Ken Skates visited St Dunawds Church in Bangor-on-Dee on Wednesday (August 11) to meet with Revd Canon Sue Huyton, Rector in the Bangor-on-Dee group of churches, after backing the bid for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The campaign aims to raise 55,000 to get the restoration completed, and hopes are high that a successful funding bid will give the 300-year-old churchs bells a new lease of life. Mr Skates has also called for any local businesses who want to help to get in touch. He told campaigners he will also be contacting Cadw the historic environment service of the Welsh Government to seek further support for the campaign. The church is a vital part of the community, so I was more than happy to support the bid for Heritage Lottery funding, said Mr Skates. Its used for concerts and craft fairs, as well as a wide range of other community events including exhibitions of local artists. The primary school has also expressed an interest in making the project a part of the new, more local, curriculum. St Dunawds stands proudly in the heart of the village and is a much-loved local landmark. There is a fascinating display about local history inside, and the plan is to add panels explaining the story of the bells and their restoration. Until the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the bells rang out regularly. The people of Bangor-on-Dee are extremely proud of the church and its heritage, and I hope their generous support and the hard work of volunteers will pay off and the bells will be brought back to life in the near future. Local businesses who would like to contribute to the campaign can contact Mr Skates or email SueHuyton@churchinwales.org.uk First ever law degree in North East Wales launched by Wrexham Glyndwr University An new Law Degree is being launched by Wrexham Glyndwr University, the first of its kind in North East Wales. The new degree will provide a foundation for those wanting to pursue a career in law in England and Wales. For this years intake of students (2021) is recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as a Qualifying Law Degree. It will provide the foundations for students who are looking to go into any area of law, from conveyancing to becoming a criminal defence solicitor. The launch of the Degree coincides with a time where Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University scored highly in the Sociology section of this years National Student Survey. Previously, potential students from North East Wales hoping to work towards a career in law would have had to look outside the area to study, but this new course at Glyndwr provides the option to stay in the area. Although from 2022 onwards Law degrees will no longer be approved by either the Bar Standards Board (BSB) or Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) the Glyndwr programme will continue to provide some of the grounding for a law career. It will focus on the academic and professional foundations for sitting the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) 1 and 2 and the Bar Training Course. Dr Karen Cooper has recently been appointed to deliver this course and is an experienced academic who has successfully developed and delivered similar programmes of study at other Universities. She said: I am very excited about this new degree and am looking forward to welcoming our new students and supporting them in their studies. Dr Cooper added: This is an exciting development for Glyndwr University and for legal education in the region. It will enable Glyndwr to provide the foundation to support those working towards a career in law. Iolo Madoc-Jones, Professor of Criminal and Social Justice at Glyndwr University, said: The course provides the first step on the way to becoming a solicitor in Wales or England. Our Degree covers large part of the curriculum needed for the SQE. For more information about the LLB (HONS) Law course, visit https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/Undergraduatecourses/LawLLB/ The British Army has been placed on standby ahead of a national lorry drivers strike due to take place August 23. Soldiers are being readied on the pretext of dealing with a threatened breakdown in UK supply chains due to Brexit, the coronavirus pandemic and an unprecedented shortage of long-haul lorry drivers. TNT Solo Lorry Units (Credit: John Carver, Wikimedia Commons) Army personnel with Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) license qualifications are being put on [a] five-day stand-by notice for driving jobs at major distribution centres around the country, according to a report in Rupert Murdochs Sun on Sunday. Soldiers will be put up in hotels where necessary and will be working extended hours to assist with the crisis. They will be involved with food distribution as well as the transportation of other essential goods and medical supplies, the Sun reported. Unnamed military sources were cited after news broke of a national stay-at-home strike being organised by rank-and-file lorry drivers. According to reports in the Sun, Telegraph and Daily Mail, the militarys involvement would come under pandemic response legislation enacted by Boris Johnsons Conservative government as part of Operation Rescript. This was described by the Ministry of Defence as the UKs biggest ever homeland military operation in peacetime, involving up to 23,000 personnel within a specialist task force, named the COVID Support Force (CSF). The significance of the militarys involvement goes well beyond its stated purpose of maintaining essential goods and medical supplies. It is a clear threat to growing industrial unrest and points to state preparations for a direct confrontation with the working class. Lorry drivers are planning a one-day strike to protest lengthening working hours, low pay, intolerable conditions and the consequences of a recruitment and retention crisis that has resulted in a shortage of 100,000 drivers across the UK. The strike call was started by the HGV Drivers on Strike Facebook group, formed in March and since renamed Professional Drivers Protest Group, UK. More than 3,000 drivers have reportedly signed up for the stay at home strike day. The groups mission statement is to unite professional drivers across the United Kingdom, all of you, who would like to see some changes in their profession including an end to low wages, long hours, general disrespect and disregard to needs of drivers, including being denied access to toilet facilities etc., no family or social life, more and more rules and expectations, increased responsibility and finallymassive exploitation. All this with wages going down. It continued, We are the backbone of the economy. The spine and the blood. Without transport, any country would be on its knees within a few days. There is a power in that. We should unite and stand together to try to change things. Lets start with forming a petition to the government, stating our demands. If they wont be met, then a protest should start. With 100,000 drivers short at the moment, there has never been a better time. The lorry drivers have drafted a list of demands, including a 15 per hour minimum wage, a 45-hour working week, time-and-a-half for overtime and double-time for Sunday work, and a penalty charge for companies that refuse drivers the use of toilet facilities. They call for employment rather than self-employment, noting if an agency can charge their customers up to 30/hour, they shouldnt be allowed to pay drivers 11. Drivers have taken to Facebook to vent their anger over these conditions and to correct the mainstream medias narrative surrounding the lorry driver shortage. As one HGV driver explained, There is no shortage of drivers. There is a shortage of cheap drivers. There are 3.7 million drivers in the UK who will not do HGV because of the long hours, poor wages and lifestyle The industry doesnt give a toss about its drivers, only keeping the costs as low as possible by exploiting drivers from poorer areas of the EU. Now this option is gone, suddenly theres a crisis. Another driver wrote, Everyone treats you like nobody, and nobody gives a damn about you. Same wages as 15 years ago; Companies push drivers to work abnormal load; 24h a day; Shift 1315 hours; Travel to work and home 1.5h then only 5h left for sleep It is a joke and not a job Few more months and Im leaving this industry so you can count 1 more driver. Other drivers agreed, DVLA have confirmed in a government enquiry there are more than enough LGV [Large Goods Vehicle] licence holders to meet demand. What there is is a lack of drivers willing to leave home at 4am Monday morning, be out all week putting in 6070hrs getting home late Friday night doing one of the 10 most dangerous jobs in the country just to earn the same money as the median UK wage for a 37hr week. Some companies in my area advertising for drivers are still advertising an hourly rate I was earning in 2008. And then they wonder why they cant find drivers. The last national lorry drivers strike took place on January 3, 1979, during the Winter of Discontent, when more than 1.7 million workers took strike action against James Callaghans Labour governments imposition of wage restraint policies demanded by the International Monetary Fund. Callaghan had readied the army for use against the lorry drivers strike, but drivers won pay increases of up to 20 percent. Labours betrayals, backed by the trade union leaders, paved the way for the election of Margaret Thatchers Conservative government, beginning a process of deregulation by successive Labour and Tory governments that has resulted in brutal and degrading conditions for drivers. The success of this offensive rested on the collusion of the transport unions, which suppressed industrial action over four decades. Today, of 320,000 HGV drivers currently working, only about 15 percent are unionised. A warning must be sounded over the role being played by todays pro-company trade unions. Last month, after the Johnson government announced a dangerous extension of working hours to ten hours per day, the unions rubber stamped the move. Unite merely issued a mealy-mouthed statement that the governments brutal measure would not resolve the shortage of HGV drivers, adding, Unite will be advising its members to not place themselves in danger and that if they are too tired to drive safely they have a legal right to refuse to do so. Unite proposed no collective action, merely promising it would fully support any individual who refused to work the longer shifts. With drivers anger reaching boiling point, Unite has announced disputes at logistics firm GXO and Booker Retail Partners. At GXO, around 1,000 drivers at 26 UK sites are due to strike for 24 hours on August 24, followed by a second walkout on September 2. The strike vote saw 97 percent of drivers reject the companys miserly offer of a 1.4 percent pay rise for 2021. GXO supplies 40 percent of the UK hospitality industrys beer. Lorry drivers at Booker Retail Partners, a wholesale company delivering to around 1,500 convenience stores in London and the southeast, are to be balloted for industrial action over the last two weeks of August. The ballot only covers the 30 Unite members at Bookers Thameside depot, who are demanding the same 5 an hour temporary pay increase given to the companys Hemel Hempstead drivers in response to the nationwide shortage of drivers. The union is seizing on the driver shortage and threat of wildcat industrial action to position itself as a peacemaker and partner to the Johnson government and the transport companies. It has submitted a six-point plan to Transport Minister Grant Shapps, the centrepiece of which is the call for a national council to determine industry standards that would vastly reduce the ability of rogue employers to undercut rates at the cost of drivers safety, pay and conditions. Unites attempt to reduce the problem to a few bad apples is belied by the reality of brutal exploitation across the industry. This pitch to the Tories mirrors efforts by Unite, the RMT and ASLEF in joining the Johnson governments Rail Industry Recovery Group, collaborating with railway company executives to drive through cuts, with plans to axe thousands of jobs, gut pensions and introduce full labour force flexibility. The planned lorry strike takes place amid the biggest crisis in global supply chains since the Second World War, triggered by the pandemic and Brexit. The owner of one of Britains largest food producers, 2 Sisters, warned last month that the government must act or face the most serious food shortages that this country has seen in over 75 years. The situation will reach crisis point after new Brexit border checks on animal and plant products entering the UK take effect on October 1. Workers are seizing on a crisis created by the ruling class to fight for long-suppressed demands as part of a resurgence of class struggle internationally. Lorry driver Mark Schubert told the Guardian last month that in nearly 40 years he had never seen such desire for change: For far too many years we have been ignored, exploited and taken for granted. Now our time has come, now we have a window of opportunity to be listened to. Significantly, Schubert condemned the British governments treatment of foreign workers. Lorry drivers from Poland, Romania and other Eastern European countries have long been used as cheap labour by transport companies in the UK and western Europe. At least 25,000 HGV drivers are thought to have left the UK because of Brexit. Looking at the way [home secretary] Priti Patel and her cohorts in the Home Office treat foreigners, theyre not going to be overly keen on coming back, Schubert told the Guardian. Even if they can, are they going to be treated like criminals when they arrive at the border? Over the past 40 years, lorry drivers have become part of a globally integrated workforce, shattering national insularity and parochialism. Last Decembers lorry queues at Dover, sparked by tensions between Britain and France over Brexit, exposed the brutal conditions facing drivers of all nationalities. The drivers were left for days without food, water or toilet facilities. Such conditions showed the indifference of transport companies and capitalist governments on both sides of the English Channel to the rights and dignity of workers whose labour is essential to everyday life for millions of people. The planned stay-at-home strike on August 23 deserves the support of working people everywhere. The precondition for its success is complete independence from the pro-company trade unions and an appeal for a unified struggle of workers in transport, logistics and aviation across Britain, Europe and internationally. The pandemic, the national antagonisms within Europe leading to Brexit, and the explosive growth of social inequality are global problems that require a global solution. The Johnson governments plans to mobilise the military against striking lorry drivers goes hand in hand with trade war measures against Europe and Asia, stepped-up border protection measures against refugees and immigrants, and the growing threat of militarism and war. Such authoritarian measures are born of the central contradiction of the capitalist system: between the world market and its division into rival nation states each defending the wealth and power of a tiny financial oligarchy. A globally coordinated plan to end the pandemic and organise economic and social life in the interests of the worlds population means forging the unity of the international working class in the fight for socialism. On Saturday afternoon, the New South Wales (NSW) Liberal-National Coalition government declared a snap seven-day lockdown across Australias most populous state. Case numbers continue to soar in Sydney, the epicentre, with a growing number of infections recorded in regional areas outside the state capital, as well as in neighbouring Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. The announcement pointed to the extent of the COVID-19 crisis, on both the political and medical fronts. In a highly unusual move, the statewide measure was not even foreshadowed at the daily press briefing delivered by government officials that morning. Instead, the news came several hours later through the social media accounts of government ministers and NSW health authorities. Only two days earlier, on Thursday, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard had rejected calls for a state-wide lockdown, declaring that he did not see any reason on the advice Ive had to date why we would move further than [where] the problems are. Hazzard linked this to his governments resistance to lockdowns in general and its drive to reopen the economy, stating: There is a defining difference between NSW and other stateswe have always tried to keep as much of NSW open as possible. Long lines of cars at inner-west Sydney COVID-19 testing station [Photo: WSWS Media] For almost two months, since infections of the highly contagious Delta strain were discovered in Sydney, the NSW government has rejected calls for adequate measures to prevent a catastrophe along the lines of what has occurred in India and Indonesia, and the resurgence in countries such as Britain and the US. It has introduced only piecemeal restrictions, with the harshest measures reserved for working-class communities in western and southwestern Sydney. The majority of workplaces, aside from offices, have remained open, despite being the drivers of transmission. The abrupt turnaround on a statewide lockdown came amid the highest infection numbers in Sydney and the widest transmission elsewhere in the state since the pandemic began. NSW had a record 466 cases, announced on Saturday morning, followed by 415 on Sunday and a new high of 478 this morning. Of the 1,359 infections in three days, the vast majority have been reported as unlinked, so the authorities do not know the source of transmission, and as being among people who were active in the community while potentially infectious. Both are considered metrics of the extent of transmission, including infections that are not being detected, and of the likelihood of further increases of case numbers. Of todays new infections, for instance, the transmission source of 337 is described as being under investigation, while 381 may have been in the community for all or part of their contagious period. The state government is clearly aware that the rise in infections, which leading epidemiologists have said represents a slow exponential growth, is threatening a collapse of the hospital system. Eight deaths were announced in Sydney today, including a man in his 40s, and a 15-year-old boy, who reportedly succumbed to pneumococcal meningitis while also COVID-19 positive. The fatalities take the death toll since the outbreak began to 56. There are now a record 391 COVID-19 patients in NSW hospitals, most in Sydney. Some 66 are in intensive care, with 28 of those people requiring ventilation to continue breathing. An estimated 1,000 to 1,200 hospital staff are in isolation, after having been potentially exposed to COVID-19. The chronically underfunded hospital system was already under intense pressure prior to the outbreak, so the widespread staff shortages call into question the ability of some facilities, especially in western and southwestern Sydney and rural areas, to cope with demand. Already, intensive care COVID-19 patients are being transferred from Sydney hospitals to Wollongong Hospital, about 85 kilometres south of the capital. The governments resistance to effective measures has resulted in a rapid spread of the virus throughout the state. Over the past fortnight, dozens of cases have been recorded in the Hunter and Newcastle regions several hours north of Sydney, exposure sites have been registered in the states northeast, and there are growing infection numbers in the northwest. The latter transmission is especially dangerous, as it is occurring in towns such as Dubbo and Walgett, which have large indigenous populations that are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19, because of a host of health issues stemming from decades of oppression. Some 35 of todays infections were in the local health district that covers those two towns. There are already reports of cases among Aboriginal people. The northwestern areas have some of the lowest vaccination rates and limited healthcare systems, which would rapidly be overwhelmed by COVID-19 hospitalisations. The governments motivation in calling the snap lockdown is to forestall an intensification of the crisis that would jeopardise the hospital system, further inflame widespread anger among workers and young people and threaten its political survival. The aim is also to create the conditions for a long-planned lifting of restrictions, in line with the demands of the corporate and financial elite for an end to all lockdowns. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has repeatedly foreshadowed an easing of restrictions, as early as the end of this month. This would be based upon the arbitrary figure of six million vaccine doses being administered in the state, fewer than enough to ensure that even half the adult population had one dose. Children, who account for hundreds of infections every fortnight, would not be inoculated. The NSW plan is a variant of the national model, adopted by all the state and territory administrations, most of them Labor Party-led, and the federal Coalition government. The roadmap calls for an effective end to lockdowns once 70 percent of adults are fully inoculated, even though the modelling acknowledges that this would result in hundreds of thousands of infections and tens of thousands of deaths. Over the past several days, Berejiklian has restated her opposition to any strategy aimed at the elimination of COVID-19 transmission. This morning, she again stated that any perspective of reducing cases to zero was unrealistic, and insisted that the population would need to live with the deadly virus. