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[
"Kevin Freking",
"Associated Press"
] |
2021-08-20 01:54:48+00:00
|
2021-08-19 19:53:07
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rep-am.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2F2021%2F08%2F19%2Fthree-senators-test-positive-for-covid-in-breakthrough-cases%2F.json
|
en
|
WASHINGTON (AP) – Three senators said Thursday they have tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, a high-profile collection of breakthrough cases that comes as the highly infectious delta variant spreads rapidly across the United States.
Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., all said they have tested positive for the virus. Almost every member of the Senate spent long hours together on the chamber’s floor last week in an all-night session of budget votes before leaving town for August recess.
King said he began feeling feverish Wednesday and took a COVID test at his doctor’s suggestion. “While I am not feeling great, I’m definitely feeling much better than I would have without the vaccine,” King said.
Wicker’s office said he tested positive for the virus Thursday morning.
“Senator Wicker is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, is in good health, and is being treated by his Tupelo-based physician,” a statement from his staff read. “He is isolating, and everyone with whom Senator Wicker has come in close contact recently has been notified.”
Hickenlooper announced his positive test a few hours later.
“I feel good but will isolate per docs instructions. I’m grateful for the vaccine (& the scientists behind it!) for limiting my symptoms,” Hickenlooper tweeted. “If you haven’t gotten your shot-get it today! And a booster when it’s available too!”
The breakthrough cases emerged the day after U.S. health officials announced plans to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to Americans. They said the shots are needed to shore up their protection against the delta variant amid signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is waning over time.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. had announced Aug. 2 that he had tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. “Sending best wishes for a speedy recovery to my good friends and colleagues,” he tweeted Thursday.
“If you have not already done so please #GetVaccinated,” Graham added.
Dozens of members of Congress have reported testing positive for COVID-19. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, 67, died from the disease early this year while Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, R-La., 41, died in December before being sworn into office.
|
www.rep-am.com
|
Three senators test positive for COVID in breakthrough cases
|
https://www.rep-am.com/news/national/2021/08/19/three-senators-test-positive-for-covid-in-breakthrough-cases/
|
||||||
[] |
2021-08-20 01:57:02+00:00
|
2021-08-20 00:00:00
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rep-am.com%2Fsports%2Fpro%2Fgolf%2F2021%2F08%2F19%2Folympic-champ-korda-shares-lead-at-womens-british-open%2F.json
|
en
|
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) – Nelly Korda’s sensational summer form is showing no sign of dipping.
Two weeks after winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the top-ranked Korda began her bid for a second major title in two months by shooting 5-under 67 to share the first-round lead at the Women’s British Open on Thursday.
Korda rolled in a 5-foot putt at No. 18 at Carnoustie for her eighth birdie of a round that also contained three bogeys in overcast, chilly but largely wind-free conditions over the links in eastern Scotland. She was later joined on 5 under by Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom, who has never recorded a top-10 finish at a major, and South Korea’s Sei Young Kim, a major champion last year and the No. 4.
The 23-year-old Korda is the new superstar of women’s golf, having climbed to No. 1 by winning the PGA Championship in June and followed that up by winning the Olympic golf tournament in Tokyo this month. The American has four wins in 14 events in 2021 and said she has a “target on my back” for the last of the five majors.
“I try to take the mindset of every day’s a new day,” said Korda, who is a combined 87 under par for her last 21 rounds. “It doesn’t matter what my ranking is. Everyone’s going into this event prepared and wanting to win.
“That’s kind of like the mindset that I try to take into every event.”
The Women’s Open is her first event since the Olympics and she carried the momentum to Carnoustie, holing a left-to-right 20-footer for birdie at No. 3 – the first of three birdies in a four-hole span to immediately throw down the challenge to her rivals.
Korda, who wore bulky, oven-style mitts between shots at times during chilly morning conditions that contrasted with what she experienced in Tokyo, rebounded from her second bogey of the day, at No. 12, by making a downhill putt for birdie at the next and picked up another shot at the par-5 14th after reaching the green in two.
She finished birdie-birdie by hitting her approach close at No. 18 with an 8-iron from the center of the fairway.
“Very happy,” Korda said of her start. “Honestly, we didn’t have much wind today. It was very chilly in the morning – that was the only thing against us. Other than that, the wind kept calm and I took advantage of it.”
Korda has been on the road for six weeks, because of her appearances at the Evian Championship in France – the fourth major of the year, where she placed 19th – and then the Olympics, where she had a one-shot victory.
“A little tired but I am going to give it my all these next three day, go home next week, and have one week at home. Sleep in my bed for the first time in six weeks – that will be nice,” she said. “And then Solheim and we start up again.”
The 77th-ranked Sagstrom was playing in a group containing European Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew, just behind Korda, and will have left a positive impression ahead of the naming of the six wild-card selections on Monday.
She birdied four of her first six holes and twice held a two-shot lead on her back nine. She kept her round going with some decisive par putts but couldn’t do so at No. 18 after finding a bunker to the right of the fairway off the tee. She hit out to leave herself a tough up-and-down for par, but leaked her par putt right.
“Of course I want to show off my game to her, I can’t deny that,” Sagstrom said of Matthew. “I mean, I’m playing well at the moment. Who knows where her mind is at right now?”
Kim is in the mix at another major having won one for the first time at the PGA Championship last year. She also finished third at the ANA Inspiration in April.
Her only dropped shot was at the par-4 15th, which she reached in the lead after making birdie at No. 14 to move to 6 under.
Georgia Hall of England, the 2018 champion, bogeyed the last to drop out of the lead and to 4 under alongside an unheralded playing partner in 21-year-old Scottish amateur Louise Duncan, who goes to Stirling University in Scotland.
“It was a ridiculous amount of fun, I wasn’t expecting that at all,” said Duncan, who made an eagle and four birdies. “I was so nervous at the start. I was shaking and could barely put the ball on the tee. To actually make contact and it go straight was a bonus.”
Former major champion Lexi Thompson was in a group at 3 under, while defending champion Sophia Popov chipped in for birdie at No. 1 on her way to shooting even-par 72.
—
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
|
www.rep-am.com
|
Olympic champ Korda shares lead at Women’s British Open
|
https://www.rep-am.com/sports/pro/golf/2021/08/19/olympic-champ-korda-shares-lead-at-womens-british-open/
|
||||||
[
"Mark Garrison",
"Emilie Schäfferling",
"Jessi Lewis",
"Star Online",
"Anthony Venn-Brown",
"Emilio Lanera",
"Linc Jenkin",
"Aaron Little",
"Jamie Apps",
"Simon Ruth"
] |
2021-08-20 01:44:31+00:00
|
2021-08-19 23:26:18
|
We’re overjoyed, said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and husband Chasten as they announced that they are now parents.
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.starobserver.com.au%2Fnews%2Fpete-buttigieg-and-husband-chasten-have-become-parents%2F205221.json
|
en
|
—
He may not answer to ‘Commander-in-Chief,’ but now Pete Buttigieg, who made headlines as the first Out LGBTQI+ person to enter the US Presidential race, has a new job title – ‘Daddy.’
Buttigieg, 39, and his husband Chasten, 32, an author and former teacher, announced on their respective social media accounts that they have become parents.
Buttigieg, who was appointed as Secretary of Transportation by President Joe Biden on February 2, is the first out LGBTQI+ Cabinet member in US history to be confirmed by the Senate. Prior to running for president, Buttigieg served as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana from 2012 to 2020.
“For some time Chasten and I have wanted to grow our family. We’re overjoyed to share that we’ve become parents! The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us. We can’t wait to share more soon,” the couple posted.
Congratulations to you and @Chasten! Welcome to parenthood!💕 https://t.co/PeikDATTF4 — Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) August 17, 2021
First Lady Jill Biden sent her congratulations to the couple tweeting, “Congratulations to you and Chasten. Welcome to parenthood!”
Couple Met On A Dating App
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chasten Glezman Buttigieg (@chasten.buttigieg)
The couple, who met on the dating app Hinge in 2015, just months after Buttigeig came out as a gay man, have been married since June 2018. Pete Buttigieg admitted to the New York Times that,“there were fireworks on our first date. It was kind of ridiculous, I know, but I was hooked.”
In his new book, I Have Something to Tell You, Chasten writes that on his first date with Buttigieg he “put it all out there. Although I was used to being forthright on first dates, I was sick of going on them,” Chasten recalled. “I described some of my bad dates, I said I wanted kids and marriage…”
Josh Groban, Mary Steenburgen, Mandy Moore and Billy Eichner were amongst the other celebrity well-wishers, while the Human Rights Campaign, tweeted “We are excited to watch your family grow and we wish you the very best on the journey of parenthood!”
Sarah Kate Ellis, the President and CEO of GLAAD tweeted, “Congratulations @PeteButtigieg and @Chasten! You’ll be amazing parents and I am so thrilled for you.”
Trying to Adopt For A Year
In a July 2021 interview with the Washington Post, Chasten Buttigieg said that the couple had been trying to adopt for a year and that the process brought with it “a really weird cycle of anger and frustration and hope. You think it’s finally happening and you get so excited and then it’s gone.”
The couple had been “on lists that would allow them to receive a baby that had been abandoned or surrendered at very little notice, and through lengthier processes that would allow a mother to choose them in advance (although she wouldn’t know their identities).”
The couple discussed their desire to have children with People, in September 2020, with Pete Buttigieg telling the magazine “We have a lot of friends who’ve had families in very different ways. So we’ve just been having great conversations with our friends about how they figured it out, and we’ll go from there. We’re just really excited and overwhelmed I think.”
|
www.starobserver.com.au
|
Pete Buttigieg And Husband Chasten Have Become Parents
|
https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/pete-buttigieg-and-husband-chasten-have-become-parents/205221
|
|||||
[
"Avnetwork Staff",
"Av Network"
] |
2021-08-20 01:50:08+00:00
|
2021-08-19 18:22:38
|
Panasonic is adding the AW-HE145 full-HD integrated pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera to its professional PTZ camera line-up.
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.avnetwork.com%2Fnews%2Fnew-hd-pan-tilt-zoom-model-joins-panasonic-ptz-line.json
|
en
|
The What: Panasonic is adding the AW-HE145 full-HD integrated pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera to its professional PTZ camera line-up. This camera delivers broadcast-quality images, with flexible operation and compatibility with an array of Panasonic software solutions including the PTZ Control Center and AI-driven Auto Tracking.
The What Else: Optimal for capturing content in low-light situations, the HE145 is equipped with a large one-inch MOS sensor and optical 20x zoom to achieve superb high sensitivity (F9/2000) shooting even in dark scenes. The new camera delivers smooth "on-air" moves and supports HDR for capturing images with a high dynamic range. The camera's 75.1-degree horizontal wide angle lens--one of the widest in its class--allows production staff to capture full shots in large spaces, including theaters, stadiums, lecture and symphony halls, and sanctuaries, and is invaluable for studios with limited spaces.
For video streaming applications, the HE145 supports RTMP to allow direct upload of video to live-streaming services such as YouTube and Facebook Live. In addition, Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) is supported to maintain stability while transmitting high-quality video, even on unstable networks. Outputs include 3G-SDI, HDMI and IP for the flexibility to integrate with a variety of workflow infrastructures.
The Bottom Line: The HE145 is supported by Panasonic's comprehensive PTZ camera ecosystem, which includes a wide range of software solutions, advanced robotic and prompter systems, and camera controllers.
|
www.avnetwork.com
|
New HD Pan-Tilt Zoom Model Joins Panasonic PTZ Line
|
https://www.avnetwork.com/news/new-hd-pan-tilt-zoom-model-joins-panasonic-ptz-line
|
|||||
[
"Avnetwork Staff",
"Av Network"
] |
2021-08-20 01:50:14+00:00
|
2021-08-19 19:07:16
|
Sennheiser is unveiling two major updates as part of its ongoing commitment to making digital workflows on campus as simple and productive as possible.
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.avnetwork.com%2Fnews%2Fsennheiser-updates-network-charger-control-cockpit-software.json
|
en
|
The What: Sennheiser is unveiling two major updates as part of its ongoing commitment to making digital workflows on campus as simple and productive as possible. With the new CHG 2N charger, the company meets the requests of higher education institutions for a two-bay networkable charger for its SpeechLine Digital Wireless microphone system. The company has also launched a major update of its Sennheiser Control Cockpit software, making remote management of Sennheiser audio devices even easier. Version 5.0 not only allows AV and IT staff to control the new charger but for the first time also enables them to monitor the status of the MobileConnect Manager, linking this assistive listening system with the microphone systems in Sennheiser's education portfolio.
The What Else: The new CHG 2N is a two-bay version of the SpeechLine CHG 4N four-bay charger. Like its big brother, the CHG 2N is network-enabled and features individual bays for recharging SpeechLine bodypack and handheld microphones. Each bay has four LEDs to indicate the battery charging status. The flexible network interface provides IPv4 and IPv6 compatibility for seamless integration. All settings and battery status information can be monitored and remotely controlled using the latest version of Sennheiser Control Cockpit.
Whether AV and IT staff remotely manage just a few rooms or the entire campus, Sennheiser Control Cockpit will ensure a convenient and efficient experience. For the first time, version 5.0 now links to the MobileConnect Manager, enabling operators to monitor both microphone and assistive listening systems from one software, and allowing them to receive status notification via text or e-mail.
The Bottom Line: Sennheiser's CHG 2N two-bay network charger for SpeechLine Digital Wireless transmitters benefits education institutions that require smaller setups in their seminar rooms and lecture halls. The latest Sennheiser Control Cockpit software version enables monitoring and control of the new CHG 2N network charger for SpeechLine Digital Wireless and integrates the MobileConnect Manager.
|
www.avnetwork.com
|
Sennheiser Updates Network Charger, Control Cockpit Software
|
https://www.avnetwork.com/news/sennheiser-updates-network-charger-control-cockpit-software
|
|||||
[
"Avnetwork Staff",
"Av Network"
] |
2021-08-20 01:49:50+00:00
|
2021-08-19 18:42:16
|
The TASCAM CA-XLR2d professional audio XLR microphone adapter for mirrorless cameras represents a collaboration between TEAC Corporation working independently with Canon Inc., FUJIFILM Corporation and Nikon Corporation.
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.avnetwork.com%2Fnews%2Fcollaborative-effort-yields-tascam-xlr-audio-adapter.json
|
en
|
The What: TEAC Corporation is announcing the development of the TASCAM CA-XLR2d professional audio XLR microphone adapter for mirrorless cameras. This product is targeted for worldwide release by the end of 2021.
The CA-XLR2d lineup is a collaboration between TEAC Corporation working independently with Canon Inc., FUJIFILM Corporation and Nikon Corporation.
The What Else: Since mirrorless cameras typically used for high quality video shooting do not accommodate a XLR input for professional microphones or a high-quality preamplifier, there are very limited options to upgrade your audio quality within the capability of camera itself.
To solve this issue, the CA-XLR2d was planned as a XLR input expansion adapter for mirrorless cameras that enables filmmakers and videographers to capture high quality audio directly into cameras. The result is the audio from the XLR input is directly recorded into the camera along with the video. Filmmakers and videographers no longer need extra time to synchronize audio and movie when editing.
With a digitized accessory shoe from Canon and hot shoe from Fujifilm, the built-in high performance AD converter will enable filmmakers to transfer crystal clear digitalized audio directly into cameras without any audio degradation.
The Bottom Line: CA-XLR2d is anideal solution to meet the needs of professional users who demand the best audio quality to amateur users who are discovering a higher level of audio quality as part of video content.
|
www.avnetwork.com
|
Collaborative Effort Yields TASCAM XLR Audio Adapter
|
https://www.avnetwork.com/news/collaborative-effort-yields-tascam-xlr-audio-adapter
|
|||||
[
"Avnetwork Staff",
"Av Network"
] |
2021-08-20 01:49:44+00:00
|
2021-08-19 17:25:30
|
ClearOne's free COLLABORATE Space messaging and videoconferencing app now allows users to register their account using a mobile phone number.
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.avnetwork.com%2Fnews%2Fclearone-collaborate-now-mobile-phone-friendly.json
|
en
|
The What: ClearOne's free COLLABORATE Space messaging and videoconferencing app now allows users to register their account using a mobile phone number, enabling users to find each other more easily and start collaborating. iOS and Android users can now launch into world-class video conferencing, presentation sharing and messaging services using the searchable ID of their choice, or choose to make both their email and phone number searchable within the app.
The What Else: The app's new mobile phone number options offer similar functionality to Whatsapp, Telegram and Signal, with a stronger focus on professional-quality video chats and collaboration tools. That's because ClearOne's COLLABORATE Space is a multi-purpose collaboration platform that delivers a full suite of audio, video conferencing, web conferencing and meeting tools in a consistent interface, whether it's being used in the app, through a mobile browser or on a PC.
COLLABORATE Space comes with everything needed to stay connected with family, friends, and coworkers for one-on-one or group chats, including online meetings, including messaging, integrated file sharing, whiteboarding, annotation, meeting minutes, scheduling, session recording and a post-meeting summary of attendance and duration of each attendee.
Users who connect both a phone number and email address can sign in using either identification and can set the app to allow search results using email, phone number or both. The app also now allows users to forward a message to another user and reply to messages from prior meetings and conversations.
The Bottom Line: The free version of COLLABORATE Space allows up to 10 participants to meet for an unlimited amount of time and includes Instant Messaging, Screen Desktop Sharing and a CO2 savings report. The COLLABORATE Space lifetime subscription with unlimited meeting time is free to everyone and is not tied to any other ClearOne purchase.
|
www.avnetwork.com
|
ClearOne COLLABORATE Now Mobile Phone Friendly
|
https://www.avnetwork.com/news/clearone-collaborate-now-mobile-phone-friendly
|
|||||
[
"Avnetwork Staff",
"Av Network"
] |
2021-08-20 01:50:02+00:00
|
2021-08-19 17:43:02
|
Electro-Voice is expanding its portfolio of sound solutions for stadiums and sports venues with the new MTS series of full-range, high-output, long-throw, point-source loudspeaker systems.
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.avnetwork.com%2Fnews%2Felectro-voice-targets-large-venues-with-mts-series.json
|
en
|
The What: Electro-Voice is expanding its portfolio of sound solutions for stadiums and sports venues with the global introduction of the MTS series of full-range, high-output, long-throw, point-source loudspeaker systems. Each MTS model is equipped with four 15-inch woofers and dual coaxial mid/high frequency compression drivers. The system is capable of generating more than 151 dB peak SPL with exact directivity for very-long-throw applications.
The What Else: The MTS series includes 16 unique models. These are based on two standard three-way configurations (MTS-4153) with 60 degrees x 40 degrees or 40 degrees x 30 degrees coverage, and two cardioid configurations (MTS-6154) that provide the same coverage patterns with enhanced low-frequency directional control. The 60 degrees x 40 degrees models can deliver extremely high SPLs: 151 dB peak (music) and 154 dB peak (speech) down to 55 Hz at -10 dB; the 40 x 30 models are capable of 152 dB peak (music) and 155 dB peak (speech) down to 50 Hz at -10 dB. All MTS loudspeakers have an IP55 rating, indicating that they are highly impervious to dust and water ingress.
The MTS series leverages EV's engineering resources as part of the Bosch Group. The loudspeakers were designed using exclusive High-Performance Computing (HPC) clusters, running proprietary modeling software designed by EV engineers. The engineering team iterated hundreds of FEA simulations to achieve ideal system performance. This work led to new EV technologies, including the dual lossless Hydra waveform converter that that drives a large constant directivity waveguide with a coherent arc source, ensuring pattern control to below 350 Hz.
The Bottom Line: MTS is engineered for use with amplification and processing from Dynacord as part of a SONICUE-driven hardware/software ecosystem. Proprietary speaker settings and limiter functions ensure exceptional performance with long-term reliability at extremely high output levels. A complete package of design files is provided for advanced acoustical and mechanical system simulation in venues. MTS design files are available now for project planning. MTS begins shipping in Q4 2021.
|
www.avnetwork.com
|
Electro-Voice Targets Large Venues With MTS Series
|
https://www.avnetwork.com/news/electro-voice-targets-large-venues-with-mts-series
|
|||||
[
"Avnetwork Staff"
] |
2021-08-20 01:49:56+00:00
|
2021-08-19 18:03:48
|
DVIGear is introducing the model DVI-7570 Wildcat, the first in a new family of HDMI extenders.
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.avnetwork.com%2Fnews%2Fdvigear-launches-wildcat-4k-hdmi-extenders.json
|
en
|
The What: DVIGear is introducing the model DVI-7570 Wildcat, the first in a new family of HDMI extenders that delivers high performance at a low price point.
The What Else: DVIGear Wildcat Extenders utilize new technology that enables them to extend HDMI signals for a fraction of the cost of other twisted pair extenders. This is achieved using visually lossless compression that allows resolutions of 3840 x 2160 /60p (4:4:4) to be extended as far as 30 meters (98 feet) over a single CAT6A cable. Resolutions up to 3840 x 2160 /30p (4:4:4) can be extended to 70 meters (230 feet)
The DVI-7570 supports HDMI 2.0, is HDCP 2.2 compliant and supports bi-directional Power-over-Cable (POC), giving integrators and system designers the flexibility to power the extender set at either end of the signal chain. The extenders occupy a minimal amount of space and can easily be concealed thanks to an ultra-compact metal case, which includes all required mounting hardware for a seamless, low-profile installation.
The Wildcat Extender includes a buffered HDMI Loop Output for a local HDMI display on the transmitter unit. The receiver unit includes de-embedded Analog and Digital (TOSLINK) audio outputs to facilitate connections to an external audio system.
The Bottom Line: All these features, together with the Wildcat Extender's outstanding performance and price, make it an ideal solution for cost-sensitive applications that demand high quality HDMI signal distribution.
|
www.avnetwork.com
|
DVIGear Launches Wildcat 4K HDMI Extenders
|
https://www.avnetwork.com/news/dvigear-launches-wildcat-4k-hdmi-extenders
|
|||||
[
"Emily Feng Is Npr'S Beijing Correspondent."
] |
2021-08-20 01:48:51+00:00
|
2021-08-13 12:22:38
|
A woman's account of her alleged rape by her manager at the Chinese tech company has gone viral, spurring conversations across the country about sexual abuse in the workplace.
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wypr.org%2F2021-08-13%2Frape-accusations-at-alibaba-bring-chinas-metoo-movement-back-into-the-spotlight.json
|
https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/24e7b16/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1742x915+0+196/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F08%2F12%2Fgettyimages-1311783270-5468accf1e3b65d2ce1e44964d48e8b035dcb6ab.jpg
|
en
|
Updated August 18, 2021 at 11:47 AM ET
BEIJING – The client dinner in July began like any other: with copious amounts of alcohol and no other women present.
"Look how good I am to you," the female employee later recalled her male manager telling their clients when she arrived at the meal. "I brought you a beautiful girl," she remembered him saying.
She says the last thing she remembered that night was crying while her manager lay on top of her.
The woman's account is part of an 11-page essay uploaded Aug. 7 onto the internal message board of the powerful Chinese tech company Alibaba, where both she and her manager worked. The document was published internally and included the name of her manager and other executives.
Jinan city police said in a statement that they believe the woman was "sexually abused" by her Alibaba manager and a company client at a company dinner.
But the police said that despite their believe that she had been groped, there was no evidence the manager had raped the woman, as she had accused him of doing in a viral online essay published last week.
Jinan city police said in a statement that they believe the woman was "sexually abused" by her Alibaba manager and a company client at a company dinner.
But the police said that despite their belief that she had been groped, there was no evidence the manager had raped the woman, as she had accused him of doing in a viral online essay published last week. Nor did they find evidence to support her claim that she had been forced to go on the work trip and then forced to drink at the company dinner.
Police do say security footage shows the manager entered the woman's hotel room multiple times and molested her. The next morning, the police say the manager entered the room with a box of condoms, which remained unopened. When he left, he took a pair of her underwear.
The woman's story and her allegations of sexual assault within one of China's most powerful private companies have incited a firestorm of public anger that has injected new life into the country's #MeToo movement, which has fizzled in recent years.
More than 6,000 Alibaba employees joined an online group over the weekend calling for justice for the victim, and her story has been one of the most-discussed topics on the Chinese social media account Weibo this week.
The essay painfully highlights a pervasive culture of excessive drinking and skewed gender expectations that still permeate China's corporate culture – and that critics say enable sexual assault.
"This kind of drinking culture is extremely common and encourages all sorts of behavior that crosses boundaries and disrespects women," says Lü Pin, a Chinese feminist, activist and writer.
Alibaba, which has more than 250,000 full-time employees, said it has fired the woman's manager; two other senior employees have resigned after being accused of failing to address the woman's allegations.
"We will do everything we can to take care of her," Daniel Zhang, Alibaba's chief executive, wrote in a company-wide memo on Monday, two days after the woman shared her account.
China's latest #MeToo case comes days after the country's arguably most famous pop star, Canadian-Chinese singer Kris Wu, was detained by Beijing police for allegedly sexually assaulting underage women.
Wu, 30, had been accused by an 18-year-old student of pressuring her and other women into having sex with him.
While Chinese women have gained much greater independence and recognition in society over the last four decades, gender discrimination remains, particularly in the workplace. Job recruitment websites routinely post advertisements with standard phrases such as "men only" and "male candidates preferred." Interview questions probing a female applicant's relationship status and plans to have children are not considered a faux pas but rather expected.
Those brave enough to publicize experiences of sexual harassment or discrimination must be prepared to face brutal trolling campaigns on the internet. They also must contend with employers who face fewer legal risks by ignoring complaints of sexual wrongdoing than they do for firing the accuser.
Meanwhile, survivors who speak out become vulnerable to defamation suits. For example, in 2018, Zhou Xiaoxuan, a former reporter for state broadcaster CCTV, became the poster child for China's then-burgeoning #MeToo movement when she wrote an essay accusing a male anchor, Zhu Jun, of sexually harassing her when she was an intern at the network. Zhu, who has denied these allegations, quickly sued Zhou for defamation, plunging her into nearly three years of legal battles. The case is ongoing.
"China's civil code says employers have a duty to prevent, investigate and respond to sexual misconduct in the workplace, but it does not say what, if any, [legal] liability employers face for failing to meet their duty," says Darius Longarino, senior fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center.
Regarding their investigation of the case, the police in Jinan, the city in eastern China where the alleged sexual assault incident took place, said in a statement that confirming certain details would be "difficult" because they occurred in the "secret space" of a closed hotel room.
The woman says her ordeal began when her manager pressured her into taking a business trip from the city of Hangzhou, where Alibaba's headquarters are located, to Jinan. She says at dinner she felt obligated to accept the alcohol forced on her in the presence of clients and colleagues.
"I could not refuse, I would not refuse," she wrote. Quickly, she became unconscious.
The next day, she says she woke up naked in her hotel room. She says the room was in disarray, and her underwear was missing. On the nightstand was a used condom, she says.
She alleges that hotel security footage reviewed by the police the next day showed her former Alibaba manager dragging her into her hotel, requesting a copy of her room card and letting himself into her room.
Back at work, the woman says her manager pretended nothing had happened. The woman approached two other managers to report the incident, but they refused to fire the alleged perpetrator. She alleges that one manager told her: "Our work is very important. Why should such a small incident derail something so important?" Both have since resigned.
She says the experience plunged her into such emotional turmoil that she began to self-harm. "I thought about those disgusting people doing those disgusting things to me, and I really felt like I could not live anymore," she wrote.
The woman says she attempted to share her story in work chat groups, but her messages were quickly deleted. Frustrated, she brought a loudspeaker to the Alibaba canteen, hoping to broadcast her allegations to other employees – only to be quickly surrounded by dozens of office security guards. Furious, she began writing an essay describing her experience that has now gone viral.
"I have been calm for too long," the woman wrote. "I trusted all of you, but what have you done for me?"
Alibaba says it is now crafting an anti-sexual assault policy and designing a safe channel for employees to report such cases — systems the company did not previously have in place.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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Rape Accusations At Alibaba Bring China's #MeToo Movement Back Into The Spotlight
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[
"Boballyn Is A Business Reporter At Npr Based In San Francisco. He Covers Technology",
"How Silicon Valley'S Largest Companies Are Transforming How We Live",
"Reshaping Society."
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2021-08-20 01:49:22+00:00
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2021-08-18 10:01:00
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Sens. Amy Klobuchar D-Minn., and John Thune, R-SD., said they are alarmed by TikTok's recent changes to its privacy policies that automatically collect biometric data of its users.
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TikTok has quietly expanded how much information it will collect from its more than 100 million users in the U.S. to include "faceprints and voiceprints."
In response, a bipartisan duo of senators are asking TikTok to open up about what exactly that means.
In a newly released letter to Shou Zi Chew, TikTok's CEO, Sens. Amy Klobuchar D-Minn., and John Thune, R-SD., wrote they were "alarmed" by TikTok's recent changes to its privacy policies that allow for the automatic collection of user biometric data, including physical and behavioral characteristics.
Klobuchar and Thune, who sent the letter on Aug. 9, are giving TikTok until next week to respond to number of questions. Among them, what constitutes a "faceprint" and a "voiceprint" and whether the data is being shared with third parties.
In addition, the lawmakers are asking the makers of the popular video app if any data is gathered for users under the age of 18.
The U.S. does not have a federal law regulating the tracking of biometric data by technology companies, but a handful of states, including Illinois, California, Washington and Texas, have passed privacy laws aimed at safeguarding the collection of biometric information.
TikTok, the most-downloaded app in the U.S., is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese tech giant.
A TikTok spokesperson did not return a request from NPR for comment.
TikTok's data-collection practices have come under scrutiny in the past.
Earlier this year, TikTok paid $92 million to settle dozens of lawsuits that accused the app of harvesting personal data from users, including information using facial recognition technology, without user consent. That data, the lawsuits claimed, was tracked and sold to advertisers in violation of state and federal law.
In 2019, TikTok was fined nearly $6 million by the Federal Trade Commission for running afoul of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires apps to receive parental permission before collecting a minor's data.
The Trump administration sought to put TikTok out of business in the U.S., an effort that was blocked by federal courts. That push to ban the app was abandoned by the Biden administration in June.
But Biden ordered the Commerce Department to conduct a national security review of apps that have links to foreign adversaries, like China, including TikTok. That process is underway.
China's government invests in TikTok owner
There are calls from lawmakers for Biden to take a tougher stance against TikTok, including from Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who on Tuesday urged Biden to ban the app in the U.S. after China took an ownership stake in a subsidiary of ByteDance, TikTok's Beijing-based parent company.
The Chinese government's 1 percent stake in Beijing ByteDance Technology, and one out of three seats on its board, led to Rubio releasing a statement calling on Biden to immediately block Americans' access to TikTok.
"Beijing's aggressiveness makes clear that the regime sees TikTok as an extension of the party-state, and the U.S. needs to treat it that way," Rubio said in a statement. "We must also establish a framework of standards that must be met before a high-risk, foreign-based app is allowed to operate on American telecommunications networks and devices."
The investment by the Chinese government will not give authorities there any shares of main ByteDance, or TikTok, which is not available in China. But it does give Chinese officials an investment in Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
TikTok has long maintained there is a firewall between its headquarters in Culver City, Calif. and its corporate owner ByteDance. Company officials say American user data is not stored in China. Beijing-based ByteDance employees do not have access to U.S. user data, company officials insist.
"To date, there has never been a request from the Chinese government for TikTok user data," Roland Cloutier, TikTok's global chief security officer, said in a sworn statement. "And we would not provide any data if we did receive such a request."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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Senators Demand TikTok Reveal How It Plans To Collect Voice And Face Data
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Ghani said on Sunday that he had left the country to avoid further bloodshed.
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Updated August 18, 2021 at 12:12 PM ET
Ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is now in the United Arab Emirates, the country confirmed in a brief statement on Wednesday.
"The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can confirm that the UAE has welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds," it wrote.
Ghani left Afghanistan over the weekend as Taliban forces advanced on the capital of Kabul, prompting much speculation about his whereabouts. In his first public comments on Sunday, he said he had left the country to avoid further bloodshed.
Journalist George Packer profiled Ghani for The New Yorker in 2016 and spoke to NPR about his governing style over the weekend. Listen to that here.
This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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The United Arab Emirates Is Sheltering Afghanistan's Ousted President, Ashraf Ghani
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[
"Joe Hernandez"
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Tangtang Zhao, 34, allegedly sold 125 authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination cards to 11 buyers in March and April.
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A Chicago pharmacist has been charged with stealing official COVID-19 vaccination cards and selling them on eBay for roughly $10 each, federal prosecutors say.
Tangtang Zhao, 34, allegedly sold 125 authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination cards to 11 buyers in March and April.
Zhao was indicted on 12 counts of theft of government property.
"We take seriously, and will vigorously investigate, any criminal offense that contributes to the distrust around vaccines and vaccination status," Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in a statement.
"The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the American people from these offenses during this national emergency," he added.
A black market for blank vaccine cards has cropped up online in recent months, but federal officials say it is illegal to use one if you are unvaccinated. People who receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which is free, are issued a vaccine card.
According to court documents, Zhao worked as a licensed pharmacist for a pharmacy identified only as Company 1, which has locations across the country. Company 1 administered COVID-19 vaccines and issued vaccine cards to the recipients.
"Knowingly selling COVID vaccination cards to unvaccinated individuals puts millions of Americans at risk of serious injury or death," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. from the Chicago field office.
Each count of theft of government property carries a potential maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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A Pharmacist Is Charged With Selling COVID-19 Vaccine Cards For $10 On eBay
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[
"Ron Elving Is Senior Editor",
"Correspondent On The Washington Desk For Npr News",
"Where He Is Frequently Heard As A News Analyst",
"Writes Regularly For Npr.Org."
] |
2021-08-20 01:49:40+00:00
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The last four U.S. presidents have found themselves mired in Afghanistan. The last two saw the war as an unwanted inheritance and an albatross, and they were determined to end the American role.
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In Afghanistan the world is witnessing disastrous consequences associated with a rare area of agreement between President Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump.
Both presidents saw the 20-year war in the remote and rugged country as an unwelcome inheritance and an albatross. For Trump it was the prime example of the "forever wars" he promised to end, a salient promise of his "America First" campaign. Frustrated in his initial efforts to truncate the U.S. mission, Trump finally bypassed the Afghan government to negotiate directly with the Taliban. The deal with them that he signed on Feb. 29, 2020 promised to pull all U.S. troops out by May 1, 2021.
Biden did not reverse this course when he took office, although he did push back the pull-out to September. He wanted more time to remove U.S. forces and, if necessary, evacuate U.S. civilians as well as Afghan interpreters and others who helped the U.S. war effort. He was advised he would have a period of weeks or months to do this after September.
It turned out, the Taliban had a schedule of their own.
It also turned out that the Afghan army the U.S. built, trained and equipped had been largely abandoned by its own government. Reportedly left without food and other supplies, much of the army simply ceded the battlefield to the Taliban, first in the hinterlands, then in the towns, then in the cities. There seemed to be little loyalty to the elected Afghan government, whose leader Ashraf Ghani fled the country before the Taliban entered the capital and took over his palace.
So when we thought we had months to get out, we had weeks. When we thought we had weeks, we had days. When we thought we still had a few days, we had hours.
The Taliban did not fight their way into Kabul; they drove in. There were commuters in American cities who found it harder driving in to work the next day.
It seems no one foresaw all this happening this fast.
But someone has to deal with the general failure. Someone has to cope with the hundreds of Americans and international workers still in Afghanistan who want to go their home countries — and untold thousands of Afghans who want to leave theirs.
Javed Tanveer / AFP via Getty Images Taliban fighters stand guard at an entrance gate outside the Interior Ministry in Kabul on Tuesday.
Biden's "America First" moment?
Biden stood up on Monday and said "the buck stops here." But he made clear he thought that buck had been passed to him by plenty of other people. He acknowledged that the U.S. footprint was now confined to the Hamid Karzai International Airport. He seemed stunned by the scenes of chaos there, the tarmac awash with would-be refugees, some so desperate they clung to an aircraft as it took off.
Yet Biden remained adamant about getting out of Afghanistan, even given the catastrophe on view on screens the world over.
Four presidents over two decades have found themselves mired in Afghanistan, wondering when they might get out. Biden grasped the nettle like no other. And he may well face the political consequences each of his predecessors managed to sidestep.
President George W. Bush first sent troops to overthrow the Taliban then in power after they had harbored al-Qaida prior to the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Thereafter, his attention turned to invading Iraq and a larger struggle there. But he kept enough troops in Afghanistan to keep the lid on and move toward building an indigenous army and democracy (while denying it was "nation building").
Elected in 2008, Barack Obama surged the U.S. fighting force to more than 90,000 in his first term, then drew it down aggressively after winning his second. Biden, his vice president, was opposed to the build-up and favored the drawdown.
Neither Bush nor Obama wanted "Who lost Afghanistan?" questions to haunt their own reelection prospects. And indeed, they did not.
Trump's turn to the Taliban
Trump, by contrast, seemed more anxious about voters asking why the U.S. had not left Afghanistan.
