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[
"Sierra Krug"
] |
2021-08-20 02:20:25+00:00
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2021-08-19 22:33:05
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Professional dancers from across the country traveled to the Quad Cities to work with Ballet Quad Cities. This professional ballet company is one of the only companies in the United States that kept its dancers rehearsing in the dance studio during the COVID-19 pandemic. CEO Joedy Cook knew she had a commitment to keep her […]
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourquadcities.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fdancers-from-across-the-u-s-prepare-for-new-season-with-ballet-quad-cities%2F.json
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Professional dancers from across the country traveled to the Quad Cities to work with Ballet Quad Cities. This professional ballet company is one of the only companies in the United States that kept its dancers rehearsing in the dance studio during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CEO Joedy Cook knew she had a commitment to keep her dancers employed and growing in their careers — so she made it happen. The company partnered with the Outing Club in Davenport to host more intimate performances — a rigorous task nonetheless as they performed about 40 times.
“We turned their ballroom into ‘dinner dance’ so to speak and it worked and it was wonderful and we created a whole new audience for ourselves.” Cook explained. They followed COVID-19 guidelines while still bringing dance, joy, and entertainment to the community.
As much as they enjoyed the smaller, socially-distant performances from last year, Ballet Quad Cities has selected their new members and are ready for the upcoming season where they look forward to dancing for bigger audiences… in bigger venues… at last. These dancers come from each coast of the country to work with this prestigious company. They look forward to bringing their art to the community and performing at the season opening performance, “Ballet on the Lawn” this coming Sunday.
More information about the show and how you can buy tickets to see these dancers live can be found at https://balletquadcities.com/
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www.ourquadcities.com
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Dancers from across the U.S. prepare for new season with Ballet Quad Cities
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https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/dancers-from-across-the-u-s-prepare-for-new-season-with-ballet-quad-cities/
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2021-08-20 02:20:43+00:00
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2021-08-19 20:46:00
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The Rock Island County Health Department announced Thursday that it will offer third vaccine doses to severely immunocompromised people, as recommended by both the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health. The Moderna vaccine is given each Tuesday, and Pfizer is offered on Fridays at the health department, 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island. Hours are 9-Noon and […]
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourquadcities.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Frock-island-county-health-department-starting-3rd-doses-for-immunocompromised-patients-next-week%2F.json
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The Rock Island County Health Department announced Thursday that it will offer third vaccine doses to severely immunocompromised people, as recommended by both the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The Moderna vaccine is given each Tuesday, and Pfizer is offered on Fridays at the health department, 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island.
Hours are 9-Noon and 1-4 p.m. both days.
Severely immunocompromised patients must bring their vaccination card with them to receive their third dose and qualifying patients also can receive their third dose from any provider, not just the health department. To find your shot, visit vaccines.gov.
At this time, only people who meet the following criteria will be offered the third dose:
Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
Received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
Advanced or untreated HIV infection
Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
Patients should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.
At this time, the health department is not offering third doses to people outside of the above criteria. The CDC announced this week that third vaccine doses for the general population should begin in September. General population patients should receive their third dose eight months after the second dose.
These third shots only apply to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, not the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Medical studies are ongoing to find out whether a booster shot will increase protection with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“Our top priority remains staying ahead of the virus and protecting our residents from COVID-19 with safe, effective, and long-lasting vaccines,” the health department stated in a news release. “This virus is constantly changing, and we are following the science. Vaccines remain the most powerful tool we have against COVID-19. If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, you should get vaccinated right away. Almost all the cases of severe disease, hospitalization, and death continue to occur among those not yet vaccinated.”
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www.ourquadcities.com
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Rock Island County Health Department starting 3rd doses for immunocompromised patients next week
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https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/rock-island-county-health-department-starting-3rd-doses-for-immunocompromised-patients-next-week/
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[
"Kellie Meyer"
] |
2021-08-20 02:20:56+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:06:04
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The deadline to get U.S. troops out of Afghanistan is approaching, and officials with the Pentagon say only 7,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul this week. That's much lower than the goal of evacuating 5,000 to 8,000 Americans and eligible Afghans per day.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourquadcities.com%2Fwashington%2Fwashington-dc%2Fonly-7k-evacuated-from-afghanistan-this-week-much-lower-than-goal%2F.json
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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The deadline to get U.S. troops out of Afghanistan is approaching, and officials with the Pentagon say only 7,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul this week. That’s much lower than the goal of evacuating 5,000 to 8,000 Americans and eligible Afghans per day.
“We want to make sure we are taking care of those people who have helped us,” Rep. Rob Wittman said.
The Virginia Republican wants not only U.S. military and their families out safely, but the Afghan translators that helped over the last 20 years. He’s worried they won’t get out in time.
“There are so many SIV – Special Immigrant Visa – applications that the State Department is just overwhelmed,” Wittman explained.
Wittman says, in addition to Special Immigrant Visas, the humanitarian parole option could allow Afghan allies into the United States temporarily.
“We encourage everyone that is there in Afghanistan trying to get out to pursue both of those processes in unison,” he said.
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, enters a plane evacuating people, at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021. (Capt. William Urban/U.S. Navy via AP )
In this photo provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, civilians prepare to board a plane during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. (Staff Sgt. Victor Mancilla/U.S. Marine Corps via AP)
The Afghan flag remains on the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021. The U.S. military has taken over Afghanistan’s airspace as it struggles to manage a chaotic evacuation after the Taliban rolled into the capital. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
The Pentagon says the Kabul airport is secure, but Nexstar’s Washington D.C. bureau asked Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby what they’re doing to make sure U.S. citizens and our allies can even get to the airport.
“There has been no hostile interactions between the Taliban and our forces,” Kirby said Thursday.
And Kirby adds they’ve made something clear to the Taliban.
“Any attack on our people and our operations at the airport will be met with a forceful response.”
For now, U.S. troops are still scheduled to be out of the country by Aug. 31. The Pentagon says any change to that deadline would require new conversations with the Taliban.
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www.ourquadcities.com
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Only 7K evacuated from Afghanistan this week, much lower than goal
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https://www.ourquadcities.com/washington/washington-dc/only-7k-evacuated-from-afghanistan-this-week-much-lower-than-goal/
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2021-08-20 02:19:05+00:00
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2021-08-20 06:53:32
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Human rights groups have voiced concerns that the Taliban could use online platforms to track Afghans' digital histories or social connections and in turn, use these to oppress them. The social media giants have stepped in, trying to keep the Taliban at bay
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https%3A%2F%2Fzeenews.india.com%2Fworld%2Fafghanistan-taliban-crisis-fearing-human-rights-violation-facebook-twitter-secure-afghans-accounts-2386689.html.json
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As the Taliban tookover Afghanistan, the world looked on, aghast at the developments, especially fearing for the people of the strife-torn country and their rights. Not just the governments, the social media giants also decided to take steps to protect Afghan citizens against being targetted via their social media accounts. So platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have said that they had moved to secure the accounts of Afghan citizens, to tighten and safeguard their privacy.
Facebook has temporarily removed the ability for people to view or search the friends lists of accounts in Afghanistan, its security policy head Nathaniel Gleicher tweeted on Thursday (August 19). Gleicher also said the company had launched a "one-click tool" for users in Afghanistan to lock down their accounts, so people who are not their Facebook friends would be unable to see their timeline posts or share their profile photos.
Human rights groups have voiced concerns that the Taliban could use online platforms to track Afghans' digital histories or social connections. Amnesty International said this week that thousands of Afghans, including academics, journalists and human rights defenders, were at serious risk of Taliban reprisals. The former captain of the Afghan women's soccer team has also urged players to delete social media and erase their public identities.
Also read: A brief history of the Taliban, the dreaded extremist group
Twitter Inc said it was in touch with civil society partners to provide support to groups in the country and was working with the Internet Archive to expedite direct requests to remove archived tweets. It said if individuals were unable to access accounts containing information that could put them at risk, such as direct messages or followers, the company could temporarily suspend the accounts until users regain access and are able to delete their content. Twitter also said it was proactively monitoring accounts affiliated with government organizations and might temporarily suspend accounts pending additional information to confirm their identity.
A LinkedIn spokesman said the Microsoft-owned professional networking site had temporarily hidden the connections of its users in Afghanistan so other users would not be able to see them.
(With Reuters inputs)
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Afghanistan-Taliban crisis: Fearing human rights violation, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn secure Afghans' accounts
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https://zeenews.india.com/world/afghanistan-taliban-crisis-fearing-human-rights-violation-facebook-twitter-secure-afghans-accounts-2386689.html
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2021-08-20 02:18:59+00:00
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2021-08-20 06:50:35
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Afghanistan’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Samira Asghari has called on the United States to help evacuate the country’s top female athletes and coaching staff ‘before it is too late’ following the Taliban takeover of her nation.
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https%3A%2F%2Fzeenews.india.com%2Fother-sports%2Fafghanistan-taliban-crisis-this-former-captain-tells-afghan-women-footballers-to-burn-kits-delete-all-photos-khalida-popal-2386688.html.json
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Former Afghan women`s soccer captain Khalida Popal, who is based in Copenhagen, has urged players to delete social media, erase public identities and burn their kits for their own safety now that the country is again under Taliban rule.
Popal, who is based out of Copenhagen told Reuters in a video interview on Wednesday about how the militant organisation had come down heavily on them in the past, particularly women who were killed, raped and stoned to death on several occasions.
“Today I’m calling them and telling them, take down their names, remove their identities, take down their photos for their safety. Even I’m telling them to burn down or get rid of your national team uniform,” she told news agency Reuters.
“And that is painful for me, for someone as an activist who stood up and did everything possible to achieve and earn that identity as a women’s national team player," she added.
Afghanistan's former women's soccer captain Khalida Popal told @Reuters she has urged players to delete their social media accounts, erase public identities and burn their kits for safety's sake after the Taliban seized control of the country https://t.co/VqlioYGGt0 pic.twitter.com/MZ0Ziyzna8 — Reuters (@Reuters) August 19, 2021
Afghanistan’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Samira Asghari has called on the United States to help evacuate the country’s top female athletes and coaching staff ‘before it is too late’ following the Taliban takeover of her nation.
During their 1996-2001 rule, guided by Islamic law, the Taliban stopped women from working. Girls were not allowed to go to school and women had to wear burqas to go out, and then only when accompanied by a male relative.
The Taliban have said they will respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law. However, former basketball captain Asghari said she feared for the safety of female athletes.
“Afghanistan national female athletes, coaches and their entourage need your help, we must get them out of Talibans hands ... Please do something before it is too late,” the 27-year-old tweeted on Wednesday, tagging the US basketball federation, US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and US ambassador to Afghanistan.
Asghari, who has played several roles in Afghan sports administration and became the first IOC member from her country in 2018, was not immediately available to elaborate. The Afghanistan Paralympic Committee said on Monday that two athletes would not be able to attend the Tokyo Paralympic Games, which begin on August 24.
(with Reuters inputs)
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zeenews.india.com
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Afghanistan Taliban crisis: THIS former captain tells Afghan women footballers to burn kits, delete all photos
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https://zeenews.india.com/other-sports/afghanistan-taliban-crisis-this-former-captain-tells-afghan-women-footballers-to-burn-kits-delete-all-photos-khalida-popal-2386688.html
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2021-08-20 02:10:18+00:00
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2021-08-20 06:59:33
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Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya claimed that COVID-19 vaccines for children, which are currently under trial phases in India, will likely be launched "very soon" maybe as early as September.
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https%3A%2F%2Fzeenews.india.com%2Findia%2Fcovid-19-vaccines-for-children-in-trial-phase-will-to-be-launched-very-soon-health-minister-2386690.html.json
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New Delhi: Amid worries of a possible third wave of COVID-19, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday claimed that COVID-19 vaccines for children will likely be launched in India "very soon".
He said that the results of an ongoing research for development of COVID-19 vaccines for children by Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech is due to be released next month and following that the COVID-19 antidote is likely to be launched at the soonest.
"The Indian government has already given permission to Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech to conduct research for developing a COVID-19 vaccine for children. We are expecting that results of their research will arrive next month. I am confident that vaccines for children would become a reality very soon," Mandaviya told reporters in Rajkot.
Further, Mandaviya assured that the Centre is committed to vaccinate every citizen.
Meanwhile, ICMR-NIV Director Priya Abraham on August 18 informed that trials of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin Phase II and III are currently underway for children in the age group of 2-18 years.
"Hopefully, the results are going to be available very soon. The results will be presented to the regulators. So, by September or just after it, we may have COVID-19 vaccines for children," Abraham was quoted by PIB in a press release.
Also read: India reports 36,401 new COVID-19 cases and 530 deaths in 24 hours
Also, Zydus Cadila's COVID-19 vaccine trial is going on which can also be used for children and will be made available.
The Centre had informed the Supreme Court that the vaccine developed by Zydus Cadila will be launched for children who are 12 and above, subject to statutory permissions.
It is claimed Zydus Cadila's coronavirus vaccine ZyCoV-D can be given to both adults and children.
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zeenews.india.com
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COVID-19 vaccines for children in trial phase, will to be launched 'very soon': Health Minister
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https://zeenews.india.com/india/covid-19-vaccines-for-children-in-trial-phase-will-to-be-launched-very-soon-health-minister-2386690.html
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2021-08-20 02:18:53+00:00
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2021-08-20 07:34:14
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Jasprit Bumrah chilled out with his sports presenter wife Sanjana Ganesan ahead of the third Test, which begins at Headingley in Leeds from August 25.
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https%3A%2F%2Fzeenews.india.com%2Fcricket%2Findia-vs-eng-2021-jasprit-bumrah-and-wife-sanjana-ganesan-are-all-smiles-during-well-deserved-break-2386693.html.json
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Indian paceman Jasprit Bumrah has turned his form around sensationally since a barren patch at the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand, claiming 12 wickets in 2 Tests against England so far at an average of 18.5. Bumrah’s pace and aggression have rattled Joe Root’s side especially at Lord’s, where he even sparkled with the willow.
The Mumbai Indians speedster notched up his career-best Test score of 34 not out on the final day of the second Test at Lord’s and put on a vital 89 runs for the ninth wicket with Mohammed Shami, which set up India’s memorable 151-run win. Bumrah then scalped two wickets in the second innings as England were bowled out for 120.
Bumrah was pumped up for the second Test after the first Test had ended in a draw at Trent Bridge with rain washing away the final day. The Indian paceman rattled the English batsmen, especially James Anderson with a barrage of short-pitch deliveries.
The paceman took a well-deserved break with his sports presenter wife Sanjana Ganesan ahead of the third Test, which begins at Headingley in Leeds from August 25. Bumrah and Sanjana were all smiles as they posed for a happy pic on Thursday (August 19).
Check the gorgeous couple picture here…
Meanwhile, in the second innings, England pacers led by Mark Wood bowled short consistently at Bumrah, who took blows to the helmet twice but remained defiant to help his side gain a sizeable lead.
Bumrah bounced back into form in the drawn first Test, where he picked up nine wickets for just 110 runs – including 5/64 in the first innings. The MI speedster is currently the highest wicket-taker in the series ahead of Mohammed Siraj, who has 11 wickets to his name including eight wickets in the Lord’s Test win.
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zeenews.india.com
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India vs Eng 2021: Jasprit Bumrah and wife Sanjana Ganesan are all smiles during well-deserved break
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https://zeenews.india.com/cricket/india-vs-eng-2021-jasprit-bumrah-and-wife-sanjana-ganesan-are-all-smiles-during-well-deserved-break-2386693.html
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2021-08-20 02:10:24+00:00
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2021-08-20 07:21:47
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The weather department’s prediction revealed that heavy rainfall with thunderstorm and lightning is likely over Sagar, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Tikamgarh, Panna, Niwari, Rewa and other places.
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https%3A%2F%2Fzeenews.india.com%2Findia%2Fimd-issues-yellow-alert-for-madhya-pradesh-heavy-rains-thunderstorms-expected-in-21-districts-2386692.html.json
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New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday (August 19, 2021) issued a yellow alert for over 21 districts in Madhya Pradesh, warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning strikes.
A weather official said that at least eight districts in the state received heavy rainfall (64.5 mm to 115.5 mm), while Singrauli in eastern Madhya Pradesh recorded very heavy showers (123 mm) in the last 24 hours.
The weather department’s prediction revealed that heavy rainfall (64.5 mm to 115.5 mm) with thunderstorm and lightning is likely over Sagar, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Tikamgarh, Panna, Niwari, Rewa, Satna, Anuppur, Umaria, Dindori, Katni and Narsinghpur districts.
The alert, which is valid till Friday, also covers Chhindwara, Seoni, Rajgarh, Vidisha, Raisen, Hoshangabad, Betul and Dhar districts, senior meteorologist P K Saha of the IMD's Bhopal office said.
The Met department has also forecast rain or thundershowers for most places in 10 divisions of the state, including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur.
The state is witnessing the second wet spell this month. Earlier, over 24 lost their lives during the first spell that ravaged Gwalior and Chambal divisions in northern part of the state.
The monsoon trough is now passing through Gwalior and Sidhi, bringing in moisture and causing rains, Saha said, adding that the wet spell is expected to continue for the next two to three days.
(With PTI inputs)
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zeenews.india.com
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IMD issues yellow alert for Madhya Pradesh, heavy rains, thunderstorms expected in 21 districts
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https://zeenews.india.com/india/imd-issues-yellow-alert-for-madhya-pradesh-heavy-rains-thunderstorms-expected-in-21-districts-2386692.html
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2021-08-20 02:19:12+00:00
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2021-08-20 07:09:13
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UNESCO has provided technical assistance to strengthen education in Afghanistan since 1948, according to a statement.
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https%3A%2F%2Fzeenews.india.com%2Fworld%2Fright-to-education-will-be-assured-for-all-afghans-unesco-declares-2386691.html.json
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Paris: Amid the rapidly evolving events in Afghanistan, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has declared that "the fundamental right to education for all, in particular for girls and women, must continue unhindered".
UNESCO will spare no efforts to support all Afghans to ensure their right to education, the agency said in a statement.
"Education is a fundamental human right indispensable for the exercise of other human rights and for the development of Afghanistan. It is even more so at this critical time. UNESCO calls on all to guarantee the right to education without any discrimination. Students, teachers and education personnel must have access to safe educational environments, including girls and women, who have to continue learning and teaching without any restrictions," said Azoulay.
"The enormous progress made in the country including in education must not be lost. Education must continue for girls and women. The future of Afghanistan depends on them", added the Director-General.
UNESCO has provided technical assistance to strengthen education in Afghanistan since 1948, according to a statement.
Through its office in Kabul, UNESCO has invested in education policy especially for girls` education, with the largest literacy campaign in the history of the Organisation which has reached 1.2 million Afghans, including 800,000 women.
More recently UNESCO has been supporting efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping the education system to promote a safe return to school, especially for girls.
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zeenews.india.com
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Afghanistan Crisis: UNESCO declares right to education will be assured for all Afghans
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https://zeenews.india.com/world/right-to-education-will-be-assured-for-all-afghans-unesco-declares-2386691.html
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[
"Simon Little",
"Global News"
] |
2021-08-20 02:14:20+00:00
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2021-08-19 21:05:49
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As of Thursday evening, the Mt. Hayes fire was four hectares in size and about 4.5 kilometres northwest of the Vancouver Island community.
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https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8127421%2Fladysmith-wildfire%2F.json
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en
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Send this page to someone via email
Wildfire crews on Vancouver Island are battling a new blaze just 4.5 kilometres northwest of Ladysmith.
As of Thursday evening, the Mt. Hayes fire was four hectares in size, and showing rank 2/3 behaviour — which fire information officer Gordon Robinson described as a “vigorous surface fire.”
No structures were immediately threatened, but Robinson said crews were on alert due to its proximity to the city. The fire is also about 2.5 kilometres from Highway 1 near North Oyster.
Ten firefighters, four helicopters and a piece of heavy equipment, with support from air tankers, were working the fire.
Robinson said that while the island had been largely spared from the worst of the fire season, it wasn’t out of the woods yet.
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“That bit of rain and cooler temperature we’ve had has helped, but especially on the southern and eastern areas of Vancouver Island we are still in extreme fire danger,” he said.
“Almost all the rest of the island is in high or extreme as well. It will take a lot more rain than we’ve had so far to make a big difference.”
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globalnews.ca
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Out-of-control wildfire burning 4.5 km from Ladysmith, B.C.
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https://globalnews.ca/news/8127421/ladysmith-wildfire/
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[
"Simon Little",
"Global News"
] |
2021-08-20 02:14:26+00:00
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2021-08-19 21:53:30
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Washington state officials said the Asian giant hornet nest was discovered in a rural area just east of Blaine, just south of Metro Vancouver.
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https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8127506%2Ffirst-murder-hornet-nest-2021%2F.json
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en
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Send this page to someone via email
Washington state’s first so-called “murder hornet” nest of 2021 was located this week, just south of the British Columbia border, officials confirmed Thursday.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) said the Asian giant hornet nest was discovered in a rural area just east of Blaine, just south of Metro Vancouver.
State and federal officials had been searching for the nest since one of the insects was spotted about half a kilometre away on Aug. 11. The sighting was about three kilometres from where a nest was destroyed last year.
Several of the hornets were subsequently captured and fitted with trackers, one of which led a team to the nest on Thursday.
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Entomologists are now developing a plan to eradicate the nest, likely next week, the WSDA said.
1:25 Scientists remove 98 murder hornets from Washington state nest near B.C. border Scientists remove 98 murder hornets from Washington state nest near B.C. border – Oct 26, 2020
So far this year, there have been no confirmed reports of the hornets in B.C.
Asian giant hornets are an invasive species, and are of particular concern because of their penchant for attacking honey bee nests. The WSDA said a small group of the hornets can destroy an entire hive in just a few hours.
The insects were first spotted in North America in 2019 near Nanaimo, B.C. That fall, the first known Asian giant hornet nest in Canada was wiped out.
A close-up of an Asian giant hornet. Province of B.C.
The hornets can grow up to five centimetres long and are the world’s largest hornets. They have large, yellow heads, black eyes, a black body and a black and yellow striped abdomen.
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While they are not considered particularly dangerous to humans, the Invasive Species Council of B.C. warns they capable of delivering painful stings and are a threat to people allergic to bees and wasps.
Anyone who spots one of the hornets in B.C. is urged to report it to the Invasive Species Council at 1-888-933-3722 or on their website.
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globalnews.ca
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First ‘murder hornet’ nest of 2021 found near B.C.-U.S. border
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https://globalnews.ca/news/8127506/first-murder-hornet-nest-2021/
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2021-08-20 01:58:36+00:00
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2021-08-19 00:00:00
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A North Carolina man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck near the U.S. Capitol surrendered to law enforcement after an hourslong standoff Thursday that prompted a massive police response and the evacua
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yorkdispatch.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2021%2F08%2F19%2Fman-surrenders-claiming-bomb-near-us-capitol%2F118452780%2F.json
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Eric Tucker, Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long and Michael Biesecker
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON – A North Carolina man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck near the U.S. Capitol surrendered to law enforcement after an hourslong standoff Thursday that prompted a massive police response and the evacuations of government buildings in the area.
Authorities were investigating what led the suspect, identified as 49-year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry, to drive onto the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress, make bomb threats to officers and profess a litany of antigovernment grievances as part of a bizarre episode that he live-streamed for a Facebook audience. Police later searched the vehicle and said they did not find a bomb but did collect possible bomb-making materials.
The standoff was resolved peacefully after roughly five hours of negotiations, ending when Roseberry crawled out of the truck and was taken into police custody. But even in a city with a long history of dramatic law enforcement encounters outside federal landmarks, this episode was notable for its timing – Washington remains on edge eight months after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol – and for the way the suspect harnessed social media to draw attention to his actions in the hours before his arrest.
Authorities who spent hours negotiating with Roseberry – he held up handwritten signs through his driver-side window – were continuing to dig into his background Thursday evening. They did not reveal any details about a motive, and no charges were immediately announced.
Investigators had been speaking with members of Roseberry’s family and learned that his mother had recently died, Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “There were other issues he was dealing with,” the chief said, without providing specific details.
But social media appeared to offer its own clues.
As police continued negotiations, video surfaced of Roseberry on Facebook Live inside the truck, which was stuffed with coins and boxes. He threatened explosions, expressed hostility toward President Joe Biden, profanely warned of a “revolution” and laid bare a series of grievances related to U.S. positions on Afghanistan, health care and the military.
Roseberry’s ex-wife, Crystal Roseberry, said she had seen images of the man in the standoff at the Capitol and confirmed to The Associated Press that it was her ex-husband. She said she had never known him to have explosives, but he was an avid collector of firearms.
Videos posted to Facebook before the page was taken down appear to show Roseberry at a Nov. 14 Washington rally attended by thousands of Trump supporters to protest what they claimed was a stolen election. One video appears to be filmed by Roseberry as he’s marching with a crowd of hundreds of people carrying American flags and Trump flags and shouting “stop the steal.”
Thursday’s incident began around 9:15 a.m. when a truck drove up the sidewalk outside the library. The driver told the responding officer he had a bomb, and he was holding what the officer believed to be a detonator. The truck had no license plates.
Kelsey Campbell, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison visiting Washington as part of a class trip, said she and another student encountered Roseberry around 9:20 a.m. outside the nearby Supreme Court building. Campbell said he was with his truck, which was parked next to the sidewalk, and was holding a large stack of dollar bills.
“He said, ‘Hey, call the police, tell them to evacuate this street, and I’ll give you all this money,’” Campbell recounted to The AP. “I said, ’No!’ and he threw the money at us and we started running.”
Campbell said she and the other student saw some police officers standing nearby. They told the officers what happened, and the officers then went to confront Roseberry.
The standoff brought the area surrounding the Capitol to a virtual standstill as police emptied buildings and cordoned off streets as a precaution. Congress is in recess this week, but staffers were seen calmly walking out of the area at the direction of authorities.
By Thursday evening, authorities had finished searching the vehicle and determined the area to be safe after not finding an explosive.
The nation’s capital has been tense since the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, when thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the building as Congress was gathered to certify the results of the presidential election.
A day before the riot at the Capitol, pipe bombs were left at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee in Washington. No one has been arrested yet for placing the bombs.
The RNC, not far from where the truck was parked Thursday, was also evacuated over the threat. A spokesman for the DNC said its headquarters, which is located farther away from the truck’s location, was put under lockdown, but that lockdown has been lifted.
Thursday’s incident marked the third time in as many weeks that federal and military law enforcement authorities had to respond to attacks or possible threats in the Washington area. Officials are also jittery over a planned rally in September.
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Long reported from New Buffalo, Michigan. Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer in Boston, Tom Foreman Jr. in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Zeke Miller, Nathan Ellgren, Ashraf Khalil and Alex Brandon in Washington contributed to this report.
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Man surrenders after claiming to have bomb near US Capitol
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2021-08-20 01:58:48+00:00
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2021-07-21 00:00:00
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East Prospect takes the lead in the best-of-three series over York Township with a 5-4 walk-off win.
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Staff Report
Mark Schauren had just one hit on Thursday night but it was the biggest at-bat of the game.
Schauren's one-out RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Jordan Higgins to clinch the game-winning run and give East Prospect a 5-4 victory over York Township.
The win gave East Prospect an early advantage in the best-of-three Susquehanna League semifinal series.
Higgins had walked prior to Schauren's plate appearance to become the winning run and score from first base.
Devin Strickler went 3-for-3 with a double, one RBI and one run scored. Austin Denlinger went 1-for-3, including a double and two RBI for East Prospect.
Relief pitcher Nick Kreider threw 1 2/3 innings of shutout/no-hit relief, with three strikeouts and no walks to pick up the win. Josh Kreider got the start and went 5 1/3 innings. He allowed 11 hits and three earned runs.
For York Township, Max Naill went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Matt Attig went 3-for-3, while Austin Martinez went 2-for-4 with a double.
Tyler Page took the loss after he allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings, including the final run. John McDonald got the start and went 3 2/3 innings with two unearned runs allowed and five walks.
Game two of the series will be held on Saturday at York Township with a 1:30 p.m. first pitch.
Windsor 6, Hallam 1 (Suspended after 4 Innings): At Hallam, the game was stopped due to darkness and rain after four innings of play with the Cardinals leading. Game one of the best-of-three Susquehanna League semifinal series will resume tomorrow at Hallam with a 5:45 p.m. first pitch.
Central League rained out: Both Central League semifinal series were postponed on Thursday. Manchester will play at Stoverstown in game three of their first round best-of-three series. The winner will face Mechanicsburg in the semifinals.
Jefferson will play at Glen Rock in game one of the Central League best-of-three semifinal series.
Each series will resume Friday with a 5:45 p.m. first pitch.
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East Prospect takes game one of Susquehanna League semis with walk-off
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2021-08-20 01:58:24+00:00
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2021-08-19 00:00:00
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The rescue of Khalid, as he’s called by friends, came after frantic efforts by his supporters in the U.S. military, who said he was a brother in arms who helped save countless lives and faced certain death if f
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Alex Sanz and Tammy Webber
The Associated Press
Time was running out for Mohammad Khalid Wardak, a high-profile Afghan national police officer who spent years working alongside the American military.
Hunted by the Taliban, he was hiding with his family in Kabul, constantly moving from place to place as they tried — and failed — several times to reach a rendezvous point where they could be rescued.
After at least four attempts in as many days, the family finally was whisked away by helicopter Wednesday in a dramatic rescue — called Operation Promise Kept — carried out under cover of darkness by the U.S. military and its allies, said Robert McCreary, a former congressional chief of staff and White House official under President George W. Bush, who has worked with special forces in Afghanistan.
More:Was Biden handcuffed by Trump’s Taliban deal in Doha?
