Category Archives: headline

headline

'We haven't seen the worst of it': 633 new local cases in NSW

New South Wales has recorded 633 new COVID-19 cases to 8pm overnight, another grim milestone and new a daily record.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian described the case numbers as a "huge increase" and said that at least 62 of those have been confirmed as infectious in the community.

"What the data is telling us in the last few days is that we haven't seen the worst of it," Ms Berejiklian said.

More than 102,000 tests were received in the past 24 hours.

READ MORE: Qantas to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all staff

A medical worker takes drivers' details in the line for a drive-through testing clinic in Blacktown, Sydney.

Of today's 633 new cases, 550 are primarily young people from Sydney's west and south-west.

Given this, Ms Berejilkian has highlighted the following suburbs as the sites of greatest risk: Merrylands, Guildford, Auburn, Greenacre and St Marys.

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1427797631812603905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

NSW also recorded three deaths in the past 24 hours, including a man in his late 60s who died at Liverpool Hospital and two men in their late 70s who both died at Nepean Hospital.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant explained that every single positive COVID-19 case in the state is passing the virus on to at least one other person.

Ms Berejiklian expanded on this, explaining the state will require the COVID-19 "reproductive rate" to fall below one to ensure NSW can get on top of the spread.

Currently the reproductive rate of the virus in NSW is 1.3, meaning that every person who tests positive for COVID-19 is passing the virus on to an average of 1.3 people.

"We need that number to be below one," Ms Berejiklian said.

"We need to make sure that whoever has the virus doesn't spread it to anybody else. That's what will turn the corner."

Private elective surgeries cancelled

This afternoon, NSW Health said all elective surgeries at private hospitals in Sydney will be cancelled from Monday.

"Private hospital staff will help support the large-scale vaccination effort currently underway and support workforce demands in the NSW public health system," NSW Health said in a statement on its website.

This was already the case in Sydney public hospitals.

Concerns about unvaccinated children

Dr Chant has warned that as well as the Delta variant being extra transmissible, another concerning feature of the strain is its ability to spread among children.

"We're also seeing outbreaks in childcare centres and that's a feature we haven't seen in previous outbreaks," she said.

"Because the Delta strain seems to be able to transmit more in the childhood setting."

Dr Kerry Chant said she "firmly believes that we need to get in and vaccinate our 12 to 15-year-olds at the moment".

"We vaccinated the 16-year-olds. I'm keen to get into the 12- to 15-year-olds, personally. I'll await the advice around that more routinely."

Across the state, there are currently 462 COVID-19 cases in hospital. Of those, 77 are in intensive care and 25 require ventilation.

The cohort of patients come from all age groups as young as those in their 20s.

"We will see more admissions and more deaths if these numbers continue to increase," Dr Chant said.

Five kilometre travel limit clarified

Ms Berejiklian has clarified the state's five-kilometre travel rule amid confusion about the current health restrictions.

She said that if residents live in a Local Government Area of high concern, they must not travel more than five kilometres from their house for any reason.

Those LGAs of high concern can be seen here.

For those outside the LGAs of high concern, residents must not travel further than five kilometres from their home "unless they absolutely have to".

Australian Defence Force personnel and NSW police are seen being deployed from Bankstown Police Station in Sydney.

"We need to make sure that whoever has the virus doesn't spread it to anybody else. That's what will turn the corner," she said.

"And until we hit that corner, we're going to see case numbers rise and the way we stop case numbers rising is stopping mobility, stop leaving your home."

READ MORE: Victoria records 24 new COVID-19 cases

Where are today's COVID-19 cases?

Here's a breakdown of which Local Health Districts today's cases are from:

  • 224 are from South Western Sydney
  • 216 are from Western Sydney
  • 54 are from Nepean Blue Mountains
  • 52 are from Sydney
  • 24 are from South Eastern Sydney
  • 23 are from Western NSW
  • 15 are from Hunter New England
  • Six are from Northern Sydney
  • Four are from Illawarra Shoalhaven
  • Four are from Far West
  • 11 cases are yet to be assigned to an LHD

Outbreaks in NSW regions continue to grow

Western NSW has recorded 23 new local COVID-19 cases.

Of these, 17 cases are in Dubbo while others come from Mudgee, Narromine and Gilgandra.