In his 2020 book The Room Where It Happened, John Bolton, Trump's national security adviser in 2018 and 2019, depicts Trump as determined to deal with the Taliban. He recalls Trump trying to bring Taliban leaders to Camp David for negotiations in September 2019, eventually dropping that plan, and then reviving its outline in what became the Feb. 29, 2020 agreement.
"This deal is entirely Trump's," Bolton wrote of that agreement. "Time will tell who is right, and the full effects of the deal may not become apparent until after Trump leaves office. But there should be no mistaking this reality: Trump will be responsible for the consequences, politically and militarily."
Bolton, long known as a hardliner in previous Republican administrations, has since expressed his scorn for Biden's policy and Trump's, in the wake of events in Kabul.
H.R. McMaster, a retired Army general who preceded Bolton as national security adviser, has also linked the Trump and Biden approaches to Afghanistan. He told a Wilson Center interviewer on Aug. 12 that a "sound strategy" he helped devise for Afghanistan in 2017 had been "abandoned" in "capitulation negotiations conducted under Ambassador [Zalmay] Khalilzad" — Trump's special envoy to Afghanistan who was retained in that role by the Biden administration.
So intense was Trump's intention to withdraw that he persisted even after the 2020 election. According to a report published by Axios in May, Trump signed a memo in November that would have withdrawn all U.S. troops by mid-January (just five days before his term was to end). His top national security team, civilian and military, persuaded him not to issue the order but to leave the withdrawal date at May 1.
Trump has since said none of the current mayhem in Kabul would be happening if he were still president. Researchers will need to ascertain how many exit visas for Afghans had already been arranged before Trump left office, or what sort of procedures he might have had in place for Americans and Afghans wishing to leave. But lacking such evidence, and given Trump's timetable and concessions made to the Taliban, it is easier to imagine the current situation happening that much sooner.
Trump in fact had complained at his June 26 rally in Ohio that the Biden administration was dragging its feet and ought to get out faster.
Fumbling at the goal line?
There is a case to be made that Biden is less responsible for this fiasco than any of the previous three presidents. But he is the one who fumbled at the goal line, as it were, at the crucial moment of the game from the perspective of media and politics.
While an Economist/YouGov poll this June found only 1 American in 5 opposed to the U.S. withdrawing from Afghanistan, a Morning Consult survey that followed the fall of Kabul found a plurality of 45% opposed to withdrawal if it meant a Taliban takeover.
It can also be said that by the time Biden was carrying the ball, it was more like being left holding the bag.
"I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan — two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth," he said. "It is time for American troops to come home."
Biden made that statement on April 14, with Trump's May 1 deadline looming. He repeated the vow about passing the responsibility in his speech on Monday.
There was in that "time to come home" phrase a faint, distant echo of "come home, America" — the campaign theme of presidential nominee George McGovern, who ran against the Vietnam War in 1972 and lost 49 states.
It was not a good year for Democrats on the ballot, but one who won was a 29-year-old Senate candidate in Delaware who did not make a major issue of the war. The young Joe Biden had not been a campus activist in his years at the University of Delaware or at Syracuse Law School. "I didn't march," he would recall later. "I ran for office."
Just two years later, still in his first Senate term, Biden watched with the nation as the long war in Vietnam ended in debacle. Helicopters plucked the last U.S. military and civilians from a rooftop in Saigon as the city fell, ending a civil war in which the U.S. had backed the South Vietnamese government against the communist regime of North Vietnam and its guerilla allies, the Viet Cong.
Neal Ulevich / AP Vietnamese people scale the wall of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, trying to get to the helicopter pickup zone, just before the end of the Vietnam War on April 29, 1975.
American support for Saigon had been waning for years, with the U.S. ending the draft after 1972 and leaving the fighting to the Vietnamese. When left on its own, the South Vietnamese army was routed in a matter of months. Many thousands of Vietnamese who had helped the U.S. were left behind, with some escaping in desperately overloaded ships. Many of these "boat people" were picked up by U.S. Navy vessels; others made it to port in surrounding countries. Eventually, many came to the U.S. where they and their descendants now number well over a million.
Biden bookends: Vietnam and son Beau
When Saigon fell, none of the U.S. presidents who had made commitments to Vietnam was on hand to bear the consequences. Dwight Eisenhower, who sided with the French colonialists against the Vietnamese in the 1950s, was long dead. So was John F. Kennedy, who inherited the war but felt he had to extend it and expand the U.S. commitment, and Lyndon B. Johnson, who had escalated the war far beyond his predecessors. Richard Nixon, still alive, had resigned on the brink of impeachment over the Watergate scandal.
President Gerald Ford had been in office less than nine months when Saigon fell in April of 1975. He had been preoccupied with domestic matters and been assured the Saigon government could hold on a while longer. He was misinformed. But relatively few blamed him, even in the wake of a disastrous end to the long struggle and a humiliating exit for the U.S. His approval in the Gallup Poll did not seem to suffer, and a military rescue of U.S. seamen captured off Cambodia's coast two weeks later helped boost him to more than 50% approval at the end of May.
The other factor that may have influenced Biden on Afghanistan is more personal. Some who heard Biden speak on Monday were surprised he did not mention his son, Beau Biden, who was deployed to the Iraq War in 2008.
"I don't want him going," his father said at the time, "But I tell you what, I don't want my grandson or my granddaughters going back in 15 years, and so how we leave makes a big difference."
Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015, and his father has speculated at times about the effects of toxic chemicals his son encountered while in the war theater.
As vice president, Biden was reported to have told a colleague that he did not want his son going to Afghanistan if the mission was to make sure it was safe for girls to go to school. (The Taliban is notorious for denying women the most basic rights.)
The president has often made mention of the impact his son's life and death have had on him. And while such things as personal loss — or the Vietnam era experience — cannot be measured precisely, neither can they be counted out.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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Withdrawing From Afghanistan May Be The One Thing Biden And Trump Agree On
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[
"Scott Neuman Is A Reporter",
"Editor",
"Working Mainly On Breaking News For Npr'S Digital",
"Radio Platforms."
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2021-08-20 01:49:16+00:00
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2021-08-18 14:51:58
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People will be eligible for a booster shot eight months after their second dose of their vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna, according to U.S. health officials.
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Updated August 18, 2021 at 7:36 PM ET
COVID-19 booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are set to become available for all U.S. adults beginning next month, the country's top health officials announced Wednesday.
"We know that even highly effective vaccines become less effective over time," Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, said at a White House briefing. "It is now our clinical judgment that the time to lay out a plan for COVID boosters is now."
He added, "This includes our most vulnerable populations, like our health care providers, nursing home residents and other seniors. We will also begin delivering booster shots directly to residents of long-term care facilities."
People who received the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be eligible before Johnson & Johnson recipients
People 18 years and older who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines will be eligible for a booster dose eight months after their second dose, officials said.
The booster plan would go into effect starting the week of Sept. 20.
People who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine would also likely need an additional shot to prolong its effectiveness against coronavirus infection and to reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, health officials said. However, they are still conducting research and not yet releasing plans for booster shots for people who received that type of vaccine.
The data shows vaccines become less effective over time
The announcement comes as health officials across the country are battling a new wave of COVID-19 cases linked to the highly transmissible delta variant. The latest infections have once again pushed intensive care unit occupancy rates to the breaking point in multiple states, especially those with low rates of vaccination.
The surgeon general said that health officials were concerned about "waning immunity and the strength of the delta variant" — a "pattern of decline" that could "continue in the coming months."
In a statement released shortly before Wednesday's briefing, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cautioned that "the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout."
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cited three new studies in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that show reduction in protection from infection over time, including in nursing homes and against the delta variant. Effectiveness against severe disease, hospitalization and death remains relatively high, she said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Biden, said the plan for a booster is happening now because "if you wait for something bad to happen, you're considerably behind in your response." When it comes to the virus, he said, it's better to stay ahead of it than chase after it.
The White House says it's trying to make it easy for people to get the shots
Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said the aim was to make the administration of booster shots as easy as possible — and that they would be given at the same locations where people received their first and second vaccine doses.
He said 90% of Americans lived within 5 miles of one of the more than 80,000 vaccination sites across the country.
He also defended the plan to give Americans an additional dose while much of the rest of the world remained unvaccinated. The U.S. goal is to administer 100 million booster shots in the coming months. Over the same time period, 200 million doses would be donated to other countries, Zients said.
Biden addressed this issue himself, when he delivered remarks later Wednesday.
"We can take care of America and help the world at the same time," he said.
Biden also outlined plans to require nursing homes to vaccinate staff or risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding.
"With this announcement," he said, "I'm using the power of the federal government, as a payer of health care costs, to ensure we reduce those risks to our most vulnerable seniors."
The Department of Health and Human Services is drafting the regulation to go into effect next month.
Since the start of the pandemic some 20 months ago, more than 623,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19, according to figures tallied by Johns Hopkins University.
At Wednesday's briefing, the CDC's Walensky said the U.S. was averaging about 500 COVID-19 deaths per day.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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COVID-19 Booster Shots Will Roll Out In September In The U.S.
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[
"Wypr - Fm Baltimore",
"Emily Sullivan Is A City Hall Reporter At Wypr",
"Where She Covers All Things Baltimore Politics. She Joined Wypr After Reporting For Npr S National Airwaves. There",
"She Was A Reporter For Npr S News Desk",
"Business Desk",
"Presidential Conflicts Of Interest Team. Sullivan Won A National Edward R. Murrow Award For An Investigation Into A Trump Golf Course'S Finances Alongside Members Of The Embedded Team. She Has Also Won Awards The Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association For Her Use Of Sound",
"Feature Stories. She Has Provided News Analysis On",
"The Takeaway",
"Here",
"Now"
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2021-08-20 01:50:05+00:00
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2021-08-18 15:52:06
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Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration plans to offer incentives to city employees who receive COVID-19 vaccines and is discussing the possibility of requiring city employees to get vaccinated, officials said at a Wednesday morning hearing.
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Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration plans to offer incentives to city employees who receive COVID-19 vaccines and is discussing the possibility of requiring city employees to get vaccinated, officials said at a Wednesday morning hearing.
“Baltimore plans to incentivize vaccinations and track progress of city employees who are vaccinated, who voluntarily submit that vaccination status to us,” Chief Digital Officer Todd Carter told the City Council’s Health, Environment, and Technology Committee during a presentation.
Carter declined to answer specific questions about the program from Councilwoman Danielle McCray and deferred to Mayor Brandon Scott’s office, as did Interim Director & Chief Human Capital Officer Quinton Herbert.
“I don’t know if it’s appropriate for us to get ahead of the mayor and the senior staff,” Carter said.
Herbert said that the city has asked its labor workforce to voluntarily provide their vaccination status; he did not specify what percentage of workers have received shots but said that it mirrors that of the general city population. As of Wednesday, just over 65% of city residents aged 18 and up have received a first or single dose of the vaccine, while 58% are fully vaccinated, according to city data .
A spokesman for Mayor Scott did not immediately return a request for comment.
President Biden called on leaders of states and localities in July to encourage residents to get vaccinated through financial incentives. A study from UCLA found that a third of unvaccinated participants said a cash payment would increase their likeliness of getting a shot.
In May, Gov. Larry Hogan announced a $100 incentive for state employees who are fully vaccinated. To receive the money, state employees must give proof of vaccination to their human resources office, as well as agree to receive any CDC recommended booster vaccinations within 18 months. Those who received the incentive and refuse to receive a CDC recommended booster shot will be required to repay the state. Last week, the CDC officially recommended booster shots for immunocompromised people .
The state’s incentive is retroactive; employees who were fully vaccinated prior to the May announcement are eligible to receive the $100 payment.
Comptroller Bill Henry called on Scott earlier this summer to require city employees to receive vaccinations or be subject to weekly COVID-19 tests.
Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa told council members that the Scott administration has been having discussions about requiring city employees to get vaccinated. She referred further questions to Nina Themelis of the Mayor's Office of Government Relations, who declined to provide details.
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Baltimore Plans To Incentivize COVID-19 Vaccinations For City Employees
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2021-08-20 01:49:03+00:00
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2021-08-18 15:35:05
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Gov. Greg Abbott — who announced Tuesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated — has been fighting with local governments over masks for months.
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A school district in northeast Texas has found a creative way to get around Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates.
The Paris Independent School District will now require students to wear masks as part of its dress code.
The Paris ISD board of trustees said in a statement that it "believes the dress code can be used to mitigate communicable health issues" and amended it accordingly to protect the district's students and employees.
"The Texas Governor does not have the authority to usurp the Board of Trustees' exclusive power and duty to govern and oversee the management of the public schools of the district," it continued.
"Nothing in the Governor's Executive Order 38 states he has suspended Chapter 11 of the Texas Education Code, and therefore the Board has elected to amend its dress code consistent with its statutory authority."
It will revisit the change monthly
The board made its decision after an emergency meeting Tuesday, when parents, district employees and local doctors discussed the subject for more than an hour, according to The Paris News. The change to the dress code is not permanent and will be revisited at each monthly board meeting.
Abbott — who announced Tuesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated — has been fighting with local governments over masks for months.
In July, he extended an executive order that prohibits government entities (including school districts) from requiring face coverings. Local leaders in cities including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin have defied the order and left their mask mandates in place.
"Now you have officials at the local level saying at least if you're not going to help us, get out of the way — but that doesn't seem to be where we're headed," Scott Braddock, the editor of statewide political newsletter the Quorum Report, told NPR.
The Texas Supreme Court handed Abbott his first legal victory over the weekend when it struck down temporary restraining orders that enabled two counties to institute mask requirements.
This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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A Texas School Made Masks Part Of Its Dress Code To Get Around Gov. Abbott's Ban
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2021-08-20 02:06:56+00:00
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2021-08-19 07:40:52
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AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Supreme Court has declined to block restraining orders against Gov. Greg Abbott’s mask mandate ban.
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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:
— U.S. schools open amid record coronavirus delta wave
— Maine Sen. Angus King tests positive for virus
— Africa WHO official knocks nations that 'hoard' vaccines
— 4 of Florida's 5 largest school districts to require masks
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Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — More than 3,000 fake COVID-19 vaccination cards have been confiscated at cargo freight facilities at the Anchorage airport as they were being shipped from China.
Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized the cards in the last week as they arrived in small packages.
An agency spokesperson said there were between 135 to 150 packages found in Anchorage, all sent by the same person in China. Each package contained a small number of the fake cards, between 20 to 90 cards.
A high volume of counterfeit vaccination cards have been detected nationwide.
Another 3,600 fake cards were found recently at cargo facilities in Memphis. Federal law enforcement officers are investigating.
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HONOLULU -- Organizers of the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii said Thursday this year’s contest will be postponed to February because of increasing COVID-19 cases in the state.
On Thursday, the state’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases hit 713, up 56% from two weeks ago.
A statement on the group’s website said COVID-19 in Hawaii is worse now than it has been at any point during the pandemic. The race had been scheduled for Oct. 9.
The Ironman competition is considered one of the most important Ironman triathlon events. Participants swim 2.4 miles (3.9 kilometers), ride bikes for 112 miles (180.3 kilometers) and then run a marathon, which goes for 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers).
Organizers rescheduled the contest last year too, only to later cancel it completely because of ongoing coronavirus concerns and the risks of international travel. It was the first time in the triathlon’s four decade history that the event wasn’t held.
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PORTLAND, Ore. -- Oregon Gov. Kate Brown says all teachers, educators, support staff and volunteers in K-12 schools must be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The announcement was made Thursday amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the state and as hospitals near capacity.
Teachers are the latest to be added to the growing statewide vaccine mandate, which also includes health care workers and state employees. They must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 or six weeks after a COVID-19 vaccine receives full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, whichever is later.
“There are those who will disagree with the actions I’m taking today,” Brown, a Democrat, said during Thursday’s press conference. “But school is starting across the state and COVID-19 poses a threat to our kids. Our kids need to be protected and they need to be in school. And that’s why I’m willing to take the heat for this decision.”
In addition, Brown announced weekly testing for health care workers will no longer be an option for those who want to avoid vaccination. The only opt-out of the requirement is either a medical or religious exemption.
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ATLANTA — Georgia’s Republican governor issued an executive order Thursday banning cities from requiring businesses to enforce local pandemic restrictions.
But what impact, if any, the measure would have on new mask requirements in Atlanta, Savannah and other cities was not clear.
At a news conference, Gov. Brian Kemp said his order will prevent local governments from forcing businesses to be the city’s mask and vaccine police. He said he was concerned about measures in Atlanta and Savannah. Both cities have mask requirements, but it was not immediately clear that either would be affected by the governor’s order.
The order comes amid an explosion in COVID cases in the state.
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TOPEKA, Kan. — Officials in some Kansas communities are battling a rise in COVID-19 cases by mandating masks for kids, issuing emergency orders and requiring vaccines.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Kansas has risen over the past two weeks from 605 new cases per day on Aug. 3 to 797 new cases per day on Tuesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
In the Lawrence area, Douglas County leaders approved a health order Wednesday that will require children ages 2 to 12 to wear masks while in indoor public spaces. The decision followed four hours of public comment that included jeering and interruptions from a largely maskless crowd, the Lawrence Journal-World reports.
In the Wichita area, hospital status was changed to critical Wednesday, as about 150 COVID-19 patients fill beds there, The Wichita Eagle reports.
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DENVER -- Colorado U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper announced Thursday that he has tested positive for a “breakthrough” case of COVID-19.
The first-term Democrat issued a statement saying he tested positive after experiencing mild symptoms and is self-isolating at the direction of the attending physician for the U.S. Congress, Dr. Brian P. Monahan.
Infections and illnesses can happen even after being vaccinated. Experts say vaccination could help make any illnesses less severe. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that newer versions of the coronavirus could be a factor in “breakthrough” cases.
Hickenlooper, 69, is a former brewpub entrepreneur, Denver mayor and two-term governor who defeated incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner in the 2020 election.
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CLAYTON, Mo. — A judge on Thursday issued an order barring St. Louis County from enforcing a mask mandate while a lawsuit against it is litigated.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page issued the mandate last month, prompting the County Council to vote to rescind it. Page maintained that the mask requirement nonetheless remained in effect.
Circuit Judge Ellen “Nellie” Ribaudo then issued a temporary restraining order, finding that the state was likely to prevail in its argument that current law gives the council the authority to terminate the mask requirement. That order was in effect only until a decision was made on a preliminary injunction.
Ribaudo was critical of some who had claimed victory after the temporary injunction was issued.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee hospitals warned Thursday that the intensive care units are full in nearly every hospital in the state’s major metropolitan areas.
The Tennessee Hospital Association said in a statement that the hospitals with full ICUs are the same ones that normally accept transfers of sicker patients from smaller hospitals.
Hospital officials are pleading with Tennesseans to get vaccinated and wear masks.
Meanwhile, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona warned Tennessee in a letter sent Wednesday that Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of mask mandates might violate federal law.
Separately, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt School of Medicine report released Thursday found that hospitalizations have increased more than tenfold in a little more than a month, the fastest rate of increase seen during the pandemic.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina’s top prosecutor on Thursday sued the state’s capital city over a school mask mandate that officials allege violates state law.
The city of Columbia’s school mask order conflicts with a state budget requirement that went into effect July 1 and bans school districts from using appropriated funds to require face coverings, State Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a complaint filed with the South Carolina Supreme Court.
The lawsuit comes as average daily cases of COVID-19 have risen by more than 60% over the last two weeks, with hundreds of students across the state already required to quarantine for exposure to the virus.
Earlier this month, Columbia’s city council ratified an ordinance mandating the use of masks in the city’s elementary and middle schools for at least the beginning of the school year.
The Republican attorney general said days later that the emergency ordinance should be “rescinded or amended," but city leaders said the mandate doesn’t violate state law because city, not state, funds are being used.
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ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey will require all teachers, school administrators and other staff who have not been vaccinated to produce twice-weekly negative COVID-19 tests once schools reopen and resume in-person classes on Sept. 6, the president said.
Speaking following a Cabinet meeting Thursday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said universities would also demand regular PCR tests from unvaccinated students and teaching staff.
People who have not been vaccinated and want to travel on buses and planes or to go to concerts, theaters and cinemas will also face mandatory COVID-19 testing, Erdogan added.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the tests would be conducted free-of-charge at state-owned hospitals.
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RALEIGH, N.C. — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says unvaccinated students and those who don’t disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status will be required to get tested for the coronavirus twice a week.
In a message to the community, the university says 87% of students have attested they are fully vaccinated. Those who become fully vaccinated and report their status to the university will no longer have to face twice-weekly testing.
The move comes as the state witnesses its worst levels of transmission of the virus in months.
North Carolina on Thursday registered more than 7,000 daily COVID-19 cases, the highest in seven months. More than 3,000 people are hospitalized in the state with COVID-19, the most since Jan. 28.
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PHOENIX — A northwestern Arizona school district has banned employees from discussing vaccination status or mask- wearing with students.
The Mohave Daily News reports the governing board for the Colorado River Union High School District made the decision this week. The edict carries no repercussions for administrators, staff and teachers who violate it. That will be up to the district’s superintendent, who supported the motion.
The school board’s gag rule is rare. Vaccines and masks remain contentious topics across Arizona as students return to school.
On Thursday, the state reported 3,546 confirmed coronavirus cases and four more deaths.
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AUGUSTA, Maine — U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday, a day after he began feeling ill, his office announced.
King, an independent, says he’s definitely “not feeling great” but doing better than if he hadn’t been vaccinated.
“I am taking this diagnosis very seriously, quarantining myself at home and telling the few people I’ve been in contact with to get tested in order to limit any further spread,” King said in a statement.
The 77-year-old King says throughout the pandemic, he’s worked to protect himself, family and staff through masks, social distancing, a “work-from-home mindset. ” He’s used Zoom meetings and, until recently, was driving instead of flying to Washington, D.C.
He urged people to follow guidance from health professionals and “get vaccinated if you haven’t been.”
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SEATTLE — Authorities say there are more people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Washington state than at any time during the pandemic.
Cassie Sauer, president of the Washington State Hospital Association. says there were 1,240 people with coronavirus in state hospitals. The previous highest number was about 1,100 in December.
Sauer says until the recent uptick in cases and hospitalizations due to the delta variant, the COVID-19 hospitalization rate in the state had been holding steady at 300 to 350 people. The numbers began increasing in early July and have been doubling about every two weeks.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Four of the five largest school districts in Florida are defying an executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis barring them from imposing strict mask mandates in schools.
Board members took action Wednesday after seeing the numbers in Hillsborough and Palm Beach counties. School began a week ago and already thousands of children have been sent home because teachers and classmates are infected with the delta variant of the coronavirus.
Veterans Affairs Dr. J. Stacey Klutts says it’s necessary to wear masks indoors and avoid large group gatherings. He says unprotected students sitting for hours in classrooms could rapidly spread infection.
Statewide, Florida reported 23,335 new infections for Tuesday, according to the CDC. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services dashboard reported 17,096 hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients.
DeSantis, a Republican, also is in an escalating power struggle with the Democratic White House. After President Joe Biden ordered possible legal action Wednesday, the U.S. Education Department raised the possibility of using its civil rights arm against Florida and other states that have blocked public health measures meant to protect students.
Caption This 2021 photo provided by Children’s Health shows Francisco Rosales, 9, and his mother, Yessica Gonzalez, in the intensive care unit at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. The day before he was supposed to start fourth grade, Francisco was admitted to the hospital due to severe COVID-19, struggling to breathe, with dangerously low oxygen levels and an uncertain outcome. (Adriana Lantzy/Children’s Health via AP) Credit: Adriana Lantzy Credit: Adriana Lantzy
Caption Broward County Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright greets students Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2021 in at North Lauderdale Elementary School. More than 261,000 Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) students headed back to school to begin the 2021/22 school year. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Credit: Joe Cavaretta Credit: Joe Cavaretta
Caption A COVID-19 testing tent is setup in front of Les Grands Magasins department store, in Paris, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant) Credit: Adrienne Surprenant Credit: Adrienne Surprenant
Caption A sign on the door in reference to a health pass needed to enter, at a store, in Paris, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant) Credit: Adrienne Surprenant Credit: Adrienne Surprenant
Caption FILE - In this June 18, 2021, file photo, U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, speaks at Acadia National Park in Winter Harbor, Maine. King tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, a day after he began feeling under the weather, his office announced. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File) Credit: Robert F. Bukaty Credit: Robert F. Bukaty
Caption Visitors wear face coverings, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Portland, Maine. COVID-19 continues to spread in Maine at increasing rates due to the highly transmissible delta variant. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Credit: Robert F. Bukaty Credit: Robert F. Bukaty
Caption People wait during the vaccination process as Gov. John Bel Edwards tours the University of Louisiana campus vaccination site as part of the university's Shot for $100 campaign, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Lafayette, La. (Scot Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP) Credit: Scott Clause Credit: Scott Clause
Caption FILE - In this June 28, 2021, file photo Oregon Gov. Kate Brown visits the Bly Fire Camp, on the southern edge of the Bootleg Fire, in Klamath County, Ore. Oregon's governor said Friday, Aug. 13, 2021 she will send up to 1,500 National Guard troops to hospitals around the state to support healthcare workers as the COVID-19 surges amid the rapid spread of the Delta variant. The first group of 500 Guard members will be deployed next Friday to serve as material and equipment runners in the most stricken hospitals and to help with COVID-19 testing. (Arden Barnes/The Herald And News via AP, File) Credit: Arden Barnes Credit: Arden Barnes
Caption Fifth grader Karson Spencer waits in his car to enter Wayman Tisdale Fine Arts Academy on the first day of school Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021 in Tulsa, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP) Credit: Mike Simons Credit: Mike Simons
Caption A man poses for a souvenir photo with his face positioned on a superhero cutout with a hashtag that reads in Spanish: "I've been vaccinated", during a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 for people between the ages of 18 to 29, in Mexico City, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Credit: Eduardo Verdugo Credit: Eduardo Verdugo
Caption Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks to reporters following a news conference, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in West Des Moines, Iowa. Reynolds lashed out at President Joe Biden Thursday after he ordered his education secretary to explore possible legal action against states that have blocked school mask mandates and other public health measures meant to protect students against COVID-19. Reynolds, a Republican, has signed a bill into law that prohibits school officials from requiring masks, raising concerns as delta variant virus cases climb across the state and schools resume classes soon. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Credit: Charlie Neibergall Credit: Charlie Neibergall
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The Latest: Setback for Texas gov's ban on mask mandates
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2021-08-20 02:06:28+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:40:51
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TOKYO (AP) — Japanese actor Sonny Chiba, who wowed the world with his martial arts skills in more than 100 films, including “Kill Bill,” has died. He
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Tarantino cast Chiba in the role of Hattori Hanzo, a master swordsmith in “Kill Bill.”
Chiba appeared in the 1991 Hollywood film “Aces,” directed by John Glen, as well as in Hong Kong movies.
Chiba’s career also got a boost from the global boom in kung fu films, set off by Chinese legend Bruce Lee, although critics say Chiba tended to exhibit a dirtier, thug-like fighting style than Lee.
“A true action legend. Your films are eternal and your energy an inspiration. #SonnyChiba #RIP,” American actor Lewis Tan said on Twitter.
New York-based writer and director Ted Geoghegan called him “the great Sonny Chiba.”
“Watch one of his films today,” Geoghegan tweeted, followed by images of a fist and a broken heart.
Other fans mournfully filled Twitter threads with clips of his movies and photos.
Born in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, Chiba studied at Nippon Sport Science University trained in various martials arts, earning a fourth-degree black belt in karate.
Chiba set up Japan Action Club in 1980, to develop a younger generation of actors, including protege Hiroyuki Sanada, who is among Hollywood’s most coveted Japanese actors, landing roles in “The Last Samurai” and “Rush Hour 3.”
Chiba is survived by his three children, Juri Manase, Mackenyu Arata and Gordon Maeda, all actors. A wake was canceled as a pandemic measure, and funeral arrangements were still undecided, his office said.
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Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
Caption This Sept. 30, 2008, photo shows Japanese actor Sonny Chiba in Osaka, western Japan. Chiba, known in Japan as Shinichi Chiba, who wowed the world with his martial arts skills, acting in more than 100 films, including “Kill Bill,” has died late Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. He was 82. (Kyodo News via AP) Credit: Uncredited Credit: Uncredited
Caption In this June 1998, photo, Japanese actor Sonny Chiba waves from a horseback in Kanazawa, west of Tokyo. Chiba, known in Japan as Shinichi Chiba, who wowed the world with his martial arts skills, acting in more than 100 films, including “Kill Bill,” has died late Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. He was 82. (Kyodo News via AP) Credit: Uncredited Credit: Uncredited
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Japanese martial artist film star Sonny Chiba dies at 82
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2021-08-20 02:07:02+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:45:55
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Investigators are considering whether toxic algae blooms or other hazards may have contributed to the deaths of a Northern Califo
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The area around Hite's Cove was the site of a hard rock gold mining operation in the mid-19th century.
The bodies were transported to the coroner’s office in Mariposa for autopsies and toxicology exams, Mitchell said.
The State Water Resources Control Board said Thursday it was testing waterways in the area for any toxic algae blooms.
The couple were known to be avid hikers. Their friend, Mariposa real estate agent Sidney Radanovich, said Gerrish was a San Francisco-based software designer who, with his wife, “fell in love with the Mariposa area” and bought several homes there, a residence for themselves and rental investments.
"They were such a loving couple. They loved each other quite a bit," Radanovich told the San Francisco Chronicle. "He loved showing the baby all sorts of things and explaining them to her."
The sheriff’s office was investigating the deaths along with the California Department of Justice.
Sheriff Jeremy Briese said chaplains and staff were counseling family members.
“My heart breaks for their family,” he said.
The remote area where the bodies were found had no cellphone service, Mitchell said. The hiking trail ran through an area of forest known particularly in springtime to have spectacular wildflower displays.
Caption Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese gives an update on the investigation into the deaths of three family members and their dog in the Hite Cove area of the Sierra National Forest in Mariposa County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. Investigators are considering whether toxic algae blooms or other hazards may have contributed to the deaths of a Northern California couple, their baby and the family dog on a remote hiking trail, authorities said. (Craig Kohlruss/The Fresno Bee via AP) Credit: Craig Kohlruss Credit: Craig Kohlruss
Caption A remote canyon area northeast of the town of Mariposa, seen on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, is reported to be the area where a family and their dog were found dead on Tuesday, the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office said. Investigators are considering whether toxic algae blooms or other hazards may have contributed to the deaths of the Northern California couple, their baby and the family dog on a remote hiking trail, authorities said. (Craig Kohlruss/The Fresno Bee via AP) Credit: Craig Kohlruss Credit: Craig Kohlruss
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Toxic algae bloom considered in death of California family
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — In a court ruling with potentially broad implications for U.S. immigration cases, a federal judge in Nevada found that a criminal law
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But Julian Castro, secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Biden Administration, tweeted that he doubted the Justice Department would want to defend a law with "an incredibly racist history."
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou and an aide did not immediately respond to messages about the ruling.
Forsman called Du’s order groundbreaking for its thoroughness. Du, a Vietnamese immigrant, was nominated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama and sworn in in 2012.
“I think it will have implications because it’s going to be difficult to get around her reasoning,” Forsman said of the court order. “It’s a little hard to get around a statute that was called the ‘Wetback Act’ by the people enacting it.” The derogatory term often refers to Mexican migrants who have entered the country illegally, but it's also used to disparage all Hispanics.
Du said she considered written and oral arguments and expert testimony about the legislative history of the law from professors Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien of San Diego State University and Kelly Lytle Hernández of the University of California, Los Angeles.
“Importantly, the government does not dispute that Section 1326 bears more heavily on Mexican and Latinx individuals,” the judge said in her 43-page order dismissing the June 2020 criminal indictment of Gustavo Carrillo-Lopez.
Carrillo-Lopez was arrested in Nevada in 2019 after having been deported in 1999 and again in 2012, according to prosecutors. His federal public defender, Lauren Gorman in Reno, did not immediately respond Thursday to an email.
The judge said she saw no publicly available data about the national origin of people prosecuted under Section 1326, but cited U.S. Border Patrol statistics showing that more than 97% of people apprehended at the border in 2000 were of Mexican decent, 86% in 2005, and 87% in 2010.
“The government argues that the stated impact is ‘a product of geography, not discrimination,’ and that the statistics are rather a feature of Mexico’s proximity to the United States, the history of Mexican employment patterns and the socio-political and economic factors that drive migration,” Du wrote. “The court is not persuaded.”
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US judge in Nevada: Felony deportation law unconstitutional
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/us-judge-in-nevada-felony-deportation-law-unconstitutional/QO4TOPC475GE3IQZMKAT24DAKE/
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2021-08-20 02:06:42+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:15:53
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A look at what’s happening around the majors on Friday:
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After that, LA travels to Baltimore for a three-game series against the major league-worst Orioles that’s expected to include Ohtani’s next mound start — perhaps a rare opportunity for Baltimore fans to feel some buzz.
Against Detroit, Ohtani had his longest mound start of the season, winning his fourth consecutive start with an eight-inning performance on Wednesday night. He also hit a towering, 430-foot homer — his major league-leading 40th of the season — that Tigers fans waiting for Miguel Cabrera to hit No. 500 couldn't help but admire.
Ohtani followed it up with a 2-for-3 day as the Angels rallied from an eight-run deficit to beat the Tigers on Thursday.
OPTIMISM IN HOUSTON
Astros manager Dusty Baker has reasons to feel good about his AL West-leading club even after an uninspired seven-game trip.
Houston went 3-4 on the road against the Angels and Royals and begins a weeklong homestand on Friday by hosting division rival Seattle. The Astros lead Oakland by 2 1/2 games, which hasn't escaped Baker's notice.
“I’ve been scoreboard watching every day,” Baker said. “Scoreboard watching is something I do between innings when I’m not thinking about what to do. We’re just looking forward to the finish line. We have a ways to go, and we haven’t played our best ball yet.”
One thing that's making Baker sanguine about the future is having Aledmys Díaz in the lineup. Díaz went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, including the go-ahead single in the 10th inning of a 6-3 win at Kansas City on Thursday.
“You can tell what (Díaz) means to this club (by looking at) the six weeks he was out,” Baker said.
SUB-BASEMENT
The major league-worst Baltimore Orioles haven't even come within two runs of a win in the past week.
The Orioles dropped their 15th straight game on Thursday, falling 7-2 to the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. And most of them haven't been close.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Orioles are the first team since 1900 to lose 15 straight games by multiple runs. The closest Baltimore got was a 6-4 loss to Detroit on Aug. 12.
The Orioles have been outscored 138-42 during the skid, allowing an average of 9.2 runs per game.
After dropping four at Tampa Bay by scores of 9-2, 10-0, 8-4 and 7-2, Baltimore hosts another first-place team for a three-game series this weekend: NL-East winning Atlanta.
The Arizona Diamondbacks had the worst record in the majors for much of the season, but Baltimore now owns that distinction. Arizona is coming off a three-game sweep of Philadelphia and has won six of seven overall.
OCTOBER PREVIEW
Brandon Lowe knows this weekend may not be the last time the Rays face the Chicago White Sox in 2021.
The AL Central leaders visit the AL East leaders for a three-game series starting Friday.
“This is going to be kind of what we’re looking at postseason-wise, I feel like,” Lowe said. “You know the White Sox are going to make it, we feel like we’re going to make it. I think the games are going to be a little bit tougher, it’s going to be a little bit lower-scoring ballgames but it’s going to be a hard-fought battle for the whole series.”
Tampa Bay has won 11 of 14, and perhaps a playoff preview could lure a few more fans to Tropicana Field. In their four-game sweep of Baltimore, the Rays drew a total of 22,754 paying customers — an average of 5,689 per game.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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LEADING OFF: Ohtani road show to Cleveland; Astros optimism
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/leading-off-ohtani-road-show-to-cleveland-astros-optimism/QA7YMVMMMRCW5PWQAYQU7O6LNA/
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2021-08-20 02:06:49+00:00
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2021-08-19 21:15:50
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MASON, Ohio (AP) — No Novak, no Roger, no Rafa doesn’t mean winning his second Western & Southern Open championship will be easy for top-seeded Daniil
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Osaka repeatedly punched her left thigh with her left wrist and talked loudly to herself, trying to get herself going, but she was impassive as she shook hands at the net with the giddy Teichmann.
Top-ranked Ash Barty rolled through the first 10 games of her match with defending champion Victoria Azarenka in a 6-0, 6-2 win to reach the women’s quarterfinals.
“I think sometimes the scoreline in tennis can fool you,” Barty said. “Though it seemed like a quite convincing scoreline in the match, each and every game had crucial poits and I was able to win most of those.”
Former tournament women's champion Karolina Pliskova advanced with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win over Jessica Pegula.. Olympic champion and third-seeded Alexander Zverev also moved on, beating Guido Pella 6-2, 6-3, while Roland Garros-finalist and second-seeded Stefano Tsitsipas was pushed by Lorenzo Sonego to three sets before prevailing, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
Medvedev bounced back up after a nasty fall early in the second set and went on to close out the win.