More:Tens of thousands of Afghans at risk as US slowly considers visas
The rescue of Khalid, as he’s called by friends, came after frantic efforts by his supporters in the U.S. military, who said he was a brother in arms who helped save countless lives and faced certain death if found by the Taliban. They sought help from members of Congress and the Defense and State departments.
“I don’t think people understand the chaos that is reigning right now in the capital, the brutality and the efficient lethality the Taliban are using … to ensure their rise to power as they eliminate their greatest threat, which are these military and special police,” said U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. Major Chris Green, who worked with Khalid in Afghanistan.
Khalid and his family were unable to get inside the airport where the Taliban controlled the entrances. He was widely known because of his position as police chief in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province and from television appearances, including one in which he challenged the Taliban to a fight, supporters said.
Green said he was “incredibly happy … elated,” when he learned that Khalid and his family were safe, noting that some of his American rescuers had worked alongside Khalid, which he called “serendipitous.”
McCreary said multiple allies, including the British, helped, and that Khalid, his wife and their four sons, ages 3 to 12, were “safe in an undisclosed location under the protection of the United States.”
Officials said other Afghan partners, including police and military, also deserved to be saved and that more rescue efforts were in progress, but they could not discuss details.
Khalid’s friends said he had no intention of leaving Afghanistan, and planned to stand with his countrymen to defend his homeland after U.S. forces were gone. But the government collapsed with stunning speed, and the president fled the country.
“He fought until he had nothing left to fight with,” Green said. “He was wounded. He was surrounded. His forces were not being resupplied. And echelons above him in the government had already begun to make their exit plan … and striking deals. So people like him who were fighting were left stranded, and they were left without support.”
McCreary said Khalid originally sought protection only for his family while he kept fighting. Khalid and other fighters were completely surrounded by the Taliban last week and their location overrun, McCreary said.
When the Afghan government fell, that’s when “we quickly changed gears to also work on getting him to safety.”
At one point, rescuers lost contact with Khalid for several days, “and we all assumed that that he was killed,” McCreary said. “Just last week, we thought it was over, and then we were just going to … keep working harder to protect his family.”
Khalid’s supporters said it would have been unthinkable to leave him behind after his years of partnership with Americans.
Khalid came to the rescue in March 2013, when a special forces detachment in eastern Afghanistan’s Wardak province suffered an insider attack. Someone dressed in an Afghan National Security Forces uniform opened fire, killing two Americans.
When the outpost was almost simultaneously attacked from the outside, a U.S. commander called on Khalid, who within minutes raced into the valley with a quick-reaction force to defend his American partners.
In 2015, when Khalid lost part of his right leg in a rocket-propelled grenade attack, friends in the U.S. military helped get him medical care and a prosthetic leg outside the country. A month later, he was again leading special police operations in Afghanistan alongside the U.S., Green said.
Along the way, he helped apprehend al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders. He went on to serve as police chief in Ghazni province and then Helmand province, where he was wounded again last month in a mortar attack and continued to direct the resistance from his hospital bed.
Khalid’s family has applied for refugee status in the U.S. based on fear of persecution, but it’s unclear how long that process might take or if they will be approved. Translators, interpreters and others who worked for the U.S. in Afghanistan are eligible to apply for special immigrant visas, but current Afghan military members or police officers are not, supporters said.
His supporters said it was most important to get them out of harm’s way and then figure the rest out later. People who are top Taliban targets because of their work with U.S. forces deserve special consideration, McCreary said.
“No one wants to live with the guilt of turning our backs or not … honoring our promises,” McCreary said. That commitment and the collaboration it took to rescue Khalid “makes you proud to be an American.”
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Afghan officer who fought with US forces rescued from Kabul
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2021-08-20 01:58:30+00:00
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2021-08-19 00:00:00
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Biden can go only so far in claiming the agreement boxed him in. It had an escape clause: The U.S. could have withdrawn from the accord if Afghan peace talks failed. They did, but Biden chose to stay in it, alt
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Matthew Lee and Eric Tucker
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump’s administration signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February 2020, he optimistically proclaimed that “we think we’ll be successful in the end.” His secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, asserted that the administration was “seizing the best opportunity for peace in a generation.”
Eighteen months later, President Joe Biden is pointing to the agreement signed in Doha, Qatar, as he tries to deflect blame for the Taliban overrunning Afghanistan in a blitz. He says it bound him to withdraw U.S. troops, setting the stage for the chaos engulfing the country.
But Biden can go only so far in claiming the agreement boxed him in. It had an escape clause: The U.S. could have withdrawn from the accord if Afghan peace talks failed. They did, but Biden chose to stay in it, although he delayed the complete pullout from May to September.
More:Tens of thousands of Afghans at risk as US slowly considers visas
More:Biden says he stands 'squarely behind' Afghanistan decision
Chris Miller, acting defense secretary in the final months of the Trump administration, chafed at the idea that Biden was handcuffed by the agreement.
“If he thought the deal was bad, he could have renegotiated. He had plenty of opportunity to do that if he so desired,” Miller, a top Pentagon counterterrorism official at the time the Doha deal was signed, said in an interview.
Renegotiating, though, would have been difficult. Biden would have had little leverage. He, like Trump, wanted U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. Pulling out of the agreement might have forced him to send thousands more back in.
He made that point Monday, saying in a televised address from the White House that he would not commit to sending more American troops to fight for Afghanistan’s future while also harkening back to the Trump deal to suggest that the withdrawal path was predetermined by his predecessor.
“The choice I had to make, as your president, was either to follow through on that agreement or be prepared to go back to fighting the Taliban in the middle of the spring fighting season,” Biden said.
The Taliban takeover, far swifter than officials from either administration had envisioned, has prompted questions from even some Trump-era officials about whether the terms and conditions of the deal – and the decisions that followed after – did enough to protect Afghanistan once the U.S. military pulled out.
The historic deal was always high-wire diplomacy, requiring a degree of trust in the Taliban as a potential peace partner and inked despite skepticism from war-weary Afghans who feared losing authority in any power-sharing agreement.
“The Doha agreement was a very weak agreement, and the U.S. should have gained more concessions from the Taliban,” said Lisa Curtis, an Afghanistan expert who served during the Trump administration as the National Security Council’s senior director for South and Central Asia.
She called it “wishful thinking” to believe that the Taliban might be interested in lasting peace. The resulting agreement, she said, was heavily weighted toward the Taliban, contributed to undermining Afghan President Ashraf Ghani – he fled the country Sunday and is now in the United Arab Emirates – and facilitated the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners without a commensurate concession from the Taliban.
“They wanted U.S. forces out, and they wanted to take over the country militarily, and they believed that they could do that,” Curtis said of the Taliban. “That was just crystal clear.”
The agreement called for the U.S. to bring down its forces to 8,600 from 13,000 over the following three to four months, with the remaining U.S. forces withdrawing in 14 months, or by May 1.
Biden, in an ABC interview that aired Thursday, said he was confronted with that deadline soon after taking office: “Do I say we’re staying? And do you think we would not have to put a hell of a lot more troops?” Even without Trump’s deal, Biden said he “would’ve tried to figure out how to withdraw those troops” and that “there is no good time to leave Afghanistan.”
The agreement stipulated commitments the Taliban were expected to make to prevent terrorism, including obligations to renounce al-Qaida and prevent that group or others from using Afghan soil to plot attacks on the U.S. or its allies. Though the agreement bound the Taliban to halt attacks on U.S. and coalition forces, it did not explicitly require them to expel al-Qaida or to stop attacks on the Afghan military.
The agreement provided significant legitimacy to the Taliban, whose leaders met with Pompeo, the first secretary of state to have such interactions. There were also discussions of them coming to the U.S. to meet with Trump.
Stlll, Trump spoke cautiously about the deal’s prospects for success, warning of military firepower if “bad things happen.” Pompeo similarly said the U.S. was “realistic” and “restrained,” determined to avoid endless wars.
U.S. officials made clear at the time that the agreement was conditions-based and the failure of intra-Afghan peace talks to reach a negotiated settlement would have nullified the requirement to withdraw.
One day before the Doha deal, a top aide to chief U.S. negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad said the agreement was not irreversible, and “there is no obligation for the United States to withdraw troops if the Afghan parties are unable to reach agreement or if the Taliban show bad faith” during negotiations.
Those negotiations were intended to begin within a month of the deal being signed but were delayed amid disputes between the Taliban and the Afghan government over prisoner releases. Amid fits and starts, the negotiations had not produced any outcome by the time Biden announced his withdrawal decision in April. Nor have they done so since.
Miller said it was the “right approach” and necessary to force Ghani into negotiations. He said the Doha deal was always supposed to be “phase one” of the process, with the next part being the U.S. using its leverage to have Ghani negotiate on a power-sharing deal with the Taliban.
“Obviously, he was not jazzed by that, but he was going to do it – or he was going to be removed,” Miller said. “We were going to put some serious pressure on him to make him cut a deal with the Taliban.”
In hindsight, though, said Curtis, the U.S. should not have entered the Doha talks “unless we were prepared to represent the Afghan government’s interests. It was an unfair negotiation, because nobody was looking out for the interests of the Afghan government.”
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Was Biden handcuffed by Trump’s Taliban deal in Doha?
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2021-08-20 01:58:18+00:00
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2021-08-19 00:00:00
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Applications for U.S. state unemployment benefits dropped for a fourth consecutive week, a trend that suggests labor market conditions are improving as the economy recovers.
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Olivia Rockeman
Bloomberg News
Applications for U.S. state unemployment benefits dropped for a fourth consecutive week, a trend that suggests labor market conditions are improving as the economy recovers.
Initial unemployment claims in regular state programs dropped 29,000 to 348,000 in the week ended Aug. 14, a pandemic low, Labor Department data showed Thursday. Economists in a Bloomberg survey had called for a decline to 364,000.
Continuing claims for state benefits fell to 2.8 million in the week ended Aug. 7, also the lowest since the pandemic began.
The decrease in initial claims points to strengthening business and fewer dismissals as economic activity improves. That said, a pickup in initial filings in the next few weeks could point to labor market weakness as the delta variant of COVID-19 spreads.
Some states and cities have reintroduced mask mandates in recent weeks in response to coronavirus variants, and businesses have pushed back their return-to-office plans. But there’s little evidence so far to suggest the delta variant has resulted in layoffs, especially because restrictions haven’t been put on restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.
Texas and Illinois posted the largest declines in initial claims last week. Virginia posted the largest increase, followed by New Mexico and California.
More than 20 governors have prematurely ended federal unemployment programs – including an extra $300 weekly payment – put into place during the pandemic, hoping that removing the enhanced payments would incentivize workers to look for jobs. Lawsuits in some of those states challenging the governors’ legal authority to end the aid could restore the halted benefits until they officially expire in early September.
The initial claim figures coincide with the survey week for the Labor Department’s monthly job report.
Continuing claims in all programs declined to 11.7 million in the week ended July 31. That compares to a high of about 32.8 million in June 2020.
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US initial unemployment claims drop for fourth straight week
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2021-08-20 01:58:42+00:00
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2021-08-19 00:00:00
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On maps that show virus “hot spots” in red, this part of the U.S. coast is glowing like a bad sunburn. And a summer of booming tourism that followed the lockdowns and travel restrictions of 2020 is making the t
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Jay Reeves
The Associated Press
GULF SHORES, Ala. — Tourists and servers alike dance atop tables and in the aisles at one restaurant on the “Redneck Riviera,” a beloved stretch of towns along the northern Gulf Coast where beaches, bars and stores are packed. Yet just a few miles away, a hospital is running out of critical care beds, its rooms full of unvaccinated people fighting for their lives.
On maps that show virus “hot spots” in red, this part of the U.S. coast is glowing like a bad sunburn. And a summer of booming tourism that followed the lockdowns and travel restrictions of 2020 is making the turn toward fall with only a few signs of slowing down.
Health officials believe the spike is due to a combination of some of the nation’s lowest vaccination rates, unabated tourism, a disregard for basic health precautions and the region’s carefree lifestyle, all combining at a time when the mutated virus is more contagious than ever and conservative states are balking at new health restrictions.
More:US health officials call for everyone to get COVID-19 booster shot
More:116 new COVID-19 cases reported in York County
On a recent afternoon, one shopper after another walked through the mouth of a giant, fake shark into a Gulf Shores souvenir shop. Mini-golf courses, bars, go-kart tracks, hotels and condominium towers were full. The National Shrimp Festival, which draws as many as 250,000 people to the Alabama coast, is set for October despite the COVID-19 explosion.
Inside The Hangout restaurant, where dancing on tables is encouraged, “Cotton Eye Joe” received a raucous reception from the largely unmasked customers.
“Where did you come from, where did you go? Where did you come from, Cotton Eye Joe?” the speakers blared.
The revelry came as just 12 miles to the north, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center was treating more than three dozen COVID-19 patients, nearly 90% of whom weren’t vaccinated, said spokesperson Taylor Lewis.
“After Memorial Day it was, ‘Everything is back to normal, go to the beach, take off your mask,’” said Dr. Bert Eichold, the chief public health official of Mobile County, just west of Gulf Shores. Mobile County’s COVID-19 positivity rate has skyrocketed to nearly 30%, and the county has the most new cases in the state.
Lisa Hastings, a Louisiana native and nurse visiting the Alabama coast with her two sisters, looked at the situation in two ways. She was a little unsettled by the wide-open scene from a professional standpoint, but she also doesn’t hold it against anyone who wants to get out and have fun, vaccinated or not.
“I think people are kind of over being afraid and so they’ve got to live their lives,” said Hastings, who is vaccinated. Nearby, a tourist from Illinois railed that the pandemic is fake and vaccinations are just another method of government control.
Some have decided against both getting vaccinated and wearing face masks, choosing instead to party without precautions at places like the Flora-Bama, a massive beachfront bar on the Alabama-Florida line. There, bands play to big crowds fueled by alcoholic drinks including the sugary Bushwacker, a coastal favorite.
Lulu’s, a popular Gulf Shores restaurant owned by Lucy Buffett, the sister of singer Jimmy Buffett, is among those that recently had to shut down for a week because the virus was racing through workers.
At The Dock, a beachfront restaurant that serves cold beer and seafood beside the public beach in Pensacola Beach, Florida, manager Justin Smith said the tourist season has been busy and his staff has managed to stay healthy, at least so far. While more vaccinations could help, Smith said he’d never require his staff to get inoculated.
“I’ve been here 18 years. It ain’t gonna happen,” he said.
Though “redneck” is often seen as a derogatory term referring to poor, white rural residents of the South, many residents of the “Redneck Riviera” have for decades commonly and proudly called their stretch of the Gulf coast by that name.
Outbreaks caused by the coronavirus are threatening to overwhelm the region’s health care system and traditions. Panama City Beach, Florida, cited the pandemic in canceling an annual country music festival set for early September, and New Orleans has clamped down on mask-wearing and called off multiple events.
While urging people to get vaccinated, state leaders including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey have resisted imposing new restrictions, even as hospital beds fill up. On Monday, officials said 1,560 patients needed intensive care treatment in Alabama, where hospitals have just 1,562 ICU beds.
Hospital executives joined together in Pensacola last week to plead for more vaccinations while also knocking down false rumors about vaccines and masks. In an area dominated by Christian conservatives, Mayor Grover C. Robinson IV made a direct appeal for churchgoers to get shots.
“Two of our hospitals are Christian affiliated,” he said. “One of the first things it says all throughout the Bible is, ‘Do not be afraid.’”
More people are getting initial vaccine doses than a few weeks ago, but it hasn’t been enough so far to stop the spread of COVID-19. Of 11 coastal counties in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, Okaloosa County in Florida has the region’s highest share of fully vaccinated residents at 41.3%, statistics show. Many are around one-third, and all are below the national average of nearly 51%.
Natalie Fox, a nursing executive with USA Health in Mobile, said medical workers are tired after more than a year of fighting the pandemic. Still, people sick with COVID-19 – the vast majority of them unvaccinated – keep arriving.
“We’re kind of getting patients from all over because everybody’s dealing with this increased strain,” she said.
It didn’t take a mandate for Rhonda Landrum, a 50-year-old health care worker from near Mobile, to get a shot recently after watching all three of her unvaccinated daughters contract COVID-19. People aren’t taking the pandemic seriously, she said, and it’s just not safe to be out in public without the vaccine.
“I won’t travel nowhere,” she said. “I stay home.”
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This story has been corrected to show that The Dock restaurant is in Pensacola Beach, not Pensacola.
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Gulf Coast’s beloved ‘Redneck Riviera’ now a virus hotspot
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2021-08-20 02:12:08+00:00
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2021-08-19 18:32:00
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La Carpegna Prosciutto Basket Pesaro comunica che alla Prima Squadra sono stati aggregati i giovani Edin Mujakovic, Umberto Stazzonelli, Mamoudou Dia oltre a...
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CARPEGNA PROSCIUTTO PESARO Mujakovic, Stazzonelli e Mamoudou a Pesaro
Mujakovic, Stazzonelli e Mamoudou a Pesaro.
La Carpegna Prosciutto Basket Pesaro comunica che alla Prima Squadra sono stati aggregati i giovani Edin Mujakovic, Umberto Stazzonelli, Mamoudou Dia oltre a Lorenzo Calbini e Nicolas Alessandrini. Edin Mujakovic, classe 2002, sarà un componente fisso per gli allenamenti della Prima Squadra e grazie al doppio tesseramento vestirà la maglia del Pisaurum Basket Pesaro in serie C Gold. Umberto Stazzonelli, classe 2004 al secondo anno in maglia biancorossa in prestito dall’Alfa Omega Ostia e Mamoudou Dia, classe 2003 di 203 cm in prestito dall’A.D. Petrarca Basket Padova completano il roster della Carpegna Prosciutto Basket Pesaro 2021/2022. Solo per questi primi giorni di ritiro Calbini e Alessandrini faranno parte del gruppo guidato da Coach Petrovic in attesa dell’arrivo di Davide Moretti e Gora Camara per poi unirsi rispettivamente alla Pallacanestro Senigallia e San Giorgio su Legnano Basket, formazioni impegnate nel campionato di serie B.
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Mujakovic, Stazzonelli e Mamoudou a Pesaro
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2021-08-20 02:11:48+00:00
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2021-08-19 18:27:00
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Il ladro più famoso del mondo torna in Repubblica: dopo l'edizione del 2019, Lupin sarà ancora protagonista del San Marino Comics, il festival dedicato al...
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Torna il San Marino Comics. Protagonista sarà nuovamente Lupin III, ospite d'onore Cristina D'Avena
Il ladro più famoso del mondo torna in Repubblica: dopo l'edizione del 2019, Lupin sarà ancora protagonista del San Marino Comics, il festival dedicato al fumetto che sempre più si sta affermando come realtà nel panorama fieristico. Tre giorni, dal 27 al 29 agosto, in cui il centro storico sarà preso d'assalto da personaggi del mondo dei fumetti, serie animate e videogiochi, in un clima di festa che ha sempre caratterizzato l'evento giunto ormai alla sua ottava edizione, e che accoglie sempre più turisti da ogni parte d'Italia e non solo.
Come ogni anno, la manifestazione offrirà conferenze, esibizioni gare cosplay e concerti incentrati sulla cultura Pop-Nerd, dopo un 2020 in cui il mercato del fumetto ha registrato un aumento delle vendite pari al 42%, coinvolgendo lettori neofiti e vecchi appassionati che hanno riscoperto una passione: quella stessa che spinge gli organizzatori e ha convinto le Segreterie di Stato a supportare nuovamente il progetto. Protagonista e simbolo di questa edizione sarà Lupin III, il ladro gentiluomo che nelle sue infinite avventure ha attraversato anche San Marino, e che proprio quest'anno festeggia i 50 anni della serie animata: un anniversario che l'intera organizzazione ha voluto celebrare. Tra le iniziative organizzate sarà possibile fare un tour del centro storico proprio in compagnia di Lupin e del suo doppiatore ufficiale Stefano Onofri.
Ma l'evento clou sarà sabato 28 quando, al campo Bruno Reffi, si esibirà in Repubblica Cristina D'Avena, la madrina delle sigle animate. Il suo concerto arriverà alla fine dello spettacolo "Lupin III e la macchina del tempo", un viaggio attraverso il mondo dei cartoni animati, fatto da una leggenda che da 50 anni continua a legare tutte le generazioni.
Nel video le interviste a Federico Pedini Amati, Segretario di Stato al Turismo, e Paolo Gualdi, Presidente di San Marino Comics
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2021-08-20 02:11:35+00:00
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2021-08-19 18:56:00
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Castel Sismondo, Fulgor e Piazza Malatesta. In un percorso diffuso, ma univoco, attraverso questi luoghi ci si può immergere nel mondo del grande regista...
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Fellini Museum: stasera l'inaugurazione del polo museale dedicato al genio di Federico Fellini
Castel Sismondo, Fulgor e Piazza Malatesta. In un percorso diffuso, ma univoco, attraverso questi luoghi ci si può immergere nel mondo del grande regista riminese che ha fatto la storia del cinema. Passeggiando per la piazza, come in un set a cielo aperto di Fellini, ci si imbatte in una grande panca circolare che rievoca il Cerchio della vita del finale di "8 e mezzo", e, proprio davanti al Castello Malatestiano, una leggera nebbia fuoriesce da uno specchio d'acqua a ricordare il passaggio del transatlantico Rex in "Amarcord". Uno spazio che, alla sera, diventa ancor più suggestivo grazie al gioco di luci creato dalla proiezione di spezzoni di film di Fellini che si riflettono nell'acqua, in un'atmosfera unica.
Poco più avanti Castel Sismondo con un percorso espositivo che si dipana lungo 16 sale, ognuna dedicata ad un grande tema della vita di Fellini. Come la sala dedicata a "La dolce vita", con una scultura al centro raffigurante Anita Ekberg e la proiezione delle più belle scene della pellicola tutt'attorno. O quella de "Il libro dei sogni" dove un soffio ad una piuma posta al centro consente di sfogliare virtualmente le pagine disegnate dal regista. O anche la sala destinata alle lettere che gli aspiranti attori scrivevano a Fellini candidandosi per i suoi film. Un progetto che valorizza la città e ricorda al mondo l'eredità culturale del visionario regista riminese.
Intervista a Marco Bertozzi e Anna Villari, curatori del Fellini Museum e a Andrea Gnassi, sindaco di Rimini
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Fellini Museum: stasera l'inaugurazione del polo museale dedicato al genio di Federico Fellini
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2021-08-20 02:11:55+00:00
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2021-08-19 18:16:00
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Spari, urla, donne che lanciano i propri figli oltre il filo spinato nella speranza che possano essere caricati su un volo che lasci quell'inferno. Questo è...
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AFGHANISTAN Kabul: spari e morti nei pressi dell'aeroporto Nelle altre aree della città la situazione sembra essere migliore, riferisce Emergency. La transizione pacifica promessa dai Talebani è inesistente
Spari, urla, donne che lanciano i propri figli oltre il filo spinato nella speranza che possano essere caricati su un volo che lasci quell'inferno. Questo è quello che sta accadendo in queste ore in Afghanistan, all'esterno dell'aeroporto di Kabul. La transizione pacifica al potere e il rispetto dei diritti umani proclamati più volte dai Talebani sono totalmente assenti. Gli estremisti islamici stanno impedendo a migliaia di afgani di raggiungere l'aeroporto, controllato dagli Stati Uniti. Per tentare di ristabilire l'ordine i Jet armati americani stanno sorvolando Kabul in modo da garantire la sicurezza delle operazioni di evacuazione.
Nelle altre aree della città la situazione sembra però essere migliore, lo riferisce Emergency: “Lontano dall'aeroporto – spiegano – non si registrano al momento combattimenti”. Nella città di Asadabad invece almeno quattro persone sono morte. Non è chiaro se le vittime siano state colpite dal fuoco dei talebani o siano morte in seguito al fuggi fuggi provocato dagli spari. Spari sulla folla da parte degli estremisti islamici anche nella città di Jalalabad.
Biden intanto difende la ritirata: non c'era modo di farlo "senza che ne seguisse il caos" spiega. L'Alto rappresentante Ue Borrell dice che è stata una "catastrofe" e polemizza con il Presidente degli Stati Uniti, definendo "discutibile" che la costruzione di uno Stato non sia mai stata un obiettivo.
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Kabul: spari e morti nei pressi dell'aeroporto
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2021-08-20 02:11:28+00:00
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2021-08-19 19:29:00
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Tra regole, procedure da seguire e clienti da ogni parte del mondo, si fanno strada anche possibili disagi legati al Green pass e ai certificati per entrare al...
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Green Pass: famiglia sammarinese resta fuori da un locale. Categorie: "Avvenuto per non conoscenza delle nuove leggi" La replica dell'autogrill: "Con la certificazione nessun problema". La categoria dei ristoratori lamenta il carico burocratico
Tra regole, procedure da seguire e clienti da ogni parte del mondo, si fanno strada anche possibili disagi legati al Green pass e ai certificati per entrare al ristorante. L'ultimo episodio ieri quando una famiglia sammarinese, di ritorno da Bologna, si è vista negare l'accesso al chiuso all'Old Wild West nell'area Sillaro in A14. nonostante avesse con sé il documento Iss di avvenuta vaccinazione con Sputnik. A nulla è servito il riferimento al decreto italiano 111 che esenta i vaccinati sammarinesi con il siero russo dalle disposizioni sul Green pass fino al 15 ottobre.
“Ci siamo sentiti discriminati - ha detto la mamma – e abbiamo cercato di far valere le nostre ragioni, soprattutto citando la legge”. Poi lo sfogo sui social, con altri cittadini a segnalare situazioni simili. Da un manager dell'autogrill la replica. “Nessun problema con i sammarinesi – ha assicurato – con la presentazione della documentazione di avvenuta vaccinazione o del tampone”. In questo modo, ha affermato, “possono sedersi tranquillamente nel locale”, così come avviene per altri clienti esteri.
In prima linea le associazioni di categoria che forniscono assistenza a ristoranti e bar per interpretare in modo corretto le disposizioni. Per il presidente di Fipe-Confcommercio della Provincia di Rimini, Gaetano Callà, quanto accaduto ai sammarinesi "viene da una non conoscenza delle nuove leggi". "Lo Sputnik è riconosciuto", sottolinea. "Ogni volta - aggiunge Massimo Zucchini, presidente Confesercenti Bologna - cerchiamo di dare informazioni agli associati che ci pongono problematiche, ma posso garantire che non è semplice".
Nel servizio, le interviste a Gaetano Callà (presidente provinciale Fipe-Confcommercio Rimini) e a Massimo Zucchini (presidente provinciale Confesercenti Bologna)
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Green Pass: famiglia sammarinese resta fuori da un locale. Categorie: "Avvenuto per non conoscenza delle nuove leggi"
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2021-08-20 02:11:41+00:00
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2021-08-19 18:17:00
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Spazi di vita teatrale quotidiana, tra proscenio e palco, dietro le quinte. Come nella pancia di un veliero o dall'alto della vedetta anche il Comunale di...
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MOSTRA FOTOGRAFICA BOLOGNA Il Comunale: un teatro come un veliero OLTRE IL SIPARIO la mostra fotografica del maestro NINO MIGLIORE sul Comunale di Bologna a cura di Denis Curti 60 immagini in bianco e nero che raccontano il palcoscenico in pandemia
Spazi di vita teatrale quotidiana, tra proscenio e palco, dietro le quinte. Come nella pancia di un veliero o dall'alto della vedetta anche il Comunale di Bologna ha una poppa e una prua seconda le visioni fissate in bianco e nero dalla macchina fotografica di Nino Migliore. La mostra in doppio percorso è il risultato di una messinscena “off-camera” per immagini abitata dagli artisti: attori, musici e cantanti. Come in un backstage continuo gli scatti e il mestire si confondono dall'albero di maestra del comunale fin giù alla punteggiatura di smorfie e sorrisi degli artisti.
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Il Comunale: un teatro come un veliero
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2021-08-20 02:12:02+00:00
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2021-08-19 19:12:00
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Quattro giorni di Consiglio, a partire da martedì 24 agosto, con un ordine del giorno denso di temi importanti. Arrivano in seconda lettura, per l'approvazione...
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CONSIGLIO GRANDE E GENERALE Npl, Giustizia e Sanità alla prova del Consiglio Seduta convocata da martedì 23 a venerdì 27 agosto. In Ufficio di Presidenza rimostranze di Rf e Libera su modalità e importo - 35mila euro - di una consulenza giuridica
Quattro giorni di Consiglio, a partire da martedì 24 agosto, con un ordine del giorno denso di temi importanti. Arrivano in seconda lettura, per l'approvazione definitiva, i due pdl – presentati dalla Segreteria alle Finanze - per la cartolarizzazione dei crediti. L'obiettivo e di consentire alle banche di trasformare gli Npl, ovvero i crediti non performanti, in liquidità fresca. Durante la seduta prenderà intanto avvio l'iter legislativo del pacchetto giustizia portato dal Segretario competente Ugolini, consistente in quattro progetti di legge, per la riforma dell'ordinamento e del consiglio giudiziario, la riforma del codice di procedura penale, la commissione affari di giustizia.
Ci sarà anche il riferimento del Congresso di Stato sul sistema sanitario con relativo dibattito e all'esame dell'aula arriveranno le dimissioni del direttore Iss e un punto della situazione sul Comitato esecutivo, oltre al piano sanitario e sociosanitario ed il progetto di realizzazione del nuovo ospedale.