There were also a number of cases detected outside the reporting period on the Central Coast and the Mid North Coast.

Macquarie street in the Dubbo centre.

Sewage surveillance has also detected fragments of the virus in wastewater in Bathurst and Orange.

Authorities have continued to urge residents of NSW's west to get tested, particularly if they have been in the community in Wilcannia.

Police issue record amount of fines

NSW Police have issued a record-breaking amount of COVID-19 infringements as officers continue to carry out Operation Stay At Home.

In the past 24 hours, 736 penalty notices were issued across the state.

Of those, 448 were issued to people who were moving outside their homes without a good reason to do so.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said that in one instance in the Sydney suburb of Padstow, a man was not even at home when he should have been isolating.

Hundreds more police will be out in force across NSW from Monday

When police rang him, he told them he was taking the garbage bins out.

He was issued a $5,000 penalty notice.

Vaccine rollout lagging in regional NSW

Earlier today, the NSW Deputy Premier has blamed the Federal Government for the slow roll out of the coronavirus vaccine to Indigenous communities as regional areas of the state fall victim to a "concerning" Delta outbreak.

John Barilaro said lockdowns in regional NSW was the only way to contain the outbreak given the number of unvaccinated people in the area, as defence troops are deployed in the west to bolster the rollout.

About 60 per cent of the 116 cases recorded in the region are Indigenous, with just nine per cent of Indigenous residents there fully vaccinated.

READ MORE: Why NSW Health is no longer listing every COVID-19 exposure site

Mr Barilaro said vaccinating vulnerable Australians had been a priority at the start of the year, but Indigenous populations and those in aged care had missed out.

"Vulnerable communities were part of the 1A roll-out which was the responsibility of the Federal Government," Mr Barilaro told Today.

"That didn't occur. We know their responsibility, their focus and priority was also our aged-care facilities and we know there has been gaps there. Now we are reacting."

Five ADF vaccination teams will arrive in Dubbo this morning to assist with the vaccine rollout in rural areas.

A positive case in Broken Hill has also put the border community on edge, with South Australia on high alert and warning 500 travellers to watch for symptoms.

Mr Barilaro said the spread of the virus in rural and remote areas was "concerning".

"I expect it to spike and I expect to it continue to be a problem and that is why we locked down all of regional and rural NSW, because it was the only way we could contain this," he said.

"It is lessons learnt from what occurred here in Sydney."

Sydney spread

In Greater Sydney, the west and south-western areas remain the highest areas of concern as coronavirus cases continue to climb despite the tightening of restrictions on Monday.

An aged care home in Blacktown is now in lockdown after a fully vaccinated worker tested positive.

So far, no residents of the Blacktown Terrace Care Community Centre have contracted the virus and they are isolating inside their rooms. Daily testing is being carried out.

READ MORE: NSW Police issue stark warning as plans emerge of another protest

Health authorities will focus on getting 530,000 jabs in arms over the next two weeks, with 16-39-year-olds in hotspot areas the target.

Blacktown and Canterbury, in the south-west, have some of the highest vaccination rates in NSW but other areas of concern including Lakemba and Punchbowl have just 10 per cent of residents fully immunised.

A new pop-up clinic will open at Brighton-Le-Sands today, using Pfizer jabs from Poland.

headline

Israel Data: Covid Vaccine Weakens Over Time, Need for Booster Shots-World Stats

US National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said that data from Israel on vaccine effectiveness waning over time helps show the need for booster shots eight months after initial vaccination.

Collins’s comments largely confirmed what was first reported by The New York Times late Monday night, that the Biden administration is poised to recommend booster shots after eight months.

“As you may have seen from the information overnight, the notion is to encourage boosters eight months after initial vaccinations,” Collins said on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.”

Looking at data from Israel, “unsurprisingly, vaccine protection does gradually wane over time,” Collins said.

“And so in the Israeli data the people who got immunized in January are the ones that are now having more breakthrough cases,” he added. “Mostly of course these are symptomatic but not serious, but you’re starting to see a little bit of a trend towards some of those requiring hospitalization.”

Collins said officials, who have been meeting “almost daily,” are also reviewing U.S. data.

Biden walks fine line on vaccine mandates

The Biden administration is walking a fine line on vaccine requirements, as it encourages employers to mandate shots for their workers but stops short of promoting other measures.

