Sunday, September 19th, 2021 

Three Taliban members and two civilians are killed when a bomb, planted by ISIL–K, explodes near a Taliban vehicle in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. (The Guardian) 

A recently declassified Australian intelligence report from 1998 reveals that the government was fully aware that the Indonesian military had massacred peaceful protesters from the Free Papua Movement, which was not publicly acknowledged or condemned by Australia at the time. Guardian Australia speculates that supporting photographic evidence may have been destroyed by Australian authorities. (The Guardian) 

Iran reopens museums in Tehran and other large cities with sanitary protocols after a year-long closure due to the pandemic. (AFP via Radio France Internationale) 

The Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, erupts for the first time in fifty years. A few hours later, the first preventive evacuations of people with reduced mobility from nearby towns took place after the declaration of a state of pre-eruption. (Reuters)  

Sixty-three African penguins are dead after being stung by a swarm of bees in Simon’s Town, South Africa. The African penguin is an endangered species. (BBC) 

The United States closes the Mexico–US border near the Texas city of Del Rio after thousands of Haitian migrants arrived at the International Bridge near the city. The U.S. will also begin flying the migrants back to Haiti. (AP) 

A body “consistent with the description” of missing social media personality Gabby Petito is found in Bridger–Teton National Forest in Wyoming. (CBS News) 

The Israel Defense Forces announces that all six Palestinian fugitives have been recaptured, after the last two, who are part of the Islamic Jihad Movement, were arrested in the Palestinian city of Jenin through a joint operation with the Yamam. (AFP via The Times of India) 

The new Taliban mayor of Kabul, Hamdullah Nomani, asks women to stay at home in case their job can be filled by a man. Nomani also added that the Taliban “finds it necessary to stop women from working for a while” and instead urged them to work in places where men cannot go due to gender segregation. (BBC) 

Australian Industry, Science and Technology Minister Christian Porter resigns amid criticism for receiving anonymous donations in his defamation case against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, who reported on historical rape allegations against him. (The Guardian) 

Hundreds of protesters call to “kick out” prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on the 15th anniversary of the 2006 Thai coup d’état, which ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. (Al Jazeera) 

Australia PM: France would’ve been aware of submarine concerns Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday said France “would have had every reason to know that we have deep and grave concerns” about the French-built submarines Canberra had initially agreed to purchase before canceling the contract and reaching a separate agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom. The move sparked surprise and anger in Paris, and French President Emmanuel Macron recalled France’s ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia in response. It doesn’t appear the French government will be satisfied with Morrison’s latest words — on Saturday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accused its allies of “duplicity, a major breach of trust, and contempt.” BBC 

Rally in support of Jan. 6 rioters draws sparse crowd in D.C. United States Capitol Police estimate the “Justice for J6” rally, a demonstration in support of the hundreds of rioters charged with crimes during the Capitol breach on Jan. 6, drew about 400-450 attendees in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. Organizers were hopeful the crowd would reach about 700, but it appears a heavy security presence likely contributed to the smaller gathering. The Washington Post reports that the right-wing activists were outnumbered by police, journalists, and counter protesters. The event was mostly without incident, though police did make four arrests throughout the day, seizing two weapons.  THE WASHINGTON POST 

Kabul mayor says female city employees must stay home In yet another sign that the Taliban may continue to restrict women’s rights in Afghanistan, female employees in the Kabul city government must stay home unless their work cannot be replaced by men, the capital’s interim mayor said Sunday. The latest development follows announcements that limit the ability of girls and women to continue their education, despite previous Taliban rhetoric suggesting that would not be the case. The group also shutdown Afghanistan’s Women’s Affairs Ministry and replaced it with a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice,” which will enforce Sharia law. Just over a dozen women staged a short protest against the Taliban’s rules on Sunday, while other activists held a news conference in the basement of a private home and said they would demand the Taliban re-open public spaces to women. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

First all-civilian crew returns from space The first fully amateur, private space crew returned to Earth on Saturday night, their SpaceX Dragon capsule splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. Inspiration4 launched on Wednesday and spent three days in orbit. The crew members, none of whom were astronauts, didn’t share many updates with the public while they were up there, and the first live audio or visuals from inside the capsule came two days after launch, so it’s not entirely clear how they were feeling during the mission. Many astronauts have reported motion sickness symptoms after arriving in space, CNN notes, though it’s also possible the crew members simply wanted to enjoy their experience privately, a luxury that astronauts on government-funded missions don’t have. CNN

Putin’s party poised to retain power as Russians vote Russians took to the polls on Sunday for the final stretch of a three-day parliamentary election that will almost certainly keep President Vladimir Putin’s ruling United Russia party in power. Ahead of the vote, the Kremlin barred certain opponents from running and cracked down on jailed Putin critic Alexey Navalny’s movement. United Russia, which holds nearly three quarters of the State Duma’s 450 seats, has taken a ratings hit of late due to a drop in living standards, but it was still polling ahead of its closest rivals on the ballot, the Communist Party and the nationalist LDPR party, both of which often back the Kremlin anyway, Reuters notes. Meanwhile, Navalny and his allies have accused Google and Apple of caving to Putin and limiting access to their tactical voting campaign, which amounts to supporting the candidate most likely to take down the United Russia candidate in any electoral district. REUTERS 

Texas doctor pens op-ed explaining why he violated new abortion ban Dr. Alan Braid, a San Antonio-based physician, wrote an op-ed published by The Washington Post on Saturday explaining why he violated Texas’ recent abortion ban just five days after it went into effect earlier this month. The law prohibits nearly all abortions after six weeks into a pregnancy, but Braid said he “had a duty of care to this patient,” who was in her first trimester, but beyond the new limit. He said that during his residency in 1972, a year before the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, he saw “three teenagers die from illegal abortions,” and he fears similar situations will happen again. While Braid understands he could face legal consequences, he added that he wants to ensure Texas doesn’t “get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested.”  THE WASHINGTON POST 

Notre Dame ready for restoration work Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral remains on course to reopen in 2024, authorities said Saturday. The landmark, which suffered damage after an incidental fire in 2019, is finally ready to undergo restoration after workers completed efforts to secure the structure. Before things get underway, however, companies will bid for contracts to work on the restoration process. The goal is to hold the cathedral’s first full Mass on April 16, 2024, five years after the fire. Paris will also host the Olympic Games that year, so there’s likely motivation to have one of the city’s most visited tourist sites back open to the public. The cathedral will be restored to its previous design, including the 315-foot spire that collapsed during the blaze. THE GUARDIAN

Saturday, September 18th, 2021 

Two bombings in Jalalabad and two more in Kabul kill seven people and injure 30 others: one of the attacks targeted a vehicle carrying Taliban members. (Al Jazeera) 

A Guinea junta spokesman for leader Mamady Doumbouya says that Doumbouya shrugged off threats of economic sanctions by ECOWAS when confronted with them, saying that “as soldiers, their work is in Guinea and there is nothing to freeze in their accounts.” Talks are also ongoing to allow ousted president Alpha Condé to leave Guinea, a petition to which the junta has refused permission. (Reuters) 

Indonesian soldiers and police kills the East Indonesia Mujahideen leader Ali Kalora and commander Jaka “Ikrima” Ramadhan during a joint operation at a village in Sulawesi. (Al Jazeera) 

One person is killed and seven more wounded during a grenade attack at a volleyball match in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, Philippines. (Manila Standard) 

ISIL claims responsibility for an attack on a gas pipeline and power station in Deir Ali, Syria, that caused power outages in Damascus and other areas of the country. (Reuters) 

French authorities say that the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris will reopen in 2024. (France24) 

American Samoa announces the first recorded case of COVID-19 in the territory. The patient tested positive after returning from Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 13. In response, the American Samoan government suspends all flights to Pago Pago International Airport. (RNZ)(Samoa News)(Civil Beat) 

Finland reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Mu variant, which was first detected in Colombia. (Yle) 

A rally is held near the United States Capitol to express solidarity with the people arrested for their roles in the January 6 riot. A fence is erected outside the building amid fears of violence, with four participants being arrested. (WRC-TV) 

Over the last 48 hours, Del Rio, Texas, sees an increase in border crossings with approximately 10,000 migrants, primarily from Haiti who traveled through Central and South America. The migrants are currently being kept in a camp underneath an overpass bridge and provided emergency supplies before being sent to either a Border Patrol station or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Migrants are reportedly using instructions circulated on WhatsApp to evade border security based on interviews conducted at the camp. (Reuters) 

Houthis in Yemen execute nine men by firing squad over their connection with the death of Saleh Ali al-Sammad, who was killed in a Saudi airstrike on Yemen‘s west coast in April 2018. (Reuters) 

The Taliban replaces the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with a new ministry named the Ministry for Preaching and Guidance and the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, in what analysts say is a setback for women’s rights in the country. (Al Jazeera) 

Activists in Italy say that they have gathered enough signatures in order to trigger a referendum on liberalising the use of cannabis. (Reuters) 

SpaceX‘s Inspiration4 mission lands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida, completing the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight. (AFP via Mint) 

In nine-ball pool, Carlo Biado of the Philippines defeats Aloysius Yapp of Singapore, 13–8, in the final to win the championship held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (ESPN) 

Pentagon admits August drone strike killed 10 Afghans The Pentagon on Friday admitted that a drone strike in Kabul on Aug. 29 — initially calculated to target ISIS-K and prevent an attack on Americans troops — resulted in the deaths of 10 civilians, including seven children. United States Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said the “strike was taken in the earnest belief that it would prevent an imminent threat to our forces and the evacuees at the airport, but it was a mistake and I offer my sincere apology.” He added that he is “fully responsible” for the fatal error. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Zemari Ahmadi, the driver of the targeted vehicle, “was just as innocent a victim as were the others tragically killed,” while Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley, who had previously defended the Aug. 29 drone operation, also condemned the “horrible tragedy.” THE WEEK 

