เมืองแฮร์ริสัน รัฐอาร์คันซอ เป็นเมืองที่มีคนผิวขาวอาศัยอยู่ราว 95% และเป็นหนึ่งในเมืองที่มีชาวผิวขาวมากที่สุดในสหรัฐ ตลอดหลายปีที่ผ่านมาเมืองนี้ถูกเรียกว่าเป็น “เมืองที่เหยียดเชื้อชาติที่สุดในอเมริกา” (The most racist town in America)
ในปี 1905 และ 1909 เกิดการจลาจลของคนผิวขาวขึ้นในแฮร์ริสันซึ่งขับไล่ชาวผิวดำออกจากพื้นที่ และในช่วงต้นศตวรรษที่ 20 มีการจลาจลทางเชื้อชาติขึ้นอีก 2 ครั้ง นอกจากนี้ยังมีการหลั่งไหลเข้ามาของลัทธิคลั่งคนผิวขาว (White Supremacist) ในช่วงปลายศตวรรษที่ 20 และต้นศตวรรษที่ 21 ด้วยเหตุนี้แหล่งข่าวหลายแห่งจึงเรียกเมืองนี้ว่า The most racist town in America
ช่อง Cantomando บนยูทูบ ชาวจีนที่อาศัยอยู่ในสหรัฐซึ่งมีผู้ติดตามกว่า 7 แสนคนได้ทดลองใช้ชีวิตในเมืองแฮร์ริสัน ในคลิปวิดีโอที่ชื่อว่า “ชีวิตของชาวเอเชียในเมืองที่เหยียดเชื้อชาติที่สุดในอเมริกา” (Day in the Life of an Asian in America’s Most RACIST Town) เพื่อดูปฏิกิริยาของผู้คนในเมืองแห่งนี้ที่มีต่อชาวเอเชีย
Typhoon Rai left a trail of destruction, killed at least 375 people with many still missing, and damaged nearly 350,000 houses, but people in the affected areas are soldiering on.
“With or without food on the table, we will celebrate Christmas,” said a survivor from Typhoon Rai that battered the central and southern Philippines last week.
The typhoon left a trail of destruction and killed at least 375 people with many still missing.
Gloria Fulido, resident from Bohol province that is one of the hard-hit provinces of Typhoon Rai, believed the festival spirit lives on despite the massive damage.
The most powerful typhoon to slam the Philippines this year knocked out power, telecommunications, and water supplies in regions in its path in the Southeast Asian country.
The national disaster agency said the estimated damage to agriculture and infrastructure has reached over 4 billion pesos (about 80 million U.S. dollars), adding that it damaged nearly 350,000 houses, including Fulido’s house.
People take photos in front of a giant Christmas tree during the launch of a Christmas-themed display at a mall in Quezon City, the Philippines, on Nov. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
Two days before Christmas, Fulido decorated a small Christmas tree and hung the pink star-shaped lantern in front of her roofless house.
“The devastation brought about by the typhoon will not dampen our Christmas spirit,” she added.
Christmas is usually marked by big celebrations in the Philippines. Traditional religious activities, family gatherings and endless parties are held during the holiday season. For the past few days, people thronged to Metro Manila bus stations and airports to head to their hometowns to celebrate the holidays season with relatives amid the threat of COVID-19 infections. But in Fulido’s neighborhood, many houses are “sky-roofed” after the typhoon. Plastic sheets are used as temporary roofs.
Photo shows a fishing community damaged by Typhoon Rai along a shoreline in Leyte Province, the Philippines, Dec. 22, 2021. (Xinhua)
Marlon Yunson, a resident of Pitogo island town in Bohol province, teared up while recalling the damage his family experienced. “We lost everything that we built for 18 years in a snap,” he lamented.
Famous for the sprawling “chocolate hills” and the cute bug-eyed tarsiers that are listed as endangered species and are kept in the protected and fenced-off sanctuary to repopulate, Bohol is also among the best diving places in the Philippines.
But the typhoon damaged four of the more than 1,200 conical mounds known as “chocolate hills” and scared off the cute bug-eyed tarsier primates in the province.
Bohol Governor Arthur Yap said 107 people perished in the province and 12 more are still missing.
Yap dissuaded the people of Bohol from using firecrackers on Christmas eve and New Year to avoid fire as the province is running low with water due to the typhoon.
Filipinos believe in welcoming the new year with a bang by literally lighting firecrackers to usher in a prosperous new year. The tradition is usually destructive, causing fire, injuries and even death.
However, despite the tragedy that befell the province, it is not a bleak Christmas. A dozen of young people gathered to help repack and distribute donated clothes and foodstuff to the victims in Loon town.
