Biden on vaccine mandate: ‘We are in the tough stretch’
WASHINGTON (AP) — In his most forceful pandemic actions and words, President Joe Biden ordered sweeping new federal vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans — private-sector employees as well as health care workers and federal contractors — in an all-out effort to curb the surging COVID-19 delta variant.
Speaking at the White House Thursday, Biden sharply criticized the tens of millions of Americans who are not yet vaccinated, despite months of availability and incentives.
“We’ve been patient. But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us,” he said, all but biting off his words. The unvaccinated minority “can cause a lot of damage, and they are.”
Republican leaders — and some union chiefs, too — said Biden was going too far in trying to muscle private companies and workers, a certain sign of legal challenges to come.
Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina said in a statement that “Biden and the radical Democrats (have) thumbed their noses at the Constitution,” while American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley insisted that “changes like this should be negotiated with our bargaining units where appropriate.”
On the other hand, there were strong words of praise for Biden’s efforts to get the nation vaccinated from the American Medical Association, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Business Roundtable — though no direct mention of his mandate for private companies.
The expansive rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans. And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated.
Biden is also requiring vaccination for employees of the executive branch and contractors who do business with the federal government — with no option to test out. That covers several million more workers.
Biden announced the new requirements in a Thursday afternoon address from the White House as part of a new “action plan” to address the latest rise in coronavirus cases and the stagnating pace of COVID-19 shots.
Just two months ago Biden prematurely declared the nation’s “independence” from the virus. Now, despite more than 208 million Americans having at least one dose of the vaccines, the U.S. is seeing about 300% more new COVID-19 infections a day, about two-and-a-half times more hospitalizations, and nearly twice the number of deaths compared to the same time last year. Some 80 million people remain unvaccinated.
“We are in the tough stretch and it could last for a while,” Biden said.
After months of using promotions to drive the vaccination rate, Biden is taking a much firmer hand, as he blames people who have not yet received shots for the sharp rise in cases killing more than 1,000 people per day and imperiling a fragile economic rebound.
In addition to the vaccination requirements, Biden moved to double federal fines for airline passengers who refuse to wear masks on flights or to maintain face covering requirements on federal property in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
He announced that the government will work to increase the supply of virus tests, and that the White House has secured concessions from retailers including Walmart, Amazon and Kroger to sell at-home testing kits at cost beginning this week.
The administration is also sending additional federal support to assist schools in safely operating, including additional funding for testing. And Biden called for large entertainment venues and arenas to require vaccinations or proof of a negative test for entry.
The requirement for large companies to mandate vaccinations or weekly testing for employees will be enacted through a forthcoming rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that carries penalties of $14,000 per violation, an administration official said.
The rule will require that large companies provide paid time off for vaccination.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will extend a vaccination requirement issued earlier this summer — for nursing home staff — to other healthcare settings including hospitals, home-health agencies and dialysis centers.
Separately, the Department of Health and Human Services will require vaccinations in Head Start Programs, as well as schools run by the Department of Defense and Bureau of Indian Education, affecting about 300,000 employees.
Biden’s order for executive branch workers and contractors includes exceptions for workers seeking religious or medical exemptions from vaccination, according to press secretary Jen Psaki. Federal workers who don’t comply will be referred to their agencies’ human resources departments for counseling and discipline, to include potential termination.
An AP-NORC poll conducted in August found 55% of Americans in favor of requiring government workers to be fully vaccinated, compared with 21% opposed. Similar majorities also backed vaccine mandates for health care workers, teachers working at K-12 schools and workers who interact with the public, as at restaurants and stores.
Biden has encouraged COVID-19 vaccine requirements in settings like schools, workplaces and university campuses. On Thursday, the Los Angeles Board of Education v oted to require all students 12 and older to be fully vaccinated in the the nation’s second-largest school district.
Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, said in late July it was requiring all workers at its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, as well as its managers who travel within the U.S., to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4. But the company had stopped short of requiring shots for its frontline workers.
CVS Health said in late August it would require certain employees who interact with patients to be fully vaccinated by the end of October. That includes nurses, care managers and pharmacists.
In the government, several federal agencies have previously announced vaccine requirements for much of their staffs, particularly those in healthcare roles like the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Pentagon moved last month to require all servicemembers to get vaccinated. Combined, the White House estimates those requirements cover 2.5 million Americans. Thursday’s order is expected to affect nearly 2 million more federal workers and potentially millions of contractors.
