Among those killed inside the store was a retired police officer who was working as an armed security guard…reports Asian Lite News
A heavily armed 18-year-old white gunman shot 10 people dead on Saturday at a Buffalo, New York grocery store in a “racially motivated” attack that he live-streamed on camera, authorities said.
The gunman, who was wearing a helmet and tactical gear, was arrested after the massacre, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told a news conference.
Gramaglia put the toll at 10 dead and three wounded. Police said most of the victims were Black.
The gunman first shot four people in the parking lot of the Tops supermarket, three of them fatally, then went inside and continued firing, Gramaglia said.
Among those killed inside the store was a retired police officer who was working as an armed security guard.
The guard “engaged the suspect, fired multiple shots,” but the gunman — who was protected by body armor — shot him, Gramaglia said.
When police arrived, the shooter put the gun to his neck, but was talked down and ultimately surrendered, he added. Stephen Belongia, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Buffalo field office, told the news conference that the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.
“We are investigating this incident as both a hate crime and a case of racially motivated violent extremism,” Belongia said.
Eerie County Sheriff John Garcia described the attack as “pure evil.”
“It was straight up racially motivated hate crime form somebody outside of our community,” he said.
John Flynn, the district attorney for Eerie County, where Buffalo is located, said the suspect would be arraigned on charges of murder in the first degree, which carries a sentence of life without parole.
Byron Brown, the mayor of Buffalo — which is located in western New York, along the US border with Canada — said the shooter “traveled hours from outside this community to perpetrate this crime.”
“This is a day of great pain for our community,” Brown said.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said US President Joe Biden had been briefed on the “horrific shooting.”
Biden “will continue to receive updates throughout the evening and tomorrow as further information develops. The president and the first lady are praying for those who have been lost and for their loved ones,” Jean-Pierre added.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the senior US senator from New York, said in a tweet: “We are standing with the people of Buffalo.”
The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, also tweeted that she was monitoring the situation, and asked people in Buffalo to “avoid the area and follow guidance from law enforcement and local officials.”
Last month, a “sniper-type” shooter opened fire in an upscale Washington neighborhood, wounding four people before taking his own life.
Police suspected that graphic video of that shooting which circulated online shortly afterward was filmed by the shooter himself, but have not confirmed the authenticity or if it was live-streamed.
The attack was investigated by the Hate Crimes Task Force of New York Police and Douglas was charged with allegedly committing hate crimes….reports Asian Lite News
The New York Police have arrested two men in connection with two separate attacks on Sikhs in the city amid rising fears in the community in an area with a prominent gurdwara.
A 19-year-old man, Vernon Douglas was arrested on Thursday for allegedly attacking a 70-year-old man “wearing traditional Sikh articles of faith” on April 3, the police department said.
The ‘Sikh Coalition’ identified the victim as Nirmal Singh, a visitor from India.
The attack was investigated by the Hate Crimes Task Force of New York Police and Douglas was charged with allegedly committing hate crimes.
On Tuesday, police had arrested Hezekiah Coleman, 20, soon after an attack on two Sikh men, in the same Richmond Hill area.
Coleman and another man removed the turbans of the two men, attacked and robbed them.
The second attack came two days after a protest at which high-powered US leader Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democratic Party majority in the Senate, and several New York leaders condemned the alleged attacks on Sikhs.
“When a man is beaten and hurt because of his background, who he is, what his religion, his nationality and ethnicity (are), it is a dark day for America,” Schumer said.
“The lesson of our history is that we must fight it and speak out against it,” he added.
Sikh Coalition official Nikki Singh said after the second attack, “Sikhs are no strangers to hate violence, but the recent string of repeated attacks in the same location is especially disheartening and reprehensible.”
On Wednesday, Governor Kathy Hochul participated in an anti-hate crime rally along with the Sikh Coalition.
The city sent notices in late January to up to 4,000 workers, saying they had to show proof they got at least two doses of the vaccine or else they’d lose their job…reports Asian Lite News
Over 1000 workers who failed to comply with the New York City’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate have been fired, according to the mayor’s office.