“You can’t see this on video, but my racket got between my legs and hit the back of my calf,” Medvedev said. “I don’t know how that happens. I actually have a bruise on my calf. A bruise is a bruise. It’s nothing serious.”
The second-ranked Russian, the winner last week in Toronto, won when Dimitrov double-faulted on match point. Medvedev has been on the court for only 2 hours, 28 minutes while winning his first two matches in straight sets after a first-round bye.
Medvedev is the first player not named Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray to crack the top two since July 18, 2005. Injuries and other issues kept Djokovic, Federer and Nadal from competing this year.
While his matches have been short, Medvedev feels winning will go a long way.
“The more matches I can win in these two tournaments that are similar to New York, the more confidence you have,” he said. “Confidence is the big key. It’s good coming there knowing that you’re capable of playing good. Now, I know it’s possible. A Grand Slam is a Grand Slam. They’re tough. Opponents want to beat you. You hope you show your best tennis.”
___
More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Caption Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, reacts against Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, during the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster) Credit: Aaron Doster Credit: Aaron Doster
Caption Naomi Osaka, of Japan, serves to Jil Teichmann, of Switzerland, during the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Credit: Darron Cummings Credit: Darron Cummings
Caption Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, returns to Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, during the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster) Credit: Aaron Doster Credit: Aaron Doster
Caption Jil Teichmann, of Switzerland, returns a shot to Naomi Osaka, of Japan, during the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Credit: Darron Cummings Credit: Darron Cummings
Caption Naomi Osaka, of Japan, serves to Jil Teichmann, of Switzerland, during the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Credit: Darron Cummings Credit: Darron Cummings
Caption Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns a shot to Jil Teichmann, of Switzerland, during the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Credit: Darron Cummings Credit: Darron Cummings
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Medvedev advances to W&S quarterfinals; Osaka knocked out
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/medvedev-advances-to-ws-quarterfinals-osaka-knocked-out/IVH4DPOSBBCDHOQ6C5XWE66EQI/
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2021-08-20 02:06:14+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:10:50
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Six University of Kentucky football players have been charged with first-degree burglary, with one also accused of first degree
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The release stated that on March 6 three individuals entered a private party uninvited at a residence and were asked to leave. They became upset and threatened to return, the release added, and came back a short time later with additional individuals.
They forced their way inside and one suspect was observed pointing a firearm at a victim, the release stated.
Kentucky's athletic department said in a statement that: “The institution and athletics department take these matters very seriously. We are closely evaluating this issue before determining next steps.”
All six players were part of the 2020 recruiting class with McClain, Tisdale and Williams seeing action in many of Kentucky's games last fall.
McClain rushed 16 times for 62 yards in 11 contests. Tisdale had 20 tackles and nine assists in 10 games, while Williams had three stops in nine contests.
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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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6 Kentucky football players charged with burglary
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/6-kentucky-football-players-charged-with-burglary/UXGPD6XCCZADVAELUGS3JM5AGQ/
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2021-08-20 02:06:21+00:00
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2021-08-19 04:16:03
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PLACERVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Dry and windy weather dogged firefighters’ efforts to contain destructive fires that are devouring the bone-dry forests of
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Fire managers were rushing resources to the fire growing on steep slopes in a forested region southwest of Lake Tahoe. More than 650 firefighters and 13 helicopters were assigned to the blaze, and air tankers from throughout the state were flying fire suppression missions there as conditions allowed, authorities said.
“The hope is with the additional resources and personnel on scene, we can really start to build that box around this fire and start the containment," said Keith Wade of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Evacuees from the Caldor Fire found refuge in places like the Green Valley Community Church in Placerville, west of the fire, where they set up tents and trailers in a parking lot. Adrian Childress, 7, painted pictures to pass the time and a special tent was set up for people who wished to pray.
In Omo Ranch, close to where the fire started, a bulldozer ripped out trees to build a fire line and stop the blaze from spreading south.
While nearly the entire town evacuated, Thurman Conroy and his wife, Michele, stayed behind to protect their house and their business, Conroy General Store. But they were prepared to flee if the fire gets too close.
“The fire wants us bad because it’s made every attempt it can to get out of that canyon and up this way,” Thurman said. “So they keep beating it down. And it’s just ... it's resilient, it’s stubborn, it won’t go away. That’s all we can do.”
California’s fires were among 104 large, active blazes Thursday in 12 states, mostly in the West, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. Those fires combined have scorched nearly 4,000 square miles (10,360 square kilometers).
Climate change has made the 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.
Drought, heat, low humidity and winds have left California vegetation ready to burn this summer. More than two-dozen new fires erupted Wednesday alone. All but two were quickly contained.
One small but destructive blaze burned through a mobile home park and reduced an estimated 50 homes to ashes in Lake County, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of San Francisco. Elsewhere in the northwestern region of the state, two big fires continued to burn in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric said Thursday that it had restored power to nearly 50,000 Northern California customers whose power was shut off Tuesday to prevent new fires from being ignited if electrical lines were damaged during high winds. The utility said it found at least 10 instances of weather-related damage, including four that potentially could have caused fires if the utility hadn't de-energized power lines.
___
Antczak reported from Los Angeles.
Caption Firefighter Paul Schlange, left, confers while fighting the Caldor Fire on Hazel Valley Road east of Riverton, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Firefighters confer while fighting the Caldor Fire on Hazel Valley Road east of Riverton, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Firefighters refill water while fighting the Caldor Fire on Hazel Valley Road east of Riverton, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Central Calaveras firefighter Ryan Carpenter extinguishes flames from the Caldor Fire on Hazel Valley Road east of Riverton, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Central Calaveras firefighter Ryan Carpenter extinguishes flames from the Caldor Fire on Hazel Valley Road east of Riverton, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption People sit under a tent at the the Green Valley Community Church evacuation shelter on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Placerville, Calif., as the Caldor Fire continues to burn. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Vehicles are parked at the Green Valley Community Church evacuation shelter on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Placerville, Calif., as the Caldor Fire continues to burns. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Adrian Childress, 7, opens a tent flap at the the Green Valley Community Church evacuation shelter on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Placerville, Calif., after his family fled the Caldor Fire. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Julie Price points while talking to another evacuee at the Green Valley Community Church evacuation shelter on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Placerville, Calif., after fleeing the Caldor Fire. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Adrian Childress, 7, paints at the the Green Valley Community Church evacuation shelter on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Placerville, Calif., after his family fled the Caldor Fire. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Twins Myles Muir, 7, and Matthew Muir, 7, from left, blow bubbles at the the Green Valley Community Church evacuation shelter on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Placerville, Calif., after their family fled the Caldor Fire. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Cats Mia and Kesh, from left, rest at the Green Valley Community Church evacuation shelter on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Placerville, Calif., as the Caldor Fire continues burning. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Grayson Howard plays the guitar while helping friends who evacuated to the the Green Valley Community Church evacuation shelter on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Placerville, Calif., as the Caldor Fire continues to burn. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Credit: Ethan Swope Credit: Ethan Swope
Caption Fire retardant coats a fire truck after the Cache Fire on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Clearlake, Calif. The blaze destroyed dozens of homes. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Credit: Noah Berger Credit: Noah Berger
Caption Firefighter Bryan Eisenbeisz extinguishes hot spots at Cache Creek Mobile Home Estates where the Cache Fire leveled dozens of homes on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Clearlake, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Credit: Noah Berger Credit: Noah Berger
Caption Sheriff's Deputy McCabe searches Cache Creek Mobile Home Estates where the Cache Fire leveled dozens of residences on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Clearlake, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Credit: Noah Berger Credit: Noah Berger
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California wildfires destroy homes; winds hamper containment
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/california-wildfires-destroy-homes-winds-hamper-containment/G2RPWK3Z2JCRHIGX2OJP5RZDDU/
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[
"Jennifer Hansler",
"Ellie Kaufman",
"Nicole Gaouette",
"Oren Liebermann",
"Kylie Atwood"
] |
2021-08-20 01:54:52+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:49:00
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Reports of harassment and beatings at Taliban checkpoints continued to surface Wednesday.
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Hide Transcript Show Transcript
you can see we've got this crowd around us uh which is which is never great because crowds are always a little bit dangerous and most of these people, let me ask you sir, are you waiting here to get out or what are you doing here? Yeah. Working with the americans with all have the documents for the recommendations. Everything right announced we'll take these guys are working with the american or with the ice off. We take them to the America But they're liars. Just they take these guys. They have. Yes, of course of course it is all like a more than 50,000 people. They're crowded here today. All of them has gone to the homes. This is so less people out there here. Yes, yes, yes for our home is here but all there is manifest in. Yeah, but the taliban didn't lead you to go in. If they're not lead you to tell you the telling us just stay here. The american says we take these guys, they have the american passport or american british or they have the green cards, we take him. Otherwise you have to stop here or they stay here. We tell them we cannot stay here because every day the joe biden says we take this all the afghan Workers there help us, we take them to the America. But have you tried? Yes, yes, of course what happened? They tell us, we have to bring the HR later updates for the 2021. That's impossible. All the company's lockdown in 2014. It's very hard to find people in the same situation. Yeah all the same. They have a short letter but it doesn't have the recommendation letter but most of them have they lost their badge. So in this your message to America is our message to America. We help the american people. So that's their jobs to help me out right now here there is a very bad situation if someone knew that you work with somebody. So the Derricks, I'm just gonna thank you sir. Can I just bring you and you have a green card? See this is my green card. This is your green card showing me a picture right now of his green card. That's his green card. So you have a green card. Yeah and I have flight on I just 20 this Friday already filled out the application for the US embassy and this is the emails that I got from the embassy. And so did you try to get into the eye? What are the taliban's like the taliban said we don't know just go we don't want to try to let you end and like they say we don't have flies they don't have flights just say but they do have flies but you're getting an impression john and Brianna I mean look I'm surrounded here. Okay and everybody here has got a story. People work for the americans. One man has a green card. He already has his flights books Now they're pressing in. They want desperately to tell their stories. They want the americans to know because they're not able to get past those checkpoints. They're not able to get the taliban fighters.
Advertisement US government backtracks, cannot ensure safe passage to Kabul airport Share Copy Link Copy
Video above: CNN interviews people in Afghanistan who can't leave As reports of harassment and beatings at Taliban checkpoints continued to surface Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul warned it could not ensure safe passage for Americans to the airport to escape Afghanistan, despite the Pentagon underscoring alleged Taliban assurances that it will ensure safe transit.Wednesday's alert from the diplomatic outpost, which has been relocated to the airport, stood in contrast to statements made by White House and Pentagon officials about the ability of civilians to access the airport to board evacuation flights out of the country.The apparent disconnect on public messaging among the Biden administration's senior national security staff underscores the chaotic and rushed nature of the evacuation effort, which has been gaining steam in the past few days but still faces enormous logistical and security challenges."The United States government cannot ensure safe passage to the Hamid Karzai International Airport," the U.S. Embassy in Kabul advised American citizens.Related video: United Nations chief urges united front against TalibanA few hours later, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters at the State Department that "it appears the Taliban's commitment for safe passage for American citizens has been solid" but that "we have seen reports that the Taliban, contrary to their public statements and their commitments to our government, are blocking Afghans who wish to leave the country from reaching the airport."But in a news briefing at the Pentagon that started while State was still briefing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told reporters that "through the State Department, the Taliban are guaranteeing safe passage to the airport for American citizens, that is, U.S. passport holders," Milley said.The State Department message about transit to the airport also stands in stark contrast to comments made by national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday, when he told reporters at the White House that the Taliban had committed to allowing safe passage for civilians to the airport.US has surged personnel to airportThe U.S. has surged diplomatic and military personnel into Hamid Karzai International Airport, transforming the country's sole international airport into a massive military bunker where U.S. personnel fired shots around the perimeter to control crowds Wednesday.Both Sherman and Milley said Biden administration officials have directly told the Taliban that the U.S. expects them to clear the way for people to reach the airport. Sherman said the State Department's team in Doha, Qatar, which is meeting with Taliban officials, and "our military partners on the ground in Kabul are engaging directly with the Taliban to make clear that we expect them to allow all American citizens, all third country nationals and all Afghans who wish to leave to do so safely and without harassment."Referring to the Taliban's checkpoints, Milley said, "We have gone back and emphasized that, that people who are trying to get to the airport, have the right credentials, need to be allowed through."Milley said that if directed, U.S. military in Kabul have the ability to extract Americans and take them to Hamid Karzai International Airport when asked by CNN's Barbara Starr.Starr asked Milley if "international special forces there ... have the capability to extract" Americans and take them to the airport. In response, Milley said, "That would be a policy decision, and, if directed, we have capabilities to execute whatever we're directed."Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin clarified that "we don't have the capability to go out and collect the large numbers of people," adding that he would "draw a distinction between extracting someone in an extreme condition or circumstance versus going out and collecting up large numbers of American citizens."Pressed on the issue, Austin said, "We're going to do everything we can to continue to try to deconflict and create passageways for them to get to the airfield." But again, he said the U.S. military does not have the capability to "extend operations currently into Kabul."
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US government backtracks, cannot ensure safe passage to Kabul airport
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https://www.wlwt.com/article/us-government-backtracks-cannot-ensure-safe-passage-to-kabul-airport/37343037
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[
"Wlwt Digital Staff",
"Https",
"Www.Facebook.Com"
] |
2021-08-20 01:54:32+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:28:00
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The Ohio Division of Wildlife is asking the public to report sightings of wild turkeys across the state.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wlwt.com%2Farticle%2Fohio-wildlife-officials-request-public-to-report-sightings-of-wild-turkeys-1629419320%2F37353484.json
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The Ohio Division of Wildlife is asking the public to report sightings of wild turkeys across the state.Wildlife officials said the public's reports of wild turkeys help provide their biologists with data to analyze total numbers and help inform management decisions. The information helps to predict future population changes.According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, in 2020, the public submitted 248 valid reports.To report a wild turkey, click here.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife is asking the public to report sightings of wild turkeys across the state.
Wildlife officials said the public's reports of wild turkeys help provide their biologists with data to analyze total numbers and help inform management decisions.
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The information helps to predict future population changes.
According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, in 2020, the public submitted 248 valid reports.
To report a wild turkey, click here.
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Ohio wildlife officials request public to report sightings of wild turkeys
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https://www.wlwt.com/article/ohio-wildlife-officials-request-public-to-report-sightings-of-wild-turkeys-1629419320/37353484
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[
"Kevin Freking",
"Associated Press"
] |
2021-08-20 01:54:42+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:05:00
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Three senators have tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. This comes as the highly infectious delta variant spreads rapidly across the U.S.
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UNVACCINATED IN WISCONSIN, VERSUS THOSE WHO HAVE THEIR SHOT. JO YCE: NEWLY-RELEASED DATA ALSO SHOWS AN ALARMING RISE IN CASES. 12 NEWS’ KENT WAINSCOTT IS HERE TO BREAK DOWTHN E NUMBERS. KENT? KENT: THE NEW DATA FROM DHS SHOWS HOW EFFECTIVE THE VACCINES IS AT PREVENTING SERIOUS IL LNESS, AND ALSO HOW RAPIDLY THE DELTA VARIANT IS SURGING ACROSS WISCONSIN. TAKE A LOOK AT THESE NUM.RS IN JULY, NEARLY THREE TIMES AS MANY UNVACCINATED PEOPLE CONTRACT CEDOVID, AS TESTED POSITIVE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE FULLY-VACCINAT.ED AND THE GAP IN HOSPITALIZATIONS IS EVEN GREATER. NEARLY FOUR TIMES AS MANY UNVACCINATED PEOPLE CONTRACTED COVID AND WERE HOSPITALID, COMPARED WITH THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED. AND PERHAPS THE MOST ALARMING NUMBER IS RIGHT HERE, THE SURGE FROM MONTH TO MONTH WITH THE DELTA VARIT.AN ABOUT 4.5 TIMES AS MANY UNVACCINATED INDIVIDUALS CONTRACTED COVID IN JULY COMPARED TO JUNE, AND IT’S NEARLY NINE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINATED WHO CONTRACTED COVID IN LYJU DR. RYAN WESTERGAARD: WE’RE BRACING FOR THE PANDEMIC TO GET WORSE. KENT: STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY WITH THE DELTA VARIANT SURGING, NEWLY RELEASED DATA CONFIRMS THAT THE VACCINES WORK. >> WE ARE STILL SEEING MUCH LOWER RATES OF CASES, MUCH LOWER RATES OF HOSPITALIZATIONS AND MUCH LOWER RATES OF DEATHS AMONG THOSE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED. KE:NT BUT A RISE IN CASES AMONG THE FULLY-VACCINATED WHO MAY NOT HAVE SYMPTOMS OR EVEN BE TESTED FOR COVID RAISES ANOTHER CONCN.ER IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THIS COULD BE MORE WIDESPREAD IN WISCONSIN THANHE T NUMBERS INDICATE? >> I THINK IT’S GENERALLY TRUE OF VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED CASES THAT WE UNDERTEST TH.EM THAT’S BEEN THE MOST DEVASTATGIN ASPECT OF THIS VIRUS, IS ITS ABILITY TO BE CAUSE INCTFEION AND BE HIGHLY TRANSMISSIBLE BEFORE SYMPTOMS STAR T. JOE:YC BRACING FOR THE WORST. THOSE ARE SOBERING WORDS. KENT, ARE THOSE HEALTH OFFICIALS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RATE OF VACCINIOATNS IN THE STATE? KE:NT THEY’RE ENCOURAGED E STATE HAS TOPPED THE 50% THRESHOLD, BUT THERE’S A CATCH. BECAUSE THE DELTA VARIANT IS MORE INFECTIOUS THAN PREVIOUS VARIANTSHA TT MEANS MORE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE VACCINATED IN ORDER TO REACH HERD IMMUNITY. THEY SAY EVERYTHING WE ARE DOING TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS WE HAVE TO DO BETTER AND MORE . JOYCE: KENT WAINSCOT
Advertisement Three senators test positive for COVID-19 in breakthrough cases Share Copy Link Copy
Related video above: Breakthrough cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin more than doubleThree senators said Thursday they have tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, a high-profile collection of breakthrough cases that comes as the highly infectious delta variant spreads rapidly across the United States.Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., all said they have tested positive for the virus. Almost every member of the Senate spent long hours together on the chamber's floor last week in an all-night session of budget votes before leaving town for August recess. King said he began feeling feverish Wednesday and took a COVID-19 test at his doctor's suggestion. "While I am not feeling great, I'm definitely feeling much better than I would have without the vaccine," King said. Wicker's office said he tested positive for the virus Thursday morning."Senator Wicker is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, is in good health, and is being treated by his Tupelo-based physician," a statement from his staff read. "He is isolating, and everyone with whom Senator Wicker has come in close contact recently has been notified."Hickenlooper announced his positive test a few hours later. "I feel good but will isolate per docs instructions. I'm grateful for the vaccine (& the scientists behind it!) for limiting my symptoms," Hickenlooper tweeted. "If you haven't gotten your shot—get it today! And a booster when it's available too!"The breakthrough cases emerged the day after U.S. health officials announced plans to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to Americans. They said the shots are needed to shore up their protection against the delta variant amid signs that the vaccines' effectiveness is waning over time.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. had announced Aug. 2 that he had tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. "Sending best wishes for a speedy recovery to my good friends and colleagues," he tweeted Thursday."If you have not already done so please #GetVaccinated," Graham added.Dozens of members of Congress have reported testing positive for COVID-19. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, 67, died from the disease early this year while Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, R-La., 41, died in December before being sworn into office. d
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Three senators test positive for COVID-19 in breakthrough cases
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https://www.wlwt.com/article/three-senators-test-positive-covid-breakthrough-cases/37353522
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"Hannah Paine"
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2021-08-20 01:53:11+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:33:00
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By now it seems like we’ve exhausted every kind of ridiculous fashion trend.
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Celebrities are going wild for upside-down bikinis, which appears to show them wearing their tops the wrong way around so they show more underboob.
Celebrities are going wild for upside-down bikinis, which appears to show them wearing their tops the wrong way around so they show more underboob....
By now it seems like we’ve exhausted every kind of ridiculous fashion trend.
There’s underboob tops so impractical you couldn’t wear them out of the house as well as dresses with splits so high, they’re basically loincloths.
Now a jacket made by a top fashion designer has been roasted online – not just because of its steep price – but because it looks exactly like a high-visibility construction jacket.
For $5625, fashionistas can purchase Balenciaga’s reversible logo-printed parka, an oversized jacket featuring the neon yellow, navy and silver highlights most familiarly seen on construction workers.
RELATED: Insanely tiny bikini trend no-one wants
The jacket features Balenciaga’s logo shortened to look more like a construction company name, but if you’re after a more subtle look you can reverse it and wear the navy side.
“For AW21, Balenciaga staged a dystopian collection, where the looks represented a sort of armour for everyday life,” the jacket’s description on retailer FarFetch’s website reads.
“In a neon yellow hue, this padded parka coat is defined by the practical reversible design and the padded silhouette.”
Unsurprisingly the jacket, which is also made in Italy and dry clean only, was met with a disbelieving reaction when it was shared on Twitter.
RELATED: Next-level G-string dress shocks
“Na Balenciaga have taken it toooo far now,” user @1steadypushing tweeted.
“This can’t be real,” one person wrote.
But another predicted the jacket was so outrageous people would buy it, tweeting: “The crazy thing is it will sell out.”
Others poked fun of the jacket on Instagram, where one person said you were essentially paying thousands to “look like a builder”.
“Employers in construction give you these for free,” another commented.
It’s not the only designer item to cop a roasting – back in March Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta was ridiculed for selling a $2680 necklace which social media users claimed looked just like a phone cord.
The similarities were pointed out by fashion watchdog Instagram account Diet Prada, who shared side-by-side shots of Bottega Veneta’s necklace and a pack of $6.40 telephone cords.
The post soon attracted hundreds of comments from people roasting the necklace’s design and steep price as “a joke”.
“$2000? Not a steal, that’s a damn robbery,” one commented.
“I don’t know what’s more ridiculous, they trying to sell this or the people who buy it,” another said.
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Balenciaga’s $5000 parka mocked for looking like a hi-vis jacket
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https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/fashion-trends/balenciaga-roasted-for-5000-highvis-tradie-jacket/news-story/44826d475d7996772879d33f51270e3c
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[
"James Hall"
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2021-08-20 02:14:53+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:20:00
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Queensland’s top doctor has eased the urgency on distributing the AstraZeneca jab because the state is “not in an outbreak”.
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Sky News host Peter Gleeson says the frustration is “palpable” for residents living on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. “There’s been suggestions that the border be sort of artificially moved about 10k’s south of Coolangatta down around the Tweed River so that those people can work,” Mr Gleeson said. He discussed the issue with Adoni Media Managing Director Leisa Goddard, who noted New South Wales has decided not to allow the border to be artificially shifted. “So people on that Tweed Coolangatta area are going to wake up to some very distressing news,” she said.
Sky News host Peter Gleeson says the frustration is “palpable” for residents living on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. “There’s been suggestions that the bo...
Queensland’s top doctor has eased the urgency on distributing the AstraZeneca jab because the state is “not in an outbreak”.
Supply of the vaccine was ramped up to issuing the second dose eight weeks after the first when the Delta cluster plagued the state’s southeast earlier this month.
But on Friday, chief health officer Jeannette Young said this urgency would be eased to 12 weeks between the two jabs.
“So for the vast majority of people, given we are not in an outbreak in Queensland at this point in time, wait for 12 weeks to get a second dose of AstraZeneca,” she told reporters.
Dr Young also reiterated the new eligibility rules for the Pfizer jab announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday.
Australians aged 16 to 39 will be able to access Pfizer vaccines from August 30 after a boost to supply of the vaccine was confirmed earlier in the week.
“Here in Queensland, I ask you all to register,” Dr Young said to the younger residents in the state.
“Then we can manage those bookings because I do not want an empty slot in any of our vaccine clinics. I want to pull people in so we can fill every single slot.
“The easiest way to do that is for people to register and then we can say come ahead and book and make sure that all of those spots are taken up.”
The top doctor said authorities will then turn their focus to vaccinating those aged between 12-15, with those who have underlying medical conditions to be preferred.
“For 12-15-year-olds, if you have any serious underlying disease, work with your paediatrician and make sure you organise a vaccine,” Dr Young said.
“It will not be long and will be looking at vaccinating all 12-15 -year-olds but at the moment it is only First Nations kids, 12-15 and kids with severe underlying disease.”
Dr Young has faced widespread criticism for her stance on vaccinations with eligibility criteria changing regularly based on various Covid-19 threats in the state.
The CHO made national headlines during the state’s earlier lockdown in June when she declared AstraZeneca should not be taken by under 60s despite a change in the ATAGI recommendation.
Australian Medical Association vice-president Chris Moy slammed this opinion at the time as “inappropriate” and reiterated his frustration with the CHO’s views earlier this month.
“My concern is advice that is given in a way that looks like a command can significantly reduce confidence in a vaccine that has been very effective,” he told NCA NewsWire.
“On the one hand she has concerns about a very tiny risk of doing something – which is giving the vaccine – but there’s also a massive risk in not doing something.
“If there’s an outbreak and people aren’t vaccinated, you’ve seen what is happening in Sydney at the moment and the number of people who are in hospital.”
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CHO Young eases urgency on AstraZeneca to 12 weeks between jabs
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https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/cho-jeannette-young-eases-urgency-on-astrazeneca-to-12weeks-between-jabs/news-story/179d9f87c1fc3ccf3fdb24cb2792a81d?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm+%28News.com.au+%7C+National+%7C+Breaking+News%29
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[
"Jessica Napoli",
"Fox News"
] |
2021-08-20 01:52:41+00:00
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2021-08-19 22:37:00
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Miranda Kerr says she liked her ex-husband Orlando Bloom’s new fiancee, Katy Perry, “immediately” after meeting her.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fentertainment%2Fcelebrity-life%2Fmiranda-kerr-on-katy-perry-and-her-annoying-brother-ex-orlando-bloom%2Fnews-story%2Fa986b8a820dae0206fc5e766611ca19d.json
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Supermodel and businesswoman Miranda Kerr has opened up on a podcast about her relationship with ex-husband Orlando Bloom - referring to him as her “annoying brother” and celebrating her friendship with his fiancee’ Katy Perry. "We go on holidays together. We celebrate all the important milestones together,” Mr Kerr said on the ‘Movements with Candace Parker’ podcast. "I love her. I mean, it'd be safe to say that I love her more than Flynn's dad.” Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom were married from 2010-2013 and share 10-year-old son Flynn together. Kerr has since married Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel and have had two kids and Orlando and Katy share a daughter. "He's, like, to me right now, a brother. And most of the time, an annoying brother,” Miranda said about Orlando. “[Perry] helps me deal with him. "I'm so grateful that she's there because it takes the pressure off me.”
Supermodel and businesswoman Miranda Kerr has opened up on a podcast about her relationship with ex-husband Orlando Bloom - referring to him as her “annoying brother” and cele...
Miranda Kerr says she liked her ex-husband Orlando Bloom’s new fiancee, Katy Perry, “immediately” after meeting her.
The Australian model, 38, talked about her first encounter with the singer on Tuesday’s episode of the Moments with Candace Parker podcast.
“When Orlando started dating Katy, I remember he invited me over one time and she was there, and we just immediately got along,” Kerr recalled. “I saw how she was with Flynn. She was very playful with Flynn. She was not trying to be his mum. She was just being friendly and fun, and that’s all you can ask for.”
RELATED: Bizarre detail in Orlando Bloom’s nude photo
Kerr and Bloom, 44, share son Flynn, 10, together.
“We hung out by the pool at his house in Malibu and then there was like a little party up the road, and we all went to it together and it was like, ‘Oh, this is great!’” she added.
Kerr admitted the three of them have a really solid co-parenting relationship. Kerr also has two sons Hart, 3, and Myles, 18 months, with her husband and Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel.
Meanwhile, Perry, 36, and Bloom welcomed their daughter, Daisy Dove, in August 2020.
“We go on holidays together. We celebrate all the important milestones together,” the KORA Organics founder said. “I love her. I mean, it’d be safe to say that I love her more than Flynn’s dad.”
“He’s, like, to me right now, a brother. And most of the time, an annoying brother,” she joked, adding how Perry “helps me deal with him.”
RELATED: Miranda Kerr slammed for sharing ‘dangerous’ advice
RELATED: Inside Miranda and Katy’s close friendship
“I’m so grateful that she’s there because it takes the pressure off me,” Kerr said.
Back in November, the former Victoria’s Secret model told Drew Barrymore that she adores the pop star.
“I adore Katy and I just feel so happy that Orlando has found someone that makes his heart so happy, because at the end of the day, for Flynn to have a happy father and a happy mother is just the most important thing,” she gushed. ”I’m just so grateful that Orlando and Katy found each other and I’m so grateful that I found my incredible husband and just that we all really respect each other.”
This story originally appeared on Fox News and is republished here with permission.
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www.news.com.au
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Miranda Kerr dishes on relationships with Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry
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https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/miranda-kerr-on-katy-perry-and-her-annoying-brother-ex-orlando-bloom/news-story/a986b8a820dae0206fc5e766611ca19d
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[
"Anthony Piovesan"
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2021-08-20 01:53:55+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:52:00
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Regional Victoria has recorded its first Covid-19 case of the state’s most recent outbreak, with health authorities issuing an alert for the Shepparton area.
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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the state has recorded 57 new cases of COVID-19, with 54 being linked to known outbreaks. Mr Andrews said 44 of the cases were in isolation for their infectious period and 41 returned a positive result on their day 13 tests. “When the vast majority of those have been in isolation for their infectious period that’s exactly what we want, that’s exactly the system working as it should work,” he said. “The numbers, yes they’re important but the story that sits behind those numbers is in fact more important than the numbers alone.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the state has recorded 57 new cases of COVID-19, with 54 being linked to known outbreaks. Mr Andrews said 44 of the cases were in isolati...
Regional Victoria has recorded its first Covid-19 case of the state’s most recent outbreak, with health authorities issuing an alert for the Shepparton area.
Goulburn Valley Health chief executive Matt Sharp said the positive case at Shepparton in central Victoria was reported on Friday morning.
“This person is currently at home and isolating,” he said.
“Contact tracing is underway and will continue as a primary focus of GV Health‘s Local Public Health Unit.
“Further details regarding any community locations of concern will be provided once this information is known and if it represents a concern.
“Anyone identified as a close contact will be contacted directly by the tracing team. Exposure sites will be published during the day as more information becomes available.”
Restrictions were eased in the regions within the first week of lockdown, after Premier Daniel Andrews said the virus had been contained within metropolitan Melbourne.
But on Thursday health authorities had warned they had noticed repeat detections of coronavirus in Shepparton’s wastewater – the period of concern was between August 9 and August 16.
Two additional drive through testing sites were being established in Shepparton and were expected to open later on Friday.
Victoria recorded 57 new local cases overnight – 25 were in isolation for their entire infectious period, and 49 were linked to known outbreaks.
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www.news.com.au
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Covid-19 case recorded in Shepparton
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https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/positive-covid-case-recorded-in-regional-victorias-shepparton/news-story/6f2764ab1f9e61551cb063af658e9683
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[
"Shankar Kasynathan"
] |
2021-08-20 01:54:16+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:11:00
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OPINION
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fsport%2Folympics%2Faustralian-team%2Faustralia-should-treat-afghanistan-refugees-the-same-as-our-olympians%2Fnews-story%2F9d52bf6df69ad299504f03349660619f.json
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Labor MP Ed Husic says if Australia “can do more we should do more” to take in refugees from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Mr Husic said the federal government “had been urged for months to step in” and to help Afghans who had assisted Australia’s war effort and NGOs. “The government took their time to respond to that and then sudden said we can’t, in the emerging events of this week, say we couldn’t have foreseen or that it has moved too quickly,” he told Sky News Australia. “I do welcome the fact that they have made those provisions within our intake, we haven’t necessarily taken in under our human program during the course of the pandemic as many people as possible.”
Labor MP Ed Husic says if Australia “can do more we should do more” to take in refugees from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Mr Husic said the federal government “had ...
OPINION
At the Olympics our refugees made us proud, now the Australian Government must make us proud, do the best it can, and help those trapped in Afghanistan
Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s response to the crisis unfolding in Afghanistan is at total odds with what I felt this country was about, just a couple of weeks ago, as we sat around our television sets watching one of our South Sudanese-born heroes, run for us all.
Initially only confirming that Australia would do the very minimum in not sending people back to danger and potentially death – the principle of non-refoulement, an essential protection under international human rights law – on Wednesday, the Minister also offered a miserly 3000 humanitarian visas, when we have capacity for many, many more.
RELATED: ‘Unimaginable’: Horror video in Kabul
During the Olympics our nation stopped for the evening to watch and celebrate the athleticism of a refugee whose family fled war torn Sudan and found safety in Australia. Peter Bol’s achievements on the track in Tokyo were worth celebrating. We were rightly proud of him both as a representative of our Australian Olympic team and also of ourselves as a nation for being the kind of society that provided a safe haven for Peter and his family when they were fleeing danger.
In the immediate moments after his race, Peter’s plea to all of us was to remember that he is more than a refugee. He too is just human, trying to do the best that he can.
RELATED: ‘Brazen’: Australia risks losing reputation
The irony only weeks later, in reading Mr Hawke’s response to the scale of the tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan, is his apparent inability to recognise our shared humanity. The Minister’s dismissal of whether Australia should be offering more in this dark hour, seemed to be lacking in just that: a basic principle of humanity. The ability to recognise the mass scale of human suffering.
Today across Australia, we have a vast number of refugees living in our communities – many of them from Afghanistan. Humans, all of them, trying to do the best they can. Some of them are serving in our hospitals, schools and other parts of society, trying to keep our country going through these challenging times.
In this way they are not only doing the best they can for themselves, but they are also doing the best they can for the rest of us. They should be celebrated too, for what they give to us as well as what we give to them – just like Peter Bol.
Over the last four years, Amnesty International’s My New Neighbour campaign has been working with communities and diaspora groups across Australia that want to see a better Community Support Program (CSP); one that allows local groups and organisations to sponsor a refugee who can then become part of their neighbourhood.
Throughout that time we have learnt one consistent truth across communities small and large: Australians benefit from and enjoy the strength and connection of “the neighbourhood”, and at the core of that is an empathy that seeds our care for our neighbours.
For the past 18 months though, the CSP program along with the annual humanitarian intake agreed by the Government has been on hold. When the borders shut in a bid to keep Covid-19 out, refugees along with thousands of Australians were left stranded overseas.
The catastrophic impact of this approach is now unfolding in Kabul. You don’t need to have a daughter, sister, niece, or mother to realise how horrifying it would be to have virtually nothing now standing between you and the Taliban regime with nowhere safe you can turn.
That deep empathy we felt when we celebrated Peter Bol making history in the Olympics, also lends itself to grief and fear when we sit with our Afghan friends in our neighbourhoods and watch this tragedy unfolding. It can also lead to anger. What are we doing to help?
Canada, which has had a successful CSP model in place for years, is stepping up and offering 20,000 additional places to Afghans now desperately seeking refuge. We are calling for our country to do the same – just as we did in the Syrian crisis in 2015.
The Government must immediately announce an increase to our humanitarian intake and reopen the borders to let refugees in. It must also act to protect Afghan nationals in Australia on temporary visas by extending their visas indefinitely.
And it must look at ways it can help respond to the humanitarian crisis going forward. A fair community refugee sponsorship program like the one in Canada works and people right around the country are ready to welcome refugees from Afghanistan and elsewhere into their communities.
Now is the moment for Minister Hawke to build a fair, just and lasting model of refugee sponsorship that makes sense to us all. He has the power to make this happen now and now is the time we need to see action – and compassion – from our Government.
Australia and its political leaders must not only embrace the contributions of refugees to Australia when it features Olympic stardom. It must also embrace those who have yet to reach these shores, but who desperately need our help. These are our friends, schoolmates and work colleagues of the future, and they need our help now, today.
When we accept we have a moral responsibility for those we have never met, who are just human and want to do the best they can, then we can feel truly proud as a nation.
Shankar Kasynathan is an Amnesty International campaigner, advocating for an improved Community Sponsorship Programme for refugees.
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Australia should treat Afghanistan refugees the same as our Olympians
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https://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/australian-team/australia-should-treat-afghanistan-refugees-the-same-as-our-olympians/news-story/9d52bf6df69ad299504f03349660619f
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[
"Nic Savage"
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2021-08-20 01:54:02+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:01:00
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Test captain Tim Paine has jumped to Justin Langer’s defence, confirming the leadership group has undertaken “robust conversations” about their coach as speculation rages about the Aussie legend’s position.
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Matthew Hayden has launched an attack on senior Aussie cricketers after a secret meeting to decide Justin Langer’s future.
Matthew Hayden has launched an attack on senior Aussie cricketers after a secret meeting to decide Justin Langer’s future....
Test captain Tim Paine has jumped to Justin Langer’s defence, confirming the leadership group has undertaken “robust conversations” about their coach as speculation rages about the Aussie legend’s position.