Il Consiglio sarà inoltre chiamato a ratificare il decreto Reggenziale che porta da 15 a 18 i membri delle commissioni consiliari permanenti includendo nelle ripartizioni anche il gruppo misto salito a tre componenti con le due consigliere fuoriuscite da Rete. Critiche da parte di Rf e Libera sull'importo – 35mila euro - e la modalità adottate per la scelta di una consulenza di natura giuridica ed anche per un pdl su Collegi sindacali e Sindaci revisori di nomina consiliare. In ratifica una serie di decreti - compreso quello per il reclutamento e la carriera nelle forze dell'ordine – e l'aula dovrà esprimersi su tre istanze d'arengo.
SCARICA L'ORDINE DEL GIORNO DEL CONSIGLIO
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[
"Article.Author_Name",
"Erik Woods"
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2021-08-20 02:11:28+00:00
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2021-08-19 19:34:21
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Isaiah Elohim (Sierra Canyon) is blessed with abilities that most ballers could only dream of. But he is more than that.
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Who is Isaiah Elohim? Is he that freak of nature athlete? More. Is he also a rising sophomore who just transferred to Sierra Canyon and who appreciates all his teammates? No. All that’s just scratching the surface. Elohim is blessed with abilities that most could only dream of. With a vertical leap in the 40-inch range, he can do dunks that are beyond the imagination.
Isaiah Elohim
But he is more than just flash, he’s a good dude, he’s so down to earth. People can come up to talk to him because he’s an open person. Wow, that’s being real in an unreal world. His roots are from from the low key city of Kingston in upstate NY, which keep him humble. He moved out to Cali at age 5 and is always reminded that nothing is given. He bounced around in the cities of Balboa Park and Van Nuys as a youngster and his living situation wasn’t easy. But it made him more mentally strong. Elohim was one of 24 athletes invited to the USA Men's Junior National Team Minicamp in Houston. It’s like that E-Woods, he’s that much a phenom? Yup. His game is nice nice, drives to the lane, emerging jumper, this guy can do it all on the court.
Isaiah Elohim
How’d he get those skills you may ask? Elohim says those in his corner were his trainer Mel Britt as a youngster and for the last few years, trainer Rob Valentine who has played such a huge part in his development. Elohim wants to be the best so hear who he models his game after, “I appreciate Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Jason Tatum, and Damion Lillard, their footwork and mentality. I want to emulate all these guys.” I-Elohim is driven. He speaks of his long term goal of making the NBA but he takes it year by year and says being named Cali player of year is his focus for now. He credits his older brother Savion and aunt Brash for playing vs. him growing up. Of that constant challenge of games on him, he says, “I’ll always appreciate that in my journey to be better.” All that hard work has led to Elohim now being considered an elite recruit by various recruiting services. He has been offered by USC, Washington, Arizona, Oregon, and Arizona State and there’s an exciting visit to UCLA on the way as well!
Isaiah Elohim
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Isaiah Elohim: The Quiet Storm
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2021-08-20 02:04:45+00:00
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2021-08-10 00:00:00
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Aks came to Manoj Bajpayee at a time when he was sitting at home doing nothing because he was only being offered the role of a villain in big-ticket films.
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Aks came to Manoj Bajpayee at a time when he was sitting at home doing nothing because he was only being offered the role of a villain in big-ticket films. They didn’t excite him, but Aks, being made by debut director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, did. He knew that this character would require lot of hard work as it was an interpretation of evil, and evil can be interpreted in many ways. He was ready for it. “Evil can be flamboyant and dangerous… It can be entertainment and greed… It can be a lover and it can be a destroyer… And I had to get all of this into one character,” he explains.
The actor didn’t shy away from the challenge. He developed the character for five-six months, going frequently to Mehra’s house to show him the improvisations he had come up with. They decided on Raghavan Ghatge’s look and he brainstormed on the fabric of his clothes with the costume designer. “Then, Rakeysh Mehra called me to Kamlesh Pandey’s place so I could play out the character as I saw him before him. And he would get an idea on how to go about the dialogues,” Manoj reminisces.
Pointing out that like Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill and Heath Ledger, who interpreted the character of the villainous Joker in the Batman films in their own ways, for him too Raghavan did not grow out of life, but out of the word ‘evil’. “And this meant that I had to work on everything, from the way Raghavan walks and talks to the way he laughs and kills. Everything had a rhythm, and I came up with different theories when giving him the form of a human being. A human being who is combative, attractive and dangerous,” he shares.
Even the mask was Manoj’s idea, after he spotted one in his director’s home. Human beings have two different shades, he explains. There is good, which, in the film, is played by Amitabh Bachchan and there is evil, which was him. “Only good can be boring and only evil can be dangerous, but when they meet, they strive to find a balance within. However, at the same time, can’t avert the conflict that is inevitable,” he reasons, underlining the concept of the film, which he’s really proud of to this day. “We achieved something impossible with it,” Manoj asserts.
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Aks, which was released 20 years earlier on July 13, is a supernatural thriller, revolving around a police inspector and a serial killer. During a conference in Budapest, Raghavan, who works as a mercenary, murders the defence minister. He is caught and hanged, but during the execution, his spirit enters Inspector Manu Verma’s [Amitabh Bachchan] body and starts to manipulate the top cop into doing what he wants.
Manoj reveals that his introduction was the most difficult scene in the film for him, because it not only set up the character and the tone, but was shot in Budapest, in minus 10 degrees. “It was a night shoot, out in the open, in sub-zero temperature. I had landed in Hungary the previous day and my body had not yet had time to acclimatise itself with that kind of cold. Brrrr,” he shivers at the memory.
His biggest award was when Amitabh Bachchan, while accepting his Filmfare Critics Award for best actor, complimented Manoj. “I cherish that more than any award because it’s always more satisfying when a co-actor of Mr Bachchan’s calibre praises your performance from a platform that big,” he signs off.
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Published on: Friday,August 20, 2021, 07:00 AM IST
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'Evil can be flamboyant and dangerous…': Manoj Bajpayee recounts playing the antagonist in Aks
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2021-08-20 02:04:39+00:00
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2021-08-10 00:00:00
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When actor Sidharth Malhotra danced his way into our hearts with the nostalgic Disco Deewane from his debut film, Student of The Year, few people thought he had the makings of a tough guy.
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When actor Sidharth Malhotra danced his way into our hearts with the nostalgic Disco Deewane from his debut film, Student of The Year, few people thought he had the makings of a tough guy. Not only was he naïve and fresh, but there was a certain kind of innocence that turned him into a heartthrob overnight. With time though he delivered one hit film after another like Ek Villain, Kapoor & Sons and Hasee Toh Phasee to make his mark as a serious actor.
And, the actor is currently basking in the praise coming his for playing the Kargil War martyr, Captain Vikram Batra in his recent release, Shershaah. “Captain Vikram Batra’s role has been one of the most fulfilling and creatively satisfying one because he was this Punjabi guy who was friendly and happy-go-lucky. Playing a man like him is actually an honour for someone like me. Even though I have played army men before, this one is special,” Sidharth said.
Most actors are scared of reviews, especially if it is a real-life hero or a biopic of this stature. When asked about the kind of pressure he felt while working in the film he said, “You know when I went to meet the family it was emotionally draining for me. Primarily because this wasn’t any commercial story. It was the story of their son, their brother, their man! So, that is the only review I am scared of, the one that will come from his parents. I hope they like the film and I can emote right in their eyes. That I think has been the biggest pressure while doing this film because he was a hero everyone had seen and known!”
A lot of actors play army officers and later forget about them. What then could be his takeaway as a human being after this association with the Indian Army? “India is the largest democracy in the world, which also makes it vulnerable to outside pressure, especially in the border areas. After our freedom fighters, it is the armed forces which are ensuring our freedom. We owe our comfortable lives to them, there is no two way about it. As an actor, wearing the uniform brings in a personal sense of pride! Not just Independence Day, we should respect them at all times,” he added.
When asked how he came on board for the film he recalled, “I met Vishal Batra five years ago. We took it to Dharma and even then, it has been in the works for two and a half years. So, it has been a long process and hopefully now that it is finally out, the audience will like it. Also, since he was a real-life character, as an actor your craft is limited. You cannot go overboard with it. The whole film has been about wanting to inspire people, especially the youth. We have tried to be as authentic as possible, though there are a few cinematic liberties that had to be taken, because we had to show everything within a span of two hours.”
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A lot of actors would have shied away from playing such a strong character on screen. So, what is that one thing that he could have learnt as a human being from the character that he was playing? “As a person I have learnt to get over my fears. Captain Batra was someone who was fearless, didn’t let anyone in his battalion get wounded, but suffered the injuries himself. So, as a person I realised that he had moved beyond the point in his mind where a person is pulled down by fears within himself. I have learnt to conquer my fears, that is my takeaway from the film. It has made me mentally strong. Also, the training I got from the Indian Army, made me a disciplined person.”
Recalling his days of struggle as an actor, Sidharth said, “I remember when I came to Mumbai as a 21-year-old, I was dying to make it on my own. That phase in my life helped me grow up. I was taking care of myself, paying my bills, going for auditions. That really made me independent and in a way I realised that I was all by myself. That also brought in a sense of independence.”
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Also, he was all smiles when quizzed about his chemistry with rumoured girlfriend Kiara Advani. “You know if we really had to explore the romantic side to Vikram Batra, it would have made for another full-length film. But our focus was his career, his love life was just a part. I think Kiara has played the character with great sincerity and honesty. That purity of heart really reflects on the screen. This is our first film together and she is an instinctive actor. I am the one who always wants to do rehearsals and she will never say no to that. So, together we make a good team. She is not a Punjabi, but she has learnt the language and said the dialogues beautifully,” he added.
When asked about one memorable incident while shooting in Kargil he said, “The landscape in Kargil is such that there are no trees or grass. Rather it is full of stones and mud. I remember dusting myself after a particular scene and complaining about all the mud, when an army man called out to me and said ‘apni mitti hi to hain, jhaarna kyun!’ To us it sounds like a great dialogue, but at that time I realised they actually live that life where they believe they are made of that mitti, the land for which they give up their lives if needed. That conversation has stayed with me, it was a phenomenal way to point out that we should take pride to be citizens in this blessed land!”
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Published on: Friday,August 20, 2021, 07:00 AM IST
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‘As an actor, wearing the uniform brings in a personal sense of pride’: Sidharth Malhotra on Shershaah
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2021-08-20 02:04:50+00:00
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2021-08-09 00:00:00
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Move over Karan Johar, it seems the industry star kids have found a new mentor in Zoya Akhtar. B-town is abuzz with the Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara filmmaker having pulled a casting coup of sorts.
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Move over Karan Johar, it seems the industry star kids have found a new mentor in Zoya Akhtar. B-town is abuzz with the Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara filmmaker having pulled a casting coup of sorts. Rumour has it, Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter, Suhana Khan, and filmmaker Boney Kapoor and the late Sridevi’s daughter, Khushi Kapoor, have been roped in for Zoya’s next.
When the news first started doing the rounds, it was said Saif Ali Khan’s son, Ibrahim Ali Khan, has also joined the cast. But, according to some media reports, it is Agastya Nanda, the grandson of Amitabh Bachchan, and not the dapper chhote nawab of Pataudi, who will feature in the movie along with the two pretty ladies. If true, this film might be the biggest debut film of recent times post Student of the Year (2012), which saw the debuts of three stars Alia Bhatt (filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter) and Varun Dhawan (filmmaker David Dhawan’s son) and Sidarth Malhotra.
There has been no official statement from the filmmaker yet. But it is said Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Reggie and Moose will come alive on screen in Zoya’s desi version of the Archie comic series for an OTT platform through fresh faces.
ALSO READ Suhana gives a glimpse of her artistic side as she makes a charcoal portrait; Gauri Khan reacts
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Published on: Friday,August 20, 2021, 07:00 AM IST
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2021-08-20 01:56:37+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:18:33
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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A “help to buy” sign is pictured next to new houses in Aylesbury, Britain August 6, 2020. REUTERS/Matthew Childs
By Jonathan Cable
LONDON (Reuters) – Already-expensive British home prices will see further substantial gains over the next few years, bolstered by low borrowing costs, supply shortages and a desire for more living space, a Reuters poll of housing market analysts found.
As in much of the developed world, millions of Britons have spent the past 17 months working from home as measures imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic shut offices and restricted travel.
That enforced time at home, which has allowed some to accumulate more savings and is likely to continue at least part time, has meant people want more room as they adapt their properties to be both living and working areas.
“The current trend of wanting more space has some way to run. It takes many years for supply to catch up with demand after the type of fundamental shift in buyer requirements over the last year,” said Ray Boulger at mortgage broker John Charcol.
Asked what would be the biggest driver of UK home prices over the next 12 months, four of 12 respondents to an additional question in the Aug. 13-19 Reuters poll cited a desire for more living space, three named supply shortages and five others said easy monetary policy.
CHEAP MONEY
As the pandemic battered the economy, the Bank of England – like its peers – slashed interest rates to a record low 0.10% and restarted its bond buying programme, making it far cheaper for those who can to pay a mortgage on a home.
“The low cost of borrowing is the thing that underpins house price affordability and therefore house price growth the most,” said Russell Quirk at real estate firm Proper PR.
“If you look at the correlation between lower interest rates over the last 10 or 12 years and house prices there is a direct correlation – the cheaper money gets the more expensive house prices get.”
On the flip side, when asked what posed the biggest downside risk to prices, six of 12 respondents said higher interest rates. Others mentioned new coronavirus variants, high unemployment or a return to a full-time office working week.
While a Reuters poll of economists earlier this week found the central bank would wait until 2023 before raising interest rates, they did say there was a chance an increase may come sooner than that.
“If things go to plan and we learn to live with COVID-19, tighter monetary policy is probably the biggest risk,” said Aneisha Beveridge at estate agent Hamptons.
Still, medians in the wider poll of 15 market experts showed house prices would rise 6.0% this year, 3.5% next year and 3.0% in 2023, far outstripping expectations for overall inflation.
The forecasts for this year and next were higher than in a May poll and the highest since polling began for those periods.
In London they were predicted to rise 2.8% this year, 2.5% in 2022 and 2.4% the following year.
Those price rises mean affordability will worsen over the coming few years, according to six of 12 respondents to an additional question. Four said it would stay the same and two said it would improve.
“Demand will continue to push prices as will low mortgage rates. Yet wage inflation will also boom. The result will be prices that are yet more ‘unaffordable’ especially for stretched first-time buyers (of property),” Quirk said.
The average asking price for a home was 337,371 pounds ($461,962) this month, according to property website Rightmove (OTC:), more than 10 times the average British salary. With wage rises unlikely to keep pace with home price increases that affordability gap will probably widen.
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UK house prices to climb on cheap cash, hunt for space
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2021-08-20 01:54:17+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:14:21
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Roommates, the Biden administration has just formally announced that it will begin the process of rolling out booster shots for Americans during the week of September 20th, which is within the next month. The Biden administration said the decision was made due to current data showing that the effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines eventually decreases over time.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, explained the decision, stating “Having reviewed the most current data, it is now our clinical judgment that the time to lay out a plan for COVID-19 boosters is now.” An official statement from the White House stated that the decision is a necessary step in order to stay ahead of COVID-19—and also urged any American that hadn’t been vaccinated to do so.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)
However, it should be noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still has to officially sign-off on the final plan for the booster shots.
Officials within the Biden administration will recommend that anyone who received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should get a booster shot eight months after their second shot. Additionally, the recommendation also revealed that senior citizens, health care workers and those who live in nursing homes, will be the first to receive the booster shots.
“You don’t want to find yourself behind playing catch up. Better stay ahead of it than chasing after it,” said Chief Medical Adviser to the White House, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Want tea directly in your text inbox? Hit us up at 917-722-8057 or click here to join!
The post Biden Administration Announces Plans To Roll Out COVID-19 Boosters Shots On September 20th appeared first on The Shade Room.
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Biden Administration Announces Plans To Roll Out COVID-19 Boosters Shots On September 20th
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2021-08-20 01:55:34+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:30:54
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Article content
Gold prices were flat on Friday, as a firmer dollar eclipsed support from rising anxiety over increasing cases of coronavirus’ Delta variant that could delay economic recovery.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold was flat at $1,780.43 per ounce by 0056 GMT, while U.S. gold futures was little changed at $1,782.40.
* The dollar index held near a more than a nine-month high hit on Thursday, denting gold’s appeal to holders of other currencies.
* U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will speak on “the economic outlook” at next week’s Jackson Hole, Wyoming symposium, the central bank said on Thursday, where some analysts expect him to lay out a clearer roadmap on the central bank’s taper plans.
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Gold flat as dollar strength overshadows virus worries
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2021-08-20 01:54:55+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:06:05
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Article content BEIJING — Several Chinese ports are facing congestion as vessels due to call at Ningbo are being diverted and cargo processing is slowed partly due to stricter disinfection measures under China’s “zero-tolerance” coronavirus policy. On Tuesday, more than 50 container vessels were queuing at Ningbo port, China’s second largest marine center, Refinitiv data showed, up from 28 on Aug. 10 when a COVID-19 case was reported at one of its terminals. Leading international shipping groups have warned their clients of delays and route adjustments. At least 14 vessels operated by CMA CGM, five Maersk vessels and four Hapag-Lloyd ships have decided to skip Ningbo, while dozens of vessels are adjusting their schedules, the shipping groups said.
Article content China’s economy is losing momentum as a result of new coronavirus restrictions and global supply chains face further strains with the curbs adding to queues at major Chinese transportation hubs, already stretched by a resurgence of consumer spending, shortage of container ships and logjams at ports. China’s Ministry of Transportation has ordered all ports to have special teams to deal with foreign vessels and required their crews to have health certificates or negative tests before allowing them to load and discharge cargos. Ports also have their own rules, with some applying additional precautions to vessels that stopped at ports in high-risk regions, such as India, Laos or Russia, in the past 21 days. “China’s zero tolerance policy is good for the pandemic but bad for the supply chain,” said Dawn Tiura, chief executive officer of Sourcing Industry Group, a U.S.-based association for the sourcing and procurement industry. “This timing is very tough considering the uptick in back-to-school and return-to-work shopping in addition to the upcoming holiday shopping season.”
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Chinese ports choke over 'zero tolerance' COVID-19 policy
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2021-08-20 01:54:30+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:49:21
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Article content
SHANGHAI — China’s central bank on Friday set its official yuan midpoint at the weakest level in four months to reflect falls in spot prices a day earlier.
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) set the midpoint at 6.4984 yuan per dollar prior to the market open, 131 pips or 0.2% softer than the previous fix of 6.4853, and the weakest since April 21.
However, the weakened official guidance rate has pushed China’s trade-weighted yuan basket index higher again to 99, the highest since March 9, 2016, according to Reuters’ calculations based on official data.
(Reporting by Winni Zhou and Andrew Galbraith; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
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China sets yuan mid-point at 4-month low, but basket index advances further
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2021-08-20 01:56:05+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:46:11
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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah speaks during Kuala Lumpur Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 19, 2019. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng
2/2
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s King Al-Sultan Abdullah is expected to announce the appointment of the country’s new prime minister following a meeting with other royal rulers on Friday.
The conference of royals, comprising the Southeast Asian nation’s nine sultans, including the king, will meet at 2.30 p.m. local time (0630 GMT).
Ismail Sabri Yaakob is poised https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/former-malaysia-deputy-pm-ismail-sabri-poised-win-premiership-race-2021-08-19 to succeed Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, after the latter stepped down on Monday conceding he had lost support from his parliamentary alliance.
Muhyiddin’s resignation https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/malaysian-pm-expected-resign-after-months-political-turmoil-2021-08-16 ended a troubled 17 months in office, in which he was routinely plagued by infighting within his ruling alliance while battling rising COVID-19 infections and a dampened economy.
If confirmed, Ismail Sabri’s appointment would mark the return of his party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), to the premiership, three years after it lost an election due to corruption allegations, mostly linked to the multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Malaysia’s king was tasked to appoint the new premier by determining the lawmaker most likely to gain support from a majority of parliamentarians, after elections were ruled out due to the pandemic.
Ismail Sabri, who was Muhyiddin’s deputy from rival party UMNO, emerged as the top candidate after securing the backing of Muhyiddin’s coalition.
The 61-year-old has the support of 114 lawmakers out of the 222-seat parliament, UMNO lawmaker Ahmad Maslan told reporters on Thursday.
Muhyiddin, now serving as caretaker PM, said his alliance’s support was conditional on Ismail Sabri ensuring that the new cabinet members were free from graft charges.
Several UMNO lawmakers were charged with corruption after the 2018 election defeat, including party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former premier Najib Razak, who faces dozens of charges linked to 1MDB. They have both denied wrongdoing.
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Malaysia's king expected to name new PM after rulers' meet By Reuters
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2021-08-20 01:55:53+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:00:20
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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Mizuho Bank’s signboard is pictured in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 25, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
TOKYO (Reuters) – The main banking unit of Mizuho Financial Group said on Friday its branches throughout Japan were unable to process transactions, the latest in what has been a long, high-profile series of embarrassing system errors for the bank.
A report in June commissioned by the bank found that its corporate culture – including an atmosphere where managers are reluctant to express their opinions and unable to respond well to crises – was to blame for its tech problems.
Japan’s third-largest lender suffered four system breakdowns between February and March this year, despite having spent more than $3.6 billion to overhaul its systems in 2019. That revamp followed two large-scale breakdowns in 2002 and 2011.
A Mizuho official said the glitch is also affecting the group’s trust bank unit, and the cause of the latest problem appears different from the previous ones.
The bank said its automated teller machines (ATMs) and online banking services are operating.
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Japan's Mizuho says bank's branches having system trouble By Reuters
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2021-08-20 01:53:58+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:21:36
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© Reuters. Asian giant hornet trapper Andrew Bigelow uses an advanced telemetry system unit to locate a radio tag hidden by an instructor, during an Asian giant hornet field training day held by the Washington State Department of Agriculture Pest Program, at Birch B
2/5
By Tim Exton
BLAINE, Wash. (Reuters) – The first Asian giant hornet nest of the year has been found in Washington state, and plans are being developed to eradicate it, likely next week, the state’s agriculture department said on Thursday.
The so-called stinging “murder hornets,” the world’s largest hornets, can grow to two inches (5 cm) in length and prey on native bee and wasp populations, consuming honeybee hives and threatening agriculture.
“Any time you get any organism that is not native to an area move in, the consequences are really immeasurable,” said Sven Spichiger, the department’s managing entomologist.
A day before the nest was located, Washington and Oregon state Department of Agriculture employees gathered in an open-air classroom just south of the Canadian border to learn how to trap, track and eradicate the invasive species.
The employees donned protective suits, complete with black boots and blue gloves, and practised using telemetry systems to find the hornets, tag them and then destroy their nests.
Thousands of traps baited with orange juice or jam are hung in trees along likely hornet flight paths. Once spotted, the hornet must be tracked to its nest, so its queen and other hornets can be destroyed, ideally before reproducing.
When a hornet is captured, it is fitted with a radio transmitter and released, in the hope it can be followed back to its nest.
Once a nest of Asian giant hornets is confirmed by thermal imaging to be in a tree, the tree is wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent escape while its trunk is hit with a piece of wood to get the hornets out so they can be vacuumed up and eradicated.
“My biggest fear for this year is that there will be lots of nests out in our county and we just don’t know where they are, that’s the biggest problem, is nests going undetected. So that’s why it’s so important for the public to continue telling us when they think they see one,” Looney said.
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A crash course in the United States on tracking, trapping and killing 'murder hornets' By Reuters
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2021-08-20 01:54:11+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:17:29
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Disclaimer: We make affiliate commissions from Bluehost by promoting to our readers. We recommend Bluehost to our readers since it is one of the only affordable hosting solutions that are both reliable and high in capacity and offers excellent customer service.
Roommates, the Biden administration has just formally announced that it will begin the process of rolling out booster shots for Americans during the week of September 20th, which is within the next month. The Biden administration said the decision was made due to current data showing that the effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines eventually decreases over time.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, explained the decision, stating “Having reviewed the most current data, it is now our clinical judgment that the time to lay out a plan for COVID-19 boosters is now.” An official statement from the White House stated that the decision is a necessary step in order to stay ahead of COVID-19—and also urged any American that hadn’t been vaccinated to do so.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)
However, it should be noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still has to officially sign-off on the final plan for the booster shots.
Officials within the Biden administration will recommend that anyone who received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should get a booster shot eight months after their second shot. Additionally, the recommendation also revealed that senior citizens, health care workers and those who live in nursing homes, will be the first to receive the booster shots.
“You don’t want to find yourself behind playing catch up. Better stay ahead of it than chasing after it,” said Chief Medical Adviser to the White House, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Want tea directly in your text inbox? Hit us up at 917-722-8057 or click here to join!
The post Biden Administration Announces Plans To Roll Out COVID-19 Booster Shots On September 20th appeared first on The Shade Room.
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Biden Administration Announces Plans To Roll Out COVID-19 Booster Shots On September 20th
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https://upnewsinfo.com/biden-administration-announces-plans-to-roll-out-covid-19-booster-shots-on-september-20th/
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2021-08-20 01:55:46+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:24:41
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Article content TOKYO — Japan’s core consumer prices fell 0.2% in July from a year earlier to mark the 12th straight month of declines, data showed on Friday, a sign the hit to demand from the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping the economy under deflationary pressure. Analysts expect consumer inflation to stagnate in coming months, as Japan’s decision on Tuesday to extend state of emergency curbs into mid-September is expected to deal a further blow to already weak household spending. The drop in the nationwide core consumer price index (CPI), which includes oil but excludes fresh food prices, was smaller than a median market forecast for a 0.4% fall.
Article content The fall was due in part to a change in the base year for the CPI that gives a heavier weighting to mobile charge fees, which have fallen recently as carriers nodded to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s calls to cut charges. “The base-year change dragged down CPI due to falling mobile phone fees,” said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. “But even without the impact of cell phone charges, consumer inflation in Japan is well short of levels seen in the United States and Europe,” he said. The so-called core-core inflation index, which excludes food and energy prices and is similar to the core index used in the United States, fell 0.6% in July from a year earlier. The weak reading contrasts with that of the United States and European countries that have seen sharp rises in inflation on supply constraints and robust demand driven by re-opening of their economies.
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Japan's July core consumer prices fall, COVID clouds outlook
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Will Smith is a proud dad to Trey, Willow, and Jaden. Here’s everything you should know about the actor’s three children.
Will Smith is a charismatic star best known for his work in TV, film, and music, but it’s clear that another role means more to him than his longtime career: dad. The actor, 52, has three children: Trey, 28, whom he shares with his ex-wife Sheree Zampino, and Willow, 20, and Jaden, 23, whom he shares with his current wife Jada Pinkett Smith. (The two have been married since 1997, while Will was previously married to Sheree between 1992 and 1995.)
Will has been vocal about how transformative fatherhood has been. Last June, he appeared on wife Jada’s Red Table Talk and revealed he had fatherhood instincts even as a young boy — ones that stemmed from his own father’s “deficiencies.” He said, “From the time I was 6 years old, I wanted to be a father. I loved how my family was, but there were massive critical deficiencies in my father’s parenting that I wanted to correct.”
“By the time I was 10 years old, I remember looking at my father and thinking I could do it better than him,” Will continued. He also reflected on the emotional moment of becoming a father for the first time at the age of 24 with Trey. “I think that was my first moment of the real weight of parenting,” he recalled. “I brought him home, and I remember we put him in the bassinet, and it was like stark terror. It was like, ‘I’m totally responsible for this life.’ I just cried so hard.”
The star has always spoken candidly about his relationship with his children, including the difficult times. Below is everything you should know about the actor’s three children, whose impressive careers are not so different from their famous father’s.
Trey Smith
At 28, Trey, born Willard Carroll Smith III, is Will’s firstborn and oldest child. Like his dad, Trey also works in the music and entertainment business. He has starred in TV shows like All Of Us and music videos alongside his siblings Jaden and Willow, including “Find You Somewhere” by AcE featuring his brother and sister. He also has his own music career, releasing the album Best Wishes last year. Will has been candid about his previously fractured relationship with his son following his divorce from Trey’s mom, Sheree.
In an Instagram post shared in 2018, Will said he and Trey “struggled for years.” The actor wrote, “He felt betrayed & abandoned. It is a Wild Blessing to recover & restore a Loving Relationship with My Beautiful Son!” Now, Trey has a good relationship with his dad, whom he has called his “best friend,” as well as his step-siblings and Jada, whom he has referred to as his “bonus mom.” The young actor has shared snapshots of his mom and bonus mom on social media and gushed about them.
Willow Smith
At 20, Willow is Will and Jada’s youngest child and Will’s only daughter. Like her father, Willow is a multi-hyphenate: singer, actress, rapper, and dancer. Willow made her acting debut alongside her dad in his 2007 sci-fi horror film I Am Legend and has since gone on to star in other films, including Kit Kittredge: An American Girl and Madagascar 2. These days, Willow hosts Red Table Talk with her mom and grandmother Adrienne Banfield-Norris. Willow has also been growing her music career, which began with her debut single “Whip My Hair” back in 2010. She has since expanded her sound, releasing her fourth studio album Lately I Feel Everything in July. An alternative album, it even features a track with Travis Barker. Willow will soon tour with Billie Eilish on her upcoming “Happier Than Ever” World Tour prior to hitting the road for her own tour.
In his Red Table Talk interview with his wife last June, Will revealed that Willow’s infamous moment of shaving her head in protest during her “Whip My Hair” tour was a turning point for him as a father. Of Willow’s desire to quit her tour and his “military response” to finish what she started, he said, “My desire for her was overriding her desire for her, and I had a real epiphany on that and how bad a person will hate you if you keep forcing your wishes onto their life.” He said his daughter “introduced me to feelings.”