The White House, in an effort to boost a vaccination rate that has slowed from its April peak, has praised businesses that are mandating vaccinations for employees. Those steps in the private sector largely followed President Biden’s requirement last month that federal workers get vaccinated or submit to regular testing.

But there are several far-reaching measures Biden could impose — and that some experts are calling for. So far, the president has decided against implementing the kind of requirements implemented by U.S. allies.

Among them:

  • Requiring vaccines for air travelers, as Canada announced on Friday
  • Giving a full-throated call for more cities to follow New York and San Francisco’s lead in requiring proof of vaccination for activities like indoor dining.

“I think he’s leaving a lot of effective tools on the table,” Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, said of Biden, while giving him “high marks” for his actions on vaccines for federal workers.

Pressure ramps up: Over 100 lawmakers ask FDA about timeline for vaccines for children

A group of more than 100 House lawmakers on Tuesday sent a letter to the FDA asking for an update on its timeline on authorizing COVID-19 vaccines for children, given the current “alarming” situation.

“As transmission rates increase and schools reopen for in-person instruction, parents need to know when their kids will be able to get vaccinated,” states the letter, led by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.).

The lawmakers wrote that they “respect the scientific process and the FDA’s dedication to safety,” but say that the current rise in cases due to the delta variant adds urgency to the situation.

They request a briefing from the FDA within 10 days on its timeline and where it is in the process of reviewing data from vaccines for children under 12.

“The current situation is alarming for parents, whose children ages 2-11 will be in months of school without vaccinations available,” the lawmakers wrote.

What’s happening: Attention has been rising on the lack of vaccines for children under 12 as schools go back into session and the number of cases rise among children, though outcomes are still generally seen as less severe for them.

Read more here.

WHO warns Afghanistan’s collapse could worsen coronavirus crisis

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday that the collapse of Afghanistan’s government could worsen the COVID-19 crisis as people are displaced amid the Taliban’s takeover.

The chaos in Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal of troops has sparked fear among diplomats and citizens seeking to flee the country, making coronavirus precautions difficult to maintain, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said during a United Nations briefing.

“Obviously, when we have situations with people on the move, these individual and collective measures are difficult to put in place and thus increases the risk of COVID-19 but other infectious diseases as well,” Jasarevic said.

The pandemonium at Kabul’s international airport is also “delaying urgently needed” health supplies, he said, noting that “disruption to health services can have a dire” effect.

“The ongoing conflict is setting a heavy toll on the already fragile health system in Afghanistan that has been facing a shortage of essential medical supplies and equipment in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jasarevic said.

At the same time, COVID-19 vaccinations have slowed in the country, Jasarevic noted, saying he hopes they pick up again “depending on the security situation.”

Read more here.

Masks are back: National Park Service reinstates mask mandate in buildings, crowded public spaces

The National Park Service on Monday reinstated mask requirements, ordering visitors at national parks around the country to don face coverings when they are inside buildings or in crowded outdoor spaces.

According to the National Park Service, the requirement will apply to all park-goers, regardless of their vaccination status.

“Visitors to national parks are coming from locations across the country, if not across the world,” National Park Service Deputy Director Shawn Benge said in a press release.

“Because of this, and recognizing that the majority of the United States is currently in substantial or high transmission categories, we are implementing a service-wide mask requirement to ensure our staff and visitors’ safety,” Benge added.

“Masking in addition to being vaccinated will help prevent the spread of new variants and protect those who are more at risk of severe disease,” Capt. Maria Said, an epidemiologist in the National Park Service Office of Public Health, said. “This simple act of kindness allows us to be safe while we continue to enjoy the benefits of our national parks.”

================================================

WORLD STATS

Coronavirus Cases:

209,424,691

Deaths:

4,395,337

Recovered:

187,705,765
Highlighted in green
= all cases have recovered from the infection
Highlighted in grey
= all cases have had an outcome (there are no active cases)

[back to top ↑]

Archived:

January 2020 – February 2020

The post Israel Data: Covid Vaccine Weakens Over Time, Need for Booster Shots-World Stats appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Toutai Kefu speaks for first time since violent home invasion

Recovering Wallabies Legend Toutai Kefu has spoken for the first time since he was severely injured during an armed burglary at his Brisbane home.

