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China starts probe into party boss of Alibaba home city

China is investigating Hangzhous top government official for serious disciplinary violations, casting a spotlight on the city that is home to Jack Mas Ant Group and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

Hangzhou Municipal Party Committee Secretary Zhou Jiangyong, 53, has been placed under investigation for serious violations of party discipline and state law, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement Saturday. While the agency didn’t elaborate on Zhou’s suspected offenses, the party watchdog routinely uses such terminology to describe corruption probes.

Following the announcement of the probe into Zhou, Hangzhou’s Municipal Standing Committee on Saturday held a meeting affirming its commitment to anti-corruption and responsible governance. A separate CCDI statement said the city will undertake a campaign to root out inappropriate government-business ties.

Social media accounts wrote over the weekend that Zhou’s family bought up shares in a fintech company ahead of its initial public offering in November, before the listing plans were scrapped, according to an article from Chnfund that was published in the Paper, part of the state-backed Shanghai United Media Group. The postings, which didn’t name the company, have since been deleted, according to the article.

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Ant Group on Sunday denied that certain individuals purchased shares of the company ahead of its planned IPO last year, as “recent online rumors” had suggested. The firm didn’t elaborate on who it was referring to, adding that it had strictly adhered to all relevant laws and regulations through the listing process. Regulators called an abrupt halt to Ant’s record $35 billion IPO days before its debut last year, after its founder publicly criticized financial regulators.

Hangzhou has grown to become one of China’s most affluent cities, thanks in large part to Alibaba and its group of affiliates. The country’s top e-commerce operator contributes billions in local taxes and is one of the top employers in the city, located in eastern Zhejiang province. It has also drawn hundreds and thousands of vendors and merchants to the city, all seeking to do business with Ma’s sprawling internet empire.

That outsized influence in Hangzhou has fostered a strong relationship with the local government. In 2019, Ma was presented with a “Meritorious Hangzhou citizen” award by none other than Zhou, the local party boss, who feted the billionaire tycoon for his contributions to the city’s economic and social development, according to government statements at the time. Local media have also published photos of Zhou attending Alibaba’s annual Singles’ Day shopping festival in 2019.

China under Xi Jinping has stepped up a years-long campaign against graft — considered a major destabilizing force for the Party — that’s ensnared several high-profile officials from Chongqing to Shanxi. Business executives have also come under fire. Last year, Hu Xiaogang, a veteran executive of bad-debt company China Great Wall Asset Management, was placed under investigation. China Huarong Asset Management’s former chairman Lai Xiaomin was executed in January for crimes including bribery.

The investigation into Zhou comes after Zhejiang was recently named by the government as a pilot zone for Xi’s wealth redistribution efforts. The province, traditionally a crucible for fast-growth private enterprises, has announced plans to raise per-capita disposable income to $11,555 (75,000 yuan) by 2025, a 45% increase within five years. It also wants wages to account for more than half of its gross domestic product. Xi has in recent months emphasized rhetoric about “common prosperity” as he seeks to reduce poverty, putting the nation’s wealthiest citizens on notice.

Speculation about Ant’s involvement in the Zhou investigation adds to an already troubled year for Ma. After its IPO was scrapped in November, the group was ordered to restructure into a financial holding company that would entail more government supervision. Alibaba was also placed under an antitrust investigation and fined a record $2.8 billion for violations such as forced exclusivity arrangements.

Published : August 24, 2021

By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Shiyin Chen, Coco Liu

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40005150

Biden faces pressure to extend Afghanistan evacuation mission as Taliban warns against doing so

The United States faced mounting global pressure on Monday to extend its evacuation mission in Afghanistan past President Joe Bidens Aug. 31 deadline, despite a Taliban warning against doing so.

The admonition from Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, who cautioned that foreign forces would be subject to “consequences” should they remain in Kabul into September, came as the U.S. military accelerated flights out of the Afghan capital following a week of chaos and insecurity that thwarted attempts by thousands of foreigners and desperate Afghans to depart.