“We are also victims, but there are people who need more help such as clothes and rice,” Anthonette Mae Gupit said.
“On Dec. 31, (President Joe Biden) will lift the temporary travel restrictions on Southern Africa countries,” and the decision was based on the recommendation from the CDC, the White House said.
The United States will lift COVID-related travel restrictions on eight southern African countries on Dec. 31, the White House announced Friday.
“On Dec. 31, (President Joe Biden) will lift the temporary travel restrictions on Southern Africa countries,” and the decision was based on the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz said on Twitter.
Announced on Nov. 29, the travel ban barred non-U.S. citizens from entering the United States if they had traveled to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique or Malawi within 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival in the United States.
Munoz said the restrictions “gave us time to understand” the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which first emerged in southern Africa and soon spread around the world, now making up over 70 percent of new cases in the United States, per CDC data.
Getting fully vaccinated and boosted is still an effective way to fight against Omicron, he said.
“The structural reality is that America cant just coordinate its growth like China can, with one senator able to bring the whole stack of cards down,” Fowdy said.
U.S. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin’s opposition to President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act exposed “deep political divides” and Washington’s inability to “outcompete China,” said British writer Tom Fowdy in an article carried by RT recently.
Biden’s landmark 2-trillion-U.S. dollar social spending bill has been facing backlash from his own party, as Manchin publicly stated he would vote “no.”
“The blocking of the bill, however, goes far beyond party political disagreements,” said Fowdy. “It’s dealt a hammer blow to Biden’s vision for the economy.”
“It’s a demonstration of why the United States won’t be able to outcompete China on an economic level in the way Biden had hoped,” said Fowdy.
“The structural reality is that America can’t just coordinate its growth like China can, with one senator able to bring the whole stack of cards down,” the author said.
Palestinian tourists and pilgrims on Friday gathered at the square near the Church of Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, marking the start of Christmas celebrations in an atmosphere of joy and bliss.
Hundreds of local merrymakers, including tourists and pilgrims, flocked to the famous Manger Square, where a giant Christmas tree was put up, taking selfie photos next to it.
Some of the women wore traditional Palestinian garments, while the children wore new dresses. The red color, which is the color of the Santa Claus’ suit, dominated the scene at the square.
But the joy of Christmas was incomplete due to the absence of foreign tourists and pilgrims who couldn’t visit the city because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to official figures, more than three million and a half foreign tourists visited the Palestinian territories in 2019 and most of them visited Bethlehem, a city that holds great significance in Christian history. However, since March 2020, the influx of foreign tourists has dwindled to almost zero.
During ceremonial activities around the Church of Nativity, Ibrahim Faltas, a Christian priest, told Xinhua that this year’s Christmas is difficult for all the Palestinians as the tourist industry has taken a heavy blow, forcing more people out of jobs.
A visitor uses a mobile phone to take photos during the lighting ceremony of the main Christmas tree at the Manger Square in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Dec. 4, 2021. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)
“But we must arm ourselves with hope despite all the difficulties, and we pray that this cloud will be removed from the entire world and the coming year will be better, in which peace and freedom prevail,” he said.
Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Rula Maayah told Xinhua that this year’s Christmas in Bethlehem had many festive activities and events, unlike last year, which witnessed a complete closure.
A performer is seen during the annual Christmas caravan parade in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)
“This year’s celebrations are without foreign tourism in light of the spread of the new variant of the coronavirus Omicron,” she said, adding that domestic tourism is active, as good numbers flocked to Bethlehem.
“Christmas brings with it the joy and hopes that the Palestinian people believe in,” said the Palestinian official.
Performers are seen during the annual Christmas caravan parade in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)
Julia, a Palestinian girl wearing a red Santa Claus hat heading to the Manger Square, told Xinhua that she was happy to celebrate Christmas.
“I hope that a bigger celebration will come next year when peace prevails in the Palestinian territories,” the little girl said.
Um Yousef, a Muslim Palestinian woman, who brought her children to celebrate the festival on the street, said: “we Muslims and Christians in Bethlehem live in brotherhood and celebrate this holiday together without regard to religion.”
A woman lights candles at the Church of the Nativity two weeks before the Christmas celebrations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Dec. 11, 2021. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)
Greece has been at the forefront of the refugee and migrant influx since 2015. Hundreds have perished in the Aegean Sea in the past six years.
At least a dozen of people have lost their lives before Christmas Eve while their vessels, carrying refugees and migrants heading for Europe, sank in Greek waters.
Two bodies have been retrieved as a rescue operation was underway Friday night near the Aegean Sea island of Paros, after the sinking of a vessel carrying refugees and migrants, according to Greek media reports.