France recalls ambassador to the U.S. France has recalled its ambassadors to both the U.S. and Australia in protest of the countries’ controversial nuclear submarine partnership. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday that the “exceptional decision,” apparently made by President Emmanuel Macron, “is justified by the exceptional gravity of the announcements made on 15 September by Australia and the United States.” On Wednesday, the U.S. announced a new nuclear submarine partnership with Australia and the U.K. that effectively cancels out an existing defense deal between Australia and France. Le Drian called the arrangement a “stab in the back.” The White House, for its part, will “continue to be engaged [with France] in the coming days to resolve our differences, as we have done at other points over the course of our long alliance,” an official told CNBC. France does not appear to have recalled its ambassador from the United Kingdom. CNBC 

D.C. prepares for “Justice for J6” rally Washington, D.C., is bracing for a Saturday rally in support of the hundreds of people who were charged with crimes after breaching the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to overturn President Biden’s election victory over former President Donald Trump, who pushed baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Hundreds of police officers will be on duty in the nation’s capital, an eight-foot-high fence is again surrounding the Capitol complex, and 100 National Guard troops are on standby in case extra security is needed. Organizers of the “Justice for J6” rally said the event will be peaceful. Earlier this week, Trump expressed sympathy for his supporters who are now being prosecuted, describing them as “political prisoners. REUTERS 

Taliban replaces Afghanistan’s Women’s Affairs Ministry The building that once housed Afghanistan’s Women’s Affairs Ministry will now be the office of the Taliban’s ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice.” It’s yet another sign that, despite rhetoric suggesting otherwise, the group will again restrict women’s rights. Relatedly, the Taliban announced that boys in grades 7-12 should return to school alongside their male teachers, but there was no mention of girls or female teachers. Previously, the Taliban’s higher education minister said girls could continue their studies, including at the university and post-graduate level, in gender-segregated settings. The latest declaration appears to contradict that, which left Mabouba Suraj, who heads the Afghan Women’s Network, to speculate whether more moderate, pragmatic voices within the Taliban are losing out to hard-liners at the moment. BBC 

Images suggest North Korea expanding uranium enrichment facility Satellite images captured by commercial imaging company Maxar earlier this week appear to reveal that North Korea is expanding a facility capable of enriching uranium for nuclear weapons. The renovations likely suggest Pyongyang is aiming to ramp-up production at the site, which has been dormant, in the near future. Jeffrey Lewis, a weapons expert and professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, told CNN that the facility’s new area is enough space to house 1,000 additional centrifuges, which could eventually increase the plant’s capacity to produce highly enriched uranium by 25 percent. The images line up with U.S. intelligence assessments about North Korea’s commitment to its weapons program, as well as a recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the fact that Pyongyang has been conducting missile tests in recent days. CNN 

Bureau of Land Management returning to D.C. The headquarters for the Bureau of Land Management will again be in Washington, D.C., after the Trump administration moved operations solely to Grand Junction, Colorado, in 2019. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland informed staffers of the news during a phone call Friday. The move out West caused upheaval in the agency, resulting in the departure of 90 percent of staff who worked at the D.C. headquarters, The Washington Post reports. The Trump administration said the decision was made because the vast majority of lands managed by the agency are in the Western United States, though current and former employees have said they believe the previous White House sought to weaken the bureau because it does environmental assessments and regulates the fossil fuel industry. The Grand Junction office will remain as the Western headquarters. THE DENVER POST 

Longtime Algerian President Bouteflika dies at 84 Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika died on Friday after years of ill health. He was 84. Bouteflika rose to prominence during after Algeria’s war of independence from France and eventually became president in 1999 following a 10-year period of political violence in the country. He stayed in power until 2019 when he resigned in response to large scale protests against corruption and economic mismanagement. By that point, Bouteflika had rarely been seen in public since 2013 when he was incapacitated by a stroke. In 2014, he was elected to a fourth consecutive term despite not appearing in person on the campaign trail. While Bouteflika oversaw an era of calm in Algeria, things were often rockier behind the scenes as he fought to maintain ultimate authority and economic stability remained reliant on soaring oil prices. When they dropped in 2014, the public mood changed. THE FINANCIAL TIMES 

Jury finds Robert Durst guilty of 1st-degree murder A Los Angeles jury found Robert Durst guilty of first-degree murder for the killing of his longtime friend Susan Berman more than 20 years ago. Berman was murdered in 2000 at her home in Beverly Hills hours before she was set to talk to investigators about the disappearance of Durst’s first wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst, who was last seen in 1982 and declared legally dead in 2017. The jurors agreed Durst’s crime met “special circumstances” under California law that allow the 78-year-old to be sentenced to life without parole. A judge is scheduled to set the terms next month. Durst, a millionaire real estate heir, was the subject of a 2015 HBO documentary miniseries called The Jinx. CNN 

Friday,  September 17th, 2021 

Marine Corps General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. acknowledges that a drone strike conducted by the U.S. military on August 29 near Kabul International Airport killed 10 civilians instead of ISIL-K militants. (The New York Times) 

Eighty telecommunication towers owned by Mytel have been destroyed in Myanmar, leaving 700,000 people without communication. The People’s Defence Force has claimed responsibility for the destruction. (CNA) 

South Korea approves the Celltrion antibody COVID-19 treatment for infected adults in high-risk groups and adults with severe symptoms. (Reuters) 

A five-month survey finds that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective vaccine against hospitalization due to COVID-19. The study found that Moderna’s vaccine candidate had a 93% effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations, compared to 88% for Pfizer’s, and 71% for Johnson & Johnson’s. (CBS News) 

Guinea declares an end to the outbreak of the Marburg virus disease in the country. (CNN) 

The Australian Defence Minister announces that the new strategic partnership will also include increased numbers of U.S. bombers and airplanes being based out of Australia. In addition, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace notes that the deal has revealed a loophole in nuclear policy that does not bar states without nuclear weapons from obtaining nuclear technology for submarines and that this falls outside of IAEA inspections. (ABC News Australia) (Foreign Policy) 

France recalls its ambassadors from the United States and Australia in protest of the security pact, which also includes the United Kingdom. The French Foreign Ministry says that the “exceptional decision” was justified by the seriousness of the pact, which has replaced its own security agreement with Australia. (BBC) 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization grants membership status to Iran. (Nikkei Asia) 

In escalating tensions over the past week, North Korea accuses the United States of double standards when it comes to condemning missile tests, saying that the U.S. only condemned North Korea the same day that South Korea also tested missiles. North Korean state media cited its chief as saying that the American response was a “vivid revelation of the American-style double-dealing attitude” and also says that unless “the U.S. drops its hostile policies towards North Korea, denuclearization can never be put on the table” of negotiations. (Reuters) 

Ukraine and the United States announce that they will begin joint military exercises involving 15 other countries in western Ukraine next week. (VOA) 

Ank Bijleveld, the Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, resigns following a motion of censure for her handling of the Dutch evacuation during the Fall of Kabul, a day after the resignation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigrid Kaag. (NOS) (Radio France Internationale) 

Thousands of Haitian migrants shelter in impromptu Texas camp About 10,000 Haitian migrants are sheltering under a border bridge in South Texas after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico. Authorities in Del Rio said they expected more people to arrive at the camp in the coming days, exacerbating an unprecedented humanitarian and logistical crisis. Many people in the wave of Haitians heading north spent years in Brazil or other South American nations following Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake, and have resorted to using smuggling operations to get into the United States. Customs and Border Protection said “drinking water, towels, and portable toilets have been delivered for migrants to use while they await to be transported to a facility.” The sudden influx comes as illegal crossings are already at a 20-year high. ABC NEWS 

Idaho expands health care rationing as COVID cases strain hospitals 

Idaho public health leaders announced Thursday that they were expanding health care rationing statewide because a huge increase in coronavirus patients has overwhelmed hospital resources. The policy previously applied only to northern parts of the state. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said hospitals should observe “crisis standards of care,” allotting ICU beds and other limited resources first to patients most likely to survive. Individual hospital systems in Alaska and Montana have enacted similar policies. Hospitals lack resources to adequately treat patients, “whether you are there for COVID-19 or a heart attack or because of a car accident,” Idaho Department of Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen said. About 40 percent of Idaho residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, making it one of the least vaccinated states. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Judge orders Biden to stop using health law to expel migrant families A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from continuing to expel migrant families with children caught at the Mexican border under a public health order aiming to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The ruling amounted to a significant defeat for the administration. Judge Emmet Sullivan of the District of Columbia District Court acknowledged that the ruling would create difficulties for the government, but said that “in view of the wide availability of testing, vaccines, and other minimization measures, the Court is not convinced that the transmission of COVID-19 during border processing cannot be significantly mitigated.” President Biden has faced criticism from immigrant advocates for continuing the policy, which was launched under former President Donald Trump. CNN 

France vents anger over nuclear-submarine deal for Australia French officials expressed outrage Thursday against a pact President Biden announced that will help Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines. Biden said when he announced the agreement with Australia and the U.K. that it would reinforce U.S. alliances, a goal as the U.S. seeks to counter China’s influence in the Pacific. But France’s foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said the pact would prompt Australia to withdraw from a $66 billion deal struck in 2016 to buy submarines from France, calling it a “unilateral, brutal, unpredictable decision” similar to unpredictable and destabilizing policy changes made by former President Donald Trump. Nicole Bacharan, a researcher at Sciences Po in Paris, said this could mark the start of a “very hard” period in the longstanding alliance between Paris and Washington. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Roger Stone served with Capitol riot lawsuit during radio interview Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of former President Donald Trump, reportedly was served with papers related to a lawsuit over the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol attack while he was being interviewed on a St. Louis radio show, Tomorrow’s News Today with Joe Hoft & Kell Brazil. As the hosts asked Stone whether Trump would run for president again in 2024, he said, “Hold on a second, I have a process server at my front door.” Stone, a self-described “dirty trickster,” paused to answer his front door and talk to the process server. The complaint, filed by seven Capitol Police officers, accuses Stone, Trump, far-right “violent extremist groups,” and others of responsibility for the siege of the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters trying to block Congress from certifying his election loss. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Ohio Republican who voted for Trump impeachment won’t seek reelection Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) said Thursday that he will retire from Congress at the end of his second term rather than face an ugly primary challenge from a challenger backed by former President Donald Trump. Gonzalez was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over his role in encouraging supporters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, hoping to prevent Congress from certifying Trump’s election loss to President Biden. Gonzalez, a Cuban-American former Ohio State football star, called Trump “a cancer for the country.” He said he could have beaten a primary battle against Max Miller, a former Trump White House aide that Trump endorsed in February, but preferred to get out of the “toxic” political environment of a party still enthralled with the former president. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Retail sales rise unexpectedly despite Delta-variant spread U.S. retail sales rose by 0.7 percent in August, bouncing back unexpectedly from a decline in July, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The gains came despite concerns that a coronavirus surge driven by the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant was dragging down the economy. Restaurant sales were flat after rising for most of 2020. Initial jobless claims, a key indicator of layoffs, rose by 20,000 last week but remained near pandemic-era lows. “Delta? What Delta?” Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomic Advisers, said in a note to clients. He later added in an interview that the Delta-variant surge wasn’t ending the recovery. “Absolutely not,” he said. “It’s an external shock that’s denting it temporarily.” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Special prosecutor charges former Clinton adviser with lying to FBI Washington attorney Michael Sussman, a cybersecurity attorney who advised Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, was indicted Thursday on charges that he lied to the FBI during its investigation of ties between Russia and former President Donald Trump’s campaign. Sussman represented the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign in connection with Russia’s hack of their computer system. He is accused of falsely telling the former FBI general counsel, James Baker, in September 2016 that he wasn’t representing any client when he gave the FBI evidence of cyber connections between the Trump Organization and a Russian bank. The charges mark the second criminal case filed as a result of U.S. Special Counsel John Durham’s inquiry into the origins of the FBI investigation of Russia’s election meddling and its ties to Trump’s campaign. REUTERS 