“If they extend it, that means they are extending occupation,” Shaheen told Sky News. “If they are intent on continuing the occupation, it will provoke a reaction.”

The remarks add a new element of risk to Biden’s effort to contain the fallout from the Taliban’s surprise takeover of Afghanistan just eight days ago, a turn that has ignited a public reckoning over the manner in which the president withdrew American forces.

The militants’ resistance to any prolonged foreign presence injected fresh uncertainty into international coordination efforts a day before Biden holds crisis talks with leaders from the Group of Seven industrial bloc. British officials have said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the emergency meeting to propose new sanctions on the Taliban and push Biden to extend the evacuation operation.

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Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters Monday that the United States could finish its evacuation of Americans by the current deadline, which Biden set this spring.

“As I’ve said before, as the president has said before, we believe that we have time between now and the 31st to get out any American who wants to get out,” he said. The administration does not know exactly how many Americans are in the country nor how many want to leave, officials have said.

Sullivan declined to say what Biden will tell Johnson on Tuesday about extending the deadline.

Ben Wallace, Johnson’s defense minister, has said that Britain, like other nations reliant on U.S. air and manpower in Afghanistan, will be forced to end its own evacuation effort when the United States departs. “It’s really important for people to understand the United States have over 6,000 people in Kabul airport, and when they withdraw that will take away the framework . . . and we will have to go as well,” Wallace said.

France is also appealing for additional time. On Monday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he was concerned by the timeline. President Emmanuel Macron, in a call with Biden on Friday, stressed a “collective moral responsibility” to vulnerable Afghans. “We cannot abandon them,” he said, according to the French Embassy.

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While Biden has resisted committing to changing his departure deadline, his aides are increasingly preparing for such a step. Officials said Monday that an extension, if authorized, would probably have a narrow focus on evacuating remaining Americans, not the much larger group of Afghans who want to escape.

One official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal planning, said any extension would be brief and likely to end before the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Hanging over the deliberations is the possibility that the Taliban, newly emboldened as it takes charge of the Afghan state, would respond to a continued foreign footprint by not only suspending its cooperation with the evacuation operation but also targeting foreign troops at the airport.

Sullivan said the administration is in daily communication with Taliban officials but declined to say what their private message had been regarding the possibility of a prolonged U.S. presence, however short. “We are taking this day by day,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to keep making progress, and the president will ultimately make his decision about the precise shape and scope of the operation.”

The situation in Afghanistan has led to strains with European allies at a time when the Biden administration hoped to repair relations that it said were damaged under President Donald Trump. Some NATO officials, now scrambling to get their own staff and local employees to safety, have complained that they weren’t properly consulted before Biden’s decision.

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Discussions about an extended mission are occurring as the pace of evacuations finally gains speed. On Monday, officials said the military had evacuated nearly 11,000 people over the previous 24 hours, a major increase from previous days, when problems with airport access, passenger processing and security threats slowed or sometimes halted airlift operations.

It was the first time the military has met – and in fact exceeded – its goal of 5,000 to 9,000 evacuations daily. While most of those airlifted are being processed at military bases in the Persian Gulf countries or in Europe, at least several planeloads of Afghans have already landed in the United States. Diplomats are also making arrangements with countries from Europe to South America to take in Afghan refugees at least temporarily.

Even as flights ramped up, conditions remained trying for Afghans attempting to reach the relative safety of Hamid Karzai International Airport, where U.S. troops are now stationed along with forces from Turkey, Britain, France and other nations.

A U.S. official familiar with conditions on the ground said entry points to the airport remained closed Monday to most, if not all, Afghans who worked for the United States and are seeking refugee status under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. Some members of Afghanistan’s military are now attempting to flee as evacuees as well, the official said.

Communication problems have further hampered the effort. Phone reception at the airport is poor as thousands of Afghans crowd in, overwhelming cell towers.

Even as officials work to standardize the entry process, individuals with knowledge of the conditions said that procedures for admitting people from the crowds at the gates remain inconsistent. Some interpreters or former Afghan troops continue to say they got in only because former colleagues inside the perimeter recognized them, not through any fixed procedure.

