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Biden Aims For Aug. 31 Afghanistan Pullout

By
Zoe Maven
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Families begin to board a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport plane during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, August 23, 2021. U.S. Marine Corps/Sgt. Samuel Ruiz/Handout via REUTERS.

The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden is aiming to stick to the date of Aug. 31 to complete all foreign evacuations due to the mounting threat of militant attacks.

But Biden has left open the chance of the deadline being extended, the White House said, and has asked the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department to develop contingency plans should that prove necessary.

Biden spoke on Tuesday with leaders of the G7 major industrialized nations – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, telling them that completing evacuations by Aug. 31 is dependent on continued cooperation with the Taliban, including continued access for evacuees to the airport in Kabul.

Biden also told G7 counterparts that each day on the ground in Afghanistan brings added risk to U.S. troops from an attack by Islamic State militants, according to the White House.

The developments follow what two U.S. officials said was a meeting between CIA Director William Burns and Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul on Monday to discuss the chaos in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s unexpectedly swift takeover.

Biden, who said last week troops might stay past Aug. 31 to evacuate Americans, will follow a Pentagon recommendation to remove the troops by that date as long as the Taliban enables the U.S. to complete its evacuations, three U.S. officials said.

Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was growing concern about suicide bombings by Islamic State at the airport, which has been overwhelmed by Afghans and foreign citizens rushing to leave, fearing Taliban reprisals.

One U.S. official said it was no longer a question of if, but when, militants would attack and the priority was to get out before it happened.

UN Presses Poland To Help Migrants On Belarus Border

By
Zoe Maven
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The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR and rights groups urged Poland on Tuesday to offer medical and legal support and shelter to migrants camping on the border with Belarus, a day after Warsaw said it would build a fence to prevent migrants crossing.

Poland and fellow EU states Lithuania and Latvia have reported sharp increases in migrants from countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan trying to cross their frontiers.

The EU says Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is waging “hybrid warfare” with migrants to exert pressure on the bloc.

On Monday, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that a new 2.5-metre-(8.2-foot)-high solid fence would be built along the border with Belarus.

The UNHCR said in a statement that States have the legitimate right to manage their borders in accordance with international law. However, they must also respect human rights, including the right to seek asylum

Poland’s Foreign Ministry said it fully applies provisions of national and international law with respect to asylum.

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights said on Tuesday it has requested the European Court of Human Rights take temporary measures to ensure Poland ensures the migrants’ safety, and offer them food, water and shelter at a refugee centre.

The Polish Human Rights Ombudsman said Poland’s Border Guard had violated the Geneva Convention by not accepting verbal declarations from some of the migrants that they wanted to apply for international protection in Poland.

Congolese Rumba Seeks UNESCO Heritage Listing

By
Zoe Maven
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The unmistakable sound of Congolese rumba. With its rhythmic drumming and elaborate dancing, rumba is arguably Congo’s biggest cultural export.

In the country, an official campaign has been launched to promote the inclusion of rumba, considered a major genre of African music, in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

Several Congolese artists have welcomed the initiative pioneered by the government in Kinshasa.

The launch of the campaign took place during a ceremony presided over by the Congolese Minister of Culture.

Congolese rumba developed in the Congo River basin in the 1940s, inspired by Latin and Caribbean music.

It gained widespread popularity in the 1960s and 70s, developing spinoffs, including a high-tempo version called soukous.

The UN’s cultural and educational arm in 2016 recognized Cuban rumba, a close cousin of Congo’s as a cultural heritage of humanity after years of lobbying. Campaigners in Congo hope to achiever similar success.

Tunisia’s President Extends Suspension Of Parliament

By
Zoe Maven
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Tunisian President Kais Saied has extended “until further notice” the suspension of parliament, which has been suspended since the July 25 coup that gave Saied full power.

On July 25, Saied invoked the constitution to grant himself full powers, dismiss the head of government, Hichem Mechichi, and suspend parliament for 30 days.

On Monday evening Saied “issued a presidential decree extending the exceptional measures concerning the suspension of the activities of the parliament as well as the lifting of the immunity of all deputies until further notice.

In addition to the extension of the suspension of parliamentary activities, analysts expected the president to announce new measures to reassure public opinion and the international community but this was not the case.