Sears to close last store in Illinois, its home state Long-troubled retailer Sears is closing its last store in its home state of Illinois in November, CNBC confirmed Thursday. Sears, which was founded in Chicago in the 1890s, still had 34 stores in operation in August, down from about 700 when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2018. Sears’ parent company, Transformco, acquired the company after the bankruptcy filing. Transformco said it would continue to manage the space after the last Illinois Sears shuts down, but hasn’t found a tenant yet. “This is part of the company’s strategy to unlock the value of the real estate and pursue the highest and best use for the benefit of the local community,” Transformco said in a statement. CNBC 

Trump calls Saturday rally a ‘set-up’ for Jan. 6 defendants’ supporters Former President Donald Trump told The Federalist on Thursday that the Saturday “Justice for J6” rally was “a setup” for supporters of the 600-plus people charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by a mob of Trump’s supporters. “If people don’t show up they’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s a lack of spirit.’ And if people do show up they’ll be harassed,” Trump said. Authorities in Washington, D.C., are bracing for hundreds of far-right demonstrators expected to attend the planned Saturday event. The Department of Homeland Security issued an internal memo warning of the possibility of violence. Trump issued a statement Thursday expressing support for “people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election.” REUTERS 

Thursday, September 16th, 2021 

Human Rights Watch accuses Ethiopian and Eritrean forces of raping and killing refugees in northern Ethiopia and also of looting. The director of the organization for the Horn of Africa says that there are “horrific war crimes” taking place in the region. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front distances itself from the accusations, saying that the war crimes are committed by local militias. (Al Jazeera) 

According to both the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), LNA forces attacked FACT positions in southern Libya. FACT also claimed that the LNA received support from Sudanese mercenaries and French troops. (Reuters) 

A newly discovered sketch by Vincent van Gogh entitled “Worn Out“, depicting an old man (believed to have been a friend, Jacobus Zuyderland) sitting in a chair with his head in his hands, is shown for the first time at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. (RTÉ) 

Nine swimmers drown in the Mediterranean Sea off Southern France when the water turns choppy in high winds, and five are rescued. (BBC) 

The number of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in China surpasses one billion, or 71% of its population. (The New York Times) 

The Iranian Food and Drug Administration approves the usage of the single-dose Janssen and Sputnik Light vaccines. (RFE/RL) 

France suspends 3,000 healthcare workers because they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, a day after mandatory vaccination for health-related sector employees was implemented. (BBC) 

The Italian government approves a decree that would make the usage of a digital “Green Pass” mandatory for all public and private sector employees, becoming the first country in Europe to mandate a COVID-19 health pass for all workers. This requirement will be in effect from October 15 until the end of the year. (Euronews) 

China condemns yesterday’s formation of a new security alliance between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian saying that the alliance risks “severely damaging regional peace… and intensifying the arms race”. (BBC) 

The French embassy in Washington, D.C. cancels a gala commemorating the Battle of the Chesapeake on September 18 amid the announcement of the security pact. (AFP via Deccan Herald) 

Indonesia‘s foreign affairs ministry expressed unease about Australia’s dramatic expansion of its navy and using U.S. technology to build eight nuclear-powered submarines. A statement issued stated “Indonesia is deeply concerned over the continuing arms race and power projection in the region”. (Brisbane Times) 

During a summit in Accra, the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States announce that it will impose individual sanctions on members of the Guinean military junta and their family members, including travel bans and asset freezing, until the junta restores constitutional rule. (Anadolu Agency) 

The Armenian government files charges against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice for violating the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. (AFP via New Straits Times) 

Norfolk Island representatives threaten to create a government in exile in protest to the loss of autonomy five years ago. (RNZ) 

Sigrid Kaag, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, resigns following a motion of censure for her handling of the Dutch evacuation during the Fall of Kabul. (DW) 

Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed suspends Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble‘s powers to hire and fire officials, in an ensuing and escalating tension between the two men which began when the president extended his term in office. Roble has said that he will abide by the president’s decision. (Reuters) 

A recent paper in the journal Nature reports that although the 2019–20 Australian brushfires produced 700 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, they also resulted in a massive phytoplankton bloom larger in size than all of Australia that absorbed carbon dioxide as part of the photosynthesis process. The smoke also deposited approximately three times the amount of iron normally found in the ocean. (9 News) (Nature) 

Nine people are dead after being swept out to sea and drowning in the Mediterranean Sea in Southern France, while swimming in choppy waters amid high winds. (BBC) 

Michelle Wu leads as historic Boston mayoral race narrows Boston city councilors Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George were projected Wednesday as the two candidates who will advance to the city’s November mayoral election. The contest will be historic, with two women of color vying for the job in a city that has elected only white men as mayor for two centuries. “It’s been an honor to be part of this historic field,” Wu told reporters early Wednesday after the Tuesday nonpartisan primary. Wu, an Asian American, led the field with 33 percent of the vote, followed by George, a first-generation American whose father emigrated from Tunisia, who took 22.5 percent. Both are Democrats. “For the last year, we have seen an incredible conversation all across every neighborhood, across every community, so I am humbled to be part of this moment in Boston,” said Wu. CNN 

Thursday, September 16th, 2021 

Biden unveils military pact with U.K., Australia to counter China President Biden on Wednesday announced a new military pact with Britain and Australia, called AUKUS, to share advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber operations, submarine systems, and long-range strike capabilities. The agreement was widely interpreted as a bid to counter China’s expanding regional influence. “This is about investing in our greatest source of strength, our alliances, and updating them to better meet the threats of today and tomorrow,” Biden said at the White House. He was joined virtually by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Australia will get nuclear-powered submarines under the alliance. “We must now take our partnership to a new level,” Morrison said. POLITICO 

Human Rights Watch accuses Ethiopian and Eritrean forces of raping and killing refugees in northern Ethiopia and also of looting. The director of the organization for the Horn of Africa says that there are “horrific war crimes” taking place in the region. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front distances itself from the accusations, saying that the war crimes are committed by local militias. (Al Jazeera) 

The number of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in China surpasses one billion, or 71% of its population. (The New York Times) 

President Rodrigo Duterte repeats he will not allow the International Criminal Court (ICC) to enter the country to investigate alleged extrajudicial executions of drug dealers over his war on drugs. The Philippines had previously withdrawn from the ICC. (Reuters) 

More ministers resign in a mass resignation in the center-left government of Argentina after the defeat to more rightist parties in the primaries. Among the ministers to resign today are Luana Volnovich, Fernanda Raverta, Pablo Ceriani, and Martín Sabbatella. (MercoPress) 

Biden backs Milley after report of calls to China President Biden said Wednesday that he has “great confidence” in Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, who has faced criticism from conservatives over a report that he secretly spoke to his Chinese counterpart late in the Trump administration to prevent tensions from leading to war. Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa say in their forthcoming book, Peril, that Milley called Chinese Gen. Li Zuocheng in October and January because he was “fearful Trump might spark war,” according to the Post. Milley’s spokesperson said the communications were part of Milley’s normal duties to “maintain strategic stability.” Former President Donald Trump told conservative television network Newsmax that Milley’s actions, if true, amounted to “treason.” He added: “I did not ever think of attacking China.” NPR 

FDA staff declines to take clear stand on Pfizer booster Food and Drug Administration staff on Wednesday declined to take a position on whether to endorse Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine booster shots. “There are many potentially relevant studies, but FDA has not independently reviewed or verified the underlying data or their conclusions,” they wrote in a document posted on the agency’s website. The officials said that later this week they will review some of the studies, including one from Israel’s vaccination program. Pfizer, arguing for FDA approval of its booster, has said the Israel date indicates that a third shot restores protection from infection to 95 percent. But the FDA staff wrote that data overall “indicate that currently U.S.-licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccines still afford protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death.” CNBC 

SpaceX sends 1st all-tourist crew into orbit  SpaceX on Wednesday launched the first space mission with an all-civilian crew, a milestone in private spaceflight. The company founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk used a reusable Falcon 9 rocket to send tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, geoscientist Sian Proctor, aerospace data engineer Chris Sembroski, and physician assistant Hayley Arceneaux into orbit. They will spend three days in space before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and CEO of payment processor Shift4 Payments, paid an unspecified amount for his spot in the Inspiration4 mission, which took off from the same Cape Canaveral, Florida, launchpad as NASA’s Apollo moon missions. Isaacman also donated the other three seats and donated $100 million to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. NBC NEWS 