Jaden Smith
At 23, Jaden is Will and Jada’s first child together and Will’s second son. Like his father and his siblings, Jaden is in the music and entertainment business, but primarily focusing on music these days. He made his acting debut in his dad’s 2006 drama film The Pursuit of Happyness, starring opposite his dad again a few years later in the 2013 apocalyptic film After Earth. He also starred in the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid and did voice-over for the Netflix series Neo Yokio. Jaden’s focus lately has been on music, recently releasing his last album CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3 last August. A frequent collaborator with his musician sister, too, Jaden and Willow have released a few songs together, including “Summertime in Paris,” and “U KNOW.”
In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2016, Will called his youngest son “fearless” and revealed how that could sometimes be terrifying as a parent. “Jaden is 100 percent fearless. He will do anything,” the actor said. “So as a parent it’s scary, it’s really terrifying — but he is completely willing to live and die by his own artistic decisions and he just doesn’t concern himself with what people think.”
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Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at a polo match in Aspen, Colorado on Aug. 19 to raise funds for charity.
Prince Harry was seen in public for the first time since daughter Lilibet‘s birth in June, as he participated in a charity polo match in Aspen, Colorado on Aug. 19. SEE THE PHOTOS HERE.
Prince Harry’s surprise appearance was also for a good cause, as Page Six reports he was there to raise funds for his charity, Sentebale. For the special occasion, Prince Harry wore a turquoise top and white jodhpurs, while flashing a huge smile for the crowd.
Just before the event, Prince Harry revealed he’d be donating $1.5 million of the proceeds from his forthcoming memoir to the charity as well, according to PEOPLE. “This is one of several donations I plan to make to charitable organizations and I’m grateful to be able to give back in this way for the children and communities who gravely need it,” he said in a statement.
“Sentebale is grateful for his personal contribution, which will allow the organization to continue operating at full scale and continue providing critical services to at-risk youth in Southern Africa,” said the charity, which Harry co-founded in 2006 to help children affected by HIV in Africa.
Harry added, “The Sentebale Polo Cup is critical to securing the funds needed to advance this important mission, and I’m thrilled to be able to support Sentebale, both in person and financially through a separate charitable donation to meet this immediate need. Our refocussed mission at Sentebale is about addressing the most immediate needs of vulnerable children in Southern Africa, helping them access vital health services, receive necessary care, and build skills to be more resilient and self-sufficient in the future.”
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2021-08-20 01:54:05+00:00
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Roommates, Amazon just continues to get to the bag—and this time the company managed to beat Walmart in the process. According to Forbes, for the very first time in the company’s history, Amazon outsold the world’s largest retailer, Walmart.
Within the last 12 months, Amazon racked up a jaw-dropping $610 billion in sales compared to Walmart’s $566 billion.
Amazon’s first place rank was largely due to the pandemic of 2020, when stay-at-home orders and quarantines forced people to buy their products online. This translated to Amazon’s sales increasing by $200 million from June 2020 to June 2021.
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It’s the first time that a competitive retailer has outsold Walmart since 1990, when it officially became the nation’s largest retailer as it bypassed then leader, Sears. Although Walmart also earned a steep increase due to the pandemic, it fell noticeably short of Amazon’s jaw-dropping growth in the last year.
Additionally, Target also saw a revenue increase with $24 billion—however that trails Amazon considerably as well.
This is the latest win for Amazon, as the company’s founder Jeff Bezos is currently worth an estimated $187.2 billion, making him the wealthiest man in the world. Bezos recently used his enormous wealth to make a trip to outer space with his brother, something that he stated had always been a childhood dream that finally came to life.
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The post Amazon Reportedly Outsold Walmart For The First Time Ever After Racking Up $610 Billion In The Last Year appeared first on The Shade Room.
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Amazon Reportedly Outsold Walmart For The First Time Ever After Racking Up $610 Billion In The Last Year
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Article content KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s King Al-Sultan Abdullah is expected to announce the appointment of the country’s new prime minister following a meeting with other royal rulers on Friday. The conference of royals, comprising the Southeast Asian nation’s nine sultans, including the king, will meet at 2.30 p.m. local time (0630 GMT). Ismail Sabri Yaakob is poised https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/former-malaysia-deputy-pm-ismail-sabri-poised-win-premiership-race-2021-08-19 to succeed Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, after the latter stepped down on Monday conceding he had lost support from his parliamentary alliance.
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Article content Muhyiddin’s resignation https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/malaysian-pm-expected-resign-after-months-political-turmoil-2021-08-16 ended a troubled 17 months in office, in which he was routinely plagued by infighting within his ruling alliance while battling rising COVID-19 infections and a dampened economy. If confirmed, Ismail Sabri’s appointment would mark the return of his party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), to the premiership, three years after it lost an election due to corruption allegations, mostly linked to the multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Malaysia’s king was tasked to appoint the new premier by determining the lawmaker most likely to gain support from a majority of parliamentarians, after elections were ruled out due to the pandemic.
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Article content Ismail Sabri, who was Muhyiddin’s deputy from rival party UMNO, emerged as the top candidate after securing the backing of Muhyiddin’s coalition. The 61-year-old has the support of 114 lawmakers out of the 222-seat parliament, UMNO lawmaker Ahmad Maslan told reporters on Thursday. Muhyiddin, now serving as caretaker PM, said his alliance’s support was conditional on Ismail Sabri ensuring that the new cabinet members were free from graft charges. Several UMNO lawmakers were charged with corruption after the 2018 election defeat, including party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former premier Najib Razak, who faces dozens of charges linked to 1MDB. They have both denied wrongdoing. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Michael Perry)
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SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Chinese property developer Evergrande Group said on Friday it is determined to maintain the stability of its operations, a day after executives of the indebted company were summoned by regulators.
Evergrande said in a statement it would “maintain the stability of the company’s operation, resolve debt risks”, as well as “maintain the stability of the real estate and financial market”.
It also confirmed it had met with the central bank and the banking and insurance regulatory on Thursday, and added that it would fully implement regulatory requirements.
China’s central bank and banking and insurance regulator said they had summoned Evergrande’s executives to a meeting on Thursday, urging them to keep operations stable and actively diffuse debt risks.
The summons come amid fragile confidence in China’s credit markets and concern that a financial crisis at Evergrande could pose a systemic risk as the company struggles to find the cash it needs to pay its lenders.
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China's Evergrande Group says will maintain operations, markets stability By Reuters
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2021-08-20 01:55:08+00:00
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Article content TOKYO — The safe-haven U.S. dollar hovered near a 9-1/2-month high against major peers on Friday, buoyed by fears that the Delta coronavirus variant could delay the global economic recovery. The greenback has also been boosted by expectations the Federal Reserve could still start to taper stimulus this year, even with COVID-19 infections surging this month in the United States. The dollar index, which measures the currency against six rivals, was little changed at 93.544 from Thursday, when it
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Article content touched 93.587 for the first time since early November. For the week, it’s on track to gain 1.1%, the most in two months. The Canadian dollar dropped to a fresh six-month low of C$1.2832 amid a plunge in oil prices on those economic growth worries, while the Aussie and New Zealand dollars languished near nine-month lows. “Risk aversion in the air has buoyed the greenback, with pro-growth currencies bearing the brunt of it,” Rodrigo Catril, a strategist at National Australia Bank, wrote in a client note. The yen, another safe-haven currency, slipped 0.1% to 109.87 per dollar on Friday, but remains in the center of its trading range of the past six weeks. The euro ticked up 0.05% to $1.6825, but still traded near the 9 1/2-month low of $1.16655 reached overnight.
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Article content It is down 0.94% this week, the most since mid-June. Minutes of the Fed’s July meeting, released on Wednesday, showed officials largely expect to reduce their monthly bond buying later this year, although divisions remain on the timing and pace of a taper, and whether inflation, joblessness or the coronavirus pandemic pose a bigger risk to economic recovery. A decline in debt purchases by the Fed is widely considered positive for the dollar as it is expected to raise U.S. government bond yields, making it more attractive for investors to hold dollar-denominated assets. The Aussie rose 0.1% to $0.7155 on Friday, but was still close to the 9 1/2-month low of $0.7143 reached on Thursday. It has fallen 3% this week, on track for its worst
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Article content performance since September of last year, with most of the country under lockdown to battle a COVID-19 outbreak. New Zealand’s kiwi ticked up 0.1% to $0.6832, but remained near Thursday’s nine-month trough of $0.6810. It has sunk 2.9% for the week, also the worst since September, after its central bank delayed a rate hike, shifting gears as the country went into a snap COVID-19 lockdown. Sterling touched a fresh one-month low of $1.3628 on Friday, before trading 0.07% higher at $1.3638. It has fallen 1.64% this week, which would be the biggest drop for two months. ======================================================== Currency bid prices at 0101 GMT Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
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Article content Previous Change Session Euro/Dollar $1.1681 $1.1677 +0.05% -4.39% +1.1684 +1.1675 Dollar/Yen 109.8300 109.7900 +0.05% +6.34% +109.8800 +109.8400 Euro/Yen Dollar/Swiss 0.9179 0.9188 -0.09% +3.76% +0.9189 +0.9180 Sterling/Dollar 1.3638 1.3631 +0.06% -0.17% +1.3640 +1.3628 Dollar/Canadian 1.2816 1.2831 -0.12% +0.64% +1.2832 +1.2816 Aussie/Dollar 0.7154 0.7147 +0.10% -7.00% +0.7156 +0.7145 NZ 0.6831 0.6827 +0.11% -4.83% +0.6836 +0.6815 Dollar/Dollar All spots Tokyo spots Europe spots Volatilities Tokyo Forex market info from BOJ (Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
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Irina Shayk put on quite the leggy display in black daisy duke shorts while outside of Sunset Tower Hotel in Los Angeles on August 19.
Irina Shayk, 35, is enjoying the last bits of summer and putting her incredible toned physique on display. In the new photo seen below, the model rocked black daisy duke shorts while outside of Sunset Tower Hotel in Los Angeles on August 19.
The Russian beauty looked rugged chic in her black daisy duke shorts and black Burberry t-shirt, Burberry socks, and slip-on loafers. She styled her long locks parted down the middle with a natural wave and completed the laid-back look with a dainty gold necklace and black sunglasses. In the pic, the beauty is seen exiting a white luxury vehicle and carrying a black purse with gold accents.
This isn’t the first time the model has put her toned legs on display. On August 6, Irina put on quite the leggy display on Instagram. In the epic photos of herself, Irina hit her best poses while wearing a neon green thong bikini and black thigh-high leather heeled boots. She had her long locks down and one leg stretched out as she rested one arm on an outdoor cement pole that was near a pool, and held a martini glass with her other hand.“Thank u @mertalas for fun family time #ibiza2021 @seventyonegin,” Irina captioned the sexy pics.
It didn’t take long for her fans and celeb friends to comment with compliments. “Whaaaa!” Kate Hudson exclaimed while Lily Aldridge commented, “Hot mama.” Both comments included fire emojis, as with most of the comments on the post.
Not only has she had a successful career, as she was the first Russian model to cover Sports Illustrated, but she’s also had a full love life. The brunette beauty was previously linked to Kanye West, 44, and was most recently spotted “smiling and conversing” while hanging outside a restaurant in Manhattan during a dinner date with Jason Sudeikis, 45.
When she’s not sharing steamy photos on Instagram or linked to one of Hollywood’s leading men, she is fulfilling her mommy duties. Irina shares daughter Lea, 4, with her ex Bradley Cooper,46.
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When they said, “things get better with time,” we can all agree when it comes to actor Mark Taylor, they hit the nail on the head with that quote. The actor has been fine for years, and it seems like he’s aging in reverse. Mark captured many women’s hearts over twenty years ago when he starred in the iconic movie ‘Seventeen Again,’ and his recent link up with castmate Tia Mowry is making women fall in love with him all over again on this Throwback Thursday!
Earlier today, Tia shared photos of the two on what appeared to be a movie set. She revealed that Mark and she were reunited to work on a holiday film for Lifetime Networks. She captioned the post, “Talk about a #tbt! Who remembers ‘17 again?’ We are back together working on a movie for @lifetimetv!” She continued, “I think @therealmarktaylor7 must have gotten a hand on that magical soap! This dude doesn’t age!”
Fans of the movie, which also started her siblings, Tamera Mowry Housley and Tahj Mowry, know how important the soap’s role was! It helped Tamera and Mark’s characters change their appearance to resemble their 17-year-old selves. Nearly 5000 people commented on Tia’s post saying that Grandpa Gene, aka Mark, has been aging like fine wine and were blown away with his appearance. One commented, “Still the finest grandpa in history. There has never been another.” Another complimented Tia as well on her appearance. “They both haven’t aged a day.”
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Tamara also left a comment in support of her twin’s new gig. It’s unclear when the movie will be dropped on Lifetime, but it is a Christmas film. Hopefully, it comes out this December. Roommates, are you excited to see the two reunited on screen?
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The post ‘Seventeen Again’ Castmates Tia Mowry & Mark Taylor Reunite For New Film appeared first on The Shade Room.
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‘Seventeen Again’ Castmates Tia Mowry & Mark Taylor Reunite For New Film
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Article content
SYDNEY — Australia’s New South Wales state authorities on Friday extended a COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney until the end of September after nearly two months of lockdown restrictions failed to contain an outbreak of the Delta variant.
Curfews will be introduced from 9 p.m to 5 a.m. in the city’s 12 worst-affected local council areas from Aug. 23, state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.
The current lockdown rules were due to end on Aug. 28. (Reporting by Renju Jose Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: State oil company PDVSA’s logo is seen at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela May 17, 2019. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
By Luc Cohen
(Reuters) – Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA has given up its 49% stake in a Dominican refinery as part of a swap for some of its defaulted bonds, the Dominican Republic’s finance ministry and Venezuela’s oil minister said in statements on Thursday.
The transaction represents a small breakthrough between the company and its creditors as U.S. sanctions, aimed at ousting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, complicate efforts to restructure billions of dollars in debt that PDVSA and the government have defaulted on amidst an economic collapse.
As part of the deal, PDVSA subsidiary PDV Caribe S.A. first swapped its shares in the 34,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Refidomsa refinery for bonds held by a company named PATSA Ltd, a unit of Dominican cocoa company Grupo Rizek, which the finance ministry described as a “facilitator” of the transaction.
PATSA then immediately sold the shares to the Dominican government, which already owned the remaining 51% stake in the plant, for 74 million euros ($88.1 million). The plant is now fully-owned by the Dominican government.
That was far below the $135 million PDVSA paid for the minority stake in Refidomsa in 2010 as part of the late former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’ efforts at boosting the OPEC member’s influence in the Caribbean through petrodiplomacy. PDVSA has neither sent crude to the refinery, nor received refined products from the plant, for several years.
Venezuelan oil minister Tareck El Aissami said in a statement posted to Twitter that Venezuela and PDVSA reduced its outstanding debt as a result of the deal, without providing details.
“This transaction demonstrates the firm commitment of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and PDVSA to comply with their contractual obligations, despite the criminal external restrictions,” the statement said, referring to U.S. sanctions on the company.
The Dominican Republic’s finance ministry said the sanctions had complicated Refidomsa’s ability to get credit and invest in expansion projects. It said it informed the U.S. government of the deal and that Washington did not object.
The United States under President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on PDVSA in 2019 to cut off cash flow to Maduro, who it labels a dictator and accuses of corruption, election-rigging and human rights violations. The Venezuelan government denies this and accuses the U.S. of pushing for regime change.
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Disclaimer: We make affiliate commissions from Bluehost by promoting to our readers. We recommend Bluehost to our readers since it is one of the only affordable hosting solutions that are both reliable and high in capacity and offers excellent customer service.
Article content
SHANGHAI — Chinese property developer Evergrande Group said on Friday it is determined to maintain the stability of its operations, a day after executives of the indebted company were summoned by regulators.
Evergrande said in a statement it would “maintain the stability of the company’s operation, resolve debt risks,” as well as “maintain the stability of the real estate and financial market.”
It also confirmed it had met with the central bank and the banking and insurance regulatory on Thursday, and added that it would fully implement regulatory requirements.
China’s central bank and banking and insurance regulator said they had summoned Evergrande’s executives to a meeting on Thursday, urging them to keep operations stable and actively diffuse debt risks.
The summons come amid fragile confidence in China’s credit markets and concern that a financial crisis at Evergrande could pose a systemic risk as the company struggles to find the cash it needs to pay its lenders. (Reporting by Emily Chow and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Lincoln Feast.)
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Article content MEXICO CITY — Workers at a General Motors Co pickup-truck plant in central Mexico have voted to scrap their collective contract, opening the door for them to oust one of Mexico’s largest labor organizations as their union under a new trade deal. The vote, with safeguards agreed upon by Mexico and the United States to ensure a fair vote, was the first test of labor rules under an accord https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-autos-town-labor-rights-falter-despite-us-trade-deal-2021-05-03 that replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
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Article content The outcome marks a defeat for one of the most powerful unions in Mexico while representing an opening for workers to freely choose independent groups they feel will best fight for their interests. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the vote results demonstrated the role of the trade accord’s rapid-response mechanism and congratulated the Mexican government for overseeing the vote. “Free and fair union votes are a critical component of freedom of association and collective bargaining and the related labor provisions of the USMCA,” Tai said in a statement. An initial vote in April was suspended after Mexico’s labor ministry found irregularities in the process, prompting the United States to lodge the first complaint under the labor enforcement mechanism of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which took effect last year.
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Article content The unionized workers will keep the same terms for pay and benefits as they seek new representation or create a union from scratch. Choosing a new union will require another vote, in which the current union could also vie to take back the contract. Of 5,876 GM employees who cast ballots in the Tuesday-Wednesday vote at the plant in the city of Silao, 3,214 workers rejected the bargaining agreement while 2,623 workers voted to keep it, the labor ministry said. Many workers who campaigned for the “no” vote said their current union did not fight hard enough https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/gm-workers-historic-vote-mexico-tests-new-trade-deal-2021-08-17 for better salaries at the plant that produces thousands of profitable pickup trucks a year.
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Article content “It’s a huge peace of mind knowing we’re no longer tied to this union,” said G.D., a plant employee for more than 25 years who said he reached the top salary level for his position years ago, and who asked not to disclose his name for fear of reprisals. The ballot count was led by the plant’s Miguel Trujillo Lopez union – part of the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) – alongside observers from the Labor Ministry, Mexico’s National Electoral Institute (INE) and the United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO). GM said it respected the outcome and would continue production under the terms of the current contract until a new one is negotiated. The Miguel Trujillo Lopez union said it respected the will of its workers who voted against keeping the contract.
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Article content The United Auto Workers (UAW) union, which represents thousands of GM’s U.S. workers, said the vote would create a fairer playing field in Mexico, marking a win on both sides of the border. Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, said the vote modeled what USMCA had aimed to achieve by giving workers a voice. Mexico’s labor ministry said the vote took place “without incident” and would help set a precedent for best practices. Such votes are required at unionized workplaces across Mexico under a labor reform that underpins USMCA labor rules and is geared at eliminating so-called sweetheart contracts between business-friendly unions and companies. GM workers and labor activists hailed the outcome, saying it could inspire workers at other auto plants or elsewhere to follow suit by ousting unions that have long held power.
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Article content Richard Neal, chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, and other top Democrats said the vote showed how “vigorous enforcement” of labor standards in U.S. trade agreements could help dismantle pervasive obstacles to freedom of association and other workers’ rights. Still, the GM vote was only a first step on what could be a long path for workers to establish a new union, said Willebaldo Gomez, a researcher at Mexican labor rights group CILAS. “The other victory will be building an independent union, an organization that looks out for their interests and watches over their rights,” Gomez said. (Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City; Additional reporting by David Shepardson, Andrea Shalal and Sharay Angulo; Editing by Dave Graham, Matthew Lewis, Diane Craft and Gerry Doyle)
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In-depth reporting on the innovation economy from The Logic, brought to you in partnership with the Financial Post.
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Article content LONDON — Already-expensive British home prices will see further substantial gains over the next few years, bolstered by low borrowing costs, supply shortages and a desire for more living space, a Reuters poll of housing market analysts found. As in much of the developed world, millions of Britons have spent the past 17 months working from home as measures imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic shut offices and restricted travel. That enforced time at home, which has allowed some to accumulate more savings and is likely to continue at least part time, has meant people want more room as they adapt their properties to be both living and working areas.
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Article content “The current trend of wanting more space has some way to run. It takes many years for supply to catch up with demand after the type of fundamental shift in buyer requirements over the last year,” said Ray Boulger at mortgage broker John Charcol. Asked what would be the biggest driver of UK home prices over the next 12 months, four of 12 respondents to an additional question in the Aug. 13-19 Reuters poll cited a desire for more living space, three named supply shortages and five others said easy monetary policy. CHEAP MONEY As the pandemic battered the economy, the Bank of England – like its peers – slashed interest rates to a record low 0.10% and restarted its bond buying program, making it far cheaper for those who can to pay a mortgage on a home.
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Article content “The low cost of borrowing is the thing that underpins house price affordability and therefore house price growth the most,” said Russell Quirk at real estate firm Proper PR. “If you look at the correlation between lower interest rates over the last 10 or 12 years and house prices there is a direct correlation – the cheaper money gets the more expensive house prices get.” On the flip side, when asked what posed the biggest downside risk to prices, six of 12 respondents said higher interest rates. Others mentioned new coronavirus variants, high unemployment or a return to a full-time office working week. While a Reuters poll of economists earlier this week found the central bank would wait until 2023 before raising interest rates, they did say there was a chance an increase may come sooner than that.
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Article content “If things go to plan and we learn to live with COVID-19, tighter monetary policy is probably the biggest risk,” said Aneisha Beveridge at estate agent Hamptons. Still, medians in the wider poll of 15 market experts showed house prices would rise 6.0% this year, 3.5% next year and 3.0% in 2023, far outstripping expectations for overall inflation. The forecasts for this year and next were higher than in a May poll and the highest since polling began for those periods. In London they were predicted to rise 2.8% this year, 2.5% in 2022 and 2.4% the following year. Those price rises mean affordability will worsen over the coming few years, according to six of 12 respondents to an additional question. Four said it would stay the same and two said it would improve.
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Article content “Demand will continue to push prices as will low mortgage rates. Yet wage inflation will also boom. The result will be prices that are yet more ‘unaffordable’ especially for stretched first-time buyers (of property),” Quirk said. The average asking price for a home was 337,371 pounds ($461,962) this month, according to property website Rightmove, more than 10 times the average British salary. With wage rises unlikely to keep pace with home price increases that affordability gap will probably widen. (For other stories from the Reuters quarterly housing market polls:) ($1 = 0.7303 pounds) (Reporting by Jonathan Cable; polling by Devayani Sathyan, Vijayalakshmi Srinivasan and Mumal Rathore Editing by Gareth Jones)
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The 49ers got a new look on Thursday as they kicked off their first of two joint practices against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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Thursday kicked off the first of two joint practices between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Chargers in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Kyle Shanahan was "happy overall" with the performance of his squad. The 49ers have been going head-to-head with members of their own team for the past two weeks, with the change up adding a "refreshing" feel to the final week of San Francisco's training camp.
Here are a few observations from the session as well as updates from the 49ers head coach:
- The both teams got looks at 1-on-1 drills. Here are a few takeaways:
Tight end George Kittle versus the Chargers All-Pro safety Derwin James was the highlight of the session. Nate Sudfeld hit the tight end on an out route for the catch.
"I like it," James said. "I was the first one over there. I was like, 'Hey Kittle, me and you. The people want to see me and you go. So, we've got to give them what they want.' Its good going against him. He's the best and I feel like I'm the best. So, why not go against each other."
Jauan Jennings caught all of the passes thrown his way during 1-on-1 work, including a deep over the shoulder ball from Trey Lance with Chargers cornerback Donte Vaughn in coverage. The reception went for a "would-be" touchdown.
Talanoa Hufanga had a nice rep, breaking up a pass intended for tight end Matt Sokol.
Cornerback Alexander Myres intercepted a pass intended for wide receiver Jalen Guyton.
Rookie defensive back Deommodore Lenoir broke up a pass intended for wide receiver Austin Proehl.
- The 49ers and Chargers also saw 7-on-7 reps. In the first series, Jimmy Garoppolo was a perfect 6-of-6, completing passes to Kyle Juszczyk, Brandon Aiyuk and an impressive deep out to Kittle.
- Street, Daniels, Key, Dee Ford and Samson Ebukam, who made his return to practice, all recorded at least one "would-be" sack.
- Garoppolo connected with Travis Benjamin on a post route for a 30-yard touchdown in double coverage during full-team work.
- During red zone drills, Fred Warner broke up a pass from Justin Herbert to Chargers 6-foot-8 tight end Donald Parham Jr. in the corner of the end zone.
"They've got some big bodies at tight end," Warner said after practice. "It was a play where he had the leverage on me. I just had to run and play hands-to-hands and make the play."
- Rookie corner Ambry Thomas forced an incompletion on a pass intended for wide receiver Tyron Johnson during red zone work.
- As for the 49ers offense, Garoppolo connected with tight end Charlie Woerner in the middle of the end zone for a score.
- Lance found Ross Dwelley in a similar spot for a touchdown.
- On his ensuing series, Lance connected with Jennings for a 5-yard score.
- During two-minute work, veteran corner Dontae Johnson notched a pass break up.
- The 49ers defense managed to hold Los Angeles' first-team offense to a field goal.
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See what Kyle Shanahan, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brandon Staley, Keenan Allen and other members of each team had to say following their first joint practice in Costa Mesa, Calif.
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Staley on 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Every year since I have been in the NFL, we have played their team. From 2017, we played them twice when I was in Chicago. Denver, we practiced against and played them in the preseason. Then, [with the Rams] we played them twice last year. A lot of the guys I have come to know have worked for him or with him, so we know a lot about each other. With me being with Vic [Fangio] and Kyle and his father [Mike Shanahan] going head to head all those years, a lot of respect. Part of what makes the NFL special is the amount of respect that you have for other people. Although we do not know each other, we have a lot of respect for one another. That's why there's also a lot of respect for [49ers General Manager] John Lynch and the way they do things over there. This is a good environment for us, where we can really measure ourselves against a quality team.
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What the 49ers and Chargers Had to Say Following Day 1 of Joint Practices
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Broadcast and stream info for San Francisco’s preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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Watch the Game on TV
KPIX 5 and CW Bay Area
Broadcasters: Greg Papa (Play-by-Play), Tim Ryan (Color Analyst)
Nationally, this matchup will be broadcast live on NFL Network except in local and affiliate markets.
Watch on 49ers.com or the Official 49ers App
Desktop: Watch the KPIX 5 stream directly on 49ers.com here. Desktop viewing will only be available in market.
Phone & Tablet: 49ers games will be available on the official 49ers app and 49ers.com on mobile devices (*Geographic and device restrictions apply. Data charges may apply.) Additionally, all games available on TV where you are located will also be streamed for free on Yahoo Sports and the NFL app.
NFL Game Pass: 49ers fans in the United States can also watch every 2021 preseason game live on NFL Game Pass and all regular season games as soon as the broadcast ends. International Faithful can watch every 2021 regular season game live.
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Ways to Watch and Listen to 49ers vs. Chargers in Preseason Game 2
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'Thousands of Americans are stuck over there in Afghanistan and you are letting the Taliban kick your ass,' the Republican lawmaker said.
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Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (left) slammed President Joe Biden (right) on his handling of Afghanistan’s collapse (Pictures: Julia Dalrymple/ABC News)
Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene called President Joe Biden a ‘piece of sh*t’ over how he’s handling the US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, using a social media platform created by a staffer of former President Donald Trump.
Greene, a firebrand ally of the 45th president, recorded a video of herself at a gym and posted it on GETTR, a social media platform launched by Trump’s senior adviser Jason Miller.
‘Joe Biden, you are not a president, you are a piece of sh*t,’ Greene said in the clip. ‘Thousands of Americans are stuck over there in Afghanistan and you are letting the Taliban kick your ass, while you are lecturing governors about masks and vaccines. Do your job, bring these Americans home.’
Greene was referring to Biden’s remarks from the White House on Wednesday, which focused on criticizing Republican governors who have moved to prevent schools from requiring face masks. Biden not only neglected to mention Afghanistan during his briefing, but ignored reporters’ questions about the chaotic situation in Kabul.
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The Republican from Georgia did not share the video on Twitter, but users following right-wing figures quickly found it on GETTR and shared it on the more widely used social media platform on Wednesday.
Greene was one of 16 Republican lawmakers who voted last month against increasing the number of visas for Afghan nationals who helped American troops.
Greene’s fiery remarks have gotten her suspended from Twitter, including last week when she tweeted that coronavirus vaccines are ‘failing’ and that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ‘should not approve the Covid vaccines’.
Meanwhile, Trump in recent days has put out multiple statements attacking his successor. On Thursday, Trump slammed Biden’s approach on a point similar to Greene’s.
‘First you bring out all of the American citizens. Then you bring out ALL equipment. Then you bomb the bases into smithereens—AND THEN YOU BRING OUT THE MILITARY. You don’t do it in reverse order like Biden and our woke Generals did,’ Trump stated.
‘No chaos, no death—they wouldn’t even know we left!’
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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Elder bombshell Presented by Our Health California
ELDER BOMBSHELL: POLITICO’s Carla Marinucci was out this morning with a scoop from Larry Elder’s former fiancee that rocked the California politics scene and could change the very trajectory of the race to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. (If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, go ahead, we’ll wait.)
Among the most stunning details: Alexandra Datig, Elder’s longtime radio producer and a conservative activist, told Carla that she broke off her engagement to Elder after Elder waved a gun at her while under the influence of marijuana. Elder made her fearful for her safety, Datig said, and even pressured her into getting a tattoo that reads, “Larry’s Girl.”