Since the coup, President Said has yet to name a new government or unveil a “roadmap”, as requested by several political parties and civil society organizations.

On July 25, Mr. Saied had announced that he was taking over the executive branch, with “the help of the government” to be led by a new leader appointed by him.

His decision was denounced as a “coup d’état” by some jurists and his opponents, in particular the Islamist-inspired party Ennahdha, the main parliamentary force in the country, which has been plagued by political deadlocks for months.

In the face of these accusations, Saied regularly repeats that he acts strictly “within the framework of the law” and of the Constitution adopted in 2014.

Chad’s Ex-Leader Hissene Habre Has Died: Senegalese Minister

By
Zoe Maven
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FILE PHOTO: Former Chad President Hissene Habre makes declarations to media as he leaves a court in Dakar, Senegal November 25, 2005. REUTERS/Aliou Mbaye/File Photo

Former Chadian president Hissène Habré, who was serving a life term in Senegal for war crimes and crimes against humanity, has died, according to Senegalese Justice Minister Malick Sall.

Habré, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, was a brutal dictator under whose reign tens of thousands of people were executed, tortured or jailed.

Sentenced to life after a landmark trial, Habré spent his final years as a prisoner in Senegal, where he died in hospital, Senegalese officials confirmed Tuesday.

In May 2016, Habré was handed a life term for war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture by the Extraordinary African Chambers, a tribunal created by Senegal and the African Union (AU).

The trial set a global precedent, establishing the first time that a country prosecuted a former leader of another nation for rights abuses. The sentence was upheld in 2017.

The court ordered him to pay compensation to each victim who suffered rape, arbitrary detention and imprisonment during his rule, as well as to their relatives.

A desert warfare specialist, Habré’s rule was marked by fierce crackdowns on dissent, including alleged torture and executions of opponents, earning him comparisons to Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Investigators found that more than 40,000 people were killed during his rule.

The son of a farmer, Habré was born in Faya-Largeau, northern Chad, and grew up among nomads in the Djourab desert.

His intelligence landed him a job as a local official before he left for Paris in 1963 to study law and attend Sciences-Po, the prestigious political science school. One of his influences at the time was Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

Algeria Severs Diplomatic Ties With Morocco

By
Zoe Maven
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Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ramdane Lamamra says the Country is cutting diplomatic relations with Morocco, accusing its neighbour of “hostile actions”.

Addressing a News conference on Tuesday, Lamamra said the Moroccan kingdom has never stopped its hostile actions against Algeria adding that the cutting of diplomatic relations is effective from Tuesday but consulates in each country will remain open.

Morocco and Algeria have had strained relations for decades, mainly over the issue of Western Sahara, and the border between the two countries has been closed since 1994.

Lamamra cited what he called Moroccan support for one of those groups, which seeks autonomy in Algeria’s Kabylie region, and said Rabat had spied on Algerian officials and failed to meet bilateral obligations including over Western Sahara.

Algeria last week said lethal wildfires were the work of groups it has labelled terrorist, one of which it said was backed by Morocco.

Morocco’s Foreign Ministry could not be immediately reached for comment. King Mohammed VI has called for improved ties with Algeria.

Algeria backs the Polisario movement that seeks independence for Western Sahara, which Morocco regards as part of its own territory.

Today In History – August 24 – Act Of Uniformity Requires English To Accept Book Of Common Prayer

By
Angel Gimalo
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79 Believed until 2018 to be the date of the massive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius which buried the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae, killing untold thousands. Latest evidence suggests the eruption occurred after 17 October.

410 Rome overrun by Visigoths under Alaric I for the first time in nearly 800 years, seen as the fall of the Western Roman Empire

1516 Battle of Marj Dabiq: Ottoman forces decisively beat the Mamluk Sultanate

1572 St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of Protestants by Roman Catholics begins in Paris and later spreads to the French provinces

1662 Act of Uniformity requires English to accept Book of Common Prayer

1814 British forces capture Washington, D.C. and destroy many landmarks (War of 1812)

1968 France becomes the world’s fifth thermonuclear power with a detonation on Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific

Today in Film & TV

1963 24th Venice Film Festival: “Hands Over the City” directed by Francesco Rosi wins Golden Lion

Today in Music

1787 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his violin and piano sonata in A, K526

Today in Sport

2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing becomes the most-watched event on TV ever – nearly 5 billion, 70% of world’s population

Do you know this fact about today? Did You Know?

