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Iraq, Syria Terrorists "Actively" Entering Afghanistan: Vladimir Putin

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"The situation in Afghanistan is not easy," Vladimir Putin said.
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Moscow:
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that battle-hardened terrorists from Iraq and Syria are "actively" entering Afghanistan.
"The situation in Afghanistan is not easy," Putin said during a video conference with security service chiefs of ex-Soviet states.
"Militants from Iraq, Syria with experience in military operations are actively being drawn there," he said.
"It is possible that terrorists may try to destabilise the situation in neighbouring states," he added, warning that they could even try "direct expansion".
Putin has repeatedly warned about members of extremist groups exploiting political turmoil in Afghanistan to cross into neighbouring ex-Soviet countries as refugees.
While Moscow has been cautiously optimistic about the new Taliban leadership in Kabul, the Kremlin is concerned about instability spilling over into Central Asia where it houses military bases.
In the wake of the Taliban takeover, Russia held military drills with ex-Soviet Tajikistan -- where it operates a military base -- and in Uzbekistan. Both countries share a border with Afghanistan.
Tajikistan's national security chief, Saimumin Yatimov, for his part told the video conference that he had registered an "intensification" of attempts to "smuggle drugs, weapons, ammunition" from Afghanistan into his country.
Afghanistan has long been the world's largest producer of opium and heroin, with profits from the illicit trade helping fund the Taliban.
Earlier Wednesday French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Tajikistan's leader Emomali Rakhmon in Paris, vowing to help the Central Asian state maintain stability.
While the Taliban has said it does not pose a threat to Central Asian countries, the ex-Soviet republics in the region have previously been targeted by attacks attributed to allies of Afghan Islamists.
Last week the Kremlin's envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Russia will invite the Taliban to Moscow for international talks on Afghanistan scheduled for October 20.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/russian-president-vladimir-putin-says-iraq-syria-terrorists-entering-afghanistan-2574821">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/russian-president-vladimir-putin-says-iraq-syria-terrorists-entering-afghanistan-2574821</a>

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"The situation in Afghanistan is not easy," Vladimir Putin said. Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that...

"Decided Not To Get Vaccinated, Have Highest Immunization": Brazil's Bolsonaro

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"I already have the highest immunization, why would I get vaccinated?," Jair Bolsonaro
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Brasilia, Brazil:
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has confirmed he will not get vaccinated against Covid-19, having previously said he would be the "last Brazilian" to do so.
The far-right leader has generated controversy over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and for initially downplaying the seriousness of the virus, despite catching it himself.
"I've decided not to get vaccinated. I'm looking at new studies, I already have the highest immunization, why would I get vaccinated?" the 66-year-old said late Tuesday night in an interview with Jovem Pan radio.
"It would be the same as betting 10 reais on the lottery to win two. It doesn't make sense."
A coronavirus skeptic, Bolsonaro previously claimed the Pfizer vaccine could turn people into crocodiles due to secondary effects.
Since contracting Covid-19 in July 2020, Bolsonaro has repeatedly claimed that tests have shown he has a large number of antibodies to fight the virus and thus does not need to be vaccinated, something experts dispute.
Bolsonaro is also strongly opposed to the health passes, given to those that are vaccinated, required by some large Brazilian cities in order to access certain public spaces.
"For me, freedom comes before everything else. If a citizen doesn't want to get vaccinated, that's his right and that's the end of it," Bolsonaro told Jovem Pan.
Almost 100 million of Brazil's 213 million population are entirely vaccinated against Covid-19, while another 50 million have had one dose.
Last week, the country surpassed 600,000 deaths from Covid-19, the second-worst deaths in the world after the United States.
Bolsonaro's refusal to get vaccinated has also solicited criticism from abroad, notably in September when he traveled to New York for the UN General Assembly.
While there, he was photographed standing in a street eating pizza, something Brazilian press attributed to his being unable to enter restaurants due to being unvaccinated.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/brazilian-president-jair-bolsonaro-decided-not-to-get-vaccinated-have-highest-immunization-2574819">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/brazilian-president-jair-bolsonaro-decided-not-to-get-vaccinated-have-highest-immunization-2574819</a>

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"I already have the highest immunization, why would I get vaccinated?," Jair Bolsonaro Brasilia, Brazil: Brazilian President ...