“Happenstance and luck is not a way to plan for an airlift,” said Jack McCain, a former adviser to the Afghan Air Force. “It’s a sea of crushing humanity with no rhyme or reason.”

The Pentagon said U.S. troops had made multiple sorties beyond the airport to reach stranded Americans. Speaking to reporters Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that a second group of Americans had been airlifted into the airport, following another operation last week, and that rescue sorties were being employed “as needed” to bring more inside the perimeter.

“I don’t want to leave you with the idea that we’re patrolling the streets of Kabul,” Kirby cautioned, as he said that the military was using “a variety of methods” to extract Americans from the city.

The presence around the airport of Taliban foot soldiers, who have in some cases beaten or threatened Afghans attempting to gain entry, has deterred others from attempting to escape, according to the accounts of Afghans. While the Taliban has promised “amnesty” for Afghans linked to foreign nations, reports have intensified of militants searching for or arresting them.

In addition to a firefight that occurred at the airport Monday, it appeared that the Taliban shot and killed several SIV applicants nearby and were collecting information from Afghans in the crowd, an official familiar with conditions on the ground said.

“What’s that saying? ‘The fox in the hen house?’ ” the official said.

The official acknowledged that the increased number of people flying out had helped but still considered progress fragile.

“Every day is a new, terrible adventure,” the official said.

Published : August 24, 2021

By : The Washington Post · Missy Ryan, Anne Gearan, Karoun Demirjian, Dan Lamothe

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40005149

Tokyo covid playbook offers a lesson for Beijing 2022 Olympics

Covid cases soared in Japan as it hosted the Tokyo Olympics in July and August, raising the obvious question: Was the global event, which brought thousands of athletes and other people to the city, responsible?

There’s still more research to be done, but early indications suggest the Olympic influx had little direct impact on infections in Japan. Participants were tested on arrival and daily thereafter. They were banned from shopping, sightseeing and public transport and encouraged to leave promptly after their events. In the end, games organizers reported a 0.03% positivity rate from their testing, far lower than the current average of 23.6% in Tokyo as a whole.

The containment measures employed by event, delayed by a year and held in largely empty venues as a safety precaution, became a model for the Paralympics, which start this week. It also sets a precedent for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, which begin in six months.

“As scientists, we haven’t actually gathered statistics, but what’s clear to me is that the infections at the marathon, at the stadium, at the venues — there were some — are not related to the current surge in cases,” Shigeru Omi, head of the Japanese government’s virus advisory panel, told reporters Aug. 12.

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In the end, the bubble may have actually protected Olympians from the highly contagious delta variant spreading in Tokyo. Even though the city was under a state of emergency during the games, analysis of GPS data from X-Locations Inc. found that the levels of activity in some of the most popular shopping and entertainment districts was little changed from the same time period in 2020, when Japan wasn’t under a state of emergency.

That’s a sign that the state of emergency didn’t have the desired effect, though activity levels did drop during the games compared with the period immediately before. Staging the games in Tokyo may have diluted the “stay at home” message and prompted people to drop their guards, potentially contributing to the spread among the population.

“The government canceled the Olympics last summer because it was not safe,” said Holley Wilkin, an associate professor of health communication at Georgia State University. “By holding them this summer they are sending a message that it is safe now. This could have influenced beliefs about the seriousness and threat of covid-19,” she added.

That muddled message came just as the highly infectious delta variant that’s propelling the current surge around the world began to take hold in Japan. At the same time, local and national government resources were focused on the Olympics and containing the perceived threat of international arrivals.

“When it comes to the movement of people, there’s a debate about whether the staging of the Olympics affected people’s perceptions,” government adviser Omi said. “We think it did.”

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Many businesses continue to flout the rules of Japan’s current state of emergency, which essentially obliges bars and restaurants in Tokyo and some other areas to stop serving alcohol, and to close by 8 p.m. Without binding restrictions on individuals’ behavior, government coaxing has become less and less effective at persuading people to stay home.