After the breakup, Datig said, Elder convinced her to sign a non-disclosure agreement — but Datig came forward anyway, she said, because there’s “too much at stake” in the recall election, which is now just weeks away. Recent polling suggests voters are closely divided on whether to recall Newsom, and Elder has maintained a lead over his would-be GOP rivals.
Elder and his campaign ignored multiple requests for comment from POLITICO this week. He also wasn’t asked about Datig’s allegations during a pre-scheduled interview on Fresno radio station KMJ. Later in the afternoon, though, Elder gave a statement, first reported by Fox11 host Elex Michaelson, in which he denied ever brandishing a gun at anyone and dismissed the allegations as “salacious.”
“I grew up in South Central; I know exactly how destructive this type of behavior is. It’s not me, and everyone who knows me knows it’s not me,” he said. “People do not get into public life precisely because of this type of politics of personal destruction. … While my opponents and the Newsom campaign would love to keep voters distracted, I am going to stay focused on the issues that inspired 1.7 million Californians to petition for this recall.”
Elder would not be the first Republican recall candidate to face scathing criticism as the campaign draws to a close. As close observers of Gray Davis’ 2003 recall may remember, a bombshell report by the LA Times, in which women accused then-frontrunner Arnold Schwarzenegger of groping them, landed just days before voters were to head to the polls. (Dan Morain, a veteran journalist then with the paper, called that report “tame” by comparison.)
Schwarzenegger, of course, prevailed in the end, not only replacing Davis but winning a full term as governor in 2006. What today’s revelations will mean for Elder’s campaign now, in this post-#MeToo era, is anyone’s guess — but the clock is ticking.
HAPPY THURSDAY AFTERNOON! Welcome to California PM Playbook, a new POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check of California politics. We're back for the legislative homestretch and last month of the California recall campaign. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to [email protected] and [email protected]. We're also on Twitter: @kyamamura or @katymurphy.
THE TRAIL
— Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered remarks virtually at the 25th annual Lake Tahoe Summit.
— Republicans Kevin Faulconer, John Cox and Kevin Kiley will appear at tonight's Nexstar Media recall debate at 7 p.m.
— Faulconer kicked off his bus tour in Fresno earlier Thursday before heading to the Bay Area for the debate.
— Republican Larry Elder appeared on Fresno's KMJ radio with host Ray Appleton.
— Republican Caitlyn Jenner was scheduled to tour Dixie Fire damage in Plumas County and appear on the "Hannity" show from Greenville.
REAGAN REDUX: Of Faulconer's attack this week against him, Elder on KMJ referred to Ronald Reagan's "11th Commandment" that "thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."
"He apparently does not subscribe to the 11th Commandment and is saying some negative things," Elder said. "Well, you know, if I was in single digits in the polls and I was a two-time mayor of a major city and I wasn't catching any traction, maybe I'd do that as well."
WHAT HAPPENED? KQED's Scott Shafer says Elder was supposed to go on air with the Bay Area public radio powerhouse this afternoon, but backed out with little warning. "Maybe it was bad timing given this @cmarinucci story in @Politico, but for the second time in 2 weeks the "Sage of South Central" was more like the "Coward of Crenshaw," cancelling an interview with us literally at the last minute."
A message from Our Health California: Every person deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care when they need it. Our Health California, a grassroots advocacy community with more than 1 million supporters, is dedicated to advancing access to health care in every corner of our state. We speak out to build healthier communities and ensure equitable care for all. Our Health California is sponsored by hospitals, health systems, and the California Hospital Association. Learn more.
CANDIDATE CORNER
MONEY MATTERS: Elder faced criticism this month for a lack of details on his state form disclosing his personal financial holdings. His original two-page document only listed a South Lake Tahoe-based business, Laurence A. Elder & Associates, Inc., with gross income above $100,000.
Disclosure rules require that candidates specify all sources of income of at least $10,000. His amended form has landed at the Fair Political Practices Commission showing 11 such sources. They include Salem Media, the broadcasting network that airs his radio show, as well as Epoch Times, a right-wing newspaper with ties to the Falun Gong movement in China. Others on the list are BLEXIT, a group aimed at Black conservatives, as well as Turning Point USA, the group focused on young conservatives.
DAY IN COURT
STAY AWAY: The Chronicle reports that Nathan Ballard, a former top Newsom communications adviser, was ordered Thursday to avoid his ex-wife and two children for six years after a 2020 drunken marital dispute in which he allegedly laid on top of his 4-year-old daughter and held a pillow over her head. Ballard, 52, also got four years of probation in the Napa Superior Court case.
POLITICO's Carla Marinucci broke the story last December when Ballard was arrested and jailed on two felony domestic violence charges. Ballard was Newsom's spokesperson when Newsom was San Francisco mayor and continued to provide advice in subsequent years.
Ballard is the founder of The Press Shop, a San Francisco-based public relations firm. Until Oct. 19 — the day after the alleged incident — he sat on the board of The Representation Project, a nonprofit founded by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom to advance women’s rights.
STATE NEWS
KEEP TAHOE BLUE: Top Democrats (and at least one Republican) gathered at Lake Tahoe on Thursday to tout restoration and preservation of the famed vacation spot on the California-Nevada border.
Smoke from nearby wildfires largely held off for the 25th annual Lake Tahoe Summit. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland lauded a recent temporary boost in firefighter pay to $15 an hour and the recent infrastructure package's inclusion of $1.5 billion for federal fire management, which she said would also "improve firefighter compensation."
Sen. Alex Padilla hosted the event, which also drew Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak and U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez-Masto. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared via video — reluctantly, in Newsom's case: "Trust me, I wish I was with you here today, not in my office here in Sacramento."
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) took the opportunity to call for more active fire and forest management — and praised Forest Service Chief Randy Moore's recent decision to start putting out all fires more aggressively. — Debra Kahn
On the Beats
SLOW AND STEADY: California officials are likely months away from revising the state’s emergency Covid-19 workplace rules for private sector employees, even as the Delta variant has spurred vaccine mandates for public and health workers.
In response to spiking cases in recent weeks, state and local health officials — along with some private companies — have issued a flurry of vaccination and masking requirements for workplaces.
Cal/OSHA, on the other hand, has seemingly been missing in action.
Under state law, the workplace safety agency is only allowed to amend its emergency regulations twice. But it already used one of those changes in June, when it hastily dropped indoor mask requirements for vaccinated workers after feeling intense pressure to fall in line with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reopening plan.
That decision is now coming under criticism from worker advocates. “We're still recovering from the undue optimism shown by too many in the public and before this board around the June 15 deadline,” said Stephen Knight, executive director of Worksafe, at a Thursday meeting of the Cal/OSHA standards board.
The agency will move more deliberately in amending the regulations this time around. Members of its standards board laid out a timeline this morning that calls for a proposal to be publicly released in November and voted on at its Dec. 16 meeting. — Alexander Nieves
A message from Our Health California: Access to quality health care is a right and not a privilege for some – a service for all. Our Health California, a grassroots advocacy community of more than 1 million people, is dedicated to building a healthier society. We champion equitable access to affordable, high-quality health care because every Californian deserves to get the care they need, when they need it. Our Health California connects health care supporters and patients to their state and federal lawmakers. Working together, as one powerful voice, we advance care in every community – including health to behavioral health – because patients across the Golden State deserve access to greater control of their health and their future. Our work is supported by our state's hospitals, health systems, and the California Hospital Association. Visit ourhealthcalifornia.org to learn more about issues Our Health California supports.
Around California
Links compiled by Camryn Dadey
— "Larry Elder, decrying Newsom’s handling of wildfires, ignores role of climate change ." (LATimes)
— "California tightens COVID-19 rules for large indoor events ." (LATimes)
— "Are small business owners angry enough at Gavin Newsom to throw him out of office?" (CalMatters)
— "Giant Dixie Fire first ever to burn its way clear across Sierra Nevada ." (SFChronicle)
— "Here's what Bay Area data tells us about how delta is impacting the vaccinated ." (SFChronicle)
Follow us on Twitter Kevin Yamamura @kyamamura
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The VP's travel jinx Presented by Illumina
Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With Allie Bice
Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Tina
As the political world has eyes trained on Afghanistan, Vice President KAMALA HARRIS is packing up and heading on her second international trip as veep to Singapore and Vietnam.
But the events playing out in Afghanistan are likely to be unavoidable during her travels, particularly thanks to the comparison her own boss made on July 8 : that unlike the U.S. evacuation of Americans from South Vietnam in 1975, "There's going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a embassy in the – of the United States from Afghanistan. It is not at all comparable."
Democrats and Republicans alike have seized on the parallels between the two chaotic military withdrawals over the past week, as social media and cable news were flooded with images of desperate Afghans crowding the Kabul airport in a bid to escape the Taliban’s takeover of the country, while military jets transported Americans and other U.S. partners to safety.
For Harris, whose first overseas trip was marred by domestic politics , the symbolism of her visit to a place U.S. troops hastily departed nearly 50 years ago will be an unwelcome comparison. But it’s one that her staff and the administration are ready for.
A National Security Council spokesman told West Wing Playbook that Harris will be briefed and will remain “actively engaged” in White House and interagency discussions about Afghanistan during her trip to Southeast Asia. But a senior administration official told reporters on a call Thursday they didn't “want to get bogged down in historical comparisons. … We’re not focused on the history of the Vietnam War, we’re focused on what’s going on today in Afghanistan.”
President JOE BIDEN hasn’t taken questions on the crisis other than in an exclusive interview with ABC’s George Stephanopolous that aired Wednesday and Thursday, so Afghanistan is going to be one of the first questions his vice president gets every time she steps in front of reporters on the six-day trip. Harris will arrive in Singapore on Sunday and then fly to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, on Aug. 24 before returning to the U.S. next Thursday with a stop in Hawaii.
BRETT BRUEN, the former director of global engagement for the Obama White House and vocal critic of Biden’s handling of Afghanistan, said the events playing out in Afghanistan don’t necessarily bode poorly for Harris’ trip. “On the one hand it opens up an even greater opportunity. She could really help the administration in a couple of different ways,” Bruen said.
“One, she reassures allies that we are going to live up to the slogans,” he continued, “because right now there are a lot of questions about the substance of America’s back when they watch our planes take off from Hamid Karzai International Airport with people falling off of them.”
On a call with reporters, senior administration officials said the goal of Harris’ visit is to outline the future of the engagement in the region in three key areas: “global health, economic partnership and security.”
“You'll hear the vice president talk about addressing the threat of climate change, reaffirming our nation's values and our commitment to the rules based international order, worker rights and human rights,” said one of the officials. “We have been strong security and economic partners of countries in the Indo-Pacific for more than 70 years. And we've been steadfast partners and we have increasing security partnerships with those countries.”
The trip underscores one of the reasons the Biden administration pulled out of Afghanistan: it wants to focus its foreign policy might elsewhere, including finding ways to fight China’s influence in the region. Experts say high level visits like Harris’ keep China on notice.
Biden hasn’t traveled to Southeast Asia yet, but both Secretary TONY BLINKEN and Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN have visited the region. And the first two world leaders Biden hosted in the White House were the prime minister of Japan and South Korean president.
Harris is the first vice president visit to Vietnam since North and South Vietnam were reunited in July of 1975. Both LYNDON B. JOHNSON and RICHARD NIXON visited Saigon, South Vietnam during their vice presidential terms, before the country was unified after its civil war.
“Her trip and additional high-level engagements are part of our ongoing effort to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific," a spokesperson for the National Security Council told us. “We know that much of the history of the 21st century will be written in the Indo-Pacific, which is why our engagement on the ground matters for the American people.”
Harris is expected to take the Biden administration’s “America is back” theme on the trip.
When asked if the Afghanistan-sized elephant in the room would concern any allies about how much they can trust the U.S. to keep its commitments overseas, an official said: “There's a difference between ensuring open sea lanes in Asia, which is a priority for the United States, and the continued involvement in another country's civil war.”
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PRESIDENTIAL TRIVIA
With the Partnership for Public Service
A throwback for today’s question — which presidential candidate committed likely the worst food faux pas in Philadelphia's history by swapping out the traditional cheese for a Philly cheesesteak?
(Answer is at the bottom.)
The Oval
LEAK THIS MEETING TO US — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. MARK MILLEY will conduct an unclassified briefing for House members tomorrow, per an emailed invite sent to members obtained by LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ (follow her here!)
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: Chief of staff RON KLAIN and deputy press secretary CHRIS MEAGHER pushed out this NBC Washington story about dozens of families from Afghanistan landing at Dulles airport in Virginia on Tuesday. An Afghan woman named BUSHRA arrived on a Qatar Airways flight with her husband and young child.
"I want to take this moment and thank the American people and Afghan people who have lost their lives, and I want to honor both of them. Thank you," Bushra said.
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This Guardian story about the Taliban’s heavy presence at Kabul airport where “in desperate scenes, babies were passed to U.S. soldiers in the hope of giving them a life outside the country.” And this New York Times story about the dangerous road thousands of people face trying to get to the airport. “There were volleys of rifle fire, along with pushing, pulling and beating with wooden sticks, Kalashnikovs and hoses,” the Times reports.
Or this Reuters story about all the American military equipment now in the Taliban’s hands. “Video showed the advancing insurgents inspecting long lines of vehicles and opening crates of new firearms, communications gear and even military drones,” Reuters reported, with one U.S. official telling them: "Everything that hasn't been destroyed is the Taliban's now.”
SULLIVAN WATCH: In an interview with NBC’s LESTER HOLT that aired tonight, national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN pledged that, “We will get any American who wants to get to the airport and who we get in contact with who says, ‘I want to get out and get on a plane,’ we will make that happen.”
TWEETING THROUGH IT: If you want to say something supportive about Biden’s handling of Afghanistan, there’s a decent chance the White House chief of staff will retweet it. Klain’s feed the past several days has been stuffed with the likes of AARON RUPAR, JOHN HARWOOD, and JENNIFER RUBIN.
Filling the Ranks
SILVER STATE MOVES — Nevada Lt. Gov. KATE MARSHALL announced today that she will resign her post and join the Biden administration this fall. She will be a senior adviser to U.S. governors in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Read more from the AP’s SAM METZ.
Agenda Setting
SO WHICH IS IT? Biden told GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS in the interview that aired Wednesday night that he would maintain the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan beyond the end of the month — his self-imposed withdrawal deadline — if evacuation operations were not yet completed.
But as QUINT FORGEY reports, Pentagon spokesperson JOHN KIRBY said this morning there “has been no decision to change the deadline” and indicated that an extension of the timeline for evacuations would need tacit approval from the Taliban in the form of a new agreement between U.S. officials and commanders of the militant group.
BUT BUT BUT: Stephanopoulos also asked, “No one told — your military advisors did not tell you, ‘No, we should just keep 2,500 troops. It's been a stable situation for the last several years. We can do that. We can continue to do that’?”
Biden retorted, “No. No one said that to me that I can recall.”
The reporting says otherwise. POLITICO reported in April that as “Biden weighed a full exit from the country this spring, top military leaders advocated for keeping a small U.S. presence on the ground made up primarily of special operations forces and paramilitary advisers, arguing that a force of a few thousand troops was needed to keep the Taliban in check and prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a haven for terrorists.”
What We're Reading
Four dubious claims from Biden’s ABC interview on Afghanistan (WaPo’s Glen Kessler)
U.S. position on Taiwan unchanged despite Biden comment (Reuters’ David Brunstrom)
Education Department to erase student debt for those with severe disabilities (AP’s Collin Binkley)
Where's Joe
He and Vice President Harris met with Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, Chairman Milley, Director of National Intelligence AVRIL HAINES, CIA Director BILL BURNS, national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN, Ambassador ROSS WILSON, CentCom Commander Gen. FRANK McKENZIE, Adm. PETER VASELY, principal deputy national security adviser JON FINER, homeland security adviser ELIZABETH SHERWOOD-RANDALL, and other senior officials to discuss security, diplomatic, and intelligence updates in Afghanistan.
Where's Kamala
Harris also addressed the National Association of Black Journalists Convention virtually.
The Oppo Book
Harris’ deputy press secretary SABRINA SINGH has a decent gig working for the vice president — but her grandpa still has an edge in the career achievement department.
Singh told Glamour magazine in July that her grandfather, SIRDAR JJ SINGH, “was part of the freedom fighters in India. He worked with Gandhi closely to organize a peaceful protest on a bridge that turned violent.”
Later, the New Yorker profiled Sirdar for his work in the U.S. lobbying Congress on Indian Americans and citizenship.
An average afternoon for Singh, the profile describes, used to include “a couple dozen phone calls about international matters, [drafting] a letter to the editor for the Times, drawing up a list of speakers for a meeting commemorating the anniversary of the [a] famous Indian figure … [and] completing arrangements to a quick trip to Washington to urge some friends of his in Congress to vote in favor of a bill to send wheat to India,” among many other things.
You can read the profile here.
Trivia Answer
In 2003, Democratic presidential candidate JOHN KERRY ordered a Philly cheesesteak with Swiss cheese instead of the classic Cheez Whiz or provolone.
We want your tips, but we also want your feedback. What should we be covering in this newsletter that we’re not? What are we getting wrong? Please let us know.
Edited by Emily Cadei
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The men vying to run Afghanistan Presented by
With help from Renuka Rayasam
THE KABUL CONTENDERS — With the Taliban now firmly in control of Afghanistan after seizing the capital Kabul, who’s officially in charge of the country?
It’s complicated — a variety of figures old and new are vying to become the successor to ousted president Ashraf Ghani. Unlike the pro-Soviet leader Najibullah, who ended his final day in power dangling from a lamppost, Ghani opted to flee for sunny Dubai. Filling the vacuum he leaves behind could be up to the same guys who once harbored al Qaeda and became international symbols of barbarism and cruelty — but an opposition is emerging, too. Among the contenders:
Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, center, arrives with other members of the Taliban delegation for an international peace conference in Moscow in March. | AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar
Baradar, the Taliban’s top political leader and one of its founders, worked alongside Taliban commander Mullah Mohammed Omar in the late 1990s.
When the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, Baradar fled to neighboring Pakistan. He was later arrested there during a joint raid by the country’s counterterrorism forces and the CIA.
In 2018, as the Taliban gathered strength in Afghanistan’s countryside, Pakistan released him to lead peace talks between the group and the United States. Under the eventual deal, the Taliban agreed not to attack NATO forces and promised not to harbor terrorist groups in return for a full U.S. withdrawal.
Baradar triumphantly returned to Afghanistan this week, and he’s likely to be the dominant player in any new government. “Now comes the test,” he said upon landing in Kabul. “We must meet the challenge of serving and securing our nation, and giving it a stable life going forward.”
Source: The Associated Press
Ahmad Massoud, son of late Afghan commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, delivers a speech next to a portait of his father during a ceremony to unveil a commemorative plaque of late Afghan anti-Taliban commander Massoud in an alley along the Champs Elysees Avenue in Paris in March. | Christophe Archambault/Pool Photo via AP
Ahmad Massoud
Ahmad Massoud is the son of Ahmad Shah Massoud, a legendary Afghan tribal leader who resisted the Taliban in the 1990s. Al Qaeda assassins killed him two days before the 9/11 attacks.
Now his son, Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, is in an undisclosed location in the country’s northern Panjshir Valley, calling for an uprising against the Taliban — and asking for American help.
“The Taliban is not a problem for the Afghan people alone. Under Taliban control, Afghanistan will without doubt become ground zero of radical Islamist terrorism; plots against democracies will be hatched here once again,” he wrote in a Washington Post op-ed this week. “No matter what happens, my mujahideen fighters and I will defend Panjshir as the last bastion of Afghan freedom. Our morale is intact. We know from experience what awaits us. But we need more weapons, more ammunition and more supplies.”
Sources: The New York Times, The Washington Post, France 24
Amrullah Saleh | Scott Nelson/Getty Images
Amrullah Saleh
Saleh, the former vice president of Afghanistan, says he’s hunkered down with Massoud in the Panjshir Valley. Saleh said Tuesday that he’s the “legitimate caretaker president” as he works to bring together military leaders to oppose the Taliban.
“I will never, ever & under no circumstances bow to d Talib terrorists,” he tweeted this week. “I will never betray d soul & legacy of my hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, the commander, the legend & the guide. I won’t dis-appoint millions who listened to me. I will never be under one ceiling with Taliban. NEVER.”
Source: Yahoo News
Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai before posing for a photo at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in 2019. | Greg Baker - Pool/Getty Images
Hamid Karzai
Karzai was Afghanistan’s much-criticized president from the U.S. takeover until 2014, when he was succeeded by Ghani. The former leader has made an improbable comeback in recent days, appearing as a leading figure in efforts to ensure a peaceful transfer of power after Kabul’s fall. This week, Karzai met with Anas Haqqani, senior leader of a key faction of the Taliban, and with Abdullah Abdullah, the previous government’s main peace envoy.
Source: The Guardian
Abdullah Abdullah at the Pentagon in June. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Abdullah Abdullah
The Afghan politician, previously the chief executive officer of Afghanistan, chairs the High Council for National Reconciliation, making him a key player in the intra-Afghan peace talks with the Taliban. He was previously an adviser to Ahmad Shah Massoud and a senior member of the Northern Alliance. Abdullah Abdullah ran for president of Afghanistan twice. He lost his second race against Ghani, in which the close results were questionable. The two rivals established a national unity government after months of talks and U.S. mediation, and Abdullah was named chief executive.
Sources: Washington Post, Reuters
In this undated photo from an unknown location, released in 2016, the leader of the Afghanistan Taliban Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada poses for a portrait. | Afghan Islamic Press via AP, File
Hibatullah Akhundzada
The Taliban’s supreme leader came into power in 2016 after the group’s previous top dog, Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan. He hasn’t made a public appearance in years, leading some to question whether he’s still alive. Some reports have suggested Akhundzada could emerge as Afghanistan’s official ruler, in a position like president. Others expect him to play a behind-the-scenes role, with Baradar ultimately calling the shots.
Sources: NPR, Reuters
Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas for us at [email protected]. Or contact tonight’s author at [email protected] and on Twitter at @MyahWard.
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Around the Nation
Motorcycle enthusiasts attend the 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on Aug. 9 in Sturgis, S.D. | Scott Olson/Getty Images
BADLANDS — Monument Health, which has five hospitals in South Dakota, was getting ready to declare a zero Covid patient day in June. The system was down to three Covid patients and the press release was written up, Shankar Kurra, Monument Health’s vice president for medical affairs, told Nightly’s Renuka Rayasam.
It was a pretty remarkable moment. The state’s vaccination drive had sputtered out in May. Just 1 percent of the population got fully vaccinated between mid-May and mid-June. Kristi Noem, South Dakota’s Republican governor and a potential 2024 presidential candidate, had actively rejected Covid mitigation measures. Cases were rising across unvaccinated parts of the country, but in South Dakota at least, Noem’s strategy was starting to look like a success.
The state’s Covid numbers, which hovered around 13 new cases a day for the second week of June, matched those of highly vaccinated states that took an active approach to curbing case counts. “We were like Vermont, even though we were nothing like Vermont,” Kurra said.
Just a few weeks later, cases started to rise. Now South Dakota has one of the fastest growing case counts in the country. The state, which has 887,000 residents, has been recording hundreds of cases a day this week.
Kurra pinpoints the rapid rise to the region’s tourist season. First there were the rodeos in Wyoming, where locals go to work and watch bronco busting. Cheyenne Frontier Days kicked off on July 23 this year, and about two weeks later, South Dakota’s case count jumped from about two dozen cases a day to about 100 cases a day.
Then, of course, there was the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which officially started Aug. 6 and wrapped up on Sunday. Even if many of the rally events were outdoors, people packed together to see performers like Kid Rock and they mingled indoors in restaurants and tattoo shops. Last year’s rally, attended by 462,000 people, was linked to at least 649 Covid cases, according to a CDC study. Even more people showed up this year.
“You cannot separate 700,000 people even in the remote Black Hills,” Kurra said.
Kurra expects a rapid decline in cases in another week or so. The growing Covid numbers have spurred vaccinations in the state, too.
But in September, schools and universities across the state are scheduled to open for in-person instruction. Kurra expects that will lead to another upswing.
Rapid City’s school superintendent invited Kurra to speak at a school board meeting this Monday to talk about the importance of vaccinations, masking and other mitigation measures. He said he knows he’ll meet resistance from people skeptical of public health measures, and he’s planning on listening. But he wants to communicate the pandemic’s risks, especially now that Covid cases are filling pediatric ICUs across the country.
“We have to ask ourselves, do we understand the pandemic?” Kurra said. “If so, we’re not doing the right thing. Somehow that has been lost in the conversation around personal responsibility.”
What'd I Miss?
— Capitol Hill bomb suspect surrenders to police: A man who claimed to have explosives in his truck surrendered on Capitol Hill after a five-hour standoff this afternoon. The suspect, who was identified as Floyd Roy Roseberry of North Carolina, was “taken into custody without incident” according to U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger.
— Suspect livestreamed on Facebook for hours before being blocked: Roseberry livestreamed his anti-government remarks for hours before Facebook took down his account. He broadcasted to the social network as he sat in his car surrounded by federal agents in Washington, D.C. He said his car would “blow up” if security shot through his window.
— Three senators test positive for Covid-19 after vaccination: Sens. Roger Wicker, Angus King and John Hickenlooper all have Covid-19 breakthrough infections, their offices announced today. Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi and King, an Independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, both tested positive for the virus after mild symptoms, according to their statements. They are not the first senators to test positive for Covid-19 after getting vaccinated: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reported a breakthrough infection earlier this month.
— FTC sues Facebook for antitrust violations again: The Federal Trade Commission has filed a new antitrust complaint against Facebook, rebooting a high-stakes case to break up the social media giant after a federal judge tossed the agency’s original complaint in June. Progressive FTC Chair Lina Khan joined with her two Democratic colleagues in a 3-2 party-line vote Wednesday to file the new complaint. The agency’s two Republicans — who both opposed the suit when it was first filed in December — voted against the new bid.
— Elder’s ex-fiancée said he brandished a gun at her: Alexandra Datig, the former fiancée and longtime radio producer for California GOP gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder, says she broke off an 18-month engagement with the conservative talk show host in 2015 after he waved a gun at her while high on marijuana. Datig’s claim, which she regards as the culmination of a series of humiliating disputes that made her fearful for her safety and her ability to maintain her sobriety, comes after Elder has gained momentum in the recall to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, with many observers counting him as the likeliest Republican alternative should voters decide to replace the incumbent.
A message from AT&T:
Nightly Number
1.02 million The number of doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered today, according to White House Covid-19 Data Director Cyrus Shahpar. The million-plus benchmark has not been met in nearly seven weeks.
Parting Words
VAX TO SCHOOL — A pandemic trend to watch: States requiring teachers to be vaccinated this fall. Just today, reports surfaced that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy will require teachers to get the Covid-19 vaccine, and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a similar requirement, making hers the fourth state to mandate vaccinations for teachers, alongside California and Washington. All four states have Democratic governors.
A message from AT&T: Susana Chávez became valedictorian of International High School at Langley Park while juggling numerous jobs throughout school. But what kept her powering through it all was her American Dream. With the help of accessible and affordable broadband, she was able to focus on her studies, get assistance from teachers and stay in touch with her mother back home. And thanks to Access from AT&T, we can connect low-income households like Susana’s, and more communities in areas we serve with their American Dream. Find out how.
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BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Two teenagers were facing murder charges for a street-racing...
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BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Two teenagers were facing murder charges for a street-racing crash that killed three people and critically injured a fourth in a Los Angeles suburb, authorities said Thursday.
Hamlet Aghajanyan, 19, of Burbank and a 17-year-old boy were taken into custody Thursday, police said.
Aghajanyan has been charged by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office with three counts of murder and one count of reckless driving, Burbank police said in a statement. He remained jailed on a $6 million bond.
The other youth, whose name wasn't released, was at a juvenile detention facility and prosecutors will determine whether to charge him with murder and reckless driving, police said.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the two had legal representation.
Authorities contend that Aghajanyan was driving a Kia and racing the other boy's Mercedes-Benz on Aug. 3 in Burbank when the Kia broad-sided a Volkswagen that was trying to make a turn.
The impact tore the Volkswagen in half and flung three people from the car. Killed at the scene were Jaiden Johnson, 20, of Burbank; Natalee Moghaddam, 19, of Calabasas and Cerain Baker, 21, the son of actor and comedian Tony Baker.
A fourth person in the car was hospitalized with critical injuries.
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A look at what’s happening around the majors on Friday:
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A look at what’s happening around the majors on Friday:
___
WHAT WILL SHOHEI DO NEXT?
The Shohei Ohtani road show heads to Cleveland after the two-way superstar thrilled opposing crowds in Detroit.
Ohtani’s Los Angeles Angels — whose playoff chances are slim at one game over .500 — will play two games at the Indians' home ballpark before both teams head to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the Little League Classic on Sunday night.
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.
___
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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[
"Doug Feinberg",
"Ap Basketball Writer",
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:57:56+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:08:45
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NEW YORK (AP) — The Seattle Storm are heading to the White House to celebrate their...
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NEW YORK (AP) — The Seattle Storm are heading to the White House to celebrate their 2020 WNBA championship.
The team was formally invited by President Joe Biden to visit Monday afternoon. The Storm play at the Washington Mystics on Sunday.
“I think for a very long time, up until 2016, going to the White House was an honor. It wasn't necessarily political. It was to meet the president of the United States. The person who holds that office acknowledging your team's success,” said Seattle guard Sue Bird, who will be making her third trip to meet a president. “It was an incredible honor. Even when you watch a movie like ‘Forrest Gump,’ I'm dating myself a little bit, you understand in that movie what an incredible honor it was. It wasn't political. I think that all shifted in 2016.”