Biden’s measures should help, but what’s really needed is a change in mindset for many people, said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, vice dean at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
“There is an aspect to this now that has to do with our country being so divided,” said Sharfstein. “This has become so politicized that people can’t see the value of a vaccination that can save their lives. Our own divisions are preventing us from ending a pandemic.”
More than 177 million Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but confirmed cases have shot up in recent weeks to an average of about 140,000 per day with on average about 1,000 deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most of the spread — and the vast majority of severe illness and death — is occurring among those not yet fully vaccinated. So-called breakthrough infections in vaccinated people occur, but tend to be far less dangerous.
Federal officials are moving ahead with plans to begin administering booster shots of the mRNA vaccines to bolster protection against the more transmissible delta variant. Last month Biden announced plans to make them available beginning Sept. 20, but only the Pfizer vaccine will likely have received regulatory approval for a third dose by that time.
Officials are aiming to administer the booster shots about eight months after the second dose of the two-dose vaccines.
A nurse's agony: Struggling patient gets oxygen only after another dies
A nurse at a major hospital in Jamaica has detailed a sombre Saturday night treating a COVID patient battling for life amid a shortage of medical oxygen.
She told The Gleaner that her patient almost passed out but was saved only after another died and she got the oxygen the deceased left behind.
"How things going now with the lack of beds and oxygen, we basically just have to wait until someone dies to get the bed or the oxygen for another patient," she said.
The nurse is not permitted to speak to the media and so her identity and her hospital cannot be disclosed.
She said at the facility, every ward is now accommodating COVID patients.
"Everybody mix up... positive, negative and suspected… Pray to God no one for you gets admitted now because it is spreading on the wards too," she said.
Jamaica has been facing a chronic shortage of oxygen since Friday with many public facilities either very low or entirely out of supplies.
IGL, Jamaica's only medical oxygen producer, has said its production is at maximum capacity, but demand is outstripping supply.
Three shipments of the commodity are expected in Jamaica by Tuesday which should ease the supply shortage.
In the meantime, COVID patients requiring oxygen continues to climb.
As at Saturday, there were 728 COVID patients in hospital. Eighty-eight were severely ill and 67 critical, meaning they require oxygenation among other treatments.
Scores more suspected to be COVID positive are also hospitalised on oxygen as they await their test results.
The health minister has said, where possible, hospital administrators are moving around oxygen cylinders from one facility to another.
Meanwhile, bed spaces remain exhausted at some hospitals.
At the Mandeville Regional Hospital, for example, patients are being accommodated on mattresses on the floor in a section of the facility where clinics are usually held.
Tesla on part-automated drive system slams into police car
ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — A Tesla using its partially automated driving system slammed into a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser Saturday on an interstate near downtown Orlando and narrowly missed its driver, who had pulled over to assist a disabled vehicle.
Earlier this month, the U.S. government opened a formal investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot driving system after a series of similar collisions with parked emergency vehicles.
The trooper whose cruiser was hit shortly before 5 a.m. Saturday had activated his emergency lights and was on the way to the disabled vehicle when the Tesla hit the cruiser’s left side and then collided with the other vehicle, highway patrol spokeswoman Lt. Kim Montes told The Orlando Sentinel.
The report said the 27-year-old man in the Tesla and the driver of the disabled vehicle suffered minor injuries and the trooper was unhurt.
Tesla did not immediately respond to an email sent to its press address.
Autopilot has frequently been misused by Tesla drivers, who have been caught driving drunk or even riding in the back seat while a car rolled down a California highway.
The electric vehicle maker uses a camera-based system, a lot of computing power, and sometimes radar to spot obstacles, determine what they are, and then decide what the vehicles should do. But researchers say it has had trouble with parked emergency vehicles and perpendicular trucks in its path.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened the Tesla probe after tallying 11 crashes since 2018 in which Teslas on autopilot or cruise control have hit vehicles where first responders have used flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board or cones warning of hazards.
In those crashes, 17 people were injured and one was killed, the NHTSA said. An investigation could lead to a recall or other enforcement action.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which also has investigated Tesla crashes, has recommended that NHTSA and Tesla limit the autopilot’s use to areas where it can safely operate. It also recommended that Tesla be required to improve its system to ensure drivers pay attention.