Though the situation may be very different by the time the Olympics open in Beijing, the early data seem to validate Japan’s decision to ban spectators from the event. Whether for sports, concerts or anything else, mass gatherings are known to stoke viral spread. Earlier this year, a public health leader at the World Health Organization criticized the Union of European Football Associations for allowing spectators at the European Championship, culminating with a final in a packed Wembley stadium.

Beijing organizers haven’t made a decision on spectators. Tickets haven’t gone on sale yet. That’s prudent, said S.V. Mahadevan, director of South Asia Outreach at the Center for Asian Health Research and Education at Stanford University Medical Center.

“It’s too hard to know what is going to happen in six months,” he said. “Whether the virus will continue to mutate and cause additional waves or if it’s something where we finally achieve herd immunity because delta is so ubiquitous and it has infected everyone.”

It’s also possible the Olympics may have had a palliative effect in Japan, offering a much-needed dose of excitement for a pandemic-weary public, according to Nobuhiko Okabe, who heads a health research center in Kawasaki and acted as a pandemic adviser to the Tokyo Olympics organizers.

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“I’m not saying it deserves a gold medal, but I think it creates a reference point for the future,” he said. “I think we can call that a kind of success.”

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Japan and the IOC for doing their best to minimize the dangers. “Nobody should expect zero risk,” he said last month. “There will always be a risk and there is no zero risk in life.”

Published : August 24, 2021

By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Isabel Reynolds, Michelle Fay Cortez, Grace Huang

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40005133

APEC countries work on strengthening general immunisation schemes

The 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have developed a 10-year strategy to support the region’s routine vaccination efforts and enhance the resilience and sustainability of immunisation programmes in the region through 2030.

The ongoing health and economic crises have disrupted global routine immunisation programmes. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 23 million children missed out on their basic childhood vaccines. Another study found that 95 per cent of economies in the Asia-Pacific region reported disruption to routine vaccination, with infancy and school-entry age vaccinations most impacted.

A vaccine task force was established last year, comprised of policymakers and private sector representatives, to work on vaccine-related issues, and to identify the best approach to immunisation so member economies can better prevent infection and disease.

“Vaccination is one of the world’s most important and cost-effective public health measures,” said Dr Michelle McConnell, planning group chair of the APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum. “While the priority now is to vaccinate as many people as possible against Covid, we still need to be able to provide robust immunisation programmes against other vaccine-preventable diseases, so Covid’s impact is not compounded by additional outbreaks.”

The APEC Action Plan on Vaccination across the Life-Course details key pillars for a successful immunisation programme and policy targets. With a collective goal that by 2030, all 21 APEC member economies will have implemented resilient and sustainable immunisation programmes to protect the health and well-being of all populations. This will enable economies to achieve the WHO Immunisation Agenda 2030.

“A life-course approach to vaccination requires that immunisation schedules and access to vaccinations respond to an individual’s stage in life, their lifestyle and specific vulnerabilities or risks to infectious disease that they may face,” added Dr McConnell.

She further highlighted that taking a life-course approach will improve equity in health outcomes, reduce burdens on social systems, lower treatment costs, and ease economic burdens such as illness-induced wage and productivity loss.

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The document puts forth a series of recommendations that will help move the region forward toward resilient and sustainable immunisation programmes by:

• Promoting recognition of vaccination and vaccine innovation

• Prioritising access to and uptake of vaccinations

• Building government capacity in health security and pandemic preparedness

• Strengthening confidence in vaccination and building a resilient immunisation programme

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• Enabling investment and innovation in vaccine research and development, manufacturing and delivery

• Accelerating regulatory harmonisation for vaccines across APEC economies, and

• Establishing proven and innovative mechanisms for sustainable immunisation financing.

“It has never been more apparent that vaccination is critical to the strength of our economies,” said Dr Rebecca Sta Maria, executive director of the APEC Secretariat. “APEC has a unique role to play in supporting the region’s effective trade, regulation and investment in vaccines to protect our population, both in the midst of Covid-19 and far beyond.”