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has similarly restated that the policy of the governments, state and federal, Labor and Liberal-National alike, was never to achieve zero-COVID-19, but merely to suppress outbreaks where they occur. In practice, this means allowing the virus to circulate. Berejiklians strategy appears to be to try to lower case numbers over the coming fortnight and boost vaccination rates, which remain among the lowest of advanced capitalist countries, as quickly as possible, to justify a lifting of some restrictions. The methods that her government has selected, with the support of the state Labor Party opposition, are the blunt instruments of state repression. A contingent of 300 Australian Defence Force personnel, primarily patrolling the working-class suburbs of western and southwestern Sydney, has been boosted to 800. Police have been given expanded powers, including to issue on-the-spot fines of up to $5,000 for alleged breaches of restrictions. Workplaces, however, which the government belatedly admitted have driven transmission, will remain open, and the measures stop far short of those epidemiologists say would be required to end the outbreak. The ruling-class calculations underlying Berejiklians policies, and those of the entire political establishment, were spelled out in a comment today by the Australian's editor-at-large Paul Kelly. He again hailed the national reopening plan, and Bereijklians policy, which was to find a normal life by vaccinationliving with the virus, its cases and its deaths, restoring freedoms and economic life. Kelly condemned Western Australian state Labor Premier Mark McGowan who has over recent days postured as a supporter of coronavirus elimination, even though he signed up to the national roadmap, and has focused for the past 18 months on ensuring unfettered business operations. McGowans comments reflect the political crisis facing governments as a result of widespread popular opposition to the ruling elites program of living with the virus. Kelly said the biggest threat to the national reopening was Berejiklians inability to contain the Delta variant. If NSW still has hundreds of cases when it reaches the 70 percent vaccine threshold other premiers will simply refuse to open in unison with NSW. Any national reopening strategy will be fatally compromised. A chaotic situation will unfold. To use Kellys words, the aim is to create the political conditions for a national reopening in which hospitalisation and deaths can be managed as the nation learns to live with the virus. The biggest challenge to this agenda, which will result in mass death and illness, is the emerging resistance of workers, students and young people. The Socialist Equality Party has called for the formation of a network of workplace rank-and-file committees to fight for demands that protect the health and safety of working people, above the profit interests of the corporate and financial elite. The US Supreme Court struck down part of a New York eviction moratorium on Thursday, ruling in favor of a landlord association that argued the moratorium violates the landlords right to due process. Although the order left parts of the moratorium intact, including a provision that instructs housing judges not to evict tenants who can prove they have suffered financial hardship, all protections under the New York eviction moratorium are set to expire on August 31. During the pandemic, the New York state legislature passed the Tenant Safe Harbor Act and the COVID19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 to regulate evections. In its 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court struck down the latter law, which prevented any tenant who declared financial hardship from being evicted. United States Supreme Court Building at Dusk (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Joe Ravi) In a lawsuit led by the Rent Stabilization Association of New York City, the landlords argued that the state was denying them due process of law by interfering with their property rights without giving them a means of legal recourse. The landlords objected to the fact that renters did not have to prove they were in financial straits. This law runs roughshod over property owners constitutional rights to procedural due process and free speech, and it should be immediately enjoinedespecially since Governor Cuomo has lifted virtually all other pandemic-related restrictions and formally declared an end to the States COVID-19 state of emergency, their lawyers argued in court papers. The six right-wing justices on the court agreed with the landlords association. This scheme violates the courts longstanding teaching that ordinarily no man can be a judge in his own case, the majority wrote. In his dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, wrote that it was unnecessary to end the eviction moratorium because it was set to expire in less than three weeks, at the end of August. Breyer also said landlords, who claimed they had lost millions, did not provide sufficient proof of hardship because the evection moratorium did not stop them from seeking unpaid rent in a common-law action. The dissenting justices also noted that the lawsuit came as New York officials continued to struggle to distribute federal pandemic relief funds allocated to help tenants who fell behind on rent during the pandemic, as well as landlords who had lost rental income. This pending aid would alleviate the need for evictions, they wrote. Breyer warned that ending the moratorium early would lead to unnecessary evections. The New York Legislature is responsible for responding to a grave and unpredictable public health crisis, Breyer wrote, adding that it must combat the spread of a virulent disease, mitigate the financial suffering caused by business closures, and minimize the number of unnecessary evictions. In a statement issued prior to the courts decision, New York Attorney General Letitia James urged the Supreme Court to leave the moratorium in place until it expired on August 31 and pointed to the billions in relief funds still being distributed. James said blocking the moratorium would disrupt the States fragile and ongoing recovery from the pandemic by abruptly inundating the courts with eviction proceedings before they are fully equipped to resume such actions. According to a statement from State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, only 55 New York households received financial assistance by the end of July. State officials confirmed that only about $100 million of the states $2.7 billion, or less than four percent, in federal funding had been spent. Experts say it is unclear how many families could be immediately affected following Thursdays ruling. According to an analysis of census data by the National Equity Atlas, more than 830,000 households in New York State, the majority being in New York City, are behind on their rent, owing an estimated total of more than $3.2 billion. Federal government figures from late March of this year showed that 3.4 million renter households with incomes below $35,000 reported being behind on rent. An additional 2.5 million households with the same income reported being late on their mortgage payments. As the Delta variant fuels a rapid surge of coronavirus infections, the eviction of millions of people threatens a severe social and public health crisis. The nationwide eviction moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to reach the Supreme Court soon. After Congress failed to pass legislation extending the moratorium before going into recess, the Biden administration issued a last-minute order barring evictions in many parts of the country, saying that the evictions of tenants for failure to make rent or housing payments could be detrimental to public health control measures. That order, which will expire in early October unless it is extended or blocked in court, applies to regions of the country experiencing substantial and high levels of community transmission of the virus. The Biden administration estimated the order would temporarily protect 90 percent of renters from eviction, including all of New York City. However, Thursdays ruling bodes ill for the CDC moratorium. In June, the Supreme Court upheld a nationwide ban on evictions that had been set to expire at the end of July. Justice Brett Kavanaugh was one of the justices to uphold the moratorium, but he stated in a concurring opinion that any further extension on the moratorium had to be by virtue of an act of Congress. The Supreme Courts decision Thursday suggests a similar outcome for the CDC order. Meanwhile, three key federal unemployment benefit programs established by the March 2020 CARES Act are set to expire on September 6. Nearly 13 million people were still collecting unemployment aid as of mid-July, including 9.4 million drawing from programs covering gig workers and others not traditionally eligible for aid. Amid the rising tide of infections across the United States, dominated by the highly transmissible Delta variant, Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, provided sobering remarks on the state of the pandemic on Sunday. Osterholm was interviewed on NBCs Meet the Press program. In response to a question from host Chuck Todd about the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) guidance for children under the age of 12, in light of rapidly rising infections and hospitalizations in this group, Osterholm stated, I do believe we need to rethink it The data we have used to come up with recommendations for opening our schools is really from pre-Alpha. This [Delta variant] is a different virus in the sense its much more infectious. Osterholm noted that though 50 percent of the country is fully vaccinated, 90 million people who could have received the vaccine remain unvaccinated, indicating that a substantial number of people remain vulnerable to the full impact of the virus. Add to this the fact that 48 million US children under the age of 12 are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines and you have a situation where the virus has free rein to infect a large swath of the population and ample opportunities to mutate. Students in an Omaha classroom [Credit: Omaha Public Schools Facebook] He explained that, unlike with previous variants, many infected people have acquired the Delta variant during outdoor activities. He said, I would point out the other thing that helps you understand the infectiousness of this virus is the fact that were now seeing more and more events with outdoor air. You know, months ago we were saying if youre outdoors, youre pretty safe. We have had a number of events happening where, in fact, people crowded together outdoors get infected. Now, if thats happening outdoors, imagine what happens to our kids when theyre closely together in schools At this point, we need to put everything we can towards controlling this virus. Over the weekend, officials in Lancaster County, South Carolina confirmed that a 16-year-old had died from COVID-19. This tragedy came on the heels of the largest school district in the state pausing in-person school just nine days after the beginning of the school year, due to several staff members and a student requiring hospitalization for COVID-19. Currently, 142 students in the district have tested positive for the coronavirus. The previous peak was 85, in January 2021. Ware County, Georgia school district officials told the press that they had closed 11 of their schools for at least two weeks after an outbreak of COVID-19 tore through their campuses. A total of 76 students tested positive, while 679 were placed in quarantine for possible exposure. At least 67 staff had also tested positive, and another 150 were, likewise, in quarantine. Those infected or in quarantine account for 13 percent of the student body and 23 percent of the faculty. The closures came less than two weeks after school opened on August 4. Dr. Osterholm noted that an important issue is the quality of the masks that are being used. In addition to non-compliance with masking, the use of relatively ineffective cloth masks to combat a virus that is spread through the air is extremely problematic. Weve not paid any attention really to giving the public the message that you need much more effective masking, he said, such as the N95 mask that we talk about or the KN95 for kids. Yet many state officials are fighting to ban even the limited protections such measures could offer. The situation in Texas is perhaps most emblematic of these dangers. Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton are at war with municipal governments in several big metropolitan areas, which are resisting their efforts to ban mask mandates. Meanwhile, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins issued a dire warning over the weekend that there were zero ICU beds left for children. That means, he said, if your child is in a car wreck, if your child has a congenital heart defect or something and needs an ICU bed, or more likely, if they have COVID and need an ICU bed, we dont have one. Your child will wait for another child to die. Your child will just not get on the ventilator, your child will be CareFlighted to Temple or Oklahoma City, or wherever we can find them a bed, but they wont be getting one here unless one clears. In his opening remarks, Osterholm provided important insights into the ominous state of the pandemic, which compounds the dangers involved in reopening the schools. He explained, When you look inside this wave, its actually a series of different events going on. First of all, we have the southern Sun Belt states that we all know are basically at really dramatic case increases. If you look at the state of Louisiana right now, theyre tied with the country of Georgia for the highest rate of infections in the world. He continued, But what were seeing happen right now is, while those states are starting to level off a bit, were now seeing in the southeastGeorgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, southern Illinoisall start to take off. Were seeing it in the northwest states like Oregon and Washington. Were even seeing in the Midwest increases. He pointed out that the dramatic increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations nationwide to 83,000 today, driven mainly by the southern Sun Belt states, compares to some 25,000 a month ago. It gives you a sense of whats happened just in the last month. And if these other states take off, then the surge could sustain itself for at least another four to six weeks. The CDC recently reported that the Delta variant now accounts for more than 97 percent of all infections throughout the country. In contrast, the Alpha and Gamma variants have all but disappeared, highlighting the aggressive nature of this new strain, which has displaced all other versions of the virus in three short months. According to the New York Times COVID tracker, the average number of daily new cases has reached nearly 130,000, a 65 percent increase from two weeks ago. Deaths from COVID-19, which lags infections, have reached an average of 655 per day (more than 4,500 per week), an increase of 113 percent from two weeks prior. Children are being hospitalized across the country at higher rates than ever before and with more severe illnesses. Linda Young, a seasoned respiratory therapist with 37 years of experience, told the Washington Post, I have never seen anything like this! Even young, healthy children without any underlying conditions are falling ill. Child hospitalization rates are soaring, having exceeded the winter peaks by more than 20 percent and climbing. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which has been consistently providing critical updates, noted approximately 12,000 COVID-19 cases in the US in the first week of July among children 17 years old or younger. That number climbed to 96,000 in the first week of August, an eight-fold increase. These cases represent 15 percent of all new infections, which implies that children are becoming a larger share of all COVID-19 cases than at any previous time during the pandemic. On Saturday, the number of children hospitalized for COVID-19 in the country reached a new high of more than 1,900. Additionally, in the first week of August, 310 children were admitted, a rate of 44 per day. Now, with many more schools being readied to accept students, the lives of children, their families and communities will be dramatically and tragically impacted. This includes the health care sector, which is once more facing a surge of cases that is driving hospital bed occupancy to overcapacity. Osterholms assessment has significant implications as state after state prepares to resume in-class instructions, regardless of these rising trajectories. Throughout the pandemic, politicians and state and local officials have attempted to dismiss the role children have played in perpetuating the pandemic, while downplaying the infections impact on children. These assertions are no longer sustainable, but that has not halted the reckless and criminal drive to reopen the schools. Dr. Osterholm stopped short of calling for workplace lockdowns and school closures, as he previously did during the winter surge. Still, his warnings paint a bleak picture of events for the next few months if such measures are not quickly adopted and implemented. His assessment provides a clear but stark warning about what must be done to avert the impending disaster. Under these conditions, the insistence of the teachers unions on reopening the schools is nothing short of criminal. Both American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and National Education Association President Becky Pringle have in recent days reiterated their demand that educators, other school workers and students be herded into unsafe schools so that their parents can return to unsafe jobs to resume pumping out profits for the corporate elite. Not even the lives of defenseless children are to be spared in the mania to keep stock prices rising and ruling class wealth increasing. And the so-called unions serve as the enforcers of this policy of social murder. This policy of mass death must be stopped! The Socialist Equality Party calls on educators, parents and all workers to form rank-and-file committees to coordinate a national and international struggle to stop the reopening of the schools, provide full income support to all workers impacted, and demand full funding for remote learning until the pandemic is contained. The rapid spread of the Delta coronavirus variant and the reopening of schools in the coming weeks will produce further death and despair. The Democrats have joined with the Republicans in pushing the reopening of schools at all costs. The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which no longer represent educators, have joined in the push to have teachers and students in the classrooms. This is a policy of social murder. Our committee, comprised of rank-and-file educators from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio, recognizes that only the independent struggle of the working class can fight this deadly policy and issues this statement to call upon other educators, students and parents to join us in this fight. Sign up today to get involved or send us an email to attend our next meeting. *** The Pennsylvania-Maryland-Ohio Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee urgently calls upon educators, staff, students, parents and community members to join and build rank-and-file safety committees in your school districts to fight the deadly policy of reopening schools for in-person learning. As classes are set to resume in the coming weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic is seeing a resurgence around the world and in the United States, putting the health, safety and lives of educators, students, and our communities at risk. The Delta variant has taken hold and is infecting children and responsible for a growing number of cases among people who are fully vaccinated. Across the world the story is the same. From Argentina to France, South Africa to Indonesia, the Delta variant has caused explosions in cases and deaths. The United States is experiencing the same wave of infections. Since July 1, daily average cases have increased more than ten-fold. Now the COVID-19 Modeling Scenario Hub, a consortium of researchers working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is predicting upwards of 4,000 deaths per week by October in the US alone. In areas where classes have already resumed, cases among children are skyrocketing. Within days of classes starting in Georgia and other states, hundreds of students have been sent home with COVID-19. Science teachers Ann Darby, left, and Rosa Herrera check-in students before a summer STEM camp at Wylie High School in Wylie, Texas. (Image credit: AP Photo/LM Otero, File) Democrats as well as Republicans are determined to send students back into the classrooms for in-person learning in opposition to the scientific facts. Unvaccinated children will become infected, furthering the spread of COVID-19 back into their communities and falling victim to this deadly disease themselves. Ignoring these dangers, politicians from both parties are determined to have children in school and parents at work making profits for the wealthy. In many regions, hospital beds and pediatric wards are filling up, if they are not already filled. Growing data points to other negative impacts on children caused by COVID-19. One recent study found that 4.4 percent of children who are infected develop Long COVID, defined as having symptoms for four weeks or longer. Another study showed that the fall in IQ for children with even mild cases is on par if not worse than lead poisoning. In Maryland, where