Last year the NTSB blamed Tesla, drivers and lax regulation by NHTSA for two collisions in which Teslas crashed beneath crossing tractor-trailers.
The crashes into emergency vehicles cited by NHTSA began on Jan. 22, 2018, in Culver City, California, near Los Angeles when a Tesla using autopilot struck a parked firetruck with flashing lights. No one was injured in that accident.
Ida downs New Orleans power on deadly path through Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hurricane Ida knocked out power to all of New Orleans and inundated coastal Louisiana communities on a deadly path through the Gulf Coast that was still unfolding Monday, promising more destruction.
The heavy rain and storm surge has already had a catastrophic impact along the southeast coast of Louisiana, and life-threatening floods along rivers was continuing well inland as torrential rain kept falling, forecast to dump as much as two feet in places as Ida’s center moved over Mississippi.
Ida made landfall on the same day 16 years earlier that Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi, and its 150 mph (230 kph) winds tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the mainland. It was already blamed for on death, someone hit by a falling tree in Prairieville, outside Baton Rouge, deputies with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Sunday.
The power outage in New Orleans, meanwhile, heightened the city’s vulnerability to flooding and left hundreds of thousands of people without air conditioning and refrigeration in sweltering summer heat.
The 911 system in Orleans Parish also experienced technical difficulties early Monday. Anyone needing emergency assistance was urged to go to their nearest fire station or approach their nearest officer, the New Orleans Emergency Communications Center tweeted.
Ida finally became a tropical storm again 16 hours after making landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane. Its top sustained wind were 60 mph (97 kph) early Monday, and forecasters said it would rapidly weaken throughout the morning while still dumping torrential rain over a large area. The storm was centered about 95 miles (155 kilometers) south-southwest of Jackson, Mississippi, moving north at 8 mph (13 kmh).
As Ida made landfall Sunday, the rising ocean swamped the barrier island of Grand Isle and roofs on buildings around Port Fourchon blew off. The hurricane then churned through the far southern Louisiana wetlands, threatening the more than 2 million people living in and around New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
In Baton Rouge, 27-year-old Robert Owens watched the sky in his neighborhood light up as transformers blew up all around him.
“Never in my life have I encountered something this major,” he said as giant gusts rattled his home’s windows.
Significant flooding was reported late Sunday night in LaPlace, a community adjacent to Lake Pontchartrain, meteorologists in New Orleans said. Many people took to social media, pleading for boat rescues as the water rose.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said rescue crews would not be able to immediately help those who were stranded as the storm raged. And he warned his state to brace for potentially weeks of recovery.
“Many, many people are going to be tested in ways that we can only imagine today,” the governor told a news conference Sunday.
But he added, “There is always light after darkness, and I can assure you we are going to get through this.”
The entire city of New Orleans late Sunday was without power, according to city officials. The city’s power supplier — Entergy — confirmed that the only power in the city was coming from generators, the city’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness said on Twitter. The message included a screenshot that cited “catastrophic transmission damage” for the power failure.
The city relies on Entergy for backup power for the pumps that remove storm water from city streets. Rain from Ida is expected to test that pump system.
Overall, more than 1 million customers in Louisiana were without power, and another 80,000 or so in Mississippi were in the dark, according to PowerOutage.US, which tracks outages nationwide.
In New Orleans, wind tore at awnings and caused buildings to sway and water to spill out of Lake Pontchartrain. The Coast Guard office there received more than a dozen reports of breakaway barges, said Petty Officer Gabriel Wisdom. Officials said Ida’s swift intensification to a massive hurricane in just three days left no time to organize a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans’ 390,000 residents.
In Lafitte, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of New Orleans, a loose barge struck a bridge, according to Jefferson Parish officials. And U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Ricky Boyette said engineers detected a “negative flow” on the Mississippi River as a result of storm surge.
Ida was churning in one of the nation’s most important industrial corridors — home to a large number of petrochemical sites.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality was in contact with more than 1,500 oil refineries, chemical plants and other sensitive facilities and will respond to any reported pollution leaks or petroleum spills, agency spokesman Greg Langley said.
Louisiana is also home to two nuclear power plants, one near New Orleans and another about 27 miles (about 43 kilometers) northwest of Baton Rouge.
The region getting Ida’s worst is also already reeling from a resurgence of COVID-19 infections due to low vaccination rates and the highly contagious delta variant.