With former president Donald Trump out of office, Bird said she was happy to be going back. Many WNBA players including Bird have been outspoken in their embrace of social justice movements such as Black Lives Matter, which Trump characterized as violent, radical ideology. Trump was also critical of Bird's fiancee, U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
“Now that it's back in a place where it's considered an honor and you're recognized by the highest office in the country is exciting, it's fun,” Bird said. “It's not just about meeting the president or hopefully the vice president is there. It's about the whole experience of being in the White House. Having a day that's about your team and celebrating what you've accomplished.”
In addition to her two previous White House visits, Bird has been invited three other times after winning championships — once with UConn and twice with the Storm — but couldn't attend.
The Storm, who have won four titles, will be joined by the team's ownership group and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The team last visited the White House in 2011.
No NBA or WNBA team has visited the White House since the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 — Barack Obama's last year in office.
___
More AP women's basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Seattle Storm to visit White House, celebrate 2020 title
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[
"Yuri Kageyama",
"Associated Press",
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:57:00+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:52:10
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TOKYO (AP) — Japanese actor Sonny Chiba, who wowed the world with his martial arts...
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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 was 82.
Chiba, known in Japan as Shinichi Chiba, died late Thursday in a hospital near Tokyo where he had been treated for COVID-19 since Aug. 8, Tokyo-based Astraia, his management office, said in a statement Friday. It said he had not been vaccinated.
Chiba rose to stardom in Japan in the 1960s, portraying samurai, fighters and police detectives, the anguished so-called “anti-heroes” trying to survive in a violent world. He did many of the stunt scenes himself.
His overseas career took off after his 1970s Japanese film “The Street Fighter” proved popular in the U.S.
American director Quentin Tarantino listed the work as among his “grindhouse,” or low-budget kitsch cinema, favorites.
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
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Japanese martial artist film star Sonny Chiba dies at 82
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[
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:57:44+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:16:36
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The former school resource officer accused of hiding...
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The former school resource officer accused of hiding during a South Florida school shooting that left 17 people dead will have to convince a jury that he wasn't criminally negligent, a judge ruled Thursday.
Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein declined to dismiss the child negligence charges against former Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson, the Sun Sentinel reported.
Peterson, 58, had worked as a school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Nikolas Cruz, who was 19 at the time of the February 2018 shooting, has been charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder.
Prosecutors have said that Peterson failed to come to the rescue as Cruz was making his way through the school’s hallways. The law that Peterson is accused of breaking specifically applies to caregivers, but defense attorneys argued during a hearing Wednesday that a law enforcement officer doesn’t fit the legal definition of a caregiver.
Prosecutors are arguing that school resources officers are inherently different from other law enforcement officers and should be considered caregivers.
Fein ruled that a jury can decide whether a school resource officer should be considered a caregiver and noted that a jury instruction will be included to that effect.
Cruz faces the death penalty if convicted in the Valentine’s Day 2018 massacre in which 17 people were slain and 17 others were wounded. Cruz’s lawyers have said he would plead guilty in exchange for a life prison sentence, but prosecutors are insisting that his fate be decided by a jury trial.
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Judge: School officer who hid during shooting facing charges
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[
"Mark Thiessen",
"Associated Press",
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:57:50+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:29:19
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Law enforcement officials have completed their investigation...
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lakecountystar.com%2Fnews%2Farticle%2FProsecutors-vet-US-Senate-candidate-s-fishing-16399413.php.json
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Law enforcement officials have completed their investigation into whether a U.S. Senate candidate and former State of Alaska official illegally obtained a fishing license for a sportfishing event two years ago and turned it over to a special prosecutorial branch of the Department of Law, an official said Thursday.
Kelly Tshibaka, a former commissioner in the state Department of Administration and a Republican candidate for Senate, received the license during an event on the Kenai River in 2019.
Records show she received the permit in August 2019, eight months after she moved to Alaska to take the commissioner’s job, the Anchorage Daily News has reported. To obtain a resident fishing license, state law says the person must have lived in the state for 12 consecutive months before applying for a license.
Tshibaka signed the license application, acknowledging she had read the rules for residency. She also indicated on the license that she was a resident for 15 years, 8 months.
A person could be fined up to $300 for knowingly violating the law on fishing licenses, a misdemeanor.
“After a thorough investigation by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers into the media reports regarding Mrs. Tshibaka the investigation has been completed and will now be reviewed by the Alaska Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions,” Department of Public Safety spokesperson Austin McDaniel said in an email to The Associated Press.
When asked if it were unusual to involve the special office, he said in a follow-up email that law enforcement regularly works with prosecutors when building cases.
“Due to the circumstances involved with this investigation, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers requested an independent review of the case by the legal experts at the Alaska Department of Law,” McDaniel said.
Tim Murtaugh, a senior adviser to Tshibaka’s campaign, said she attended the 2019 Kenai River Classic in her capacity as commissioner.
He said her confirmation hearings were public and it was well-known she had just returned to the state.
“The event organizers asked if she had a current fishing license, and when she said she didn’t, they issued her one,” Murtaugh said in an email to the AP.
“The form was filled in for a license that expired after one day, going from August 22nd to the 23rd, which is only available to non-residents. This shows clear intent to purchase a non-resident license, not a resident license,” he said.
Tshibaka announced her resignation from the state on March 29, the same day she said she would challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
Murkowski, who was critical of former President Donald Trump, was censured by the Alaska Republican Party, which later endorsed Tshibaka in the race. Trump also has endorsed Tshibaka.
Murkowski has not announced whether she will seek reelection next year. However, last month Kevin Sweeney, a consultant to Murkowski’s campaign, said she had raised about $1.15 million in the second quarter of this year and had $2.3 million on hand.
That, Sweeney said, “strongly positions” Murkowski for a reelection bid.
Murkowski on Monday declined to discuss reelection plans.
__
Associated Press journalist Becky Bohrer in Juneau contributed to this report.
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Prosecutors vet US Senate candidate's fishing license case
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[
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:57:31+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:37:53
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Tucson police say charges are pending against the impaired driver of a vehicle that hit a...
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Tucson police say charges are pending against the impaired driver of a vehicle that hit a pedestrian in a convenience store parking lot who later died from his injuries.
Police identified the victim of Tuesday night's collision at a Circle K on East Grant Road as 29-year-old David Lamberto.
An initial investigation determined that Lamberto had been sitting, squatting and acting erratically in the parking lot before he was struck at about 8:30 p.m., police said in a statement Thursday.
The blue 2007 Ford 500 hit him when it turned into the parking lot and proceeded to drag him as it pulled into a parking lot.
Lamberto was taken to Banner University Medical Center where he later died.
Police at the scene determined the driver was impaired at the time, police said.
Investigators say the driver's impairment and the pedestrian's erratic behavior are major contributing factors in the collision.
The driver's name has not been released.
“The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending at this time,” police said Thursday.
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Charges pending in Tucson pedestrian fatal in parking lot
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[
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:58:27+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:19:37
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UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — DeWanna Bonner scored a season-high 31 points and grabbed 11...
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lakecountystar.com%2Fsports%2Farticle%2FBonner-s-31-points-11-rebounds-lead-Sun-past-16399391.php.json
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UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — DeWanna Bonner scored a season-high 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Connecticut Sun beat the Minnesota Lynx 82-71 on Thursday night.
Bonner made 10 of 11 free throws — and Connecticut went 23 for 25 from the line — to help reach 30 points for the first time this season. It was her fifth double-double.
Jonquel Jones added 20 points and seven rebounds for Connecticut (17-6) despite being in foul trouble. The Sun turned it over 17 times but outrebounded the Lynx 31-23.
Sylvia Fowles led Minnesota (13-9) with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Layshia Clarendon added 15 points and Napheesa Collier scored 11.
Connecticut continues its five-game homestand on Tuesday against Las Vegas in a battle for sole possession of first place. Minnesota lost back-to-back games against Connecticut following an eight-game winning streak.
___
More AP women’s basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Bonner's 31 points, 11 rebounds lead Sun past Lynx 82-71
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[
"Kathleen Ronayne",
"Michael R. Blood",
"Associated Press",
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:57:37+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:54:10
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The former fiancee of Larry Elder said Thursday that the...
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lakecountystar.com%2Fnews%2Farticle%2FElder-denies-showing-gun-to-woman-during-domestic-16399362.php.json
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The former fiancee of Larry Elder said Thursday that the conservative radio talk show host now running for governor in California showed her a gun during a heated argument in 2015.
Elder, widely seen as the leader in the Republican field running to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in next month's recall election, issued a statement saying “I have never brandished a gun at anyone." Elder, who is seeking to become California's first Black governor, noted that he grew up in South Central Los Angeles, an area with high violent crime.
“I know exactly how destructive this type of behavior is,” he said.
Datig's accusation, first reported by Politico, comes with less than four weeks until the Sept. 14 election and at a time when mail-in ballots already have arrived at voters' homes. Elder said he intended to “stay focused on the issues” that inspired the recall drive by Republicans upset with Newsom's progressive policies and handling of the pandemic.
Datig, 51 and a longtime Los Angeles resident, said she worked on Elder's show and they lived together during their 18-month romantic relationship from 2013 to 2015,. A letter and other records provided by Datig to The Associated Press – including an April 6, 2015, email in which she wrote about the collapse of their engagement — sketched a portrait of an emotionally abusive relationship in which Elder routinely was using medicinal marijuana to excess.
Datig claims Elder was high during the 2015 argument and went to a cabinet where he kept his gun “and made sure it was in my view.”
“He did not point it at me, but he wanted to make sure that I knew that he was checking" to see it was loaded, she told the AP.
Threatening another person with a firearm could be a criminal offense but Datig said she never reported it to police.
Elder did not specifically address that claim about cannabis use in questions submitted to his campaign by AP. His statement in response to Datig’s claims of abuse referred broadly to “salacious allegations.”
“People do not get into public life precisely because of this type of politics of personal destruction. I am not going to dignify this with a response — it’s beneath me,” Elder wrote. A short time later he tweeted: “They’re coming at me with every dirty trick because they know what’s coming on September 14."
Another Republican in the race, state Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, said in a statement that he found Datig's claims disturbing.
“I believe that any woman who comes forward deserves to be heard, and Ms. Datig’s deeply troubling account should be treated with the utmost seriousness. Mr. Elder should be given every opportunity to respond,” he said.
Elder entered the race in July and Datig said she waited until now to come forward because she initially didn't think he would be competitive.
“I didn’t take it seriously but when Larry started to trend and become the frontrunner, I became extremely concerned,” she said.
Datig supports one of Elder’s Republican rivals, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. Earlier this week Faulconer began targeting Elder for criticism and specifically questioning his attitudes about women, noting among other things that Elder had written that employers should be able to ask women if and when they plan to get pregnant.
Faulconer did not immediately comment on Datig's claims about Elder.
The documents provided by Datig described months of emotional distress from the unraveling romantic and business relationship. “I feel trapped and afraid,” she wrote in the mail.
A March 31, 2015, letter from her attorney to Elder asked for $6,000 in monthly support for Datig for one year, to cover expenses including rent, car and health care costs. She also asked for $195,000 for public relations, marketing and other services she said she provided for his show.
Datig also provided the AP with a copy of a confidentiality agreement she signed in 2014 barring her from speaking about the “personal and business affairs” of Elder and his business, Laurence A. Elder & Associates, Inc. She said she was breaking it to go public with her accusations.
__
Ronayne reported from Sacramento.
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[
"Ken Ritter",
"Associated Press",
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:58:02+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:39:11
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — In a court ruling with potentially broad implications for U.S....
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lakecountystar.com%2Fnews%2Farticle%2FUS-judge-in-Nevada-Felony-deportation-law-16399346.php.json
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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 that dates to 1929 and makes it a felony for a person who has been deported to return to the United States is unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Miranda Du in Reno, in an order issued Wednesday, found the law widely known as Section 1326 is based on “racist, nativist roots” and discriminates against Mexican and Latinx people in violation of the equal protection clause of the Fifth Amendment.
“Anybody who works in federal courts knows the statute,” Franny Forsman, retired longtime chief of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Nevada, said Thursday. “There really are a large number of cases that have been brought over the years under that section. They’re mostly public defender cases.”
Section 1326 of the Immigration and Nationality Act makes it a crime for a person to enter the U.S. if they have been denied admission, deported or removed. It was enacted in 1952 using language from the Undesirable Aliens Act passed by Congress in 1929. Penalties were stiffened five times between 1988 and 1996 to increase its deterrent value.
Forsman said she expected the government will appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
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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"Written By"
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2021-08-20 01:56:54+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:24:29
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) —
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lakecountystar.com%2Fbusiness%2Farticle%2FFeds-seize-over-3-000-fake-vaccination-cards-in-16399326.php.json
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) —
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, officials said Thursday.
Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized the cards in the past week as they arrived in small packages, said Jaime Ruiz, an agency spokesperson.
There were between 135 and 150 packages found in Anchorage, all sent by the same person in China, Ruiz said. The packages contained small amounts of the fake cards, about 20 or 25 each.
The cards confiscated in Anchorage closely resemble the authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention certificates given out by health care workers when U.S. citizens receive their vaccinations, the agency said. However, this shipment had cards that exhibited low-quality printing.
The seizure comes as a cottage industry for counterfeit cards has sprung up online to accommodate people who say they won’t get vaccinated for either personal or religious reasons.
Another 3,600 fake cards were found recently at cargo facilities in Memphis, Tennessee, Ruiz said.
The Federal Aviation Administration ranked Memphis and Anchorage among the busiest cargo airports in the U.S. in 2020.
“Getting these fraudulent cards off the streets and out of the hands of those who would then sell them is important for the safety of the American public,” Lance Robinson, the agency’s director in Anchorage, said in a statement.
Other federal agencies are investigating the shipments.
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Feds seize over 3,000 fake vaccination cards in Anchorage
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[
"Beth Harris",
"Ap Sports Writer",
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:58:21+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:23:42
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts says he’s feeling “really, really good” and is...
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lakecountystar.com%2Fsports%2Farticle%2FBetts-feeling-really-good-eyes-return-soon-to-16399396.php.json
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts says he’s feeling “really, really good” and is eager to return soon to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup from a stint on the injured list with right hip inflammation.
The All-Star outfielder has been on the IL since Aug. 8. He was diagnosed with a bone spur in his hip and recently received a second cortisone injection.
“It's the first time I've felt normal in a long time,” Betts said Thursday after a workout on the field before the Dodgers hosted the New York Mets. “There's no pain at all. Hopefully, I can stay on this path.”
Betts said his hip had been bothering him since the start of spring training in February. He described the pain as being so intense that it “locked me up pretty good.”
“I hope it just can get through the season and let it heal and not have to worry about it anymore,” he said.
Manager Dave Roberts said Betts could potentially return as early as next week. The Dodgers visit NL West rival San Diego for a three-game series starting Tuesday and return home next Friday to host Colorado. Roberts said Betts would decide whether or not he needs a rehab assignment first.
“Maybe just a couple at-bats and we'll go from there,” Betts said. “I would like to at least get hot, then cool off, then get hot and get back running around just to make sure. I don’t want to go out there and have to come out of the game.”
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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www.lakecountystar.com
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Betts feeling 'really good,' eyes return soon to Dodgers
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https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/Betts-feeling-really-good-eyes-return-soon-to-16399396.php
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[
"Written By"
] |
2021-08-20 01:58:15+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:09:11
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Six University of Kentucky football players have been charged...
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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 wanton endangerment, following the investigation of an incident last March at a private party.
The Lexington Police Department said in a release Thursday that offensive lineman Reuben Adams, running back Robert McClain, defensive back Andru Phillips, receiver Earnest Sanders IV, safety Devito Tisdale and defensive back Joel Williams were charged with first-degree burglary. Tisdale also was charged with wanton endangerment for allegedly pointing a gun at one of the victims.
The players face arraignment Friday in Fayette County District Court.
Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said in a statement that he was aware of the current situation and that the program had been aware of the matter since March. The program withheld players from team activities while a student conduct review was held and returned to activity in June based on the outcome.
"We are evaluating the current situation as we receive more information,” Stoops added.
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.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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www.lakecountystar.com
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6 Kentucky football players charged with burglary
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https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/6-Kentucky-football-players-charged-with-burglary-16399186.php
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[] |
2021-08-20 02:07:07+00:00
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2021-08-19 22:52:45
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A disastrous August, including a recent sweep by the Yankees, has the Red Sox sitting just outside the American League playoff picture.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boston.com%2Fsports%2Fboston-red-sox%2F2021%2F08%2F19%2Fgm-brian-ohalloran-red-sox-miss-playoffs%2F.json
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Red Sox GM Brian O’Halloran: Blame front office if Red Sox miss playoffs A disastrous August, including a recent sweep by the Yankees, has the Red Sox sitting just outside the American League playoff picture. Red Sox's Xander Bogaerts reacts after grounding into a double play against the New York Yankees on Wednesday. Adam Hunger/AP
The Red Sox have seen their Cinderella story free-fall back to reality with just over a month to go in the 2021 season.
Boston went from leading the AL East by 2.5 games at the end of July to third place in the division after a disastrous sweep at the hands of the rival Yankees this week.
The team sits a half-game out of the second wild-card spot in the American League behind the Oakland Athletics, which is better than many might have hoped for at the start of the season. But their 6-14 stretch over the last 20 games has torpedoed their chances of winning the division barring a collapse by the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Several of the team’s stars, especially Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, have struggled to live up to their hot starts this season.
But Red Sox general manager Brian O’Halloran said his team’s recent collapse begins at the top.
“First of all, hope that doesn’t happen. But in the end, it’s on us,” O’Halloran told The Greg Hill Show on WEEI. “It’s on the front office. It’s on the baseball operations. Whatever happens on the field, the results, good or bad — we’ve been given the opportunity to do this job and gotten nothing but support from ownership. We have no excuses.”
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The front office has especially come under fire for its lack of action at the trade deadline. The team did add slugger Kyle Schwarber and middle relievers Hansel Robles and Austin Davis but did not land experienced first base help, such as Schwarber’s former Cubs teammate and former Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo.
“So that’s on the baseball operations leadership, myself included. That goes for both the short-term and the long-term. Again, it’s a balance, but if we don’t make the playoffs, we’ll be very disappointed. We think we have a good team. We put ourselves in a position where we have a chance to make the postseason, and that’s true right now. We were in a better spot at the deadline, but we still have a chance to do this and our expectations are that we’ll battle down the stretch and hopefully get there. But in the end, yeah, all the results are on us, on the baseball operations leadership.”
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Still, O’Halloran insists the Red Sox are invested in making a run at the postseason this year after a surprising first half of the season put them among baseball’s best teams.
“That is not the way we went into this,” the general manager said. “We were looking to improve the team to give us the best chance to win this year while also balancing future considerations. Again, the goal here is to maximize winning. That includes 2021 and that includes years beyond it. We look at every opportunity to acquire players through that lens, trying to find ways to improve the team while maintaining our long-term goals.”
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O’Halloran said he doesn’t believe the team’s recent struggles have anything to do with the lack of new players acquired, adding that the Red Sox players and manager Alex Cora have “the right mindset” despite “a really tough month.”
“We’ve gone through some struggles lately, and that’s part of a long season. But again, we’re sitting here on August 19 a game out of the wild card. What happened in New York the last couple days, we have to learn from it and move on. We have a lot of games in front of us and we have a great opportunity to put ourselves in the postseason, and that’s what we need to focus on.”
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www.boston.com
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Blame front office if Red Sox miss playoffs
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https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2021/08/19/gm-brian-ohalloran-red-sox-miss-playoffs/
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[] |
2021-08-20 02:07:13+00:00
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2021-08-19 19:36:07
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Since July 22, J.D. Martinez has three homers and a .666 OPS in 99 plate appearances.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boston.com%2Fsports%2Fsports-q%2F2021%2F08%2F19%2Fsports-q-who-has-been-the-red-sox-most-frustrating-player%2F.json
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Sports Q Sports Q: Who has been the Red Sox’ most frustrating player? Is all of them an acceptable answer? J.D. Martinez reacts striking out in the first inning Sunday, one of seven Red Sox batters had in their 5-3 loss to the Rangers.
Welcome to Boston.com’s Sports Q, our daily conversation, initiated by you and moderated by Chad Finn, about a compelling topic in Boston sports. Here’s how it works: You submit questions to Chad through Twitter, Facebook, and email. He’ll pick one each weekday to answer, then we’ll take the discussion to the comments. Chad will stop by several times per day to navigate. But you drive the conversation.
Who has been the Red Sox’ most frustrating player? I dare you to choose just one. – Alex M.
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Is all of them an acceptable answer? Because if we’re talking recently … yeah, it’s pretty much all of them, save for maybe Kiké Hernández and a teammate or two. Oh, and Chris Sale. He’s cool.
For a team that had an excellent 3 ½ months before recently hitting the iceberg, careening off it, and hitting three more iceburgs, there have been quite a few players who have been a prolonged source of frustration. Franchy Cordero has at least two holes in his swing. Bobby Dalbec has 17 walks and 122 strikeouts. Christian Vazquez has a .645 OPS. Garrett Richards, Martín Pérez , and Eduardo Rodriguez all have an ERA above 4.70.
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Marwin Gonzalez was finally shown the door. Matt Andriese got his walking papers today. They’ve made changes, but there are still some major underperformers on this roster.
That’s not why the season is collapsing around them, though. Or not entirely why. Their best players haven’t come through lately. Since July 22, J.D. Martinez has three homers and a .666 OPS in 99 plate appearances. Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers are squeezing the bat into sawdust in big situations. Matt Barnes is pitching like he’s a fan of closer by committee. Reliable Nate Eovaldi had that meltdown against the Jays. Nothing is going right.
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But the most frustrating player? Lately, it’s Martinez. Season-long? Pretty much any starting pitcher that isn’t Eovaldi, though Cordero is a close runner up.
But what does everyone else think? Who has been the Red Sox most frustrating player? You can only choose one! I’ll hear you in the comments.
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www.boston.com
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Who has been the Red Sox' most frustrating player?
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https://www.boston.com/sports/sports-q/2021/08/19/sports-q-who-has-been-the-red-sox-most-frustrating-player/
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[
"Andrew Van Leeuwen",
"Gp Racing",
"James Newbold",
"Stuart Codling",
"Gary Watkins",
"Stefan Mackley",
"Alex Kalinauckas"
] |
2021-08-20 02:11:27+00:00
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2021-08-20 01:46:20
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NASCAR race winner Marcos Ambrose will head up a new young driver training and evaluation programme in Australia.
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https%3A%2F%2Fau.motorsport.com%2Fgeneral%2Fnews%2Fambrose-grm-young-driver-combine%2F6650688%2F.json
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en
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Known as the GRM Combine – Driven by Marcos Ambrose, the initiative will give participants four days of track time at the Symmons Plains and Baskerville circuits in Tasmania later this year.
There they will sample Garry Rogers Motorsport's fleet of TCR, Trans Am and S5000 racing cars as well as receive coaching from the likes of Ambrose, James Moffat, Dylan O'Keeffe, James Golding and Nathan Herne.
The programme is the brainchild of Ambrose, borrowing from similar 'combine' concepts used widely in American sports.
It marks the two-time Supercars champion and NASCAR race winner's first major project since joining GRM as competition director.
“One of the critical factors for drivers aspiring to a motorsport career, and their families and sponsors, is knowing what path to take in the sport," said Ambrose.
“The GRM Combine is a chance for young drivers to sample a variety of high-level racecars – from front-wheel-drive to rear-wheel-drive V8 and open-wheel – and see where they are at with the coaching and benchmarking of GRM’s pro drivers.
"Our intent is to assist drivers and their families with identifying that next step.
“The other element we are passionate about is educating young race drivers, which ultimately creates better drivers and improves the quality of racing. With what I have learnt in my career, and with the knowledge of GRM’s current drivers, we can distil our experiences for the benefit of participants in the Combine.
“This is not a driver search or an audition, but at the same time we are always looking for the next wave of talent and anyone who displays the right skills and attitude could certainly end up racing for GRM in TCR, S5000 or Trans Am.
"Fundamentally, this is all about the best form of training a driver can get – that’s track time, and in racecars which are at the upper levels of the sport.”
Young drivers taking part in the Combine will start out in a Hyundai Excel before moving to a TCR car and then on to the V8-powered Trans Am.
Drivers with sufficient experience, capability and attitude will then be offered the chance to sample an S5000 open-wheeler following some familiarisation laps in a Formula Ford.
A week of work experience at GRM's workshop in Melbourne is an optional part of the Combine.
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au.motorsport.com
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Ambrose to lead new young driver programme
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https://au.motorsport.com/general/news/ambrose-grm-young-driver-combine/6650688/
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[
"Jamie Klein",
"News Editor"
] |
2021-08-20 02:11:34+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:01:22
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The Saitama Toyopet Green Brave SUPER GT team has announced that Kohta Kawaai will skip this weekend's Suzuka race after testing positive for COVID-19.
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https%3A%2F%2Fau.motorsport.com%2Fsupergt%2Fnews%2Fsaitama-toyopet-kawaai-supra-bamba%2F6650679%2F.json
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en
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Kawaai's place aboard the team's GT300 class #52 Toyota GR Supra GT300 alongside Hiroki Yoshida will be taken by series veteran Taku Bamba, who will make his first SUPER GT start since 2018.
A statement from the team said Kawaai is currently recovering at home and that the rest of the team members' PCR tests came back negative.
Japanese Formula 4 graduate Kawaai made his SUPER GT debut last year for the Saitama Toyopet squad, scoring two wins alongside Yoshida to finish second in the GT300 drivers' standings behind Kondo Racing Nissan pair Joao Paulo de Oliveira and Kiyoto Fujinami.
The duo currently lie third in this year's standings after three races with two third-place finishes at Okayama and Motegi.
Bamba, 39, meanwhile returns to the team he raced for full-time in 2017 and '18 before being replaced for 2019 by Yoshida. Prior to that, he was a GT300 champion in 2011 with the Goodsmile Racing team.
Due to his time out of the series, Bamba will have to pass SUPER GT's 'rookie test' in Saturday's free practice session, which essentially means completing 10 consecutive laps at a particular speed.
Yoshida and Bamba go into this weekend's race carrying 66kg of success ballast, courtesy of the 22 points scored by the team so far.
The two crews that jointly lead the standings, Naoya Gamou/Togo Suganami (LEON Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3) and Katsuyuki Hiranaka/Hironobu Yasuda (Gainer Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3) both carry 75kg of extra weight.
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au.motorsport.com
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Saitama Toyopet's Kohta Kawaai to miss Suzuka race
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https://au.motorsport.com/supergt/news/saitama-toyopet-kawaai-supra-bamba/6650679/
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[] |
2021-08-20 02:13:33+00:00
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2021-08-11 00:00:00
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When should social media companies remove posts? A Republican lawmaker says only if they violate the law.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dispatch.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2021%2F08%2F19%2Frep-al-cutrona-wants-stop-facebook-twitter-censoring-users%2F8194828002%2F.json
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A northeast Ohio Republican wants to curb the power of social media companies to determine who gets to post on their platforms.
Rep. Al Cutrona, R-Youngstown, announced plans to introduce a bill that would make it illegal for companies like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to remove user posts or accounts unless their content violated a state or federal law.
Violators could face civil suits for "reasonable attorney’s fees and investigative costs" brought by Ohio's Attorney General.
"Simply put, this is a protection of our First Amendment rights," Cutrona said. "Big tech companies are not like every other business. They're a monopoly. They control the whole arena."
Facebook and Twitter removed former President Donald Trump from their platforms after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Google and Apple banned Parler, a social media app popular with conservatives. And locally, Twitter temporarily restricted U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel's account back in March.
But what Cutrona and other Republicans see as censorship, Democrats call stopping the spread of misinformation.
“The power of this technology is awesome and terrifying, and each of you has failed to protect your users and the world from the worst consequences of your creations,” U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., said during an April hearing with the chief executives of Google, Facebook and Twitter.
The major social media companies have all stepped up their monitoring of the content posted on their platforms in recent years.
Facebook recently announced it took down more than 20 million pieces of misinformation about COVID-19. And Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted that his company bore some responsibility for the spread of misinformation that contributed to the Capitol riot.
Conservatives like Cutrona, however, say all that "fact-checking" has been one-sided.
"They are picking the winners and losers," Cutrona said. "You cannot have a free society where people can't express their opinions."
He'd like to see big tech companies regulated like public utilities (water, electric, phone).
This isn't like choosing where you buy groceries or home supplies, Cutrona said. There aren't strong alternatives to Facebook – especially for people running for office who are looking to connect with their constituents.
Florida Republicans passed a bill back in April that banned the "deplatforming" of politicians. A bill in Texas would apply to all residents, and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio introduced a version at the federal level.
As for Ohio, Cutrona hopes to collect co-sponsors and get his bill to its first hearing as soon as possible.
Anna Staver is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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www.dispatch.com
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Rep. Al Cutrona wants to stop Facebook, Twitter from 'censoring' users
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https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/08/19/rep-al-cutrona-wants-stop-facebook-twitter-censoring-users/8194828002/
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[
"Ruturaj Gowaikar",
"Shambhavi Naik"
] |
2021-08-20 02:02:39+00:00
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2021-08-19 14:23:20
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https%3A%2F%2Ftakshashila.org.in%2Ftakshashila-discussion-document-a-national-epidemic-intelligence-service-for-india%2F.json
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en
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Executive Summary
The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the need for India to develop its own capacity to assess emerging biological threats. Reliance on foreign inputs led to delayed actions such as airport closures or screening/quarantine of incoming travelers.
We propose the formation of an Indian National Epidemic Intelligence Service to monitor emerging outbreaks of novel or existing diseases, assess the threat in an Indian context, and alert public health agencies to take actions to protect Indian citizens. This service builds on India’s already existing intelligence and surveillance units, to create a network of trained personnel who can analyse incoming data, identify threats, secure biological samples and characterise pathogens.