The APEC Life Science Innovation Forum in collaboration with the APEC Health Working Group will host the virtual 11th High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy on Tuesday.

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APEC comprises Thailand, Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Chile, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, South Korea, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, the US and Vietnam.

Published : August 23, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40005113

Syria opens 1st cafe run by people with Down Syndrome

Syria opens its first cafe run by people with Down Syndrome. The cafe will help break the stereotype about people with Down Syndrome while helping the special group achieve themselves.

Wearing brown uniforms with orange rims and matching hats, several young Syrians with Down Syndrome served between the tables, while some others stood behind a bar, preparing food and beverage at the cafe called Sucette.

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This is Syria’s first cafe run by 20 people with Down Syndrome, which was set up at the Tishreen park in the capital Damascus.

These waiters and waitresses created a good vibe at the cafe, not only by providing good service but also by playing music and dancing amid the claps and cheering of the customers.

The idea of Sucette was initiated by the Juzour Association, a local charitable organization that runs several humanitarian projects, one of which is organizing events for people with Down Syndrome.

Young Syrians with Down Syndrome work at a cafe called Sucette in the capital Damascus on Aug. 21, 2021.

Last year, the Juzour Association began to try running a restaurant, which hired people with Down Syndrome, for one month. It turned out to be a success, and that is the foundation of how Sucette came into being.

Kholoud Rajab, board chairman of the association, told Xinhua that the project is aiming at breaking the stereotype about people with Down Syndrome and helping these people interact with normal people.

As of now, 20 people with Down Syndrome and 10 normal people are currently working at Sucette, Rajab said, adding that the meaning of the project goes far deeper than merely setting up a cafe.

Young Syrians with Down Syndrome work at a cafe called Sucette in the capital Damascus on Aug. 21, 2021.

“Sucette is more than a cafe. It is an idea that will integrate the special group in the society and allow them to accept us as well,” she said.

Being busy taking orders from customers flocking into the cafe, Muhannad Saleh, one of the 20 waiters, told Xinhua that he was happy in his new job.

Saleh said that he loves the idea of working hard to get salary, which makes him prove himself to be of value.

“I am happy to work here and everything is perfect. I serve customers with everything I can,” the young man said.

For Rehab Qattan, a young girl with Down Syndrome, gone are the days of staying home doing nothing and feeling bored.

“I have been fed up with staying at home,” she said, adding that working at Sucette is a source of happiness for her. 

Young Syrians with Down Syndrome work at a cafe called Sucette in the capital Damascus on Aug. 21, 2021.

Published : August 23, 2021

By : xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40005111

UK records another 32,253 coronavirus cases

The UK Health Security Agency will launch a new national surveillance program next week, which will offer antibody testing to adults in Britain who test positive.

The aim is to help improve the health authorities’ understanding of immunity against COVID-19 from vaccination and infection, according to a statement from Britain’s Department of Health and Social Care.

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Another 32,253 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 6,492,906, according to official figures released Sunday.

The country also reported another 49 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 131,640. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.  

The UK Health Security Agency will launch a new national surveillance program next week, which will offer antibody testing to adults in Britain who test positive.  

The aim is to help improve the health authorities’ understanding of immunity against COVID-19 from vaccination and infection, according to a statement from Britain’s Department of Health and Social Care.  

Children run in front of the Tower Bridge in London, Britain, on Aug. 13, 2021.

From Tuesday, anyone aged over 18 will be able to opt in to take part when booking a PCR test through NHS Test and Trace. Up to 8,000 people who opt in and then receive a positive PCR result will be sent two finger prick antibody tests to complete at home and send back to a lab for analysis, according to the statement.

The data collected will help estimate the proportion of those who got COVID-19 despite developing antibodies as a result of having a vaccine or previously catching coronavirus. 

“Our new national antibody testing will be quick and easy to take part in, and by doing so you’ll be helping strengthen our understanding of COVID-19 as we cautiously return to a more normal life,” said Britain’s Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. People walk near the Tower Bridge in London, Britain, on Aug. 13, 2021.