Two teenagers, 13 and 15 years old, have been charged over the alleged home invasion.

A third teenager remains under police guard at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

On Wednesday afternoon, Kefu took to social media to thank the broader community for the well wishes following the horrific ordeal, calling the outpouring of support "humbling'.

Explainer: When might children be included in the vaccine roll-out?

A 15-year-old teenage boy charged with attempted murder following a bungled burglary that left Wallabies legend Toutai Kefu and his family with serious injuries has this morning faced court.

"Wow. Humbling to see the outpouring of love and well-wishes from family, friends, community members and the general public," Kefu said.

"We are all doing well. Josh, Madi & myself are out of hospital, and we're hoping Rach will be able to join us tomorrow.

"We just want to say thank you for everyone's support we feel very lucky and grateful."

9News understands that Kefu's wife Rachel suffered "significant lacerations" to her arms and underwent surgery on Tuesday.

Police are still searching for a stolen silver Hyundai iX35 with the registration 435VJP that was allegedly used by the young offenders.

headline

Harry & Meghan Respond to World Crises, Urge Support for Charities

The statement relates to a number of ongoing issues around the world including the Taliban’s takeover over Afghanistan, the Haiti earthquake and the ongoing global coronavirus health crisis.

Since stepping back as senior royals the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been living in the US.

The couple explained how they are left “speechless” and “heartbroken” by what is going on in the world and urged people to put their “values into action”.

“The world is exceptionally fragile right now,” a statement on the Archewell website read.

“As we all feel the many layers of pain due to the situation in Afghanistan, we are left speechless.

“As we all watch the growing humanitarian disaster in Haiti, and the threat of it worsening after last weekend’s earthquake, we are left heartbroken.

“And as we all witness the continuing global health crisis, exacerbated by new variants and constant misinformation, we are left scared.”

The continued: “When any person or community suffers, a piece of each of us does so with them, whether we realize it or not. And though we are not meant to live in a state of suffering, we, as a people, are being conditioned to accept it. It’s easy to find ourselves feeling powerless, but we can put our values into action — together.

“To start, we encourage you to join us in supporting a number of organizations doing critical work. We also urge those in positions of global influence to rapidly advance the humanitarian dialogues that are expected to take place this fall at multilateral gatherings such as the U.N. General Assembly and the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

“As an international community, it is the decisions we make now — to alleviate suffering among those we know and those we may never meet — that will prove our humanity.”

The statement was followed by images of their signatures “Harry & Meghan”.

Charity support for Aghanistan, Haiti and Covid

The couple then urged people to support charity organisations doing work around the world.

Charities listed by the couple include World Central Kitchen, Women for Afghan Women and Invictus.

The couple’s not-for-profit Archewell organisation said it was supporting the emergency response in Haiti with its partner World Central Kitchen, and highlighted other organisations such as Women for Afghan Women, Afghanaid, Mercy Corps and Invictus.

Archewell, which was set up by Harry and Meghan after their exit from the working monarchy, vowed to support the military who served in Afghanistan, and the Afghan people.

To find out more visit the Archewell website.

The post Harry & Meghan Respond to World Crises, Urge Support for Charities appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Three new COVID-19 cases brings New Zealand outbreak to 10

Three new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the New Zealand city of Auckland.

This brings the country's current outbreak, which has been confirmed to originate from New South Wales, to 10.

The new cases include a man in his 20s who is a partner of a known case, a woman in her 60s, and a woman in her 20s.

READ MORE: New Zealand enters snap lockdown after one new COVID-19 case found

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed earlier today the case which triggered the lockdown is of the Delta variant and genomic sequencing matched NSW cases.

"Our case is originated in Australia," she said.

"The fact it is linked to the NSW outbreak gives us a lot of leads to chase down."

She said they still do not know how the virus got from NSW into the community in Auckland.

Ms Ardern said there were several infected people from NSW in managed isolation in New Zealand, though it is not yet apparent how the case got out.

Among the new cases in New Zealand is a health worker who worked four shifts at an Auckland hospital while unknowingly infectious.

A 20-year-old work colleague of the original case has since tested positive, as has his three flatmates. The health worker is among them.