According to media reports, the 1,430 workers who lost their jobs represent less than 1% of the 370,000-person city workforce and are far fewer terminations than expected before a Friday deadline to get the shots.
The city sent notices in late January to up to 4,000 workers, saying they had to show proof they got at least two doses of the vaccine or else they’d lose their jobs, AP reported.
Global Covid caseload tops 357.9 mn
Three-quarters of those workers had already been on leave without pay for months, having missed an earlier deadline for getting vaccinated in order to stay on the job, it was reported.
Mayor Eric Adams’ office said hundreds of workers produced proof of their vaccines or got the shots after being notified they would be fired.
President Joe Biden earlier said that although Covid cases are seeing a decline in the US, it is too soon to end restrictions like mask mandates.
A number of states have dropped mask mandates or set plans in motion to lift mask rules in schools in coming weeks.
But Biden stated that lifting indoor mask mandates was “probably premature”, but acknowledged that making that decision is a “tough call”, New York Times reported.
The impact of gatherings at New Years could still fuel another uptick, he said urging New York residents to take booster doses and to continue wearing masks and keeping social distance….reports Asian Lite News
The Covid-19 data suggests the New York City has not yet hit a peak in the omicron-fuelled spike of infections in recent weeks, said New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi, media reported.
The new cases and hsopitalisations are still increasing and “I expect that will continue in the near term, meaning the next days to weeks,” reports quoted Chokshi as saying.
The impact of gatherings at New Years could still fuel another uptick, he said urging New York residents to take booster doses and to continue wearing masks and keeping social distance.
Increasing number of children in the US are getting hospitalised with Covid-19 than ever before, even as the country shattered a single-day record with over 1 million Covid-19 cases this week.
According to data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 672 children were admitted to hospitals every day with Covid-19 during the week ending Sunday – the highest such number of the pandemic, CNN reported.
It follows a record-high number of new Covid-19 cases among children, reveals the American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP).
During the week ending December 30, the US had more than 325,000 new Covid cases among children according to AAP data. This also marks a 64 per cent rise in new childhood cases compared to the previous week, the AAP said.
As per the CDC, about 1,045 children under 18 have also died from Covid-19 in the US.
Since early December, New York City has seen a four-fold rise in children being hospitalised for Covid-19.
According to the New York State Health Department, the increase was observed in children 18 and under beginning the week of December 5, ABC news reported.
James’ office recently subpoenaed Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr…reports Asian Lite News
New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office would continue to push forward a civil investigation into Donald Trump and the Trump Organization and is seeking to interview the former President and his two children.
“Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump are trying to stop my office from interviewing them under oath as part of our investigation into the Trump Organization and Mr. Trump,” James said on social media after the three filed a motion on Monday evening to quash upcoming interviews that would take place, under oath, in the investigation.
James’ office recently subpoenaed Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr., Xinhua news agency quoted a court filing made public on Monday.
The subpoena is part of an investigation which centres on whether Donald Trump inflated the value of his assets to get bank loans while understating them to minimize his tax payment, according to media reports.
Earlier, it was reported that James requested Donald Trump sit for a deposition on January 7, which was challenged in a federal court.
Members of the Trump family and the Trump Organization have continually sought to delay and impede the investigation for more than two years, said James.
“Over two years of delay tactics won’t stop our investigation because no one is above the law,” said James. “Our investigation will continue undeterred.”
James’ office already interviewed Eric Trump, another of Donald Trump’s sons, in October 2020.
If the prosecutors find evidence of wrongdoing in the intended interviews, James’ office could file a lawsuit against Donald Trump and the Trump Organization.
Meanwhile, James is also involved in a separate criminal investigation against Donald Trump and the Trump Organization regarding possible tax fraud.