Murmurs of Langer’s overbearing management style causing unrest in the Australian dressing room have continued to leak out. The West Australian was reportedly involved in a heated public confrontation with a Cricket Australia staffer earlier this month while a damning opinion piece from a former staffer suggested a volatile team environment is wearing players down.
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CA chief executive Nick Hockley issued a statement of support for Langer on Wednesday night and Paine weighed in on the explosive situation on Friday.
“There’s no hiding from it – it’s been a tough week. Certainly tougher for Justin Langer than anyone else,” Paine told SEN Hobart.
“It‘s been a bit of a shame in the last week that a lot of the failings have been pinned on JL. That’s certainly not the case, we haven’t lived up to our own standards on the field.
“We are all on the same page, we are all trying to get better, we want to make Australian cricket as great as it always was.
“We want to be the best team in the world and to do that we have to have some tough and robust conversations and we’ve certainly done that as a senior group in the last 24 to 48 hours and we’ve come out of it really pumped about what’s ahead in the next six months.
“If you can imagine someone sitting in a room for 14 days reading this sort of stuff coming out all the time, it would have been bloody difficult.
“It was important that myself, Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins and the leaders of Australian cricket discussed things that needed to be discussed and then got around him and supported him and looked to move forward.”
Text message confirms Langer’s regret
As the storm around Langer continues to swirl, reports have emerged of a $40,000 pay gap causing friction between the former Test batter and his playing group.
Langer played a starring role in Amazon Prime docu-series The Test, which gave viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his first 12 months as Australian coach.
As first revealed by The Australian, each of the Australian cricketers featured in the docu-series received an $80,000 bonus in late 2020.
According to the report, players received the same amount irrespective of their screen-time, meaning Victorian young gun Will Pucovski – who appeared in the show for approximately 10 seconds playing a video game – collected the same sum as focal characters Aaron Finch and Steve Smith.
But a Sydney Morning Herald report on Friday revealed Langer was not as fortuitous, pre-emptively cutting a deal with Amazon Prime for a payment of approximately $40,000, half of what the players received.
The 50-year-old was reportedly frustrated with the outcome, telling the Sydney Morning Herald via text: “I look back at that moment in time and with hindsight I should have reacted differently.”
‘Leave him alone’: Hayden hits out
Meanwhile, cricket legend Matthew Hayden launched a stunning attack on players after The Australian reported Hockley and CA Chairman Earl Eddings organised a phone hook-up with senior team members to discuss the playing group’s relationship with the coach.
Hayden on Thursday night went on radio to defend his former opening partner before turning a flamethrower on players reported to be disgruntled about Langer’s attitude.
“A lot of the content coming out about this is downright disrespectful to a bloke that’s played over 100 Test matches,” Hayden told SEN’s The Sporting Capital.
“Even this facetious discussion amongst senior players last night that obviously Pete Lalor (The Australian’s chief cricket reporter) was onto about deciding Justin Langer’s future. Umm, hello! what about meeting about the fact you’re No. 3 in Test cricket and No. 3 in ODI rankings, and No. 6 in T20 rankings?
“Waste more energy and time thinking about that than discussing a bloke who’s a legend of the game and so passionate about Australian cricket and culture.
“It reeks of the lyric, ‘sixth months in a leaky boat’. So many holes are now coming out.
“Leave him alone. Let him do his job and for god’s sake listen to what he is saying. I’m telling you, if you don’t listen to him, you’re going to have the same results and you’re going to have to listen to someone else that is basically going to say the same thing until you get the message.”
Australia’s poor record under Langer has exacerbated the off-field drama; the national T20 side has not won a bilateral series since before the coronavirus pandemic.
Leading into the highly-anticipated Men’s T20 World Cup, the one ICC trophy Australia has never lifted, Langer’s side has lost 15 of its last 21 T20 matches.
On Thursday, Australia unveiled its 15-player squad for the T20 World Cup, which gets underway in October.
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Tim Paine weighs in on explosive Justin Langer cricket storm
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[
"Erin Lyons"
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2021-08-20 02:15:06+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:19:00
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Another 642 new virus cases have been recorded in NSW and four more people have died.
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Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says the 80 per cent vaccination rate for NSW will likely be attained in October but health experts believe it might not be enough to open up absolutely everything if cases continue to rise. “Schools are going to be a problem for a start because kids are not vaccinated, we now have Sydney Children's Hospital treating 700 kids with COVID, the vast majority thankfully as outpatients,” Mr Clennell said. “I know there was a view in the New South Wales government this morning that an increase in the uptake of Victorian daily cases from 25 to 57 meant no one could contain the Delta strain and that seems to have formed the view in the press conference. “But as Dan Andrews pointed out, the vast majority of those cases were in isolation on day 12 and 13 of their quarantine. Perhaps that's why Gladys Berejiklian came out this morning with one of her biggest 'let it run' speeches of the pandemic." "Not so much 'let it rip' but, it seems, 'let it run', saying we need to co-exist with Delta, vaccination is the answer, we will be able to travel overseas again. “So the message today with another record number of cases – 681 – is it will all be fine because we are getting vaccinated. With Kerry Chant not there today, less emphasis on getting case numbers down. “The premier even mirrored Scott Morrison's saying of the week that there was light at the end of the tunnel. The first light will be vaccinated hairdressers allowed to operate apparently. “Of course, the positive talk comes after previous occasions Berejiklian has spoken about a national emergency and that she has had a giant wakeup call on the case numbers. “With a more vaccinated older population, the death rate compared to the last Victorian wave is simply not as high. But the ICU rate is getting there. “The strain on the hospital system is the issue once we pass 1,000 cases a day and it goes on for weeks, which will happen without tighter restrictions and compliance until we hit that 80 per cent vaccination mark.”
Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says the 80 per cent vaccination rate for NSW will likely be attained in October but health experts believe it might not be enough to...
Another 642 new virus cases have been recorded in NSW and four more people have died.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 132,000 people got tested in the latest 24 hour reporting period before revealing Sydney’s lockdown would be extended to the end of September.
A swath of new restrictions including curfews will be in place for local government areas of concerns.
Of the new cases, 134 were linked to a known case or cluster – including 107 household contacts and 27 close contacts. But there were 508 infections yet to be linked.
Two of the new cases actually caught the disease while in the ACT and are now isolating in southern NSW, Ms Berejiklian said.
The four deaths include a woman in her 80s from Sydney’s inner-west who died at Royal North Shore Hospital.
She was a resident at Wyoming Aged Care Facility and is the fourth death linked to that cluster, a statement from NSW Health said.
A man in his 70s from southeast Sydney died at St George Hospital and a man in his 80s from western Sydney died at Nepean Hospital bring that cluster to two deaths.
NSW recorded 644 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm.
Of these locally acquired cases, 134 are linked to a known case or cluster – 107 are household contacts and 27 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 508 cases is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/cdIcVbmw2p — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 20, 2021
“A previously reported Covid-19 death, a man in his 70s from western Sydney who died on August 17 at Nepean Hospital, is now also linked to this (cluster),” NSW Health said.
A woman in her 80s from southwest Sydney also died at Campbelltown Hospital.
Sixty-five people have now died during the latest outbreak which started on June 16.
The Party Games newsletter Get your political briefing from news.com.au's political editor Samantha Maiden. Sign up The Party Games newsletter Success! Check your inbox for details. See all newsletters
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said vaccination rates needed to grow if the state wanted to avoid more hospitalisations and deaths.
“I do not want to be standing here every day announcing these high rates of hospitalisations and these deaths,” she said.
“Every one of these deaths is someone mother, father, grandmother or grandfather.”
The new infections were spread across Sydney with 256 in western Sydney, 222 in Sydney’s southwest, 47 in inner Sydney, 35 in the Nepean Blue Mountains, 27 in Western NSW, 25 in southeast Sydney, eight in northern Sydney, three on the Central Coast and three in the Hunter New England Region.
More to come
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642 new virus cases, four deaths
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"Sam Clench"
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2021-08-20 01:53:04+00:00
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2021-08-19 15:07:00
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US President Joe Biden has been grilled on his handling of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in his first interview since Kabul fell to the Taliban.
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Joe Biden got cranky as he was grilled on the botched US withdrawal from Afghanistan, in his first interview since Kabul fell to the Taliban.
Joe Biden got cranky as he was grilled on the botched US withdrawal from Afghanistan, in his first interview since Kabul fell to the Taliban....
US President Joe Biden has been grilled on his handling of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in his first interview since Kabul fell to the Taliban.
Mr Biden spoke to Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulos yesterday, and the interview aired on this morning’s show.
It’s only the second time he has spoken about the Afghanistan crisis in public. After giving a blame-shifting speech to the American people earlier this week, he did not address the topic at all during a press conference on Wednesday and refused to take any questions.
Given the chance to ask some, Stephanopoulos didn’t waste any time.
“Let’s get right to it,” he said.
“Back in July, you said a Taliban takeover was ‘highly unlikely’. Was the intelligence wrong, or did you downplay it?”
“There was no consensus,” said Mr Biden.
“If you go back and look at the intelligence reports, they said that it’s more likely to be sometime by the end of the year.
“I think you’re going to see the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and others speaking about this later today.”
Clearly, the interview was recorded before General Mark Milley held a media conference on Wednesday, in which said “nothing I or anyone else saw” indicated a collapse of the Afghan army and government “in 11 days”.
“But you didn’t put a timeline on it when you said it was highly unlikely. You just said flat out, ‘It’s highly unlikely the Taliban would take over,’” Stephanopoulos pointed out.
“Yeah, well, the question was whether or not it – the idea that the Taliban would take over was premised on the notion that somehow, the 300,000 troops we had trained and equipped were just going to collapse, they were going to give up,” said Mr Biden.
“I don’t think anybody anticipated that.”
RELATED: Embarrassing US admission amid Kabul chaos
EXCLUSIVE: Asked about July comment that a Taliban takeover was “highly unlikely,” Pres. @JoeBiden tells @GStephanopoulos, “there was no consensus” in the intelligence. “They said it was more likely to be by the end of the year.” https://t.co/NmBEmVRw8Mpic.twitter.com/LSXSC51ox8 — Good Morning America (@GMA) August 19, 2021
“So when you look at what’s happened over the last week, was it a failure of intelligence, planning, execution or judgment?” asked Stephanopoulos.
“Look, I don’t think it was a – look it was a simple choice, George,” said the President.
“When you had the government of Afghanistan, the leader of that government, get in a plane and take off and go to another country. When you saw the significant collapse of the Afghan troops we had trained, up to 300,000 of them just leaving their equipment and taking off, that was – you know, I’m not – that’s what happened. That’s simply what happened.”
The now former Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country as the Taliban advanced into Kabul.
“So the question was, in the beginning, the threshold question was do we commit to leave within the time frame we’ve set? We extended it to September 1. Or do we put significantly more troops in?” Mr Biden continued, alluding to his predecessor Donald Trump’s agreement with the Taliban to fully withdraw US forces by May 1.
“I hear people say, ‘Well, you had 2500 folks in there and nothing was happening.’ You know, there wasn’t any war.
“But guess what? The fact was that the reason it wasn’t happening is the last president negotiated a year earlier that he’d be out by May 1 and that, in return, there would be no attack on American forces. That’s why nothing was happening.
“I had a simple choice. If I had said, ‘We’re going to stay,’ then we’d better prepare to put a whole hell of a lot more troops in.”
Stephanopoulos asked whether Mr Biden would still have withdrawn US forces in this manner if Mr Trump hadn’t made that deal with the Taliban.
“I would have tried to figure out how to withdraw those troops, yes,” he said.
“There is no good time to leave Afghanistan. Fifteen years ago would have been a problem, or 15 years from now. The basic choice is, am I going to send your sons and your daughters to war in Afghanistan in perpetuity?
“We spent over a trillion dollars, George. Twenty years. There was no good time to leave.”
RELATED: Taliban blocks Aussies from rescue flight
Much of the criticism Mr Biden has copped has little to do with his broad decision to withdraw. It’s been about the botched execution of that withdrawal, which allowed the Taliban to conquer Afghanistan swiftly and has left thousands of people stranded, at its mercy.
Yesterday the US embassy in Kabul admitted it “cannot ensure safe passage” to the airport for Americans who wish to leave. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US military does “not have the capability” to go outside the airport and escort “large numbers of people” to safety.
Afghans who helped the US and are now at risk of retribution from the Taliban are in an even worse position than the American citizens. There have been reports of Afghans with all the correct paperwork – including, in some cases, green cards granting them permanent residency in the US – being denied entry to the airport at Taliban checkpoints.
“If you know you’re going to leave eventually, why not have everything in place to make sure Americans could get out, and to make sure our Afghan allies get out, so we don’t have these chaotic scenes in Kabul?” Stephanopoulos asked.
Mr Biden again blamed the US intelligence community for advising him the Taliban would not advance so quickly.
“We’re in a position where what we did was take precautions,” he said.
“That’s why I authorised that there be 6000 American troops flown in to accommodate this exit, and provided all those aircraft to get people out. We pre-positioned that, anticipated that. Now granted, it took two days to take control of the airport. We have control now.”
Stephanopoulos reminded him that there was, and still is, “a lot of pandemonium” outside the airport, as thousands of people try to get inside.
“Oh, there is. But look, no one’s being killed right now,” Mr Biden said.
“We got 1200 out yesterday, a couple thousand today, and it’s increasing. We are going to get those people out.”
RELATED: Gunshots erupt outside Kabul airport
Now we reach the point at which Mr Biden got snappy.
“We’ve all seen the pictures. We’ve seen those hundreds of people packed into a C-17. You’ve seen Afghans falling-”
“That was four days ago, five days ago!” the President interjected.
Stephanopoulos was about to refer to the horrifying images of Afghans falling to their deaths after clinging to the exterior of departing US planes.
That actually happened just a couple of days before the interview, though why it would matter is beyond me. Deaths don’t stop being tragic after four days.
“What did you think when you first saw those pictures?” Stephanopuolos asked.
“What I thought was, we have to gain control of this. We have to move this quickly. We have to move in a way in which we can take control of that airport. And we did,” said Mr Biden.
“You don’t think this could have been handled, this exit, better in any way? No mistakes?” said Stephanopoulos.
“No,” the President insisted.
“I don’t think it could have been handled in a way that – we’re going to go back, in hindsight, and look. But the idea that somehow there’s a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don’t know how that happens.”
Stephanopoulos did extract a commitment from Mr Biden that US troops would stay in Afghanistan until “every American who wants to be out” had been evacuated, even if that meant remaining past the current deadline of August 31.
“How about our Afghan allies? We have about 80,000 people. Is that too high?” he asked.
“That’s too high,” said Mr Biden.
“The estimate we’re giving is somewhere between 50,000 and 65,000 folks total, counting their families.”
“Does the commitment hold for them as well?” the anchor asked.
“The commitment holds to get everyone out that, in fact, we can get out,” he answered.
“That’s the objective. That’s what we’re doing now, and I think we’ll get there.”
RELATED: America has betrayed its allies again
.@GStephanopoulos: “Do you believe the Taliban have changed?”
Pres. @JoeBiden: “I think they're going through sort of an existential crisis about do they want to be recognized by the int’l community as being a legitimate government.”https://t.co/A4pXKaCLKXpic.twitter.com/XFAwi1uuMB — Good Morning America (@GMA) August 19, 2021
The conversation eventually turned to the future of Afghanistan, and what Afghans – particularly women – will endure under the Taliban’s rule.
“Do you believe that Taliban has changed?” asked Stephanopoulos.
“No,” said Mr Biden.
“Let me put it this way. I think they’re going through a sort of, an existential crisis, about do they want to be recognised by the international community as being a legitimate government. I’m not sure they do.
“But they care about whether they have food to eat, whether they have an income, can make any money and run an economy. They care about whether or not they can hold together a society that they say they care so much about.
“I’m not counting on any of that.”
In a press conference earlier this week, the Taliban claimed it would not retaliate against Afghans who helped the US or the previous government, among other things. Similar promises in the past have proven to be empty.
“What do we owe the Afghans who are left behind, particularly Afghan women, who are facing the prospect of subjugation again?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“As many as we can get out, we should,” said the President.
“But here’s the deal, George. The idea that we’re able to deal with the rights of women around the world by military force is not rational.
“Look what’s happened to the Uighurs in western China. Look what’s happening in other parts of the world. I mean, there are a lot of places where women are being subjugated. The way to deal with that is not with a military invasion. The way to deal with it is putting economic, diplomatic and international pressure on them to change their behaviour.”
That answer will bring little comfort to the women of Afhganistan, whose rights are already being severely curtailed.
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Joe Biden grilled on Afghanistan withdrawal in first interview since Taliban took Kabul
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[
"James Hall"
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2021-08-20 02:14:31+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:53:00
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The lockdown imposed on millions of residents across Greater Sydney has been extended by another month and residents across greater Sydney will be required to wear a mask at all times while outdoors.
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Sky News host Peter Gleeson says the frustration is “palpable” for residents living on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. “There’s been suggestions that the border be sort of artificially moved about 10k’s south of Coolangatta down around the Tweed River so that those people can work,” Mr Gleeson said. He discussed the issue with Adoni Media Managing Director Leisa Goddard, who noted New South Wales has decided not to allow the border to be artificially shifted. “So people on that Tweed Coolangatta area are going to wake up to some very distressing news,” she said.
Sky News host Peter Gleeson says the frustration is “palpable” for residents living on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. “There’s been suggestions that the bo...
The lockdown imposed on millions of residents across Greater Sydney has been extended by another month and residents across greater Sydney will be required to wear a mask at all times while outdoors.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the strict stay-at-home orders would be in place until the end of September at least after the state recorded 642 new infections on Friday.
From 12.01 Monday, a curfew will also be imposed from 9pm and 5am in the 12 local government areas of concern which authorities said would “help reduce the movement of young people”.
Outdoor exercise will be reduced to one hour per day in those LGA’s and all school exams will be moved to online except for those doing their HSC.
Across all of greater Sydney, mask wearing will be mandatory when outside your home, except when exercising.
NSW Police will also be given special powers to lockdown entire apartment complexes amid threats of Covid-19 infections.
The twelve LGA’s of concern are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith and Strathfield.
Ms Berejiklian also announced the following venues must close except for click and collect: garden centres and plant nurseries, office supplies, hardware and building supplies, landscaping material supplies, rural supplies, and pet supplies.
By August 30, childcare workers and disability support workers who live or work in the LGAs of concern must have their first vaccination dose while those who work outside these areas will only be permitted to work if rapid antigen testing is implemented at their worksite or they have received at least one dose.
From August 28, authorised workers within these areas of concern will be required to carry a permit from Service NSW declaring that they are an authorised worker and cannot work from home
The lockdown extension will be focused on Greater Sydney and does not include Shellharbour and the Central Coast, which are considered regional areas.
The Party Games newsletter Get your political briefing from news.com.au's political editor Samantha Maiden. Sign up The Party Games newsletter Success! Check your inbox for details. See all newsletters
Chief health officer Kerry Chant said she “strongly supports this comprehensive bundle of new measures” in reaction to the escalation of the crisis plaguing the state.
“We needed these measures to slow the growth of this escalating outbreak, and give us time to vaccinate our population, to save lives and prevent hospitalisation.”
Ms Berejiklian said the ramping up of rules imposed on Sydney was based on soaring case numbers amid grilling from reporters on Friday as to why it took so long to implement new measures.
“In addition to feedback from police about compliance, it was heartbreaking to hear that on consecutive days a couple of hundred people did not have a reasonable reason for being out of the house and moving around the community,” she said.
“That is a concern.”
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Full list of new rules explained
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[
"Anthony Piovesan"
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2021-08-20 01:53:48+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:21:00
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The Tasmanian Premier has announced a “lockdown plan” despite the state having zero active Covid-19 cases in the community.
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Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have closed their borders to travellers from south-east Queensland, as 11 LGAs in the state are plunged into a three-day lockdown to contain the spread of growing COVID-19 infections.
Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have closed their borders to travellers from south-east Queensland, as 11 LGAs in the state are plunged into a three-day lockdown...
The Tasmanian Premier has announced a “lockdown plan” despite the state having zero active Covid-19 cases in the community.
Peter Gutwein said he was not declaring a lockdown at Friday’s morning announcement, instead providing Tasmanians with a plan if a Covid-19 situation was to suddenly escalate.
Mr Gutwein said the state government’s intention would be “to go in as hard as we possibly can” and then “come out quickly”.
That would mean a snap lockdown of three to five days, he told reporters.
“What we’re doing is putting out a plan to indicate to people what could, and will occur,” the Premier said.
Mr Gutwein said depending on the type of outbreak, officials would base the rules on the public health advice at the time.
But Mr Gutwein said Tasmanians could be assured they would be able to shop for essential items, go out for medical reasons, get tested for Covid-19 and get the vaccination.
“Whether it’s applied to the whole state, or to a regional area will depend on the circumstances of the incursion and the advice of public health,” Mr Gutwein said.
“There are locked down plan details on restrictions for businesses, on gatherings, home visits and access to aged care facilities and hospitals as well as the use of face masks,
“There is a clear list of authorised businesses and authorised workers based on central needs and operations.”
Mr Gutwein said there was no “magic number to trigger a lockdown and how long lockdown will last”.
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“We‘re not in lockdown, I want to make that perfectly clear,” he said.
“I encourage all Tasmanians to familiarise themselves with the plan that we’re putting out today.”
The two page plan will be provided on the state government’s website later on Friday.
About 34.5 per cent of eligible Tasmanians are fully vaccinated, with 54.6 per cent of the state’s population having received one dose.
Tasmania’s border is shut to NSW which was deemed a tier on high risk area, while Victoria and the Litchfield and Katherine local government areas in Northern Territory were deemed tier two high risk.
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Tasmania Premier Peter Gutwein unveils snap Covid-19 lockdown plan
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[
"Courtney Gould"
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2021-08-20 02:15:20+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:56:00
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A decision on whether Australia can move forward with the vaccination of children will be made within the coming days, the health minister has said.
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From the end of this month, millions of Australians over the age of 16 will get access to the Pfizer jab. Children as young as 12 are next in line, with the green light expected to be given by health experts within days but the Northern Territory is rolling the vaccine out to children already. The rollout is finally picking up pace as half of eligible Australians have received their first dose and now over eight million people will have a chance to get vaccinated. Federal cabinet has accepted the Doherty Institute health advice indicating young people are the most likely to get the Delta variant and are the peak transmitters. Some as young as 12 with specific medical conditions or who are most at risk are already eligible for the jab.
From the end of this month, millions of Australians over the age of 16 will get access to the Pfizer jab. Children as young as 12 are next in line, with the green light expect...
A decision on whether Australia can move forward with the vaccination of children will be made within the coming days, the health minister has said.
Australia’s expert panel on vaccinations, ATAGI, is currently reviewing if the vaccine rollout should be expanded to include children aged 12-15 years.
Health Minister Greg Hunt on Friday said he expected the panel to hand down its advice within the week.
“I’m hopeful we‘ll get a decision from them within the next week and then as a consequence of that, we will be in a position to ensure it is made available to kids 12 to 15,” he told Seven’s Sunrise.
Last month, the national medical regulator – the Therapeutic Goods Administration – approved the use of Pfizer in children in the age group.
Children aged 12-15 years old who are Indigenous or have an underlying health condition have been eligible for the vaccine since August 9.
The push to open up Covid-19 vaccinations to children follows a number of outbreaks in schools and childcare settings.
NSW Health statistics released this week revealed there have been more than double the amount of coronavirus cases in patients aged zero to 19 years old than the next highest age bracket over the past seven weeks.
In Victoria, of the state’s 246 cases, 111 infections are in children under the age of 19.
Meanwhile Canberra’s current outbreak has been linked to six schools, with Senator Katy Gallagher’s 14-year-old daughter confirmed to have caught the virus at a school drama class.
Australia’s vaccine rollout plan, Operation Covid Shield, indicates an in-school vaccination program could begin in the latter have of the year, but it is dependent on supply.
When asked if we could see the vaccine opened up for under 12s, Mr Hunt said it would be dependent on international research.
“In terms of under [12], at this stage we don’t have an application. Clinical trials are being conducted around the world,” he said.
“I don’t want to set false expectations on information or timing.”
On Thursday Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced Australians aged 16 to 39 would be able to access Pfizer vaccines from August 30.
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Pfizer vaccine could be approved for young people within days: Greg Hunt
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https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/pfizer-to-be-approved-for-children-in-days-health-minister-greg-hunt-says/news-story/e7ca0cd557e1400f358f9b81ac7b0920?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm+%28News.com.au+%7C+National+%7C+Breaking+News%29
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[
"Brooke Rolfe"
] |
2021-08-20 01:52:56+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:40:00
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Adult content subscription service OnlyFans has announced it will be banning creators from sharing sexually explicit material in the coming weeks.
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The adult content platform exploded in popularity in 2020 with several celebs making eye-watering amounts of money.
The adult content platform exploded in popularity in 2020 with several celebs making eye-watering amounts of money....
Adult content subscription service OnlyFans has announced it will be banning creators from sharing sexually explicit material in the coming weeks.
The website swelled in popularity during the global coronavirus pandemic, with musicians and artists as well as sex workers taking to the platform to make mega bucks.
While utilised by a broad range of industries, the site has earned its reputation as the hot spot for influencers and sex workers to post sexually explicit photos and videos.
In a shock announcement this week however, OnlyFans revealed it would no longer allow such material to be shared from October, Bloomberg reported.
“In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines,” OnlyFans said.
The changes were provoked by pressure from payment providers and banking partners, according to the company.
It said the diversion away from sexual content would aid in its ability to raise more than $1 billion from outside investors.
While the new rules will likely make it difficult for sex workers to sell their usual sexually explicit content, they will still allow for the sharing of nude photos and videos.
The content will need to comply with the company’s new policies, which it has yet to release details on.
It’s understood the website will shift more towards hosting the content of chefs, fitness instructors and musicians, more so than that of sex workers.
More than 130 million people globally use the website, including mainstream celebrities Cardi B, Tyga and, infamously, Bella Thorne.
When Thorne joined the app in August last year, she broke a record by earning $US1.39 million ($A1.9 million) on her first day on the platform.
However, she was criticised shortly after by sex workers on the app, which later made pricing changes that financially impacted its content creators.
OnlyFans capped fan tips at $US100 ($A132) and pay-per-view post charges at $US50 ($A66).
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www.news.com.au
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OnlyFans to ban sexually explicit content from October
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https://www.news.com.au/finance/adult-subscription-site-onlyfans-announces-sexually-explicit-content-will-be-banned-in-weeks/news-story/6b6b2d28ebae1d509abc85479547c418
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[
"Dom Tripolone"
] |
2021-08-20 01:54:23+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:25:00
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MG is a brand on the rise, it has gone from obscurity to a top 10 selling brand in the past few years as buyers warm to its vehicles’ good looks and strong value. We test out its new top-shelf family SUV.
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MG's new HS plug-in hybrid SUV has rolled into showrooms with sharp pricing and impressive performance.
MG's new HS plug-in hybrid SUV has rolled into showrooms with sharp pricing and impressive performance....
MG is a brand on the rise, it has gone from obscurity to a top 10 selling brand in the past few years as buyers warm to its vehicles’ good looks and strong value. We test out its new top-shelf family SUV.
VALUE
The MG HS is a mid-size SUV similar in size to the popular Toyota RAV4.
Prices start at a headline grabbing $29,990 for the base Core and rise to $47,990 for the plug-in hybrid version.
We are testing the recently added MG HS Essence X, the most expensive petrol version, priced at $42,990 drive-away.
That sounds like a lot of money for an emerging brand that has relied on cheap and cheerful machines, but you’d be hard pressed to find a similar sized SUV this well equipped. A similar spec Mazda CX-5 or Hyundai Tucson will set you back up to $10,000 more.
It benefits from the addition of a larger, more powerful 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, sportier dual-clutch auto and all-wheel drive over the 1.5-litre turbo/front-wheel drive set-up of the non X badged HS versions.
The HS is handsomely styled with a crisp design and plenty of flashy touches such as big 18-inch alloy wheels.
There is a 10-inch touchscreen that is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Navigating the menu takes time and can be distracting. Some touchscreen functions would work better with simple buttons or dials.
MG soothes any reliability worries with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty and roadside assistance. The company is yet to formalise a capped price servicing program.
COMFORT
Passengers are treated to firm but supportive leather wrapped seats with a heating function for the front pair. Visibility is excellent thanks to the high driving position.
There are plenty of soft-touch surfaces, high gloss highlights and chrome elements throughout the cabin. Build quality seemed to be up to scratch – our test car had no noticeable creaks or rattles. The suspension is reasonably well sorted, soaking up smaller bumps but wallowing sometimes over bigger dips.
Decent insulation keeps road noise and tyre roar to a minimum.
SAFETY
Every HS has a comprehensive range of active driver aids.
The HS will brake automatically if it detects a collision with a car ahead and the lane-keep assist will make sure you don’t wander into other lanes, gently tugging at the steering wheel if you begin to stray. It’ll let you know if there is an object in your blind spot or if another vehicle is approaching as you reverse out of your driveway or parking spot.
DRIVING
There’s room for improvement here. The 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine makes 168kW and 360Nm. They are strong numbers on paper but they fail to translate in the real world.
The six-speed dual-clutch automatic can hold on to gears for too long, leading to excessive revving. The auto feels a bit unrefined and power doesn’t always arrive in a smooth fashion. On the freeway it performs well. It feels solid and planted at speed and is capable of overtaking with little fuss.
The all-wheel drive set-up is a welcome addition and is complemented by grippy Michelin tyres. There is some lean through the twisty sections, but this is a trade off for a more comfortable urban commute.
Fuel use is claimed to be 9.5L/100km. That’s too high and you’ll struggle to hit the number unless you do lots of open road driving.
VERDICT 3/5
The MG HS represents solid value and does a lot of things right, but the drive experience and fuel use leave room for improvement.
ALTERNATIVES
Mazda CX-5 GT Turbo, $49,990 drive-away
Good looks, stunning cabin and punchy turbo engine. More expensive and shorter warranty.
Hyundai Tucson Elite 1.6, from about $47,000 drive-away
Loads of safety kit with a feisty and efficient turbo engine. Polarising looks.
Haval H6 Ultra, $36,990 drive-away
Slightly bigger and much cheaper but not as nice to drive.
MG HS ESSENCE X VITALS
Price: $42,990 drive-away
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol, 168kW/360Nm
Warranty/servicing: 7 year/unlimited km, no capped price servicing
Safety: 6 airbags, auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, bird’s eye view camera
Thirst: 9.5L/100km
Cargo: 463 litres
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www.news.com.au
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2021 MG HS X review: All-wheel drive and luxury kit on a budget
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https://www.news.com.au/technology/motoring/new-cars/2021-mg-hs-x-review-allwheel-drive-and-luxury-kit-on-a-budget/news-story/c21b5b2832daccda9d46ec0cccd88049
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[
"Courtney Gould"
] |
2021-08-20 01:53:25+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:56:00
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A decision on whether Australia can move forward with the vaccination of children will be made within the coming days, the health minister has said.
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From the end of this month, millions of Australians over the age of 16 will get access to the Pfizer jab. Children as young as 12 are next in line, with the green light expected to be given by health experts within days but the Northern Territory is rolling the vaccine out to children already. The rollout is finally picking up pace as half of eligible Australians have received their first dose and now over eight million people will have a chance to get vaccinated. Federal cabinet has accepted the Doherty Institute health advice indicating young people are the most likely to get the Delta variant and are the peak transmitters. Some as young as 12 with specific medical conditions or who are most at risk are already eligible for the jab.
From the end of this month, millions of Australians over the age of 16 will get access to the Pfizer jab. Children as young as 12 are next in line, with the green light expect...
A decision on whether Australia can move forward with the vaccination of children will be made within the coming days, the health minister has said.
Australia’s expert panel on vaccinations, ATAGI, is currently reviewing if the vaccine rollout should be expanded to include children aged 12-15 years.
Health Minister Greg Hunt on Friday said he expected the panel to hand down its advice within the week.
“I’m hopeful we‘ll get a decision from them within the next week and then as a consequence of that, we will be in a position to ensure it is made available to kids 12 to 15,” he told Seven’s Sunrise.
Last month, the national medical regulator – the Therapeutic Goods Administration – approved the use of Pfizer in children in the age group.
Children aged 12-15 years old who are Indigenous or have an underlying health condition have been eligible for the vaccine since August 9.
The push to open up Covid-19 vaccinations to children follows a number of outbreaks in schools and childcare settings.
NSW Health statistics released this week revealed there have been more than double the amount of coronavirus cases in patients aged zero to 19 years old than the next highest age bracket over the past seven weeks.
In Victoria, of the state’s 246 cases, 111 infections are in children under the age of 19.
Meanwhile Canberra’s current outbreak has been linked to six schools, with Senator Katy Gallagher’s 14-year-old daughter confirmed to have caught the virus at a school drama class.
Australia’s vaccine rollout plan, Operation Covid Shield, indicates an in-school vaccination program could begin in the latter have of the year, but it is dependent on supply.
When asked if we could see the vaccine opened up for under 12s, Mr Hunt said it would be dependent on international research.
“In terms of under [12], at this stage we don’t have an application. Clinical trials are being conducted around the world,” he said.
“I don’t want to set false expectations on information or timing.”
On Thursday Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced Australians aged 16 to 39 would be able to access Pfizer vaccines from August 30.
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Pfizer vaccine could be approved for young people within days: Greg Hunt
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https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/pfizer-to-be-approved-for-children-in-days-health-minister-greg-hunt-says/news-story/e7ca0cd557e1400f358f9b81ac7b0920
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[
"Joel Gould"
] |
2021-08-20 02:15:00+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:30:00
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Ryan Papenhuyzen admits he has a target on him but insists he won’t hide from the physical contact as he makes a strong case to retain his starting fullback jersey for the Storm.
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NRL: The Melbourne Storm have defeated the Gold Coast Titans in their round 23 clash at Cbus Super Stadium.
NRL: The Melbourne Storm have defeated the Gold Coast Titans in their round 23 clash at Cbus Super Stadium....
Ryan Papenhuyzen admits he has a target on him but insists he won’t hide from the physical contact as he makes a strong case to retain his starting fullback jersey for the Storm.
Starting at number one for the first time since Magic Round when he was severely concussed by a head high tackle, Papenhuyzen copped a couple of high shots that won penalties for his team in the NRL record-equalling 34-20 win over the Titans on Thursday night.
He got straight back up from the heavy hits and launched himself into the fray in his best game for the club since returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The 23-year-old knows teams will target him physically and push the boundaries, but Papenhuyzen is ready to embrace the challenge.
“I can’t hide from the contact. That’s not going to happen,” Papenhuyzen said.
“If I play like that I won’t be the player I want to be, so I am going to go out with the mentality of ‘if you don’t go hard you are going to get hurt’.
“That is the mentality I have to go in with. It felt like (I was targeted) a little bit, but that is to be expected to be fair. Teams are going to do that and I know it is going to happen. If we get penalties for it and march down the field, I am happy with that too.
“Those knocks help my confidence too, just knowing I can take it and get back up.
“It felt good getting involved really early with the first aggressive involvement. You get the kick-return and get belted and you get that adrenalin back.”
Coach Craig Bellamy said Papenhuyzen and Nicho Hynes, who played in the halves against the Titans after starring at fullback in Papenhuyzen’s absence, would be in the 17 going forward.
“We haven’t got Hynes or Papenhuyzen. We’ve got Hynes and Papenhuyzen,” Bellamy said.
Papenhuyzen’s display against the Gold Coast did please the coach.
“I was really happy with how he played,” Bellamy said.
“I hope in the next couple of weeks he will keep improving and be cherry ripe for September.”
Papenhuyzen, who had come off the bench in his previous three games, is not sure which way Bellamy will go, but he has no intention of giving up his number one jersey without a fight.
“Your guess is as good as mine, but it is a good headache to have,” Papenhuyzen said.
“ Guys will probably get rested in the next few weeks or so to try and get us ready for the finals, and if that means I can start more, then I can plead my case to start again.
“One hundred per cent (I want to start). I know what I can offer. I know what Nicho can offer too, so it is one of those decisions the coaches and a few of the players have to make as well.
“I love playing with Nicho. He is a great player. If we can both be on the field at the same time, then that is going to be pretty dangerous.
“I was able to start and put everything I have built the last four weeks into a starting position.
“I thought I did that pretty well. There is a little bit to go, but I felt heaps more comfortable.”
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www.news.com.au
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NRL news; Ryan Papenhuyzen wants to start at fullback for Storm
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https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-storm-star-ryan-papenhuyzen-knows-teams-will-look-to-hurt-him-in-the-finals/news-story/466d3ca83f6aa94eb0d980c85d9f2791?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm+%28News.com.au+%7C+National+%7C+Breaking+News%29
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[
"Ellen Ransley"
] |
2021-08-20 01:53:40+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:22:00
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A young child who had four negative Covid-19 tests has been revealed as the state’s latest case.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fnational%2Fqueensland%2Fnews%2Fqld-child-diagnosed-with-covid-despite-four-negative-tests-linked-to-indoorpilly-cluster%2Fnews-story%2F342a01006f2bda509859edf1187e8c7f.json
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Queensland has recorded one new case of coronavirus - a historic case linked to the Indooroopilly cluster. Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the person was home quarantining while infectious. He flagged a further easing of restrictions in South East Queensland from 4pm on Friday as state authorities prepare to implement tough border restrictions. From 1am on Saturday only essential workers who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed to cross the border.
