US “maximum alert” – at home and at Kabul – against ISIS attacks

It is “maximum alert” in the US for fear of attacks on US territory and on Kabul Airport. Quotng a meeting between the leaders of Homeland Security and the heads of American federal justice, CNNsaid “three main threats” were being traced, including the infiltration of ISIS or Al Qaeda cells into the process of evacuation of Afghan refugees to the US.

• US President Joe Biden has also warned another attack on Kabul airport is highly likely, saying that military commanders have told him it could come as early as Sunday. About 170 people died after a suicide bomber targeted the airport on Thursday.
• The BBC quotes witnesses saying “many” of the people who died in the attack on the Kabul airport “were killed by American soldiers” in the crowd and confusion following the explosions.
• Among those killed was 23-year-old US Marine Sergeant Nicole Gee, who became famous for a photo in which she was holding a child in her arms during evacuations, which she had published a week ago on Instagram with the comment “I love my work.” The photo was then relaunched on Twitter by the US Defense Department. Her colleagues described her as a “model marine”.

Kurz confirmed party leader by 99.4% of votes

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has been confirmed ‘Obmann’ (secretary) of the OeVP, the people’s party. Kurz, 35, close to becoming a father from his union with his partner Susanne Thier, obtained 99.4% of the votes (533 votes out of 536 voters).

550 migrants land in Lampedusa

Italian coastguard vessels have rescued 539 migrants from a fishing boat drifting off the island of Lampedusa. The rescue on Saturday delivered one of the largest numbers of migrants to the Italian island in a single day. Women and children were among those on board. Meanwhile, 350 migrants attempted to cross the fence that separates Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Melilla, without success.

Japan investigating deaths ‘from Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine’

Japan is investigating the death of two men who received jabs from batches of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine suspended from use due to contamination. The men aged 30 and 38 died earlier this month after getting their second Moderna doses from one of three manufacturing lots suspended by the government on Thursday.

Trudeau cancels election rally

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was forced to cancel an election rally in Bolton, Ontario due to security concerns following the assault by a group of no-vax protesters. In recent days, protests in Canada against COVID restrictions and the obligation of the vaccine in some cases have increased. Meanwhile there have been no-vax protests in Berlin and France.

Six Kennedy siblings against murderer’s parole

Six children of assassinated Robert Kennedy are against the release from prison of their father’s murderer, Sirhan Sirhan. Condemning the decision of the California Parole Board to recommend Sirhan’s release, they said, “He snatched our father from us. We are incredulous that his release was recommended.” Two other sons have instead sided in favour of the decision.

Scientists discover world’s northernmost island

A group of scientists has announced that they have accidentally discovered the northernmost island in the world, off the coast of Greenland. Last July an expedition of Danish-Swiss researchers reached by helicopter what they thought was the island of Oodaaq, known since 1978 as the northernmost island. But when they checked their position, they realized they were 800 metres further north, on another island only 60x30m. This, they found, is the strip of land closest to the North Pole. Expedition leader Morten Rasch said the island will be called Qeqertaq Avannarleq, which means ‘the northernmost island’ in the Greenland language.