New Orleans hospitals planned to ride out the storm with their beds nearly full, as similarly stressed hospitals elsewhere had little room for evacuated patients. And shelters for those fleeing their homes carried an added risk of becoming flashpoints for new infections.
Comparisons to the Aug. 29, 2005, landfall of Katrina weighed heavily on residents. Katrina was blamed for 1,800 deaths as it caused levee breaches and catastrophic flooding in New Orleans. Now facing Ida more than a decade and a half later, officials emphasized that the city’s levee system has been massively improved.
President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Louisiana. He said Sunday the country was praying for the best for the state and would put its “full might behind the rescue and recovery” effort once the storm passes.
‘Candyman’ slashes way toward No. 1 box office spot
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Candyman” hooked the top spot at the North American box office.
The Universal Pictures film starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II impressively pulled in more than $22.3 million through a quiet weekend despite concerns over the delta variant. The R-rated horror movie, co-written by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta, delves into an urban legend that believes if someone repeats “Candyman” five times in front of a mirror, that person would summon the hook-handed killer.
The sequel is a follow up to the original “Candyman” in 1992. The new film expects to gross $5.23 million in 51 international markets.
“It was a quiet weekend, but it was another check mark in the success column for horror,” Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
“Candyman” claimed No. 1 over second place “Free Guy,” which scored first place at the box office the previous two weekends. The action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds as a background character in a video game, earned more than $13.5 million.
After “Free Guy,” the numbers begin to substantially drop.
Dergarabedian said consumers are being very selective in what they do outside of their homes, particularly when it comes to heading into theaters.
“When you have brand new movies, if they are of a genre that people love like horror or have star like Ryan Reynolds and a movie that’s perceived to be great, people want to go out to see them,” he said. “The other films that are either available on streaming and/or not getting the greatest buzz or reviews are going to drop by the wayside. It’s just the nature of this marketplace.”
In third place, “PAW Patrol” reeled in $6.6 million – a 50% dip from the film’s opening weekend number. The Paramount film, based on the popular kids TV show, has garnered more than $24 million.
“Jungle Cruise” placed fourth with $5 million, helping the Disney action-adventure film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt eclipse the $100 million mark in North America during a five-week span.
“Don’t Breathe 2” earned $2.8 million, “Respect” starring Jennifer Hudson brought in $2.2 million and “The Suicide Squad” tallied just over $2 million.
Meanwhile, “The Protege” with Michael Keaton and Maggie Q pulled in $1.6 million and “The Night House” had $1.2 million.
“Black Widow” barely held onto the 10th spot with $855,000. In eight weeks, the Marvel film starring Scarlett Johansson has accumulated more than $181.5 million in North America.
Dergarabedian believes the box office could experience some growing pains in the coming weeks.
“You’re going to have a very top-heavy box office and particularly for films that are available on streaming,” he said. “If they’re not totally buzzworthy, then people will just stay at home and check them out there.
“If those movies at the top are generating great word of mouth and goodwill with audiences toward going to the movie theater, that’s good for the business long term,” Dergarabedian said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Candyman,” $22.3 million ($5.2 million international).
2. “Free Guy,” $13.5 million ($37.3 million international).
3. “PAW Patrol,” $6.6 million ($10.3 million international).
4. “Jungle Cruise,” $5 million ($2.7 million international).
5. “Don’t Breathe 2,” $2.8 million ($1.6 million international).
6. “Respect,” $2.2 million.
7. “The Suicide Squad,” $2 million ($4.6 million international).
8. “The Protege,” $1,6 million.
9. “The Night House,” $1.2 million.
10. “Black Widow,” $855,000.
Messi makes PSG debut in 2-0 win as Mbappe scores both goals
Lionel Messi made his Paris St-Germain debut as a 66th-minute substitute in a 2-0 win at Reims in Ligue 1.
The Argentine, wearing his new number 30 PSG shirt, received a standing ovation as he replaced his friend Neymar in front of a sell-out crowd.
It was the first club game of his career for a team other than Barcelona.
"He is still far away from his best form but he has been training well and he will be fit in the next two weeks," boss Mauricio Pochettino told Amazon.
"We are waiting for the best from him. I'm very happy that he made his debut. It was very important for him.
"He was good, from his first touches he gave the team peace of mind. It's good for him to start with a win.
"It was good to hear the crowd cheering for him, not just our supporters, it's something Leo has earned."
Kylian Mbappe scored both goals on what could be his final appearance for the club, with Real Madrid keen to sign him before Tuesday's transfer deadline.