Published : August 23, 2021

By : xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40005109

Death toll from earthquake in Haiti rises to 2,207

The agency said on Twitter that a week after the earthquake, which also left at least 12,268 injured, the number of damaged homes exceeded 77,000, while almost 53,000 were destroyed.

The number of people killed by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 14 in Haiti has risen to 2,207, with 344 still missing, the country’s civil protection agency reported on Sunday.

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The agency said on Twitter that a week after the earthquake, which also left at least 12,268 injured, the number of damaged homes exceeded 77,000, while almost 53,000 were destroyed.

The earthquake had its epicenter some 125 kilometers west of Port-au-Prince and had a depth of 10 kilometers, which is why at the time a tsunami alert was issued, but was later canceled.

Published : August 23, 2021

By : xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40005107

People evacuated from Afghanistan arrived in European countries

As Western powers were scrambling to evacuate from Afghanistan, some of the evacuated people have arrived in several European countries in the last days.

Romanians and Bulgarians evacuated from Afghanistan are seen on the tarmac after landing with a C-130 Hercules aircraft near Bucharest, Romania, on Aug. 21, 2021. The Romanian military plane returned here on Saturday from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, bringing back 15 Romanian nationals and four Bulgarian citizens.

Romanians and Bulgarians evacuated from Afghanistan are seen on the tarmac after landing with a C-130 Hercules aircraft near Bucharest, Romania, on Aug. 21, 2021. The Romanian military plane returned here on Saturday from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, bringing back 15 Romanian nationals and four Bulgarian citizens.

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A C-130 Hercules aircraft carrying Romanians and Bulgarians evacuated from Afghanistan lands near Bucharest, Romania, on Aug. 21, 2021.

A C-130 Hercules aircraft carrying Romanians and Bulgarians evacuated from Afghanistan lands near Bucharest, Romania, on Aug. 21, 2021.

A couple who is evacuated from Afghanistan by a flight of Lufthansa is interviewed upon their arrival at Frankfurt International Airport, in Frankfurt, Germany, Aug. 20, 2021.

An Afghan woman evacuated from Afghanistan by a Spanish military plane receives PCR test in Madrid, Spain, on Aug. 19, 2021.

An Afghan woman evacuated from Afghanistan by a Spanish military plane receives PCR test in Madrid, Spain, on Aug. 19, 2021. 

Published : August 23, 2021

By : xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40005105

Scare, uncertainty grip Afghanistans Kabul although peace prevails in city

Afghan residents, regardless of the comparatively stable picture in the country, are worried that a “vacuum of power” could lead to a chaotic situation” amid daunting challenges faced by the new administration.

“Since last Sunday I have not been to my office as no one knows what would happen next hour or in the afternoon,” Noor Khan whispered.

The 37-year-old Khan, an employee of the Passport Department in Kabul, claimed that none of his colleagues are going to return to the office nowadays.

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Kabul, capital of the war-torn Afghanistan, fell to Taliban fighters on Aug. 15, since when many government offices, schools and universities have remained closed.

The Taliban has repeatedly called upon government employees to return to their offices and resume their work normally, but many offices in the government and private sectors including banks, schools and universities have been out of business.

Although the security situation is comparatively stable compared with the past, Kabul residents seemed doubtful about their future, pondering whether the current peace could be a lull before storm.

“So far no government has been formed by the Taliban and Afghanistan has no president or any other head of state, which virtually means a “vacuum of power,” another Kabul resident Ahmad Nawed told Xinhua.

While praising the Taliban fighters for returning peace in Kabul city, Nawed said that “the vacuum of power” could lead to a chaotic situation” in Afghanistan.

“I am afraid that the current peaceful environment like a lull before storm could lead to fighting” in the country, he said.

“I hope the Taliban would soon form their government,” Nawed further said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has said that senior leaders of the group are engaged in talks with politicians to form a broad-based government.