Kim Jong-un visits mausoleum of grandfather, father to mark New Year
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the mausoleum of his late grandfather and father in his first reported public activity this year…reports Asian Lite News
Kim paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of state founder and his grandfather Kim Il-sung and his father, Kim Jong-il, are enshrined, on the occasion of the start of the new year, according to Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The visit to the mausoleum came after he unveiled this year’s policy priorities on developing the national economy and bolstering anti-virus efforts during a rare five-day meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party held until the last day of 2021, reports Yonhap News Agency.
The leader’s influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, was spotted paying tribute to the statues of the late leaders.
Senior party and military officials accompanied Kim Jong-un on his visit to the mausoleum, including Choe Ryong-hae, the country’s de facto No. 2 leader, and Jo Yong-won, the leader’s close aide, according to the KCNA.
Kim Jong-un has paid tribute to the palace on New Year’s Day since taking office in late 2011, except in 2018.
RAK set to clinch two world records through NY fireworks spectacle
Visitors from around the world can take part in the celebration that also features camping sites, live concerts and a wide range of activities taking centre stage ahead of the fireworks display…reports Asian Lite News
Preparations are underway as Ras Al Khaimah is gearing up for another New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacle, set to clinch two world records for ‘Most Remote Operated Multirotors/Drones Launching Fireworks Simultaneously’ and secondly the ‘Highest Altitude Multirotor/Drone Firework Display’.
Spanning 4.7 kilometres, the 12-minute pyrotechnic drone and fireworks performance will include 15,000 fireworks effects, over 130 sea pontoons and a fleet of hundreds of pyrotechnic drones.
RAK set to clinch two world records through NY fireworks spectacle
Visitors from around the world can take part in the celebration that also features camping sites, live concerts and a wide range of activities taking centre stage ahead of the fireworks display.
Earlier, H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, highlighted the importance of the tourism sector as a key contributor to the process of national sustainable development.
Commemorating Jebel Jais by publishing a special stamp embodies the stature of the UAE on the world map and reinforces the ambitions of Ras Al Khaimah to achieve growth through this vital sector, he added.
He then lauded the partnership between Emirates Post and the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, which aims to strengthen the country’s tourism sector and reinforce its international reputation in this area.
H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr made this statement while receiving a souvenir stamp commemorating Jebel Jais from Emirates Post, in cooperation with the authority, in the presence of Sheikh Saqr bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi.
The issuing of the commemorative stamp highlights the keenness of Emirates Post to support the national efforts aimed at promoting tourism in the UAE.
“We are honoured to present this souvenir stamp to H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr, who has managed, due to his wise vision, to make Jebel Jais an environmental and agricultural treasure that embodies the ambitions of Ras Al Khaimah and is an ideal tourism destination,” said Abdullah Al Ashram, CEO of Emirates Post.
The lightning spread of the new Omicron variant in the country has driven daily Covid-19 new cases to a record high of over 510,000, reports Asian Lite News
As the new Omicron Covid-19 variant is increasing single-day cases to the highest level in the country, major cities, including New York, have scaled-down or cancelled New Year’s Eve events for a second consecutive year.
The fuelling record surges has prompted government to “reinstate travel restrictions, mask mandates and bans on large gatherings”, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
Fox News has cancelled “New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022” live broadcast from Times Square, as the network said in a statement issued on Tuesday that “the recent velocity of the spread of Omicron cases has made it impossible to produce a live special in Times Square that meets our standards”.
The annual celebration in Times Square in New York will go on, with attendance capped at 15,000, nearly a quarter of the usual amount. Attendees will be required to wear masks and show proof of full vaccination.
In California, several Los Angeles County holiday events have been cancelled, including the New Year’s countdown in Grand Park, which will now be streamed.
The Space Needle’s fireworks show in Seattle will also be streamed. Over the past three weeks, as Omicron-related cases soared in New York City and elsewhere, the number of children hospitalised in New York with Covid-19 quadrupled.
The lightning spread of the new variant has driven daily Covid-19 new cases to a record high of over 510,000, which is the highest single-day increase of cases since the onset of the pandemic in the country, according to latest data of Johns Hopkins University.
The first known case of the Omicron variant in the US was identified on December 1. Since then, the variant has been detected in most US states and territories, and is rapidly increasing the proportion of Covid-19 cases it is causing.