READ MORE: NSW records 633 new cases, three deaths

The streets of Wellington lie empty on the first day of lockdown in New Zealand.

Another of the flatmates is a teacher.

"They will be large numbers of locations of interest," Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.

"Speed is of the essence."

The wife of the original case has tested negative for a second test. She has been fully vaccinated.

The Sky City Casino and a local church have been listed as exposure sites.

"I know Delta is making people feel more anxious and more afraid and it is true that we will see more cases, but we can get on top of this, just like we have every other time, if we do it together," Ms Ardern said.

"We do expect more (cases)."

READ MORE: Victoria records 24 new COVID-19 cases

Cars queue up for coronavirus testing in Auckland, New Zealand.

Ms Ardern cited the example of Australia's spreading coronavirus outbreak as an indication of the need for rapid action.

"What is your message to people who question the need for an Alert Level 4 lockdown?" a journalist asked her.

The prime minister pointed west.

"Australia," she replied.

https://twitter.com/ccroucher9/status/1427808384112226305

Ms Ardern said people older than 40 can now book a vaccine as of today.

New Zealand is one of the few countries with a lower vaccination rate than Australia at present.

The prime minister confirmed the country would move to alert level four yesterday, with only essential contact between people allowed, after just one case.

Ms Ardern said the country needed to "go hard and go early" to defeat the Delta variant, after one case was detected.

New Zealand's Ministry of Health said it received the results last night of the genome sequencing for case A.

"It is the Delta variant," they said.

READ MORE: Body of newborn found at NZ recycling centre came in on rubbish truck

"We are undertaking further analysis to see how it could be connected to cases we know about.

"These developments strongly reinforce the importance of the actions taken last night in the move to level four and underpin the importance of everyone keeping to the lockdown conditions.

"The key message from the last lockdown remains relevant: 'stay at home, save lives, be tested. This will stop any undetected spread in the community."

headline

Earthquake: US Has No Plan To Send Troops to Haiti

WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) – The United States has no current plans to deploy U.S. military personnel to Haiti after an earthquake that killed at least 1,900 people, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday.

Sullivan told reporters it was too early to gauge the impact of the earthquake on Haiti’s political process, and U.S. officials were in the process of assessing that.

He said the main focus now was getting a team from the U.S. Agency for International Development “out and active” to address the disaster, and that U.S. Coast Guard elements and U.S. Southern Command were providing logistical support for the emergency response.

Reporting by Steve Holland and Andrea Shalal Editing by Chris Reese

The post Earthquake: US Has No Plan To Send Troops to Haiti appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Leading Cuban Dissident Ordered to Serve 4 Year Prison Sentence

HAVANA, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Cuba has revoked the right to home detention of leading dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer and ordered him to serve the remaining 4 years of a sentence for assault in prison, sparking criticism that the order was politically motivated.

Ferrer, leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), one of the Communist-run country’s largest and most active opposition groups, was arrested in October 2019 on charges of abducting and assaulting a man.

He denied the charges but was convicted in February 2020, with his 4 1/2 year prison sentence commuted to house arrest two months later under international pressure.

At the time, Cuba called Ferrer a U.S.-financed counter-revolutionary but said he was not arrested for his political views. Critics said the government invents in common crimes to impute to its opponents that it can silence them while claiming not to have political prisoners.

Ferrer told Reuters he would not comply with one of the conditions of his house arrest: that he refrain from political activism.

On July 11, he was arrested as he attempted to join a protest in his eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, that was part of an unprecedented wave of anti-government protests nationwide, and held in “preventative prison” on charges of public disorder.

Since then, relatives say they have not been able to speak to him or visit him. This week they shared a court document dated Aug. 12 showing authorities had determined Ferrer had contravened the terms for his right to home detention for his previous conviction.

As such, he should stay in prison to serve the remaining 4 years and 14 days of his original sentence, according to the document.

“This is absolutely motivated by politics, not the law, he didn’t commit any crime, they just don’t want him on the streets of Cuba because they are afraid,” said Ferrer’s sister Ana Belkis Ferrer.

Rights activists say authorities have used the wave of detentions in the wake of the July 11 protests to silence some of the country’s most charismatic opponents.

The government blames the protests on counter-revolutionaries backed by its old and much larger foe the United States, that has long openly sought to force political change on the island.