Real Madrid have made a 160m euro (£137m) bid to sign the 22-year-old, who has now scored 135 goals in 175 games for PSG.
His first goal was a header from an Angel di Maria cross and for his second he swept home Achraf Hakimi's cross.
"Kylian is our player and you know that in football and in business there is always gossip and rumours," Pochettino said.
"I think our president and our sporting director were very clear and he is still here. I am really happy to have Kylian.
"He is one of the best, one of the most important players in the world today, and for him to be with us is a gift."
But the headlines will be about 34-year-old Messi, who came on moments after that second goal.
Tickets for the game were being resold for about 6,000 euros after Reims sold over 20,000 tickets for the Stade Auguste-Delaune match. Before Messi's signing only about 6,000 had been sold.
Their purchasers may have been disappointed to see Messi only named on the bench - although he got an ovation as he warmed up, with fans chanting his name, and an even bigger one when he came on.
He played some nice passes and was involved in good link-up play, drawing several fouls. However he had few touches in the penalty area and no shooting opportunities.
"He brings serenity to the team. His energy and his optimism trickle down on the rest of the team," said Pochettino.
Messi had missed the first few games for PSG since his free transfer move following his exit from Barcelona. This was his first game since winning the Copa America with Argentina in July.
He joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old and scored a record 672 goals in 778 games for the club.
He has won six Ballons d'Or - also a record - and is considered one of the greatest footballers ever.
TLC wants you to come jam with them
(CNN) TLC is still "CrazySexyCool."
Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas are heading out on tour September 3 in honor of the 27th anniversary of the release of their diamond certified "CrazySexyCool" album.
The pair told CNN attendees can expect special guests, performances from tour mates Bone Thugs n' Harmony and plenty of '90s throwback fun.
"We're going to be jumping around the stage dancing and coming up with some routines that [the audience] could go and learn," Thomas said. "Our signature dances that we have for certain songs that [the audience] can't wait to do with us"
They said they planned to do the tour before the pandemic began and when the opportunity came to go out in September they couldn't resist.
Thomas said both she and Watkins don't take for granted their still-strong fan base.
"It's a blessing," Thomas said. "It really is a blessing to have longevity in the business."
She said songs like "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs" and "Creep," as well as other tunes from the 1990s, resonate with younger fans.
"It's because it's so relatable as to why I feel like [the music] has a lot of legs to it, Thomas said.
TLC included the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who was the "L" in "TLC," and 19 years after Lopes was killed in a car crash in Honduras, Watkins said she will forever be a part of the group.
"It's more of a celebration now, it's not sorrow," Watkins said of continuing their group's legacy without Lopes.
And there's still more to come including new music and a documentary that Watkins and Thomas are currently working on.
"We still have some secrets in the closet," Watkins said. "It's actually a blessing to be able to have a documentary while you're still living in here and kicking and breathing to see it happen."
Ida could be devastating Cat 3 hurricane near New Orleans
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Tropical Storm Ida intensified as it swirled toward a strike on Cuba on Friday, showing hallmarks of a rare, rapidly intensifying storm that could speed across warm Gulf waters and slam into Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center warned.
“The forecast track has it headed straight towards New Orleans. Not good,” said NOAA’s Jim Kossin, a climate and hurricane scientist.
Ida posed a relatively low threat to tobacco-rich western Cuba, where forecasters predicted a glancing blow on Friday. The real danger begins over the Gulf, where forecasts were aligned in predicting Ida will strengthen very quickly into a major hurricane, reaching 115 mph (185 kph) before landfall in the Mississippi River delta late Sunday or early Monday, experts said.
“Ida certainly has the potential to be very bad,” said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami. “It will be moving quickly, so the trek across the Gulf from Cuba to Louisiana will only take 1.5 days.”
Friday morning, Ida’s maximum sustained winds swiftly rose from 45 mph (75 kph) to 60 mph (95 (kph) as it moved away from Grand Cayman toward Cuba’s Isle of Youth at about 15 mph (24 kph). Tropical storm-force winds extended as far as 80 miles (130 kilometers) from the center.
A hurricane watch for New Orleans and an emergency declaration for the state of Louisiana were declared. Category 3 hurricanes are capable of causing devastating damage.
