Good morning,
New Afghan Government
A new Government clearly shows the old Taliban is back in charge in Afghanistan. In announcing a new care taker Afghan Government is was clear the theocratic, conservative core of the Taliban remained unchanged. All were men, several of whom are listed by the U.S. and U.N. as terrorists. Few were non-Pashtun.
Mohammed Akhund the former foreign minister from 20 years ago, is the new Prime Minister. Here’s the real situation - Afghanistans basic services like electricity, food and water are collapsing. The Taliban can fight but they can’t run a country and already there is unrest in many centres in the Country suffering under Taliban rule.
The situation will only get worse, and Pakistans support of the Taliban, didn’t include standing up a stable Government and working to strengthen the country. Hard harsh dark days ahead.
Meantime in America the feature stories in every newspaper about the heroes of 9/11 are abundant. Stories of fire fighters and police and individual’s great sacrifices as the twin towers collapsed, after 2 highjacked airplanes flown by Al Qaeda suicide squads rattled America on Sept. 11th 2001.
The Taliban who U.S. President Biden just allowed back into power, harboured Al Qaeda and Osama Ben Laden and refused to surrender as U.S. troops were poised to invade Afghanistan. The interim cabinet of Afghanistan includes Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is wanted by the FBI and was behind a truck bomb in Kabul killing 150 people.
The links between the Taliban today, and Al Qaeda are still strong say experts. There will be more terror plots hatched from Afghanistan, and we will continue to ask why, with a minimum troop commitment of 2500 to 3500 troops, did Biden and his predecessor ex President Trump not stay in Afghanistan to support a free Afghanistan?
Mexico Earthquake
A tsunami warning has been issued after an earthquake rattle the Mexican seaside resort area of Acapulco killing at least one person and causing damage to buildings including hotels.
The earthquake was described as a powerful 7.0 magnitude 11 miles north east of of Acapulco.
U.S. Covid Support
New York is a study in the pandemic ill effects on a big City, and predictions are the Big Apple won’t be back to pre pandemic employment levels until 2024 and perhaps later.
This as federal aid programs have ended which means support for 800,000 New York workers has stopped leaving many with tough decisions on where to live and work and how to feed families.
The expiring of unemployment benefits ends a period of extraordinary federal intervention to prop up the economy during the worst of Covid which claims the lives of 649,000 people and left millions of laid-off workers struggling to secure new jobs.
Heat and Animals
In the UK this week a heat wave which is a comfortable 84 C degrees, but none the less record breaking for this time of year. The heat is minor compared to some of the record hot temperatures recorded this year in places like British Columbia, Canada and in other places in Europe, like Italy which recorded a temperature of 48.8 degrees C (119.8 degrees F) on August 11 in Sicily.
And now scientists say heating could be causing animals around the world to grow larger ears, beaks and tails, as our heating planet forces them to rapidly “shape-shift” in order to survive.
Animals in warmer climates tend to have larger appendages – such as ears, beaks, legs and tails – which they can use to dissipate heat.
Covid and Kids
The debate is raging about whether 12 to 15 yr olds should be vaccinated and this week the UK will decide the issue, while a medical advisory committee has already told the Government is thinks vaccinations should not be given.
Subscribe to Back Story with Dana Lewis podcast, and coming later this week you can listen to experts on the subject of vaccinations and Covid and where we go from here.
Have a good day everyone!
Dana
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/climate-change-shape-shift-elephants-b1916050.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/nyregion/nyc-federal-unemployment-benefits.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58484155?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/08/mexico-earthquake-tsunami-warning-acapulco