September 27, 2021

Botswana’s Alcohol Industry Cautious as Night Spots Prepare to Open

GABORONE, BOTSWANA — Botswana is set to emerge this week from an 18-month state of emergency that will remove the president’s emergency powers and end pandemic restrictions on trade and gatherings. While many shops, bars, and restaurants want to get back to normal, some in Botswana’s alcohol industry say it’s too soon to lift restrictions on night spots.

The minister of trade and industry, Kgafela Mmusi, says the end of the edict, set for this Thursday, means businesses can revert to normal trading hours. This includes the reopening of nightspots.

That should be welcome news to Botswana’s alcohol industry, which employs around 50,000 people, including those who work at bars, breweries and distributors.

But Botswana Beverages Association president Peter Noke warns some establishments might not be ready to reopen.

Those that do will likely have restrictions, including a ban on dancing.

He said they have requested that dance floors be converted into seating areas.

“There should be sufficient spacing between the tables and there will be no dancing,” he said. “If one wishes to dance, they can only do so while seated.”

Music promoter Zain Aftermath says the decision to eliminate the dance floor is ill-advised.

“How are you going to open clubs and then say people should not dance? It doesn’t make sense. I wouldn’t leave my house to go to a nightclub, pay and buy alcohol so that I can sit on a chair. It is going to affect attendance in a huge way,” he said.

Workers’ union leader Johannes Tshukudu welcomes the reopening as entertainment industry workers have been mostly out of work since March of last year. But he too, urges caution.

“We don’t expect full capacity at the beginning, we may decide to have half capacity at the venues so that at least so that we use that as an observation element. We don’t want to see this thing [opening of night clubs] as a trap by the government to justify reintroducing the state of emergency,” he said.

Minister Kgafela says the government will keep an eye on nightspots to ensure compliance with the rules.

Source: Voice of America

September 27, 2021

European Union/European Commission announces €25 million to Education Cannot Wait for crisis-affected children and youth

‘Team Europe has to date contributed to more than 40% of the funding of Education Cannot Wait, and the new €25 million contribution from the EU will further support it to reach the most vulnerable children and bring them back to education.’

27 September 2021, New York – The European Union/European Commission today announced €25 million (approx. US$29.3 million) in new funding to support Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.

The new funding brings the EU/EC total contributions to Education Cannot Wait to over US$62.3 million.

“We want all children to be born with the same opportunities. All too often, the fate and lives of our children are determined by the lottery of birth. This is why I am pleased to announce that Europe will be donating €25 million to the Education Cannot Wait global fund. An investment in education is an investment in a better world,” said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

“We must unite to put the SDGs back on track. As we continue to witness, we can never take access to education for granted. Team Europe has, to date, contributed to more than 40% of the funding of Education Cannot Wait, and the new €25 million contribution from the EU will further support it to reach the most vulnerable children and bring them back to education,” said European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen.

This generous, expanded support from the EU/EC was announced on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly during ECW’s High-Level Steering Group meeting today. Along with other notable contributions, this important new funding will accelerate the impact, scope and reach of ECW investments across more than 30 countries across the globe.

“I am deeply grateful for the generous and continued strong support to Education Cannot Wait’s mission by the European Commission. I would like to thank the EU and the people of Europe for making it possible to reach millions of children and youth left furthest behind in the most difficult circumstances of brutal conflicts, punishing climate-induced disasters and as dispossessed refugees. The European Union’s leadership in putting education first enables us to deliver with both speed and quality at a time when the world needs action to achieve universal and equitable education,” said Yasmine Sherif, Director of Education Cannot Wait.

ECW’s Multi-Year Resilience Programmes and First Emergency Response investments have already reached 4.6 vulnerable children and adolescents. The Fund’s COVID-19 education in emergency response has provided distance learning, life-saving health messages and other support to an additional 29.2 million vulnerable girls and boys.

Armed conflicts, COVID-19, forced displacement, climate change impacts and protracted crises are pushing millions of vulnerable children and adolescents out of school and disrupting progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG4, which calls for universal, equitable education for all by 2030.

Source: Education Cannot Wait (ECW)

September 27, 2021

MLB roundup: Rays clinch American League East title with victory

St. Petersburg, Florida, Sept. 27 (BNA): Mike Zunino popped a tiebreaking two-run homer as the Tampa Bay Rays claimed the American League East crown with a 7-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Coupled with the New York Yankees’ 5-3 comeback win over the Boston Red Sox, the victory gave the Rays their second consecutive division title and fourth overall in organizational history, Reuters reports.

Zunino had two hits and two runs, and Brandon Lowe went 4-for-5 with three doubles and two RBIs. Joey Wendle and Yandy Diaz each had two hits, a run and an RBI.

Rookie Shane McClanahan (10-6) exited after five innings that required 84 pitches but matched the club high with his 10th win, sharing the lead with Josh Fleming. The left-hander yielded six hits and struck out three while walking one.

Cardinals 8, Cubs 5

Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer and a sacrifice fly as visiting St. Louis rallied past Chicago for its team-record 15th straight victory.