“Unfortunately, all of Louisiana’s coastline is currently in the forecast cone for Tropical Storm Ida, which is strengthening and could come ashore in Louisiana as a major hurricane as Gulf conditions are conducive for rapid intensification,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards.
“By Saturday evening, everyone should be in the location where they intend to ride out the storm,” the governor added.
A hurricane watch was in effect from Cameron, Louisiana, to the Mississippi-Alabama border — including Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and metropolitan New Orleans.
Dangerous storm surge was also possible along the Gulf Coast. If it pushes a storm surge at high tide, Ida could overlap some levees, with 7 to 11 feet (2.1 to 3.4 meters) of water predicted from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
“There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge, damaging hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall Sunday and Monday, especially along the coast of Louisiana,” the hurricane center said.
The mayor of Grand Isle, a Louisiana town on a narrow barrier island in the Gulf, said a voluntary evacuation late Thursday would become mandatory on Friday.
The storm was forecast to drop up to 20 inches of rain over western Cuba, where deadly flash floods and mudslides were possible. By the time it reaches the central Gulf Coast Sunday afternoon, it could dump 8 to 16 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain, with 20 inches in isolated areas, from southeast Louisiana to coastal Mississippi and Alabama through Monday morning. More heavy rains are likely across Mississippi when Ida moves inland, causing “considerable flash, urban, small stream, and riverine flooding,” the hurricane center said.
New urgency to airlift from Kabul after blasts kill dozens
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Evacuation flights from Afghanistan resumed with new urgency on Friday, a day after two suicide bombings targeted the thousands of people desperately fleeing a Taliban takeover and killed dozens. The U.S. warned more attacks could come ahead of next week’s end to America’s longest war.
Two officials said 169 Afghans died, but a final count might take time amid confusion, with many bodies dismembered or not yet identified. Scores more were wounded in the blasts. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The U.S. said 13 troops were killed in the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan since August 2011.
As Afghan officials struggled to deal with the dead, at least 10 bodies lay on the grounds outside Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, where relatives said the mortuary could take no more.
As the call to prayer echoed Friday through Kabul along with the roar of departing planes, the anxious crowds outside the city’s airport appeared as large as ever despite the risks. They are acutely aware that the window is closing to board a flight before the airlift ends and Western troops withdraw.
In an emotional speech Thursday night, President Joe Biden blamed the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate, which is far more radical than the Taliban fighters who seized power less than two weeks ago in a lightning blitz across the country.
“We will rescue the Americans; we will get our Afghan allies out, and our mission will go on,” Biden said. But despite intense pressure to extend Tuesday’s deadline and his vow to hunt down those responsible, he has cited the threat of more terrorist attacks as a reason to keep to his plan — as the Taliban have repeatedly insisted he must.
The Taliban have wrested back control of Afghanistan two decades after they were ousted in a U.S.-led invasion following the 9/11 attacks, which were orchestrated by al-Qaida extremists being harbored in the country. Their return to power has terrified many Afghans, who fear they will reimpose the kind of repressive rule they did when they were last in control. Thousands have rushed to flee the country ahead of the American withdrawal as a result.
The U.S. said more than 100,000 people have been safely evacuated from Kabul, but thousands more are struggling to leave in one of history’s largest airlifts. The White House said Friday morning that 8,500 evacuees were flown out aboard U.S. military aircraft in the previous 24 hours, along with about 4,000 people on coalition flights. That is about the same total as the day before the attacks.
More people hoping to flee arrived Friday at the airport, though in one area Taliban fighters set up a cordon about 500 meters (1,600 feet) away.
The attacks led Jamshad to head there in the morning with his wife and three small children, clutching an invitation to a Western country he didn’t want to name. This was his first attempt to leave.
“After the explosion I decided I would try because I am afraid now there will be more attacks, and I think now I have to leave,” said Jamshad, who like many Afghans uses only one name.
Others acknowledged that going to the airport was risky — but said they had few choices.
“Believe me, I think that an explosion will happen any second or minute, God is my witness, but we have lots of challenges in our lives, that is why we take the risk to come here and we overcome fear,” said Ahmadullah Herawi.
Many others will try to escape over land borders. The United Nations refugee agency said a half-million people or more could flee in a “worse-case scenario” in the coming months.
In the wake of the attacks, Gen. Frank McKenzie, the U.S. Central Command chief overseeing the evacuation, warned that more were possible, and American commanders were working with the Taliban to prevent them. Sweden’s foreign minister also said there was a threat, but offered no details.