So far, 57 passengers have been rescued, with survivors stating that about 80 people were on board, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.
Photo taken on March 2, 2020 shows refugees and migrants coming off a boat after arrival at Skala Sikaminias, in the island of Lesvos, Greece. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
Earlier, the Hellenic Coast Guard announced that the death toll of the sinking of a refugee and migrant sailing boat on Thursday off the island of Antikythera on the edge of the Aegean Sea has reached 11.
Ninety passengers were rescued and transferred to Piraeus port, according to an e-mailed press statement.
The Greek authorities also announced on Wednesday that a similar boat sank near Folegandros island. Three people lost their lives, 13 were rescued and an unknown number of people were missing.
Greece has been at the forefront of the refugee and migrant influx since 2015. Hundreds have perished in the Aegean Sea in the past six years.
A boat (R) with refugees and migrants arrives at Skala Sikaminias, on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, Feb. 29, 2020. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
“Our goal is to keep healthcare personnel and patients safe, and to address and prevent undue burden on our healthcare facilities,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shortened the isolation periods for healthcare workers infected with COVID-19, due to hospital staffing shortages driven by the surge in new cases and hospitalizations.
The CDC revised its guidelines on Thursday, recommending that healthcare workers who are asymptomatic return to work after seven days with a negative test, adding that “isolation time can be cut further if there are staffing shortages.”
The agency also said that those workers who have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters, do not need to quarantine at home following high-risk exposures.
The new guidelines apply to all healthcare facilities that are directly involved in patient care, which include hospitals, nursing homes, dental offices and other medical sites.
A healthcare worker watches a patient in the “COVID Area” of the Beverly Hospital in Montebello City, California, the United States, Jan. 22, 2021. (Xinhua)
“As the healthcare community prepares for an anticipated surge in patients due to Omicron, CDC is updating our recommendations to reflect what we know about infection and exposure in the context of vaccination and booster doses,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.
“Our goal is to keep healthcare personnel and patients safe, and to address and prevent undue burden on our healthcare facilities,” she said.
Walensky urged all healthcare personnel to get vaccinated and boosted.
The CDC stressed that the new guidelines do not extend to the general public and only apply to the healthcare workforce.
Others who are infected COVID-19 should isolate for 10 full days, according to CDC guidance.
Some health experts and business leaders are hoping that the CDC will consider loosening the period for all vaccinated Americans.
The CDC said it continues to evaluate isolation and quarantine recommendations for the broader population as it learns about the Omicron variant and will update the public as appropriate.
The new Omicron variant is driving a winter surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the United States.
Many hospitals are already overburdened, especially with patients who remain unvaccinated and those who have delayed necessary care during the pandemic. Doctors, nurses and other workers have suffered extensive burnout.
U.S. President Joe Biden said this week that 1,000 military medical professionals would be deployed to help hospitals, and the U.S. National Guard is already working in some nursing homes and hospitals to address understaffing in several states.
ทางการฮ่องกงยึดเฮโรอีนหนัก 22 กิโลกรัม มูลค่าเกือบ 125 ล้านบาทซุกซ่อนอยู่ในผลไม้กระป๋องที่ส่งมาจากไทย
โอมิครอนระบาดหนัก อังกฤษติดเชื้อพุ่งเป็นประวัติการณ์ ทะลุ 1 แสนรายในวันเดียว
เมื่อคนเอเชียลองใช้ชีวิตใน “เมืองที่เหยียดเชื้อชาติที่สุดในอเมริกา”
People take photos in front of a giant Christmas tree during the launch of a Christmas-themed display at a mall in Quezon City, the Philippines, on Nov. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
Photo shows a fishing community damaged by Typhoon Rai along a shoreline in Leyte Province, the Philippines, Dec. 22, 2021. (Xinhua)
A visitor uses a mobile phone to take photos during the lighting ceremony of the main Christmas tree at the Manger Square in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Dec. 4, 2021. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)
A performer is seen during the annual Christmas caravan parade in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)
Performers are seen during the annual Christmas caravan parade in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)
A woman lights candles at the Church of the Nativity two weeks before the Christmas celebrations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Dec. 11, 2021. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)
Photo taken on March 2, 2020 shows refugees and migrants coming off a boat after arrival at Skala Sikaminias, in the island of Lesvos, Greece. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
A boat (R) with refugees and migrants arrives at Skala Sikaminias, on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, Feb. 29, 2020. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
A healthcare worker watches a patient in the “COVID Area” of the Beverly Hospital in Montebello City, California, the United States, Jan. 22, 2021. (Xinhua)
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