daily new cases have climbed 10 times to over 800 a day and are going up, Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, has stated that schools will reopen, admitting that this is an experiment with our kids. In Pennsylvania, where daily new cases have climbed 10 times to over 1,700 a day and are going up, Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, has stated that he will not order a shutdown of the schools or even order that students be required to wear masks or take other basic public health measures, such as social distancing, testing and contact tracing. In Ohio, where the seven-day average of new cases is 2,050, Republican Governor Mike DeWine says all schools will reopen and opposes taking public health measures. It has been a year since the push to reopen schools began last fall. None of the following problems that educators identified at that time have been addressed: Aging buildings with broken windows Broken or inadequate air and ventilation systems No protection for educators with illness or who have family members with illnesses Overcrowded classrooms Students crammed together in old and dilapidated school buses for long times Last year, when schools reopened, only a small percentage of students attended, yet the pandemic skyrocketed into the fall and winter, and hundreds of thousands died. Now students, the majority of whom remain unvaccinated, will be crammed back into overcrowded classrooms without any safety measures, completely at the mercy of the virus. Many districts have scrapped virtual learning options altogether, while other schools have outsourced virtual learning to faceless corporations in a blatant act of privatization. This fall now offers an even greater threat to students than a year ago. Less than a third of students over 12 have been vaccinated, and those under 12 are still not eligible. Even the safety of a vaccination is not enough, as epidemiologists warn that even with half the population fully vaccinated, the Delta variant will spread even faster than last fall. All efforts to contain the pandemic are being abandoned in favor of reopening the economy. How many more people must die in the name of protecting profit? As educators we reject the notion that our students must be orphaned to protect the financial interests of greedy capitalists. The response of the teachers unions to the life-and-death issues facing educators, parents and students can be described as nothing less than criminal. Last week, AFT President Randi Weingarten declared, The number one priority is to get kids to be back in school. NEA President Becky Pringle has fully pledged the unions support for the reopening of in-person instruction. The head of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT), Jerry Jordan, has said that This union remains committed to ensuring a full, five day a week, in person program for all of our young people, and that he is encouraged by the CDC guidance. What contemptible statements! No, the top priorities must be to protect children and to fully contain the pandemic. Weingarten, Pringle and Jordan do not represent the millions of dues-paying educators. Rather, they represent corporate America which seeks to get people back to work no matter the costs. They are fully culpable in the policies that have led to mass suffering and death. Last spring, it was the independent action of workers in factories and communities which forced the shutdown of businesses and schools. It again will take the independent action of workers to force the closing of nonessential businesses and schools. Last fall, we formed our committee in opposition to school reopenings and the betrayal of our unions. We worked to organize educators across the country independently of the unions, the bosses, and the rotten politicians of the Democrats and Republicans. Our fight is to build a new labor movement in which workers will fight to win what they need, not what the ruling class determines they can afford to give us. We maintain our demands that: Schools remain closed until the pandemic is contained and all students can be safely vaccinated. Vast funding be invested in online education and student services to ensure that all students can receive a quality education without risking their health and safety. Stop the spread of misleading and false information on the benefits and safety of the vaccine and importance of public health measures. A full investigation and accountability, including the criminal and civil prosecution and trials of any public officials, organization, institutions and media that promote or implement policies that lead to the spreading of the pandemic, sickness and death. We as educators are well aware of the burden that closing schools has on students and their families. For this we say that all parents or caregivers who are unable to work to take care of their children must be given full income support until the end of the pandemic. For those who argue that there is not enough money to pay for these demands, we call for the expropriation of the wealth of the pandemic profiteers who have made hundreds of billions of dollars from the suffering of millions, to pay for these necessary social programs. The struggle for the lives and health of our students and fellow educators will not be achieved with appeals to the very same politicians who are carrying out this policy of social murder. Rather, it can only be realized by the mobilization of the broad mass of working people in a powerful social movement against this system. We educators from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio, call upon other educators, staff, students, parents and community members to join this struggle and build rank-and-file safety committees in your schools and districts to fight the deadly policy of reopening schools for in-person learning. The sudden fall of the US puppet regime in Afghanistan on Sunday is a humiliating debacle for American imperialism. It marks the collapse of a regime that was imposed through a criminal war and occupation, promoted on the basis of lies, and maintained in power through assassination, torture and the bombing of civilians. As Sunday began, the Pentagon announced that two battalions of Marines and a US infantry battalion were arriving at Kabul International Airport to bolster the Afghan regime. The puppet Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, issued a video calling on his regimes security forces to maintain law and order. However, Taliban troops, after briefly pausing their lightning advance at the gates of Kabul, seized key points in the Afghan capital during the day. By nightfall, Taliban officials reported they had taken over the presidential palace and would soon announce the formation of a new government. Bagram airbase, the infamous NATO prison and torture center, fell to the Taliban, who freed the 7,000 prisoners housed there. A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies over the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) As Sunday progressed, Ghani and his national security adviser fled the country. In the morning, American time, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said US officials were abandoning the embassy for the Kabul airport. But by evening, US diplomats had to admit Washington no longer controls even the Kabul airport and that US citizens in Kabul have been instructed to hide. In an article titled Taliban Sweep in Afghanistan Follows Years of US Miscalculations, the New York Times admitted: President Bidens top advisers concede they were stunned by the rapid collapse of the Afghan army in the face of an aggressive, well-planned offensive by the Taliban. As recently as late June, the intelligence agencies estimated that even if the Taliban gained power, it would be at least a year and a half before Kabul would be threatened. In reality, the much-vaunted democratic regime set up by Washington and its NATO allies in Afghanistan amounted to a political zero. Maintained in power only by tens of thousands of NATO troops and US warplanes, it dissolved virtually overnight as US and NATO troops were withdrawn. If American ruling circles were unprepared for the sudden collapse of the regime they propped up at such an enormous cost, it is because to a significant extent they believed their own propaganda. During the course of two decades, no major newspaper, television network or mainstream media outlet examined this neocolonial war of occupation with a modicum of honesty. The human and social costs of the war in Afghanistan are catastrophic. Official tallies, no doubt massively understated, claim 164,436 Afghans were killed during the war, together with 2,448 US soldiers, 3,846 US military contractors and 1,144 soldiers from other NATO countries. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans and tens of thousands of NATO personnel were wounded. The financial cost to the United States alone is estimated at $2 trillion, financed by debt that will cost a further $6.5 trillion in interest payments. Yesterdays events inevitably recall the famous photographs of US diplomats boarding helicopters on the rooftop of the embassy in Saigon, nearly a half-century ago, at the end of the Vietnam War. In its implications and political consequences, however, the US debacle in Afghanistan is if anything even more significant. The collapse of the Afghan government shatters the delusionary conceptions the American ruling class embraced following the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The disappearance of Washingtons main military rival was viewed by the American ruling class as an opportunity to overcome its global decline and domestic contradictions through the use of force. US military and foreign policy planners proclaimed a unipolar moment in which the unchallengeable power of the United States would oversee a New World Order in the interests of Wall Street. The victory of the US and its allies in the first war against Iraq in 1991, before the final collapse of the USSR, was taken as a demonstration that Force Works! as the Wall Street Journal proclaimed at the time. President George H. W. Bush declared that through its criminal bombing of a largely defenseless country, American imperialism had kicked the Vietnam syndrome once and for all. One year later, in 1992, the Pentagon adopted a strategy document declaring that the objective of the US was to militarily discourage advanced industrial nations from challenging our leadership or even aspiring to a larger regional or global role. At the time of the 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia, under the Clinton administration, the delusion emerged that US dominance in precision-guided munitions would transform world politics and establish Washington as an unchallenged world hegemon. Responding to these conceptions, the WSWS wrote: The United States presently enjoys a competitive advantage in the arms industry. But neither this advantage nor the products of this industry can guarantee world dominance. Despite the sophistication of its weaponry, the financial-industrial foundation of the United States preeminent role in the affairs of world capitalism is far less substantial than it was 50 years ago. Its share of world production has declined dramatically. Its international trade deficit increases by billions of dollars every month. The conception that underlies the cult of precision-guided munitionsthat mastery in the sphere of weapons technology can offset these more fundamental economic indices of national strengthis a dangerous delusion. In the context of the project for global conquest, the war in Afghanistan was seen as central to the US strategy of controlling Central Asia and the world Island of Eurasia, so as to strengthen the position of US imperialism against China, Russia and the European imperialist powers. After the September 11, 2001, attacks, the WSWS rejected the arguments that the invasion was part of a war on terror against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, which were themselves the product of US efforts to destabilize the Soviet Union two decades earlier: The US government initiated the war in pursuit of far-reaching international interests of the American ruling elite. What is the main purpose of the war? The collapse of the Soviet Union a decade ago created a political vacuum in Central Asia, which is home to the second largest deposit of proven reserves of petroleum and natural gas in the world. By attacking Afghanistan, setting up a client regime and moving vast military forces into the region, the US aims to establish a new political framework within which it will exert hegemonic control. In 2003, the US invaded Iraq, based on lying claims, trumpeted by the entire US media, that the Iraqi government had weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) that it would give to Al Qaeda. Comparing the unprovoked attack on defenseless Iraq to the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland that began World War II in Europe, the WSWS wrote: Whatever the outcome of the initial stages of the conflict that has begun, American imperialism has a rendezvous with disaster. It cannot conquer the world. It cannot reimpose colonial shackles upon the masses of the Middle East. It will not find through the medium of war a viable solution to its internal maladies. Rather, the unforeseen difficulties and mounting resistance engendered by war will intensify all of the internal contradictions of American society. These words resonate powerfully today. Taken collectively, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, along with the invasion of Libya and the CIA-instigated civil war in Syria, have left millions dead and entire societies shattered. Far from establishing the unchallenged global domination of American imperialism, they have led to one debacle after the next. Conditions in Iraq, three decades after the first Gulf War, are, if anything, even worse than in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a metaphor for the entire rotting edifice of American capitalism. US budget deficits have been papered over by electronically printing trillions of dollars of fictitious capital in quantitative easing funds handed over to the super-rich in bank bailouts. To the fictitious capital on which US capitalisms bubble economy is based, corresponds the fictitious power conferred on the Pentagon by smart bombs and drone murder strikes in countries like Afghanistan. A serious warning is in order: powerful elements of the American ruling elite are no doubt preparing many contingency plans, each more reckless than the last, to respond to this debacle. They have no intention of simply abiding by the devastating loss of prestige and credibility involved in their defeat at the hands of an Islamist movement armed only with light weapons in one of the worlds poorest, most war-torn countries. The remarks by former CIA Director and retired Army General David Petraeus in a radio interview Friday point to the discussions taking place behind the scenes. Calling the US position in Afghanistan disastrous, Petraeus declared: This is an enormous national security setback, and it is on the verge of getting much worse unless we decide to take really significant action. The US military has a great deal of its prestige invested in Afghanistan and the broader project of imperialist conquest of which it was a part. The American ruling class will not retreat from its efforts to control the world through military force, upon which its wealth depends. Unlike Vietnam, the American ruling class cannot blame the debacle in Afghanistan on an anti-war movement. With the assistance of the organizations of the upper middle class, which bought into the war on terror and human rights imperialism, broad-based opposition to war within the United States has been suppressed and directed behind the Democratic Party, which is, no less than the Republicans, a party of Wall Street and the military. The homicidal response of the ruling class to the pandemic, however, shows that the ruling class has no more regard for the lives of workers within the major capitalist countries than they do for the masses in Central Asia and the Middle East. Even as the pandemic continues to spread, there are growing expressions of working class opposition. The development of this opposition into a conscious political movement for socialism is inextricably connected to the fight against imperialist war. This is the fundamental lesson of the entire criminal debacle that is the US war in Afghanistan. The French pseudo-left organisation Workers Struggle (Lutte OuvriereLO) has sought to cover up the role of far-right forces in demonstrations demanding the ending of coronavirus restrictions. In doing so, it has sought to legitimise opposition to a scientific response to the coronavirus. LO has endorsed the protests organised by the far-right, claiming that they defend the interests of the working class. Explosive anger is growing in Europe and internationally against the ruling class, which has refused the necessary sanitary measures to stop the spread of the virus. After more than 110,000 deaths in France and 1.1 million in Europe, the emergence of the delta variant threatens a new wave of deaths. This crisis raises the possibility and urgency of an independent intervention of the working class to impose a scientific health policy. LO, like the other pseudo-left parties, is trying to align angry and desperate healthcare workers behind the far right. Revolution permanente, the publication of the Morenoite tendency that recently split from the New Anti-capitalist Party, does not hide the role of neo-fascists in the protests, yet it calls for participating in them nonetheless. LO, on the other hand, presents the mobilizations against mandatory vaccinations as a working-class movement, to which the far-right is attempting to latch on. In an article published on July 21, entitled Health pass and mandatory vaccination: No!, LO writes: The rejection expressed in the demonstrations against the health pass is not only sustained by conspiracy and anti-vaccine ideas. It also expresses opposition to Macrons policies and distrust of a government that is complicit in the worst actions of the capitalists. So we must fight to ensure that this anger is not exploited by far-right demagogues like [Stand up France leader Nicolas] Dupont-Aignan and [Patriots Party leader Florian] Philippot, who do not care about the rights of workers. The world of labour can and must give it a way out by defending a program corresponding to the interests of all workers. There is widespread popular anger against the Macron government, but this is nonetheless a falsification of the origins of the protests against Macrons health pass. Contrary to what LO claims, the protests were launched by the far right (including Marion Marechal Le Pen, Philippot and Dupont-Aignan), and libertarians within Jean-Luc Melenchons Unsubmissive France, such as Francois Ruffin. They are opposed to a scientific health policy against the pandemic. As always, LO addresses all of its appeals to the union bureaucracy, of which it itself is a faction. LOs claim that the union bureaucracies would launch a struggle to defend the interests of workers during the coronavirus pandemic is particularly absurd, given that these pro-business organisations have spent more than 18 months supporting Macrons policy of letting the virus spread unhindered throughout the population, and opposing any strike action for a scientific health policy. For this reason, LO says nothing about the actual role of the trade unions throughout the pandemic. Moreover, by denying the role of the far right in the anti-vaccine protests, LO tries to conceal its alignment with the initiatives of the far right. Like Revolution Permanente, it wishes to promote the illusion that a movement that has been organised by the far right, that is hostile to mass vaccination and the defence of workers lives, isor can becomea progressive struggle. In its different analyses of the protests, LOfar from opposing the anti-vaccine hysteria of the neo-fascists and Macrons policy of letting the virus spreadseeks to reinforce the hold of the union apparatuses. LO criticizes the neo-fascist arguments of the supposed defense of individual liberties that are advocated up by Unsubmissive France and Revolution Permanente to give a false, left-wing veneer to their arguments legitimizing the right-wing protests. They write: Many opponents of the health pass and the vaccine obligation put forward the defense of individual liberties. Defending individual liberties also means recognizing the freedom of the boss to exploit and fire as he wishes, and it is no coincidence that this slogan is brandished by extreme right-wing figures! The workers will only be able to conquer their freedom by becoming aware of their class interests in order to impose them on the capitalist class and its political stooges. LO also denounces the lack of resources for hospitals: To justify itself, the government invokes the need to respond to a fourth epidemic wave. This is cynical, because this threat was foreseeable and, for a year, the material and human resources of hospitals, nursing homes and the entire health system have not been increased at all. Despite these pro forma criticisms, LO is not defending the interests of the working class. This pseudo-left organization is aligning itself with anti-scientific opposition to Macron, on his right. Vaccination is a basic health measure and elementary requirement of self-defense for the working class, allowing a limiting of the number of deaths from the virus. The additional means provided to hospitals would not stop mass deaths in hospitals of patients who would become infected because of the lifting of sanitary restrictions. The pandemic has unmasked the nature of the pseudo-left organizations. Fearing social opposition, they turned toward the right, expressing itself in the support by LO, among others, for far-right protests. This underscores the necessity for workers to break with these anti-working class organizations. What LO defends, in the final analysis, is the policy of herd immunity of the banks and the Macron government. It speaks for the more affluent strata of the middle classes, for whom public funds should not be wasted on the implementation of social distancing, containment and mass vaccination measures that would stop the pandemic. From these social interests comes the demand that workers learn to live with the virus and thus with the tens or even hundreds of thousands of additional deaths that the virus will cause. At the same time, European public funds are being used to boost stock market prices and thus the value of the stock portfolios of the upper middle class. The health pass is used by the Macron government as justification for the ending of essential social distancing measures. The Socialist Equality Party opposes the law as being part of a policy of the ruling class across the European Union to let the virus spread, in defiance of scientific recommendations. However, the PES insists that the fight against the pandemic is an international struggle to be conducted scientifically, including through universal vaccination. To do this, it is necessary to mobilize the working class independently of the capitalist parties and the trade union apparatus. This implies the closure of non-essential workplaces and the expropriation of the financial aristocracy, to protect the population, and permit mass vaccination. To carry out such a policy requires a social revolution that would place power in the hands of the working class not only in France, but throughout Europe and the world. 