2nd Oath Keeper pleads guilty to Capitol riot conspiracy A second Oath Keepers member pleaded guilty Wednesday in a conspiracy to participate in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters. Jason Dolan, a former security guard at the Four Seasons resort in Palm Beach, Florida, admitted to being part of a group that forced its way through the Capitol’s East Rotunda doors wearing camouflage vests and helmets, and to stashing weapons at a hotel in case they were needed by a “Quick Reaction Force.” Dolan, 45, is one of 18 alleged associates of the Oath Keepers, a loosely organized right-wing anti-government group, who were charged in the conspiracy. He could face a sentence of 63 to 78 months, but agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, hoping to get a reduced prison sentence.  THE WASHINGTON POST 

Pope Francis urges bishops to be ‘pastors,’ not politicians, on abortion Pope Francis said Wednesday that Catholic bishops should not let politics determine who should receive Communion, telling them to minister to politicians who support abortion rights with “compassion and tenderness.” The remarks came in response to a question about an agreement by U.S. bishops to draft a “teaching document” expected to rebuke President Biden and other Catholic politicians who receive Communion despite the church’s position against abortion. He did not take a direct position in the debate on whether Biden should receive communion, but said he had “never refused the Eucharist to anyone.” Francis reiterated his belief that abortion is “murder,” but said bishops should be “pastors, and not go condemning.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Wednesday, September 15th, 2021 

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney declares a public health emergency and introduces vaccine passport system that will give businesses the choice between tough restrictions or demanding customers show proof of vaccination or a negative test due to rising number of COVID-19 cases. (The Globe and Mail) 

Mongolia reports its first animal death from COVID-19 in two beavers from the Beaver Breeding Center at the Environmental Department of the capital Ulaanbaatar last month. (Xinhuanet) 

Slovenia begins to implement a mandatory COVID pass for people aged over 12, containing proof of vaccination, a negative test, or have recovered from COVID-19 in the previous six months in order to enter all service establishments and workplaces with the exception of emergency medical service, grocery stores, and chemists. (Euractiv) 

U.S. President Joe Biden, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announce the formation of a new security alliance, named AUKUS, aimed at countering China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. They also announce, as part of the alliance’s first initiative, the Royal Australian Navy will be acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. (BBC) 

The Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court authorizes the Prosecutor to launch an investigation into the Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte for possible crimes against humanity committed during the drug war. (The Washington Post) 

Allies of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny, especially Leonid Volkov, call to vote for the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in the upcoming parliamentary election in order to hurt the ruling United Russia party. Navalny and his allies’ party was barred from the election after being branded as “extremist” last June. (Reuters) 

Interior minister and Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s ally Eduardo de Pedro offers his resignation following the defeat of the ruling center-left government in last Sunday’s midterm primaries. Culture minister Tristán Bauer, environment minister Juan Cabandié and science and technology minister Roberto Salvarezza, all close to Kirchner, also resign. (Reuters) 

Simone Biles and three other U.S. gymnasts testify before Congress about the long-term sexual abuse of women in USA Gymnastics by team doctor Larry Nassar and the lack of investigation by the FBI after the abuse was initially reported in 2015. (AP News) 

Russia demonstrates the use of unmanned ground vehicles in combat formations during the weeklong Zapad joint military exercises with Belarus. The two vehicles demonstrated were the Uran-9, a tracked vehicle equipped with a 30 mm autocannon, machine gun, anti-tank missiles and a flamethrower; and the Nerekhta, equipped with a mounted machine gun and a grenade launcher as well as cargo capacity. (Military.com) 

The End

Wednesday, September 15th, 2021 

Newsom survives California recall effort California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) defeated a Republican-led effort to remove him from office on Tuesday in the second gubernatorial recall election in the state’s history. Early returns showed that 66 percent of voters opposed the recall while 34 percent supported it. “No is not the only thing we said tonight,” said Newsom, who had faced criticism from conservatives over his early coronavirus lockdown and other policies. “We said yes to science. We said yes to vaccines. We said yes to ending this pandemic.” Republican talk show host Larry Elder, who led the field of candidates seeking to replace Newsom, conceded defeat after claiming voter fraud in the days ahead of the vote. “We may have lost the battle, but we are going to win the war,” Elder said. SACRAMENTO BEE 

North, South Korea conduct missile tests within hours of each other North and South Korea test-launched ballistic missiles on Wednesday, escalating tensions as a push to renew nuclear talks with Pyongyang remained stalled. South Korea said it fired a domestically-built missile from a submarine in its first underwater-launched ballistic missile test, making it the seventh nation with that capability. Hours earlier, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions banning such tests. On Monday, North Korea fired a newly developed cruise missile, its first weapons test in six months. Experts said Pyongyang appeared to be pressuring the United States to resume nuclear negotiations. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called North Korea’s missile launch “outrageous,” saying it threatened peace. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Haitian prosecutor says prime minister linked to president’s assassination  One of Haiti’s top prosecutors, Bed-Ford Claude, asked a judge on Tuesday to charge Prime Minister Ariel Henry in connection with the July assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Claude, the chief prosecutor in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, said in the two-page indictment request that Henry had conducted two phone calls with a central suspect, former Justice ministry official Joseph Badio, on the night of the killing. “There are enough compromised elements against the prime minister to indict him, pure and simple,” Claude wrote. Moïse appointed Henry to the post shortly before his death, but he had not taken office yet. He won a power struggle and took over less than two weeks after the assassination.  THE WASHINGTON POST 

New book says top general, alarmed by Trump rhetoric, secretly called China  Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, twice called his counterparts in China after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack out of concern that then-President Donald Trump might start a nuclear war, according to a new book by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward and national political reporter Robert Costa. The Post reported Tuesday that Milley, then Trump’s top military adviser, made the calls to avert a potential war by assuring Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army that U.S. forces would not attack China despite Trump’s belligerent rhetoric and push to overturn his election loss to President Biden. “General Li, I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay,” Milley told him, according to the book. Some conservatives said Milley should resign or be fired if the report is true. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Prices rise in August, but less than expected  Inflation eased but remained elevated in August, the Labor Department reported on Tuesday. The consumer-price index rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent in August from July, down from a 0.5 percent in July compared to June. The increase in June was even higher, at 0.9 percent. Economists had expected a 0.4 percent August rise. The price increases have come as the latest surge in coronavirus cases slowed the economic recovery and extended labor and supply shortages. Prices were up by 5.3 percent in August from a year earlier, down from 5.4 percent adjusted annual increases in June and July. Real wages adjusted for inflation fell by 0.5 percent in August, as rising prices more than offset pay increases, according to data from the Labor Department and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. CNBC 

Broadway blockbusters return after coronavirus closures Some of Broadway’s biggest shows, including The Lion King, Wicked, and Hamilton, resumed performances on Tuesday after an 18-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some other shows restarted earlier, but the return of the musical-theater powerhouses represented a big step for the industry, even as a coronavirus surge driven by the highly contagious Delta variant slows the economic recovery. “Broadway, and all of the arts and culture of the city, express the life, the energy, the diversity, the spirit of New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference Tuesday. “It’s in our heart and soul. It’s also so much of what people do to make a living in this town … So, this is a big night for New York City’s comeback.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

California ski resort drops controversial name The Squaw Valley ski resort near Lake Tahoe announced Tuesday that it is changing its controversial name following complaints from Native American tribes. The leaders of the California resort said they made the decision to change the name last summer because the word “squaw,” in modern usage, is widely considered “offensive, derogatory, racist, and misogynistic.” The resort, formerly called Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, will now be known as Palisades Tahoe. The Washoe Tribe, whose ancestral lands include the resort’s valley, praised the decision. Darrel Cruz of the Washoe Tribe Historic Preservation Office said the word was “a constant reminder of the unjust treatment of the Native people, of the Washoe people.” NPR 

Tuesday,  September 14th, 2021 

An al-Shabaab suicide bomber blows himself up at a tea shop near a military base in Mogadishu, killing six soldiers and three civilians and injuring 11 others. (Al Jazeera) 

Prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude asks a judge to forbid prime minister Ariel Henry from leaving Haiti “by air, sea or road” due to “serious presumption relative to the assassination of the former president”. (Reuters) 

Seven people are killed when a King Air 360 crashed shortly after takeoff in Piracicaba, Brazil. Among the victims is the Brazilian energy company Cosan shareholder Celso Silveira Mello Filho and his family. (Nasdaq) 

Caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte announces that the 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) social distancing requirement will be lifted on September 25 and instead, a “Corona pass” will be required in order to enter bars, restaurants, and large-scale events and festivals as the number of COVID-19 cases declines. (MedicalXpress) 

President Vladimir Putin enters self-isolation after several members of his inner circle tested positive for COVID-19. (AP) 

The Parliament of Zimbabwe bans anyone who is unvaccinated against COVID-19 from attending church service in order to increase the vaccination rate. (AFP via Barron’s) 

More than 1,400 atlantic white-sided dolphins are killed during hunting in the Faroe Islands, the biggest ever slaughter in the history of the annual hunt known as the Grindadráp. (The Guardian) 

At the end of a European Union summit, representatives threaten to fine Poland on a daily basis and withhold part of the EU’s budget from Hungary over their laws against the gay and LGBT communities. (Bloomberg) 

Chinese ambassador Zheng Zeguang is banned from entering the Parliament of the United Kingdom while sanctions remain in place on a number of British MPs and officials. Zheng was due to attend a Commons reception on Wednesday. China says that this was a “despicable and cowardly” decision. (BBC) 

France says that a planned deal between Mali’s military junta led by Assimi Goïta and the Wagner Group to bring Russian private military contractors into Mali was “incompatible” with the current French military presence. (Reuters) 

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich files a lawsuit against President Joe Biden and his administration over the vaccine mandate, making Arizona the first U.S. state to do so. (KTAR) 

A Mexican court sentences Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, a former leader of the Juárez drug cartel, to 28 years in prison on the charges of organized crime and drug trafficking. (AFP via RFI) 

Governor Gavin Newsom survives the recall election, making him the second governor to survive a recall after former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in 2012. (Business Insider) 

Tuesday,  September 14th, 2021 

The United States will send $64 million in aid to Afghanistan. (The Hill) 