Facebook Releases New Curbs On Harassment

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Facebook expanded its range of banned "attacks" on public figures (File)
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San Francisco, United States:
Facebook unveiled fresh protections Wednesday against online attacks on journalists, activists and celebrities as the social media giant battles a crisis over its platforms' potential harms.
The company has faced a storm of criticism and a a Senate panel hearing since a whistleblower leaked internal studies showing Facebook knew its sites could be harmful to young people's mental health.
Frances Haugen, an ex-worker at the company, alleged the leading social network put profits before the safety of its users.
Facebook head of safety Antigone Davis announced the new protections, writing "we do not allow bullying and harassment on our platform, but when it does happen, we act."
Facebook expanded its range of banned "attacks" on public figures to include a range of sexual or degrading images of their bodies.
Davis, who defended the company's work in a hearing before lawmakers, said "attacks like these can weaponize a public figure's appearance."
Facebook also added journalists and human rights defenders to the list of people considered public figures because of their work.
New policies included derailing coordinated efforts to use multiple accounts to harass or intimidate people considered at heightened risk of harm in the real world, such as government dissidents and victims of violent tragedies.
Davis said Facebook will also start removing state-linked and "adversarial networks" of accounts at the social network that "work together to harass or silence people" such as dissidents.
"We remove content that violates our policies and disable the accounts of people who repeatedly break our rules," she wrote.
The documents leaked by Haugen, which underpinned a series of scathing Wall Street Journal stories, have fuelled one of Facebook's most serious crises yet.
In her testimony, Haugen noted the risks that the social media giant's platforms are fueling political division and self-dissatisfaction that is particularly dangerous for young people.
She has not finished calling on the authorities to regulate the network frequented daily by nearly three billion people worldwide.
European lawmakers have invited Haugen to a hearing and she was also scheduled to meet with Facebook's supervisory board, an semi-independent body responsible for evaluating the network's content policies.
The leaked documents and Haugen's testimony have prompted fierce pushback from Facebook, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg has not publicly said whether he will accept an invitation from a Senate panel to answer their questions.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/facebook-releases-new-curbs-on-harassment-2574803">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/facebook-releases-new-curbs-on-harassment-2574803</a>

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Facebook expanded its range of banned "attacks" on public figures (File) San Francisco, United States: Facebook unveiled fres...

US To Open Land Borders With Mexico, Canada To Vaccinated Travelers In November

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The US announced in September that it would lift bans in November on all vaccinated air passengers
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Washington:
The United States will open its land borders with Mexico and Canada in early November to non-essential travelers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a senior White House official announced Tuesday.
The official said the administration would give the "precise date very soon" -- both for land crossings as well as international air travel, which would be timed to "go together."
The United States had already announced in September that it would lift bans in November on all vaccinated air passengers who undergo testing and contact tracing.
In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, US borders were closed in March 2020 to travelers coming from the European Union, Britain and China, with India and Brazil added to the list later. Overland visitors from Mexico and Canada were also banned.
The nearly 19 months of restrictions led to both personal and economic suffering.
The White House source said the land border reopening would happen in two phases.
Initially, vaccines will be required for "non-essential" trips -- such as visiting family or tourism -- though unvaccinated travelers will still be allowed into the country for "essential" trips as they have been for the last year and a half.
A second phase beginning in "early January" 2022 will require all visitors to the United States to be fully vaccinated, no matter the reason for their trip.
"This phased approach will provide ample time for essential travelers such as truckers or others to get vaccinated, enabling a smooth transition to the new system," the official said.
The new schedule means the land border restrictions, which are currently set to expire on October 21, would have to be extended one more time before the new rules enter into force, the official indicated.
Mexico hailed Washington's decision. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called it "good news," while Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that it will allow "activating and accelerating economic growth in Mexico's northern border region."
Which vaccines?
The senior official pointed to recent recommendations from US health authorities for guidance on which vaccines would allow travelers entry.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last week that all vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) would be accepted for entry by air, the official pointed out.
"While the CDC hasn't made a final determination here, I anticipate that that would be the same for land travel as well," the official said, explaining that the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not administered in the United States, would be accepted.
The rule change will only apply to legal land crossings into the country, the official said.
"Title 42" -- the controversial Trump-era rule continued by the Biden administration which allows those crossing illegally to be deported for public health reasons -- will remain in place, the official said.
The White House cited Title 42 when thousands of Haitians gathered along the US-Mexico border were deported last month, with critics saying the law unfairly restricts those seeking asylum.
The White House official said Tuesday that details were still being sorted to allow vaccinated air travelers to enter the United States, including plans on how to undertake contact tracing on such visitors. Passengers will also be tested for the coronavirus, the official said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-to-open-land-borders-with-mexico-canada-to-vaccinated-travelers-in-november-2574802">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-to-open-land-borders-with-mexico-canada-to-vaccinated-travelers-in-november-2574802</a>

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The US announced in September that it would lift bans in November on all vaccinated air passengers Washington: The United States will o...