The printing of the Gutenberg Bible is completed

US Warns About Swimming At Beaches In El Salvador

By
Angel Gimalo
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The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador has issued a warning against swimming off the country’s Pacific coast beaches, citing a high number of deaths.

The embassy wrote that “in 2021, an elevated number of U.S. citizens (and persons of other nationalities) have lost their lives due to rip currents and other dangerous conditions” at El Salvador’s beaches.

The warning says “strong undertows and currents make swimming at El Salvador’s Pacific Coast beaches extremely dangerous even for experienced swimmers.”

It says lifeguards are not always present at beaches in El Salvador and notes that the country’s search and rescue capabilities “are limited” while access to medical resources is often “inadequate.”

Airbnb Opens Up Housing For 20,000 Afghan Refugees Globally

By
Angel Gimalo
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Airbnb opened the doors of its properties to 20,000 Afghan refugees globally Tuesday and sought assistance from hosts who rent property through the home-sharing company for more free housing for those fleeing the crisis.

Airbnb, Inc. is an American company that operates an online marketplace for lodging, primarily homestays for vacation rentals, and tourism activities.

“The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up,” said CEO Brian Chesky on Twitter. “I hope this inspires other business leaders to do the same. There’s no time to waste.”

The UN Refugee Agency said last month that an estimated 270,000 Afghans had been newly displaced inside the country since January – primarily due to insecurity and violence – bringing the total uprooted population to over 3.5 million.

White House officials said 28 U.S. military flights ferried about 10,400 people to safety out of Taliban-held Afghanistan over 24 hours that ended early Monday morning, and 15 C-17 flights over the next 12 hours brought out another 6,660.

Airbnb has a history of making free shelter to those in need through its Airbnb.org.

Since 2012, Airbnb.org has housed 75,000 people fleeing or responding to a crisis, from COVID-19 health workers and earthquake or fire evacuees or responders to refugees.

Hosts are allowed to sign up for the program through Airbnb.org.

“If you’re willing to host a refugee family, reach out and I’ll connect you with the right people here to make it happen!,” Chesky wrote Tuesday.

Airbnb operates in approximately 100,000 cities in almost every country and region across the world.

COVID-19: Edo to restrict unvaccinated persons from churches, mosques, banks

By
Cleopatra Okohai
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Edo State Government on Monday announced plans to make it compulsory for residents of the state to take the vaccine and present the certificate before accessing areas of large gatherings.

Specifically, large gatherings in churches, mosques, banks, wedding or burial receptions among others would no longer be accessed without presenting the vaccine certificate from the second week of September.

The State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, disclosed this at the Government House in Benin City, while flagging off the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination exercise.

The vaccines available in Edo include Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson with a stern warning from the World Health Organisation against the mixing and matching of vaccines of different manufacturers.

But the third wave of COVID-19, according to Obaseki, is causing devastating effects across the country, hence the need to introduce stiffer measures to reduce the effect.

Obaseki said the latest reports indicate that 96 per cent of those infected with the Delta variant are those who have not been vaccinated.

So far, only 1.7 per cent of the 4.7 million population in the state were vaccinated in the first phase of the exercise.

Obaseki, however, said the target for the second phase is to hit 60 per cent.

He said, “From what we have seen so far, the COVID-19 is here to stay, there may be other waves. We need to find a solution that is why vaccination is very important. For us in Edo, we would push for vaccination to build immunity against the scourge. Our target s to vaccinate 60 per cent of our population in the next year.

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“From the second week of September 2021, large gatherings will only be accessed by those who have at least taken one dose of the vaccine. From the second week, people will not be allowed to worship centres, event centres, and receptions without showing proof of the vaccination cards. From the middle of September, you can no longer access the banking services if you have not vaccinated.”

The flag-off was witnessed by representatives of security agencies, market women, educational institutions across the state, the organised labour, and other groups in the state.

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