25 years ago: Australian workers storm Parliament Parliament House in Australia On August 19, 1996, thousands of Australian workers stormed Parliament House and clashed with police in the capital city of Canberra. The confrontation erupted when police blocked the path of a contingent of 2,000 Aboriginal people and construction workers arriving at a rally sponsored by the ACTU that was being held on the other side of the Parliament building. When the cops began manhandling the Aboriginal workers, thousands of demonstratorsincluding miners, metal and construction workersdefended them, breaking through barricades and driving the police back to the front doors of the Parliament. The situation rapidly escalated when police reinforcements armed with riot shields and batons attacked Aboriginal people and clubbed the workers who came to their defense. The glass doors to the Parliament were broken in the fighting, and more than 100 workers streamed into the building. The siege lasted for over two hours. While the Australian media only reported injuries to the police, dozens of demonstrators were severely beaten, and many workers were seen leaving the area with blood streaming from head and facial wounds caused by police night sticks. More than 40 workers were arrested. Several thousand workers were involved. More did not join in the confrontation because speakers at the official rally kept silent about the police attack taking place on the other side of the building. Leaders of the Labor Party and the trade union bureaucracy joined with the right-wing Liberal Party government, the media and police in vilifying the demonstrators as a tiny minority of extremists and thugs. Some union heads assisted police in identifying workers, who were involved so they could be criminally charged. The ACTU wrote to the Australian Federal Police Association pledging full cooperation with the police. The confrontation expressed the anger and frustration felt by millions of working people over the ongoing devastation of jobs, living standards and social conditions. While the John Howard government was the immediate target of the demonstration, the spontaneous eruption against the budget had far wider implications. Behind Howard stood the banks, big business and the capitalist media, all of which had been demanding an intensification of the onslaught against the working class. 50 years ago: US-backed coup installs dictator in Bolivia Hugo Banzer Suarez On August 19, 1971, operations began that would overthrow the Bolivian government of Juan Jose Torres. The uprising was a US-backed, right-wing military coup led by Army Colonel Hugo Banzer Suarez. The coup established a military dictatorship under Banzer that lasted until the 1980s. The main objective of the coup was to establish a regime that was friendly to US capital interests and would not hesitate to violently suppress the massive strike wave that was rocking Bolivian industry in 1970-71. The crisis in Bolivia was so intense that the regime under Torres had only lasted for 10 months. Torres, the supposedly left-wing general, himself came into the presidency as a result of earlier coups. In October 1970 another right-wing coup was launched that forced the previous president, Alfredo Ovando, to flee the country. In the crisis, Torres, who was second in command under Ovando, managed to defeat the right-wing insurgents and establish himself as head of the military government. As president, Torres hoped to position himself as a sort of left populist figure. In a 1970 speech he declared he was attempting to build an alliance of the armed forces with the people and build nationality on four pillars: workers, academics, peasants and the military. Torres set up a Popular Assembly that consisted mostly of leaders in the trade unions. Its purpose was to function as a semi-official parliament. However, all power fundamentally remained in the presidential dictatorship. Regardless of his rhetoric, Torres was not able to mediate the intense class divisions in Bolivia. While he was president a militant strike wave ran through Bolivia with major revolutionary implications. The Bolivian capitalist class and US imperialism demanded an aggressive anti-worker state that was capable of sweeping aside the unions and socialist parties that had grown in recent years and crushing the working class. To accomplish this, they turned to the Bolivian military and the CIA to oust Torres and establish Banzers dictatorship. Significant financial and military support was provided to Banzer by the Nixon administration to prepare and carry out the coup. While Torres was himself a military man, he had little support within the ranks of the army officer corps, which was dominated by far-right anti-communist elements. Within two days of the coup Torres was forced to flee Bolivia and was latter assassinated in Argentina in 1976. Once in power Banzer banned all left-wing parties, closed the universities and either suppressed or assumed control of the unions. The new regime based itself on a policy of terrorism. Left-wing opponents were kidnapped, tortured and executed without trial. Banzer would retain the levers of power in Bolivia until 2001. 75 years ago: Thousands killed during communal clashes in India Dead and wounded in the streets of Calcutta after communal riots, August 16, 1946 On August 16, 1946, communal clashes broke out across India, killing an estimated 5,000-6,000 people, rendering tens of thousands more homeless and foreshadowing the subsequent partition of the country along religious lines. The trigger for the clashes was the conflict between the Hindu and Muslim elites over power-sharing arrangements as Britain prepared to grant nominal independence to India, amid mass anti-colonial struggles throughout Asia and internationally. In March, a British cabinet mission arrived in India to prepare a proposal for the transfer. The aim was to prevent revolutionary upheavals and to ensure that whatever entity was created would remain within the British Commonwealth and imperialist framework. The cabinet mission proposed a three-tier system of government, involving a central administration responsible for defense, foreign affairs, communications and currency, and substantial provincial governmental authority. Provinces were to be divided into three groups largely divided along communal Hindu and Muslim lines, in keeping with British promotion of sectarian divisions. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the All-India Muslim League, initially indicated support for the proposal. Over the following months, however, he claimed that the Hindu elite and the Congress Party were intent on undermining the relative autonomy the plan would grant to the mainly Muslim provincial groupings. In July, he called for a direct action day the following month, declaring that his aim was either a divided India or a destroyed India. With Hindu chauvinists also whipping up communalism, the August 16 gathering inevitably resulted in violent clashes, led by rival Muslim and Hindu nationalist groupings. As many as 4,000 people lost their lives and some 100,000 were made homeless in Calcutta, the center of the fighting. Smaller scale rioting occurred in a host of other towns and cities. The stepped up promotion of communalism by the Indian ruling class, Hindu and Muslim, was directed against the prospect of a unified movement of the entire working class that would threaten capitalist rule. In February, sailors of all religious backgrounds had mutinied against the British Navy in Karachi and Bombay, and had raised a series of radical political demands, including for the immediate removal of all British forces from India. The struggle provoked massive strikes by workers and protests by students which were brutally repressed by British troops. The crackdown was supported enthusiastically by both the Muslim League and Congress. 100 years ago: British cabinet reassesses commitment to Jewish state in Palestine Winston Churchill on the cover of Time magazine in 1923 On August 18, 1921, a secret meeting of the British Cabinet of Prime Minister David Lloyd George discussed whether British imperialism should continue to support the aims that were announced in the Balfour Declaration of November 1917 at the height of the First World War. The declaration was the first public pronouncement of any great power that it would support the foundation of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, which, at the time was a province of the Ottoman Empire. Even before the war was over, British and French imperialism had divided up the Ottoman territories in the Middle East in the infamous Sykes Picot agreement of 1917, which was first made public by the young Soviet government in 1918. Britain was to receive the territories that now constitute the states of Iraq and Palestine and France the areas that are now Lebanon and Syria. In 1919 the newly formed League of Nations granted mandates to Britain and France for these territories. What neither power had counted on was the surge of nationalist sentiment and the desire for national independence among the Arab masses. Egypt, under British control, was shaken by a revolution in 1919. By 1920 the French were confronted with the formation of a nationalist state called the Arab Kingdom of Syria, which they suppressed militarily, and the British by armed conflict between Jews and Arabs in Palestine. Delegations of Muslim and Christian Arabs from Palestine had come to England in 1921 to petition the British government to end its support for Jewish immigration. The Cabinet, with Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill present, discussed two courses of action: withdraw the declaration, slow down the settlement of Jews, and set up an Arab national government, or proceed to support the declaration forcefully, including arming the Zionists and drawing down British forces in Palestine. No decisions were taken at the meeting, but most of the arguments favored staying the course, out of concern for the appearance of British prestige, and to placate South Africa and Canada, which were chafing at British rule but whose governments were pro-Zionist. Here's a look at Malaysia, a country located in Southeast Asia. Neighboring regions include Thailand, Borneo, Indonesia, Brunei and the South China Sea. About Malaysia (from the CIA World Factbook) Area: 329,847 sq km Population: 33,519,406 (July 2021 est.) Median age: 29.2 years Capital: Kuala Lumpur Ethnic Groups: Malay and indigenous 62.5%, Chinese 20.6%, Indian 6.2%, other 0.9%, non-citizens 9.8% (2019 est.) Religions: Muslim 61.3%, Buddhist 19.8%, Christian 9.2%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions 1.3%, Other or Unspecified 1.4%, None 0.8% (2010 est.) Unemployment: 3.3% (2019 est.) Other Facts Malaysia is made up of two noncontiguous regions: West Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula, which consists of 11 states, and East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, which consists of two states. The political coalition Barisan Nasional had been in power for more than 50 years, but was defeated by a coalition of opposition parties led by former leader Mahathir Mohamad in 2018. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has received media attention in connection with missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah was a distant relative and Anwar supporter. Since Malaysia's independence in 1957, the sultans who are the hereditary monarchs in nine of the country's 13 states have selected one of themselves to serve a five-year term as king. The king's role is largely ceremonial in Malaysia, and the power to govern resides with the federal Parliament and the prime minister. Timeline 1942-1945 - During World War II, the British protectorates Malaya and Borneo are occupied by Japan. 1946 - The Malayan Union is established and is originally comprised of 11 states. 1948 - The Malayan Union becomes the Federation of Malaya. 1957 - The Federation of Malaya becomes independent of Great Britain. September 16, 1963 - Malaysia is established and includes the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, and the Sarawak and Sabah colonies. September 17, 1963 - The Philippines severs diplomatic relations with Malaysia due to disagreements over territory in Sabah. April 23, 1964 - The Malaysian Defense Ministry reports that Indonesian terrorists and guerillas were behind the deaths of nearly three dozen Malaysians between September and March. May 1964 - The Philippines and Malaysia resume diplomatic relations with consular missions in Manila and Kuala Lumpur. November 19, 1964 - Malaysia bans Indonesian-bound ships and planes carrying weapons and ammunition from its airfields and ports. August 1965 - Singapore breaks away from the Malaysian federation. July 1981 - Mahathir becomes Malaysia's fourth prime minister, minister of home affairs and minister of justice. 2009 - Prime Minister Najib Razak takes office. He is the son and nephew of former prime ministers. July 18, 2011 - After a meeting between Najib and Pope Benedict XVI, Malaysia becomes the 179th country to establish official diplomatic ties with the Vatican. April 11, 2012 - Paramount Ruler Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah takes office as head of state. January 2014 - Following a lengthy court battle that began in 1998, opposition leader and former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anwar is acquitted of a sodomy charge. March 2014 - After the government appeals Anwar's acquittal, a higher court overturns the decision and sentences him to five years in prison. March 8, 2014 - Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, disappears from radar in airspace over the Gulf of Thailand. March 15, 2014 - Najib announces that Flight 370 veered off course due to a deliberate action. July 17, 2014 - Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in eastern Ukraine after being shot down by a surface-to-air missile. All 298 people aboard are killed. February 10, 2015 - Anwar's sodomy conviction is upheld in Malaysia's Federal Court. March 8, 2016 - Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announces to Parliament that Malaysian authorities foiled an ISIS plot to kidnap Prime Minister Najib, along with two other ranking officials, in January. November 19, 2016 - Thousands of people take to the streets of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib. Public dissatisfaction with Najib has grown, especially after news broke over alleged financial mismanagement of government-run fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). December 2016 - Muhammad V is sworn in as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Malaysia's head of state. Previously, he reigned as sultan of Kelantan province for six years. January 17, 2017 - The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is suspended. May 9, 2018 - Former Prime Minister Mahathir, who ruled from 1981 until 2003, wins 121 seats in the country's parliament, enough to form a simple majority and take control of the House. May 10, 2018 - Mahathir, 92, is sworn in as prime minister. May 15, 2018 - King Muhammad V grants Anwar a pardon for his sodomy conviction. Anwar was originally sentenced to five years in prison and was scheduled for release in June 2018. May 24, 2018 - Investigators announce that the Buk missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was fired from a launcher belonging to Russia's 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade. The Russian Defense Ministry denies that any air defense missile systems ever crossed the Russia-Ukraine border. January 6, 2019 - King Muhammad V announces his abdication, after serving two years of his five-year term. It marks the first time in modern history that Malaysia's constitutional leader has stepped down. July 30, 2019 - Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah is sworn in as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong. September 6, 2019 - Penang's ESCAPE theme park unveils the world's longest tube waterslide. January 20, 2020 - Malaysia's environment minister, Yeo Bee Yin, announces she ordered 3,736 metric tons of trash to be returned to 13 countries. Of the 150 containers, 43 are sent back to France and 42 to the United Kingdom, while the United States will receive 17 and Canada 11. February 24, 2020 - Mahathir resigns as prime minister. February 29, 2020 - Muhyiddin Yassin is named prime minister. July 28, 2020 - Najib is found guilty on seven charges related to the 1MDB scandal, which saw billions of dollars of taxpayers money funneled and embezzled out of Malaysia. October 13, 2020 - Anwar submits documents proving his "strong and convincing" parliamentary support to form government. August 16, 2021 - Muhyiddin resigns as prime minister. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Just last week, US intelligence analysts had predicted it would likely take several more weeks before Afghanistan's civilian government in Kabul fell to Taliban fighters. In reality, it only took a few short days. On Sunday, Taliban militants retook Afghanistan's capital, almost two decades after they were driven from Kabul by US troops. Although Afghan security forces were well funded and well equipped, they put up little resistance as Taliban militants seized much of the country following the withdrawal of US troops beginning in early July. On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, abandoning the presidential palace to Taliban fighters. Already, US officials have admitted that they miscalculated the speed at which the Taliban were able to advance across the country, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying of Afghanistan's national security forces: "The fact of the matter is we've seen that that force has been unable to defend the country ... and that has happened more quickly than we anticipated." The Taliban's swift success has prompted questions over how the insurgent group was able to gain control so soon after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan -- and, after almost 20 years of conflict in the US' longest running war, what the Taliban want. Who are the Taliban? Formed in 1994, the Taliban were made up of former Afghan resistance fighters, known collectively as mujahedeen, who fought the invading Soviet forces in the 1980s. They aimed to impose their interpretation of Islamic law on the country -- and remove any foreign influence. After the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996, the Sunni Islamist organization put in place strict rules. Women had to wear head-to-toe coverings, weren't allowed to study or work and were forbidden from traveling alone. TV, music and non-Islamic holidays were also banned. That changed after September 11, 2001, when 19 men hijacked four commercial planes in the US, crashing two into the World Trade Center towers, one into the Pentagon, and another, destined for Washington, into a field in Pennsylvania. More than 2,700 people were killed in the attacks. The attack was orchestrated by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who operated from inside of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Less than a month after the attack, US and allied forces invaded Afghanistan, aiming to stop the Taliban from providing a safe-haven to al Qaeda -- and to stop al Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a base of operations for terrorist activities. In the two decades since they were ousted from power, the Taliban have been waging an insurgency against the allied forces and the US-backed Afghan government. Who are the leaders? The Taliban are led by Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, a senior religious cleric from the Taliban's founding generation. He was named as the Taliban's leader in 2016 after the group's previous leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was killed in a US airstrike in Pakistan. At the time, Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts' Network said the new Taliban leader might be able to "integrate the younger and more militant generation." Another key player is Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban co-founder, who was released in 2013 after being captured in 2010 in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. Baradar heads the group's political committee, and recently met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. What did the Taliban agree to with Trump? In 2017, the Taliban issued an open letter to the newly elected US President Donald Trump, calling on him to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan. After years of negotiations, the Taliban and the Trump administration finally signed a peace deal in 2020. The US agreed to withdraw troops and release some 5,000 Taliban prisoners, while the Taliban agreed to take steps to prevent any group or individual, including al Qaeda, from using Afghanistan to threaten the security of the US or its allies. But that didn't bring about peace. Violence in Afghanistan grew to its highest levels in two decades. The Taliban increased their control of wider swaths of the country -- and by June of this year, contested or controlled an estimated 50% to 70% of Afghan territory outside of urban centers, according to a United Nations Security Council report. The report warned that an emboldened Taliban posed a severe and expanding threat to the government of Afghanistan. The report argued that the Taliban leadership had no interest in the peace process and appeared to be focused on strengthening its military position to give it leverage in negotiations -- or, if necessary, in using armed force. "The Taliban's messaging remains uncompromising, and it shows no sign of reducing the level of violence in Afghanistan to facilitate peace negotiations with the Government of Afghanistan and other Afghan stakeholders," the report said. What do the Taliban want? The Taliban have tried to present themselves as different from the past -- they have claimed to be committed to the peace process, an inclusive government, and willing to maintain some rights for women. Taliban spokesman Sohail Shaheen said women would still be allowed to continue their education from primary to higher education -- a break from the rules during the Taliban's past rule between 1996 and 2001. Shaheen also said diplomats, journalists and non-profits could continue operating in the country. "That is our commitment, to provide a secure environment and they can carry out their activities for the people of Afghanistan," he said. But many observers worry that a return to Taliban rule is a return to the Afghanistan of two decades ago, when women's rights were severely restricted. Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, said in a tweet that hundreds of thousands were being forced to flee amid reports of serious human rights violations. "International humanitarian law and human rights, especially the hard-won gains of women and girls, must be preserved," he said. Amin Saikal, the author of "Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival," said the Taliban did not want Afghanistan to become a pariah state, and wanted to continue receiving international aid. But, Saikal said: "As far as their ideological commitment is concerned, they have not really changed." Why were the Taliban so strong against the Afghan forces? Over the past two decades, the US spent more than a trillion dollars in Afghanistan. It trained Afghan soldiers and police and provided them with modern equipment. As of February, the Afghan forces numbered 308,000 personnel, according to a United Nations Security Council report released in June -- well above the estimated number of armed Taliban fighters, which ranged from 58,000 to 100,000. Ultimately, though, the Afghan forces proved to be no match for the Taliban. Carter Malkasian, a former senior adviser to the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is also the author of "The American War in Afghanistan: A History," said the Afghan forces sometimes lacked coordination and suffered from poor morale. The more defeats they had, the worse their morale became, and the more emboldened the Taliban were. "Afghan forces, for a long period of time, have had problems with morale and also their willingness to fight the Taliban," he said. "The Taliban can paint themselves as those who are resisting and fighting occupation, which is something that is kind of near and dear to what it means to be Afghan. Whereas that's a much harder thing for the government to claim, or the military forces fighting for the government." Taliban spokesman Shaheen said they weren't surprised by their successful military offensive. "Because we have roots among the people, because it was a popular uprising of the people, because we knew that we had been saying this for the last 20 years," he said. "But no one believed us. And now when they saw, and they were taken by surprise because before that they didn't believe." Could the US have known that the Taliban would return? Just last month, senior officials in the Biden administration believed it could take months before the civilian government in Kabul fell. Now lawmakers are pressing the Biden administration for answers and demanding information on how US intelligence could have so badly misjudged the situation on the ground. Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has called the situation an "unmitigated disaster of epic proportions," while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said "everyone saw this coming" except the President, who "publicly and confidently dismissed these threats just a few weeks ago." American officials have expressed dismay at the now fallen US-backed Afghan government's inability to protect key cities and regions from the Taliban, despite laying out a strategy for doing so during his communications with Biden and other senior US leaders. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the "lack of resistance that the Taliban faced from Afghan forces has been extremely disconcerting." "They had all the advantages, they had 20 years of training by our coalition forces, a modern air force, good equipment and weapons," he said, according to sources on the call where he made the comments. "But you can't buy will and you can't purchase leadership. And that's really what was missing in this situation." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Rainbow Six Siege Cross-Play and Cross-Progression is Coming in Early 2022 Katherine Taylor/Reuters/Axel Springer The GAO released a takedown of Jeff Bezos' complaints against NASA's selection of SpaceX. Blue Origin accused NASA of favoritism toward Elon Musk's company. The GAO report found that SpaceX's design beat out Blue Origin's proposal at every level. See more stories on Insider's business page. SpaceX was selected over Blue Origin for a NASA contract to take humans back to the moon, and a new report from government officials highlights exactly why. Last month, Jeff Bezos filed a complaint against NASA, calling its decision to select SpaceX for its Human Landing System Program "unfair." Bezos even offered to cover up to $2 billion in costs for the mission to help Blue Origin compete with SpaceX's $2.9 billion offer, but it was not enough to sway NASA. When SpaceX was chosen in April it came as a surprise, as NASA had originally selected three companies (SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Dynetics) to create proposals for a lunar landing system that could bring astronauts back to the moon by 2024. When the competition was announced, NASA had indicated that it would choose two proposals but ended up leaving Blue Origin and Dynetics in a lurch. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed Bezos' complaint, which was filed alongside Dynetics and rejected the protest. In a public report, the GAO laid out why Elon Musk's company was chosen over Blue Origin. Here are a few key responses from the GAO takedown of Bezos' complaints against NASA: Blue Origin hinged its complaint around the fact that NASA had promised to select two companies Bezos said in a letter following the complaint that NASA risked compromising the mission by eliminating the element of "competition." In response, the GAO pointed to NASA's limited funds for the mission. The group even took a stab at Blue Origin, saying NASA was not "required" to choose an applicant whose proposal NASA did not find attractive. In other words, NASA was not forced to take on two companies if it only found one company up to par. Story continues The GAO then broke down how SpaceX's proposal compared to Blue Origin based on NASA's analysis. Each proposal was graded on technology, management, and price. The technical aspects were found to be most important in NASA's analysis, followed by price, and management. NASA graded each company's proposal based on whether its strengths outweighed its weaknesses, grading each level of weakness or strength based on a scale of how much it would impact the overall mission. For example, both SpaceX and Blue Origin's communication systems were graded as weak, but Blue Origin's received a "significant weakness" for having less systems that were effective. "Even assuming a comparative analysis was required, SpaceX's proposal appeared to be the highest-rated under each of the three enumerated evaluation criteria as well as the lowest priced," the GAO said. Despite Bezos' offer to lower Blue Origin's $5.9 billion contract and take on $2 billion out-of-pocket, the GAO said NASA had found it "implausible" that the company could reduce its price without significantly changing its design. Blue Origin complained the decision showed favoritism to SpaceX Bezos said NASA had unfairly evaluated Blue Origin. For example, the company argued that it was not specified that the vehicle should be able to land in the dark. The GAO contended that NASA was not required to lay out all minute details, and Blue Origin should take into account the conditions on the moon or space itself - which is dark. Blue Origin also raised issue with the fact that SpaceX received extra points for developing a system that focused on the health and safety of the crew - an objective that NASA had not made a requirement. The GAO said NASA had the freedom to choose which design function to prioritize. Here's how the two companies' proposals stacked up, according to NASA SpaceX Technical: 3 significant strengths; 10 strengths; 6 weaknesses; and 1 significant weakness Price: $2.9 billion Management: 2 significant strengths; 3 strengths; and 2 weaknesses Blue Origin Technical: 13 strengths; 14 weaknesses; and 2 significant weaknesses Price: $5.9 billion Management: 1 significant strength; 2 strengths; and 6 weaknesses Read the original article on Business Insider Neighbours spoilers follow for UK and Australian viewers. Neighbours' Jane Harris continues to struggle with her daughter Nicolette Stone's disappearance on Australian screens next week, as she loses her temper with Hendrix Greyson. Nicolette ran away to Canberra amid huge drama on Ramsay Street, and although Paul Robinson tracked her down, he did not bring her back. In fact, he demanded that she never return to Erinsborough. Jane was left distraught by the recent developments, unaware of Paul's part in everything. Photo credit: Jackson Finter / 10 Peach Related: Neighbours announces returns for Glen Donnelly and Lucy Robinson In upcoming scenes via TV Week magazine, Jane insists she's ready to return to work at Erinsborough High despite everything that has happened. "For the sake of others, Jane tries to rally, but beneath the brave face, she's a nervous wreck," star Annie Jones told the publication. Her return doesn't go to plan. At the end of the day, a vulnerable Jane cries in the hallway before realising she has been filmed by one of Hendrix's (Benny Turland) cameras, which he has been using as part of his new project. Jane furiously confronts Hendrix over the invasion of privacy and raises her hand. Photo credit: Fremantle - Channel 5 Related: Neighbours to introduce Levi Canning's mum Evelyn in new storyline The teacher stops before she hits Hendrix, but is mortified that she was out of control. A stunned Hendrix thinks about telling Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) about what happened but decides not to, given how much Jane has been struggling. Jane, however, decides to tell the truth anyway. These scenes air in the UK in around five weeks. Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and Mondays to Thursdays at 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia). Watch: Neighbours Soap Scoop! David pushed to breaking point Digital Spy now has a newsletter sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox. Read more Neighbours spoilers on our dedicated homepage Story continues Want up-to-the-minute soaps news, spoilers and gossip on your social feeds? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Soaps Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @soapscoop Twitter account. You Might Also Like An encampment for internally displaced families, who have fled fighting in Kandahar and neighboring districts, at a compound in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Aug 3, 2021. (Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times) WASHINGTON The fall of Kabul on Sunday left the Biden administration facing the once-unthinkable prospect of whether, and how, to engage with a Taliban-led government in Afghanistans capital or cede all influence in the country to an extremist group that brutalized Afghans and harbored Osama bin Laden as he planned attacks on America. The sudden exile of President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan, just hours after President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken each assured him of full U.S. support, gives the Taliban little incentive to negotiate a transitional government for a country in crisis, said two U.S. officials involved in discussions inside the administration. The officials said Ghani fled his country without telling his Cabinet or leaving plans for a government handover. That has all but ensured the Talibans ascent to power one that the Biden administration can only hope will be carried out as peacefully as possible. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times It also likely extinguishes a long-stalled U.S. effort for peace talks toward establishing a power-sharing system between the Taliban and Afghanistans elected leaders, and leaves U.S. officials hoping that a group that has defied nearly all pleas for moderation in recent months will protect some semblance of womens and political rights and honor a pledge not to harbor al-Qaida terrorists. Blinken said the United States would support talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban about the way forward. The chief American negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, was in Doha, Qatar, working with the United Nations and other international diplomats to see if there can be a peaceful resolution going forward, a peaceful settlement, a peaceful transfer of power that would be good for the people of Afghanistan to avoid further bloodshed, Blinken said on NBCs Meet the Press. One official said Khalilzad was working to get an agreement from Afghan leaders including Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the Afghan national reconciliation council, which was set up last year, and possibly Hamid Karzai, the former president to start talks with Taliban negotiators. Both men are believed to be among the only Afghan officials left who have enough political standing to persuade the Taliban to discuss next steps. Story continues But privately, Biden administration officials said they were facing a bitter reality of having little to no influence over a peace process that now appears to be little more than a negotiated surrender by a defeated Afghan government. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., blamed both the Biden and Trump administrations for what she called the devastating, catastrophic real-time lesson of withdrawing U.S. troops from a nation where a tenuous government depended on military assistance. But she had particularly sharp words for former President Donald Trump and his secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who oversaw a February 2020 agreement with the Taliban to end the war. They walked down this path of legitimizing the Taliban, of perpetuating this fantasy, telling the American people that the Taliban were a partner for peace, Cheney said on ABCs This Week. President Trump told us that the Taliban was going to fight terror, Cheney said. Secretary Pompeo told us that the Taliban was going to renounce al-Qaida. None of that has happened. After taking office in January, Biden decided to stick to the agreement with the Taliban, which Khalilzad brokered. On Sunday, Blinken sought to make the case that the deal committed the United States to withdrawing its troops or face the certain prospect of attacks on Americans in Afghanistan who were already at risk given a dwindling number of security forces who could protect them. He called the astonishing pace of the Talibans nationwide rout as a very fluid situation. The last American personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul fled to the capitals international airport Sunday, sheltering in what Blinken described earlier in the day as a small but enduring mission to be located there while leaving behind a sprawling compound, stripped of its American flag, in the heart of Kabul. Moving diplomatic offices to the airport will allow officials to swiftly depart if under immediate threat, and Blinken said it would maintain a U.S. presence in Afghanistan as the Biden administration has promised. At the same time, embassy officials urged American citizens who were still in Afghanistan to shelter in place and resubmit paperwork to request help for evacuating instead of showing up at the airport, given reports of gunfire there. While briefing members of Congress on the fast-moving developments, Blinken said the State Department was creating a new task force for Afghanistan issues, to be led by Dean Thompson, the acting assistant secretary for South and Central Asian affairs, according to a person familiar with the call. Despite the United States investing billions of dollars and suffering the deaths of thousands of Americans during a 20-year war in Afghanistan, it now has limited influence over the swiftly unfolding endgame in Kabul. The question now is what leverage, if any, the Biden administration might have over a government controlled in part or wholly by the Taliban. For months, Biden officials have offered the hopeful rationale that the Taliban might moderate their behavior once in power to win diplomatic recognition and foreign aid. During a visit to Afghanistan in April, Blinken called it very important that the Taliban recognize that it will never be legitimate and it will never be durable if it rejects a political process and tries to take the country by force. And during an interview with Al-Jazeera last month, Blinken warned that if an Afghanistan emerges that does not respect the basic rights of its people, that abuses the rights of women and girls, that does not respect the basic gains of the last 20 years, that Afghanistan will be a pariah in the international community. But the Talibans summer rampage across the country has left such hopes in shambles. While the group attended peace talks with Afghan government officials in the ostensible pursuit of a power-sharing agreement, its rapid takeover suggests it was never acting in good faith. The groups advance across the country has been marked by reports of massacres, targeted executions of government officials, security forces and civil society leaders, and forced marriages of women that human rights groups equate to sexual slavery. The Taliban are an ideological group, not just a group of politicians seeking power they cannot go too far from their belief system, said Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to Washington who is now a senior fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute. The notion that the desire for international legitimacy outweighs someones core beliefs is a fantasy that has led Americans into unrealistic expectations and erroneous policies before. On Sunday, Blinken also said the Taliban should not dare to be caught sheltering international terrorists like bin Laden, who planned the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks from Afghanistan. The Taliban have a certain self-interest in this, Blinken said on Meet the Press. They know what happened the last time they harbored a terrorist group that attacked the United States. Its not in their self-interest to allow a repeat of that. Haqqani noted, however, that the United States had demanded before the 2001 attacks that the Taliban hand over bin Laden and was rebuffed. In a particularly ominous development, the Taliban on Sunday claimed to have freed prisoners held at the Bagram Air Base outside Kabul, where high value al-Qaida members had been detained, according to Bill Roggio, a longtime Afghanistan analyst at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies. This will reverberate for years to come, he wrote on Twitter. As the United States raced to evacuate personnel from its embassy in Kabul, human and refugee rights groups sharply criticized the Biden administration for not moving faster to relocate Americas Afghan allies from a country where they were at risk of lethal Taliban reprisals. Unless there is a swift and meaningful effort to evacuate the thousands of allies and their families to the United States or a U.S. territory, we will have broken our promise to leave no one behind, Jennifer Quigley, senior director for government affairs at Human Rights First, said in a statement. Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced that Afghans not eligible for the Special Immigrant Visa program created by Congress to protect those who had assisted the U.S. military including those who worked for U.S.