Queensland has recorded one new case of coronavirus - a historic case linked to the Indooroopilly cluster. Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the person was home quarantining wh...
A young child who had four negative Covid-19 tests has been revealed as the state’s latest case.
The child is a student under the age of 10 at Ironside State School.
Despite the child’s parents testing positive during 14 days of home quarantine. the child never returned a positive test.
Chief health officer Jeannette Young said the child had tested negative four times during quarantine, but serology testing revealed they had indeed had the disease and fully recovered.
“We know that happens with young people,” she said.
“But this (case) is of no risk because they were in quarantine the entire time.
“They have now fully recovered so they can leave quarantine.
“Other than that, we have no new cases, which is excellent news and it means we can remove some restrictions at 4pm.”
On Friday afternoon, a suite of restrictions will be eased, with masks no longer required outdoors.
From this weekend, any essential workers crossing into Queensland from New South Wales will need to prove they have had at least one dose of the vaccine as the border tightens.
Dr Young said she was very concerned about positive sewage tests showing up in northern NSW.
The Party Games newsletter Get your political briefing from news.com.au's political editor Samantha Maiden. Sign up The Party Games newsletter Success! Check your inbox for details. See all newsletters
“It’s really important that for another week we maintain some of those restrictions, particularly wearing masks,” she said.
“Please wear a mask when you need to when you cannot socially distance and particularly of course indoors, where the highest risk is.”
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Child positive despite four negative tests, restrictions ease
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https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/qld-child-diagnosed-with-covid-despite-four-negative-tests-linked-to-indoorpilly-cluster/news-story/342a01006f2bda509859edf1187e8c7f
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[
"Jack Paynter"
] |
2021-08-20 02:14:39+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:52:00
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People wanting to leave greater Sydney for some areas of regional NSW will need a permit from Saturday.
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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says 'life will be challenging' until the double-dose vaccination targets are hit in the state. 'Until we hit 70 per cent double-dose, and 80 per cent double-dose – life will be challenging for us,' Ms Berejiklian said during a media conference on Thursday. 'And whilst we get to those high vaccination rates, we desperately want to see those case numbers come down. 'We don't want to see exponential growth.' Ms Berejiklian spoke of the importance in having the 'double focus' of getting the vaccine rates up and getting case numbers down.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says 'life will be challenging' until the double-dose vaccination targets are hit in the state. 'Until we hit 70 per cent double-dose, and 80 pe...
People wanting to leave greater Sydney for some areas of regional NSW will need a permit from Saturday.
Under the updated public health order, the following people travelling from greater Sydney to regional NSW require a permit from 12.01am on Saturday:
Anyone from greater Sydney, including authorised workers from the local government areas of concern, who need to travel more than 50km from greater Sydney for work purposes;
People travelling to a second home outside greater Sydney, which is now only allowed if you are using the home for work accommodation or if the home requires urgent maintenance and repairs, for which only one person is allowed to travel there;
People inspecting a potential new residence, but only if they have a genuine intention to relocate as soon as practicable and not purchase an investment property;
People who are permanently relocating.
NSW Health said taking a holiday to a second residence was not a reasonable excuse to leave home.
The agency also said that for the purpose of the permits, greater Sydney would no longer include Shellharbour and the Central Coast.
People travelling to Shellharbour and the Central Coast from greater Sydney for one of the permitted reasons will require a permit.
Permit applications will be available on the Service NSW website but they were yet to open as of 10.30am on Friday.
“More information will be available on our website soon,” NSW Health said.
“Due to ongoing concerns about community transmission in some regional areas, stay‑at-home orders in place for regional NSW have been extended until 12.01am on August 28, in line with orders for the greater Sydney area.
“Everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. They cannot have any visitors in their home from outside their household.”
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www.news.com.au
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New restrictions on who can leave Sydney explained
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https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/new-restrictions-on-who-can-leave-sydney-for-regional-nsw-explained/news-story/2f0c91df65106697f50c9c8188da6c26?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm+%28News.com.au+%7C+National+%7C+Breaking+News%29
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[
"Jack Paynter"
] |
2021-08-20 01:53:18+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:06:00
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A Sunshine Coast doctor has been reprimanded for leaving a 9.2cm catheter tube and 47cm optical fibre cable inside a patient during a varicose vein procedure.
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In response to the NSW COVID crisis, all non-urgent elective surgeries will be postponed, and some nurses and doctors redeployed. From Monday, non-urgent elective surgeries at private hospitals will be postponed for people with conditions under categories two, three, and four. People under category one, meaning those whose conditions are likely to deteriorate, will be an exception. There are 460 people now in hospital across the state with COVID, and 77 of those are in ICU. In a statement to Sky News, NSW Health says the current ICU occupancy is similar to pre-pandemic numbers and if required Health has the capacity to quadruple the capacity in response to any demands generated from COVID-19.
In response to the NSW COVID crisis, all non-urgent elective surgeries will be postponed, and some nurses and doctors redeployed. From Monday, non-urgent elective surgeries at...
A Sunshine Coast doctor has been reprimanded for leaving a 9.2cm catheter tube and 47cm optical fibre cable inside a patient during a varicose vein procedure.
Hugo Pin, medical director of Sunshine Vein Clinic at Peregian Beach, was reprimanded for professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional performance in a recently released finding from the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The tribunal was told that Dr Pin, 58, knew a segment of the catheter was retained in the female patient’s leg during the procedure but did not tell her.
The tribunal was also told that a 47cm length of optical fibre became detached and was also still in the patient’s leg after the procedure.
The QCAT finding relates to the treatment of a varicose vein on a patient’s right leg in May 2013 and follow-up care by Dr Pin, who the tribunal was told admitted to the seven allegations arising from the incident.
The endovenous laser ablation procedure involved a guide wire and catheter being inserted in the saphenous vein of the patient, both of which were damaged during the procedure.
The tribunal was told that Dr Pin, who is also known as Hughes Pin, observed damage to the end of the catheter and was aware that some portion of the catheter had been retained in the patient’s leg but was not aware of the detachment and retention of the optical fibre.
The patient twice contacted Dr Pin’s practice after the procedure to complain of significant pain in the groin area and lower leg, but the tribunal was told that Dr Pin did not contact the patient himself or advise her of the piece of catheter still in her leg.
She also saw Dr Pin 11 days after the procedure for a scheduled review, but the tribunal was told that he again didn’t tell her he knew the catheter was still in her leg.
On May 29, 2013, 27 days after the procedure, the patient pulled the 47cm long plastic wire from her leg.
She then went to her GP where an ultrasound revealed the 9.2cm catheter still in her saphenous vein in the calf before a 9.8cm length of tubing was removed by a radiologist 40 days after the procedure.
“The unsatisfactory professional performance the subject of allegation 1 was a serious departure from the standard of care expected of a medical practitioner of the respondent’s qualifications and experience,” the QCAT finding read.
“It was something which could have been easily avoided by the exercise of reasonable care.
“The professional misconduct the subject of allegations 2 to 7 is a serious example of a failure to adhere to professional standards for the communication to patients of adverse events so that the patient can make an informed decision as to their healthcare.
“It was not for the respondent to decide that it was better for the patient that she not know of the adverse event.”
The tribunal said it was difficult for them to accept that Dr Pin had acted in such a way because of concerns for the patient and it was more likely “motivated by a desire for self-protection and a hope that the problem might just not emerge”.
“It is more likely than not that the respondent was motivated by his own self-interest rather than any genuine concern for the patient in his decision not to disclose the truth to her,” the finding read.
The tribunal said the French-trained Dr Pin had taken steps to avoid the conduct happening again and had undertaken education in clinical skills in such procedures and his knowledge of appropriate disclosure of adverse events since the incident.
He was only reprimanded over the incident partly because of an eight-year delay in the Health Ombudsman concluding the disciplinary matter.
The patient was also given an undisclosed compensation payout from the practice.
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Sunshine Coast doctor Hugo Pin reprimanded for leaving catheter in leg
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[
"Anthony Piovesan"
] |
2021-08-20 02:15:13+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:52:00
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Regional Victoria has recorded its first Covid-19 case of the state’s most recent outbreak, with health authorities issuing an alert for the Shepparton area.
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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the state has recorded 57 new cases of COVID-19, with 54 being linked to known outbreaks. Mr Andrews said 44 of the cases were in isolation for their infectious period and 41 returned a positive result on their day 13 tests. “When the vast majority of those have been in isolation for their infectious period that’s exactly what we want, that’s exactly the system working as it should work,” he said. “The numbers, yes they’re important but the story that sits behind those numbers is in fact more important than the numbers alone.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the state has recorded 57 new cases of COVID-19, with 54 being linked to known outbreaks. Mr Andrews said 44 of the cases were in isolati...
Regional Victoria has recorded its first Covid-19 case of the state’s most recent outbreak, with health authorities issuing an alert for the Shepparton area.
Goulburn Valley Health chief executive Matt Sharp said the positive case at Shepparton in central Victoria was reported on Friday morning.
“This person is currently at home and isolating,” he said.
“Contact tracing is underway and will continue as a primary focus of GV Health‘s Local Public Health Unit.
“Further details regarding any community locations of concern will be provided once this information is known and if it represents a concern.
“Anyone identified as a close contact will be contacted directly by the tracing team. Exposure sites will be published during the day as more information becomes available.”
Restrictions were eased in the regions within the first week of lockdown, after Premier Daniel Andrews said the virus had been contained within metropolitan Melbourne.
But on Thursday health authorities had warned they had noticed repeat detections of coronavirus in Shepparton’s wastewater – the period of concern was between August 9 and August 16.
Two additional drive through testing sites were being established in Shepparton and were expected to open later on Friday.
Victoria recorded 57 new local cases overnight – 25 were in isolation for their entire infectious period, and 49 were linked to known outbreaks.
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Covid-19 case recorded in Shepparton
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https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/positive-covid-case-recorded-in-regional-victorias-shepparton/news-story/6f2764ab1f9e61551cb063af658e9683?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm+%28News.com.au+%7C+National+%7C+Breaking+News%29
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[
"Wenlei Ma"
] |
2021-08-20 01:52:49+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:02:00
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Nine Perfect Strangers opens on an obvious but effective metaphor – that of a blended smoothie.
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First look at Nine Perfect Strangers, an eight-part TV series starring Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy and Luke Evans. Credit: Amazon Prime Video
First look at Nine Perfect Strangers, an eight-part TV series starring Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy and Luke Evans. Credit: Amazon Prime Video...
Nine Perfect Strangers opens on an obvious but effective metaphor – that of a blended smoothie.
In close-up, individual pieces of tropical fruits are lacerated by the fast-swirling blades, churned together until their original forms cease to be.
The nine broken souls that found themselves at Tranquillum are also looking to be transformed, each burdened with their grief, anger, mistrust and insecurities.
They’re looking for a miracle, and something of a saviour in the form of the wellness resort’s enigmatic healer, Masha.
They don’t want to be the damaged version of themselves that wound up the hinterland driveway, they want to be renewed. They just didn’t bank on being quite so challenged by Masha’s unconventional methods.
Across eight episodes, each of the nine guests, as well as Masha and her staff will be forced to confront their greatest vulnerabilities and open themselves to the possibility of a different way of being.
If that sounds like a thin story with limited plot momentum, you wouldn’t be wrong. But the appeal of Nine Perfect Strangers isn’t in the story but the character arcs – and the beauty of Byron Bay’s hinterland standing in for California doesn’t hurt either.
RELATED: Nine Perfect Strangers’ Samara Weaving on dealing with her anxieties
This is very much a character-driven production with the benefit of a glittering cast that oozes gravitas. You’d struggle to name too many other television productions with such a vast list of heavyweights.
The top-tier talent of Melissa McCarthy, Nicole Kidman, Michael Shannon, Regina Hall, Bobby Cannavale and Luke Evans are joined by exciting and fresh younger stars including Samara Weaving, Manny Jacinto, Tiffany Boone, Melvin Gregg and Grace Van Patten, while local golden girl Asher Keddie is right at home in this repertory.
The “strangers” are McCarthy’s Frances, a popular fiction novelist who was victim of a romance scam (McCarthy’s husband Ben Falcone makes a chuckly cameo) and whose latest manuscript has caused her publisher to buy out her contract.
On the way to Tranquillum, she encounters Cannavale’s Tony, an incendiary former footballer with an addiction to anger as much as pills and booze.
Jessica (Weaving) and Ben (Gregg) are a cashed-up young couple whose relationship has hit a rut while the high-strung Carmel (Hall) is desperately seeking help after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Then there’s oily Lars (Evans), coming off a bad break-up but with an ulterior motive for his stay.
RELATED: Melissa McCarthy roped Bobby Cannavale into Nine Perfect Strangers
Finally, there’s the Marconi family – dad Napoleon (Shannon), mum Heather (Keddie) and daughter Zoe (Van Patten). Napoleon is perpetually optimistic and enthusiastic but how much of that is overcompensating for a family tragedy that all three Marconis have not processed?
Kidman’s Masha is supposed to be the character which brings the interconnected characters stories together, but is, oddly, one of the least interesting people.
Masha has received threats from an unknown figure that she will soon die, and we’re led to believe this has something to do with her pre-Tranquillum life as a hard-hearted corporate high-flyer, but the deliberate obfuscation of her character as someone with a mysterious agenda actually serves to distance her from the audience.
In a series with such a large ensemble, there are always going to be some subplots that are more compelling than others, but it is disappointing that Kidman’s storyline fails to connect.
RELATED: Nicole Kidman on Keith Urban’s reaction to Nine Perfect Strangers accent
Even more so, that of the two main Tranquillum staff, Masha’s proteges Yao (Jacinto) and Delilah (Boone), whose arcs fall flat despite some notable intimate scenes.
The standout character pairing has to be Frances and Tony, two people who immediately get their hackles up against each other but whose mutual hostility is slowly undone.
McCarthy and Cannavale – who have shared the screen on three previous occasions – have an incredible spark you can’t stop watching. Both are masters at balancing comedy with drama and they walk that fine tonal line with ease.
And an actor such as Shannon has total command of his character and space, whether he’s goofily singing or tripped out or having an emotional breakdown.
There’s a lot of skill and talent on Nine Perfect Strangers – and behind the scenes as well with a Liane Moriarty novel as the source material, adapted by David E. Kelley and John Henry Butterworth and directed by Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies, 50/50).
But it’s the power of those individual performances that elevate the series, rather than any emotional connective tissue – at least in the first six episodes out of eight made available for review.
Whether the series will pay off on a thematic level in its exploration of grief, trauma and psychological damage isn’t yet clear, and you want it to be clearer three-quarters of the way in. But what is clear is the sheer amount of talent on screen.
Like that smoothie, the individual pieces may end up having more value than the swirled together whole.
Nine Perfect Strangers premieres on Amazon Prime Video from Friday, August 20.
Share your movies and TV obsessions | @wenleima
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Nine Perfect Strangers review: Power of A-list performances elevate glitzy miniseries
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[
"Ellen Ransley"
] |
2021-08-20 02:14:24+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:52:00
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Bad behaviour, an uncontrollable spread of the virus and a rising number of deaths amid a lagging vaccine rollout have all been blamed for Friday’s tightening of Sydney’s lockdown rules.
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Bad behaviour, an uncontrollable spread of the virus and a rising number of deaths amid a lagging vaccine rollout have all been blamed for Friday’s tightening of Sydney’s lockdown rules.
In addition to new rules across the city, millions of residents in 12 local government areas of concern will be hit with extra hard restrictions, as the Premier conceded she was “extremely worried”.
Gladys Berejiklian said police would be enforcing a 9pm to 5am curfew from Monday in Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and some suburbs of Penrith.
The only people allowed to leave their homes during these hours will be authorised workers.
“We feel for you, we’ve imposed a lot of restrictions on you already... But we don’t want to see more of you lose loved ones,” she said.
“It’s heartbreaking when you see a disease rip through families. Families who aren’t vaccinated are suffering the most.
“I apologise deeply to the vast majority of people in these communities who are doing the right thing, but for our own health and safety moving forward we need to make these difficult decisions.”
Earlier on in the lockdown, Ms Berejiklian had turned down the idea of curfew, but said now authorities were throwing “everything they have” into making the lockdown work.
“While the evidence of curfews is mixed, the evidence to a lot of this thing is mixed,” she said.
“But I do not want us to have to look back and say we did not try, we did not put everything into this.
“Other states and jurisdictions who had curfews have still seen cases grow... We have to be real about this.”
The Party Games newsletter Get your political briefing from news.com.au's political editor Samantha Maiden. Sign up The Party Games newsletter Success! Check your inbox for details. See all newsletters
Chief health officer Kerry Chant said the curfew and other tough new restrictions was about “buying time” to vaccinate people.
“The effect of those vaccines on those 530,000 people with all the vaccines we are pouring into areas of southwestern and western Sydney, that will mean those workers are protected in two weeks time,” she said.
“That massive hit of vaccine into those workers will actually have an effect on the transmission as well as protecting those workers.
“But it takes time, and so this enhanced set of measures it to buy us that time and in the meantime, everyone else has got access to various forms of vaccinations.”
NSW Commissioner Mick Fuller said police had asked for additional powers because of the increasing instances of non-compliance.
“These additional powers, including the curfew are, from a police perspective, about stopping the spread of the virus,” he said.
“Some people are not complying. This is not every person.
“In hindsight, do I wish that I raised curfew day one? Probably, but you would have laughed me out.
“We have been warning people that the day of caution is over.”
In addition to the curfew, outdoor exercise will be limited to one hour a day.
More to come.
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Twelve LGAs of concern hit with extra tight rules, curfew amid worsening NSW Covid-19 situation
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https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/why-sydney-lockdown-extended-as-twelve-lgas-of-concern-hit-with-extra-tight-rules-curfew/news-story/9b3cc25c30e10252e51c4c64f651be31?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm+%28News.com.au+%7C+National+%7C+Breaking+News%29
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[
"Ellen Ransley"
] |
2021-08-20 02:14:16+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:22:00
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A young child who had four negative Covid-19 tests has been revealed as the state’s latest case.
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Queensland has recorded one new case of coronavirus - a historic case linked to the Indooroopilly cluster. Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the person was home quarantining while infectious. He flagged a further easing of restrictions in South East Queensland from 4pm on Friday as state authorities prepare to implement tough border restrictions. From 1am on Saturday only essential workers who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed to cross the border.
Queensland has recorded one new case of coronavirus - a historic case linked to the Indooroopilly cluster. Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the person was home quarantining wh...
A young child who had four negative Covid-19 tests has been revealed as the state’s latest case.
The child is a student under the age of 10 at Ironside State School.
Despite the child’s parents testing positive during 14 days of home quarantine. the child never returned a positive test.
Chief health officer Jeannette Young said the child had tested negative four times during quarantine, but serology testing revealed they had indeed had the disease and fully recovered.
“We know that happens with young people,” she said.
“But this (case) is of no risk because they were in quarantine the entire time.
“They have now fully recovered so they can leave quarantine.
“Other than that, we have no new cases, which is excellent news and it means we can remove some restrictions at 4pm.”
On Friday afternoon, a suite of restrictions will be eased, with masks no longer required outdoors.
From this weekend, any essential workers crossing into Queensland from New South Wales will need to prove they have had at least one dose of the vaccine as the border tightens.
Dr Young said she was very concerned about positive sewage tests showing up in northern NSW.
The Party Games newsletter Get your political briefing from news.com.au's political editor Samantha Maiden. Sign up The Party Games newsletter Success! Check your inbox for details. See all newsletters
“It’s really important that for another week we maintain some of those restrictions, particularly wearing masks,” she said.
“Please wear a mask when you need to when you cannot socially distance and particularly of course indoors, where the highest risk is.”
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Child positive despite four negative tests, restrictions ease
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https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/qld-child-diagnosed-with-covid-despite-four-negative-tests-linked-to-indoorpilly-cluster/news-story/342a01006f2bda509859edf1187e8c7f?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm+%28News.com.au+%7C+National+%7C+Breaking+News%29
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[
"Jamie Downham",
"The Sun"
] |
2021-08-20 01:52:33+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:44:00
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British comedian Jason Manford has revealed the heartbreaking text he sent to comedian Sean Lock just days before his tragic death from cancer.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fentertainment%2Fcelebrity-life%2Fcelebrity-deaths%2Fsean-locks-costar-reveals-final-text-he-sent-him%2Fnews-story%2F778f6ca84a3850a7a741c422e42f2807.json
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https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/9b0b027ec0496ac03fb8dc5ee8ab5a85?width=1280
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British comedian Jason Manford has revealed the heartbreaking text he sent to comedian Sean Lock just days before his tragic death from cancer.
It was revealed yesterday that Lock, a much-loved comedian and star of TV show 8 Out Of 10 Cats, had died aged 58 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Manford, who was a team captain on the TV show with Lock, shared his final message to the comic on Twitter.
RELATED: Sean Lock previously discovered he had cancer after one-night stand
It read: “Hi Sean, hope you and your family are doing okay. Did Countdown last week and missed having you there. I often think back to my days on Cats with you & how much I appreciated working with you, the buzz I’d get on the rare occasion something I said would make you laugh! Anyway, just wanted to check in and wish you and your family all the best. Love of love and hopefully see you soon. Jason.”
Alongside the photo of the message Manford tweeted: “I texted him a couple of weeks ago and I’m now so glad I did. If you’ve got a friend who you’ve not spoken to for a while, drop them a message and check in. It could be the last time, RIP Sean.”
Lock’s agent confirmed that the dad-of-three had passed away from cancer. A statement from Off The Kerb Productions said: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Sean Lock. He died at home from cancer, surrounded by his family.
“Sean was one of Britain’s finest comedians, his boundless creativity, lightning wit and the absurdist brilliance of his work, marked him out as a unique voice in British comedy.
“Sean was also a cherished husband and father to three children. Sean will be sorely missed by all that knew him.”
The star was previously diagnosed with skin cancer in 1990 while he worked as a labourer on a building site.
He went on to make a full recovery and later worked with others to help raise awareness of the disease.
Tributes flowed after Lock’s death was announced, with Ricky Gervais writing: “Such sad news. RIP the great Sean Lock. One of the funniest, most influential comedians of a generation. A lovely man.”
Comedian Lee Mack, who was a close friend, said: “I’ve known this day was coming for some time, but it’s no less heartbreaking. A true original both in comedy and life. I will miss him so much.”
His 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown co-star Jon Richardson said: “I idolised Sean as a comic long before I became a comedian myself and 10 years working alongside him didn’t diminish that in the least. An incredible comic brain and a truly unique voice. I’m devastated for his family today and sad for comedy that we have lost one of the very best. Undisputed, undefeated, carrot in a box champion. I will miss him.”
And the show’s host, Jimmy Carr said: “Brutal news about Sean Lock today. I loved him. I’m watching clips of him right now – laughing and crying. I’ll miss him so much.”
Lock was married to Anoushka Nara Giltsoff and the pair have two daughters and a son.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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Sean Lock’s co-star Jason Manford reveals final text he sent him
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https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/celebrity-deaths/sean-locks-costar-reveals-final-text-he-sent-him/news-story/778f6ca84a3850a7a741c422e42f2807
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[
"James Hall"
] |
2021-08-20 01:54:29+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:20:00
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Queensland’s top doctor has eased the urgency on distributing the AstraZeneca jab because the state is “not in an outbreak”.
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Sky News host Peter Gleeson says the frustration is “palpable” for residents living on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. “There’s been suggestions that the border be sort of artificially moved about 10k’s south of Coolangatta down around the Tweed River so that those people can work,” Mr Gleeson said. He discussed the issue with Adoni Media Managing Director Leisa Goddard, who noted New South Wales has decided not to allow the border to be artificially shifted. “So people on that Tweed Coolangatta area are going to wake up to some very distressing news,” she said.
Sky News host Peter Gleeson says the frustration is “palpable” for residents living on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. “There’s been suggestions that the bo...
Queensland’s top doctor has eased the urgency on distributing the AstraZeneca jab because the state is “not in an outbreak”.
Supply of the vaccine was ramped up to issuing the second dose eight weeks after the first when the Delta cluster plagued the state’s southeast earlier this month.
But on Friday, chief health officer Jeannette Young said this urgency would be eased to 12 weeks between the two jabs.
“So for the vast majority of people, given we are not in an outbreak in Queensland at this point in time, wait for 12 weeks to get a second dose of AstraZeneca,” she told reporters.
Dr Young also reiterated the new eligibility rules for the Pfizer jab announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday.
Australians aged 16 to 39 will be able to access Pfizer vaccines from August 30 after a boost to supply of the vaccine was confirmed earlier in the week.
“Here in Queensland, I ask you all to register,” Dr Young said to the younger residents in the state.
“Then we can manage those bookings because I do not want an empty slot in any of our vaccine clinics. I want to pull people in so we can fill every single slot.
“The easiest way to do that is for people to register and then we can say come ahead and book and make sure that all of those spots are taken up.”
The top doctor said authorities will then turn their focus to vaccinating those aged between 12-15, with those who have underlying medical conditions to be preferred.
“For 12-15-year-olds, if you have any serious underlying disease, work with your paediatrician and make sure you organise a vaccine,” Dr Young said.
“It will not be long and will be looking at vaccinating all 12-15 -year-olds but at the moment it is only First Nations kids, 12-15 and kids with severe underlying disease.”
Dr Young has faced widespread criticism for her stance on vaccinations with eligibility criteria changing regularly based on various Covid-19 threats in the state.
The CHO made national headlines during the state’s earlier lockdown in June when she declared AstraZeneca should not be taken by under 60s despite a change in the ATAGI recommendation.
Australian Medical Association vice-president Chris Moy slammed this opinion at the time as “inappropriate” and reiterated his frustration with the CHO’s views earlier this month.
“My concern is advice that is given in a way that looks like a command can significantly reduce confidence in a vaccine that has been very effective,” he told NCA NewsWire.
“On the one hand she has concerns about a very tiny risk of doing something – which is giving the vaccine – but there’s also a massive risk in not doing something.
“If there’s an outbreak and people aren’t vaccinated, you’ve seen what is happening in Sydney at the moment and the number of people who are in hospital.”
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CHO Young eases urgency on AstraZeneca to 12 weeks between jabs
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[
"Anthony Piovesan"
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2021-08-20 02:14:45+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:21:00
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The Tasmanian Premier has announced a “lockdown plan” despite the state having zero active Covid-19 cases in the community.
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Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have closed their borders to travellers from south-east Queensland, as 11 LGAs in the state are plunged into a three-day lockdown to contain the spread of growing COVID-19 infections.
Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have closed their borders to travellers from south-east Queensland, as 11 LGAs in the state are plunged into a three-day lockdown...
The Tasmanian Premier has announced a “lockdown plan” despite the state having zero active Covid-19 cases in the community.
Peter Gutwein said he was not declaring a lockdown at Friday’s morning announcement, instead providing Tasmanians with a plan if a Covid-19 situation was to suddenly escalate.
Mr Gutwein said the state government’s intention would be “to go in as hard as we possibly can” and then “come out quickly”.
That would mean a snap lockdown of three to five days, he told reporters.
“What we’re doing is putting out a plan to indicate to people what could, and will occur,” the Premier said.
Mr Gutwein said depending on the type of outbreak, officials would base the rules on the public health advice at the time.
But Mr Gutwein said Tasmanians could be assured they would be able to shop for essential items, go out for medical reasons, get tested for Covid-19 and get the vaccination.
“Whether it’s applied to the whole state, or to a regional area will depend on the circumstances of the incursion and the advice of public health,” Mr Gutwein said.
“There are locked down plan details on restrictions for businesses, on gatherings, home visits and access to aged care facilities and hospitals as well as the use of face masks,
“There is a clear list of authorised businesses and authorised workers based on central needs and operations.”
Mr Gutwein said there was no “magic number to trigger a lockdown and how long lockdown will last”.
The Party Games newsletter Get your political briefing from news.com.au's political editor Samantha Maiden. Sign up The Party Games newsletter Success! Check your inbox for details. See all newsletters
“We‘re not in lockdown, I want to make that perfectly clear,” he said.
“I encourage all Tasmanians to familiarise themselves with the plan that we’re putting out today.”
The two page plan will be provided on the state government’s website later on Friday.
About 34.5 per cent of eligible Tasmanians are fully vaccinated, with 54.6 per cent of the state’s population having received one dose.
Tasmania’s border is shut to NSW which was deemed a tier on high risk area, while Victoria and the Litchfield and Katherine local government areas in Northern Territory were deemed tier two high risk.
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www.news.com.au
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Tasmania Premier Peter Gutwein unveils snap Covid-19 lockdown plan
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https://www.news.com.au/national/tasmanian-government-announces-lockdown-plan-despite-recording-no-new-covid19-cases/news-story/ed2b4d095d0e22f023afed46d6a9ba31?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm+%28News.com.au+%7C+National+%7C+Breaking+News%29
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[
"Erin Lyons"
] |
2021-08-20 01:53:33+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:19:00
|
Another 642 new virus cases have been recorded in NSW and four more people have died.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fnational%2Fnsw-act%2Fnews%2Fnsw-records-642-new-virus-cases-and-four-deaths%2Fnews-story%2F25cad6e545168b4e1e81efa6df5074a6.json
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en
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Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says the 80 per cent vaccination rate for NSW will likely be attained in October but health experts believe it might not be enough to open up absolutely everything if cases continue to rise. “Schools are going to be a problem for a start because kids are not vaccinated, we now have Sydney Children's Hospital treating 700 kids with COVID, the vast majority thankfully as outpatients,” Mr Clennell said. “I know there was a view in the New South Wales government this morning that an increase in the uptake of Victorian daily cases from 25 to 57 meant no one could contain the Delta strain and that seems to have formed the view in the press conference. “But as Dan Andrews pointed out, the vast majority of those cases were in isolation on day 12 and 13 of their quarantine. Perhaps that's why Gladys Berejiklian came out this morning with one of her biggest 'let it run' speeches of the pandemic." "Not so much 'let it rip' but, it seems, 'let it run', saying we need to co-exist with Delta, vaccination is the answer, we will be able to travel overseas again. “So the message today with another record number of cases – 681 – is it will all be fine because we are getting vaccinated. With Kerry Chant not there today, less emphasis on getting case numbers down. “The premier even mirrored Scott Morrison's saying of the week that there was light at the end of the tunnel. The first light will be vaccinated hairdressers allowed to operate apparently. “Of course, the positive talk comes after previous occasions Berejiklian has spoken about a national emergency and that she has had a giant wakeup call on the case numbers. “With a more vaccinated older population, the death rate compared to the last Victorian wave is simply not as high. But the ICU rate is getting there. “The strain on the hospital system is the issue once we pass 1,000 cases a day and it goes on for weeks, which will happen without tighter restrictions and compliance until we hit that 80 per cent vaccination mark.”
Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says the 80 per cent vaccination rate for NSW will likely be attained in October but health experts believe it might not be enough to...
Another 642 new virus cases have been recorded in NSW and four more people have died.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 132,000 people got tested in the latest 24 hour reporting period before revealing Sydney’s lockdown would be extended to the end of September.
A swath of new restrictions including curfews will be in place for local government areas of concerns.
Of the new cases, 134 were linked to a known case or cluster – including 107 household contacts and 27 close contacts. But there were 508 infections yet to be linked.
Two of the new cases actually caught the disease while in the ACT and are now isolating in southern NSW, Ms Berejiklian said.
The four deaths include a woman in her 80s from Sydney’s inner-west who died at Royal North Shore Hospital.
She was a resident at Wyoming Aged Care Facility and is the fourth death linked to that cluster, a statement from NSW Health said.
A man in his 70s from southeast Sydney died at St George Hospital and a man in his 80s from western Sydney died at Nepean Hospital bring that cluster to two deaths.
NSW recorded 644 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm.
Of these locally acquired cases, 134 are linked to a known case or cluster – 107 are household contacts and 27 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 508 cases is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/cdIcVbmw2p — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 20, 2021
“A previously reported Covid-19 death, a man in his 70s from western Sydney who died on August 17 at Nepean Hospital, is now also linked to this (cluster),” NSW Health said.
A woman in her 80s from southwest Sydney also died at Campbelltown Hospital.
Sixty-five people have now died during the latest outbreak which started on June 16.
The Party Games newsletter Get your political briefing from news.com.au's political editor Samantha Maiden. Sign up The Party Games newsletter Success! Check your inbox for details. See all newsletters
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said vaccination rates needed to grow if the state wanted to avoid more hospitalisations and deaths.
“I do not want to be standing here every day announcing these high rates of hospitalisations and these deaths,” she said.
“Every one of these deaths is someone mother, father, grandmother or grandfather.”
The new infections were spread across Sydney with 256 in western Sydney, 222 in Sydney’s southwest, 47 in inner Sydney, 35 in the Nepean Blue Mountains, 27 in Western NSW, 25 in southeast Sydney, eight in northern Sydney, three on the Central Coast and three in the Hunter New England Region.
More to come
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www.news.com.au
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642 new virus cases, four deaths
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https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/nsw-records-642-new-virus-cases-and-four-deaths/news-story/25cad6e545168b4e1e81efa6df5074a6
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[] |
2021-08-20 01:54:09+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:00:00
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Warriors boss Cameron George has taken a swipe at the Broncos after it emerged they are making moves to bring teenage superstar Reece Walsh back to the club.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fsport%2Fnrl%2Fwarriors-smack-down-broncos-over-planned-poaching-raid%2Fnews-story%2Fc2746de6e36142ff1054b5e502ca6425.json
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Warriors boss Cameron George has taken a swipe at the Broncos after it emerged they are making moves to bring teenage superstar Reece Walsh back to the club.
The 19-year-old was allowed to walk away from Red Hill this year before he’d played a single NRL game as he linked up with the New Zealand side, making an immediate impact at fullback.
The race to the 2021 NRL Telstra Finals Series is on and every game matters. Watch Live & Ad-Break Free on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free >
The young gun won an Origin call-up for Queensland but missed out on the chance to wear Maroon for the first time because of injury.
Brisbane clearly regrets letting Walsh leave because it wants him back in the Sunshine State and is reportedly discussing how to facilitate a return when his $1.2 million, three-year deal with the Warriors expires.
But George had a crack at the Broncos, saying if they want Walsh so desperately now they shouldn’t have let him go in the first place.
“It’s just ironic that we’re playing the Broncos this week and the Brisbane media are throwing up that they’re looking at him and carrying on,” George told SEN radio.
“Good luck to them, they should have never let him go in the first place.
“We’ve put a lot of work in with Reece, he’s on contract with us for a couple of years.
“We showed Reece a great deal of faith when quite frankly, the Broncos didn’t.
“On that basis, Reece is enjoying his time and he’s been given great opportunities at our club and he’s a terrific little footy player.
“Naturally, when they become free on the market it becomes quite competitive, but we’ve done a lot of great things with Reece and he’s enjoying his time.
“We’re looking forward to having him around for a while.”
Walsh’s three-year deal included a player option for the final year, meaning the Warriors only have two years of team control – 2021 and 2022. So, if Walsh gets a big offer, he could depart the Warriors at the end of the 2022 season, with the Broncos able to bid for his services from November 1 next year.
Other teams would also be able to lodge a bid and with Walsh one of the most exciting talents in the sport and only 20 at the conclusion of next season, a bidding war would likely ensue if he turned down his player option.
“We never wanted to lose Reece,” said Broncos coach Kevin Walters. “We are a Queensland-based club and I had high hopes for Reece to play for the Broncos.
“I wished Reece all the best at the Warriors. He has been playing some good footy for them, which I expected him to do, but he’s only young.
“I’m not sure what will happen down the track, but Reece is always welcome back here, certainly.”
With the NZ Herald
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www.news.com.au
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Reece Walsh contract, New Zealand Warriors, Kevin Walters
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https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/warriors-smack-down-broncos-over-planned-poaching-raid/news-story/c2746de6e36142ff1054b5e502ca6425
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[
"Carolyn Cummins"
] |
2021-08-20 02:11:27+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:03:47
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Booming demand for warehouses and logistic hubs together with a spike in housing settlements has propelled property giant Stockland to a $1.1 billion statutory profit for the pandemic-hit 2021 financial year.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Fcompanies%2Fstockland-back-in-black-with-1-1b-profit-20210820-p58kfc.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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en
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Booming demand for warehouses and logistic hubs together with a spike in housing settlements has propelled property giant Stockland back into the black with a $1.1 billion statutory profit for the pandemic-hit 2021 financial year.
That profit compared to a $21 million loss in the prior year and was bumped up by solid valuation gains across the industrial sector and stabilisation in market conditions for the office and retail assets.