Harrison Bader added a solo homer and RBI single as the Cardinals reduced their magic number for reaching the National League wild-card game to three. Cardinals starting pitcher Jon Lester allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits and three walks. Kwang Hyun Kim (7-7) earned the victory with a scoreless inning in relief.

Ian Happ drove in three runs for the Cubs, who lost for the 12th time in their last 14 games.

Yankees 5, Red Sox 3

Giancarlo Stanton crushed a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees tied host Boston for the top American League wild-card spot.

Stanton’s first-pitch blast gave the Yankees their first lead of the contest. The slugger homered and had four RBIs in a New York win Friday to kick off the pivotal three-game series.

The visitors extended their winning streak to five. Bobby Dalbec homered in the ninth for the Red Sox, who had won seven in a row entering the series.

Phillies 3, Pirates 0

Left-hander Ranger Suarez tossed a four-hit shutout to lift host Philadelphia past Pittsburgh and remain just 1 1/2 games back of NL East-leading Atlanta.

Suarez (7-5) struck out seven and walked none for the Phillies, who won their fifth in a row. Suarez, a former closer, threw only 97 pitches while recording his first career shutout.

Matt Vierling homered and singled and Bryce Harper added a home run. J.T. Realmuto provided two hits for the Phillies. Pirates right-hander Wil Crowe (4-8) lasted only 4 2/3 innings and gave up eight hits and three runs with four walks and two strikeouts.

Athletics 2, Astros 1

Starling Marte scorched a walk-off double with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving host Oakland its second straight win over AL West-leading Houston.

The A’s overcame yet another home run by the Astros’ Kyle Tucker off Sean Manaea to stay alive in the AL West, where they now sit in third place, trailing Houston by seven games with seven remaining.

Oakland also remained four games behind wild-card co-leaders New York and Boston, with Toronto two games out and Seattle three back. Andrew Chafin (2-3), who worked a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, was credited with the win, and Astros closer Ryan Pressly (5-3) took the loss.

Indians 6, White Sox 0

Rookie right-hander Eli Morgan allowed one hit over six shutout innings to lead host Cleveland past Chicago in the fourth game of their five-game series.

Morgan struck out six and walked one in his 17th major league start. Jose Ramirez and Andres Gimenez homered, and Myles Straw had two hits and scored two runs for the Indians.

White Sox starter Lance Lynn (10-6) allowed six runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter for the White Sox, who clinched the AL Central with a win in the series opener on Thursday.

Tigers 5, Royals 1

Miguel Cabrera had a two-run double and two-run single and the host Detroit collected their fifth win in six games by defeating Kansas City.

Jonathan Schoop had two hits and scored two runs, while Jeimer Candelario added two hits and an RBI. Drew Hutchison (3-1) only allowed an unearned run in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Michael Fulmer got the last four outs for his 12th save.

Detroit starter Tarik Skubal gave up one hit in four scoreless innings. Making his second career start, Kansas City starter Jon Heasley held the Tigers scoreless on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. Hunter Dozier had two extra-base hits and an RBI for the Royals.

Blue Jays 6, Twins 1

Marcus Semien tied the single-season home run record for second basemen with his 43rd as Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Sep 25, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos (2) hits a solo home run to win the game against the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Sep 25, 2021; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Joey Wendle (18) rounds third and scores in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Sep 25, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong (11) hits a sacrifice fly ball during the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

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Jays starter Robbie Ray allowed three hits over six innings while picking up his 13th win. Teoscar Hernandez and George Springer also homered for Toronto, which remained two games behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the race for the American League’s two wild-card spots.

Minnesota, which had a four-game winning streak snapped, took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Jorge Polanco singled, advanced to second on a walk to Josh Donaldson, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mitch Garver, whose potential extra-base liner to center was backhanded by Springer before crashing into the fence.

Angels 14, Mariners 1

Shohei Ohtani hit two run-scoring triples and walked with the bases loaded as Los Angeles put a crimp in Seattle’s postseason hopes with a blowout in Anaheim, Calif.

Luis Rengifo homered and Phil Gosselin and Jared Walsh each drove in four runs for the Angels, who won for just the second time in their past nine games. Left-hander Jhonathan Diaz (1-0) pitched seven innings of relief, allowing just one run on three hits, to earn his first major league victory. Angels starter Jaime Barria, a right-hander, left after two scoreless innings with arm fatigue.

The Mariners had their season-high six-game winning streak snapped and fell three games behind both Boston and the New York Yankees in the chase for the American League’s two wild-card playoff berths.

Braves 10, Padres 8 (10 innings)

Jorge Soler drove in four runs, including one on a double in the 10th, to help visiting Atlanta beat San Diego in 10 innings.

Soler, who went 3-for-5, hit a line-drive double that scored Travis d’Arnaud, who began the inning at second base, and sent Orlando Arcia, who had walked, to third. Arcia then scored on a long sacrifice fly by Ozzie Albies. The winning pitcher was Richard Rodriguez (5-4) and Will Smith earned his 34th save. The losing pitcher was Daniel Hudson (5-3).