-based media organizations and nongovernmental organizations could apply for high-priority refugee status. But U.S. officials said those Afghans, who may number in the tens of thousands, must first leave the country under their own auspices merely to begin an application process that can take more than a year. With the Taliban in control of cities, highways and border crossings, it may now be too late for many of them to leave. 2021 The New York Times Company The Washington State African American Quilt Documentation Project comes to Yakima on Aug. 26-28. Anyone with an African American family quilt, quilt top or bed covering in any condition the older, the better is encouraged to sign up and bring them in for documentation to preserve their familys history. Get your African American heritage quilt documented A'donna Richardson, founder and coordinator of the the Washington State African American Quilt Documentation Project, will be in Yakima on Aug. 26-28. Richardson will be at the Yakima Valley Museum, 2105 Tieton Drive, to get stories of African American family quilts, quilt tops or bed coverings from the Yakima Valley. Those interested in having their quilt(s) documented for the project can learn more and register for an appointment on one of the Yakima documentation days at www.SewBlessed.Online. Volunteers are welcomed. Local quilters who'd like to help out, or students seeking community service opportunities, should email their contact information to A'donna Richardson at adonna.richardson@icloud.com. Visit https://www.SewBlessed.Online for more information. Those who can't meet Richardson when she's in Yakima may contact her online through the website or email adonna.richardson@sewblessed.online. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Firefighters battling flames in Northern California forests are girding for new bouts of windy weather, and a utility has warned thousands of customers it might cut their electricity to prevent new fires from igniting if gusts damage power lines Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said technical glitches in the new income tax e-filing portal will be largely fixed in the next few days and that she has been constantly reminding Infosys about the issue. "I have been reminding Infosys (the vendor which developed the new portal) constantly, and (Infosys head) Nandan Nilekani has been messaging me with assurances that next couple of days they will sort out majority of problems," she said. To a large extent, the system is far better than what it was in June but still some issues are there, she said. The revenue secretary is monitoring this on weekly basis, she said, adding the glitches will be fixed largely in the next couple of weeks. The new income tax e-filing portal 'www.Incometax.Gov.In' had a bumpy start from the day of its launch on June 7 as it continued to face technical glitches. Infosys was in 2019 awarded a contract to develop the next-generation income tax filing system to reduce processing time for returns from 63 days to one day and expedite refunds. The government has so far paid Rs 164.5 crore to Infosys between January 2019 to June 2021 for developing the portal. On June 22, Sitharaman had called a meeting with key officials of Infosys to review the issues on the portal. In the meeting, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) members highlighted the issues faced by taxpayers and tax professionals on the portal. Live TV #mute New Delhi: A 33-year-old Afghan woman named Khatera recounted a horrific tale in which she bore the brunt of the Talibans brutality. The woman, who is currently residing in Delhi, was attacked by the Taliban in Afghanistans Ghazni province last year. They shot her eight times in her upper body, stabbed her all over and pierced her eyes with knives. They then left her on the street to die. She was pregnant. The attack was conspired by none other than her own father who was a former Taliban fighter, Khatera told an English news channel. They first torture us (women) and then discard our bodies to show as specimen of punishment. Sometimes our bodies are fed to dogs. I was lucky that I survived it. One has to live in Afghanistan under the Taliban to even imagine what hell has befallen on the women, children and minorities there, she said. They dont just kill women. They make animals feed on their bodies. They are a blot on Islam, she added. Khatera is in India for her treatment. She was accompanied by her husband and two-month-old baby. She said she was fortunate enough to be saved and get treated as she had the money for it. This fortune is not available for all. Women and anyone who disobeys the Taliban die in the streets, she said. Saddened by the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have taken over control, Khatera was worried about those who have been left behind, especially the women. In the eyes of Taliban, women are not living, breathing human beings, but merely some meat and flesh to be battered, she said. The Taliban dont allow women to visit male doctors, and at the same time, dont let women study and work. So, then what is left for a woman? Left to die? Even if you think we are just reproductive machines, there is no common sense but pure hate. How does a woman deliver her child according to the dictum of these men with guns without medical car? she said. Khatera said that the dreams that many Afghans built over a period of the last 20 years are lost. Read more about Taliban here: Taliban's History Live TV New Delhi: Amid the worsening situation in Afghanistan, an Air India Chicago-Delhi flight was diverted on Monday (August 16, 2021) due to the closure of the Afghan airspace. Air India's AI 126 Chicago-Delhi flight was reportedly diverted to the Gulf airspace. A flight tracking website said that the Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi had changed course and exited Afghanistan's airspace shortly after entering. However, there have been no official comments on the same yet. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) has said that Kabul airspace had been released to the military and that it advised transit aircraft to reroute. This has reportedly led to hastening some airline route switches. Earlier, United Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic had already stopped using Afghanistan airspace. Emirates has also suspended flights to Kabul until further notice. This is to be noted that commercial flights set to land in Afghanistan have also been affected by the chaos on the ground that erupted after the Taliban took control of the national capital. ALSO READ | Chaos, panic as thousands gather at Kabul airport to flee Afghanistan, US troops fire shots to disperse crowd The situation has deteriorated in the war-torn country after the Taliban fighters took control of the presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday. The Taliban's arrival in the national capital also saw President Ashraf Ghani fleeing Afghanistan, who said that he left the country in order to avoid bloodshed and clashes with the insurgents that would endanger millions of Kabul residents. Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban's political office, declared that the war in 'Afghanistan was over'. "Today is a great day for the Afghan people and the mujahideen. They have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years," he said. "Thanks to God, the war is over in the country," the Taliban spokesman added. (With agency inputs) ALSO READ | Why Afghanistan is facing wrath of Taliban; a brief history of dreaded extremist group Hyderabad: India should have had a dialogue with Taliban but the Narendra Modi government wasted seven years and failed to read what was happening in Afghanistan, said AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday (August 16). The Hyderabad MP said now that Taliban is in complete control of full Afghanistan, but India has no communication or talks with them. He said all international security experts had suggested that India should have dialogue with Taliban. "India should have had a dialogue. We should have opened some sort of informal or formal talks with Taliban. We lost time. For last seven years Modi government failed to read what was happening," he told reporters. He pointed out that India spent USD 3 billion on reconstruction of Afghanistan. It constructed Afghan Parliament building which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi with then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The Salama dam was built with India`s money while scholarships were given for Afghan students who came to India. Owaisi said the serious worry for India were many ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan. "Al Qaeda and ISIS have moved their core headquarters and shifted recruitment from Iraq and Syria to Afghanistan. Jaish-e-Mohammed has now entrenched in Helmand area. All security experts have said this." He recalled that when he had raised the issue in Parliament, he was criticised and scoffed at for advocating dialogue with Taliban. "We know what Taliban stand for. We don`t agree with their methods and regressive policies but can you imagine what will happen with all those ungoverned spaces. It`s definitely huge problem and can become bigger in future," Owaisi added. He termed as 'completely bogus' the statement by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat that if dependence on China increases, we will have to bow before it. Owaisi said Bhagwat knows very well that Chinese PLA is sitting in Indian territory and Indian Army is not able to patrol those areas. "The Prime Minister of India who ideologically belongs to RSS is afraid to even use word China. If Mr Mohan Bhagwat is a true nationalist, he should say Chinese PLA is sitting in Indian territory," the AIMIM leader said. He asked the RSS chief who brought demonetisation and destroyed the economy. "Who is responsible for the state of economic affairs. It`s Modi government. Is Mr Bhagwat living in reality or not. Can`t he see sufferings of common people of India because of wrong economic policies of the Modi government," he added. Live TV New Delhi: When Kabul was witnessing chaos with Taliban reaching the gates of the city, penholders Estonia and Norway had reached out to India for an urgent meeting on Afghanistan. At the request of penholders, it is reported that India was immediately ready to organize the meetings on Sunday afternoon itself at the security council. Estonian mission to the United Nations even tweeted that they have requested for a "council meeting on Afghanistan as soon as possible a call for the violence to stop & parties to negotiate peacefully." JUST NOW! #EstoniaUNSC & @NorwayUN as penholders of the #Afghanistan file in the #UNSC have requested for a Council meeting on as soon as possible! Call for the violence to stop & parties to negotiate peacefully. pic.twitter.com/jaEYP5H9aB Estonia in UN (@EstoniaUN) August 15, 2021 After much consultations, a broad consensus at UNSC was achieved to have this meeting at 10 am EST (7.30 am IST) on Monday. India is the president of UNSC for the month of August and as the president takes crucial decisions on key meetings and agenda at the high table. For any meeting to take place, India has to receive a request and a consensus needs to be formed. Monday's meeting will be the 2nd meeting on Afghanistan taking place under India's Presidency of UNSC this month. UN Secretary-General is expected to participate in this meeting. The meeting on the 6th of August was chaired by the Indian envoy to the United Nations TS Tirumurti. The development came after the then Afghan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar called India's external affairs minister Dr. Jaishankar for the meeting. Live TV Mumbai: In view of the ongoing Taliban crisis in Afghanistan, IIT Bombay has taken a big initiative. IIT Bombay has announced that 11 students from Afghanistan studying in their institute will not only be given accommodation in the hostel campus but these 11 students will also be given scholarships for their studies. In a special conversation with Zee News, IIT Bombay Director Subhasish Choudhary said that apart from this, considering the current situation, these children have also been given the option that if they are not able to continue their studies this year, then they will be considered to defer their admission. Subhashish Chaudhary says that amid the situation of the civil war in Afghanistan we don't want the future of these students to be played with. These children should get higher education and when the situation in Afghanistan is better, they should contribute to their nation-building. All this responsibility has been entrusted to ICCR (The Indian Council for Cultural Relations). A total of 11 children are from Afghanistan, out of which 9 children had gone to Afghanistan due to COVID-19 and are attending online classes. "2 students are still living in IIT Bombay. Considering a special case, I have offered to give education to the students of Afghanistan by keeping them in IIT Bombay, but now that the Kabul airport itself has been closed, how will the remaining 9 students leave the country in these circumstances and come to IIT Bombay, No one has the answer to this question," said Chaudhary. The Mumbai office of ICCR is constantly in touch with the Indian Embassy in Kabul regarding the visa and return of these students to Mumbai. Mumbai: As the Taliban take over control of Afghanistan, NCP supremo and former defence minister Sharad Pawar on Monday (August 16) expressed concerns over Indias foreign policy. The rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan is likely to have an impact in the subcontinent in the times to come. Calling for a policy review, he said that Indias relations with its neighbouring countries are not what they used to be. He hinted that the ties with countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have deteriorated. India's foreign policy has been one where we had good relations with all neighbouring nations, except Pakistan and China. Situation has changed with Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. It's time to review how effective has our foreign policy been regarding our neighbours, said Pawar. He, however, refused to elaborate saying it was a sensitive issue concerning national security. This is a sensitive issue, I won't speak much on it. If needed, we will support the government because this is a matter of national security, he added. Taliban insurgents swept into Afghanistan's capital on Sunday after the government collapsed. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country soon after. Unprecedented scenes are being witnessed in Kabul, where panic-stricken people are scurrying to escape the country. Read more about Taliban here: Taliban's History Live TV New Delhi: Continuing the declining trend for the second consecutive day, India recorded 32,937 new COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Monday (August 16, 2021) morning. The country's active coronavirus count has now further dropped to 3,81,947 as compared to 3,85,336 on Sunday. The active cases currently constitute 1.18% of the total cases, which is the lowest since March 2020. There were also 417 fresh deaths and 35,909 recoveries in the last 24 hours which took the death toll to 4,31,642 and the total number of recoveries to 3.14 crore. The health ministry informed that India's COVID-19 recovery rate currently stands at 97.48%, which is the highest since March 2020. ALSO READ | Schools in several states to reopen today after COVID-19 hiatus Earlier on Sunday, during his Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Indians fought the COVID-19 period with great grit and patience. "We had many challenges. Countrymen performed extraordinarily in every field. It is due to the power of our entrepreneurs and scientists that the country is not dependent on anyone or any country for vaccines. Imagine for a moment, if we did not have the COVID-19 vaccine. How long did it take to get the polio vaccine? It was extremely difficult to get vaccines during such a major crisis, with pandemic plaguing the entire world," the Prime Minister said. He also lauded India's vaccination programme and said that online systems like Cowin and digital certificates are attracting the world today. "The way India has kept the stoves burning in the poor households by providing free food grains to 80 crore countrymen continuously for months during the pandemic is not only astonishing to the world but also a matter of discussion. It is true that fewer people have been infected in India as compared to other countries; it is also true that in comparison to the population of other countries of the world, we managed to save more citizens in India but it is not something to be proud of! We cannot rest on these laurels. To say that there was no challenge, will become a restrictive thought in the path of our own development," he added. Live TV More than 10,665 criminals have been arrested as part of a special operation by the police headquarters in Rajasthan on July 5, officials said Monday. This campaign to arrest the most wanted will continue till the end of this month, Director General of Police (DGP) ML Lather told reporters. Out of the arrested accused, 1,588 accused have surrendered before the court. The DGP said instructions were given to all the districts to make intensive efforts for the arrest of the wanted criminals under this campaign. Special emphasis, he said, were being laid on the arrest of criminals involved in heinous crimes. Under the campaign, 437 arrested accused were carrying reward on information leading to their arrest, 417 were charged with murder, 350 attempt to murder, 294 under rape and POCSO Act charges, 231 for narcotics smuggling, 212 for assaulting government employees and 123 were booked in Arms Act cases. Live TV New Delhi: The Jagannath Temple in Puri will be opening gradually for the general public from Monday (August 16) in the second phase of the Odisha unlock. The Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) said adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines, social distancing rules will be followed. However, all devotees will only be allowed entry for the darshan from August 23. The temple had reopened on August 12 in the first phase after remaining shut for over three months amid the COVID-19 restrictions in the state. Only family members of the servitors were allowed to enter the temple in the first phase according to news agency PTI. The SJTA said that people residing in the Puri Municipality area will be allowed entry for darshan from August 16 to August 20 and the darshan timings will be from 7am to 7pm on all days when the temple is open. The general public will be allowed entry from August 23 onwards, an official said.. A meeting was held on August 4 with Chhatisa Nijog members and all other stakeholders under the chairmanship of Dr. Krishan Kumar, the Chief Administrator of SJTA to discuss the matter. After detailed discussions and considering all the connected matters, it was decided to open the Temple on August 16, 2021 under strict guidelines, an official notification released by the SJTA on August 11 stated.. The temple was closed to the public on April 24 this year amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and remained closed during the Rath Yatra. Here are the guidelines imposed: The temple would remain closed on all weekends and major festivals, further added STJA. The temple will remain closed for public darshan on all Saturdays and Sundays as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus and in order to sanitize the temple premises. The temple will also remain closed on major festive occasions in order to avoid any surge in the transmission of Covid-19 on account of huge gatherings that are expected on such festive occasions. Devotees from outside Puri will have to produce the final COVID-vaccination certificate or COVID-negative RT-PCR report of testing done within 96 hours. They will also have to carry a government-issued identity card such as Aadhaar. Live TV NEW DELHI: Assam Congress leader and president of All India Mahila Congress Sushmita Dev quit the party on Monday. After her announcing her move, Dev also changed her Twitter bio to "former member of Indian National Congress". Congress leader from Assam Sushmita Dev identifies herself as "Former Member, Indian National Congress" in her Twitter bio. pic.twitter.com/oQ0GHak2Qx ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2021 The former MPs Twitter handle was recently suspended by the microblogging site for violating its policy. According to reports, Dev has sent her resignation to the interim Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. In her brief letter to party president Sonia Gandhi, the former Member of Parliament said she was resigning from the primary membership of the party, but did not give any specific reason. "I cherish my three-decade-long association with the Indian National Congress... I personally thank you for the guidance and opportunities you have given me," she said. The Assam Congress leader was reportedly upset over being sidelined by the top party leaders. Even during the Assam assembly elections, Dev had openly expressed her displeasure over the distribution of party tickets. Dev is the daughter of late veteran Congressman Santosh Mohan Dev. For the first time in 2014, she reached the Parliament from the family seat of Silchar. Her exit is being seen as a big setback to the Congress party. Live TV New Delhi: Security forces on Monday (August 16) once again spotted suspected drones in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district. According to reports, the drones were spotted in three different locations of Samba, i.e. Vijaypur, Ramgarh and Garhwal regions. Following an alert, the security forces launched a search operation in the area. More developments in the matter are under watch. The development comes amid a CRPF jawan being injured in a grenade attack by suspected terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Monday. The terrorists hurled the grenade targeting a CRPF party at the Government Middle School Langate in the north Kashmir district around 9.40 pm, officials told PTI. In another attack, terrorists lobbed a grenade at a police party in Azad Gunj near the bus stop in Baramulla town, the officials said, adding that it exploded at the roadside. No loss of life or injury was reported but a vehicle was damaged, they said. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth Rs 6.88 crore belonging to National Socialist Counsel of NagalandIM, a Naga separatist group, in connection with a terror funding case. The agency alleged that the group was carrying out well organised extortion racket in Manipur and Nagaland in order to fund terror activities. The ED attached movable properties amounting to Rs 6.88 crore in the form of bank balances, mutual funds, insurance products etc., in the name of Rayilung Nsarangbe, Ruth Chawang and Apam Muivah. In its chargesheet, the ED noted that the terrorist gang of NSCN (IM) had been criminally intimidating Construction Companies, undertaking the road construction project in Manipur and collected huge sum as illegal tax. Investigation under PMLA, 2002, revealed that the district in-charge of four administrative districts of Manipur viz. Tamenglong, Senapati, Ukhrul and Chandel, were reporting to Rayilung Nsarangbe, as he was the Treasurer of the Collective Leadership, the ED said. Also read: A tale of corruption and greed of NSCN-IM leadership for money Live TV Srinagar: BSF Director General (DG) SS Deswal on Monday (August 16) said they are keeping a close watch on the situation in Afghanistan and are fully ready for all possible consequences. He, however, described the developments in Afghanistan as that country's internal matter. Deswal, who was on a visit here to flag off the "freedom rally" of 100 cyclists of the Border Security Force (BSF) from Jammu to Gujarat as part of the 75th Independence Day celebrations, was replying to a reporter's question on the fallout of the Taliban's near-total takeover in Afghanistan on the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir. "What is happening in the neighbouring country is its internal matter, but we are keeping a close watch on the situation," he told reporters at the Octerio Border Out Post (BoP) in the R S Pura sector. "We are ready for all possible consequences," he added. Replying to another question on infiltration and the increased use of drones from across the border to ferry weapons, the BSF DG said as a responsible country, India is acting in accordance with the ceasefire agreement with Pakistan. "We have not violated the ceasefire," he added. Referring to the use of drones, Deswal said security forces have thwarted most of the attempts to airdrop and smuggle narcotics and weapons. "The drone threat is a challenge and we are handling it. In the coming days, technologically, we will be dealing with the issue more efficiently. Systems are being put in place," he said. On cross-border infiltration, Deswal said these incidents have been taking place for a long and the security forces have foiled such attempts in the past. He said matters between the two sides are resolved peacefully at flag meetings. Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has warned that lockdown may be re-imposed if there is a spike in daily COVID-19 cases. The Chief Minister while saying that most of the COVID-19 restrictions are now being relaxed added that the COVID threat is far from over. New strains of the virus are being detected in other countries...We have to take care that the threat doesn't hit us," he said. The CM said even though medicines and vaccines are available, "there is still a shortage of oxygen". "We are easing restrictions based on the availability of oxygen. I appeal to citizens to follow COVID-19-appropriate behaviour," the Shiv Sena chief said. Thackeray made these remarks during his address after unfurling the national flag at the state secretariat 'Mantralaya' on the country's 75th Independence Day on Sunday. He said that the state will be put under lockdown if there is a spike in daily COVID-19 cases and taking into account the availability of oxygen. The Chief Minister also paid tributes to COVID-19 warriors and citizens who lost their lives to the viral infection. Thackeray said the state was fighting COVID-19 with determination and the vaccination drive against the disease was also being expedited. Thackeray also paid tributes to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, saying the warrior king sowed the seeds of the struggle for independence from foreign rule. Live TV New Delhi: Newly-wed Rhea Kapoor, who is Anil Kapoor's younger daughter, recently took to Instagram to share the first picture from her wedding with longtime boyfriend Karan Boolani and it's wonderful! In the picture, Rhea looks gorgeous in a white lehenga and beautiful pearl jewellery. Karan, on the other hand, oozes handsomeness in a golden sherwani with a red scarf. The two lovebirds look perfect together as Karan puts the wedding ring on Rhea's finger. The stylist also penned a sweet, long caption for her hubby calling him her best friend and the best guy ever. She wrote, "12 years later, I shouldnt have been nervous or overwhelmed because youre my best friend and the best guy ever. But I cried and shook and had stomach flips all the way through because I didnt know how humbling the experience would be. Ill always be that girl who had to come home to juhu at 11 pm before my parents fell asleep. Only until now I didnt know how lucky I was to feel torn. I hope we make a family so close that we have many, many loves of our life. Mine are @karanboolani @anilskapoor @kapoor.sunita @sonamkapoor and @harshvarrdhankapoor forever more." Check out the heartwarming post: On Saturday (August 14), Anil Kapoor's younger daughter Rhea Kapoor got hitched to her longtime partner Karan Boolani at an intimate wedding ceremony at her Juhu residence. At their wedding, many celebs were seen such as Masaba, Khushi Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Anshula Kapoor, Reena Kapoor, and others. Although its heavily raining in Mumbai, nothing stopped the preparations as all the festivities. 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: Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan who turned 51 on Monday (August 16) will be ringing in his birthday from the tropical island of Maldives with his wife Kareena Kapoor and sons Taimur and Jeh. In case you were wondering how their exotic celebration is going, Kareena has a picture update for Saif's fans! The actress, on Saif's birthday, took to Instagram to share a family picture from the sunny beaches of Maldives. In the picture, Saif looked dapper in a white kurta while Kareena wore a colourful, printed Kaftan. India's favourite star kid Taimur was seen posing cutely and looking at the camera with an adorable expression. Little baby Jeh was seen resting and lying down next to Kareena on a baby mat. In the caption, Kareena wrote, "Happy Birthday to the love of my life... To eternity and beyond with you is all I want." Check out the adorable family photo: The actor entered the industry with Yash Chopra's Parampara in 1993 and then made his name in the industry with films such as Yeh Dillagi, Main Khiladi Tu Anari. Even though his career slightly dipped during the '90s, he rose back up like a Phoneix and starred in the iconic film Hum Saath-Saath Hain. After that, he gave back to back hits with Dil Chahta Hai and Kal Ho Naa Ho. More recently, he will next be seen in Bhoot Police co-starring Yami Gautam and Jacqueline Fernandez. On the personal front, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan welcomed their second child together on February 21. Since then there has been immense interest among fans to get a full view picture of the baby and know his name. Earlier, in July Kareenas father, Randhir Kapoor told a media outlet that the little munchkin is called Jeh by his parents. Jeh reportedly is not the name of the latest addition in the family but a pet name of Taimur Ali Khans younger brother who is actually Jehangir Ali Khan. New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), made a big change in the Aadhaar card address change process. The Aadhaar issuing body has paused the facility on changing Aadhaar card address without address proof till further notice. Previously Aadhaar card users were allowed to update their address in the absence of document proof. Aadhaar card holders were allowed to update their address where they are presently residing with the consent and authentication of the address verifier. The address verifier could be a family member, relative, friends or landlord, who is willing to let the Aadhaar card holder use their address as proof. But, this facility has now been halted by UIDAI. Replying to an Aadhaar Card user, UIDAI has tweeted that the facility to change address in Aadhaar Card using Address Validation Letter facility has been discontinued until further notice. The Aadhaar issuing body has urged the user to update address using another valid PoA document from the list of documents as prescribed by UIDAI. Dear Resident, the Address Validation Letter facility has been discontinued until further notice. Kindly request your address update using another valid PoA document from the list https://t.co/BeqUA0pkqL Aadhaar (@UIDAI) June 14, 2021 Here is a list of 45 documents that UIDAI has listed as POA (Proof of Address) documents containing Name and Address for Aadhaar card 1. Passport 2. Bank Statement/ Passbook 3. Post Office Account Statement/ Passbook 4. Ration Card 5. Voter ID 6. Driving License 7. Government Photo ID cards/ service photo identity card issued by PSU 8. Electricity Bill (not older than 3 months) 9. Water Bill (not older than 3 months) 10. Telephone Landline Bill (not older than 3 months) 11. Property Tax Receipt (not older than 1 year) 12. Credit Card Statement (not older than 3 months) 13. Insurance Policy 14. Signed Letter having Photo from Bank on letterhead 15. Signed Letter having Photo issued by registered Company on letterhead 16. Signed Letter having Photo issued by Recognized Educational Institution on letterhead or Photo ID having address issued by Recognized Educational Institution 17. NREGS Job Card 18. Arms License 19. Pensioner Card 20. Freedom Fighter Card 21. Kissan Passbook 22. CGHS/ ECHS Card 23. Certificate of Address having photo issued by MP or MLA or MLC or Gazetted Officer or Tehsildar on UIDAI standard certificate format for enrolment/ update 24. Certificate of Address issued by Village Panchayat head or its equivalent authority (for rural areas) on UIDAI standard certificate format for enrolment/ update 25. Income Tax Assessment Order 26. Vehicle Registration Certificate 27. Registered Sale/ Lease/ Rent Agreement 28. Address Card having Photo issued by Department of Posts 29. Caste and Domicile Certificate having Photo issued by State Govt 30. Disability ID Card/ handicapped medical certificate issued by the respective State/ UT Governments/ Administrations 31. Gas Connection Bill (not older than 3 months) 32. Passport of Spouse 33. Passport of Parents (in case of Minor) 34. Allotment letter of accommodation issued by Central/ State Govt. (not more than 3 years old) 35. Marriage Certificate issued by the Government, containing address 36. Bhamashah Card/Jan-Aadhaar card issued by Govt. of Rajasthan 37. Certificate from Superintendent/ Warden/ Matron/ Head of Institution of recognized shelter homes or orphanages etc. on UIDAI standard certificate format for enrolment/ update 38. Certificate of Address having photo issued by Municipal Councillor on UIDAI standard certificate format for enrolment/ update 39. Identity Card issued by recognized educational institutions 40. SSLC book having photograph 41. School Identity card 42. School Leaving Certificate (SLC)/ School Transfer Certificate (TC), containing Name and Address 43. Extract of School Records containing Name, Address and Photograph issued by Head of School 44. Certificate of Identity containing Name, Address and Photo issued by Recognized Educational Institution signed by Head of Institute on UIDAI standard certificate format for enrolment/ update 45. Certificate of identity containing Name, DOB and Photograph issued by Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on UIDAI standard certificate format for enrolment/ update Live TV #mute New Delhi: Aadhaar issuing body Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has announced various posts for its agency, inviting people to work with it. The nodal agency for providing Aadhaar card to the Indian citizens has tweeted, "UIDAI is looking for passionate professionals to strengthen its team. Please read the Recruitment details before applying carefully." #Recruitment2021 #UIDAI is looking for passionate professionals to strengthen its team. Please read the #Recruitment details before applying carefully. pic.twitter.com/LdxTNG5Fyk Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 16, 2021 Vacancy posting area UIDAI has advertised recruitment UIDAI Recruitment 2021 6 of its regional offices in Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Ranchi. UIDAI Recruitment 2021 Vacancy details for these posts Vacany for 3 posts of Private Secretary in the Regional Office of Chandigarh. Recruitment for 1 post of Deputy Director, 1 post of Section Officer, 1 post of Assistant Accounts Officer and 1 post of Private Secretary in Regional Office of Delhi. Vacancy for 1 post of Deputy Director in Regional Office of Mumbai. 2 vacancies for Private Secretary in the Regional Office of Hyderabad. Two posts of Section Officer and one post of Private Secretary for regional office of Lucknow. 1 post of Deputy Director and 1 post of Assistant Accounts Officer for the Regional Office of Ranchi. How to apply for UIDAI Recruitment 2021 UIDAI said that interested candidates can fill their application in the prescribed proforma and send it to the ADG (HR) of their respective regional office. Candidates can visit the official website of UIDAI www.uidai.gov.in to get detailed information to apply. Last date to apply Interested candidates can apply for these posts by 23 September 2021. Private candidates cannot apply According to UIDAI, all these posts are to be done on Deputation Basis and hence private candidates cannot participate in these recruitments. Live TV #mute Chennai: Actor Meera Mitun's friend Abhishek Shyam, who was also seen in the video where she made casteist slur, has been arrested by the Chennai Crime Branch police. He will be produced in court on Monday. Meera Mitun, who made the casteist slur against Scheduled Caste directors in the Tamil film industry, was arrested from Kerala on Saturday and brought to Chennai on Sunday. She was produced before a court in Saidapet on Sunday itself and is now lodged in Puzhal central prison for 14 days till August 27. Shyam was arrested on Sunday as well. The actor was picked from a private resort in Alappuzha in Kerala by the Chennai Crime Branch police after she did not appear before the investigating officers even after getting a summons. She had released a video before her arrest in which she alleged that she was being harassed by male police officers and that she would be tortured. Meera Mithun had told the media that she was not given food for one full day while she was being taken to Chennai from Alappuzha. New Delhi: Google knows its game around celebrating special days with its doodles and on Monday (August 16, 2021), it is celebrating the 117th birth anniversary of Indias first woman satyagrahi and a trailblazing writer Subhadra Kumari Chauhan. To honour the life of one of India's freedom fighters, Google released the doodle illustrated by New Zealand-based artist Prabha Mallya and also posted on Google India's Twitter handle with a caption that read: "Her poem Jhansi ki Rani is one of Hindi Lits most recited poems. She was the first woman satyagrahi. She has written 88 poems and 46 short stories..." Her poem Jhansi ki Rani is one of Hindi Lits most recited poems. She was the first woman satyagrahi. She has written 88 poems and 46 short stories... pic.twitter.com/mHy6GJOdOm Google India (@GoogleIndia) August 16, 2021 Subhadra Kumari Chauhan was born on August 16 in 1904 in Nihalpur village of Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad, now Prayagraj. Chauhan was passionate about writing and it is said that she used to write even in the horse cart on the way to school. Her first poem was reportedly published when she was just nine years old. Chauhans poetry and prose primarily centered around the hardships that Indian women overcame, such as gender and caste discrimination. As a participant in the Indian Nationalist Movement, she used her poetry to call others to fight for their nations sovereignty. ALSO READ: India at 75: Anand Mahindra's influential post on Independence Day goes viral, check here Chennai: Sunder Ramu, an actor and a photographer based in Chennai is a 'serial dater'. Yes! a serial dater because he has dated 335 women. From an 88-year-old Irish nun to a 90-year-old Bengali woman, several other such women have gone on a date with Sunder Ramu. However, Sunder says that he is still short of his target of '365'. In an interview with BBC, Sunder said that he is an "absolute romantic" and is seeking love every day, but the idea behind 365 dates is not to find women but to raise awareness about womens rights in India. Talking about the inspiration behind the idea of the 365 dates project, Ramu said that the brutal Delhi gang-rape case in 2012 churned" his stomach and he could not sleep for several nights. He said at that point, he had asked himself that whose responsibility is it to reform the attitude towards women. Ramu has been sharing pictures of his dates through his social media platform. ALSO READ: US Prez Biden and 'dude with sign' hold placards to promote COVID vaccination, pic goes viral New Delhi: A moment of sheer awkwardness was seen when Samajwadi Party (SP) MP ST Hasan and other party workers seemingly `forgot` the national anthem at a flag hoisting ceremony held at Moradabad on the occasion of 75th Independence Day on Sunday (August 15, 2021). The Lok Sabha MP from Moradabad arrived at the tomb of Nawab Majju Khan and paid his respects, following which he hoisted the national flag at an event held at Gul Shahid Park. Soon after unfurling the tricolor, and enthusiastically reciting the first verse of `Jana Gana Mana` he forgot the following verse and so did others, which can also be seen in a video that went viral on social media. Watch the video here: #ViralVideo: Samajwadi Party MP Syed Tufail Hasan and party workers forgot the national anthem at a flag hoisting ceremony held in Moradabad on the occasion of #75thIndependenceDay #Viral #ViralVideo pic.twitter.com/fvimVy8j3P Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) August 16, 2021 The participants at the event fumbled and attempted to resume the anthem. One of them directly skipped to the last verse and sang "Jaya Hai" thrice while Hasan quietly looked at others. Meanwhile, he took a dig at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and alleged that they are trying to polarize people of Hindu and Muslim communities, ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. ALSO READ | What makes us desi: Netflix celebrates Indias Independence Day in a witty way- Watch viral video "It is not our job to polarize people. Ask BJP why they are moving forward with such agendas. Ask them why they are creating a tiff between Hindus and Muslims," he said while speaking to the media. Live TV Kolkata/Guwahati: Former Assam MP Sushmita Dev, who resigned as All India Mahila Congress chief earlier this morning, joined the Trinamool Congress party led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday. She joined the All India Trinamool Congress in the presence of party leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien on Monday. Kolkata, West Bengal: Sushmita Dev, who resigned from Congress today, joins TMC in the presence of party leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien. pic.twitter.com/4KFNVKm3V8 ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2021 Shortly after quitting the Congress party, Dev had met TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at his office in south Kolkata, fuelling speculation about her next political move. According to Congress sources, Dev, who had been serving as the All-India Mahila Congress chief, had sent her resignation to party chief Sonia Gandhi late on Sunday. She is also expected to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later in the day. "Dev visited Abhishek Banerjee's Camac Street office during the day and held a meeting with him in the presence of other senior functionaries. She may also meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna later today," a TMC leader said. Meanwhile, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Bora told reporters in Guwahati that the former MP, who was also a national spokesperson of the grand old party, had to quit as "she is suffering from depression". Bora also asserted that Dev was given "adequate importance" by the party high command, and any "political reason" couldn't have prompted her exit. "This (resignation) is a sign of her depression. One cannot comprehend how much a defeat can affect a person if he or she hasn't seen Sushmita. Perhaps, she is lacking the self-confidence to rebuild the party's support base in Silchar once again," he claimed. Dev lost her Silchar Lok Sabha constituency to BJP's Rajdeep