Wednesday, September 8th, 2021 

Sixty Houthi militants and 18 pro-government soldiers are killed during a 48-hour battle over the control of Marib. (Arab News) 

Former president Ashraf Ghani apologizes to the Afghan people and reiterates that he left the country in order to avoid “bloody street fighting” for control of Kabul and also vehemently denies stealing from the country’s treasury. (Al Jazeera) 

Local officials in the Amhara Region report that rebellious forces from the Tigray Region killed 120 civilians in a single village in two days. Tigrayan forces later issue a statement rejecting what they call a “fabricated allegation” and deny any involvement in the killing of civilians. (Reuters) 

Two people are killed and at least 13 are injured by a gas explosion in an apartment in Noginsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia. (Ruptly) (RT) 

The Alohilani Resort in Honolulu will require vaccinations for workers, becoming the first resort hotel in Hawaii to do so. The mandate will take effect on October 15. (KITV) 

The United States has had over 40 million diagnosed cases of COVID-19 with four million of those cases occurring in the last four weeks. (CNN) 

The Economic Community of West African States suspends Guinea‘s membership in the bloc until further notice, in response to the coup d’état in the country. (AFP via The Guardian) 

Police in Hong Kong arrest four members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the pro-democracy organization in charge of the Tiananmen Square protests anniversary vigils as police say that the group refused to submit information on national security grounds. Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemns the group and welcomes the arrests. (CNN) 

A court in Milan, Italy, orders a medical examination of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi as his trial on alleged bribery continues to be delayed due to his hospital visits since it began in 2017. Berlusconi’s lawyers welcome the decision of the court. (Reuters) 

Taliban names new Afghan government  The Taliban on Tuesday unveiled a new Afghan government that includes Islamist stalwarts and puts a U.S.-designated terrorist in control of internal security. The announcement came days before the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which prompted the U.S.-led invasion that drove the Taliban out of power. Also on Tuesday, Afghan protesters staged their largest demonstration to date since the Taliban took over Afghanistan last month. The Taliban responded to the march through Kabul by shooting in the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd, which witnesses estimated at between 300 and 500 people. Some protesters reportedly were beaten or detained. The activists chanted support for resistance fighters continuing to challenge Taliban rule in Panjshir. CNN 

Mexico high court decriminalizes abortion Mexico’s supreme court on Tuesday ruled that a law in northern Coahuila state that imposed prison terms for women for undergoing illegal abortions was unconstitutional. The decision decriminalized abortion and paved the way for its possible legalization in a country with one of the world’s biggest Catholic populations. “Today is a watershed in the history of the rights of women and pregnant people, above all the most vulnerable,” Chief Justice Arturo Zaldívar said. The Coahuila law called for prison sentences of up to three years for women who have abortions. People who helped them also faced possible prison terms. Women’s rights organizations said the ruling could lead to changes across Latin America, where abortion bans are common. Mexico’s Catholic Church had urged the justices not to bow to calls to decriminalize abortion. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Biden tours Ida devastation, warns of ‘code red’ moment on climate change President Biden on Tuesday toured parts of New York and New Jersey devastated by flooding from remnants of Hurricane Ida, warning of a “code red” moment on climate change. “The nation and the world are in peril,” he said. Biden used the trip — his second related to Ida — to urge Congress to take action to fight climate change. He referenced a Washington Post report finding that nearly a third of Americans live in counties hit by weather disasters in the last three months. “Folks, the evidence is clear: Climate change poses an existential threat to our lives, to our economy,” Biden said in New York. “It’s not going to get any better. The question — can it get worse? We can stop it from getting worse.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

White House seeks money for disasters, refugees in deal to avert shutdown The White House on Tuesday asked Congress to add money for disaster relief and Afghan refugee resettlement into a deal to prevent a partial government shutdown later this month. Democratic leaders also are considering including a debt-limit hike in the package. The three elements could “present a triple threat, daring GOP lawmakers to go on record in opposition to aid for disaster-hit communities,” Politico said. President Biden’s budget office is calling for more than $14 billion for disaster-aid needs that preceded Hurricane Ida, with at least $10 billion in disaster funding for Ida alone. The administration wants $6.4 billion for the Pentagon, the State Department, and the Department of Health and Human Services to help them accommodate Afghan allies and partners evacuated from Afghanistan after the Taliban took over the country last month. POLITICO 