Afghans gather near a gate of Kabul airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2021.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of the Taliban, arrived in Kabul on Saturday to consult with concerned politicians and groups on the formation of a new ruling body in Afghanistan.

A car mechanic Mohammad Husain also appreciated the Taliban for ending the war and ensuring relative peace in Kabul, saying “peace is everything and lasting peace can ensure stable jobs and regular income” for everyone in the country.

He told Xinhua that his daily income has been affected recently.

Husain claimed that before Kabul’s fall, he earned some 1,500 afghani (about 17.6 U.S. dollars) to 2,000 afghani (about 23.5 dollars) daily, but he currently earned between 500 afghani (about 5.8 dollars) to 1,000 afghani (about 11.8 dollars).

“I am doubtful about the future as the Taliban has yet to form their government, although it was already eight days following Kabul’s fall. The armed oppositions are also active in parts of the country and they could create security problems,” a fruit seller Hamidullah said.

Expressing concerns about the future of Afghanistan, Hamidullah noted that the new administration may face daunting challenges if foreign counties continue to keep their diplomatic missions closed in Kabul.

Afghans gather near a gate of Kabul airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2021.
 

Published : August 23, 2021

By : xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40005101

Tropical Storm Henri makes landfall in Rhode Island

Tropical Storm Henri weakened as it washed over Northeastern coastal communities Sunday, but its winds were still strong enough to knock spectators off their feet and cut power from more than a hundred thousand homes.

And it was heavy rains that ultimately became the most significant weather hazard across the Eastern United States this weekend. By Sunday afternoon Henri had dumped 4 to 9 inches of rain between central New Jersey and New York City, including a record 1.89 inches in a single hour in New York Saturday, triggering flash-flood warnings.

The National Hurricane Center has stressed that the storm may cause “considerable” flooding as it comes inland. It left more than 120,000 homes without power in three states by mid-afternoon on Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us, although many were back online by early evening.

Apparently-unrelated severe weather events caused problems elsewhere, too. Trees toppled and a bridge collapsed in Murchison, North Carolina amid violent flooding there. And flash floods in central Tennessee turned streets into rivers, leaving 21 dead and dozens missing as of Sunday afternoon.

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President Joe Biden, seeking to project competence and control in the face of dueling crises at home and abroad, said he has deployed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare for possible widespread damage from Henri.

Speaking from the White House’s Roosevelt Room, Biden said he spoke with governors from states likely to be affected, and approved emergency declarations for Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York. He warned that Henri could compound with rainfall that has already affected the region over the past several days.

“While New Englanders are used to dealing with tough weather, this storm has the potential for widespread consequences across the region, with significant flooding and power outages that could affect hundreds of thousands of people,” Biden said. “So we are doing everything we can now to help those states prepare, respond, and recover.”

Henri weakened from a hurricane to a strong tropical storm Sunday morning, making landfall at 12:15 p.m. near Westerly, R.I. It unleashed wind gusts over 70 mph and produced coastal and inland flooding as it buffeted the coast.

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Residents and tourists in some picturesque New England beach towns saw conditions shift from calm and drizzly into full-bore tropical storm mode in the space of about a half hour.

In Narragansett, R.I., a man who had been standing against a metal post to take pictures was bowled over by a sudden gust of wind, raindrops whizzing horizontally past an onlooking camera, according to footage posted by the local news station WCVB.

Sustained high winds and driving rain pummeled the asphalt from normally-crowded, now-deserted Soundview Beach near Old Lyme, Conn., where the Connecticut River empties into Long Island Sound. The water there was already hubcap-deep on streets even before the storm intensified around noon.

By late afternoon, the storm had further moderated as it moved inland. The National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. advisory found Henri’s peak winds had declined to 40 mph, making it a minimal tropical storm. It was centered about 20 miles southeast of Hartford, Conn., drifting west-northwest at 7 mph. All tropical storm warnings were discontinued as Henri is expected to weaken to a tropical depression Sunday night.