New Stockland CEO Tarun Gupta says the company is well positioned for future growth. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
The funds from operation (FFO), being the metric used to measure revenue that excludes lumpy property valuation movements, fell 4 per cent to $788 million. It was in line with market expectations, but brokers warned of a mixed year ahead.
A distribution of 24.6¢ per security was declared, 2.1 per cent above 2020, representing a payout ratio of 75 per cent of FFO. It will be paid on August 31.
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www.smh.com.au
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Stockland back in black with $1.1b profit
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https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/stockland-back-in-black-with-1-1b-profit-20210820-p58kfc.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Liam Mannix",
"Benjamin Preiss"
] |
2021-08-20 02:12:56+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:01:18
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Experts say small inducements rather than lottery tickets may be key to driving up vaccination rates as one shire enacts its own incentive strategy.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fvictoria%2Flotteries-movie-tickets-and-vaccine-sausages-which-incentives-work-20210818-p58jq5.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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en
|
A coastal Victorian council is offering free movie tickets, coffee, doughnuts and sausages to residents who get vaccinated.
The Bass Coast Shire in the state’s south-east is teaming up with local businesses to offer the inducements in the hope of becoming the first region to reach an 80 per cent vaccination rate.
The campaign, launched on Friday, comes as experts suggest text message reminders, sausage sizzles, convenient booking systems and colourful sticking plasters may be more useful in getting people vaccinated than expensive lotteries or cash payments.
With the nation’s vaccine rate sitting at 26.88 per cent, the federal opposition has been pushing for $300 incentive payments for Australians to get vaccinated while the Grattan Institute made news earlier this month by calling for a $10 million weekly lottery to get people jabbed.
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www.smh.com.au
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Lotteries, movie tickets and ‘vaccine sausages’: Which incentives work?
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/lotteries-movie-tickets-and-vaccine-sausages-which-incentives-work-20210818-p58jq5.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"John Silvester"
] |
2021-08-20 02:13:02+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:55:00
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On June 23, 2001 he went to the pub and confided to a bouncer: “I’m going to neck myself.” It was the anniversary of Maria James’ funeral.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fvictoria%2Fthe-four-decade-murder-mystery-20210819-p58kb4.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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en
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Within three days the government announced a $50,000 reward - the quickest ever recorded. This was because police feared the offender could strike again. Today, with shopfront CCTV, phone records and modern forensics, the murder would have been solved in days. Back then it was a case littered with false hope and dead ends. Phil Cleary didn’t know Maria James but is desperate to know if there is a link to the murder of his sister Vicki, stabbed to death seven years later. Vicki’s murderer, Peter Keogh, was only convicted of manslaughter after claiming he was provoked, an obscene conclusion that blamed the victim for her death. Keogh would serve less than four years. Killer Peter Keogh. Keogh had been Vicki’s partner and began to stalk her after the relationship ended. At 7am on August 26, 1987, he went to the Coburg kindergarten in Cameron Street to lay in wait for an hour until Vicki arrived for work.
When she pulled up he attacked, first trying to strangle her, slashing her face (classic hate injuries), then stabbing her repeatedly in the abdomen, leaving her bleeding to death in the gutter. Keogh is a suspect in the Maria James case and Phil Cleary believes he will speak at the inquest for his dead sister and hundreds of other family violence victims. Eighteen months after the James murder, when police issued an image of the offender (resembling Keogh) two women rang Crime Stoppers nominating him, adding he attacked their sister with a knife. This victim was Judy McNulty - Keogh’s alibi witness who now believed he was guilty. The tip was not passed on to Homicide. The police identikit that prompted two women to nominate Keogh as the killer. Credit:Victoria Police If it had been, Cleary contends, Keogh would have been charged with his latest knife attack and become a major focus of the James investigation. Forewarned, he says, Vicki wouldn’t have formed a relationship with him.
Keogh is not the only person of interest. There were dozens, with the list now whittled down to less than 10. One is local priest Father Anthony Bongiorno. Both Bongiorno and Keogh were falsely cleared by DNA tests - only for police to later find the sample was from another crime. There was the slightest glimmer of hope when the bloodstained quilt, misplaced by police for decades, was found. If the offender left a DNA trace it could be a breakthrough, but for a host of scientific reasons it is a long shot. Like so many leads, it may lead nowhere. James’ son Adam says he told his mother days before the murder that he was molested by the priest.
Police have been told James planned to confront Bongiorno on the day of the murder. More than 30 years after the killing, a witness has come forward to say that on the day of the killing he saw a man matching Bongiorno’s description entering the church grounds with blood on his face. Despite the blanket publicity, he didn’t at the time connect the bloodied man with the murder less than 100 metres away. I spoke to Bongiorno hours after the murder, who described how he told James’ eldest son, Mark, that his mother was dead. “We both had a bit of a sob together,” he said. Bongiorno died of natural causes in 2002.
James remained close to her ex-husband, and they spoke regularly about their children, yet she did not share her suspicions on Bongiorno. She was bashed three times and her throat cut. Her wrists were bound in front and her body covered by more than 60 nicks and cuts. She was moved three times and a coffee table overturned and broken. Police said she was tortured, “obviously by a maniac”. The injuries were not consistent with an offender who wanted to silence his victim but one who attacked with venom, determined to hurt and humiliate; a power crime. On the day of the murder Bongiorno was happy to be photographed by the press - a massive risk if he was seen leaving the bookshop after the murder. Father Anthony Bongiorno outside the bookshop. Credit:The Age
The man believed to be the killer was seen running across High Street. But the church is on the same side as the bookshop, which means if it was Bongiorno he crossed the busy street not once but twice. But by taking that route he would have avoided running past the Catholic school, where he was well known. The initial police profile of the killer was someone who knew Maria James, lived locally, had an explosive temper and a hatred of women. After interviewing witnesses police released a description of a man seen running across High Street. He was paunchy, about 167 centimetres, with dark hair and wearing light grey trousers. Photofit of the man seen running across High Street. Credit:Victoria Police James told friends she was seeing a man named Peter. Police were to find three Peters who knew her. None were Peter Keogh. Police received four separate tips that Keogh was the murderer. He fitted the description, was 167 centimetres, hated women, had an explosive temper, had a prior for tying up females and an obsession with knives.
Within days of the James murder, a local florist told police an unidentified man bought carnations to be delivered to the bookshop, asking her to write the card. Keogh was borderline illiterate. Two women who experienced his violence also received flowers from him – always carnations. He lived in the area and was a regular at the Junction Hotel, just up the road from the bookshop. Years earlier he attacked a man in the bar with a broken glass and was sentenced to one month’s jail. Interesting but not compelling. In fact, no one confirmed James and Keogh ever met. Yet there were plenty who suspected the brooding former meatworker.
Twelve years after the James murder he dated a Junction Hotel bar staffer (he subsequently tried to burn her house down). Three times a regular at the bar warned her, saying Keogh “killed the girl at the bookshop”. Another said: “He did Maria James, she was his missus.” On June 23, 2001, he went to the pub and confided to a bouncer: “I’m going to neck myself.” It was the anniversary of Maria James’ funeral. He drove to his Mansfield Street home, put a hose into the car and gassed himself, a bottle of bourbon his only companion. Maria James’ bookshop was one from the corner of Mansfield Street. Vicki Cleary confided to a friend that Keogh had threatened “I will do to you what I did to the woman in the bookshop”. Even counsellors need counsellors and when psychotherapist Margaret Hobbs needed to talk she turned to her mentor, Dr Jim Goulding.
Days after the bookshop murder, she rang to discuss one of her clients: Peter Keogh. Peter Keogh, aged 19. “She said, ‘I know that bastard did it. He told me he was going to get her’,” Goulding recalled. If Hobbs was right, it would mean Keogh knew James. But both Hobbs and Goulding are now dead. Goulding tipped off police and in August 1980 Keogh was interviewed by Homicide detectives. His girlfriend, Judy McNulty, provided an alibi that was later discredited. Homicide detective Frank Bellesini wasn’t part of the bookshop team but when he heard a witness describe a suspect as having a limp, he nominated Keogh.
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www.smh.com.au
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The four-decade murder mystery
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/the-four-decade-murder-mystery-20210819-p58kb4.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[] |
2021-08-20 02:12:00+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:52:32
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In this episode, we look at the conservative outback town that became home to a family of Tamil asylum seekers, then fought to keep them there.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flifestyle%2Flife-and-relationships%2Finside-biloela-the-tiny-queensland-town-fighting-for-refugee-rights-20210819-p58k21.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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In this episode of Good Weekend Talks, we look at Biloela, the tiny Queensland town thrust into the spotlight after embracing a family of Sri Lankan asylum seekers as their own.
Anne Hyland, a senior writer with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, argues that the town’s resistance to the detention of the Murugappan family has put Australia’s border control policy on the international map. She visited the remote town – 150 kilometres south of Rockhampton, with a population of just under 6000 – for our cover story this week: “From Biloela with love: How a conservative community in outback Queensland – and the family they’re fighting for – changed the national conversation on refugees.”
Anne is joined on the podcast by Biloela resident Angela Fredericks, one of the women who has led the campaign to keep Sri Lankan refugees Nades and Priya Murugappan and their daughters Kopika and Tharnicaa in Australia.
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www.smh.com.au
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the tiny Queensland town fighting for the Murugappan family
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https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/inside-biloela-the-tiny-queensland-town-fighting-for-refugee-rights-20210819-p58k21.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Natassia Chrysanthos",
"Angus Thompson"
] |
2021-08-20 02:12:25+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:55:44
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Nine-year-old Omar Kahil, an only child who lives in Greenacre, has been playing basketball with his imagination since police requested the hoops from his local park be removed during lockdown
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fnsw%2Fbasketball-hoops-were-removed-from-omar-s-local-park-so-two-nba-players-stepped-in-to-help-20210819-p58k5q.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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en
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Two big-time Australian basketball players are finding hoops for the backyard of a nine-year-old boy from Sydney’s south-west, who has had to play the sport with his imagination since police requested the hoops from his local park be removed during lockdown.
The Herald met Omar Kahil, an only child who lives in Greenacre, earlier this week at his local park following reports the council had removed its basketball hoops in an attempt to limit people gathering during the outbreak.
Omar Kahil at Northcote Park in Greenacre. Credit:James Brickwood
His story caught the attention of two Australian NBA championship players: Andrew Bogut, who spent most of his career in the United States, and Matthew Dellavedova, who now plays for Melbourne United and won bronze with the Boomers in Tokyo.
Bogut, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors, told the Herald he and Dellavedova, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, were joining forces to contact the Kahil family after reading of Omar’s plight.
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www.smh.com.au
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Basketball hoops were removed from Omar’s local park, so two NBA players stepped in to help
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/basketball-hoops-were-removed-from-omar-s-local-park-so-two-nba-players-stepped-in-to-help-20210819-p58k5q.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Victoria Ward"
] |
2021-08-20 02:14:05+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:00:14
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A “close source” suggested the couple were unimpressed by the Queen’s claim that “recollections may vary” in response to their allegations of racism.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fworld%2Fnorth-america%2Fprince-harry-and-meghan-have-not-criticised-the-queen-20210820-p58kdp.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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en
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London: Prince Harry and Meghan insisted that they had not made any public statements criticising the Queen as they sought to further distance themselves from an unauthorised biography.
A “close source” quoted in a new epilogue to Finding Freedom suggested the couple were unimpressed by the Queen’s claim that “recollections may vary” in response to their allegations of racism.
The source also said the couple were “not surprised” by a perceived lack of action at the Palace over their claims.
In regular contact with the Queen: Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Credit:AP
However, the Sussexes, who have often appeared at pains to highlight their close relationship with the Queen, insisted that the unnamed sources did not speak on their behalf, while reiterating that they had not collaborated with the authors of the book.
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Prince Harry and Meghan ‘have not criticised the Queen’
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https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/prince-harry-and-meghan-have-not-criticised-the-queen-20210820-p58kdp.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Sarah Mcphee"
] |
2021-08-20 02:12:31+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:22:44
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Masks will be mandatory outside the home, except for exercise, across NSW while a 9pm to 5am curfew will be introduced in Sydney’s 12 local government areas of concern.
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Greater Sydney’s lockdown has been extended until the end of September while a 9pm to 5am curfew will be introduced from Monday in the city’s 12 local government areas of concern.
Face masks will also be mandatory outdoors, except when exercising, when you leave home across the state, including in regional NSW, which remains in lockdown until August 28.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Friday described them as “final measures” to drive COVID-19 cases down.
The local government areas of concern are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and the Penrith suburbs of Caddens, Claremont Meadows, Colyton, Erskine Park, Kemps Creek, Kingswood, Mount Vernon, North St Marys, Orchard Hills, Oxley Park, St Clair and St Marys.
Starting at 12.01am on Monday, August 23, a curfew will be in place from 9pm to 5am in the LGAs of concern to help reduce the movement of young people. This does not apply to authorised workers, for emergencies or medical care.
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www.smh.com.au
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NSW COVID: Sydney lockdown extension, curfew, face masks
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-lockdown-extended-masks-mandatory-curfews-in-areas-of-concern-20210820-p58kg1.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Simone Fox Koob"
] |
2021-08-20 02:12:49+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:47:58
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Intelligence from the now-defunct online black market site Silk Road, shut down by US authorities in 2013, has seen Victoria Police carry out raids across the state.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fvictoria%2Fdark-web-drug-investigation-leads-to-record-cryptocurrency-seizure-20210820-p58kff.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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A record $8.49 million in cryptocurrency has been seized by police investigating drug trafficking on the dark web.
The seizure, an Australian record, was led by detectives from Victoria Police’s Criminal Proceeds Squad and saw raids carried out at properties across metro and regional Victoria on Thursday. An estimated $13.1 million worth of assets - including property and vehicles - have been seized.
Two people were arrested - a 31-year-old woman from Kinglake, and a 30-year-old man from Preston. Both were interviewed by police and released pending further inquiries. The woman was charged with possessing cannabis and bailed to appear before court in March.
Commander Mick Frewen from Victoria Police Crime Command. Credit:Victoria Police
The arrests and search warrants were part of an investigation into drug trafficking on dark web platform Silk Road dating back to 2012, police said on Friday.
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www.smh.com.au
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Dark web drug investigation leads to record cryptocurrency seizure
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/dark-web-drug-investigation-leads-to-record-cryptocurrency-seizure-20210820-p58kff.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Kylie Northover"
] |
2021-08-20 02:02:46+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:00:00
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J.P. Pomare didn’t always aspire to being a thriller author, but since his 2019 debut Call Me Evie, he’s rapidly gained a reputation as a master of the genre.
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English muffins with spanner crab, buttermilk and salmon roe. Credit:Eddie Jim “I wish I did! My approach is to pursue my own interests within the framework of a suspense novel,” he says. “Twists for me come relatively early in the writing process, but never before setting out on the first draft. I usually stumble upon them after two or three drafts, then I will tease them out and ‘breadcrumb’ them in later drafts.” Neighbourhood Wine is one of Pomare’s locals, although with a 13-month-old daughter at home, he doesn’t get out as much as he used to. “It was a bit hipster-only here for a while, but now it’s quite foodie,” Pomare says as we consider the menu. Despite – or, perhaps, because of – growing up on a racehorse farm, Pomare is pescatarian, so we order starters of English muffins with spanner crab, buttermilk and salmon roe, and the unphotogenic but delicious cured trout with lemonade fruit, oats and isot chili (I had to look that up too). We both opt for the pan-fried cod for main course, with a salad and chips – only after we’ve settled on wine, which Pomare asks about before the food. “It’s after 12, right?” He has a local chardonnay and I order a French natural wine. Pomare has lived in Australia for years, but grew up near Rotorua on New Zealand’s north island. “Like everyone with a hobby farm in New Zealand, we had 30 or 40 sheep as well and we used to watch the butcher when he came to slaughter the lambs,” he says. He and his three siblings have all been vegetarian or vegan at some point. “I think you can’t really divorce the meal from the source.”
Cured kingfish with lemonade fruit, oats and isot chili. Credit:Eddie Jim The Last Guests is set in the same remote area of New Zealand and plays on ideas of voyeurism and surveillance. Lina and Cain are a married couple with personal and financial worries; she’s an Auckland paramedic and he’s a former SAS soldier with PTSD, having trouble readjusting to civilian life. Looking to make extra money, Cain talks Lina into renovating her remote family lake house and leasing it on “WeStay” (a legally advised fictional version of Airbnb). They’re keen to start a family and could use the extra income – but both have their own secrets. Like all Pomare’s novels, it’s tricky to write much about The Last Guests without giving anything away, but it’s possibly not one to read in your rented holiday cottage. I’ll certainly be checking the light fittings at my next beach holiday rental. The genesis of the plot came from Pomare and his wife’s experiences with Airbnb properties. They rent out a cottage in regional Victoria and the process – from the social media guests use to check in (Airbnb requires guests to have a Facebook account, making casual cyber-stalking easy), to guest feedback and mysterious things left behind – all helped to inform the novel. (He also spoke to former SAS members and a policy adviser who had investigated online paedophile rings as part of his research.) The central idea is that of secret surveillance, but The Last Guests is a twisty thriller, and this is just one of the chilling narrative threads. “I am a worst-case scenario guy, generally, but my worst-case scenario is: ‘Oh, if they burn the house down, we’ll get insurance.’ There’s no sentimental value in anything I own, really. What can they do? Fraud?”
That, he says, was his starting point: the absolute worst thing. Someone installing hidden cameras in a holiday home. Then there were his experiences with guests: the zealous guest who started following and chatting to him on all his social media accounts; the one who went into too much detail about how many baths he’d enjoyed; and the family who left candle wax all over the hardwood floors. “I thought it was in the shape of a pentagram! It was a circle, and it looked like they’d tried to clear it up, but it had smeared everywhere,” he says. A holiday human sacrifice perhaps? “But it was a family, so …” Did they come out with one less child than they arrived with? “Good question – maybe I should check the footage …”
Loading The story’s hidden cameras are just one layer of the voyeurism at work in The Last Guests; Pomare wanted to explore the fact that we all have something of a taste for voyeurism. “I didn’t quite become a voyeur myself, but I looked at all the ways you could – I mean, just with a person’s name you can find out where they eat, hang out from Instagram. At what point does social media become voyeurism? At what point are you stalking someone or looking into someone too much, and it becomes obsessive?” Pomare says he indulges in what he calls a bit of “method writing”, becoming one of his characters. For The Last Guests, he took up running. “Not quite SAS level, but I got really fit,” he says. He was using a running app and realised that even that could be used to track someone. “You can find someone’s name, you can see where they start their running from each day.” The app has privacy settings, but users then can’t enter the app’s running challenges, which are used to motivate people. “It’s another form of social media,” Pomare says. “It’s all so pervasive, especially the big three – for our generation – of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We don’t have any natural defence for how addictive it is, how it’s tapping into part of your brain.”
Receipt for lunch at Neighbourhood Wine. Credit: Good fodder, though, for a crime writer – although Pomare’s not sure that he is a crime writer, despite recently being shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award. “And that shortlist has about five past winners on it – I felt like a real fraud on there,” he says. “But I’m in the crime aisle. It’s weird because I didn’t realise I was a crime novelist until I was in the crime aisle.” By the time we’re lingering over those unnecessary chips and a shared third glass of wine, we’ve traversed parenthood (“My daughter keeps bringing home diseases I’ve never even heard of from daycare”), growing up in rural New Zealand (“I wasn’t nerdy or scrawny, so the assumption was that at lunchtime, you’d play rugby – being a writer wasn’t something you aspired to as a 16-year-old boy in Rotorua”), recent novels (we’ve both just enjoyed Mark Brandi’s latest) and the attitude of superiority many have towards genre fiction. “I don’t think you should shame someone from reading what they love,” he says. Likewise, he advises against reading books you’re “supposed” to rather than those you enjoy.
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www.smh.com.au
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Running apps, voyeurism: J.P. Pomare’s new thriller explores dark side of social media
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https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/running-apps-voyeurism-j-p-pomare-s-new-thriller-explores-dark-side-of-social-media-20210816-p58j2h.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_culture
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[
"Paul Cully"
] |
2021-08-20 02:13:46+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:30:00
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With the world’s biggest sporting market keen on either the 2027 or 2031 tournaments, there are reasons for Australia to be both worried and reassured.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fsport%2Frugby-union%2Fwhy-usa-is-biggest-hurdle-for-australia-s-hopes-to-host-2027-world-cup-20210820-p58kfi.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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Loading
Rugby USA chief executive Ross Young is a fair man.
The experienced rugby administrator understands the rationale behind Rugby Australia’s charge that the US men’s XV team needs to be stronger to host a Rugby World Cup and that 2027, when Australia also wants it, might come too early for them.
But, he has a response. “I certainly wouldn’t disagree with that philosophy but it’s not a reason for us not to get it,” he tells the Herald from his base in Denver.
“There is certainly enough desire. When you look at the soccer World Cup when it was here [in 1994] ... it was a minority sport, and even though there are more games played in the tournament format now it still holds the record for attendances for a soccer World Cup.”
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USA push for Rugby World Cup 2027 is Australia’s biggest threat
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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/why-usa-is-biggest-hurdle-for-australia-s-hopes-to-host-2027-world-cup-20210820-p58kfi.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Damien Ractliffe"
] |
2021-08-20 02:13:27+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:35:10
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Barristers for Jeff Browne backer Francis Galbally and Collingwood met in the Supreme Court via video link on Friday morning.
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Mediation has been recommended by a Supreme Court judge in the battle over whether lawyer and Jeff Browne backer Francis Galbally can use a list of Collingwood members’ personal details to contact them.
Barristers for Galbally and the club met in the Supreme Court via video link on Friday morning to dispute whether a law would be broken if Galbally decided to use a members’ register to contact them about a potential board spill at the club’s upcoming annual general meeting.
Collingwood president Mark Korda (left) and challenger Jeff Browne. Credit:The Age
Galbally has requested Collingwood provide him with a list of the club’s members to verify the signatures in a petition to spill the Magpies board.
The Magpies on Friday, represented by barrister Banjo McLachlan, said they understood their obligation to provide Galbally with that register, but were worried that they could be liable under another law in the Corporations Act if Galbally chose to contact members.
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www.smh.com.au
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Magpies in court over Galbally bid to gain access to members’ info
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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/magpies-in-court-over-galbally-bid-to-gain-access-to-members-info-20210820-p58kfn.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Ben Groundwater"
] |
2021-08-20 02:11:54+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:50:00
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A form of meditation in the sea, free-diving is on the rise. No surprise, given the times.
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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size There’s whale song in the ocean today, carrying miles and miles. Bella Massey breaks the surface of the water, droplets of salty ocean cascading down her neoprene hood, and smiles. “Can you hear it?” she marvels. “Amazing.” I duck my head underwater, the seaside apartment blocks of North Bondi disappearing, the world I know vanishing, and pause a few metres down, just hanging there in the cold, clear water, listening. And there it is. Faint, but it’s there. The sound of whale song, gentle and soothing. The ocean’s radio, broadcast from who knows where. Welcome to free-diving, the extreme sport that isn’t really extreme at all. You hear about extreme sports and you picture adrenalin junkies, groups of dudes in flat-brimmed caps fist-bumping and yelping as they throw themselves off buildings or twist dirt-bike throttles. Contrast that with the act of diving
underwater with no assistance, with no air tanks or flotation devices or other outside help, just you and the ocean and the desire to push your body’s limits and go deep. This is about discovering the power of your body, and even more so, the power of your mind. And it’s rapidly gaining popularity. “The ocean is a great healer,” says Massey, an enthusiast and instructor who runs the Sydney-based free-diving school Immersia. “For a lot of people, the appeal of free-diving is not diving to 60 metres, the appeal is putting on these long, beautiful fins, moving through the water like a mermaid – there’s something quite otherworldly about it. I think it has also been boosted by this cultural movement towards mindfulness and meditation, people building a regular meditative practice into their lives.” “The thing about free-diving is you’re not relying on any gear, you’re not relying on any external factor... You’re completely in control of your own body.” Massey, 30, is the Aussie coastal cliché: tall, blonde, athletic, with the permanent healthy glow of someone who just got out of the ocean. She took up free-diving after she moved from England to Australia – where, she says, she had visions of being a “blonde surfer babe” – and discovered the beauty of the underwater landscape, the feeling of connecting with the world while at the same time gaining freedom from it.
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“The thing about free-diving,” she says, “is you’re not relying on any gear, you’re not relying on any external factor. What you’re tuned into is, what’s my heart doing, what are my lungs doing, what do I feel, what does that mean, how do I interpret what I’m feeling, and therefore how do I judge when I go back to the surface or go deeper? “You’re completely in control of your own body.” Free-diving can be a competitive sport, or it can be a pleasurable pastime. There are those who seek to compete as divers, to break records, to plunge to
incredible depths and hold their breath for a phenomenal amount of time; there are those who free-dive to forage for underwater delicacies such as sea urchins and abalone; then there are those who use free-diving purely to relax, to explore the world in a new way, to clear their minds, exercise their bodies and just duck underwater. Little wonder this sport has become so popular during the past 18 months of stress and unpredictability. Here is an activity that directly challenges those feelings, that forces participants – if they’re doing this properly, if they’re slowing their heart rates and focusing on their breathing – to shed the concerns of the outside world and focus purely on the water, on the depth, on their heartbeat, on their breath. Loading “It’s total silence,” says Massey, who can frequently be found plunging into the cool, clear depths of the ocean at Ben Buckler Point, just off North Bondi. “Of course there are always sounds – you can hear boats, you can hear little critters doing their thing on the reef – but internally you have to reach this quiet, quiet point where you’re literally just listening to your own heartbeat and to the needs of your own body. “And you only get a few seconds of it [when you dive], so you have to give it everything you possibly can. What you can’t be doing is thinking about the bill you need to pay, or someone you need to email back. Instead you’re thinking about, what is the light doing on the surface of the water? What kind of fish is that? What’s in that hole?”
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For a free-diver, each journey underwater is a micro-meditation. It requires total awareness of your body. A dive begins by hanging there on the surface of the water, “breathing up”, preparing to submerge. There’s only one way to slow your heart rate and that’s to remain calm and still and focus on air going in and air going out, air going in and air going out, until you reach that point of perfection and you make the decision to draw in one, long, last breath. And then you dive. Here’s a quick exercise. Hold your breath and time yourself. Hold it for as long as you can. You might last 30 seconds, maybe a minute, perhaps even longer. Now, know this: the urge to breathe that you just felt doesn’t mean you were running out of oxygen. “When oxygen is consumed, the muscles release carbon dioxide,” explains Gary Housley, a professor of physiology at UNSW. “That CO2 builds up, and at the brain stem there are neurons there that sense the increase in carbon dioxide level, and they cause this profound conscious drive, this need to breathe. And it’s very hard to overcome that.”
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The thing is, though, it can be overcome. By the time enough carbon dioxide has built up that your body triggers a need to draw breath, you still have a lot of oxygen left. Massey, for example, says her urge to breathe typically kicks in at about one minute into her breath-hold; at that point she knows she still has about three to four minutes before she is at risk of serious hypoxia, or oxygen starvation. The world record for breath-holding is an astonishing 11 minutes and 35 seconds. The deepest anyone has dived underwater without the assistance of scuba tanks, weights or other mechanical apparatus is 131 metres. With weighted sleds and flotation devices, free-divers have gone 214 metres into the ocean. So, try that breath-hold again, armed with this knowledge. Know that you have vast reserves of oxygen even though your body is telling you to breathe, and see the difference that knowledge makes. I can almost guarantee that your second breath-hold will be longer than your first. And now take that sensation, that success, that mastery of your body’s functions, and multiply it. You’re beginning to understand the attraction of free-diving. Lisa Zhang, 33, is a Sydney-based architect who has found solace in free-diving during the pandemic. She has found not just a social outlet, forming a group of like-minded friends, but a way to challenge and test herself. “It’s a bit of fear,” says Zhang, speaking to me during lockdown from her home in eastern Sydney. “It’s a bit of pressure to perform when you dive. I’ve also always found it really difficult to switch off in my life. With work – I mean, I finish work, but I don’t actually switch off. I don’t stop thinking about it. So being in that zone [while free-diving], it’s really taught me to meditate a bit better.” Zhang reflects the new wave of recreational divers who are challenging the perception of this as an extreme sport dominated by men. She first tried free-diving a few years ago, but didn’t find the social outlet she has now. “It was more of a boys’ club. The boys would go out spear-fishing, and that’s not something I would do. Now though, I guess, my whole group of dive friends is all women.”
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“It was more of a boys’ club,” she says of her early attempts. “The boys would go out spear-fishing, and that’s not something I would do. Now though, I guess, my whole group of dive friends is all women. And that’s been really good, there’s not that kind of pressure, per se, to keep chasing numbers. It’s been a really supportive, community vibe.” Loading This sport, of course, can be extreme, and it can be dangerous. Those who seek to push their limits sometimes push too far. The greatest danger for a free-diver is hypoxia, or lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, which can cause a “samba”, a loss of motor control, or even a blackout. At that point, if there is no rescue procedure in place, the result is death – which is why divers should learn how to do it safely before trying it, follow the rules and always go out with a “buddy”. “You can hear boats, you can hear little critters doing their thing on the reef, but internally you have to reach this quiet, quiet point,” says Bella Massey. Credit:Ewan Donnachie Back out in the water, Massey pulls her mask down over her face and prepares for another dive, to explore the underwater world, to thrill to it. “It’s not so much about pushing yourself, it’s about finding a deep, deep, quiet place. That’s one of the things I love about free-diving – you can’t look at someone and say, ‘You would be a good free-diver because you’re a good runner, or a good swimmer, or you lift weights.’ It’s not about that. It’s about who can tap into the quiet of their mind, who can send themselves almost to sleep with calming thoughts, with careful breathing. “This sport has unlocked in me something I’d never been able to put my finger on. And it is the greatest thing I have ever found.”
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www.smh.com.au
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The rise of freediving in Australia
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https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/you-re-completely-in-control-why-free-diving-s-finding-new-fans-20210730-p58ej5.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Heather Mcneill"
] |
2021-08-20 02:13:08+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:26:26
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Submissions to a parliamentary inquiry have revealed hundreds of sexual harassment complaints at WA mining sites including five accusations of rape.
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BHP has sacked 48 employees in the past two years over sexual harassment complaints at its fly-in, fly-out camps as the regulator slammed WA’s mining industry for its ad-hoc reporting of assaults.
In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into sexual harassment against women in the FIFO workforce, the mining giant – which employs 13,500 people in WA – revealed between July 2019 and June 2021, five employees had alleged they had been raped and 13 indecently assaulted.
BHP has committed $300 million to improving safety at its sites since 2019. Credit:WAtoday/Supplied
The serious complaints were among 73 recorded incidents of sexual harassment made to the company’s confidential reporting arm, EthicsPoint, over the same period.
“This includes inappropriate comments of a sexual nature, unwelcome comments about looks or dress, inappropriate ‘jokes’, ‘wolf whistles’, unwelcome touching, requests for massage, sending inappropriate text messages or images, staring or leering, or persistent requests for personal information or dates or other unwanted advances,” BHP wrote in its submission, made public on Thursday.
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www.smh.com.au
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BHP sacked 48 workers over sexual harassment claims, FIFO inquiry reveals
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/bhp-sacked-48-workers-over-sexual-harassment-claims-fifo-inquiry-reveals-20210820-p58kg8.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"David Crowe"
] |
2021-08-20 02:13:15+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:26:24
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Energy Minister Angus Taylor has told the US to look at Australia’s history of reducing emissions compared to their own before criticising climate policy.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fpolitics%2Ffederal%2Flook-at-the-scoreboard-angus-taylor-hits-back-at-us-over-climate-call-20210820-p58kf6.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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Energy Minister Angus Taylor has hit back at pressure from the United States to set a more aggressive target to slash carbon emissions, arguing that officials working for President Joe Biden are in no position to criticise Australian policy.
Mr Taylor declared that other countries including the US had failed to cut emissions as deeply as Australia in the past, citing government figures showing a 20 per cent cut since 2005.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor says the US isn’t in a position to criticise Australia on climate change. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The remarks countered a warning from Johnathan Pershing, the Biden administration’s deputy special presidential envoy on climate, that the Australian targets were too low ahead of a United Nations summit in Glasgow in November.
“The critics should look at the scoreboard because since 2005 we’ve reduced our emissions by 20 per cent,” Mr Taylor said told Sky News.
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‘Look at the scoreboard’: Angus Taylor hits back at US over climate call
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https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/look-at-the-scoreboard-angus-taylor-hits-back-at-us-over-climate-call-20210820-p58kf6.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Damien Woolnough"
] |
2021-08-20 02:11:47+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:45:00
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Designer Kit Willow is joining the growing fashion resale market by finding new homes for pre-loved KitX creations.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flifestyle%2Ffashion%2Fthe-luxury-label-accepting-returns-after-14-days-or-five-years-20210819-p58k45.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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The pervasive scent of camphor, BO and regret once permeated attitudes towards secondhand clothing but Australian designer Kit Willow is joining the growing list of luxury labels blocking their noses and airing pre-worn dresses in the fashion resale market.
The aesthetically conscious activist has launched the KitXchange for her brand KitX, in a grassroots attempt to quench Australian shoppers’ appetite for disposable fashion.
Kit Willow wearing the handwoven Eye Cat Print shirt from the KitX Spring/Summer 2018 collection that will be available in her new online resale boutique. Credit:Dominic Lorimer
“The amount of energy that goes into fashion development is enormous,” Willow said. “From agriculture, freight, dyes, knitting it, weaving it, selling it, getting it to the makers, shipping it… it’s huge. Just to wear it once or twice and then throw it away.”
“With KitXchange, I never want to see a KitX garment in landfill. There is always someone who will find it and love it. It’s about loving longer.”
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www.smh.com.au
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accepting returns after 14 days or 5 years
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https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/the-luxury-label-accepting-returns-after-14-days-or-five-years-20210819-p58k45.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Ross Gittins"
] |
2021-08-20 02:11:34+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:45:00
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We need to act on the precautionary principle of significantly reducing emissions now, so we never get to find out how bad it could be.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Fthe-economy%2Fglobal-warming-is-too-wicked-to-just-muddle-our-way-through-20210819-p58kb8.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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It’s probably always true that democracies take too long to accept the need to act decisively to avert foreseeable problems. We never do it well, but always manage to muddle through. We wait until the problem’s reached crisis point. Everyone’s panicking, and thus willing to accept the tough remedies needed. But I fear climate change is too “wicked” a problem to be solved this usual way.
Credit:Illustration: Matt Davidson
An extra problem for Australia is that we have a government rendered impotent by its internal divisions. The good news – of sorts – is that when the captain of the ship goes AWOL, the crew take over. The premiers – Liberal and Labor – are stepping in to fill the gap. And business can see the writing on the wall and is taking evasive action.
It’s obvious the world is moving to renewable energy and, before long, oil, gas and coal will become “stranded assets” selling a product for which demand can only decline. Here and overseas, banks are worrying about the security of their loans to fossil-fuel businesses, pension funds and investment managers are worrying about their members’ distaste for investing in polluting businesses, and energy businesses such as AGL and now BHP are dividing themselves into good bank and bad bank, so to speak.
Much of the wake-up call to finance and business is coming from financial regulators. Our Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) has initiated a climate vulnerability assessment for banks, encompassing scenarios up to 3 degrees of average global warming, and has issued draft guidance for companies to stress test their own finances against scenarios of up to 4 degrees warming.
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www.smh.com.au
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Global warming is too ‘wicked’ to just muddle our way through
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https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/global-warming-is-too-wicked-to-just-muddle-our-way-through-20210819-p58kb8.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Malcolm Conn"
] |
2021-08-20 02:13:40+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:40:40
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Test captain Tim Paine believes under-fire coach Justin Langer will see out his current contract, taking Australia through the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fsport%2Fcricket%2Fpaine-backs-langer-to-guide-australia-through-ashes-20210820-p58kfo.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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Australian Test captain Tim Paine has strongly supported Justin Langer, declaring the embattled coach will be in charge for the Twenty20 World Cup and the Ashes.
Paine was speaking after being summoned to an emergency meeting with white ball captain Aaron Finch and vice-captain Pat Cummins by Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings and chief executive Nick Hockley on Wednesday night to discuss Langer’s intense coaching style.
Tim Paine and Justin Langer during the 2019 Ashes in England. Credit:Getty
“We’ve had some really robust conversations amongst our leaders in the last few days and we’re really looking forward to the next six months with JL,” Paine told his SEN radio show in Hobart on Friday.
“We’re looking forward to the World Cup, we’re looking forward to the Ashes, it’s an exciting period for any cricketer. If anything, I think we’re heading into that tournament and series even more galvanised and even more together.