Download this discussion document as PDF
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takshashila.org.in
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A National Epidemic Intelligence Service for India
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https://takshashila.org.in/takshashila-discussion-document-a-national-epidemic-intelligence-service-for-india/
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[
"Nick Wood"
] |
2021-08-20 02:10:35+00:00
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2021-08-20 00:36:36
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Inspector talks of 'sharp rise' in cases
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fhertfordshire-news%2Ffive-taken-hospital-welwyn-garden-5810133.json
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en
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For all the latest news direct to your email inbox sign up here Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up here! Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice
Hertfordshire Constabulary have warned the public to be vigilant following a series of suspected drugs overdoses in recent days.
Officers were alerted by the ambulance service just after 10pm on August 19 to reports that a man had collapsed at an address in Peartree Lane, Welwyn Garden City, following a suspected overdose.
While the man received treatment, a further three men became unwell. All four were taken to hospital by ambulance following suspected heroin overdoses.
Just after midnight on August 20, officers were made aware by paramedics that a fifth man had collapsed from a suspected drug overdose at an address in Knella Road, Welwyn Garden City. He was also taken to hospital for treatment.
Inspector Spencer Neil said: “Earlier this week Public Health England (PHE) issued a warning of a sharp rise in the number of overdoses linked to people using drugs in several areas across England.
“Although at this early stage there is no evidence to suggest the incidents in Welwyn Garden City are linked to other overdose cases across the country, I would like to urge those who use drugs, particularly heroin, to be extra cautious about what they are using, and how much.
“The full PHE advice can be read on the Government website.
“As always, if you have any information about suspected drug dealers in your neighbourhood, please contact police online at herts.police.uk/report, talk to one of our Force Communication Room operators via web chat at herts.police.uk/contact, or call our non-emergency number 101.
“Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit their website www.crimestoppers-uk.org. Always dial 999 in an emergency.
“Hertfordshire Constabulary will be working with PHE, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the National Crime Agency who are leading the investigation into the recent rise in overdose cases across the country.”
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
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www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk
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Five taken to hospital in Welwyn Garden City amid suspected overdoses
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https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/five-taken-hospital-welwyn-garden-5810133
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[
"Aiden Keenan"
] |
2021-08-20 01:53:35+00:00
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2021-08-03 00:00:00
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900 people attended a get-out-the-vote rally at the Agora Theater in downtown Cleveland in support of Nina Turner. Alongside her were Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Ohio State Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and other local political figures. Turner is running to fill the seat in the House of Representatives vacated by...
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https%3A%2F%2Fcarrollnews.org%2F135248%2Fworld%2Fbernie-sanders-campaigns-with-nina-turner-in-cleveland%2F.json
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en
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900 people attended a get-out-the-vote rally at the Agora Theater in downtown Cleveland in support of Nina Turner. Alongside her were Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Ohio State Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and other local political figures. Turner is running to fill the seat in the House of Representatives vacated by Marcia Fudge. In March, Fudge resigned to become the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, leaving Ohio’s 11th Congressional District — and John Carroll — unrepresented in the House.
Turner’s get-out-the-vote events come at a crucial time for her campaign, as polls show her with a seven-point lead over Brown. Sanders spoke about key policy issues that he and Turner agree on, such as the fight for an increased federal minimum wage, expanded child tax credits and establishment of Medicare for all. After the speeches concluded, Turner, Sanders and other key supporters joined voters on a march to the polls, with many attendees choosing to vote early that afternoon.
Turner’s get-out-the-vote events have included a rally at a polling place in Akron Saturday morning as well as Saturday’s rally at the Agora Theater with local leaders and a march to the polls in the afternoon. The first hour of the Agora event was filled with speeches from physicians discussing the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, the founder of Our Revolution encouraging supporters to mobilize themselves and others, and other local leaders and politicians who have publicly endorsed Turner in the race.
Typically, elections for the House come on even-numbered years and representatives serve two years in a term. However, Ohio’s 11th District will have a special election due to the resignation of Marcia Fudge. Ohio’s 15th District will also hold a special election in November because its representative, Steve Stivers, resigned to become president of the Ohio state Chamber of Commerce. These are the only two House seats with elections this year; as a result, big names from Washington continue to canvas on all sides of these races. Turner has raised over $4.5 million for the race, with Turner’s main challenger, Shontel Brown, trailing significantly in fundraising, with only $2.1 million.
More than a dozen Democratic candidates are running for Fudge’s seat, including frontrunners Nina Turner and Shontel Brown. Turner is a former assistant professor of history at Cuyahoga Community College, former councilwoman for the Cleveland City Council and former Ohio State Senator. Brown is a Cleveland native, former councilwoman on the Warrensville Heights City Council and the first woman and Black person to serve as Chairwoman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party. After the primary on Tuesday, Aug. 3, the race will be narrowed down to one Democratic and one Republican candidate, with the general election upcoming in November. Laverne Gore and Felicia Ross will compete for the Republican nomination.
The August primary will likely determine who will next represent the 11th District, as a Republican has not represented this district in the House since the 1980s. Residents have until early October to register to vote in the general election. As the race gains national attention, campaign events are likely to continue over the coming months, mere minutes away from campus. Ohio residents can register to vote until 30 days before the election online through the Ohio Secretary of State website. Individuals who are not yet registered can mail a completed voter registration form, available at University Heights City Hall or several public libraries in the area.
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carrollnews.org
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Bernie Sanders Campaigns With Nina Turner In Cleveland
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https://carrollnews.org/135248/world/bernie-sanders-campaigns-with-nina-turner-in-cleveland/
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[] |
2021-08-20 02:14:20+00:00
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2021-08-19 23:58:00
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T-Mobile customers should take steps to protect their accounts after a large hack affecting almost 50 million people.
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https%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2Farticle%2Ft-mobile-hack-what-to-do.json
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en
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So T-Mobile burned you. Again.
The mobile carrier known for its magenta-hued litigiousness is back in the news this week following a massive data breach which put almost 50 million peoples' data in the hands of hackers. And, because T-Mobile won't specify how or when it's notifying the bulk of affected customers (we asked, repeatedly), it's up to you to go ahead and slam that digital stable door shut.
On Thursday, T-Mobile published a blog post detailing all the steps its customers should take to lock down their accounts. But before we get into that, it's worth emphasizing the breadth and scale of what was stolen — along with the havoc criminals can wreak with that purloined data.
T-Mobile claims that, for 47.8 million current and former postpaid customers (along with prospective clients), hackers may have gotten their hands on full names, birthdays, and social security numbers, along with driver's license and other ID information. For an additional 850,000 prepaid customers, the company says phone numbers and account PINs were also exposed.
That's bad. With phone numbers, names, and account PINs, hackers have all they need to SIM swap victims' accounts — gaining control of their phone numbers in the process. That's even worse, as all types of account password resets are almost always sent to owners' phone numbers. That means there's a very real danger that some T-Mobile users could have everything from their social media profiles to their bank accounts fully taken over.
This is a concern that an untold number of SIM swap victims realized all too late.
We repeatedly asked T-Mobile when, and how, it planned to notify all customers whose data was stolen in the hack. The company wouldn't provide any concrete details.
"At this time we cannot add any additional information outside of the press release we posted last evening," replied a company spokesperson. "While our investigation is ongoing, we shared these initial findings even as we may learn additional facts through our investigation that cause the details to change or evolve."
In the Aug. 17 press release, T-Mobile only says that it "will be notifying accordingly right away" those accounts whose PINs were stolen. Even if it does indeed do this, that potentially still leaves 47.8 million victims in the dark.
What T-Mobile recommends, and why it's not enough
On Aug. 19, T-Mobile published a website dedicated to walking customers through its most recent (but certainly not first) data breach.
In a sign of just how helpful T-Mobile intends to be, the first two recommended steps involve signing up for an identity theft monitoring service and activating T-Mobile Scan Shield — a free service that boasts of futuristic cybersecurity tools like Caller ID.
"We encourage you to complete these actions as soon as possible," reads the blog post.
If you're a postpaid customer, T-Mobile says you can turn on something called "Account Takeover Protection service" which is intended to "protect against an unauthorized user fraudulently porting out and stealing your phone number (postpaid only)." If you're a postpaid customer you should definitely turn this on as it might actually help protect your account. However, a security feature only available to postpaid customers won't do any good for the 850,000 prepaid customers whose PINs were stolen.
It also won't do any good for the millions of former and prospective T-Mobile clients who don't have accounts.
T-Mobile also helpfully suggests people "remain vigilant" and "to be alert for 'phishing' emails."
How to change your T-Mobile account PIN
What you should really, actually do if you're a current T-Mobile customer is change your PIN. That way, if hackers have obtained your PIN and attempt to SIM swap your phone number, it will be much more difficult for them to successfully do so.
To change your T-Mobile PIN:
Log into your T-Mobile account Under the MY T-MOBILE drop-down menu, select My Profile > Profile Information Scroll down, and next to Change PIN select Edit Enter your new PIN twice, then select Save
SEE ALSO: Why you need a secret phone number (and how to get one)
That's it. You've now done more to protect yourself than T-Mobile seemingly ever will.
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mashable.com
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How to secure your account after that massive T-Mobile hack
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https://mashable.com/article/t-mobile-hack-what-to-do
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2021-08-20 01:49:40+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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Since sweeping into Kabul on Sunday and taking over the country, the Taliban insist they have changed and won’t impose the same draconian restrictions they did when they last ruled Afghanistan
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fus-state-department-issues-statementsigned-by-2-dozen-nations-to-taliban-to-protect-afghan-womens-2346519.html.json
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en
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By Associated Press
WASHINGTON: The U.S. State Department has released a joint statement signed by about two dozen nations expressing concern for the rights of Afghan women and girls and urging those in power in Afghanistan to “guarantee their protection."
Wednesday's statement was signed by the United States, Britain, the European Union and 18 other countries. It says the statement's signatories are “deeply worried" about the Afghan women's “rights to education, work and freedom of movement"" in the wake of the Taliban takeover.
“Afghan women and girls, as all Afghan people, deserve to live in safety, security and dignity," it said. “Any form of discrimination and abuse should be prevented. We in the international community stand ready to assist them with humanitarian aid and support, to ensure that their voices can be heard."
It went on to add that the world will “monitor closely how any future government ensures rights and freedoms that have become an integral part of the life of women and girls in Afghanistan" during the last 20 years.
Since sweeping into Kabul on Sunday and taking over the country, the Taliban insist they have changed and won’t impose the same draconian restrictions they did when they last ruled Afghanistan, all but eliminating women’s rights.
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www.newindianexpress.com
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US State Department issues statement signed by 2 dozen nations to Taliban to protect Afghan women's- The New Indian Express
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/us-state-department-issues-statementsigned-by-2-dozen-nations-to-taliban-to-protect-afghan-womens-2346519.html
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2021-08-20 01:48:53+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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The Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme will open with the relocation of 5,000 Afghans at risk due to the current crisis and have the capacity for a total of 20,000 refugees to be relocated
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fuk-to-relocate-5000-afghans-under-new-bespoke-scheme-2346505.html.json
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en
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By PTI
LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday laid out the country's plans for the resettlement of Afghan refugees, primarily women and children, fleeing the Taliban regime with a new "bespoke" scheme.
The Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme will open with the relocation of 5,000 Afghans at risk due to the current crisis and have the capacity for a total of 20,000 refugees to be relocated over the coming years.
Priority will be given to women and girls, and religious and other minorities deemed most at risk of human rights abuses and dehumanising treatment by the Taliban.
"I can announce today that we are committing to relocating another 5,000 Afghans this year, with a new and bespoke resettlement scheme focusing on the most vulnerable, particularly women and children, and we will keep this under review for future years, with the potential of accommodating up to 20,000 over the long-term," Johnson told the House of Commons, as he opened a debate for a special session on Afghanistan in Parliament.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, the minister responsible for finalising the details of the scheme, earlier said that it would take some time for it to be fully operational and that the government is "working at speed" to address all obstacles.
"The UK government will always stand by those in the world in their hour of need when fleeing persecution or oppression," said Patel.
"I want to ensure that as a nation we do everything possible to provide support to the most vulnerable fleeing Afghanistan so they can start a new life in safety in the UK, away from the tyranny and oppression they now face," said the Indian-origin Cabinet minister.
"Our country has a proud history of offering sanctuary to those in need. We will not abandon people who have been forced to flee their homes and are now living in terror of what might come next. The Afghan citizens' resettlement scheme will save lives," she said.
The new route is in addition to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), which offers current or former locally employed staff who are assessed to be under serious threat to life priority relocation to the UK.
The UK Home Office said it is working with international partners to develop a system to identify those most at risk and resettle them.
Boris Johnson is expected to discuss this issue with G7 leaders at a virtual meeting in the coming days, as part of the UK's G7 presidency.
During the special Parliament session on Wednesday, Johnson gave updates on the country's evacuation of British nationals from the crisis-hit region and also the humanitarian aid being allocated for Afghanistan.
"I can tell the House that we have so far secured the safe return of 306 UK nationals and 2,052 Afghan nationals as part of our resettlement programme, with a further 2,000 Afghan applications completed and many more being processed," said Johnson.
ALSO READ | Taliban violently disperse rare protest; one killed, six wounded
"We will also support the wider international community in delivering on humanitarian projects in the region by doubling the amount of humanitarian and development assistance that we had previously committed to Afghanistan this year, with new funding, taking this up to GBP 286 million with immediate effect," he said.
Admitting that the events in Afghanistan unfolded faster than "even the Taliban themselves predicted" since the US troop withdrawal, the UK Prime Minister insisted that the UK as part of the NATO operation had succeeded in its "core mission" for in the region.
"The training camps in the mountain ranges of Afghanistan were destroyed, Al Qaeda plots against this country were foiled because our serving men and women were there, and no successful terrorist attacks against the West have been mounted from Afghan soil for two decades," he told MPs.
And, with reference to the new Taliban led regime in Afghanistan, he added: "We will judge this regime based on the choices it makes and by its actions rather than by its words.
"On its attitude to terrorism, to crime and narcotics, as well as humanitarian access and the rights of girls to receive an education. Defending human rights will remain of the highest priority."
Cross-party MPs participated in the Commons debate with impassioned speeches, expressing concern for the local Afghan families impacted by the crisis unfolding since the Taliban stormed the capital Kabul over the weekend.
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www.newindianexpress.com
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UK to relocate 5,000 Afghans under new 'bespoke' scheme
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/uk-to-relocate-5000-afghans-under-new-bespoke-scheme-2346505.html
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2021-08-20 01:45:22+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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An investigation found that Peng's ideals and beliefs collapsed, and that he had been disloyal to the party, deviated from the Party Central Committee decisions.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fchinas-communist-party-expels-censor-accused-of-corruption-2346390.html.json
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en
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By PTI
BEIJING: China's ruling Communist Party has expelled a leading internet censor and accused him of a range of crimes and rule breaking from corruption to failing to properly guide public opinion.
Peng Bo had been deputy head of the Leading Group for the Prevention and Handling of Cults, a body set up after the party launched a sweeping crackdown against the Falun Gong meditation sect that it viewed as a threat to its authority.
An investigation found that Peng's ideals and beliefs collapsed, and that he had been disloyal to the party, deviated from the Party Central Committee decisions on the online public opinion struggle (and) gave up on positions taken on managing the internet," the party's disciplinary watchdog body said on its website.
Peng also engaged in superstitious activities and illegally received large amounts of property", said the notice, dated Tuesday.
Along with being expelled from the ruling party, he is stripped of all pay and benefits and is being referred for criminal prosecution for numerous violations of discipline and on suspicion of bribery, it said.
The public announcement was unusual both for the sensitivity of Peng's position and the accusations of losing faith and defiance of party orders.
Such notices are generally brief and provide little information of the charges, almost always related to some form of corruption.
China heavily censors the internet and social media platforms for content not in alignment with party policies or that questions the party and state media's version of history and current events or its tight controls over religious expression.
Party officials and internet companies are expected guide public opinion by deleting postings seen as deviant, while content seen as insulting the party or nation can result in a massive backlash from online nationalists and possible criminal prosecution.
President and party leader Xi Jinping has also led a years-long crackdown on corruption that has ensnared numerous serving and retired officials in what some see as politically motivated prosecutions.
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www.newindianexpress.com
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China's Communist Party expels censor accused of corruption
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/chinas-communist-party-expels-censor-accused-of-corruption-2346390.html
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2021-08-20 01:45:29+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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Seven of the top 10 countries where COVID-19 deaths have doubled the fastest are in Asia and the Pacific, with Vietnam, Fiji and Myanmar in the top five, according to Our World in Data.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fdelta-variant-unequal-vaccines-drive-high-south-east-asia-toll-2346430.html.json
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en
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By Associated Press
KUALA LUMPUR: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says Southeast Asia is battling the world’s highest COVID-19 death toll, driven by the delta variant and unequal distribution of vaccines.
Southeast Asia recorded 38,522 deaths from COVID-19 in the last two weeks, nearly twice as many as North America, it says, citing data from John Hopkins University.
Seven of the top 10 countries where COVID-19 deaths have doubled the fastest are in Asia and the Pacific, with Vietnam, Fiji and Myanmar in the top five, according to Our World in Data.
Its Asia Pacific director, Alexander Matheou, called Wednesday for richer countries to urgently share their excess vaccine doses with Southeast Asian nations to curb record surge in infections and deaths in the region.
It said vaccine companies and governments also need to share technology and scale up production to help ramp up low vaccination rate in the region. While the United Kingdom, Canada and Spain have fully vaccinated over 60% of their population, it said Southeast Asian nations are falling far behind.
Malaysia has fully vaccinated 34% of its population, Indonesia and Philippines close to 11% and Vietnam less than 2%. Matheou said each country must aim for mass vaccination rates of 70%-80% for the world to overcome the pandemic.
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www.newindianexpress.com
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Delta variant, unequal vaccines drive high South East Asia toll
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/delta-variant-unequal-vaccines-drive-high-south-east-asia-toll-2346430.html
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2021-08-20 01:48:40+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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The mask mandate has been controversial and has led to many encounters between passengers who don't want to wear a mask and flight attendants asked to enforce the rule.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Ftransportation-security-administration-extends-to-january-mask-rule-for-airline-passengers-2346416.html.json
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en
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By Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Federal officials are extending into January a requirement that people on airline flights and public transportation wear face masks to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The Transportation Security Administration's current order was scheduled to expire September 13.
An agency spokesman said Tuesday that the mandate will be extended until January 18.
The TSA briefed airline industry representatives on its plan Tuesday.
The mask mandate has been controversial and has led to many encounters between passengers who don't want to wear a mask and flight attendants asked to enforce the rule.
The extension, however, was not surprising after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases linked to the delta variant of the virus.
The rule also applies to travellers on public transportation including trains, subways and buses.
In recent days, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have reported that the increase in coronavirus infections has caused a slump in bookings beyond the usual slowdown that occurs near the end of each summer.
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www.newindianexpress.com
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Transportation Security Administration extends to January mask rule for airline passengers
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/transportation-security-administration-extends-to-january-mask-rule-for-airline-passengers-2346416.html
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2021-08-20 01:45:35+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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Gov.Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in El Dorado County, where authorities were considering closing the entire El Dorado National Forest.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fdevastating-wildfires-advancing-through-northern-california-2346426.html.json
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en
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By PTI
SAN FRANSISCO: Northern California wildfires that incinerated two mountain communities continued marching through the Sierra Nevada on Wednesday while a utility purposely blacked out as many as 51,000 customers to prevent new blazes.
Two weeks after the Dixie Fire destroyed most of the Gold Rush-era town of Greenville, the Caldor Fire a few miles southeast exploded through tinder-dry trees and ravaged Grizzly Flats, a forest community of around 1,200 people.
Fire officials estimated that at least 50 homes had burned in the area since the fire erupted Saturday and two people were hospitalized with serious injuries.
Gov.Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in El Dorado County, where authorities were considering closing the entire El Dorado National Forest.
We know this fire has done things that nobody could have predicted, but that's how firefighting has been in the state this year, El Dorado National Forest Supervisor Chief Jeff Marsolais said at a briefing.
Both fires grew by tens of thousands of acres from Monday afternoon through Tuesday, torching trees and burning up brush left tinder-dry by high temperatures, low humidity and drought.
Afternoon gusts drove the flames.
Few homes were left standing in Grizzly Flats, where streets were littered with downed power lines and poles.
Houses were reduced to smoldering ash and twisted metal with only chimneys rising above the ruins.
A post office and elementary school were also destroyed.
Derek Shaves, who had evacuated late Monday, said he visited the town Tuesday and saw his home and most of the houses in his neighborhood had been destroyed.
It's a pile of ash, he said.
Everybody on my block is a pile of ash and every block that I visited but for five separate homes that were safe was totally devastated.
At the Dixie Fire, numerous resources were put into the Susanville area, a city of about 18,000 a few miles from the northeastern edge of the blaze.
Residents were warned to be ready to evacuate and new evacuations were ordered Tuesday for the month-old blaze, which was only a third surrounded.
Late Tuesday, Pacific Gas & Electric said it has begun shutting off power to as many as 51,000 customers in 18 Northern California counties to prevent wildfires for the first time since last year's historically bad fire season.
The utility said the shutoffs were focused in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the North Coast, the North Valley and the North Bay mountains and could last into Wednesday afternoon.
The nation's largest utility announced the blackouts as a precaution to prevent gusts from damaging power lines and sparking blazes.
PG&E has notified utility regulators that the Dixie fire may have been caused by trees falling into its power lines.
The Dixie Fire began near the town of Paradise, which was devastated by a 2018 wildfire ignited by PG&E equipment during strong winds.
Eighty-five people died.
The Dixie Fire is the largest of nearly 100 major wildfires burning across a dozen Western states, including Alaska.
The wildfires, in large part, have been fueled by high temperatures, strong winds and dry weather.
Climate change has made the U.
S.
West warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make the weather more extreme and wildfires more destructive, according to scientists.
(AP) AMS AMS 08181055 NNNN
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Devastating wildfires advancing through Northern California
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2021-08-20 01:45:16+00:00
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2021-07-31 00:00:00
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The wealth gap in China is massive, with the top 10 percent of the population accounting for around 40 percent of national income in the last decade, according to a study.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fchina-eyes-its-rich-in-drive-to-reduce-inequality-2346479.html.json
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By AFP
BEIJING: China's top leaders plan to redistribute wealth, "adjust excessive incomes" and crack down on illicit gains in a bid to tackle inequality that could dent the fortunes of its richest, state media reported Wednesday.
The policy goal, announced in the readout from an economic planning meeting attended on Tuesday by President Xi Jinping, comes amid a sweeping push by Beijing to rein in the country's largest private firms in industries ranging from tech to education.
It also follows a wider effort to alleviate poverty -- a central pillar of Xi's leadership -- and as rumblings from the state crescendo on the type of capitalism China wants to have.
The meeting of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs agreed that China should "make basic institutional arrangements on income distribution," raise incomes for people down the economic pyramid and "adjust excessive incomes and prohibit illicit income," the official Xinhua news agency reported Wednesday.
Xinhua said this was intended to "promote social fairness and justice".
The wealth gap in China is massive, with the top 10 percent of the population accounting for around 40 percent of national income in the last decade, according to a 2019 study in the American Economic Review.
China does not currently have nationwide direct property taxes, and does not levy an inheritance tax.
The number of billionaires in China nearly doubled to more than 1,000 in the past five years, according to the Hurun Report.
Meanwhile, the country's super wealthy became a record $1.5 trillion richer in 2020, including bottled water magnate Zhong Shanshan and Alibaba founder Jack Ma, even as ordinary people struggled to find jobs amid Covid lockdowns last year.
The country's largest private firms have in recent months been hit with new regulations and antitrust probes aimed at curbing their outsized influence on nearly every aspect of life in China, wiping out billions of dollars in shares.
China's tax authorities have also in recent years cracked down on rampant tax evasion in the country, with film star Fan Bingbing's disappearance in a tax evasion probe in 2018 sparking national outrage on under-the-table payments received by the rich.
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China eyes its rich in drive to reduce inequality
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2021-08-20 01:46:41+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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Libya, with a population of 6.8 million, had only administered some 764,233 doses as of August 9, according to the World Health Organization.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fmalta-donates-tens-of-thousands-of-covid-vaccine-doses-to-libya-2346527.html.json
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en
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By Associated Press
VALLETTA: The small Mediterranean island nation of Malta has donated tens of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses to Libya.
After having vaccinated over 90 per cent of the eligible local population, Malta's government decided to donate 40,000 AstraZeneca doses to the nearby North African country, a Health Ministry spokesperson said.
Malta also donated 40,000 rapid test kits.
Malta has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world.
Libya, with a population of 6.8 million, had only administered some 764,233 doses as of August 9, according to the World Health Organization.
Libya is the launching point for tens of thousands of would-be asylum-seekers who pay human traffickers to cross the Mediterranean to get to Europe.
Malta's donation was welcomed by the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge.
In response to a tweet by Malta's health minister, Kluge tweeted: "Thank you very much @chrisfearne & Malta Gvt! You show that international solidarity & national leadership go hand in hand: No one is safe until everyone is safe."
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www.newindianexpress.com
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Malta donates tens of thousands of Covid vaccine doses to Libya
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2021-08-20 01:49:27+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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Health officials said people who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also probably need extra shots.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fus-health-officials-call-for-booster-shots-against-covid-19-2346550.html.json
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en
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By Associated Press
NEW YORK: US health officials Wednesday recommended all Americans get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines' effectiveness is falling.
The plan, as outlined by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top authorities, calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
The doses could begin the week of September 20.
Health officials said people who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also probably need extra shots.
But they said they are awaiting more data and have yet to work out a plan.
The plan is still awaiting a Food and Drug Administration evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose, the officials said.
In a statement, health officials said it is 'very clear' that the vaccines' protection against infection wanes over time, and now, with the highly contagious delta variant spreading rapidly, "we are starting to see evidence of reduced protection against mild and moderate disease."
"Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and death could diminish in the months ahead," they said.
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US health officials call for booster shots against Covid-19
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/us-health-officials-call-for-booster-shots-against-covid-19-2346550.html
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2021-08-20 01:50:00+00:00
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2021-08-10 00:00:00
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China is also insisting on the Taliban to ensure that the ETIM does not function from Afghanistan’s soil targeting Xinjiang as a precondition for the recognition of its government in Kabul.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fwill-decide-on-recognising-taliban-regime-in-afghanistan-only-after-govt-formation-china-2346449.html.json
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By PTI
BEIJING: China on Wednesday said it will decide on extending diplomatic recognition to the Taliban in Afghanistan only after the formation of the government in the country, which it hoped would be "open, inclusive and broadly representative".
“China’s position on the Afghan issue is consistent and clear," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here answering a question when will China accord diplomatic recognition to the Taliban insurgents, which has taken control of Afghanistan.
“If we have to recognise a government, the first thing is that we will need to wait until the government is formed," he said.
“We hope there will be an open, inclusive and broadly representative regime in Afghanistan. Only after that, we will come to the question of diplomatic recognition," he said.
He also reiterated China’s stand that besides forming an “open and inclusive” government in consultations with other factions, the Taliban must also keep its word not to permit any terrorist forces, especially the Uygur militant group from Xinjiang province- the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM).
About Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid's press conference in Kabul where he announced general amnesty to all those who worked for the Afghan government and respect the rights of women "within the framework of Islamic law", Zhao said the restoration of peace is the most imperative task for the militant group.
“We have noted the statement from the Afghan Taliban. We hope it will work with other factions at home through dialogue and consultation and establish an inclusive and open political framework and adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policy and ensure that personnel and institutions of other countries in Afghanistan will be safe," Zhao said.
“At the same time, we hope the Afghan Taliban will firmly fight the terrorist forces including the ETIM and earnestly implement its commitment not to allow any force to use the Afghan territory to engage in terrorist acts detrimental to China,” he said.
Timeline: What USA has done in Afghanistan since Taliban's exit in 2001:
The ETIM, which is stated to be an affiliate of al-Qaeda, is a militant group from China''s volatile Xinjiang province. It is fighting for the independence of the province, which is home to over 10-million Uygur Muslims.
The UNSC al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee has listed ETIM as a terrorist organisation in 2002.
The former Trump administration had removed the group from the US'' list of terrorist organisations in 2020 amid allegations of human rights violations against Uygur Muslims by China in Xinjiang, including interning thousands of them in mass detention centres, which Beijing terms as education camps.
The US has termed China''s security crackdown in Xinjiang as genocide against Uygur Muslims.
China is also insisting on the Taliban to ensure that the ETIM does not function from Afghanistan’s soil targeting Xinjiang as a precondition for the recognition of its government in Kabul.
The Taliban delegation, headed by the head of its Political Commission Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, which visited China last month during its talks with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had promised not to permit the ETIM to function from Afghanistan.
According to a recent UN report, hundreds of militants belonging to the ETIM are converging in Afghanistan amidst the military advances made by the Taliban.
About the Taliban’s promise to respect women’s rights, Zhao said the situation in Afghanistan has experienced major changes.
“We respect the will and choice of Afghan people. The most imperative task at hand is to restore peace and stability and order as soon as possible and to prevent unnecessary casualties” resulting in a large-scale refugee population, he said.
“The safety and interests of Afghan and foreign nationals, diplomatic missions in Afghanistan must be respected and guaranteed," Zhao said.
He said China hopes that the “Afghan Taliban will work with other factions and ethnic groups in solidarity and establish a political framework that is open, inclusive in keeping with national conditions”.
About China’s participation in the reconstruction of war-torn Afghanistan, he said “as a friendly and close neighbour and friend of Afghanistan, China always upholds a friendly policy towards the entire Afghan people which will never change."