Powerful earthquake hits near Acapulco A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook southwestern Mexico near Acapulco on Tuesday night, killing at least one person, a man struck by a falling electric pole. The quake sent chunks of concrete falling to the ground at some of the resort city’s hotels. It was strong enough to be felt in Mexico City, more than 230 miles away. People fled buildings there and sought safety in the streets. About 1.6 million people lost electricity. “It was terrible. It really reminds me of the 1985 quake every time something like this happens,” said Yesmin Rizk, 70, referring to a disaster that killed at least 10,000 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings in Mexico City. THE WASHINGTON POST 

California wildfire season on pace with last year’s record This year’s wildfire season is on pace to match last year’s record of 4.2 million acres burned in the state, Cal Fire Director Thom Porter said Tuesday. Fires have burned about two million acres so far this year, roughly equal to the toll at this point in 2020. The Caldor Fire forced the evacuation of the entire town of South Lake Tahoe before being steered clear. The Dixie Fire farther north is already the second biggest fire in state history, and it is still pushing into new territory. “We are on a par with where we were last year,” Porter said during a briefing. “That’s sobering, that’s the new reality, that’s what we are looking at.” Forecasters say that over the next three months the state will get more of the dry weather and strong winds that have fueled this year’s fires. 

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE 

Hong Kong activists who organized Tiananmen vigil arrested Hong Kong police on Wednesday arrested several members of a group that organized vigils for the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, according to leaders of the group, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China. The arrests came after the activists refused to hand over information authorities demanded for an investigation into allegations that the group was colluding with foreign powers in violation of Hong Kong’s national security law imposed by China last year. At least four people were detained, including vice chairwoman Chow Hang Tung. She denied the group was acting on behalf of foreign powers, writing that the group members were “agents of the Hong Kong people’s conscience.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Texas governor signs voting restrictions into law Texas’ Republican governor, Greg Abbott, signed new voting restrictions into law on Tuesday. The legislation bans 24-hour and drive-thru voting. It also imposes new limits on mail-in ballots and boosts access for partisan poll watchers. Texas joined a growing list of Republican-controlled states that have tightened voting rules in response to former President Donald Trump’s false claims of 2020 voting fraud. Texas has long been a red state, but Democrats have gained ground as the population shifts, with people of color accounting for nearly all the state’s population growth. Abbott said the law makes it “harder than ever for people to cheat at the ballot box.” Opponents of the legislation said it will disproportionately reduce voting access for marginalized voters, mostly people of color and those with disabilities. ABC NEWS 

Britney Spears’ father files petition to end her conservatorship Britney Spears’ father, the conservator of the singer’s estate, filed a petition Tuesday seeking to end the court-ordered, 13-year conservatorship. The move came after Britney Spears in a July hearing called the arrangement “f—ing cruelty,” and said she wanted charges against her father Jamie Spears for “conservatorship abuse.” The Tuesday filing, obtained by CNN, said that if Britney Spears “wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr. Spears believes that she should get that chance.” Britney Spears’ attorney, Mathew Rosengart, called the filing “vindication,” but added that Mr. Spears should not be able to “avoid accountability and justice.” A previously scheduled hearing in the case is coming up on Sept. 29. CNN 

Tuesday,  September 7th, 2021 

Duwa Lashi La, leader of the anti-junta National Unity Government, calls for a national revolt and uprising against the military government led by Min Aung Hlaing and for a “defensive war” in “every corner of the country; every village, town and city”. (Deutsche Welle) 

As the military consolidates power in the country, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya vows to free all “political prisoners” without mentioning any specific people or referring to deposed president Alpha Condé. Condé opposition groups welcome the news but say that no prisoners have been released. (Deutsche Welle) 

Around 300 to 500 protesters, including women, took to the streets of Kabul. The Taliban used gunfire, detentions and beatings to disperse the crowds. (CNN) 

El Salvador becomes the first country in the world to adopt the cryptocurrency Bitcoin as legal tender as well as the national currency as the Bitcoin Law comes into effect. However, a small but growing number of people opposed to the new law protested against it in the capital, San Salvador. (Al Jazeera English)  

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck just outside the tourist city of Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, killing at least one person and leaving more than 1.6 million without electricity. (Reuters)  

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare signs a agreement with the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to purchase 150 million doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine that will be manufactured and distributed domestically by Takeda beginning next year. (The Japan Times) 

Turkey reports its first two cases of the Mu variant, which was originally detected in Colombia. (Anadolu Agency) 

Venezuela receives their first shipment of 693,600 doses of the Sinovac Coronavac vaccine supplied through the COVAX initiative. (Bloomberg) 