The Omicron variant was estimated to account for 58.6 per cent of coronavirus variants circulating in the US for the week ending December 25, according to new data released Tuesday by the CDC.
Grim new record
The lightning spread of the new Omicron variant in the US has driven daily Covid-19 new cases to a record high of over 510,000.
It is the highest single-day increase of cases since the onset of the pandemic in the country, according to latest data of Johns Hopkins University.
A total of 512,553 new cases and 1,762 new deaths were reported across the country on Monday. Over the past week, nearly 1,660,000 new cases and over 10,000 new deaths were added to the tally, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The 7-day average daily increase of cases reached more than 206,000 on Sunday, according to latest data of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is also the highest figure since January 18.
The Omicron variant, first identified late November in southern Africa, has sent infections soaring to levels not seen since last winter, bringing the total number of US coronavirus cases to more than 52.9 million, with more than 819,000 deaths.
The first known case of the Omicron variant in the US was identified on December 1. Since then, the variant has been detected in most US states and territories, and is rapidly increasing the proportion of Covid-19 cases it is causing.
The Omicron variant was estimated to account for 58.6 per cent of coronavirus variants circulating in the US for the week ending December 25, according to new data released Tuesday by the CDC.
According to the estimate, the prevalence of the Omicron variant had eclipsed that of the Delta variant, which accounted for 41.1 per cent of variants.
Omicron’s surge has prompted more cancellations in travel, sports and other events across the country.
Some states have seen hospitalisations peak amid Omicron surge. The number of children hospitalised with Covid-19 is also rising.
Covid-19 cases among US children are “extremely high and increasing,” according to a latest report of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association.
Over 7.5 million children have tested positive for Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic in the US, representing 1 in 10 American children.
For the week ending December 23, nearly 199,000 child Covid-19 cases were reported, a 50 per cent increase over the weekly new cases in the beginning of December. This marked the 20th consecutive week child Covid-19 cases above 100,000.
Since the first week of September, there have been over 2.5 million additional child cases, according to the AAP.
COVID-19 testing sites across the US have seen unprecedented demand due to the surge in new infections.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, he will be holding a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting…reports Asian Lite News.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday (local time) arrived in New York to hold bilateral talks with his Norway, Iraq and UK counterparts.
He will be meeting Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide, newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.
“Began my #UNGA meetings with FM Ine Eriksen Soreide of Norway. Appreciated our working together in the Security Council. A comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan. Important for the international community to take a unified approach,” tweeted Jaishankar.
Began my #UNGA meetings with FM Ine Eriksen Søreide of Norway. Appreciated our working together in the Security Council.
A comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan. Important for the international community to take a unified approach. pic.twitter.com/94fryeJSn4
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, he will be holding a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the side-lines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
Officials sources told ANI that EAM will be taking part in the G4 foreign ministers meet on September 22 and is likely to participate at the SAARC meeting on September 26. However, the meeting is yet to be confirmed.
G4 nations comprise Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan.
Several meetings on Afghanistan are also expected. Qatar is also organizing meetings in which India is likely to participate.
Pleased to meet new UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz.
Discussed the progress of Roadmap 2030. Appreciated her contribution on the trade side.
Exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific.
Some of the women had worked in his office and complained of an atmosphere of fear and harassment…reports Arul Louis
Besieged by allegations of sexual harassment, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democratic Party stalwart once hailed as a champion of women’s rights, is the latest American politician to fall in disgrace.
Cuomo, who emerged as an international TV star with a following even in India for his daily briefings on Covid-19 during the early days of the pandemic, announced his resignation on Monday hoping to stave off impeachment by the state legislature after defying calls to resign by his party leaders including US President Joe Biden.
The Cuomo scandal puts a spotlight on the sexual peccadilloes US politicians, including Eliot Spitzer, his elected predecessor as governor, who was forced out in a scandal involving prostitution.
An inquiry by State Attorney General Letitia James reported last week that he had harassed 11 women, including a woman police bodyguard and the state legislature began impeachment proceedings which were sure to lead to his conviction.