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www.smh.com.au
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Paine backs Langer to guide Australia through Ashes
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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/paine-backs-langer-to-guide-australia-through-ashes-20210820-p58kfo.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Daniel Brettig"
] |
2021-08-20 02:13:33+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:30:00
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Having concluded his second stint as selection chair, Trevor Hohns reflects on the momentous decisions, and has some concerns about Australian cricket’s direction.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fsport%2Fcricket%2Fhohns-finally-drops-himself-and-reflects-on-the-gamble-that-was-his-best-decision-20210819-p58k87.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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Loading “That was very unpleasant and totally uncalled for,” Hohns says. “But I think it actually might have steeled me a bit more, knowing what to expect. I knew there would be other decisions that would have to be made. It was unpleasant, but it didn’t put me off one bit.” There is much that was unlikely about Hohns’ rise to such a position. He had given up on playing for Australia when, as a 31-year-old, he accepted an offer to go on two tours to apartheid-era South Africa as part of a team led by Kim Hughes. Never expecting to play for his state again, Hohns was instead welcomed back, and alongside Terry Alderman was picked for Australia in the summer ahead of the era-defining 1989 Ashes tour. As a wrist-spin bowler, Hohns was seen as a key to unseating the West Indies, but declined numerous selection entreaties to retire in 1991. Two years later, he was Queensland’s nomination for the selection panel, and by 1995, Hohns succeeded the legendary Laurie Sawle as chair. He says watching Sawle’s patient and delicate handling of Allan Border’s retirement was his most formative selection lesson. “There were several calls [with Border] and Laurie was a very patient man,” Hohns says. “He treated Allan, as he did everybody, with a great deal of respect and that’s absolutely necessary when you’re talking about one of the all-time greats. Laurie was a gentleman and very patiently worked his way through it, and in the end I think the result was good for everybody. Any time that I had to do that throughout my career, I always thought about how he handled it with Allan.”
Sawle’s retirement meant that Hohns oversaw a period, between 1995 and 2006, in which the Australian team not only maintained their global pre-eminence, but extended their gap over the rest of the field. He stood firm in retaining Mark Taylor as captain during his lengthy run of outs in 1996-97, managed the retirements of David Boon, Healy, Taylor and the Waugh brothers, and accepted the judgment of the board’s chairman Denis Rogers that Shane Warne would not become Test captain. “A great credit to Denis is that once Shane’s name was mentioned, he promptly suggested that he didn’t think that was the right recommendation because he didn’t think the board would go along with that,” Hohns says. “So I give him a lot of credit for that because it could have been an embarrassment had that been our recommendation and gone to the board and been knocked back. Trevor Hohns accepted the board’s view that Steve Waugh should captain the Test team rather than Shane Warne. Credit:Jack Atley ″That was very good communication, and fortunately Denis and I had a very good relationship in that regard. You always look back and think about what ifs, but as it turned out, Stephen was a very good captain as well, and has a terrific winning record to show that he was a good leader.” While satisfied that, in the end, the retirement of Steve Waugh was well-timed in terms of Ponting’s emergence as a leader, Hohns agrees that over time it became more difficult to transition from one generation to the next. He winced when, after his resignation in early 2006, Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn all retired in the space of a single home Ashes series.
Among contests he presided over, Hohns recalls the pain of narrow defeats in England in 2005 and India in 2017 most acutely. That second series, in which a touring team chosen and prepared carefully for sharply spinning pitches gave up a 1-0 series lead, is ruefully described as “the one that got away”. It also helped to heighten pressure in an organisation where, after the 2011 Argus review, CA codified the target of reaching No.1 in all three forms of the game. “It was different, and that aim to be No.1 in all forms of the game probably wasn’t the right mentality,” Hohns concludes. “I think if you play well and you’ve got the right players and the right team, all of that takes care of itself. So that may not have been the right target.” Hohns is full of praise for Tim Paine’s work as Australian captain in the aftermath of controversy in South Africa. Credit:Justin McManus In South Africa in early 2018, fatigue and pressure conspired to take an increasingly unlikeable team into a place of rare infamy. Hohns does not enjoy the memory, but cannot praise Tim Paine enough for how he handled the maelstrom, and reasons that the captain’s wider responsibilities are now a much bigger factor in deciding upon the 36-year-old’s successor. “Going back even to when I was playing Shield cricket, people were always trying to get something extra out of a cricket ball,” he says. “What they were doing, who knows, I have no idea, but there was always that sort of thing talked about and going on and I guess everyone knows that. But in international cricket now with cameras everywhere, there’s not much you can get away with. Whether it was handled well at the time or not, I don’t know, but I think it was unfortunate the way we went to the media straight away that night, for instance. We possibly could have waited a bit longer and made a proper statement.
“Tim’s done a wonderful job in a time that was very ordinary. To take over and try to get the public back on side. He copped a bit of flak last year for his tactics against India. Captains do have bad days from time to time, so I thought he was unfairly criticised for his on-field captaincy. But the job he has done for Australian cricket since he’s taken over as leader, you can’t put words to it. It’s been outstanding in my mind.” Having concluded the second of his stints as chair, Hohns is reflective about the many momentous decisions of his time, but not without concerns about Australian cricket’s direction. He is worried that CA has perhaps lost sight of its core function as a cricket governing body, and notes that in his first iteration as selection chair he had far more to do with the board than he has over the past five years. “You need to have the right individual if you’re going to have the coach as a selector, and the coach shouldn’t need that extra power to gain the respect of his players.” Trevor Hohns “It’s absolutely necessary, totally necessary, to have that relationship with the board, so they understand what we’re thinking, rather than hearing it second hand,” Hohns says. “Let’s face it, it’s a cricket organisation and cricket has to be their main concern. They can get tied up with being a business, but if we don’t have good cricket teams, men’s and women’s, and we don’t have good young players coming through, there’s no business.” As for the swirl of questions around the tenure of the national team coach Justin Langer, Hohns is understandably careful. But he is happy to state his view about the role of the coach in relation to the selectors.
Loading “No.1, it depends on the individual whether they can handle that role,” Hohns says. “If a coach needs that extra power in the dressing room, well I think that’s a no no. I used to always think it worked better if the coach wasn’t a selector. At the moment I’m more like 50-50 on it, but you need to have the right individual if you’re going to have the coach as a selector, and the coach shouldn’t need that extra power to gain the respect of his players.” Looking at the wider system, Hohns is adamant that CA must re-establish the Australia A concept as rapidly as possible. He is also open to his fellow former selector Greg Chappell’s suggestion that the time has come for consideration of whether the Sheffield Shield is contested by more than six domestic teams. Hohns is comfortable with the choice of George Bailey as his successor, noting that the former Australian limited-overs captain has the right people skills for the task. But he hopes that Bailey will make sure he is linked as closely as possible to the under-age and domestic pathways, in much the same way as Sawle had once identified the likes of Waugh, Healy, Boon and Geoff Marsh as the foundations to build a team around Border. “George is the right person,” Hohns says. “As far as how to do things, it’s a matter of doing what you’re allowed to do, to be honest. The chairman of selectors doesn’t quite call all the shots on everything, but you certainly have to be a little bit brave from time to time with your ideas, and part of the charter is preparing for the future.”
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www.smh.com.au
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Hohns finally drops himself, and reflects on the gamble that was his best decision
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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/hohns-finally-drops-himself-and-reflects-on-the-gamble-that-was-his-best-decision-20210819-p58k87.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Kylie Northover"
] |
2021-08-20 02:11:40+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:00:00
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J.P. Pomare didn’t always aspire to being a thriller author, but since his 2019 debut Call Me Evie, he’s rapidly gained a reputation as a master of the genre.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fculture%2Fbooks%2Frunning-apps-voyeurism-j-p-pomare-s-new-thriller-explores-dark-side-of-social-media-20210816-p58j2h.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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English muffins with spanner crab, buttermilk and salmon roe. Credit:Eddie Jim “I wish I did! My approach is to pursue my own interests within the framework of a suspense novel,” he says. “Twists for me come relatively early in the writing process, but never before setting out on the first draft. I usually stumble upon them after two or three drafts, then I will tease them out and ‘breadcrumb’ them in later drafts.” Neighbourhood Wine is one of Pomare’s locals, although with a 13-month-old daughter at home, he doesn’t get out as much as he used to. “It was a bit hipster-only here for a while, but now it’s quite foodie,” Pomare says as we consider the menu. Despite – or, perhaps, because of – growing up on a racehorse farm, Pomare is pescatarian, so we order starters of English muffins with spanner crab, buttermilk and salmon roe, and the unphotogenic but delicious cured trout with lemonade fruit, oats and isot chili (I had to look that up too). We both opt for the pan-fried cod for main course, with a salad and chips – only after we’ve settled on wine, which Pomare asks about before the food. “It’s after 12, right?” He has a local chardonnay and I order a French natural wine. Pomare has lived in Australia for years, but grew up near Rotorua on New Zealand’s north island. “Like everyone with a hobby farm in New Zealand, we had 30 or 40 sheep as well and we used to watch the butcher when he came to slaughter the lambs,” he says. He and his three siblings have all been vegetarian or vegan at some point. “I think you can’t really divorce the meal from the source.”
Cured kingfish with lemonade fruit, oats and isot chili. Credit:Eddie Jim The Last Guests is set in the same remote area of New Zealand and plays on ideas of voyeurism and surveillance. Lina and Cain are a married couple with personal and financial worries; she’s an Auckland paramedic and he’s a former SAS soldier with PTSD, having trouble readjusting to civilian life. Looking to make extra money, Cain talks Lina into renovating her remote family lake house and leasing it on “WeStay” (a legally advised fictional version of Airbnb). They’re keen to start a family and could use the extra income – but both have their own secrets. Like all Pomare’s novels, it’s tricky to write much about The Last Guests without giving anything away, but it’s possibly not one to read in your rented holiday cottage. I’ll certainly be checking the light fittings at my next beach holiday rental. The genesis of the plot came from Pomare and his wife’s experiences with Airbnb properties. They rent out a cottage in regional Victoria and the process – from the social media guests use to check in (Airbnb requires guests to have a Facebook account, making casual cyber-stalking easy), to guest feedback and mysterious things left behind – all helped to inform the novel. (He also spoke to former SAS members and a policy adviser who had investigated online paedophile rings as part of his research.) The central idea is that of secret surveillance, but The Last Guests is a twisty thriller, and this is just one of the chilling narrative threads. “I am a worst-case scenario guy, generally, but my worst-case scenario is: ‘Oh, if they burn the house down, we’ll get insurance.’ There’s no sentimental value in anything I own, really. What can they do? Fraud?”
That, he says, was his starting point: the absolute worst thing. Someone installing hidden cameras in a holiday home. Then there were his experiences with guests: the zealous guest who started following and chatting to him on all his social media accounts; the one who went into too much detail about how many baths he’d enjoyed; and the family who left candle wax all over the hardwood floors. “I thought it was in the shape of a pentagram! It was a circle, and it looked like they’d tried to clear it up, but it had smeared everywhere,” he says. A holiday human sacrifice perhaps? “But it was a family, so …” Did they come out with one less child than they arrived with? “Good question – maybe I should check the footage …”
Loading The story’s hidden cameras are just one layer of the voyeurism at work in The Last Guests; Pomare wanted to explore the fact that we all have something of a taste for voyeurism. “I didn’t quite become a voyeur myself, but I looked at all the ways you could – I mean, just with a person’s name you can find out where they eat, hang out from Instagram. At what point does social media become voyeurism? At what point are you stalking someone or looking into someone too much, and it becomes obsessive?” Pomare says he indulges in what he calls a bit of “method writing”, becoming one of his characters. For The Last Guests, he took up running. “Not quite SAS level, but I got really fit,” he says. He was using a running app and realised that even that could be used to track someone. “You can find someone’s name, you can see where they start their running from each day.” The app has privacy settings, but users then can’t enter the app’s running challenges, which are used to motivate people. “It’s another form of social media,” Pomare says. “It’s all so pervasive, especially the big three – for our generation – of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We don’t have any natural defence for how addictive it is, how it’s tapping into part of your brain.”
Receipt for lunch at Neighbourhood Wine. Credit: Good fodder, though, for a crime writer – although Pomare’s not sure that he is a crime writer, despite recently being shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award. “And that shortlist has about five past winners on it – I felt like a real fraud on there,” he says. “But I’m in the crime aisle. It’s weird because I didn’t realise I was a crime novelist until I was in the crime aisle.” By the time we’re lingering over those unnecessary chips and a shared third glass of wine, we’ve traversed parenthood (“My daughter keeps bringing home diseases I’ve never even heard of from daycare”), growing up in rural New Zealand (“I wasn’t nerdy or scrawny, so the assumption was that at lunchtime, you’d play rugby – being a writer wasn’t something you aspired to as a 16-year-old boy in Rotorua”), recent novels (we’ve both just enjoyed Mark Brandi’s latest) and the attitude of superiority many have towards genre fiction. “I don’t think you should shame someone from reading what they love,” he says. Likewise, he advises against reading books you’re “supposed” to rather than those you enjoy.
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www.smh.com.au
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Running apps, voyeurism: J.P. Pomare’s new thriller explores dark side of social media
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https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/running-apps-voyeurism-j-p-pomare-s-new-thriller-explores-dark-side-of-social-media-20210816-p58j2h.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Mary Ward",
"Sarah Mcphee"
] |
2021-08-20 02:12:37+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:31:32
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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has extended the lockdown for Greater Sydney until the end of September amid a number of new restrictions following 642 new cases and four deaths on Friday.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fnsw%2Fsydney-lockdown-extends-for-another-month-with-masks-mandatory-outdoors-20210820-p58kfz.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has extended the lockdown for Greater Sydney until the end of September after NSW recorded 642 local COVID cases and four deaths on Friday.
The Premier said the new restrictions - including mandatory outdoor masks across NSW unless exercising and a curfew in Sydney’s west and south-west - was based on a sudden escalation in cases and police feedback.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian arrives at the daily health briefing on Friday. Credit:James Brickwood
As Greater Sydney’s lockdown nears the end of its eighth week, four deaths were recorded: a woman in her 80s who was a resident at Wyoming aged care facility and is the fourth death from that cluster, a man in his 70s who acquired his infection at St George Hospital, a man in his 80s who is the second person to die after acquiring an infection at Nepean Hospital and a woman in her 80s from south-west Sydney.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro has revealed high case numbers have continued to be recorded in the state’s west, with 27 new cases in the Western NSW Local Health District, including 21 in Dubbo and two in Bourke. An additional three cases were recorded in Wilcannia, in the Far West district.
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www.smh.com.au
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NSW COVID cases grow by 642, four deaths recorded
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-lockdown-extends-for-another-month-with-masks-mandatory-outdoors-20210820-p58kfz.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Lia Timson"
] |
2021-08-20 02:14:11+00:00
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2021-08-20 02:07:45
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The Ministry of Health has confirmed the first cases of the new wave recorded outside of Auckland.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fworld%2Foceania%2Fnz-covid-outbreak-spreads-to-wellington-20210820-p58kg0.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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The New Zealand coronavirus outbreak has spread to Wellington, as the first cases recorded outside of Auckland were confirmed.
The Ministry of Health said three cases have been detected in the nation’s capital in people who had recently travelled to Auckland.
In a statement, the ministry said there were 11 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community, eight of those in Auckland. This brings the total number of cases associated with the current Auckland outbreak to 31.
One of the cases was a patient being treated for other conditions at Auckland’s North Shore Hospital, prompting the ministry to begin diverting all emergency cases away from the facility as a precaution.
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www.smh.com.au
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NZ COVID outbreak spreads to Wellington
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https://www.smh.com.au/world/oceania/nz-covid-outbreak-spreads-to-wellington-20210820-p58kg0.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Jon Pierik"
] |
2021-08-20 02:13:21+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:16:49
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As he prepares for his final match as a Hawk, the four-time premiership coach says a year off is firmly on the agenda but admits decisions can change quickly.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fsport%2Fafl%2Fas-hawks-finale-looms-clarkson-s-sincere-intention-is-to-have-a-year-off-20210820-p58kdx.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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Burgoyne is heading into retirement although is likely to have an important role to play in Indigenous affairs off the field, while Clarkson has a key decision to make.
Clarkson, after 17 years in charge, completed his final weekly press conference on Friday at a windswept and wet Waverley Park, where he and Shaun Burgoyne took a trip down memory lane ahead of their final match in Hawthorn colours, against Richmond at the MCG on Saturday.
Alastair Clarkson has declared his “sincere intention” is to have a year off from coaching but says a final decision won’t be made for a couple of weeks.
However, Clarkson, who will be paid out the final year of his contract with the Hawks worth about $900,000, having been replaced by Sam Mitchell, could also take the year off - something he said he was seriously considering.
“I am a little bit embarrassed to talk about it to be fair because whatever has been said in the last three or four weeks has changed so much. Whatever you say, you just can’t take it as gospel,” he said.
“My sincere intention, at this point in time, and has been for the last four to six weeks, now that I am no longer coaching Hawthorn, I want to have a spell from the game and to see what that rest will do for me, whether it will reignite some real passion to get involved in the game again or actually take the opportunity to go overseas.
“It’s a little bit difficult at the moment given the [pandemic] environment … take the opportunity to go overseas and explore some things, do some things that my wife and I have never done before because we have been so heavily involved in footy and see where the next chapter of our life takes us.”
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www.smh.com.au
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As Hawks finale looms, Clarkson’s ‘sincere intention’ is to have a year off
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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/as-hawks-finale-looms-clarkson-s-sincere-intention-is-to-have-a-year-off-20210820-p58kdx.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Kate Halfpenny"
] |
2021-08-20 02:12:06+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:45:00
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Jennifer Aniston’s stand on vaccination is the perfect example of what a lot of us are thinking about our own social circles.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flifestyle%2Flife-and-relationships%2Fno-one-told-us-life-would-be-this-way-so-is-it-time-to-ditch-friends-20210819-p58kcf.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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While we share the same skill set – sunbathing and making margaritas without sugar syrup –Jennifer Aniston has never really done it for me as a celebrity. A bit beige and doesn’t stand for anything. Not anymore – suddenly Aniston has me intrigued.
She was probably talking about her gardener and not lifelong pals when she told InStyle magazine she’s “lost people from her weekly routine” because they were unvaccinated, but the gist of what Aniston was prepared to say publicly about a pandemic “moral obligation” has power.
Enjoying sunbathing and making margaritas (without sugar syrup) was all the writer had in common with Jennifer Aniston. Until now.
“There’s still a large group of people who are anti-vaxxers or just don’t listen to the facts,” she said. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion – but a lot of opinions don’t feel based in anything except fear or propaganda.”
As Melbourne clocks up more than 200 days of lockdown amid constant pleas for people to get vaccinated, the Aniston stand is the perfect example of what a lot of us are thinking about our own social circles.
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www.smh.com.au
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No-one told us life would be this way so is it time to ditch friends?
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https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/no-one-told-us-life-would-be-this-way-so-is-it-time-to-ditch-friends-20210819-p58kcf.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Cassandra Morgan"
] |
2021-08-20 02:12:43+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:20:25
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Two people are feared dead after a car struck a pole and burst into flame on a busy inner-city road.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fvictoria%2Fcar-explodes-on-flemington-road-20210820-p58kgb.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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Two people are feared dead after a car struck a pole and burst into flame on a busy inner-city road.
A police spokeswoman said it appeared a vehicle was travelling south along Flemington Road near the Royal Women’s Hospital, toward Grattan Street, when it struck a curb and crashed into a pole, about 9.50am on Friday.
Police are currently at the scene of a fatal collision on Flemington Road, Parkville. Credit:Jason South
“At this stage it is believed two people, the driver and a passenger, are deceased,” they said.
“It is not believed the incident is [counterterrorism] related or that there is any ongoing threat to the community.
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www.smh.com.au
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Car explodes on Flemington Road
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/car-explodes-on-flemington-road-20210820-p58kgb.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Fenella Souter"
] |
2021-08-20 02:12:12+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:51:33
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ABC RN Breakfast show host Fran Kelly and Marion Frith, a former speechwriter and journalist turned novelist, discuss love, luck and weathering ‘really friggin’ serious’ moments.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fa-shout-out-to-all-the-step-parents-out-there-fran-and-marion-on-30-years-of-love-20210730-p58eja.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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Marion’s three children were young when we met. Being a step-parent was an exciting thing to embark on. It’s a lovely relationship, and a complex one: a shout-out to all the step-parents out there. The payoff is we have a great relationship and I’ve now got five grandkids.
I’ve done the show for 17 years and she listens to it every morning. She has been very supportive, which you need when you’re doing breakfast radio. It’s a punishing schedule that dominates the rhythm of the home. I came to journalism late in life, but Marion came up through those old-school newsrooms and has never lost that passion. So I’ll get home and she’ll say, “Oh, I thought you were really easy on so-and-so”, or “Why did you let that go so long? It was dull.” Occasionally she’ll text me on air, “Keep going with this one.” She has good instincts. Is it always welcome? Well, I can take it or leave it: I’ve got the power over the mic.
Fran: We’ve been together coming up for 30 years now. We met on an assignment and became friends first. I was very attracted to Marion’s energy and her humour. She’s daring, she’s a “don’t die wondering” kind of person.
Fran Kelly (left) and Marion Frith: “Marion will text me on air, ‘Keep going with this one.’ She has good instincts. Is it always welcome? Well, I can take it or leave it.” Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
Political journalist Fran Kelly, 63, has hosted the ABC’s RN Breakfast show since 2005. Her partner Marion Frith, 65, a former speechwriter and journalist, had a brush with death in 2015 and has just written her first novel.
I’m quite balanced and Marion’s more passionate and impulsive. When she was mosaicing the wall in our garden, she’d walk in from work in her business suit and go out and mix the cement in those clothes. I’m like, “What are you doing?” I’m the opposite. I have an outfit for all occasions. She’ll start painting without putting down a drop sheet, then there will be paint on the new marble kitchen and I’ll go, “Really? You didn’t think about that?”
“It’s a lovely relationship, and a complex one: a shout-out to all the step-parents out there. The payoff is we have a great relationship and I’ve now got five grandkids.”
In 2015, Marion got sepsis and it was very scary. She was in Melbourne getting ready for her daughter’s wedding. I was in Sydney, planning to come down on the weekend. I was on air doing an interview when I got a text saying, “I’m going into ICU.” I panicked. I managed to call her during a break. The doctor took the phone and told me it was serious, really friggin’ serious. I got there as soon as I could.
Marion was determined to go to the wedding. She’s very driven. Her specialist said, “Well, you can go to the wedding and your family might not have you for very long, or you can do as I’m telling you and stay in hospital.” In the end, she was allowed to go for three hours. One of the nurses in ICU used to be a hairdresser and she came in specially to do Marion’s hair. So Marion arrived at the wedding in her hospital garb with this lovely hairdo.
She was very sick for a year. Moments like that make you think about the life you’ve led and still want to lead. We talked a lot about that together, and cried about it. She’s recovered since and written a children’s book and now a novel [Here in the After, out September 1], which I’ve come to see is a relentless and hellish process. I have no desire to ever do it.
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www.smh.com.au
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Two of Us with journalists Marion Frith and RN Breakfast’s Fran Kelly
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/a-shout-out-to-all-the-step-parents-out-there-fran-and-marion-on-30-years-of-love-20210730-p58eja.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Tony Wright"
] |
2021-08-20 02:12:18+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:42:00
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The lesson from this terrible year - and from 1666 - is that leaders who wait too long to make tough decisions are soon overwhelmed.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fleaders-who-hesitate-are-lost-from-afghanistan-to-a-pandemic-20210819-p58k4i.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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en
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If there is a single lesson to be had from what is turning out to be an awful year, it is that responsible governments and authorities can’t afford to dally over the most serious decisions.
Shilly-shally about locking down against a resurgent virus - as Gladys Berejiklian did for many days with the support of Prime Minister Scott Morrison - and the virus takes charge.
Ignore calls to place a “ring of steel” around a city like Sydney and sure enough, country cities and towns are soon filling their little hospitals.
The medical world, it happens, has known ever since 1666, when a small village in England sealed itself off to avoid spreading the bubonic plague to neighbouring towns, that hard and sharp lockdowns are the most effective means of handling epidemics, short of mass vaccinations. More of which later in this column.
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www.smh.com.au
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Leaders who hesitate are lost, from Afghanistan to a pandemic
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/leaders-who-hesitate-are-lost-from-afghanistan-to-a-pandemic-20210819-p58k4i.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Krishan Sharma"
] |
2021-08-20 02:13:52+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:48:54
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As TV-makers offer smaller OLEDs with more PC-friendly features, monitor companies are also adding TV smarts to their bigger screens.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Ftechnology%2Fcould-your-next-tv-be-a-pc-monitor-20210817-p58je1.html%3Fref%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_source%3Drss_feed.json
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The PC monitor space is currently going through a real shake up, with TV makers including LG increasingly positioning their OLED televisions as computer screens, with more desk-friendly sizes and full support for high refresh rate gaming. At the same time, traditional PC monitor makers are rising to the challenge by releasing models that are designed to serve double duty as a television. The strongest example of this is the Aorus FV43U from Gigabyte, which comes with all the features you would expect from a top-of-the line 4K gaming monitor in a TV-sized package, complete with two HDMI 2.1 ports for connecting the PS5 and Xbox Series X at full tilt. It even has decent sounding built-in speakers and includes a remote in the box. The Gigabyte Aorus FV43U works as both a big computer monitor and a small TV. The value proposition of a monitor that can also act as a TV is compelling for those who crave more desktop real estate, or live in a small apartment where space is at a premium. The question is, should you buy a jumbo sized monitor or just bite the bullet and buy a television instead? The first thing to consider is size. The smallest LG OLED television for example is 48 inches (122 cm), which while fine for a small living room but too big for most desks. The Aorus is a 43-inch monitor that is still large, but not so big that you need to crane your neck or burn your retinas at normal desktop viewing distance.
Monitors of this size come with a fixed stand, so you lose out on height or tilt adjustments that you would normally get with a regular sized monitor. The Aorus comes with two V-shaped feet which thoughtfully takes up less space on a desk than the ones you would find on regular flat panel TV stands. However, I would still recommend a mount for most people as that will give you the adjustability you need while also allowing you to push the screen back a bit further for a more comfortable viewing experience. The Aorus also boasts a matte coating which does a much better job at keeping reflections at bay than the glossy coating normally found on televisions. There are other desktop friendly features as well such as a built-in KVM switch so you can use the same keyboard and mouse on two different machines, which is handy if you also use a laptop at your desk. Loading The thing to keep in mind with jumbo sized monitors is that they lack a TV tuner and built-in streaming apps, as well as the picture processing enhancements to upscale SD or regular HD content like a dedicated television can. That’s not really an issue if you’re doing all your movie and TV watching through a connected streaming box, which I suspect most will. Of course the Aorus really shines as a gaming display. The refresh rate can 144Hz, which is higher than any television, provided you have a PC capable enough to drive it. Contrast levels are impressive for an LCD, backed up by blindingly beautiful HDR performance that can hit 1000 nits peak brightness, and the factory colour calibration is up there with professional grade monitors making it a good fit for colour accurate work.
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www.smh.com.au
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Could your next TV be a PC monitor?
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https://www.smh.com.au/technology/could-your-next-tv-be-a-pc-monitor-20210817-p58je1.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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[
"Ww Staff"
] |
2021-08-20 01:49:43+00:00
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2021-08-19 17:31:00
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wweek.com%2Fbars%2F2021%2F08%2F19%2Ffive-rooftop-bars-to-drink-at-this-week%2F.json
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en
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1. Lolo Pass
1616 E Burnside St., 503-908-3074, lolopasspdx.com. Coffee 7 am-2 pm, cocktails 4-10 pm daily.
Lolo Pass’ open floor plan lobby is a fine place to start or end a night, but the hostel-like hotel’s main attraction is the fifth-floor rooftop, which features a fire pit, a communal guitar, its own bar and no shortage of socially distant seating arrangements. The vantage offers a unique view of downtown and the Central Eastside, with everything from Big Pink to Buckman Field visible on the scenic smorgasbord. Lolo’s house cocktails trend toward sweet and fruity, as evidenced in the pineapple-infused old fashioned, the unmuddled schnapps in the Teaches of Peaches Sex on the Beach, and the pamplemousse and aperol of the metropolitan but off-cycle Gemini SZN.
2. Botanist
910 NW 14th Ave., 971-533-8064, botanisthouse.com. 4-10 pm Wednesday-Thursday, 10 am-2 pm and 4-10:30 pm Friday-Saturday, 10 am-2 pm Sunday.
When Botanist’s original subterranean location appeared too cramped to safely host customers during the pandemic, its owners moved the operation to the prime real estate once occupied by the perennially disappointing On Deck Sports Bar. Though it can only be seen from the second story, the view of neighboring condos at dusk under twinkling string lights is pretty well perfect. Look for even more delight in Botanist’s lineup of mixed drinks, like the Triple G Mule that’s an unusual shade of pink thanks to the bar’s own pinot noir grenadine, and a tingly lemon concoction called the Bees Knees, which tastes like a Sprite spiked with honey.
3. Tope
15 NW 4th Ave., 503-770-0500, thehoxton.com/portland/tope-restaurant. 4-11 pm Thursday-Friday, 11 am-11 pm Saturday-Sunday.
While Tope is only a short elevator ride nine stories up in the Hoxton Hotel, once you arrive, it feels as though you’ve traveled much farther. Having shed the grit of Old Town-Chinatown at the ground-level entrance, the swanky taco bar almost seems to exist in its own immunity bubble. Breezy beige wicker chairs and sofa sets along with tropical cocktails like the Opening Day—a swirl of citrus, vanilla and coconut—create a poolside vibe. Even though there is no water to admire, a clear blue sky isn’t a bad substitute, particularly on a day when you can see the crown of Mount Hood peering over Powell Butte.
4. Lady of the Mountain
100 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 971-345-2992, kexhotels.com/eat-drink/ rooftop. 5-10 pm Wednesday-Sunday; Brunch 10 am-1 pm Saturday-Sunday.
Unlike many of the newly installed sidewalk cafes, Kex’s outdoor patio wasn’t urgently thrown together with social distancing in mind. The boutique hotel—a spinoff of an upscale hostel in Reykjavik, Iceland—is one of those rare gems in the city with a rooftop oasis. Four stories up is just enough height to provide an attractive view yet still sit below most of the surrounding buildings. Lady of the Mountain possesses an impressively long wine, beer and cocktail list. To make things easy, just order the Pimm’s Cup. Arriving in a mound of pebble ice that looks like an adult snow cone, the cocktail—made of cucumber-infused gin, lemon, ginger and soda—is the most refreshing thing you could possibly order on a Portland rooftop in August. The glass will be empty in less than five minutes.
5. Migration Rooftop at Canvas
1750 SW Yamhill St., 503-939-4164, migrationbrewing.com. 3 pm-midnight Wednesday-Saturday, 11 am-8 pm Sunday.
Migration Brewing’s rooftop outpost is the peak realization of the rooftop bar. A 180-degree view takes in downtown, the West Hills and the Alphabet District. The panorama stretches all the way to the St. Johns Bridge and Mount St. Helens. After a round, it’s easy to understand why people keep moving to Portland: Above the din and discord, this city seems like paradise.
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www.wweek.com
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Five Rooftop Bars to Drink at This Week
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https://www.wweek.com/bars/2021/08/19/five-rooftop-bars-to-drink-at-this-week/
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2021-08-20 01:49:37+00:00
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2021-08-19 18:34:00
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wweek.com%2Fnews%2F2021%2F08%2F19%2Fthree-days-ahead-of-portland-proud-boys-gathering-practical-details-of-police-response-remain-a-mystery%2F.json
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With less than 72 hours before Proud Boys and other far-right groups are slated to converge in downtown Portland for an annual rally that has historically devolved into violent street brawls with local anti-fascists, city officials and the Portland Police Bureau have provided scant details of their planned response.
“The Police Bureau is actively planning for the weekend and will have information to share tomorrow,” bureau spokesman Lt. Greg Pashley said.
The mayor’s office, too, declined to immediately provide details about the planned law enforcement response, such as whether Portland police will be joined by other area law enforcement like Oregon State Police and Multnomah County sheriff’s deputies.
Tomorrow, however, should hopefully bring clarity: Mayor Ted Wheeler and Police Chief Chuck Lovell are hosting a press conference Friday afternoon to address the upcoming rally. That press conference follows an 11 am event hosted by Wheeler called “Choose Love: A Community Gathering to Denounce Hate and Violence in Portland.”
Larger questions also loom about what, exactly, PPB’s response will look like now that the Rapid Response Team—tasked with covering mass gatherings—dissolved in June. The team, Portland’s riot squad, was often tasked with keeping dueling political groups separate. That said, it is unclear what impact the unit’s dissolution might have: While the 50-or-so RRT officers resigned en masse from the unit, they still remain employed by the Police Bureau.
The upcoming rally cannot be a surprise to local officials. For weeks, far right groups have been actively posting about it online. And the same event took place on the same day last year—August 22.
Portland has regularly been a target—some say a training ground—for extremists wishing to prove their mettle in street combat. Since 2017, city officials have tried different responses—some effective, others woefully inadequate.
The 2020 event, billed as a “No to Marxism in America” rally, escalated into violent skirmishes as Portland Police, for the most part, stood by. As WW reported last summer, the Police Bureau made no effort to apprehend known Proud Boy Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, who at the time had an active warrant out for his arrest.
And last September, about a month after last year’s gathering, law enforcement arrested Alan Swinney—another Proud Boys member—due to to his actions at the Aug. 22 protest and another gathering that month.
During the Aug. 22 gathering, Swinney allegedly pointed a loaded revolver at a counter-protester. The 51-year-old, who is still held in the Multnomah County Inverness Jail pending trial, faces charges for assault, unlawful use of tear gas, unlawful use of a weapon and more.
Last summer’s clashes occurred in the build-up to the November election, as violent support for President Donald Trump mounted. It culminated in the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
In the aftermath of the failed insurrection, clashes between Proud Boys and anti-fascists have occurred sporadically this summer—most recently on the weekend of Aug. 7, around an evangelical Christian worship service in Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
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www.wweek.com
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Three Days Ahead of Portland Proud Boys Gathering, Practical Details of Police Response Remain a Mystery
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https://www.wweek.com/news/2021/08/19/three-days-ahead-of-portland-proud-boys-gathering-practical-details-of-police-response-remain-a-mystery/
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[
"Manny Martinez",
"Kevin Accettulla",
"Jack Bilyeu"
] |
2021-08-20 01:56:25+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:49:33
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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The filing period for Myrtle Beach mayor and three other city council positions opened Thursday. Mayor Brenda Bethune submitted her paperwork for re-election and was the first to file. Council members Gregg Smith, Clyde “Mike” Lowder and Jackie Hatley also filed for re-election. “I love it,” Bethune said of being […]
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wbtw.com%2Fnews%2Fgrand-strand%2Ffiling-period-in-myrtle-beach-mayoral-race-now-open-bethune-files-for-re-election%2F.json
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en
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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The filing period for Myrtle Beach mayor and three other city council positions opened Thursday.
Mayor Brenda Bethune submitted her paperwork for re-election and was the first to file. Council members Gregg Smith, Clyde “Mike” Lowder and Jackie Hatley also filed for re-election.
“I love it,” Bethune said of being Myrtle Beach mayor. “I’m still just as passionate today if not more so than I was four years ago, especially when I look at all the accomplishments that we’ve had, so today is a very exciting day for me.”
The mayoral race will be between at least 3 candidates. Bethune, retired Florence police officer Tammie B. Durant and Myrtle Beach photographer Gene Ho.
Durant filed to run for office Thursday afternoon. She said she “wants to be a voice for the voiceless.”
“I’ve seen so many things that need to be changed and addressed,” Durant said. “When you see so much, you just can’t sit back, being former law enforcement, and not do anything about it.”
Durant is concerned by the crime, drugs, homelessness and mental illness in the city that she said all feed off of one another.
Bethune said her time in office has brought positive change to some of those concerns.
“Over the past four years, we have a homelessness taskforce,” Bethune said. “We have an opioid taskforce, our addiction recovery outreach program, so we’re working very hard on those issues.”
Durant said she is looking forward to the race. Bethune said she is confident in her track record as mayor. Ho said he is going to file his paperwork next week.
Anyone else filing to run for mayor or for city council has until noon on Sept. 3. Election Day is Nov. 2.
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www.wbtw.com
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Filing period in Myrtle Beach mayoral race now open; Bethune files for re-election
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2021-08-20 02:01:54+00:00
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2021-08-19 20:39:00
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The Taiwan stock market turned lower again, one day after ending the nine-day losing streak in which it had plummeted more than 960 points or 5.6 percent. The Taiwan Stock Exchange now rests just above the 16,375-point plateau although it may see a measure of traction on Friday.
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The Taiwan stock market turned lower again, one day after ending the nine-day losing streak in which it had plummeted more than 960 points or 5.6 percent. The Taiwan Stock Exchange now rests just above the 16,375-point plateau although it may see a measure of traction on Friday.
The global forecast for the Asian is mixed, with bargain hunting expected after heavy losses in the previous session. The European markets were down and the U.S. bourses were mixed and flat and the Asian markets figure to follow the latter lead.
The TSE finished sharply lower on Thursday with losses in all sectors - especially the finance, and cement stocks.