Ferrer’s relatives say they are worried about his health, especially as he had vowed to go on a hunger strike if he were detained on July 11 but has been incommunicado since.

“No-one has been able to speak to Jose Daniel, not even by phone,” said Ferrer’s sister. “It’s a constant uncertainty.”

Ferrer was one of 75 dissidents arrested in 2003 during a nationwide crackdown known as the Black Spring. He was released on parole in 2011 and soon after formed UNPACU.

Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Michael Perry

The post Leading Cuban Dissident Ordered to Serve 4 Year Prison Sentence appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Analysis: What’s the Impact of Taliban’s Return on International Order?

By Jonathan Marcus

Diplomatic analyst and former BBC Defence & Diplomatic Correspondent

Joe Biden at a press conference with the media in front of himPresident Biden Press Conference

The Biden administration’s rush for the exit in Afghanistan has been accompanied by a similar rush to judgement among pundits and commentators who, by and large, have castigated the US president for a decision that many see as unnecessary and a betrayal, both of those who served in Afghanistan and of the Afghan people themselves.

The heartbreaking images from the airport in Kabul only reinforce this message. And there is justifiably a good deal of emotion to go round. The West has invested a lot of blood, time and money in Afghanistan. The Afghan people, much, much, more.

It is hard to argue with the criticism of the Biden administration’s precipitate departure. Afghanistan may indeed be un-salvageable, its governing structures too unrepresentative and corrupt. This though only underscores the argument that Afghanistan was not “lost” in the past two years but during the previous 20.

Nonetheless the decision to cut and run is being seen as a terrible blow to US credibility – to its reliability as a partner, and indeed to its moral standing in world affairs. How does this square with Mr Biden’s clarion cry on taking office, that America was back?

Comparisons are being made with Vietnam – the similarities with helicopters shuttling US nationals away from a falling city being too much for the newspaper front-pages to resist. But in reality – despite the superficial similarities -there are some important differences, too.

South Vietnam collapsed some two years after US troops left. Indeed it looks as though the Americans expected their Afghan allies to soldier on for a significant period without them. The US was humbled by Vietnam – its population deeply divided and its military morale damaged. But while Vietnam turned out to be a tragic side-show in the Cold War, the US still ultimately won that contest. Nato was not weakened. US allies around the globe did not shy away from expecting US support. The US remained the pre-eminent superpower.

Afghanistan is altogether different. Internal divisions in the US over this conflict have in no way been comparable to Vietnam’s. The Afghanistan mission was certainly unpopular at home but there were no mass rallies against it.

Crucially though, today’s international context is dramatically different from that of the 1970s. The US – indeed the West in general – is engaged in multiple contests, in few of which they are outright winners. The Afghan collapse is potentially a disaster in the so-called war on terror. But in the wider conflict between democracy and authoritarianism, Washington’s failure can only be seen as a serious set-back.

There will be smiles in Moscow and Beijing, at least for now. The Western model of liberal interventionism – promoted as a means of spreading democracy and the rule of law – has perhaps been tested to destruction in Afghanistan. One cannot see much enthusiasm for similar undertakings in the future.

Those of Washington’s allies who joined in the Afghanistan project are smarting. They feel badly let down. Even British ministers, jealous of their oft touted “special relationship” with Washington, have been openly critical of President Biden’s decision.

And for America’s European allies in general, it underscores how dependent they are upon the US and how little their views count once the White House decides to go in one particular direction.

So bad news for the West. But how long-lasting will be the smiles in Beijing, Moscow and even Islamabad? It was Pakistan that nurtured and gave safe haven to the Taliban for its own geo-strategic purposes. But if renewed Taliban rule produces a simple turning back of the clock – if international terrorism finds a renewed haven – then Pakistan may find that the growing turbulence in the region has decidedly negative consequences.

China is happy to see the US failure. Indeed, if Mr Biden’s reason to pull out from Afghanistan was due to his desire to re-focus US national power to rival a rising China, then this step has simply given China an opportunity to expand its own influence in Afghanistan and beyond.

China, though, must have concern, too. Its shares a short border with Afghanistan. It is actively persecuting its own Muslim minority and must be concerned at the possibility that anti-Beijing Islamist terrorists might seek to use Afghanistan as a base. No wonder then that Chinese diplomacy over recent weeks has been so eager to court the Taliban.