San Diego starter Vince Velasquez pitched three innings and allowed two runs on three hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Atlanta starter Huascar Ynoa allowed a season-high seven runs on seven hits and six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

Giants 7, Rockies 2

Brandon Belt hit a pair of home runs as San Francisco won for the fourth time in the past five games by beating Colorado in Denver.

The Giants came into the night one home run away from tying the franchise record of 235 in a single season, set in 2001. Belt’s first homer came in the first inning and tied the record; his second, a three-run shot in the fifth, set it.

Colorado starter Jon Gray (8-12) went 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs off five hits with five strikeouts. Prior to Saturday night’s game, the Rockies held a ceremony in which they retired Larry Walker’s No. 33 as the team celebrated his Hall of Fame induction.

Orioles 3, Rangers 2

Kelvin Gutierrez capped a three-run seventh inning with a two-run home run and Baltimore defeated visiting Texas.

The seventh-inning rally broke up a scoreless game and gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead in the four-game series.

Jose Trevino and Nathaniel Lowe had solo home runs for the Rangers. Texas right-hander Jordan Lyles (9-13) allowed all three runs on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

Brewers 2, Mets 1

Corbin Burnes bolstered his National League Cy Young candidacy by tossing seven strong innings, earning the victory as Milwaukee cut its magic number for winning the NL Central to one by edging the visiting New York Mets.

Eduardo Escobar delivered a two-run single in the third inning for the Brewers, who can clinch the fourth full-season division title in franchise history with a win in Sunday’s series finale or a loss by the St. Louis Cardinals, who have won 15 in a row.

The loss was the fourth straight and 12th in 15 games for New York, eliminated from playoff contention prior to first pitch due to the Philadelphia Phillies’ 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. New York was in first place in the NL East for 114 days.

Reds 7, Nationals 6

Nick Castellanos hit a walk-off solo homer with one out in the ninth inning and Cincinnati defeated visiting Washington.

Castellanos, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, hit an 0-1 fastball from Patrick Murphy (0-3) to center field for his 31st home run.

The Reds, who won on a walk-off for the second night in a row, remain six games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second NL wild card. Mychal Givens (4-3) pitched one inning for the win.

Diamondbacks 7, Dodgers 2

Zac Gallen got the better of a duel with Clayton Kershaw and Arizona earned a rare victory against playoff-bound Los Angeles.

Gallen (3-10) gave up one run on just three hits over six innings, while Ketel Marte and Carson Kelly hit home runs as the Diamondbacks won for just the third time in 18 games against the Dodgers this season.

Trea Turner hit two home runs for the Dodgers, who lost for just the third time in their last 14 games. Los Angeles fell to 5-2 on their nine-game road trip.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

September 27, 2021

Judge Suspends Inquiry into Beirut Port Blast amid Challenges

BEIRUT — The lead judge investigating last year’s massive blast in Beirut’s port suspended his work in the case Monday after a former Cabinet minister demanded his dismissal.

Judge Tarek Bitar, the second judge to lead the complicated and thorny investigation, canceled the questioning of a former military intelligence general, scheduled for Monday. The Court of Appeals now has to decide whether to dismiss him from the case.

Bitar’s removal, if it happens, would likely be the final blow to the inquiry, making it highly unlikely that a third judge would take up the job amid threats by members of the country’s political elite who have closed ranks in their effort to block the investigation.

The development comes amid a growing campaign by Lebanon’s political class against Bitar, who took over the job in February after his predecessor, Fadi Sawwan, was removed following similar legal challenges by senior officials he had accused of negligence that led to the blast.

On August 4, 2020, hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers that had been improperly stored in the port for years, exploded, killing at least 214 people, injuring more than 6,000 and devastating nearby neighborhoods.

Families of the victims of the explosion have already demanded an international probe, not trusting the Lebanese investigation. Lebanon is known for a culture of impunity that has prevailed for decades, including among the entrenched political elites.

The attempt to remove Bitar angered families of the victims who have been hoping that the judge would reveal who was responsible for bringing the material to the port and storing it in a port warehouse for years, as well as what caused the explosion described as one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.

“He was the best hope for Lebanese justice, but they are torpedoing everything,” said Mireille Bazergy Khoury, whose son Elias, 15, was killed by the explosion. She said the repeated lawsuits and challenges to the judge prove that those officials are implicated in the explosion.

“I can’t find the words to capture how sad and frustrated I am. I feel like every time something like this happens, they kill me once again,” Khoury said.

She said the families will try to legally challenge the obstruction attempts. “They killed my son, my daughter was injured, my home was destroyed, my life is in ruins.”

Bitar in July announced his intention to go after senior Lebanese officials and summoned for questioning then-outgoing Prime Minister Hassan Diab, three former Cabinet ministers and top security officials.

None showed up for questioning; the parliament failed to lift immunity of those summoned — a necessary step before any prosecution. Diab’s office and then-interior minister, Mohamed Fehmi, declined to let Bitar question the heads of two security agencies.

On Friday, former Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk, who was also implicated in the probe, filed a motion to dismiss the judge.

Source: Voice of America