Experts argue general population doesn’t need COVID booster shots A group of international experts said in a new paper published Monday in the Lancet that it wasn’t necessary to offer the general population coronavirus vaccine booster shots. The Biden administration plans next Monday to start offering third doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and later Moderna’s. But the World Health Organization has called for delaying broad booster programs until countries that lack sufficient vaccine supplies have obtained enough to give their populations the initial two doses. The paper’s authors, who included two outgoing Food and Drug Administration vaccine regulators, said boosters aren’t necessary for most people because there is no evidence the vaccines’ protection against hospitalization or death from COVID-19 has weakened significantly over time. Most experts agree that people with compromised immune systems should get the extra shot. STAT NEWS 

Most Americans support Biden vaccine mandate  Fifty-eight percent of participants said in a new Morning Consult/Politico survey that they support the White House’s latest vaccination mandate for companies with more than 100 employees. The supporters said President Biden’s recently unveiled vaccine policy, which is part of a multi-pronged plan to fight the pandemic, will reduce nationwide COVID-19 infection rates, and increase vaccination. The respondents were sharply split along partisan lines, with 80 percent of Democrats supporting the mandate compared to just 33 percent of Republicans. Sixty-six percent of Republicans said they consider federal vaccine mandates to be a violation of their rights. Sixty-seven percent of Democrats said they believed such policies protected their rights. MORNING CONSULT 

Biden urges California voters to back Newsom in recall election President Biden on Monday made a last-minute appeal to California voters to back Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in the state’s Tuesday recall election. Biden praised Newsom and called leading Republican candidate Larry Elder “the clone of Donald Trump.” Biden said the election could determine the nation’s direction on issues that were at the center of his 2020 election victory over Trump, such as the pandemic, reproductive rights, and the fight against climate change. “The eyes of the world are on California,” Biden said. Voters will be asked whether Newsom should be recalled and, if so, who should replace him. The latest polls show Newsom is favored to keep his job. A website backed by Elder is already claiming fraud resulted in a Newsom win. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Democrats unveil tax hikes proposed in spending bill House Democrats on Monday unveiled details on the tax increases they are proposing to impose on corporations, investors, and high-earning business owners to help pay for their $3.5 trillion spending plan. The proposal would increase the corporate tax rate to 26.5 percent from 21 percent. It also would add a 3-percentage-point surtax for people making more than $5 million. It additionally would hike capital-gains taxes, while leaving out changes to taxation at death that the Biden administration wants. The proposals would raise more than $2 trillion to help cover the spending legislation’s expansion of Medicare and other social safety net programs, and measures to fight climate change. Democrats plan a committee vote on the plan this week. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Blinken defends Biden’s handling of Afghanistan withdrawal Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday defended President Biden’s handling of the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops from Afghanistan, saying Biden “inherited” a looming disaster from former President Donald Trump. “We inherited a deadline. We did not inherit a plan,” Blinken testified to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Blinken said if Biden hadn’t kept Trump’s promise to leave, Taliban forces would have resumed attacks on American and allied forces. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the top Republican on the committee, said America’s “standing on the world stage has been greatly diminished” by the withdrawal and the “betraying” of Afghan allies. Democrats on committees investigating the withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power are seeking to broaden the focus to include mistakes made under Republican and Democratic presidents alike. POLITICO 

Capitol Police arrest man found with knives near DNC headquarters U.S. Capitol Police on Monday arrested a California man found near Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., with a bayonet and a machete inside his Dodge Dakota pickup truck. The vehicle had “a swastika and other white supremacist symbols painted on it,” the department said. It had a picture of an American flag where its license plate should have been. The suspect, 44-year-old Donald Craighead, was charged with possession of prohibited weapons. Craighead reportedly said he was “on patrol,” and “began talking about white supremacist ideology and other rhetoric pertaining to white supremacy,” the Capitol Police said. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger praised officers for spotting Craighead and making the arrest. “This is good police work plain and simple,” Manger said in a statement. FOX NEWS 

Trump pushes back against Bush over domestic terror threat Former President Donald Trump on Monday sharply criticized former President George W. Bush for saying in his 9/11 commemoration speech over the weekend that international and domestic terrorists and violent extremists are “children of the same foul spirit.” Both, he suggested, pose significant threats to the United States, despite their contrasting worldviews. Bush didn’t specify which domestic terror groups he meant, but many listeners assumed that some of those he was referring to were in the mob of Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. Trump said Bush was saying that domestic terrorists “on the right” are “a bigger problem” than “those from foreign countries that hate America,” and added that Bush shouldn’t be “lecturing” anybody because 9/11 happened “during his watch.” CNN 

Report says climate change could force millions to move A World Bank report released Monday found that climate change could force more than 200 million people to leave their homes over the next three decades. The Groundswell report, in its second part, looked at the impact of gradual climate change on water scarcity, falling crop yields, and rising sea levels, and found that rising temperatures could trigger a wave of “climate migrants,” depending on different levels of development and climate action. Up to 216 million people could be pushed to move within their own countries in the six regions analyzed in the report — Latin America; North Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Eastern Europe and Central Asia; South Asia; and East Asia and the Pacific. Even the most climate-friendly scenario could result in 44 million climate migrants. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Monday,  September 13th, 2021 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken defends the U.S. withdrawal during a testimony congressional hearing. (Reuters) 

A report by Amnesty International citing other organizations says that an increasing number of children are being killed and abducted as the conflict in Niger, mainly in the Tillabéri Region, worsens near the border with Mali and Burkina Faso. The report says that “a generation is growing surrounded by death and destruction” and denounces “gross abuses” by ISIL and Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. The report urges the government and international partners to “take action”. (Al Jazeera) 

The BBC documents and reports that the Taliban deliberately targeted civilians in Panjshir Province despite promises to avoid retaliatory attacks on local civilians. One of the documented cases was that of a shopkeeper as the news agency says that up to 20 civilians were killed by Taliban fighters during their advance on the last anti-Taliban stronghold. (BBC) 

Pakistan International Airlines operates the first international commercial flight to Kabul International Airport since the city’s takeover by the Taliban on August 15. (AFP via Manila Bulletin) 

The United Nations begins a fundraising event to collect $600 million in emergency funds for various Afghani agencies by the end of the year. (UPI) 

A Dutch court rules that Uber drivers are entitled to the same employee benefits afforded to taxi drivers. The court also orders the company to pay a €50,000 fine for damages.  (CNBC) 

American international consumer credit reporting agency TransUnion agrees to purchase American technology company Neustar for $3.1 billion. (Fox Business) 

Greece begins to implement mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated people. Public and private employees are required to pay for tests for their unvaccinated employees while unvaccinated high school students will be given test kits distributed at the government’s expense. (Euronews) 

The United Kingdom cancels a deal to purchase vaccines developed by Valneva SE following accusations of breaching the agreement. (BBC) 

The four Chief Medical Officers recommend universal COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 12 to 15 years using the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in order to reduce the possible disruption to schools. (The Guardian) 

South Africa moves to adjusted level 2 restrictions that will allow licensed establishments to serve alcohol until 10 p.m. Additionally, the curfew will begin one hour later at 11 p.m. (Business Insider South Africa) 

Schools reopen for the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. (The New York Times) 

North Korea confirms it has tested a new long-range cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The missiles are a “strategic weapon of great significance”, according to state media. (BBC) 

Emily Claire Hari, the leader of an Illinois-based, anti-government militia group, is sentenced to 53 years in prison for masterminding the August 2017 bombing of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. (AP) 

Norwegians go to the polls to elect the new Storting. The opposition Labour Party led by Jonas Gahr Støre wins the most seats and is expected to form a left-wing dominated government. The Centre Party, Red Party, Socialist Left Party and Green Party also gained seats. Prime Minister Erna Solberg concedes defeat. (Reuters) 

North Korea conducts 1st missile test in months North Korea successfully launched newly developed long-range cruise missiles over the weekend, state media Korea Central News Agency reported Monday. The report said the launch met leader Kim Jong Un’s defense goals, hinting at the missiles’ possible nuclear capabilities. It was the country’s first missile test in six months, escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The development came as President Biden’s nuclear envoy, Sung Kim, is scheduled to travel to Tokyo to meet with Japanese and South Korean officials. Kim said last month in South Korea that he was ready to meet with North Korean counterparts “anywhere, at any time” to restart stalled negotiations on curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear program. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Surgeon general defends Biden vaccine requirements Surgeon General Vivek Murthy defended the Biden administration’s new coronavirus vaccine requirements in schools and big businesses. “We know these kind of requirements actually work to improve our vaccination rates,” Murthy said on ABC’s This Week. President Biden is using the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to make companies with more than 100 workers mandate employee vaccinations. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said on NBC’s Meet the Press that the new vaccine requirement was “an unprecedented assumption of federal mandate authority” that “hardens the resistance” to vaccinations by overstepping federal authority and “increasing distrust with the government.” POLITICO 

Taliban minister unveils gender-segregated education policy The Taliban’s new government in Afghanistan will let women continue studying in universities, but only in gender-segregated classrooms, the interim government’s higher education minister, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, said Sunday. Women on campus will have to wear traditional Islamic dress, he said. The announcement came a day after the Taliban raised its flag over the presidential palace in a sign that the new government was getting to work. Also on Sunday, Qatar’s foreign minister reportedly arrived in the Afghan capital of Kabul. He is the highest-level visitor since the Taliban last week unveiled its interim Cabinet, which includes many Islamist stalwarts. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Video emerges of Al Qaeda leader believed dead Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who has been rumored dead for months, appeared in a video marking Saturday’s 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist websites. In the clip, al-Zawahiri praised Al Qaida attacks, including one in January that targeted Russian troops in Syria. He also mentioned the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war, but said nothing about the Taliban’s takeover in the country last month, raising questions about how recently the recording was made. “He could still be dead, though if so, it would have been at some point in or after Jan. 2021,” tweeted Rita Katz, SITE’s director. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