Australia Says Can "Trust" UK On Trade Pact

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Australia Says Can 'Trust' UK On Trade Pact" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2020-07/t8d2vrek_australia-generic-sydney-generic-sydney-opera-house-pixabay_625x300_29_July_20.jpg" title="Australia Says Can 'Trust' UK On Trade Pact" /></div>
Australia's Trade Minister reaffirmed country's plans to reopen international borders to Australians
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Brussels, Belgium:
Australia's Trade Minister Dan Tehan said on Wednesday his government trusts Britain to uphold their new trade pact despite London now wanting to renegotiate part of its Brexit treaty with the EU.
He also emphasised that Canberra wants to smooth things over with Paris after the AUKUS row that saw France react furiously when its contract to supply submarines to Australia was torn up in favour of American-designed nuclear ones.
And Tehan -- also Australia's minister for tourism -- reaffirmed his country's plans to finally reopen international borders to Australians and their families abroad "before Christmas" as Covid-19 vaccinations accelerate.
Tehan spoke to AFP in an interview in Brussels, the penultimate leg of a international tour comprising official visits to Indonesia, India and the United Arab Emirates, then ministerial meetings at the OECD in France with G20 counterparts in Italy.
On Thursday, he is due in London to scrutinise and sign a 600-page Australian-British bilateral free trade agreement announced in June before he returns home.
- 'Keen' to speak to the French -
Asked if he believed London would stand by that trade accord given its remonstrations over the Northern Ireland part of its 2019 treaty with the EU formalising Brexit, Tehan stressed Australian-British historical ties.
"Well, of course we can trust the UK on its treaties and we will continue on negotiating in good faith with them," he said.
"Obviously what the UK and the EU are going through, that's very much a matter for them and I'll leave the commentary on that for others. But when it comes to Australia and the UK, we're dear friends, old friends."
Tehan's stop in Brussels was originally meant to include talks with European Commission officials on a free trade pact Australia wants with the European Union.
But the 12th round of those negotiations was postponed until next month, after France denounced what it saw as a "stab in the back" over AUKUS and the cancelled sub deal.
France has been cold-shouldering Canberra since that row.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has so far been unable to speak with French President Emmanuel Macron on the matter, and Tehan was likewise snubbed by his French trade counterpart when he was in Paris.
Tehan said it was "positive" that France's ambassador to Australia was back after being recalled, along with France's top envoy to the US, in September.
"We've made it very clear we're very keen to sit down and engage with the French government, and we'll do that with these very important issues that we need to continue to discuss -- and the EU-Australia FTA is one of them," he said.
Those talks were nearly at the "end-game" stage, he said, and he expected a pact could be agreed "hopefully by the end of next year".
- COP26 summit -
A possible venue for Australia to get some face-time with European leaders on the trade and residual AUKUS issues is the COP26, a UN summit on containing climate change being held in Britain in two weeks' time.
While Morrison has not committed to going, Tehan said that Australia's leader "will make a decision over the coming days... but he is of a mind, I think, to want to attend".
As for Australians abroad wanting to return or visit their country -- a difficult feat currently given very limited flights, passenger caps and costly hotel quarantine -- Tehan said he hoped they would be able to do so more freely from "around the end of November, beginning of December".
The decision was tied to Australia's vaccination rate against Covid, with the government aiming to ease travel restrictions when 80 percent of the population is fully immunised.
Currently, around 52 percent of Australia's residents have had two jabs, but the most populous states of New South Wales and Victoria have higher figures.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/australia-says-can-trust-uk-on-trade-pact-2574790">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/australia-says-can-trust-uk-on-trade-pact-2574790</a>

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Australia's Trade Minister reaffirmed country's plans to reopen international borders to Australians Brussels, Belgium: Austral...

What The Soviet Takeover Of Belarus Teaches Us About Cults Of Personality

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The Soviet takeover of Belarus teaches us something about the dangers of cults of personality:
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armageddon What The Soviet Takeover Of Belarus Teaches Us About Cults Of Personality

The Soviet takeover of Belarus teaches us something about the dangers of cults of personality: [embedded content] source https://shoeb...