In a unanimous vote, the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation rules that criminalizing abortion is unconstitutional, setting a precedent for the legalization of abortion. (The New York Times) 

Human Rights Watch accuses security forces in Egypt of killing 755 people, mainly members of the Muslim Brotherhood, during extrajudicial executions, between 2015 and 2020. Security forces claimed that the deaths only occurred during “shootouts”. (BBC) 

The Supreme Court of Cape Verde approves the extradition of Alex Saab to the United States for alleged money laundering on behalf of the Venezuelan government. Saab was arrested in Cape Verde in June 2020, when his plane stopped there for refuelling while flying to Iran. (Reuters) 

The Taliban names Mohammad Hassan Akhund as the leader of Afghanistan and Abdul Ghani Baradar as the deputy leader of the country. Akhund was an associate of the late Mullah Omar. (Reuters) 

4 Americans escape Afghanistan by land as Taliban blocks evacuation flights Four Americans safely left Afghanistan by land in what one State Department official described Monday as the first such escape since the Taliban took control of the country as the last U.S. forces were leaving. “Our Embassy greeted the Americans as they crossed the border into the third country,” an official told CNN. All four were in good condition. The Taliban reportedly knew the Americans were heading to the border and did not stop them. In Mazar-i-Sharif, several planes are ready to evacuate more U.S. citizens and permanent residents but reportedly are being denied permission to leave by the Taliban. The news came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Qatar to thank Qatari leaders for help in the rushed mass airlift of Americans and vulnerable Afghans. CNN 

Ohio judge reverses order for hospital to give COVID patient ivermectin An Ohio judge on Monday reversed another judge’s ruling that required a hospital to give a COVID-19 patient ivermectin, a drug commonly used to deworm livestock that has not been proven effective in coronavirus cases. Julie Smith, whose husband, Jeffery Smith, was on a ventilator with COVID-19, sued West Chester Hospital after it declined to give him the drug, even though Smith had found a doctor to prescribe it. Common Pleas Judge Michael Oster said he was “sympathetic” but “does not support allowing a physician to try ‘any’ type of treatment on human beings.” One of Smith’s attorneys, Ralph Lorigo, said Smith would not appeal because her husband had received ivermectin for 13 days and would soon be well enough to be taken off the ventilator. THE HILL 

Guinea coup leader orders ministers not to leave country The leader of a coup in Guinea, Col. Mamady Doumbouya, on Monday ordered ministers from the ousted government to hand over their official vehicles, and not to leave the West African nation. Doumbouya gave the order in a meeting with the ministers a day after his forces took over and he announced that the government and constitution had been dissolved to end what he said was corruption under President Alpha Condé. Doumbouya had warned the ministers he would consider it an act of rebellion if they didn’t attend the meeting. Doumbouya urged mining companies to keep working, and exempted them from a national curfew. A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. denounced the coup, saying it would “erode Guinea’s prospects for peace, stability, and prosperity.” NPR 

Canada’s Trudeau hit with gravel after criticizing ‘anti-vaxxer mobs’ Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was hit by little rocks Monday night as a crowd of protesters gathered around his campaign bus after an event in London, Ontario, about 120 miles southwest of Toronto. Trudeau last month called a snap election for Sept. 20, and his campaign has had several run-ins with angry opponents of COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Trudeau told reporters Monday night that his shoulder “might have” been hit by “little bits of gravel,” adding, “It’s no big deal.” CTV National News said two reporters traveling with Trudeau were also struck by the little rocks. Trudeau’s Conservative Party challenger, Erin O’Toole, called the gravel-throwing incident “disgusting” on Twitter. “Political violence is never justified and our media must be free from intimidation, harassment, and violence,” he said. BBC NEWS 

Ex-Marine accused of killing 4 in Florida denied bail A Florida judge on Monday denied bail to a former Marine sharpshooter accused of fatally shooting four members of a family, including a baby, near Lakeland. Bryan Riley, 33, faces four counts of first-degree murder. The victims included a 33-year-old woman, her baby, a 62-year-old woman, and 40-year-old Justice Gleason, the first victim identified. Riley told investigators he didn’t know the victims, according to the arrest affidavit, and authorities did not release a possible motive for the killings. Riley was injured in a shootout with sheriff’s deputies, and allegedly tried to take an officer’s gun as he was being transported to a hospital. Riley reportedly said voices told him to shoot people. When asked why shot the infant, he reportedly said, “Because I’m a sick guy.” ORLANDO SENTINELTHE WASHINGTON POST 