NYC school year starts with no remote-learning option New York City public school students return to class on Monday in what amounts to the biggest experiment yet for in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic. Teachers are under a vaccine mandate requiring them to get their first doses no later than Sept. 27, with no test-out option. The city’s roughly 1 million students won’t have to be vaccinated, except those participating in contact sports. All students must wear masks. Unlike some school districts, New York City schools won’t offer a remote-learning option despite the Delta-variant-fueled coronavirus surge. “Our kids need to be in school and it’s unbelievable that some kids haven’t seen the inside of a classroom for a year and a half,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Barrett says Supreme Court justices aren’t ‘partisan hacks’ U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Sunday pushed back against criticism of partisanship on the high court. “My goal today is to convince you that this court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks,” Barrett said at a Sunday celebration of the 30th anniversary of the McConnell Center, which provides scholarship opportunities at the University of Louisville. Barrett, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump in 2020 just before his November election loss, said the justices’ “judicial philosophies,” not their political parties, matter most. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who founded the center, played a key role in pushing through Barrett’s confirmation to widen the court’s conservative majority. LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL 

The End

Sunday, September 12th, 2021 

Two Ukrainian soldiers are killed by separatists in the Donetsk region, after intense artillery shelling by pro-Russian militants which began overnight. (Al Jazeera) 

Taliban education minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani announces a series of restrictions on education for women and girls, including gender-segregated classrooms and mandatory hijabs. (Deutsche Welle) 

Four passengers are killed when a Let L-410 Turbolet carrying 14 passengers and two crew makes an emergency landing in southeastern Siberia, Russia. The aircraft was flying from Irkutsk to Kazachinskoye. (Reuters) 

The number of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Japan surpasses 50%. (ABC News) 

The British government reverses its decision to use vaccine passports for nightclubs, cinemas, and large events in England. (BBC) 

Qatari foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani becomes the first foreign diplomat to meet with the governing Taliban after arriving in Kabul today. Al Thani met with Taliban prime minister Hassan Akhund, former president Hamid Karzai and former chief negotiator Abdullah Abdullah. (Al Jazeera) 

FBI releases newly declassified 9/11 document after Biden order The FBI on Saturday released a newly declassified document connected to its investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and whether the Saudi government provided support for the hijackers. President Biden previously issued an executive order to declassify materials on the issue following a push from 1,600 people directly affected by the attacks. The heavily-redacted document, which is a 16-page summary of a 2015 FBI interview, does detail contacts some of the hijackers had with Saudi associates — including those who provided them with logistical support — in the United States prior to the attacks, but it does not conclude that senior Saudi government officials were complicit in the terror plot, which is in line with the findings of the 9/11 Commission report in 2004. CNN 

Disciplinary action recommended for 6 Capitol Police officers Internal U.S. Capitol Police investigators are recommending disciplinary action for six police officers because of their conduct during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the department said in a statement Saturday. The officers were singled out for unbecoming conduct, failure to comply with directives, improper remarks, and improper dissemination of information. The agency reviewed 38 cases and found no wrongdoing in 20 of them, while in 12 instances investigators could not identify officers at the center of complaints. One inquiry remains open. NBC NEWS 

U.S. commemorates 9/11 at Ground Zero, Pentagon, Flight 93 memorial Events took place at all three sites directly affected by the hijacked planes on Sept. 11, 2001, as the U.S. commemorated the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks. At Ground Zero in New York, President Biden joined former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama for a ceremony, which included six separate moments of silence. Meanwhile, former President George W. Bush (who was in office at the time) and Vice President Kamala Harris gave remarks at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin addressed a crowd at the Pentagon. Biden made appearances at both of those sites, as well. THE WEEK 

18-year-old Raducanu caps stunning U.S. Open run with finals victory Great Britain’s Emma Radacanu defeated fellow teenager, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, 6-4, 6-3, on Saturday in the women’s final at Arthur Ashe stadium in New York. It’s the first major tournament title for the 18-year-old (the youngest player to achieve such a feat since Maria Sharapova won at Wimbledon in 2004), who was competing in just the second Grand Slam event of her career. Raducanu had to earn her way through qualifiers to enter the main draw at the U.S. Open. No player in tennis history has ever won any of the big four tournaments taking that route. On Sunday, Novak Djokovic aims to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969 when he takes on Daniil Medvedev in the U.S. Open final. If he wins, he’ll also break the record for most major tournament wins in a career. ESPN 

Taliban raises flag over presidential palace in Kabul The Taliban on Saturday raised its flag over the presidential palace in Kabul during a ceremony to mark the beginning of the work of the group’s governance of Afghanistan. The flag-raising took place the same day as the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which the Taliban did not explicitly or formally reference Saturday, making it unclear if there was any connection between the two events. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Taliban’s higher education minister, Abdul Bari Haqqani, said women in Afghanistan can continue their studies in universities, including at the post-graduate level, but they’ll have to do so in separate classrooms. Islamic dress is compulsory, he added. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

U.S., Uzbekistan reach deal to transfer Afghan pilots The United States has struck an agreement with Uzbekistan to transfer a group of Afghan Air Force pilots and their relatives who are in the latter country to a U.S. military base in the near future, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the matter. The U.S.-trained pilots flew themselves and their families to neighboring Uzbekistan aboard Afghan Air Force helicopters and planes amid the Taliban offensive in Afghanistan last month. Since then, the Taliban has placed pressure on Uzbekistan to hand over the pilots. Although the group has promised amnesty to Afghan government officials and forces, the pilots reportedly fear for their safety because the Afghan Air Force was particularly hated by the Taliban for carrying out airstrikes against them. The State Department and Uzbek officials in Washington declined to comment on the reported deal. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Iran to allow U.N. watchdog to service cameras at nuclear sites Following talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran’s atomic energy body said in a statement Sunday that Tehran will allow the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog to service monitoring cameras at Iranian nuclear sites. The discussions were part of an effort to reduce tensions between Iran and Western powers who are working on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. The IAEA said earlier this week that no progress had been made on two key issues: Iran explaining why uranium traces were found at several old, undeclared nuclear sites and getting access to monitoring equipment so the agency can continue to track Tehran’s nuclear program. REUTERS 

England to forgo COVID-19 vaccine passport system for crowded events COVID-19 vaccine passports for access into nightclubs and large events will not be introduced in England, the United Kingdom’s Health Secretary Sajid Javid said. The potential plan was to have people show proof of full vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test, or completed self-isolation after a positive PCR COVID-19 test to gain entry into crowded events, but Javid said the government nixed the idea after looking at the evidence. The U.K.’s live events industry had pushed back against the plan, which many anticipated would go into effect later this month, and has subsequently praised the latest update. The government has said it will keep the plan “in reserve” should it be needed going forward. Denmark similarly announced Friday that, due to the country’s high vaccination rate, people will no longer be required to show digital passes when entering nightclubs. BBC 

Pope Francis meets with Viktor Orban in Hungary Pope Francis arrived in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday, launching a multi-day trip to Central Europe. His Hungary stop was particularly anticipated because of his meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The two leaders have very different views on migration, with Orban advocating for tougher borders and Francis calling for greater aid to refugees across the world. Francis has subsequently been the subject of harsh criticism from Orban-supporting media outlets and political figures. Both Orban and the Vatican released brief statements on the meeting, but it’s unclear if they discussed migration. After the meeting, Orban, a member of the Calvinist Hungarian Reformed Church, was seated in the front row during an outdoor Mass presided over by Francis. FRANCE 24 

Saturday, September 11th, 2021 

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority approves the usage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children over the age of 12. (Sowetan Live) 

Moldova restricts the entry of restaurants, bars, and cultural events to people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 until October 31 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. (Reuters) 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation releases its first document of the September 11 attacks and allegations of Saudi Arabia support for the hijackers following an executive order signed by President Joe Biden. (Reuters) 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh that both countries should refrain from unilateral actions regarding the South China Sea disputes that could complicate the situation and magnify the dispute. (Al Jazeera) 

In tennis, Emma Raducanu of Great Britain defeats Leylah Fernandez of Canada, 6–4 6–3, in the final of the women’s singles to become the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title. (CNA) 

U.S. marks 20th anniversary of 9/11 Commemoration events are set to take place throughout the United States on Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. President Biden is scheduled to visit all three sites where the hijacked planes either hit their targets or crashed. Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden spent the morning alongside former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton for a memorial event at Ground Zero in New York. Biden is then set to travel to the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the final plane crashed before reaching its intended target. Former President George W. Bush, who was in office at the time, is set to deliver remarks at the site. Finally, Biden will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon. NBC NEWS 

Biden tells vaccine mandate challengers to ‘have at it’ President Biden on Friday responded to those threatening legal action over his sweeping new vaccine rules by telling them to “have at it.” Biden is directing the Labor Department to require businesses with more than 100 employees to require workers show proof of vaccination or get tested for COVID-19 weekly, a move that received pushback from some Republican governors, who threatened to fight the decision in court. Biden added that he’s “so disappointed” with the “cavalier” approach taken by those governors. It’s unclear whether any challenges would be successful, but several legal scholars believe the rule has a solid chance of standing. THE WEEK 

Appeals court reinstates DeSantis’ mask mandate ban for now A Florida appeals court on Friday reversed a previous decision by a judge who put a hold on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) ban on school mask mandates in the Sunshine State amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest ruling means that, for now at least, the Florida Department of Education can punish local school officials who require students to wear masks in schools without an opt-out clause for parents. Despite the legal victory for DeSantis, some school districts, including Miami-Dade County Public Schools, said they will continue to enforce their mandates while court proceedings continue. CNN 