Russia, too, must have worries about the return of instability and terrorism. Maybe it feels a little better about itself now that the US has similarly been humbled by Afghan tribal fighters, just as the Soviet Union was in the late-1980s.

But its chief interest is the security of a large part of Central Asia, many of whose states are allies of Moscow. This summer Russia moved tanks to the Tajikistan-Afghan frontier for exercises intended to demonstrate its determination to prevent any spill-over from an Afghan collapse.

So in the short-term, the Afghan debacle certainly benefits the West’s opponents. But their attitudes were not going to change anyway.

What really matters are the ramifications among Washington’s allies. What will they take away from the Afghan experience? Beyond the immediate crisis, will the NATO countries, Israel, Taiwan, South Korea or Japan see the US as a less reliable partner? If they do, then Mr Biden’s decision to quit Afghanistan will prove fateful, indeed.

The post Analysis: What’s the Impact of Taliban’s Return on International Order? appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Haiti Quake: Death Toll Nears 2,000 with Many Still Missing

BBC- At least 1,941 people are known to have died in Haiti in Saturday’s powerful earthquake – a rise of more than 500 on the previous figure, officials say.

Nearly 10,000 people have been injured, and many are still missing after the the 7.2-magnitude tremor.

Rescue work has been hampered by heavy rains brought this week by Tropical Storm Grace to the Caribbean nation.

The UN says about 500,000 children now have limited or no access to shelter, safe water and food.

“Countless Haitian families who have lost everything due to the earthquake are now living literally with their feet in the water due to the flooding,” said Bruno Maes, the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) representative in the country.

Tens of thousands of people left homeless by the quake had to decide whether to brave the storm under flimsy tarpaulins or risk returning into buildings damaged by the tremor and smaller aftershocks.

The south-west of Haiti appears to have suffered the worst of the damage from the quake, especially around the city of Les Cayes.

“Yesterday [Tuesday] evening, I took shelter near a church, but when I heard the ground shake again, I ran to return here,” city resident Magalie Cadet was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

She said so few structures remained standing that people had to relieve themselves on the city streets.

Some hospitals were left overwhelmed and in need of supplies, as medics struggled to treat the injured.

The earthquake compounds problems facing the impoverished nation, which is already reeling from a political crisis following the assassination of its president last month.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is in power until fresh presidential election can be held, has declared a month-long state of emergency and urged the population to “show solidarity”.

Haiti has been hit by a series of natural disasters over the past years, including Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

The deadliest was the 2010 earthquake which killed more than 200,000 people and caused extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure and economy

The post Haiti Quake: Death Toll Nears 2,000 with Many Still Missing appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Heart-wrenching details revealed of St Basil's deadly COVID-19 outbreak

Heart-wrenching details of neglect, failed protocols and chronic understaffing have been heard in the first hearing of an inquest into the COVID-19 outbreak at Melbourne's St Basil's aged care home.

During the height of Victoria's second wave, 117 residents called the facility home and 50 of them died during the outbreak – 45 of them from coronavirus.

Victorian State Coroner Judge John Cain will probe the Fawkner aged care home deaths and the circumstances in which they occurred.

READ MORE: Melbourne sex worker among latest mystery COVID-19 cases

The names of the deceased were today read aloud in the Coroner's Court – a tragic three minutes for devastated loved ones.

"As devastating as these numbers are, they don't tell the whole story," council assisting the coroner Peter Rozen said.

"Evidence collected by the court … suggests certain features of the home, its management and the way the outbreak was addressed by external agencies that combined for the tragic outcome that materialised."

Mr Rozen said the basic needs of many of the "highly dependent residents were neglected to a point that a number presented at hospital dehydrated, malnourished, suffering from serious pressure sores and in very poor general health, in addition to being COVID-19 positive".

The hearing heard the first infected staff member at the site worked two shifts while she waited to receive a COVID-19 test result.

READ MORE: Victoria records 24 new COVID-19 cases

Judge Cain will have the power to make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in future following the inquest.

The judge said he was aware the grieving families were looking for an explanation as to what happened at the facility and why.

"It's hard to imagine a more difficult and distressing situation for all of you," he said.

The full inquest is expected to run for a number of weeks later this year.