Scenes of chaos, desperation and horror from the airport have transfixed the world. Images of people standing knee-deep in sewage and families thrusting documents and even young children toward U.S. troops behind razor wire have come to symbolize both the disarray of the last days of the American presence in the country and the fears Afghans have for their future.
But chances to help those hoping to join the evacuation are fading fast. Many American allies have already ended their efforts, in part to give the U.S. time to wrap up its own operations before getting 5,000 of its troops out by Tuesday.
Britain said Friday its evacuations from Afghanistan will end within hours, and the main British processing center for eligible Afghans has been closed. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News there would be “eight or nine” evacuation flights on Friday. British troops will leave over the next few days.
Italy’s foreign minister confirmed that its last military flight evacuating people would depart later on Friday. And the French European affairs minister, Clement Beaune, said on Europe 1 radio that the country will end its operation “soon” but may extend it until after Friday night.
The Taliban have said they’ll allow Afghans to leave via commercial flights after the U.S. withdrawal, but it remains unclear which airlines would return to an airport controlled by the militants.
They have asked Turkey to operate Kabul airport, but a decision will be made “after the administration (in Afghanistan) is clear,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday. Taliban leaders have been holding talks with former Afghan leaders.
Untold numbers of Afghans, especially ones who had worked with the U.S. and other Western countries, are now in hiding, fearing retaliation despite the group’s offer of full amnesty. The new rulers have sought to project an image of moderation in recent weeks — a sharp contrast to the harsh rule they imposed from 1996 to 2001, when they required women to be accompanied by a male relative when they left home, banned television and music, and held public executions.
Despite the promises, Afghans in Kabul and elsewhere have reported that some Taliban members are barring girls from attending school and going door to door in search of people who worked with Western forces.
The bombings also raise questions about the Taliban’s vows to bring security to Afghanistan. No one knows how effective they will be at combating the Sunni extremists of IS, who have carried out a series of brutal attacks in Afghanistan, mainly targeting its Shiite Muslim minority.
China plans to ban overseas IPOs for tech firms with data security risks -source
Aug 27 (Reuters) - China is framing rules to ban internet companies whose data poses potential security risks from listing outside the country, including in the United States, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The ban is also expected to be imposed on companies involved in ideology issues, said the person, declining to be identified as the matter is private.
Beijing said last month it planned to strengthen supervision of all firms listed offshore, a sweeping regulatory shift that came after a cybersecurity investigation into ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc (DIDI.N) just days after its U.S. listing.
Under the planned rules, the Chinese securities regulator would tighten scrutiny of overseas IPO-bound firms and ban those that collect vast amount of users data or create content that could pose possible security risks, said the person.
All internet firms would be asked to voluntarily apply for reviews with the powerful Cybersecurity Administration of China (CAC) if they aim to list their shares outside China, said the person.
CAC would conduct the review, if necessary, with other relevant ministries and regulators, the person said, adding after the cybersecurity watchdog's approval companies would be allowed to submit an application to the securities regulator.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and CAC didn't immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
The plan is one of several proposals under consideration by Chinese regulators as Beijing has tightened its grip on the country's internet platforms in recent months, including looking to sharpen scrutiny of overseas listings.
The crackdown, which has smashed stocks and badly dented investor sentiment, has particularly targeted unfair competition and internet companies' handling of an enormous cache of consumer data, after years of a more laissez-faire approach.
The Wall Street Journal newspaper first reported the new rules that would prohibit internet firms holding a swathe of user-related data from listing abroad.
SHAREHOLDING STRUCTURE
The rules being drafted would also put an emphasis on the legal responsibility of underwriters in overseas listings and require a more thorough disclosure of shareholding for those with so-called variable interest entities (VIE) structure.
The VIE structure was created two decades ago to circumvent rules restricting foreign investment in sensitive industries such as media and telecommunications, enabling Chinese companies to raise funds overseas via offshore listings.
It has been widely adopted by China's new economy companies, mainly internet firms, that are generally incorporated in the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands and therefore fall outside Beijing's legal jurisdiction.
It gives firms more flexibility to raise capital offshore, while bypassing the scrutiny and lengthy IPO vetting process that locally-incorporated companies have to go through.
Reuters reported last month that China's securities regulator was setting up a team to review plans by Chinese companies for IPOs abroad, including those using the VIE corporate structure that Beijing says has led to abuse.