"We will continue to support peaceful reconstruction in Afghanistan and to the best of our capability assist Afghanistan in its economic and social development," he said.
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Will decide on recognising Taliban regime in Afghanistan only after govt formation: China
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/will-decide-on-recognising-taliban-regime-in-afghanistan-only-after-govt-formation-china-2346449.html
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2021-08-20 01:50:06+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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Supermarket chain Woolworths confirmed in a statement that a “slippery and rare customer was spotted in the spice aisle” on Monday morning at its store in the suburb of Glenorie on Sydney.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Fwoman-comes-face-to-face-with-snake-in-australia-supermarket-2346466.html.json
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By Associated Press
CANBERRA: Helaina Alati was browsing the spice aisle of an Australian supermarket when she came face-to-face with a huge snake.
The head of the 3-meter-long (10-foot-long) non-venomous diamond python emerged through a space in a shelf above the spice jars in the Sydney store.
“I was in the spice aisle just looking for something to put on my chicken that night so I didn’t initially see it because it was curled up way back behind the little jars of spices,” Alati said Wednesday. “I kind of turned to my right and it poked its head out.”
Alati, who coincidently is a trained snake catcher, said the snake's head came to within 20 centimeters (8 inches) of her own.
“Thankfully, I have a background in snakes so I was pretty calm about it. It definitely shocked me a little bit because I wasn’t expecting it,” she added.
Supermarket chain Woolworths confirmed in a statement that a “slippery and rare customer was spotted in the spice aisle” on Monday morning at its store in the suburb of Glenorie on Sydney’s northwest outskirts.
“Once it was sighted, our team members reacted quickly and calmly to cordon off the area for the safety of customers,” the statement said.
Alati said she used her phone to video the snake as it extended its body from the shelf into the aisle before reporting the intruder to supermarket staff.
“I said: ‘I’ll go get my snake bag.’ I think they thought I was a bit crazy to be honest. I don’t think they knew what to say when I said there’s a 10-foot python in your aisle,” Alati said.
She retrieved the snake-catching bag from her nearby home and caught the snake, which had by then retreated back into the shelf. She then released it into nearby woodlands.
It’s unclear how or when the snake entered the supermarket.
Alati, who was trained to catch venous snakes when she was a volunteer working for a Sydney wildlife rescue organization several years ago, suspected the snake was a male looking for a mate.
“I knew straight away it was non-venomous, it was non-aggressive, it wasn’t going to be a problem for anyone,” Alati said.
“If anything, I think everyone was a little bit excited. We’re all in lockdown so it was kind of like the most excitement we’ve had for a while,” she added.
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Woman comes face-to-face with snake in Australia supermarket
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2021-08-20 01:48:14+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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Pentagon officials said that after interruptions on Monday, the airlift was back on track and being accelerated despite weather problems, amid regular communication with Taliban leaders.
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By PTI
WASHINGTON: The Taliban have agreed to allow safe passage from Afghanistan for civilians struggling to join a US-directed airlift from the capital, President Joe Biden's national security adviser said, although a timetable for completing the evacuation of Americans, Afghan allies and others has yet to be worked out with the country's new rulers.
Jake Sullivan on Tuesday acknowledged reports that some civilians were encountering resistance - being turned away or pushed back or even beaten - as they tried to reach the Kabul international airport.
But he said very large numbers were reaching the airport and the problem of the others was being taken up with the Taliban, whose stunningly swift takeover of the country on Sunday plunged the US evacuation effort into chaos, confusion and violence.
Pentagon officials said that after interruptions on Monday, the airlift was back on track and being accelerated despite weather problems, amid regular communication with Taliban leaders.
Additional US troops arrived and more were on the way, with a total of more than 6,000 expected to be involved in securing the airport in coming days.
The White House said 13 flights Tuesday airlifted 1,100 US citizens, permanent residents and their families from the Kabul airport, adding that the pace was expected to pick up Wednesday and through the week.
The State Department said it was sending John Bass, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, to manage the evacuation operation in Kabul, and the Pentagon said it will send Army Maj.Gen.
Christopher Donohue, a special operations officer and current commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, to take command of airport security operations.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby disclosed that US officers were speaking with Taliban commanders "multiple times a day" about avoiding conflict at the airport.
This suggested that the new rulers of Afghanistan, who swept to power after 20 years of war against the US-supported Kabul government, plan not to disrupt the evacuation.
Kirby would not discuss details of the Taliban arrangement, and Sullivan said the question of how much time the Taliban will give the evacuation was still being negotiated.
Biden has said he wants the evacuation completed by August 31.
Sullivan declined to say whether that deadline would hold.Gen.Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command and overall commander of US troops in Kabul, made an unannounced visit to the Afghan capital Tuesday.
In a written statement, he said he found that military air traffic controllers and ground handlers were rapidly scaling up airlift operations.
McKenzie on Sunday negotiated the safe passage agreement with Taliban leaders in talks held in Doha, Qatar.
I cautioned them against interference in our evacuation, and made it clear to them that any attack would be met with overwhelming force in the defence of our forces, McKenzie said.
The protection of US civilians and our partners is my highest priority and we will take all necessary action to ensure a safe and efficient withdrawal.
At the White House, Sullivan said US officials were engaged in an hour by hour process of holding the Taliban to their commitment to allow safe passage for civilians wishing to leave the country.
Asked whether the Biden administration recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, Sullivan said it was too soon to say and that the Taliban's record of adhering to international human rights standards has not been good.
Overnight at the airport, nine Air Force C-17 transport planes arrived with equipment and about 1,000 troops, and seven C-17s took off with 700-800 civilian evacuees, including 165 Americans, Army Maj.
Gen.William Taylor told a Pentagon news conference.
The total included Afghans who have applied for Special Immigrant Visas and third-country nationals, he said.
The goal is to ramp up to one evacuation flight per hour by Wednesday, with 5,000 to 9,000 evacuees leaving per day, Taylor and Kirby said.
Taylor said that more than 4,000 US troops are now at the airport.
That number is expected to top 6,000 in coming days -- more than twice as many as in all of Afghanistan when Biden announced in April he would be ending the US war and pulling out all troops.
On Monday the airlift had been temporarily suspended when Afghans desperate to escape the country breeched security and rushed onto the tarmac.
Seven people died in several incidents.
The Air Force said Tuesday that its Office of Special Investigations is investigating an incident Monday in which a C-17 transport plane taking off from Kabul airport was swarmed by desperate Afghan civilians, some of whom died.
The Air Force said human remains were found in the plane's wheel well when it landed in Qatar.
Kirby said US commanders at the airport are in direct communication with Taliban commanders outside to avoid security incidents.
He said there have been no hostile actions by the Taliban, and that several hundred members of the now-defeated Afghan army were at the airport assisting in the evacuation.
Kirby said during television interviews that plans were being made to house up to 22,000 evacuated Afghans and their families at three US Army installations in the continental United States.
Those locations are Camp McCoy, Wisconsin; Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Lee, Virginia.
Biden returned to the White House Tuesday night from the Camp David presidential retreat.
On Monday, he had rejected blame for chaotic scenes of Afghans clinging to US military planes in Kabul in a desperate bid to flee their home country after the Taliban's easy victory over an Afghan military that America and NATO allies had spent two decades trying to build.
Biden called the anguish of trapped Afghan civilians gut-wrenching and conceded the Taliban had achieved a much faster takeover of the country than his administration had expected.
The US rushed in troops to protect its own evacuating diplomats and others at the Kabul airport.
But the president expressed no second thoughts about his decision to stick by the U.S.commitment, formulated during the Trump administration, to end America's longest war, no matter what.
I stand squarely behind my decision to finally withdraw US combat forces, Biden said.
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Taliban allowing 'safe passage' from Kabul in US airlift
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2021-08-20 01:49:00+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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Britain announced late Tuesday a resettlement scheme for Afghans fleeing the Taliban after their return to power, offering an initial 5,000 places in the first year, rising to up to 20,000 in the lon
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LONDON: Britain has helped more than 2,000 Afghans to flee the country in recent days, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, as he warned the Taliban must be judged "on actions, not words".
Addressing MPs called back to parliament from their summer holidays for an emergency debate, Johnson also defended his government's handling of the crisis, insisting Britain could not have stayed in Afghanistan without US support.
He said Britain had so far secured the safe return of 306 British nationals and 2,052 Afghan nationals as part of its resettlement programme, while 2,000 more Afghan applications were complete and "many more" were being processed.
"UK officials are working round the clock to keep the exit door open in the most difficult circumstances and actively seeking those we believe are eligible but as yet unregistered," Johnson told a packed House of Commons.
Britain announced late Tuesday a resettlement scheme for Afghans fleeing the Taliban after their return to power, offering an initial 5,000 places in the first year, rising to up to 20,000 in the long term.
The government has said priority will be given to those most at risk, including Afghan women, children and others forced to flee or facing threats and persecution from the hardliners, offering them a chance to remain in Britain indefinitely.
The scheme is modelled on that which resettled 20,000 refugees from the Syria conflict from 2014 to this year.
Some 900 British troops have been rapidly sent back to Kabul to help the repatriation and evacuation efforts.
- Actions, not words -
However, Johnson faced critical questioning from a range of MPs, including many from his own ruling Conservative party, over the chaotic evacuations from Kabul and unfolding situation in Afghanistan.
He said that after conversations with other Western leaders including US President Joe Biden, the allies had "agreed that it would be a mistake for any country to recognise any new regime in Kabul prematurely or bilaterally".
"Instead, those countries that care about Afghanistan's future should work towards common conditions about the conduct of the new regime before deciding, together, whether to recognise it and on what terms," he said.
"We will judge this regime based on the choices it makes and by its actions rather than by its words, on its attitudes to terrorism, to crime and narcotics, as well as humanitarian access and the rights of girls to receive an education".
The Taliban on Tuesday offered a pledge of reconciliation, vowing no revenge against opponents and to respect women's rights, prompting scepticism given their widespread rights abuses before they were ousted from power in late 2001.
Outside parliament, protesters called for Britain to do more to help ordinary Afghans at risk of persecution by the Taliban, including military interpreters.
Campaigners and veterans who served in the conflict have criticised Britain's efforts to resettle interpreters, who fear reprisals because of their work for Western forces.
One of them, Dawran Jan Doranai, 34, resettled in Britain five years ago. He told AFP: "The situation is very bad and there is a serious threat for our families, for our colleagues.
"We are here to say that those left behind should be resettled in the UK and other countries."
Doranai said Britain's pledge to resettle up to 20,000 Afghans in the coming years was a "very good decision" but called for the scheme to include more.
Stan Laight, 31, from the left-wing Stop The War Coalition of campaign groups, added: "We should be taking anybody who is going to be a target for the Taliban."
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UK warns Taliban to live up to its promises
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2021-08-20 01:47:14+00:00
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2021-06-10 00:00:00
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The two Prime Ministers are said to have agreed for the UK and Pakistani governments to keep in “close contact” in the coming days on the evolving situation in the region since the Taliban takeover.
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By PTI
LONDON: Any recognition of the new government in Afghanistan should happen on an "international, not unilateral" basis, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told his Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan, as they discussed the unfolding situation in the crisis-torn country.
As part of a series of phone calls with world leaders to push for a coordinated strategy for the crisis in the region, Johnson spoke to Khan on Tuesday afternoon ahead of a call with US President Joe Biden.
It comes ahead of a parliamentary debate in the House of Commons on the Afghanistan crisis after the UK Parliament was recalled from its summer recess for the special session on Wednesday.
“The Prime Minister stressed his commitment to work with international partners to avoid a humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan and the wider region,” said the Downing Street read-out of the call.
“The Prime Minister underlined that any recognition of the new government in Afghanistan to happen on an international, not unilateral basis," the statement reads.
"He said that the legitimacy of any future Taliban government will be subject to them upholding internationally agreed standards on human rights and inclusivity,” it says.
The two Prime Ministers are said to have agreed for the UK and Pakistani governments to keep in “close contact” in the coming days on the evolving situation in the region since the Taliban takeover.
In his subsequent call with the US President on Tuesday, Johnson welcomed the US and UK cooperation in recent days to help evacuate British nationals, current and former staff, and others from Afghanistan.
“The Prime Minister and President Biden agreed on the need for the global community to come together to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister outlined UK plans including increased humanitarian aid to the region and resettlement of refugees,” Downing Street said.
Women, girls and religious and other minorities, who are at most risk from the Taliban, will be given priority under the UK’s Afghan Citizens'' Resettlement Scheme.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have worked with us to make Afghanistan a better place over the last 20 years,” said Johnson, announcing the scheme.
"Many of them, particularly women, are now in urgent need of our help. I am proud that the UK has been able to put in place this route to help them and their families live safely in the UK," he said.
While the details are still being finalised, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel confirmed on Wednesday that it will be a “bespoke” offer, aimed at resettling up to 20,000 Afghan refugees over the years – 5,000 being eligible in the first year.
"We could end up bringing many more [than 20,000] but first of all we have to have the underpinning and the infrastructure and the support to do that," Patel told the BBC in reference to the scheme, which she stressed is still in its early stages and will “take time” to be fully operational.
The UK government plans to work with third-party agencies, humanitarian organisations and other governments, including the US and Canada, on the resettlement process for thousands of Afghans trying to flee the country after Taliban militia seized control of the capital Kabul over the weekend.
The new plan is on top of the existing scheme for interpreters and other staff who have worked for the UK. Around 5,000 Afghans and family members are expected to benefit from that policy.
Further details will be laid out as Boris Johnson opens the parliamentary debate on Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Johnson is attempting to use the UK's presidency of the G7 to push for a coordinated international response and has held a number of phone calls with European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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No unilateral recognition of Taliban, UK PM Johnson tells Imran Khan
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2021-08-20 01:49:13+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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Earlier in the day, an MoU between the Government of India and the UN in support of the 'Partnership for Technology in Peacekeeping' initiative was signed.
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By PTI
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council, under India's current Presidency, on Wednesday unanimously adopted two significant outcome documents on the issue of peacekeeping, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar underlining that India believes in "walking the talk" when it comes to safety and security of UN peacekeepers.
Jaishankar, the President of the Security Council, hosted an open-debate on peacekeeping under the theme of 'Protecting the Protectors'.
During the meeting, a Resolution on 'Accountability of Crimes against UN Peacekeepers' as well as a Presidential Statement on Technology for Peacekeeping', the first such UN Security Council document on this topic, was adopted.
The Resolution on accountability for crimes against UN Peacekeepers, drafted by India, was co-sponsored by all the members of the Security Council and a total of over 80 UN Member States, signifying the support of the international community to the issue of peacekeeping, which India has highlighted as one of the priority areas during its current Presidency of the powerful 15-nation body.
Through the Presidential Statement, the UNSC, noting that peacekeepers are deployed in deteriorating and complex political and security environments, and face asymmetrical and complex threats including from terrorism, "stresses the need to leverage the technological tools available to support greater situational awareness of peacekeeping missions".
It also stresses on to support their "front-line peacekeepers through measures to improve information acquisition and analysis capacities, including surveillance and monitoring capacities, that will strengthen capacity to take informed decisions at the tactical, operational and strategic levels, within the limits of their mandate and area of operation and in line with existing United Nations guidelines and regulations and consistent with international law, including international humanitarian law."
The Presidential Statement recognises that peacekeepers operate in challenging and perilous environments, and "expresses grave concern at the security threats and targeted attacks against UN peacekeepers in many peacekeeping missions".
It also condemns in the strongest terms the killing of and all acts of violence against UN peacekeepers, including but not limited to detention and abduction of United Nations personnel serving in peacekeeping operations, recalls that attacks on peacekeepers may constitute war crimes, and pays tribute to all peacekeepers who lost their life while serving with the United Nations.
"The Security Council encourages better integration of existing and new technologies, especially digital technology, to enhance field support, implementation of safety and security, and protection of civilians tasks of Security Council mandates," it said.
It also encourages troop- and police contributing countries and field missions to support field-focused, reliable and cost-effective technologies that are driven by the practical needs of end users on the ground, including taking into consideration a gender perspective, consistent with international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and in this regard stresses the need for consultations with Member States and host countries, as appropriate.
On the occasion, India in coordination with the UN also announced the roll-out of the UNITE Aware Platform, which Jaishankar said is an initiative "based on the expectation that an entire peacekeeping operation can be visualised, coordinated and monitored on a real time basis."
"We should ensure that any attack on a peacekeeper or a civilian is predictable, preventable or responded to immediately."
"We have shown today, both in the roll out of the UNITE Aware Platform, as well as the actionable elements of training incorporated in the MoU, that India believes in walking the talk when it comes to the safety and security of UN peacekeepers," Jaishankar said.
The platform is aimed at helping increase situational awareness and provide terrain related information to peacekeepers.
India has contributed USD 1.64 million towards this project.
India, in partnership with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Operational Support, has been working towards developing the mobile tech platform 'UNITE AWARE'.
India has partnered with the UN to roll out the UNITE Aware platform initially in four Peacekeeping Missions: MINUSMA (Mali), UNMISS (South Sudan), UNFICYP (Cyprus) and AMISOM (Somalia).
Earlier in the day, an MoU between the Government of India and the UN in support of the 'Partnership for Technology in Peacekeeping' initiative was signed.
The executing agencies for this MoU would be the Center for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK - on the Indian side) and UN C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) based in Entebbe (Uganda) on the UN's side.
The MoU was exchanged between India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti and Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare during a solemn ceremony at the UN Peacekeepers Memorial.
Jaishankar laid a wreath at the memorial and was joined by Guterres paid homage to the UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives over the years in line of duty.
In his address to the open debate, Jaishankar said it is the Security Council that sends peacekeepers across continents to 'keep the peace' and implement the mandate that it decides.
"It is therefore the duty of this very august body to also ensure that we provide them the means to implement that mandate."
"Landmark UN #SecurityCouncil resolution to 'Protect the Protectors'. Thank all #UNSC members for contribution & active engagement to strengthen protection of UN peacekeepers. Thank all co-sponsors & other member states for readily coming forward to support resolution," Tirumurti tweeted.
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Under India's Presidency, UNSC unanimously adopts two outcome documents on peacekeeping
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2021-08-20 01:47:47+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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A nine-feet tall cold bronze statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was on Tuesday vandalised by an activist of the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.
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By PTI
PESHAWAR: The Sikh community in Pakistan's Peshawar has said that it would bring the statue of first Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, installed at the Lahore Fort, to the city if the authorities in Punjab province cannot protect it after it was vandalised by a religious activist.
A nine-feet tall cold bronze statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was on Tuesday vandalised by an activist of the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
In a viral video, the accused, who has been arrested, could be seen chanting slogans, breaking the arm of the statue and dismantling Singh's bust from the horse and throwing it on ground before being pulled by another man.
Gorpal Singh, the leader of the Sikh community in Peshawar, on Tuesday said they would bring the statue to the city if the Punjab government cannot protect it from miscreants.
Singh said that a delegation of Sikhs would go to Lahore, which is the capital of Punjab, to bring the statue to Peshawar.
The Punjab government should avoid displaying the statue of Ranjit Singh time and again if it could not protect it, he said.
He said that a picture of Ranjit Singh was put on display at Historic Balahisar Fort in Peshawar around six years back and till date no damage had been done to it, while the Punjab government could not protect a single statue.
Singh said that the frequent attacks on the statue hurt the community's feelings and sentiments.
This is not the first time that the statue has been targeted.
The arm of the statue was broken in Lahore last year.
It was also damaged in August 2019 by two young men.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the founder of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century.
The statue shows the regal Sikh emperor sitting on a horse, sword in hand, complete in Sikh attire.
Sculpted by local artists, under the aegis of the Fakir Khana Museum, the statue is meant to invoke the feeling of the emperor being present, with its real-life proportions, and was unveiled on his 180th death anniversary.
Ranjit Singh passed away in 1839.
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Sikh community in Pakistan anguished over vandalisation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue
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2021-08-20 01:49:07+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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India is one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions and has contributed more than 250,000 troops in 49 missions over the years.
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By PTI
UNITED NATIONS: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that the UN peacekeeping missions continue to operate in a variety of challenging settings which involve terrorists, armed groups and non-state actors as he stressed on the need to strengthen the capabilities to secure the peacekeepers.
Jaishankar, who chaired the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Technology and Peacekeeping here in the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, underlined the role of technology in the safety of UN peacekeepers and highlighted the role they play in maintaining peace and tranquillity.
"Since deploying for the first time in 1948, UN peacekeeping missions continue to operate in a variety of challenging settings. This could involve armed groups, non-state actors and terrorists," he said.
"Because the nature of peacekeeping missions and their attendant threats have become more complex, it is vital that our capabilities to secure the peacekeepers keep pace.
"We owe it to them to ensure that our protective efforts meet the highest standards," Jaishankar said.
The 15-member powerful UN body is currently under India's Presidency for the month of August.
India is one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions and has contributed more than 250,000 troops in 49 missions over the years.
Jaishankar also proposed a four-point framework that would lay out a possible architecture for securing UN peacekeepers to meet contemporary threats.
"First, we must focus on operationally proven, cost-effective, widely available, reliable and field-serviceable technologies," he said.
These must also prioritise mobility, both in the sense of agile manoeuvrability of mission assets and in the sense of use of mobile digital/IT platforms, he said, adding that technologies should be environment friendly through use of renewables and fuel efficiency, and use of environmentally-friendly construction materials.
Second, there is a need for a sound information and intelligence foundation which will only ensure early warning and mobilising a coherent and early response, he said.
"A reliable, high fidelity means to collect, use, process and share information and data will create advantages from the start for peacekeeping missions," the External Affairs Minister said.
Precise positioning and overhead visualisation of mission environments is critically important to provide intelligence and enhance the safety and security of mission personnel, he said.
"Thirdly, we must contribute to ensuring that technological improvements are continuous and are available on the ground, in the gear peacekeepers carry and the weapons and tools they use to enhance their mobility, performance, endurance, range, and load-carrying capabilities while guaranteeing their safety and security," Jaishankar said.
This also includes strengthening of communication within missions and enhancing overall capacity to take informed decisions at the tactical and operational level, he said.
Fourthly, consistent training and capacity building of peacekeepers in the realm of technology needs attention and investment.
"It is with this in mind that India is committed to long term engagement with the UNC4ISR Academy for Peace Operations in Entebbe, Uganda, to meet the training needs, link it with available technological capability, and shape future requirements," he added.
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Jaishanka- The New Indian Express
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2021-08-20 01:52:32+00:00
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2021-08-19 00:00:00
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Though they are happy about getting an opportunity to serve at temples under HR&CE Dept, trolls and misinformation cause them agony
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JAYAKUMAR MADALA By
Express News Service
TIRUCHY: The dawn of August 15 came heralding a new beginning in the lives of these priests, ending their 13-year-long wait to perform archana at major temples. These non-brahmin priests heaved a sigh of relief as they could finally recite slokas, spiritual poems, perform archana, and pujas at various temples. Though they are happy about getting an opportunity to serve God at famous temples coming under HR and CE Department, the trolls, memes, and disinformation being spread on social media do cause them a lot of pain.
Chief Minister MK Stalin on August 14 handed over appointment orders to 24 trained non-brahmin archakas to fill vacancies at various temples across the State. Of them, 10 got appointments in Tiruchy temples, including Samayapuram Mariamman Temple and Vayalur Murugan Temple.
Though this has led to debates among political circles, it has brought an end to a long legal battle and hardships faced by these newly appointed archakas.
These are priests who finished their training in 2007 and spent over 13 years waiting to serve God in major temples. The fact that all of them are below the age of 35 shows they have been interested in the spiritual matter and been into related work from a very tender age.
The archakas have been currently allotted sannidhis inside the temples to perform archana, while senior priests continue to do puja in the main sanctum sanctorum.
For Mahesh Kumar (31), the appointment as archaka at Muktheeswarar Temple in Samayapuram is nothing less than a beginning of a social revolution.
"This is surreal. My devotion to God began as a kid, when I started performing abhishekam to small statues in my house. After undergoing all the required training and clearing all interviews, I feel so special to offer prayers in one of the notable temples in the State. So many people who have mocked at me for years are now sending wishes and I am reaping the blessings of all the good deeds performed by my father and forefather."
S Prabhu (30), a son of a tailor; M Velmurugan (33), a son of a farmer; and Sabarinath (33), a former worker at TNPL, it is nothing short of a dream performing archana as a priest to the dieties they have worshipped so long. Prabhu, who has been appointed as archaka at Vayalur Murugan Temple said, "I joined the archaka training centre at the age of 17. After we completed our training, we ran into legal impediments for our appointment. Meanwhile, I took up jobs as priests in private temples here and also in Singapore. I have privately performed rituals for marriages, house-warming events and other functions. Though I was earning enough to run my family, I always wanted to do pujas in historic temples. More than money, it is all about satisfaction."
Velmurugan, who has been appointed as archaka at the Naganathaswamy Temple, said that he felt like he personally got independence this August 15. That he is the only HR and CE appointed archaka at the Naganathaswamy Temple makes him excited, he said.
S Jayabalan (31), working as archaka in Vayalur Murugan Temple said, "My father, grandfather and my relatives have been offering prayers at temples for generations. Familiar with the prayers and slokas from a young age, I decided to join the archaka training school in Palani hoping to get trained properly. I am delighted that the day has finally arrived."
Expressing resentment over trolls on social media, Jayabalan and Prabhu said insensitive comments create a lot of pain. "We have come here to do spiritual work and serve God. We cannot understand why there are so many trolls like this," they said.
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Tamil Nadu: This is dawn of social revolution, say new non-brahmin archakas
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/aug/19/tamil-nadu-this-is-dawn-of-social-revolution-say-new-non-brahmin-archakas-2346727.html
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2021-08-20 01:45:42+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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The videoconference comes after Poland said it deployed nearly 1,000 troops to its border with Belarus to help border guards cope with a surge of migrants - mostly from Iraq - trying to enter the coun
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Feuropean-union-holds-migrant-talks-accuses-belarus-of-hybrid-warfare-2346496.html.json
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en
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By Associated Press
BRUSSELS: European Union ministers are holding emergency talks on Wednesday in response to allegations that Belarus is deliberately sending migrants to Lithuania as part of a “hybrid warfare” campaign to destabilize the Baltic EU member country.
The ministers are holding a videoconference in a so-called “integrated political crisis response” format. Such meetings are usually called to organize a response to natural disasters or terror attacks. Foreign policy, border, asylum and law enforcement officials are taking part.
Movements of people across the border have spiked dramatically since the EU imposed sanctions on Belarus officials. The measures were imposed after President Alexander Lukashenko ordered a crackdown on opponents and protestors after claiming victory in a vote last year that the West denounced as rigged. His main election challenger fled to Lithuania.
The aim of Wednesday’s meeting “is to determine concrete measures and forms of assistance to the affected states in managing and containing illegal crossings at the border with Belarus, also from the aspect of security at this section of the external EU border,” the Slovenian EU presidency said.
The videoconference comes after Poland said it deployed nearly 1,000 troops to its border with Belarus to help border guards cope with a surge of migrants - mostly from Iraq - trying to enter the country.
More than 4,100 migrants have arrived in Lithuania so far this year and are being sheltered in temporary camps across the country.
Lithuania’s border guard service released video footage on Wednesday which it said reveals that migrants are being pushed across the border into EU territory by Belarus riot police. Another video showed several people cross into Lithuania and immediately return to be filmed by Belarus officials.
After talks with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Wednesday, EU Parliament President David Sassoli accused Lukashenko, once dubbed Europe’s last dictator, of “exploiting these poor people, men and women.”
“I have seen these outrageous actions when officials push people across the border. It is both an issue of human rights, and also a question of protecting the border of the EU,” Sassoli said. “It is an organized activity of the Lukashenko regime.”
On the eve of the meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas accused Lukashenko of launching a “hybrid attack” against the 27-nation bloc by channeling migrants to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland in retaliation over the EU’s sanctions.
“We agree that this is hybrid aggression that uses human beings,” Merkel said after their talks in Berlin. Kallas said that “this is no refugee crisis, but this is a hybrid attack on the European Union.”
Merkel said she would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday.
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www.newindianexpress.com
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European Union holds migrant talks, accuses Belarus of 'hybrid warfare'
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/european-union-holds-migrant-talks-accuses-belarus-of-hybrid-warfare-2346496.html
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2021-08-20 01:44:50+00:00
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2021-08-18 00:00:00
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The national capital Canberra, which is surrounded by New South Wales, reported 22 new infections from the cluster that originated in Sydney.
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindianexpress.com%2Fworld%2F2021%2Faug%2F18%2Faustralia-outbreak-grows-spreads-to-new-zealand-2346354.html.json
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en
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By PTI
SYDNEY: Australia's most populous state reported a record 633 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday as concerns grew about the delta variant's spread beyond Sydney.
The previous record in New South Wales, which includes Sydney, was 466 on Saturday.
Three people died on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from the outbreak first detected in Sydney in mid-June to 60.
I can't express enough my level of concern at these rising numbers of cases, state Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said.
I'm incredibly concerned.
Infections were also reported in towns in the west, north and central regions of the state in recent days, Deputy Premier John Barilaro said.
The delta strain is really putting regional New South Wales on that knife edge, Barilaro said.
Sydney has been in lockdown since June 26 and the entire state has been locked down since Saturday.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has rejected criticism that Sydney's lockdown restrictions needed to be tougher, describing the lockdown as extremely harsh and extremely strict and based on expert health advice.
The national capital Canberra, which is surrounded by New South Wales, reported 22 new infections from the cluster that originated in Sydney.
There have been 67 infections detected since the coronavirus was first discovered in Canberra on Thursday last week.
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www.newindianexpress.com
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Australia outbreak grows, spreads to New Zealand
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/australia-outbreak-grows-spreads-to-new-zealand-2346354.html
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