For the day, the index plunged 450.87 points or 2.68 percent to finish at the daily low of 16,375.40 after peaking at 16,777.78.
Among the actives, Cathay Financial skidded 1.10 percent, while Mega Financial dipped 0.48 percent, CTBC Financial declined 1.16 percent, Fubon Financial surrendered 1.28 percent, First Financial slid 0.65 percent, E Sun Financial eased 0.19 percent, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company tanked 2.61 percent, United Microelectronics Corporation tumbled 4.48 percent, Hon Hai Precision retreated 3.74 percent, Largan Precision fell 1.62 percent, Catcher Technology lost 1.40 percent, MediaTek shed 2.63 percent, Delta Electronics gained 0.75 percent, Formosa Plastic plummeted 2.81 percent, Asia Cement weakened 1.70 percent and Taiwan Cement plunged 2/22 percent.
The lead from Wall Street is uncertain as the major averages opened lower on Thursday but spent the day bouncing back and forth across the unchanged line, eventually ending mixed and little changed.
The Dow lost 66.57 points or 0.19 percent to finish at 34,894.12, while the NASDAQ added 15.87 points or 0.11 percent to end at 14,541 and the S&P rose 5.5 points or 0.13 percent to close at 4,405.80.
The initial downside move on Wall Street came as traders continued to digest the minutes of the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting, which note the increased possibility the central bank's asset purchase program may be scaled back before the end of the year.
Potentially adding evidence to Fed officials' view that the is close to the goal of maximum employment, the Labor Department released a report this morning showing initial jobless claims fell to a new pandemic-era low last week.
Bargain hunting helped to lift the markets as the session progressed.
Crude oil futures fell for a sixth straight session Thursday on worries about the outlook for energy demand after data showed a surprise build in gasoline inventories and continued spikes in cases. West Texas Intermediate futures for September ended down $1.77 or 2.7 percent at $63.60 a barrel, a three-month low.
Closer to home, Taiwan will provide July numbers for export orders and Q2 data for current account later today. Export orders are predicted to jump 20.85 percent on year after spiking 31.1 percent in June. The current account surplus in Q1 was $25.96 billion.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Market Analysis
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Taiwan Stock Market May See Mild Support
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2021-08-20 02:01:55+00:00
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2021-08-19 21:00:00
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The China stock market has alternated between positive and negative finishes through the last four trading days since the end of the two-day losing streak in which it had fallen more than 15 points or 0.
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The China stock market has alternated between positive and negative finishes through the last four trading days since the end of the two-day losing streak in which it had fallen more than 15 points or 0.4 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index now rests just above the 3,465-point plateau and it's likely to remain in that neighborhood again on Friday.
The global forecast for the Asian is mixed, with bargain hunting expected after heavy losses in the previous session. The European markets were down and the U.S. bourses were mixed and flat and the Asian markets figure to follow the latter lead.
The SCI finished modestly lower on Thursday following losses from the financials, properties and resource stocks.
For the day, the index sank 19.73 points or 0.57 percent to finish at 3,465.55 after trading between 3,446.01 and 3,480.46. The Shenzhen Composite Index rose 4.74 points or 0.20 percent to end at 2,417.23.
Among the actives, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China shed 0.64 percent, while Bank of China lost 0.66 percent, China Construction Bank skidded 1.00 percent, China Merchants Bank tanked 2.94 percent, Bank of Communications sank 0.68 percent, China Life Insurance tumbled 2.74 percent, Jiangxi Copper plunged 3.71 percent, Aluminum Corp of China (Chalco) surrendered 2.97 percent, Yanzhou Coal spiked 2.27 percent, PetroChina dropped 2.20 percent, China Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec) plummeted 3.19 percent, China Shenhua Energy fell 0.97 percent, Gemdale weakened 2.22 percent, Poly Developments cratered 3.36 percent and China Vanke was down 2.40 percent.
The lead from Wall Street is uncertain as the major averages opened lower on Thursday but spent the day bouncing back and forth across the unchanged line, eventually ending mixed and little changed.
The Dow lost 66.57 points or 0.19 percent to finish at 34,894.12, while the NASDAQ added 15.87 points or 0.11 percent to end at 14,541 and the S&P rose 5.5 points or 0.13 percent to close at 4,405.80.
The initial downside move on Wall Street came as traders continued to digest the minutes of the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting, which note the increased possibility the central bank's asset purchase program may be scaled back before the end of the year.
Potentially adding evidence to Fed officials' view that the is close to the goal of maximum employment, the Labor Department released a report this morning showing initial jobless claims fell to a new pandemic-era low last week.
Bargain hunting helped to lift the markets as the session progressed.
Crude oil futures fell for a sixth straight session Thursday on worries about the outlook for energy demand after data showed a surprise build in gasoline inventories and continued spikes in cases. West Texas Intermediate futures for September ended down $1.77 or 2.7 percent at $63.60 a barrel, a three-month low.
Closer to home, China will see August figures for its one-year and five-year prime loan rates later today; previously, they were 3.85 percent and 4.65 percent, respectively.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Market Analysis
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www.rttnews.com
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China Stock Market Tipped To Remain Rangebound
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2021-08-20 02:01:55+00:00
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2021-08-19 21:47:00
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Australian stock market is modestly higher on Friday, snapping the losing streak of the previous four sessions, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 just below the 7,500 level, following the mixed cues overnight from Wall Street, even as the country struggles to contain the domestic coronavirus situation, primarily in New South Wales, hindering economic activity amid lockdowns.
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The Australian stock market is modestly higher on Friday, snapping the losing streak of the previous four sessions, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 just below the 7,500 level, following the mixed cues overnight from Wall Street, even as the country struggles to contain the domestic situation, primarily in New South Wales, hindering economic activity amid lockdowns.
NSW has reported 642 new local cases of COVID-19 and four deaths on Thursday, with the Greater Sydney lockdown extended until the end of September and most other regional areas until August 28. Victoria recorded 55 new locally acquired cases, with active cases now totalling 349 across the state.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is gaining 25.80 points or 0.35 percent to 7,490.40, after touching a high of 7,512.00 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is up 18.40 points or 0.24 percent to 7,753.70. Australian ended modestly lower on Thursday.
Among major miners, BHP Group and Rio Tinto are edging up 0.4 percent each, while OZ Minerals is declining almost 4 percent and Mineral Resources is losing more than 2 percent. Fortescue Metals is gaining more than 1 percent.
Oil stocks are mixed. Oil Search is edging up 0.3 percent, Woodside Petroleum is up more than 1 percent, Origin Energy is gaining more than 2 percent and Beach energy is adding 0.5 percent, while Santos is losing 1.5 percent.
Among tech stocks, Xero and Appen are gaining almost 1 percent each, while Afterpay is flat. WiseTech Global is edging up 0.2 percent.
Among the big four banks, ANZ Banking is gaining almost 1 percent, while National Australia Bank and Westpac are edging up 0.3 percent each. Commonwealth Bank is adding more than 1 percent.
Gold miners are mixed. Newcrest Mining is losing almost 3 percent, while Evolution Mining and Northern Star Resources are edging down 0.4 percent each. Gold Road Resources is declining more than 1 percent and Resolute Mining is down almost 2 percent.
In other news, shares in Cochlear are plunging more than 7 percent even after the meditech giant reported record $1.4 billion in revenue and declared a $1.40 dividend, with the company missing consensus expectations.
Sydney Airport reported a wider loss of $97.4 million for the first half as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cripple the travel industry. Revenue also fell 33 per cent to $341 million from last year. The stock is trading flat.
In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.715 on Friday.
On Wall Street, stocks showed a lack of direction throughout the trading day on Thursday after pulling back sharply over the course of the two previous sessions. The major averages bounced back and forth across the unchanged line before ending the day mixed.
While the Dow edged down 66.57 points or 0.2 percent to 34,894.12, the Nasdaq inched up 15.87 points or 0.1 percent to 14,541.79 and the S&P 500 crept up 5.53 points or 0.1 percent to 4,405.80.
Meanwhile, the major European markets showed significant moves to the downside on the day. While the French CAC 40 Index plummeted by 2.4 percent, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index and the German DAX Index tumbled by 1.5 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively.
Crude oil futures fell for a sixth straight session Thursday on worries about the outlook for energy demand after data showed a surprise build in gasoline inventories and continued spikes in coronavirus cases. West Texas Intermediate futures for September ended down $1.77 or 2.7 percent at $63.60 a barrel, a three-month low.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Market Analysis
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Australian Market Modestly Higher
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https://www.rttnews.com/3220074/australian-market-modestly-higher.aspx
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2021-08-20 02:01:53+00:00
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2021-08-19 21:15:00
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The Hong Kong stock market turned lower again on Thursday, one session after halting the four-day losing streak in which it had stumbled almost 920 points or 3.7 percent.
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The Hong Kong stock market turned lower again on Thursday, one session after halting the four-day losing streak in which it had stumbled almost 920 points or 3.7 percent. The Hang Seng Index now rests just above the 25,315-point plateau although it may see at least a technical rebound on Friday.
The global forecast for the Asian is mixed, with bargain hunting expected after heavy losses in the previous session. The European markets were down and the U.S. bourses were mixed and flat and the Asian markets figure to follow the latter lead.
The Hang Seng finished sharply lower on Thursday following losses from the financials, properties, casinos and oil companies.
For the day, the index plummeted 550.68 points or 2.13 percent to finish at 25,316.33 after trading between 25,183.67 and 25,832.92.
Among the actives, AAC Technologies declined 2.97 percent, while AIA Group rose 0.15 percent, Alibaba Group plummeted 5.54 percent, Alibaba Health Info surrendered 2.87 percent, ANTA Sports spiked 2.01 percent, China Life Insurance gave away 2.71 percent, China Mengniu Dairy eased 0.34 percent, China Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec) retreated 3.02 percent, China Resources Land skidded 3.12 percent, CITIC lost 1.32 percent, CNOOC shed 1.82 percent, Country Garden tumbled 3.51 percent, CSPC Pharmaceutical dipped 0.91 percent, Galaxy Entertainment dropped 1.99 percent, Hang Lung Properties plunged 4.88 percent, Henderson Land fell 1.26 percent, Hong Kong & China Gas slid 0.93 percent, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China softened 0.68 percent, Longfor tanked 3.19 percent, Meituan cratered 7.15 percent, New World Development slipped 0.80 percent, Sands China weakened 1.86 percent, Sun Hung Kai Properties was down 0.71 percent, Techtronic Industries jumped 1.28 percent, Xiaomi Corporation sank 2.44 percent and WuXi Biologics climbed 1.07 percent.
The lead from Wall Street is uncertain as the major averages opened lower on Thursday but spent the day bouncing back and forth across the unchanged line, eventually ending mixed and little changed.
The Dow lost 66.57 points or 0.19 percent to finish at 34,894.12, while the NASDAQ added 15.87 points or 0.11 percent to end at 14,541 and the S&P rose 5.5 points or 0.13 percent to close at 4,405.80.
The initial downside move on Wall Street came as traders continued to digest the minutes of the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting, which note the increased possibility the central bank's asset purchase program may be scaled back before the end of the year.
Potentially adding evidence to Fed officials' view that the is close to the goal of maximum employment, the Labor Department released a report this morning showing initial jobless claims fell to a new pandemic-era low last week.
Bargain hunting helped to lift the markets as the session progressed.
Crude oil futures fell for a sixth straight session Thursday on worries about the outlook for energy demand after data showed a surprise build in gasoline inventories and continued spikes in cases. West Texas Intermediate futures for September ended down $1.77 or 2.7 percent at $63.60 a barrel, a three-month low.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Market Analysis
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www.rttnews.com
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Mild Upside Expected For Hong Kong Stock Market
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https://www.rttnews.com/3220058/mild-upside-expected-for-hong-kong-stock-market.aspx
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[
"Kelsey Yates",
"Local News"
] |
2021-08-20 02:16:13+00:00
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2021-08-19 16:30:00
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With more volunteers on hand, the store hours could hopefully be expanded
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crestonvalleyadvance.ca%2Fnews%2Fcreston-valley-gleaners-society-seeks-new-volunteers%2F.json
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With more volunteers on hand, the store hours could hopefully be expanded
While the past year has been a difficult one, the Creston Valley Gleaners Society has marched on and continues to give back to the less fortunate.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions and a lack of volunteers, both of Gleaners’ stores endured temporary closures for weeks on end in the past year, which caused a significant hit to fundraising efforts.
In typical circumstances, Gleaners annually raises in excess of $100,000 to support local programs such as the Food Bank, the Hospice Society, TAPS, Interior Health, the Therapeutic Riding Program, and more.
Despite the challenges during the pandemic, Gleaners still disbursed a total of $28,400 in funding back into the community. In 2021, things have already started taking a positive turn and $69,085 has been raised so far.
To continue on their mission of 30 years, Gleaners is seeking new volunteers to lend a hand and join the cause.
The two stores, located at 807 Canyon Street, rely on volunteers for everything from operating the cash register to sorting, cleaning, and pricing donations.
The summer months are particularly challenging for gathering recruits, as many people want time to garden, enjoy outdoor recreation, and travel for the holidays.
“We try to be accommodating with everyone’s schedules and other time commitments,” said director Lane Hutton. “If we could have people just give us just a day or half-day of their time, that would really help.”
With more volunteers, Gleaners could expand store hours once again to the evenings or Saturday afternoons.
“It’s a case of needing more people,” said Hutton. “The market we’re missing right now is the people who are working during the day and aren’t able to shop.”
If you are interested in volunteering, please call 250-428-4166 or message the Creston Valley Gleaners Society Facebook page. There is also a volunteer application online at crestonvalleygleaners.ca/volunteer.
Volunteers will be required to follow any applicable COVID-19 protocols.
Back by popular demand, the annual coat sale will be back this fall on Oct. 22 and 23. For more announcements and updates, keep an eye on the Gleaners website and social media.
Gleaners One (clothing and linens) and Too (household items) store hours of operation are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations are not accepted during these hours. The Food Bank is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
READ MORE: Creston veteran celebrates 101st birthday with community fundraiser
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: Kelsey.yates@crestonvalleyadvance.ca
@kelseyannayates
kelsey.yates@crestonvalleyadvance.ca
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Creston Valley
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Creston Valley Gleaners Society seeks new volunteers
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https://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/news/creston-valley-gleaners-society-seeks-new-volunteers/
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[
"The Canadian Press"
] |
2021-08-20 02:15:48+00:00
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2021-08-19 15:30:00
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Ontario-based investment company did not reveal the value or terms of the deal
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Ontario-based investment company did not reveal the value or terms of the deal
Putman Investments says it will purchase Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us Canada from affiliates of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited
The Ancaster, Ont.-based investment company did not reveal the value or terms of the deal.
Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us Canada employs almost 5,000 people between its Vaughan, Ont. head office and 81 stores in 10 provinces.
Family-owned Putman Investments is run by Doug Putman, who owns Sunrise Records and Entertainment Limited and purchased HMV in 2019.
Last year, he purchased recently closed DavidsTea locations and began planning to open his own tea chain called T. Kettle.
Fairfax acquired Toys “R” Us Canada in 2018 for $300 million as the company was filing for bankruptcy in the U.S.
—The Canadian Press
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Putnam Investments to buy Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us Canada
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https://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/business/putnam-investments-to-buy-toys-r-us-and-babies-r-us-canada/
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[
"Cole Schisler"
] |
2021-08-20 02:16:25+00:00
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2021-08-19 16:35:00
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B.C. Wildfire Service says they’re seeing an increase in safety issues due to fatigue
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crestonvalleyadvance.ca%2Fnews%2Ffatigue-setting-in-for-fire-crews-battling-b-c-infernos-as-258-blazes-burn%2F.json
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B.C. Wildfire Service says they’re seeing an increase in safety issues due to fatigue
Brentt Call, a firefighters with Utah Taskforce One, walks through a burned over area of the Bootleg Fire east of Klamath Falls as crews work to stop the largest wildfire in the United States so far this season. The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry celebrated the regiment’s 107th birthday fighting the Thomas Creek fire on Aug. 10. (BC Wildfire)
Fatigue is setting in as wildfire crews continue to battle blazes across B.C., contributing to an increase in safety concerns.
Todd Nessman, manager of fire operations with B.C. Wildfire Service said in an Aug. 19 press conference that fatigue is something they take seriously.
“It’s been a long summer for many of our firefighters and staff supporting the efforts,” Nessman said. “With that increased fatigue we’re starting to see more safety concerns come forward — more slips, trips, falls, as well as other serious occurrences, are happening.”
RELATED: Community rallies for firefighter who lost Vernon-area home
RELATED: Planned ignition near Falkland helps mitigate White Rock Lake wildfire growth
Nessman said the Wildfire Service is keeping a close eye on their crew numbers as many crew members will be heading back to post-secondary institutions in September.
“In terms of resources we have approximately 3,800 personnel out — 1,250 contractors are working, we have 520 out of province resources which include 240 military, 430 structure protection personnel and over 500 heavy equipment operators, 147 helicopters and 38 air tanker aircraft,” Nessman said.
Scattered rain and lower temperatures have helped crews make progress on wildfires across B.C., but Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth warned the province will need to remain vigilant in the weeks to come.
RELATED: State of emergency extended to end of August as wildfires ravage B.C.
“We’re nowhere near out of the woods and we need to keep working to support our firefighters and emergency management crews,” he said.
Those comments come as 258 wildfires burn in the province. While no active fires have experienced significant growth, the province is averaging five to 10 new fires a day with 54 in the last week. There are currently 75 evacuation orders affecting 6,126 properties and 122 evacuation alerts affecting 19,840 properties. Nine First Nations have passed emergency resolutions and 28 local governments are under states of emergency.
With thousands of homes evacuated, B.C. RCMP Staff Sgt. Jenelle Shoihet said 500 RCMP members are in communities impacted by wildfires and are conducting patrols to ensure no criminal activity is occurring in evacuated areas. To date, the RCMP have not seen any reports of looting or criminal activity in evacuated areas.
Shoihet encouraged evacuees to contact the RCMP if they have specific concerns about the security of their property.
B.C. Wildfire Service remains concerned about the Cariboo and Southern Okanagan where dangerous fire behaviour conditions continue. The B.C. Wildfire Service says the outlook ahead is ‘favourable’ with cooler temperatures and scattered precipitation on the way.
@SchislerCole
cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca
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B.C. Wildfires 2021
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www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca
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Fatigue setting in for fire crews battling B.C. infernos as 258 blazes burn
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https://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/news/fatigue-setting-in-for-fire-crews-battling-b-c-infernos-as-258-blazes-burn/
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[
"Cole Schisler"
] |
2021-08-20 02:16:01+00:00
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2021-08-19 16:30:00
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82.9 per cent of British Columbians have at least one dose, 74 per cent are fully vaccinated
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crestonvalleyadvance.ca%2Fnews%2Fb-c-covid-19-case-counts-keep-climbing-689-new-infections-and-2-new-deaths-reported%2F.json
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82.9 per cent of British Columbians have at least one dose, 74 per cent are fully vaccinated
FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2020, file photo, medical personnel don PPE while attending to a patient (not infected with COVID-19) at Bellevue Hospital in New York. Workers in New York City-run hospitals and health clinics will have to get vaccinated or get tested weekly under a policy announced Wednesday, July 21, 2021, to battle a rise in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
B.C.’s case count continues to climb with 689 new infections and two new deaths reported Thursday, Aug. 19.
RELATED: B.C. reports 553 new COVID cases, 1 death as new outbreak declared at Site C
Interior Health still leads the province with 278 new infections, followed by Fraser Health with 219, Vancouver Coastal with 123, Island Health with 42, and Northern Health with 27. The two new deaths occurred in Interior Health and Northern Health.
Hospitalizations have also increased. Of the 5,982 active cases in B.C., 121 individuals are in hospital with 56 in intensive care.
There is one new outbreak at the Heritage Village long-term care facility in the Fraser Health region. The outbreak at Discovery Harbour long-term care facility in the Island Health region has been declared over. There are now 11 active outbreaks at long-term care homes in the province.
As cases continue to increase, vaccination rates remain stalled around 82.9 per cent with at least one dose and 74 percent are fully vaccinated.
A recent report from the B.C. COVID-19 Modelling Group says B.C. will need to increase vaccination rates to 90 per cent and enact increased COVID-19 safety protocols to avoid a record surge of new infections in the fall.
RELATED: Experts warn B.C. on track to exceed record highs of new COVID-19 infections come fall
@SchislerCole
cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca
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Coronavirus
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www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca
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B.C. COVID-19 case counts keep climbing: 689 new infections and 2 new deaths
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https://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/news/b-c-covid-19-case-counts-keep-climbing-689-new-infections-and-2-new-deaths-reported/
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[
"Creston Valley Advance Staff",
"Local News"
] |
2021-08-20 02:16:19+00:00
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2021-08-19 17:00:00
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Selections from the 7th Siding International Festival of Film will be shown at the Creston Museum on Aug. 23
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crestonvalleyadvance.ca%2Fnews%2Fcrestons-3rd-annual-film-festival-returns-this-summer%2F.json
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Selections from the 7th Siding International Festival of Film will be shown at the Creston Museum on Aug. 23
Submitted by Kootenay Film Society
On Aug. 23, local film lovers can look forward to viewing some of the 7th Siding International Festival of Film’s most innovative rural-themed entries at a location near and dear to many – the Creston Museum.
This past year’s focus on social distancing and outdoor activity through the pandemic sparked ideas for showcasing the festival.
“Why not show some of our rural films in one of the most historically rural spots in town – the museum,” said Kootenay Film Society (KFS) Director Alison Masters.
The museum courtyard will provide wind shelter and plenty of space for social distancing for a safe gathering.
This way, attendees waiting for the evening to begin can check out the remodelling of the Trapper Cabin exhibit, the school house, and the other outdoor exhibits accessible from the courtyard.
If visitors are at the museum during regular hours, the Grand Theatre Room also displays many of Creston’s homegrown family movies and historical films.
After screening over 1,950 films in a variety of genres from all over the world, KFS directors have narrowed down this year’s entries to 89 films for six evening of extraordinary filmmaking.
The first selection will be opening the festival on Aug. 23, and the second viewing will be held at Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery on the evening of Sept. 13.
In October, a selection of horror films will also shown at the Tivoli Theatre, with two to three other feature films to be shown at the venue through the winter months.
KFS President Richard Reeves notes that every year, international entries to the 7th Siding Festival of Film ramp up in number and quality.
As an acclaimed animator who has attended countless film festivals over the years, he observes Creston’s tiny film festival as drawing genuine consideration from filmmakers working in every film genre imaginable.
He thanked the filmmakers and local venue sponsors – Creston Valley Museum, Baillie-Grohman, and the Tivoli Theatre – for their support.
“We’re all so gratified at their willingness to help show these films to our local audiences,” said Reeves.
Tickets for the third annual 7th Siding International Festival of Film can be reserved by emailing admin@kootenayfilmsociety.com. Tickets are $10 each and will also be available in limited numbers at the Creston Museum before the screening. Gates open on Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. with the show starting at 8:30 p.m.
Future viewings for the upcoming film festival will be announced on Facebook and kootenayfilmsociety.com.
Creston Valley
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www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca
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Creston’s 3rd annual film festival returns this summer
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https://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/news/crestons-3rd-annual-film-festival-returns-this-summer/
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[
"The Canadian Press",
"Canada"
] |
2021-08-20 02:16:07+00:00
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2021-08-19 16:00:00
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Protest was also condemned by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crestonvalleyadvance.ca%2Fnews%2Fcovid-19-quebec-minister-slams-anti-vaccine-passport-protesters-wearing-yellow-star%2F.json
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Protest was also condemned by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
Quebec’s minister for the fight against racism is denouncing protesters who he said wore yellow stars at a protest earlier this week against the government’s vaccine passport system.
People protested Tuesday outside a Montreal-area gym where vaccine passports were being tested ahead of the generalized rollout scheduled to begin Sept. 1.
Several media reports indicated some protesters outside the gym wore a yellow star on their shirts, which is a symbol Jews were forced to wear in Nazi-occupied Europe.
Benoit Charette told reporters Wednesday there is no link between the requirement to show proof of vaccination during a pandemic and the symbol of the Nazi era, adding the protesters were indirectly guilty of antisemitism.
The protest was condemned by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and by the Montreal Holocaust Museum.
CIJA vice-president Eta Yudin said comparing the yellow star with the COVID-19 vaccine passport is deeply offensive to those who were forced to wear the star in Europe during the Second World War era.
“Education is part of the solution,” Charette said. “I’m not sure they clearly know the importance of the symbol. Maybe they think they can do a quick link. If they do know the real symbol of this, the gesture is even more outrageous.”
Sarah Fogg with the Holocaust museum invited protesters to visit the exhibitions at the institution.
“These measures are put on by our government to make us safe, keep us healthy,” Fogg said about COVID-19 health orders. “Measures like the yellow star were really designed to isolate, humiliate, persecute and eventually murder Jews. They cannot be further apart.”
—The Canadian Press
RELATED: Live Nation Canada to require vaccination proof or negative test at concerts
RELATED: Quebec premier says COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for health-care workers
Coronavirusvaccines
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www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca
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COVID-19: Quebec minister slams anti-vaccine passport protesters wearing yellow star
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https://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/news/covid-19-quebec-minister-slams-anti-vaccine-passport-protesters-wearing-yellow-star/
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"Local News"
] |
2021-08-20 02:16:31+00:00
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2021-08-19 17:00:00
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Kootenay Connect’s work has focused on enhancing the sustainability of 31 federally-listed species at risk and 35 species of concern
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Submitted By Nicole Trigg, Kootenay Conservation Program
With heat waves, wildfires, flooding and drought becoming the norm, Kootenay residents are waking up to the fact that the impacts of global warming are part of their everyday reality, rather than in the distant future. For our region’s fish and wildlife that are already coping with ongoing habitat loss due to human industrial use and development, climate change impacts are increasing their vulnerability. The Kootenay region is home to numerous endangered species that urgently require special conservation attention as they are forced to adapt to changing climate conditions.
It’s these dual crises – loss of biodiversity and accelerating climate change – that the Kootenay Connect project is trying to address at the local level. An innovative, holistic approach to conservation, Kootenay Connect is a four-year project (2019-2023) administered by the Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP). It is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through the Canada Nature Fund with equal matching funding from local partners.
Co-led by Marcy Mahr of KCP and independent biologist Dr. Michael Proctor of the Trans-Border Grizzly Bear Project, Kootenay Connect consists of a regional team of 26 organizations and specialists working together with a collective goal to recover and sustain biodiversity across 10,000 square kilometres of landscape by focusing on habitat connectivity and restoration in four focus areas: the Bonanza Biodiversity Corridor (north of New Denver), Columbia Wetlands and Creston Valley (both of which are internationally-recognized wetlands), and Wycliffe Wildlife Corridor (near Cranbrook).
“Kootenay Connect is all about ecological connectivity,” said Mahr, project manager.
“Although parks and protected areas have been essential for conservation, they are generally not large enough or sufficiently interconnected to sustain essential ecological processes and the diversity of habitats required by wide-ranging fish and wildlife that migrate and move in order to spawn, breed, or overwinter. By focusing on the land and water surrounding and connecting existing protected areas, and by bringing together a team of biologists, land managers, land trusts, and stewardship organizations into the same tent to collectively problem-solve across areas of expertise and geographies, Kootenay Connect is ensuring that efforts to recover biodiversity and adapt to climate change are adding up to something greater.”
Over the past two years, Kootenay Connect’s work has focused on reducing threats and enhancing the sustainability of a spectrum of species including 31 federally-listed species at risk and 35 species of concern such as the Northern Leopard Frog, Western Painted Turtle, Western Toad, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron, Northern Myotis (plus 12 other species of bats), American Badger, American Beaver, Mountain Goat, Grizzly Bear, and Wolverine.
The wide range of over 30 projects completed to date include: installing artificial tree bark to mimic old growth conditions for roosting bats to help keep these at-risk species on the landscape; adding more basking logs in important areas for endangered western painted turtles; removing vegetation and opening up and connecting wetland channels in the Creston Valley to improve water distribution for endangered Northern Leopard Frogs, work that has resulted in the highest egg reproduction in a decade for the only naturally breeding population left in BC; monitoring water levels of wetlands vulnerable to climate change in the Columbia Wetlands; and identifying important bird nesting areas and ungulate mineral licks to prepare applications for the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development requesting new designations of Wildlife Habitat Areas and Wildlife Habitat Features.
“It turns out that the region’s rich and abundant riparian-wetland complexes are the most important areas for connecting the valley bottoms and mountain ranges,” said Proctor, who has used these ecological corridors to identify biodiversity hotspots and conservation opportunities for at-risk and cultural important species across the Kootenay region.
“The end goal is to have this information guide conservation efforts including land use designations by all levels of government and First Nations, land acquisitions by private land trusts, and environmental farm plans and incentives to provide ecosystem services on working farmlands.”
Canada has joined many other countries in supporting a global conservation target that calls for protecting at least 30 per cent of the planet across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats by 2030 (known as “30X30”) in order to halt further degradation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, and to begin to reverse declining trends. This international conservation inspiration has provided momentum for Kootenay Connect.
According to Mahr, the Kootenay region is turning out to be just the right landscape size for combining local on-the-ground ecosystem restoration and other conservation measures and scaling them up into a regional approach that will help reverse species extinction and enhance ecological connectivity.
“Our ability to make a big conservation impact is possible because of the long-term relationships between people in our region, fostered by KCP, that is making sharing and collaboration easier than in other places. We’re connecting people to connect habitat for wildlife. Kootenay Connect is creating a culture of collaborative conservation with large landscape scale results that ultimately contribute globally,” added Mahr.
To learn more about this regional initiative, visit kootenayconservation.ca/kootenay-connect for project highlights including short informational videos, reports, and maps.
READ MORE: Kootenay Conservation Program concerned by declining Great Blue Heron population
Creston Valley
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www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca
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Kootenay Connect offers innovative approach to conservation efforts
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https://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/news/kootenay-connect-offers-innovative-approach-to-conservation-efforts/
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[
"Aaron Hinks"
] |
2021-08-20 02:15:54+00:00
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2021-08-19 17:41:00
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Women trying to find safety for her Afghan counterparts
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crestonvalleyadvance.ca%2Fnews%2Fb-c-afghan-canadians-looking-to-help-after-fall-of-kabul%2F.json
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People sit in a German Bundeswehr airplane at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, as the federal armed forces evacuates German citizens and local Afghans who worked for Germany. (Bundeswehr via AP)
A small group of Vancouver-based Afghan-Canadians are scrambling to help their countrymen and women after the fall of Kabul.
Shortly after U.S. forces withdrew from the country and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled, the Taliban swept into Kabul Aug. 15. Thousands of Afghans who were once promised safety by foreign governments were left stranded in the country, vulnerable and unable to escape.
Former Afghan journalist Zahra Hashemi, who left Kabul for Vancouver six years ago, immediately formed a group amongst her friends to assist both refugees and Afghans stuck in the country. She said one of her concerns is how the federal government is identifying the 20,000 refugees it promised to bring into Canada.
SEE ALSO: Afghans protest Taliban in emerging challenge to their rule
Women and children are at particular risk , she said, adding she has family and friends in the country.
“To be honest, they are terrified.”
To make matters worse, Hashemi said the media isn’t portraying an accurate image of what’s happening on the ground.
“They’re trying to normalize the existence of the Taliban in Afghanistan but it’s not actually like that,” Hashemi said, adding that the terrorist organization is going “door-to-door” and harming people.
SEE ALSO: Diplomats, troops and refugees arrive in Canada as flights resume from Afghanistan
“I received voice messages from not my family, but my friend’s family, they were begging their uncles to come and take them because the Taliban just took one of their family members. She was like 13, 14 years old. It’s terrifying. I’m talking about it and I’ve got goosebumps.”
Speaking to photographs and videos of Afghan’s clinging to American planes as they left Kabul, Hashemi said the memory of Taliban control in 1996 is still fresh.
SEE ALSO: US officials say 7 killed in Kabul airport evacuation chaos
“They don’t trust them because they have the experience. This is what happened last time when the Taliban took over. They were OK for a month or so but then they started to show their real faces. It’s something they have experienced and that’s why they are terrified.”
Hashemi said her small group, which was only formed on Sunday, are looking to expand. Many of the Afghans applying to become a refugee don’t speak English, and Hashemi said her group needs help assisting Afghans through the process.
Another focus of the group, she said, is assisting refugees once they arrive to Canada.
“Canada is not prepared for this many refugees because there was a decision made very quickly by the government. We’re trying to participate in this process and do as much as we can here because we cannot do anything in Afghanistan.”
To help Hashemi and her group, email samanahashimi4@gmail.com.
edit@surreynowleader.com
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www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca
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B.C. Afghan-Canadians looking to help after fall of Kabul
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https://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/news/b-c-afghan-canadians-looking-to-help-after-fall-of-kabul/
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[
"Basil John"
] |
2021-08-20 02:21:02+00:00
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2021-08-19 21:35:26
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A threatening situation outside the Library of Congress came to a peaceful close Thursday.
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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — A threatening situation outside the Library of Congress came to a peaceful close Thursday.
“He gave up and did not resist and our folks were able to take him into custody without incident,” Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said.
Manger says 49-year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry of North Carolina parked on the sidewalk and told police he had explosives inside his pickup truck.
“And what appeared, the officer said, what appeared to be a detonator in the man’s hand,” Manger said.
For about 30 minutes, Roseberry livestreamed on Facebook, showing the alleged bomb in his lap and calling on police to negotiate with him.
“We first started doing that with a whiteboard, just writing messages back and forth. We used a robot to get a telephone down to him,” Manger said.
Both the House and the Senate are on recess, but there are still people working. So, law enforcement evacuated some of the surrounding congressional office buildings. Roseberry claimed there are others like him in Washington D.C., something police are looking into.
“Right now we have no indication that he was acting with anyone else but that again is part of the ongoing investigation,” Manger said.
Manger says police will now work with prosecutors to decide what criminal charges Roseberry should face.
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www.ourquadcities.com
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Suspect involved in DC bomb threat surrenders
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https://www.ourquadcities.com/washington/washington-dc/suspect-involved-in-dc-bomb-threat-surrenders/
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[
"Taylor Boser"
] |
2021-08-20 02:20:37+00:00
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2021-08-18 22:22:00
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Kids in Iowa go back to school Monday. The state is one of eight that bans school districts from imposing mask mandates. That adds to the challenges for school administrators trying to keep kids safe. The plan is to have every student on campus with no mask requirement. This comes as cases of the delta […]
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourquadcities.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fpleasant-valley-expecting-unpredictable-school-year%2F.json
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en
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Kids in Iowa go back to school Monday.
The state is one of eight that bans school districts from imposing mask mandates. That adds to the challenges for school administrators trying to keep kids safe.
The plan is to have every student on campus with no mask requirement. This comes as cases of the delta variant are ramping up.
If 10 percent of attendance is out because of an outbreak, they would have to work with the Iow Department of Education for what options they have.
“What I do know is that you can not go 100% online because those days would not count towards your 180 days that you need to have,” said Brian Strusz, Pleasant Valley superintendent.
The school year also comes as all types of industries are experiencing staffing shortages.
All the unpredictable factors are challenges they are preparing to face starting Monday.
“Most of the parents that we’re hearing from right now are very concerned and the concern being just the unknown and especially at the 12 and under when it’s unvaccinated,” he said. “If you can mask, please mask if that helps you feel comfortable in keeping your children safe.”
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www.ourquadcities.com
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Pleasant Valley expecting unpredictable school year
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https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/pleasant-valley-expecting-unpredictable-school-year/
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[
"Karla Sosa"
] |
2021-08-20 02:20:31+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:11:33
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A discovery that would send chills down anyone’s spine. A Galesburg couple finds a box of bones while doing renovations to their home. They made the finding on Saturday, the box of bones was laying on the floor next to the chimney. Patrick Snyder said after making the discovery they immediately called the Galesburg Police […]
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourquadcities.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fgalesburg-couple-find-bones-in-the-attic%2F.json
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en
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A discovery that would send chills down anyone’s spine.
A Galesburg couple finds a box of bones while doing renovations to their home.
They made the finding on Saturday, the box of bones was laying on the floor next to the chimney.
Patrick Snyder said after making the discovery they immediately called the Galesburg Police Department.
“I thought it was like a dead raccoon or something up there and she [wife] handed me up through the roof a femur of a leg and so it was weird,” said Snyder.
The home renovation project is now a mystery, the home’s history includes a doctor who lived there 100 years ago.
“1920 or some where there was a doctor that lived there so it might have to do something with that there’s been several people here since then and so I can’t believe nobody found them since then,” said Snyder.
Before discovering the bones Snyder said his wife had heard foot steps before.
“She got out of the shower one time she could’ve sworn she heard foot steps upstairs and thought it was me so she walked into the living room and I was sitting there,” said Snyder.
After the incident Snyder says they plan to continue living in their home.
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www.ourquadcities.com
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Galesburg couple find bones in the attic
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https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/galesburg-couple-find-bones-in-the-attic/
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