Despite the projected weakening, the Hurricane Center warned that heavy rainfall and flooding are expected to continue through Monday across portions of southern New England into the northern Mid-Atlantic. The storm’s very slow movement, or even a halt in forward progress, will allow heavy rain to linger over some areas, increasing the flood threat.

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“[T]he cyclone will still continue to be a prolific rain producer, resulting in significant flooding across southern New England and portions of the northern Mid-Atlantic states for the next day or two,” the Hurricane Center wrote.

Flash flood warnings continued in effect around New York City into Sunday evening, as 2 to 4 inches of rain had fall since Sunday morning with up to another 2 to 4 inches possible. That’s on top of several inches of rain that fell Saturday night. Other areas that could experience flooding rain through Sunday night into Monday include northern New Jersey, the Poconos, Catskills, western Connecticut and Massachusetts, and southern Vermont.

The National Weather Service has placed much of the Northeast in an elevated-risk zone for flash flooding through early Tuesday, with the highest risk covering the Poconos, northern New Jersey, New York City, the Catskills, Connecticut and western Massachusetts. This entire zone is expected to see at least 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated double-digit totals.

Tropical Storm Henri makes landfall in Rhode Island

Making matters worse, many of these areas already had record rainfall in July and downpours from the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred late last week. The ground is saturated, which will increase the threat not only of flooding but also tree falls due to the loose soil.

Even as the president urged people to abide by local evacuation orders, some weather-hardened New Englanders made clear they aren’t going anywhere.

“Where’s the storm?” joked Ralph Stanley as he walked his dog near the seawall in the Morris Cove section of New Haven on Sunday. Parts of New Haven are under a recommended evacuation.

Further up the street, Arthur DiAdamo used a lull in the rain to pull weeds in the front yard of his Dutch colonial home close to the Long Island Sound. The city recommended residents evacuate his area – the mayor himself knocked on doors Saturday urging people to leave – but DiAdamo was having none of it.

“Here I am” DiAdamo said. “I’m not scared. I’ve been here for 50 years. Never had a problem.”

Nathan Hale School just north of the evacuation area, designated as a shelter, was empty save for a lone firefighter with a bag of equipment and three packages of bottled water.

Newport, R.I. seemed to be spared the worst projected impacts of the storm as Henri made landfall. The area is a popular boating destination, with docks, wharves and restaurants dotting the shore of the harbor.

An approximately 30-foot sailboat, named “Paws,” had washed up to the shore just below the park and tilted on its right side. A group of passersby gathered to gawk, but its owner appeared nowhere in sight.

A bit farther down the beach local resident Greg Hunter was stationed by his 22-foot Sea Fox, which appeared to have floated a couple hundred feet from its anchor spot in the channel onto the sand.

Hunter was counting his luck – in part, because another boat within view had flipped over entirely, its blue and white hull bobbing up and down in the water.

“The good news is that it missed those rocks,” Hunter said of his boat – named “Lynne Marie” – pointing to a cluster of rocks about 20 feet away. “It’s weird that that’s all that happened.”

The storm provided only a brief dip in an otherwise-booming tourist economy here, as tourists desperate for post-pandemic getaways have flocked to Newport. Few businesses bothered to board up their storefronts even though Henri had been classified as a category 1 hurricane ― similar to Hurricane Sandy that devastated areas around New York in 2012.

The Bouchard Inn and Restaurant lost 80 percent of the weekend’s reservations, according to George Williams, a front desk associate there. The Marshall Slocum Inn, about a mile to the northwest, lost eight reservations this weekend from tourists worried about the storm, according to owner Mark Spring.

To Allison Pagani, who was strolling down Thames Street in Newport with two friends, “everyone is being dramatic.” She added: “The fact that everything’s closed – it feels like an abandoned town. Like, where is everyone?”

7-Eleven, which is across a narrow road from the beach, boarded up its windows in preparation for a bad storm but was busy with customers late Sunday afternoon. The convenience store used orange spray paint to write “OPEN” on the protective plywood.

Published : August 23, 2021

By : The Washington Post · Aaron Gregg, Jason Samenow, Julianne McShane