Ryanair abandons potential Boeing 737 MAX order over pricing Ryanair said Monday it was scrapping a potential order for Boeing 737 MAX jets, the latest setback for Boeing as it tries to recover market share it lost during the two-year grounding that followed two deadly crashes. Ryanair, a Dublin-based budget carrier that is Boeing’s biggest customer outside of the U.S., said the decision came after a dispute over pricing. Ryanair bought 75 737 MAX jets last year in a vote of confidence for the planes, and recently said it had spent 10 months negotiating a possible order for more. Analysts had been following the discussions to gauge how quickly Boeing would be able to get deliveries back on track after the crisis. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

‘The Wire’ actor Michael K. Williams dies at 54 Actor Michael K. Williams, best known for portraying stickup man Omar Little in the HBO series The Wire, was found dead in his Brooklyn home on Monday. He was 54. New York City authorities are investigating the cause of death. Williams worked as a dancer for singers George Michael and Madonna before he was 30. He then moved into acting, and landed a role as a drug dealer in Martin Scorsese’s Bringing Out the Dead before his breakthrough role in The Wire. Williams struggled in his personal life, wasting much of what he earned from The Wire on drugs. He was nominated for an award in this month’s Primetime Emmys for his role as Montrose Freeman in the HBO show Lovecraft Country. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Monday,  September 6th, 2021 

The Taliban repeats its claim of having captured all of Panjshir Province, releasing footage of Taliban militants in front of the gubernatorial palace in Bazarak, the capital of the province. The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan continues to deny the Taliban’s claims. (Reuters) 

Anti-Taliban forces in Panjshir claim to have been bombed by Pakistan Air Force drones, accusing Pakistan of directly supporting the Taliban offensive. (The Hindustan Times) 

In a single day, 11 more dead bodies of Tigrayans wash up along the Setit River, most likely coming from Humera. According to refugees from Humera, Amhara militants have rounded up thousands of Tigrayans and forced them into makeshift mass detention camps while those of other ethnicities were safe, particularly those of the Amhara ethnicity. Inside these detention camps, people were crammed together on the floor without rooms or partitions to create privacy. These people were also not given food and sometimes did not even have access to a toilet. (CNN) 

The military junta led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya announces an indefinite nightly curfew in the country, and says that Guinea‘s governors will be replaced by regional commanders of the military. The junta also refuses to issue a timeline for the release of deposed President Alpha Condé, saying that the former leader still has “access to medical care and his doctors”. (AP) 

Doumbouya announces the formation of a new government soon and says that there will be no “witch-hunting” of ministers or former ministers of the Condé government. (BBC) 

Police in Algeria arrest 27 members of the separatist group MAK, which has been blamed for two recent attacks in northern towns. The group is known for seeking independence for the Berber-speaking region of Kabylie. Algeria cited Morocco‘s support for the group as a reason for suspending diplomatic relations last week. (Reuters) 

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announces that the historic Monument to Christopher Columbus in Paseo de la Reforma will be permanently replaced by a statue of a woman from the indigenous Olmec civilization. Sheinbaum says that the move is not an attempt to “erase history” but to instead deliver “social justice“. The Columbus statue is reportedly being moved to a small park in the Polanco neighborhood. (BBC) (USA Today) 

The government of Colombia, through the Superintendency of Corporations, ceases its control of the petrochemical firm Monómeros S.A. that had been under the management of the Venezuelan transitional government. This intervention takes place one week after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called for the opposition to return control of the enterprise to Venezuela. (Semana) 

The Danish governmment cancels its plans for a national vaccine production tender after they agreed to support Bavarian Nordic‘s vaccine development with financial aid of DKK 800 million (US$128 million). (Medwatch) 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signs the HERO Act, a legislation that would provide protection to state workers in their workplaces. (New York Daily News) 

The German government calls on Russia to cease its cyber-attack operations, alleging phishing attacks against members of the Bundestag. Those accused are believed to be “cyber-actors of the Russian state” and specifically from the GRU. (Washington Post) 

A court in Minsk, Belarus, finds opposition activist Maria Kalesnikava guilty of “trying to seize power and extremism” and sentences her to 11 years in prison. Kalesnikava had destroyed her passport to avoid being expelled from the country. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya promises to release Kalesnikava “much earlier than these 11 years” and condemns the verdict. (Reuters) 

The End Tuesday