Some of the women had worked in his office and complained of an atmosphere of fear and harassment.
Even though his own Democratic Party held a majority in both chambers, he had antagonised virtually everyone across party lines and it was seen as payback time for his arrogance and the humiliation he meted out.
Cuomo blamed his fate on “generational and cultural shifts” that led to his actions being interpreted as harassment.
Announcing his resignation, Cuomo said, “In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realise the extent to which the line has been redrawn.”
When the inquiry report was released and Biden called for his resignation, Cuomo responded by releasing dozens of pictures of him hugging various people including Biden and kissing or holding women claiming that it was his innocent way of showing affection.
With the sensitisation brought about by the #MeToo movement, Biden, too, has faced criticism from some women for his way of touching or hugging that made them uncomfortable.
While their reports have not risen to the same level of harassment as in Cuomo’s case, Biden has brushed them off with a similar argument, tweeting, “Social norms have begun to change, they’ve shifted. And the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. And I get it. And I’ll be much more mindful.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Photo: Governor’s Office/IANS)
When the Covid-19 ravaged New York last year, he was hailed as President Donald Trump’s antagonist and his daily briefings became a widely watched TV show during which he went into the scientific aspects of the pandemics at the president.
He brushed off the origins of Covid-19 in China, instead emphasising that it came to the state from Europe because of Trump’s negligence.
The performance won him a special Emmy, the high TV industry award, and a contract that fetched him $5 million for a book about his leadership.
His brother Chris Cuomo, the host of a prime time CNN news programme, was also engulfed by an ethics controversy because he advised Cuomo on handling the crisis and gave him plugs on his show while squashing negative stories.
While he boasted about his handling of the pandemic, there were allegations that he oversaw the manipulation of the death toll to show an undercount, which he finally admitted.
Cuomo will be succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who will be the first woman to head the state.
The son of former Governor Mario Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo had been the state attorney general and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in former President Bill Clinton’s cabinet.
Perhaps aware of the potential for embarrassment, he resisted calls to run for president and made clear he would accept a position in Biden’s cabinet.
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 10, 2021
Among his achievements was the enactment of the state’s Women’s Equality Act and a stern zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment that has come to haunt him now.
He ruled with an iron fist, earning the reputation of a bully, even as his tactics succeeded in getting through several social, infrastructure and development projects in a state known for activist impediments.
Cuomo has suffered in his personal life.
According to reports, his ex-wife, Kerry Kennedy, had an extra-marital affair while they were married. She is the niece of John Kennedy, the slain president.
Fellow Democrat Spitzer, a highly popular governor, resigned in 2008 when his involvement with a prostitution surfaced, and he was succeeded in the interim till Cuomo’s election by the then Lieutenant Governor David Patterson, the first African American to hold the office.
Both he and his wife admitted at a news conference that they both had had extra-marital affairs and he said they were speaking publicly about it to prevent blackmail.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman quit in 2018 after it was revealed that he violently abused his former Sri Lankan-American girlfriend Tanya Selvaratnam, allegedly calling her his “brown slave” and slapping her till she called him “master”.
That same year, Al Franken, a comedian who became the Democratic Party Senator from Minnesota, was forced to resign amid allegations of sexual harassment.
A member of the House of Representatives from New York, Anthony Weiner, resigned after he was accused of sending sexual pictures to minors. He was convicted of sending obscene material to a child and sentenced to 21 months in prison.
He had been married at that time to Huma Abedin, a close aide of Hillary Clinton, an unsuccessful candidate for president and the wife of Bill Clinton.
Bill Clinton was himself impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from a sexual liaison with a White House intern but was acquitted by the Senate in 1998.
Democrats tend to pay a higher price for their transgressions because their own party holds them to the higher standards that it preaches, even though the Republicans preaches traditional values.
Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, a Republican who mysteriously disappeared for several days to Argentina for a tryst with his girlfriend while being married escaped with a censure by the legislature in 2008 and completed his term.