Roy in the 2019 General Election. Asked whether her departure will hurt the Congress, the Assam unit chief said, "When a family member leaves, it is never nice... We have to work on finding more leaders like her." In her letter to Gandhi, Dev said she was beginning a "new chapter in my life of public service". "I cherish my three-decade-long association with the Indian National Congress...I hope I have your good wishes as I begin a new chapter in my life of public service," she said in the letter. She offered no reason for quitting the party. The Congress maintained that no letter has been received from her but wished her well. Party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said he and other party leaders have tried to reach out to her but her phone was switched off. "I am unable to speak to her as Sushmita ji's phone is switched off. We have tried to reach out to her. Sushmita ji is a very dear friend. She is extremely versatile, talented and capable. Sonia Gandhi ji and Rahul Gandhi ji have always appreciated it," he told reporters when asked about her resignation. Another Congress leader Kapil Sibal has, however, said the party is moving on with its "eyes wide shut". "Sushmita Dev resigns from the primary membership of our party. While young leaders leave we 'oldies' are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it," the former union minister said on Twitter. "The Party moves on with: Eyes Wide Shut," Sibal added. Live TV KABUL: With Taliban seizing control of Kabul and all top provincial capitals of Afghanistan, its top leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is most likely to become the next President of the war-ravaged nation. It may be noted that Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and other top diplomats have already left the country after the Taliban sealed a nationwide military victory. In its victory, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has now emerged as the undisputed leader of the insurgent group. Who is Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar? Born in Uruzgan province in 1968, Baradar is also the co-founder of the insurgent group. He is the second senior-most leader in the Taliban hierarchy after Haibatullah Akhundzada. He was freed from a Pakistani jail at the request of the US less than three years ago. Baradar is also the political chief and Talibans most notable public face today. He is believed to have reached Kabul from Doha on Sunday evening. In a televised statement on the fall of Kabul, he said the Talibans real test was only just beginning and that they had to serve the nation. Baradar had fought in the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviet Army in the 1980s. After the exit of Russians in 1992, a civil war erupted between rival warlords. During that time, Baradar set up a madrassa in Kandahar with his former commander and reputed brother-in-law, Mohammad Omar. Together, the two mullahs founded the Taliban, a movement spearheaded by young Islamic scholars dedicated to the religious purification of the country and the creation of an emirate. Read more about Taliban here: Taliban's History Due to growing hatred among the Afghans towards the warlords and tactical back support from Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, the Taliban swept to power in 1996 after a series of stunning conquests of provincial capitals. Baradar who was next only to Mullah Omar was credited for his effective strategy, was widely hailed as a key architect of those Taliban victories. Baradar played a succession of military and administrative roles in the five-year Taliban regime in Afghanistan as deputy minister of defence when the militia was overthrown by the US and its Afghan allies back then. Fall of the Afghan government Afghanistan's government had collapsed on Sunday after Ghani left the country and the Taliban entered the country, taking control of the Afghan capital of Kabul and the presidential palace. "The Taliban have won with the judgement of their swords and guns, and are now responsible for the honour, property and self-preservation of their countrymen," Ghani said in a statement on Facebook, his first since fleeing. Baradar on Sunday said that the terror group's victory that saw all cities of the country fall to them in just 10 days was unexpectedly swift and had no match in the world. In a video message, he said the real test would begin now with meeting the expectations of the people and serving them by resolving their problems, Al Jazeera reported. Live TV Kabul: In view of the Taliban taking control of entire Afghanistan, thousands of panic-stricken Afghan people had gathered at the Kabul Interntional Airport to board flights to flee the country on Sunday. Several disturbing images and videos of thousands of worried Afghan citizens rushing to the Kabul airport forcing the US troops to fire shots in the air to disperse the crowd have now surfaced online According to reports, the US troops were forced to fire warning shots at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul to prevent crowds of desperate citizens running to board planes as the Taliban took over the Afghan capital city, international media reported. One such video of the maddening crowd at the Kabul airport was shared by Zee News Editor-in-chief Sudhir Chaudhary. Latest pictures from Kabul Airport. People are on their own now while the world watches in silence. Only sane advise to Afghan peopleRUN pic.twitter.com/RQGw28jFYx Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) August 16, 2021 "The crowd was out of control. The firing was only done to defuse the chaos," a US official was quoted as saying. Gunfire could be heard in several videos doing the rounds on social media. The desperate scenes include crowds hovering around jets and clambering up staircases. The videos and images show hundreds of Afghans jamming the Kabul airport and trying to get out of the country after Taliban insurgents entered the capital on Sunday. US troops are in charge at the airport, helping in the evacuation of embassy staff and other civilians. The US earlier said that it had evacuated all of its embassy staff to the airport. "I feel very scared here. They are firing lots of shots into the air," a witness told an international news agency. There are reports that US flights carrying diplomatic staff out of the country are being prioritised, causing anger and leading to more chaos and confusion. Meanwhile, the Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan was over after insurgents took control of the presidential palace in Kabul as US-led forces departed and Western nations scrambled on Monday to evacuate their citizens. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday as the Islamist militants entered the city, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed, while hundreds of Afghans desperate to leave flooded Kabul airport. "Today is a great day for the Afghan people and the mujahideen. They have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years," Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban`s political office, told Al Jazeera TV. "Thanks to God, the war is over in the country." It took the Taliban just over a week to seize control of the country after a lightning sweep that ended in Kabul as Afghan forces, trained for years and equipped by the United States and others at a cost of billions of dollars, melted away. Al Jazeera broadcast footage of what it said were Taliban commanders in the presidential palace with dozens of armed fighters. Naeem said the form of the new regime in Afghanistan would be made clear soon, adding the Taliban did not want to live in isolation and calling for peaceful international relations. "We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people," he said. "We will not allow anyone to use our lands to target anyone, and we do not want to harm others." Live TV Moscow: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani deserves to go on trial before the Afghan people for fleeing the country in the most disgraceful manner, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said on Monday in an interview with the Zvezda TV channel. According to Kabulov, Ghani "did not just leave Afghanistan, he fled, and in the most disgraceful manner, too. He is the man who addressed the Afghan people the day before yesterday, claiming that he was ready to take the last stand and sacrifice his life. And here is what really happened. His election raised questions, he misgoverned the country and eventually fled. This is all I can say about the man. He deserves to go on trial before the Afghan people", Tass reported. Ghani had earlier announced that he is stepping down to prevent bloodshed, and left the country as members of the Taliban entered Kabul on Sunday, meeting no resistance, and started to take control of government buildings and police stations abandoned by the government forces. The Taliban announced later that they had taken control of all the districts of the Afghan capital. Read more about Taliban here: Taliban's History Live TV New Delhi: The Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war. The insurgents stormed across the country, capturing all major cities in a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies melted away. The Taliban, a militant group that ran the country in the late 1990s, have again taken control. The US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 ousted the insurgents from power, but they never left. After they blitzed across the country in recent days, the Western-backed government that has run the country for 20 years collapsed. Afghans, fearing for the future, are racing to the airport, one of the last routes out of the country. They're worried that the country could descend into chaos or the Taliban could carry out revenge attacks against those who worked with the Americans or the government. Many also fear the Taliban will reimpose the harsh interpretation of Islamic law that they relied when they ran Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Back then, women were barred from attending school or working outside the home. They had to wear the all-encompassing burqa and be accompanied by a male relative whenever they went outside. The Taliban banned music, cut off the hands of thieves and stoned adulterers. The Taliban have sought to present themselves as a more moderate force in recent years and say they won't exact revenge, but many Afghans are sceptical of those promises. A report from Afghanistan in 2020 attracted the attention of the whole world. As per the report published in a private French magazine at that time, soldiers in Afghanistan were not getting a proper three-time meal. It further claimed that soldiers stationed in Kandahar province, a stronghold of the Taliban for years, got only 5 chapatis and a little vegetable in a day. However, the budget to be spent on the health of soldiers was millions of dollars on paper. Apart from food, Afghan soldiers were given worn-out shoes and old distressed uniforms, in which to which they used to cut severe cold. In September 2017, the commander of the Ghor province of Afghanistan, General Ziazideen, raised this issue and said that his soldiers were getting proper three-time meals since May 2017. But instead of giving the right amount of food to the soldiers, the government of Afghanistan got involved in its cover and the words of a commander like General Ziazideen were suppressed. When journalists present in Afghanistan investigated the news of the soldiers not getting proper food in Afghanistan, it was found that local contractors used to get food contracts on the basis of bribes or intimidation of army commanders. Contractors used to earn a lot of profit by giving low-quality and small portions of food to soldiers and divide the profit earned with the Army commanders. Nexus between army commanders and corrupt contractors was nothing new in Afghanistan. General Mohammad Naeem Ghayor, the military intelligence chief of western Afghanistan, was arrested and detained by the Afghan government in 2011 over an interview on corruption in the Afghan army. According to a report by the US Congress, in 2018, Afghanistan lost 10 per cent of its soldiers either due to accidents or those who left the job and ran away. The report also claimed that there were thousands of 'ghost soldiers' in Afghanistan who were only on paper, so to allot a huge sum on the budget of defence. In a situation where Afghan forces were not even provided proper meals by their commanders, one should not be surprised at their surrender to Taliban insurgents. Live TV New Delhi: The pictures coming from Afghanistan show one of the worst humanitarian crises the world has witnessed in this century. The Afghans are flooding the Kabul airport attempting to leave the country, while their leader, former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, fled has fled the country as the Taliban took over. The USs 20-year campaign in the country ended in the most humiliating manner. Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Monday (August 16) discussed the plight of innocent Afghans as the Taliban rose to power again and the cruel betrayal of the US that abandoned the people to a horrific fate. As the Taliban captured Kabul, thousands of people rushed to the airport to save their lives. Visuals show people clinging to an American Air Force plane as it took off to save themselves from the Taliban. Shortly after the plane took off, two people fell down from it and died. The Taliban have overrun the capital. They have reached the Parliament of Afghanistan. This is the same Parliament that was built by India. Ashraf Ghani, who has fled the country is likely to seek refuge in America. According to reports from Afghanistan, Ghani carried with himself four cars and loads of money. When the US entered Afghanistan, people hoped Afghanistan would be liberated from the tyranny of the Taliban. But what is happening today is the exact opposite of it. The origin of the Taliban can be traced back to the 1990s, when the Soviet Union, which controlled the Communist government in Afghanistan since 1979, began to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan. The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. There were only three countries in the world that recognised the Taliban government, namely Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UAE. That is why Pakistan is so happy with the return of the Taliban. On September 11, 2001, when the terrorist organization Al Qaeda attacked the World Trade Center of America, its chief Osama bin Laden operated from Afghanistan. That is the reason, why America turned against the Taliban, to whom it earlier used to support with both money and weapons to counter the Russians. The US started a war against the Taliban which lasted 20 years. But history repeated itself once again and America, like the Soviet Union, had to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan without achieving anything. America is being criticised for the present situation in Afghanistan as it conveniently pulled its soldiers back and left the people there to die. This is not the first time the US has done something like this. In the Korean War of 1950, when the Soviet Union and China supported the Communist forces of North Korea, America had announced the support of South Korea against it. America sent its army against Communist forces and this war lasted for about 3 years. In this, over 36,000 US soldiers were killed. America had spent about 400 Billion Dollars i.e. 29 lakh crores rupees, but it did not achieve anything from this war. America repeated the same mistake in Vietnam. It sent troops to Vietnam in 1965 to get Vietnam out of the civil war and to overthrow the Communist forces there. America fought the war in Vietnam for almost eight years in which about 60,000 of its soldiers were killed. It spent twice as much on this war as on the Korean War. This expenditure was about 850 Billion Dollars i.e. 64 lakh crores rupees. Even after wasting its thousands of soldiers and millions of crores of rupees, America did not get anything from the Vietnam war. The way America has airlifted its citizens in Kabul today is a stark reminder of the way it airlifted its intelligence agency CIA officers in Saigon back then. The American army was stationed in Afghanistan for 20 years and during this time it spent 910 Billion Dollars i.e. 68 lakh crore rupees. But despite this, it failed miserably. A pattern clearly emerges from all this. America starts a war by interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, but it never manages to take it to a meaningful conclusion. Instead, as soon as they realise they have nothing left to gain, they leave the country. This is exactly what is happening in Afghanistan right now. Read more about Taliban here: Taliban's History Live TV Kathmandu: In view of the ongoing historic developments in Afghanistan, Nepal Government on Sunday requested the international community to keep Nepali nationals living in Kabul, Afghanistan in safer place and help their repatriation home. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) issuing a statement urged Nepali nationals living in Afghanistan to get in contact with them. The government said an online registration has begun to collect details of people living in Afghanistan and has requested its nationals to register their name and provide other details on the website of the Department of Consular. Nepal has officially written letters to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan and United Nations to help the repatriation of Nepali nationals working in diplomatic missions and international organizations. In addition to this, the government has asked all the companies monitoring the hiring of Nepalis to send abroad for jobs to provide all details of the people in Afghanistan and facilitate their safe return home. Many Nepalis work as security guards in diplomatic missions in Afghanistan. Those seeking their safe home return, may contact Department of Consular Service on +977-9749326458 or MoFA on +977-974932659 on WhatsApp and Viber. This comes after Taliban took control of the presidential palace, soon after president Ashraf Ghani fled the country for Tajikistan. Taliban are set to declare Afghanistan as an Islamic Emirate soon, as per senior members of the insurgent group. The flag of the country will also be changed as a symbol of the Taliban takeover. After conquering Mazar-e-sharif and Jalalabad overnight, the Taliban turned towards capital Kabul. However, the group declared that it had no intention of taking over the city by force or violence and will wait for a 'peaceful transition of power' from the Afghan government. As soon as Ghani fled the country, the Taliban ordered its members to enter Kabul and take hold of all checkpoints abandoned by the Afghan forces. Saudi Arabia on Monday urged Taliban insurgents who seized Afghanistan's capital Kabul, completing a sweep across the country, to preserve lives, property and security as stipulated by "Islamic principles". "The kingdom stands with the choices that the Afghan people make without interference," the foreign ministry of Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, said in a statement issued by official media. "Based on the noble principles of Islam..., the kingdom of Saudi Arabia hopes that the Taliban movement and all Afghan parties will work to preserve security, stability, lives and property," It also voiced hope the situation would stabilise as soon as possible, as thousands of Afghans fearful of the Taliban thronged Kabul airport in desperate efforts to leave. Five people were killed in the chaos on Monday. Fellow Gulf state Qatar said it was seeking a peaceful transition in Afghanistan and was doing its utmost to help efforts to evacuate diplomats and foreign staff in international organizations from the country. Doha has hosted a Taliban office since 2013 for peace talks and has played a central role in trying to reach a political settlement in Afghanistan with the withdrawal of U.S. troops. "There is international concern about the fast pace of developments and Qatar is doing its utmost to bring a peaceful transition, especially after the vacuum that happened," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told a news conference in the Jordanian capital Amman. Bahrain, current chair of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, said on Monday it would initiate consultations with fellow Gulf Arab states regarding the situation in Afghanistan, state media reported. Live TV The advancement and eventual control of Taliban over Afghanistan, especially Kabul, has made many worried about the future. The citizens are not sure about what is going to happen to them in near future. Working women, including journalists, are also scared about their life. In a report, Reuters wrote: "In early July, as Taliban insurgents were seizing territory from government forces across Afghanistan, fighters from the group walked into the offices of Azizi Bank in the southern city of Kandahar and ordered nine women working there to leave. The gunmen escorted them to their homes and told them not to return to their jobs. Instead, they explained that male relatives could take their place, according to three of the women involved and the bank's manager." If this is how it is going to be then working women are in for tough times in the new government. There have been reports of women journalists receiving death threats from the Taliban. In a video earlier surfaced on social media, some Taliban members were seen painting the faces of women on advertisement boards. In the last 24 hours, our lives have changed and we have been confined to our homes, and death threatens us at every moment...We see silence filled with fear of the Taliban around us, says a woman journalist quoted by The Guardian. Live TV