CDC studies highlight vaccine effectiveness amid Delta Three major studies released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted the available COVID-19 vaccines’ effectiveness against serious illness, even during the latest Delta variant-fueled wave of cases. The first study found that people who were not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus this spring and summer were 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die of COVID-19. The second indicated that the vaccine produced by Moderna was the most effective of the three shots in circulation, showing 95 percent effectiveness against hospitalization compared to Pfizer-BioNTech (80 percent) and Johnson & Johnson (60 percent), although all three combined for a collective 86 percent rate. The final study looked at the use of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines at five Veterans Affairs hospitals in major U.S. cities. They were found to be 87 percent percent effective in preventing hospitalizations. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Investigations cast doubt on U.S. strike in Kabul Investigations by The New York Times and The Washington Post have cast doubt on the accuracy of United States’ intelligence in the lead up to the country’s final missile strike of its 20-year military mission in Afghanistan. U.S. Central Command initially said the drone strike targeted an Islamic State-linked vehicle carrying a significant amount of explosives that posed a threat to Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, where many people were still gathered trying to evacuate the country. But the Times and Post report — citing video and photo evidence, experts’ assessments, and interviews with the driver’s co-workers and family members — that there’s no solid evidence the car contained explosives. Meanwhile, the U.S. focused on the driver because of suspicious movements he made throughout the day, but the California-based aid group he worked for said the military likely misinterpreted his job duties. The strike reportedly killed 10 civilians. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Judge requires Apple to alter App Store rules Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers on Friday issued a permanent injunction requiring Apple to allow developers to include buttons or links in their apps directing users to other “purchasing mechanisms,” The Verge reports. The decision came as part of an antitrust trial that pitted Apple against Fortnite developer Epic Games. The New York Times described the ruling as a “major setback for Apple,” which can now no longer prevent developers from including in their apps “buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms” other than Apple’s. Gonzalez-Rogers said the trial showed that “Apple is engaging in anti-competitive conduct under California’s competition laws.” But the judge also ruled that Epic failed to prove that Apple is an illegal monopolist, writing, “Success is not illegal.” THE WEEK 

Israeli police say they’ve arrested 4 of 6 Palestinian prison escapees Israeli police on Saturday said they have arrested four of six Palestinians who broke out of the maximum-security Gilboa prison near the West Bank boundary after digging a tunnel beneath a sink in a cell. The police said in a statement that Israeli forces, including the military have been working “around the clock” to catch the fugitives, who have received support from many Palestinians. While the police did not publicly identify the escapees, most of the men are reportedly members of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, Al Jazeera writes. They were all either convicted or are suspected of planning or carrying out deadly attacks against Israelis. AL JAZEERA 

NASA rover successfully collects first Martian rock samples NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully collected its first pair of rock samples on Mars earlier this week, the space agency announced during a Friday news conference. The hope is that an analysis of the rocks can help scientists piece together the timeline of the Martian past. So far, it appears the rock is basaltic, which means it may represent cooled lava. Perseverance has detected salt in the cores of the samples, as well. The compounds could have formed from groundwater flowing through he rock or surface water evaporating away. Additionally, the salts minerals may have trapped tiny bubbles of ancient Martian water, so they could offer scientists clues about the planet’s climate and habitability long ago. NASASPACE.COM 

Disney to debut remaining 2021 releases exclusively in theaters Walt Disney Co. said Friday that it will debut the remainder of its films set to be released in 2021 exclusively in theaters. The announcement follows the box-office success of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which had a theater-only release, despite concerns about Delta variant-fueled surges in COVID-19 infections across the United States. Earlier this year, Disney tinkered with releasing movies in theaters and on Disney+ simultaneously, but it appears the company is confident enough in moviegoers to separate the two by several weeks. Some of the notable films coming out are Encanto, Eternals, and West Side Story.  BBC 

Raducanu, Fernandez to square off in U.S. Open final Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu will face off against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the women’s final at the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET airing on ESPN. It’s been a miracle run for the two unseeded teenagers (Raducanu is 18, Fernandez is 19) as they both seek their first title in a major tournament. On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic outlasted Alexander Zverev on Friday night in five sets to reach the final — he’ll take on Daniil Medvedev on Sunday. It could be a historic day for Djokovic. He has a chance to both break the record for most major tournament victories in a career while also securing the first calendar-year Grand Slam for a men’s player since 1969. ESPN 

Friday,  September 10th, 2021 

American flights carrying evacuees from Afghanistan are temporarily suspended following four cases of measles in Afghan refugees arriving in the United States. (U.S. News & World Report) 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces that 21 Americans have been evacuated from Afghanistan. (CBS News) 

Footage released by The New York Times shows that a U.S. drone strike conducted on August 29 targeted an aid worker named Zemari Ahmadi instead of ISIS-K militants. The report also confirms that 10 Afghans were killed in the drone strike, including seven children. (Business Insider) 

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says that the Taliban response to the peaceful marches has been increasingly violent, with authorities using live ammunition, batons and whips, which has resulted in the deaths of four civilians. A spokesperson for the rights office says that the response from the Taliban has been “unfortunately severe”. (Reuters) 

The African Union suspends Guinea in response to last week’s military coup. (Africa News) 

Iranian IRGC Ground Forces strike “terrorist positions” in northern Iraq with suicide and combat drones as well as precision-guided artillery. IRGC General Mohammad Pakpour warns of a crushing Iranian response, and urges civilians to stay away from the “headquarters of the Kurdish groups” in the region. (Tehran Times) (Iran International) 

In response to Guinea‘s expulsion from the Economic Community of West African States, the military junta freezes all government assets in the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea in order to “preserve the country’s interest”. (AP via Washington Post) 

United States District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rules that Apple Inc. cannot stop mobile app developers from directing users to third-party payment options, issuing a permanent injunction against the company. (BBC) 

Russia‘s Gazprom says that it has completed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany. Gazprom says that gas flows to Europe through the pipeline cannot begin until they have received approval from German regulators. (Reuters) 

Visitors to the upcoming Expo 2020 event in Dubai will not be required to show proof of vaccination or be tested for COVID-19. (Al Jazeera) 

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health issues a conditional approval of the Hayat-Vax COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the country. (Vietnam Plus) 

Denmark becomes the first country in the European Union to lift all of its COVID-19-related restrictions, with the lifting of the requirement to show a digital pass in order to enter nightclubs, as the country no longer considers COVID-19 to be a “socially critical” disease and the vaccination rate has surpassed 80%. (The Guardian) (AP) 

The Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends that pregnant or breastfeeding women in Germany should be vaccinated two doses against COVID-19 using mRNA-based vaccines from the second trimester of pregnancy. (Reuters via U.S. News and World Report) 

France raises its bird flu alert level to “moderate” after a severe strain of the virus was reported this week at a private household in the Ardennes department, near the border with Belgium. (Euronews) 

The European Union rejects a request from the United Kingdom to renegotiate the deal governing the trading position of Northern Ireland. The EU adds that renegotiating the deal, which agreed to leave some EU rules in place in Northern Ireland and to accept checks on goods arriving from elsewhere in the UK following Brexit, would result in “instability, uncertainty and unpredictability in Northern Ireland”. (Reuters) 

Former Rudy Giuliani associate Igor Fruman pleads guilty to one count of soliciting a contribution by a foreign national. (USA Today) 

Former French health minister Agnès Buzyn is charged by the Cour de Justice de la République with “endangering the lives of others” over her handling of the pandemic. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

A new government is formed in Lebanon, with Najib Mikati becoming Prime Minister of Lebanon for the third time. (CNN) 

Venko Filipče, the health minister of North Macedonia, resigns, claiming moral responsibility for the fire that occurred at a field hospital in Tetovo. (Anadolu Agency) 

Friday,  September 10th, 2021 

The Office of the United Nations for Human Rights says that the Taliban response to the peaceful marches has been increasingly violent, with authorities using live ammunition, batons and whips, causing the deaths of four civilians. A spokesperson for the rights office says that the response from the Taliban has been “unfortunately severe”. (Reuters) 

In response to Guinea‘s expulsion from the Economic Community of West African States the military junta freezes all government assets in the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea to “preserve the country’s interest”. (AP via Washington Post) 

Denmark becomes the first country in the European Union to lift all of its COVID-19-related restrictions after 548 days with lifting of digital pass requirement to enter nightclubs as the country no longer considers COVID-19 as “socially critical” disease and the vaccination rate surpasses 80%. (The Guardian)(AP) 

The European Union rejects a request from the United Kingdom to renegotiate the deal governing the trading position of Northern Ireland. The EU adds that renegotiating the deal, which agreed to leave some EU rules in place in Northern Ireland and accept checks on goods arriving from elsewhere in the UK following Brexit, would result in “instability, uncertainty and unpredictability in Northern Ireland”. (Reuters) 

Former Rudy Giuliani associate Igor Fruman pleads guilty to one count of soliciting a contribution by a foreign national. (USA Today) 

A new government is formed in Lebanon with Najib Mikati becoming Prime Minister of Lebanon for the third time. (CNN) 

 
Biden announces new vaccine mandates President Biden on Thursday announced two executive orders to push about 100 million Americans to get coronavirus vaccinations, warning the unvaccinated that “our patience is wearing thin.” Biden said his administration would mandate vaccinations for federal workers and 17 million healthcare workers at institutions receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding. He also said he would have the Labor Department draft a rule requiring businesses with 100 or more workers to require employees to get vaccinated or undergo weekly coronavirus testing. “We’re going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers,” Biden said. That order would amount to mandating or encouraging 80 million workers to get coronavirus shots. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said there would be religious and disability exceptions. USA TODAY 

Biden calls Xi as U.S.-China tensions rise President Biden spoke Thursday with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, hoping to jumpstart high-level communication between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. The White House said Biden used the 90-minute call, his second with Xi since taking office, to push for the two countries to work together to fight climate change and to prevent a nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, and expressed concerns about cybersecurity breaches by Chinese hackers. The call, initiated by Biden, came at a time of escalating tensions over such issues as the South China Sea and Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The White House said the “two leaders had a broad, strategic discussion” about “areas where our interests converge, and areas where our interests, values, and perspectives diverge.” HE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

200 foreigners leave Afghanistan on Qatar Airways flight A Qatar Airways flight was allowed to leave Kabul’s airport Thursday carrying more than 200 foreigners, including U.S. citizens, and fly to Qatar. It was the first commercial flight to take off from Afghanistan since the last U.S. military flight left last month, ending a chaotic evacuation following the Taliban’s return to power 20 years after a U.S.-led invasion. The flight provided the first concrete signal that the Taliban would allow at least some of the foreign citizens stuck in the country after the U.S. military withdrawal to leave. U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said Taliban officials “have shown flexibility, and they have been businesslike and professional in our dealings with them in this effort. This is a positive first step.” CNN 

McCarthy asks Supreme Court to reject House proxy voting rules House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Thursday he was asking the Supreme Court to overturn the proxy voting rules that the House started using as a safety measure during the coronavirus pandemic. Although Republicans have used the tool to their advantage at times, McCarthy said the court should reject it to end what he described as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “perpetual proxy voting power grab.” “Although the Constitution allows Congress to write its own rules, those rules cannot violate the Constitution itself, including the requirement to actually assemble in person,” McCarthy said. Since May 2020, proxy voting has allowed lawmakers to cast votes remotely through colleagues, helping to limit the number of people in the House chamber and reduce the odds of coronavirus infection. NBC NEWS 

Veterans more likely than average voters to back Afghanistan withdrawal Veterans who served in Afghanistan were more likely than the average voter to say they support President Biden’s much-criticized Afghanistan withdrawal, according to a Morning Consult poll released Thursday. Nearly 3 in 5 — 58 percent — of Afghanistan veterans backed the decision, including 42 percent who did so strongly. On the other hand, 52 percent of all voters expressed a degree of support for the withdrawal, while just 27 percent of that group did so strongly, the Morning Consult poll found. Afghanistan veterans were also far more likely than the rest of voters to see the 20-year war as a success — 48 percent of veterans said they believed such, while just 27 percent of all voters agreed. MORNING CONSULT 

Judge blocks Florida ‘anti-riot’ law A federal judge on Thursday blocked Florida from enforcing its new “anti-riot” law enacted after the George Floyd protests, calling it unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee said the law, which was championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, was “vague and overbroad” and violated First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly, as well as constitutional due process protections by threatening criminal charges against peaceful protesters who happen to be near a demonstration that turns violent. “If this court does not enjoin the statute’s enforcement, the lawless actions of a few rogue individuals could effectively criminalize the protected speech of hundreds, if not thousands, of law-abiding Floridians,” Walker wrote. DeSantis said the state would appeal. “I guarantee you we’ll win,” he said. NPR 

Police reinstalling security fence around Capitol before rally  Police in Washington, D.C., will reinstall a fence around the U.S. Capitol to boost security during next week’s planned “Justice for J6” rally by supporters of the 600 people charged for their alleged roles in the deadly Jan. 6 riot by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters, Reuters reported Thursday, citing two sources familiar with the plan. The fence was first erected after the riot, but it was taken down in July. One of the Reuters sources, a Democratic congressional aide, said intelligence gathered ahead of the demonstration, scheduled for Sept. 18, indicates that the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and other right-wing groups might be “targeting policemen.” Some of the Jan. 6 rioters, who hoped to prevent Congress from certifying President Biden’s victory over Trump, fought with police. REUTERS 

L.A. school board votes to require vaccines for students 12 and up The Los Angeles Board of Education on Thursday voted to make coronavirus vaccination mandatory for all children 12 and older in Los Angeles public schools. The decision made the nation’s second-largest school district the first of the largest school systems to require vaccinations. About 225,000 students will be affected. “We’ve always approached safety with a multilayered approach: masks, air filtration, and coronavirus screening,” L.A. school’s interim Supt. Megan Reilly said. “But we are seeing without a doubt that the vaccines are one of the clearest pathways to protecting individuals from getting severe sickness as well as for mitigating transmission of the COVID virus.” The policy triggered a protest by dozens of parents, who said they should be the ones to decide whether their children get an “experimental” vaccine. LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Thursday, September 9th, 2021 

Qatar Airways conducts the first evacuation flight from Kabul‘s Hamid Karzai International Airport since the August 31 deadline. (RTÉ) 

Former president Hamid Karzai says in a series of tweets that the announcement of a caretaker government by the Taliban was “necessary” and urges the Taliban to include women in the government in order to address “shortcomings of the new caretaker-announced cabinet”. (India Today) 

The Tigray Defense Forces confirm their withdrawal from the Afar Region, saying that they are re-deploying soldiers to the neighboring Amhara Region. (Reuters) 

On the 20th anniversary of his assassination, the Taliban vandalizes the tombstone of Afghan mujahideen leader Ahmad Shah Massoud. The footage has sparked outrage among Afghans. (India Today) 

Shell declares force majeure legal defense in order to forestall liabilities on some oil deliveries due to damage from Hurricane Ida. Damage discovered shortly after the storm to Shell’s West Delta-143 shallow water platform, which serves as a hub for numerous offshore production pipelines, is still being assessed. The damage has caused significant issues with deliveries from the Mars, Olympus, and Ursa platforms.  (Reuters) 

China releases its strategic oil reserves for the first time in an effort “to ease the pressure of rising raw material prices”, according to a statement from the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration. (Al Jazeera) 

American multinational financial services company Wells Fargo is fined $250 million for “unsafe or unsound practices” related to its home-lending practices by the United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. (The Charlotte Observer) 

The Japanese government announces the extension of its state of emergency in 19 prefectures until September 30 with Miyagi and Okayama prefectures being downgraded to a quasi-state of emergency after the expiry of their current orders on September 12. (The Asahi Shimbun) 

The Scottish Parliament approves a requirement for people who want to attend nightclubs and large events to show an immunity passport declaring that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, despite opposition from businesses leaders and opposition parties. The requirement will take effect on October 1. (The Guardian) 

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency approves booster doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. (BBC) 

President Joe Biden announces new wide-ranging requirements for federal employees and employees of companies with more than 100 workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or undergo regular testing at least once a week, with no option of testing for unvaccinated federal employees. These mandates apply to over 100 million people, which represents two-thirds of all U.S. employees. (AP) 

The Los Angeles Unified School District approves a vaccine mandate for children over the age of 12 in Los Angeles schools. (CBS News) 

French health minister Olivier Veran announces that the country will offer free birth control to all women under the age of 25, which will also include free contraception-related medical visits, starting in 2022. This measure will cost the government about 21 million euros (US$24,828,552) per year. (AP via NPR) 

Russian president Vladimir Putin and Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko agree to multiple terms that will bring the two nations’ economies closer together. (The Guardian) 

Preliminary results show the National Rally of Independents party led by Aziz Akhannouch winning a plurality in the House of Representatives, defeating the ruling Justice and Development Party of Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani. (The Guardian) 

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announces that the Justice Department has sued the state of Texas over its new abortion law, asking a federal judge to declare the law invalid, in order “to enjoin its enforcement, and to protect the rights that Texas has violated.” (AP via ABC News) 

The Taliban bans protests after using whips and sticks to disperse a crowd of women who protested the all-male cabinet appointed by the jihadist group now in charge of the country. Journalists were also beaten by members of the Taliban. (NDTV) 

Biden calls for shifting half of U.S. energy to solar by 2050 The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled a plan to put the United States on a path to get nearly half its electricity from solar power by 2050. Meeting the goal would require major upgrades to the power grid, which currently gets less than 4 percent of its electricity from solar energy. The big jump roughly matches what most climate scientists say is necessary to avert the worst damage from climate change. The Energy Department said in a new report that the U.S. will have to double the solar energy equipment installed over the next four years, then double it again by 2030 to achieve the growth necessary to meet the long-term target. President Biden made reducing planet-warming emissions a focus of his campaign. He announced last month that he wants all new cars to be electric by 2030. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Virginia removes Robert E. Lee monument Virginia on Wednesday took down a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, the last Confederate memorial on Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue. The state’s Supreme Court last week cleared the way for taking down the 12-ton statue, dismissing a challenge to Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) June 2020 order to remove it. A crowd cheered as workers removed the statue of Lee on a horse, which had rested on a pedestal and stretched 60 feet high. Onlookers chanted, “Na, na, na, na! Hey, hey, hey, goodbye,” and “Black Lives Matter,” as the monument came down. “It’s electrifying,” said Alexcia Cleveland, 29, who went to Monument Avenue to watch. “It’s bittersweet. I’m glad to see it down, but I would like to see more progress on issues such as police brutality and housing inequality.” CNN 

Women protest Taliban’s all-male interim Afghan government A group of women took to the streets of Kabul on Wednesday to protest the Taliban’s announcement of a hardline, all-male interim government in Afghanistan. Taliban militants responded by attacking the protesters with whips and sticks in the latest effort by the Islamist group to crack down on opponents since it reclaimed power last month. Women in Wednesday’s protest carried signs saying, “No government can deny the presence of women,” and “I will sing freedom over and over.” On Tuesday, women in hijabs joined other protesters who took to the streets in the Afghan capital in the largest demonstration yet against the Taliban. The interim government did not immediately comment on the protests, but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group represents “the whole of Afghanistan.” CNN 

Taliban to allow 200 Americans, other foreigners to leave Afghanistan The Taliban plans to let about 200 Americans and other foreign citizens leave Afghanistan on a Thursday flight from Kabul to Qatar, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Qatari and American officials. The flight by a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 would be the first for foreigners since the last U.S. forces left the country last month. It will mark the resumption of international passenger service at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, with other international flights to follow daily. A Qatari official said the people flying out on Thursday all have proper foreign passports, the appropriate visas, and tickets, so the flight isn’t considered an evacuation operation. Qatar is helping the passengers get to the airport in a convoy of minibuses from a Kabul hotel. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

West Virginia governor slams COVID vaccine conspiracy theories West Virginia’s Gov. Jim Justice (R) rebuked COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theorists on Thursday, asking in a televised address “why in the world do we have to come up with these crazy ideas? And they’re crazy ideas.” He singled out a well-known but baseless theory that the vaccines contain microchips that allow the government to track people. “The same very people that are saying that are carrying their cell phones around,” he noted. “I mean, come on.” Justice has dismissed such conspiracy theories before. His comments came after another high-ranking Republican, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), repeatedly urged his constituents to get vaccinated. “The fact is, it works,” McConnell said Wednesday. “Opinions that you may hear from others, frequently are nonsense, honestly.” THE RECOUNTWSIL 

Biden administration tells Trump military-academy-board appointees to resign The Biden administration asked 11 officials former President Donald Trump appointed to military service academy advisory boards to resign or face dismissal, CNN reported Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the matter. The list included former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, former senior counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, and former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. “I will let others evaluate whether they think Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer and others were qualified, or not political, to serve on these boards,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. Conway said she wouldn’t resign, accusing the Biden administration of trying to divert attention from the Afghanistan withdrawal. “It certainly seems petty and political, if not personal,” Conway said. CNN 

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