Home of off-Broadway's 'Perfect Crime' temporarily closed due to crime
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- An off-Broadway play appropriately titled Perfect Crime had to cancel some performances due to a real crime -- someone stole the copper pipes from the theater's basement.
Catherine Russell, general manager of the Theater Center on West 50th Street in New York City and lead actress in Perfect Crime, said she discovered something was amiss when the water and heat weren't working on Friday.
Russell said she went into the building's basement.
"I turned the water on and I realized water was spraying everywhere because there were no pipes to fill the water," Russell told WLNY-TV. "I discovered that thieves had taken all the copper pipes."
Russell found a door in the basement had been shattered and there were bullet casings on the floor. She said security cameras captured another attempted break-in on Sunday.
"Boy, that was one angry man," Russell told WABC-TV. "He was kicking with these big boots. Kicking, kicking, kicking, the glass door. Pretty violent."
The theater had to cancel about 12 performances between Perfect Crime and The Office: A Musical Parody, another show at the same venue.
Russell said police haven't made any arrests in the theft. She said repairs cost about $20,000.
"I got a weekend off and better piping and better security, so it has a happy ending," she said.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Florida police investigate anti-Semitic flyers alleging pandemic conspiracies
By UPI Staff
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Police are investigating the distribution of anti-Semitic flyers in several cities in the United States, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The flyers allege that "every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish" and were distributed to dozens of homes in South Florida.
Detectives from Broward County to Miami-Dade County are assisting the FBI in the investigation, and so far, a van found in another area of Florida has been linked to the flyers.
Surfside police said flyers were found in various locations in the city.
The flyers were distributed in small bags with rocks used for weight. They featured names of American policymakers.
Miami Mayor Dan Gelber promised increased patrols in the city as investigators try to trace the origin of the flyers.
The incident is not isolated. Hundreds of the similar anti-Semitic flyers spread across California during Hannukkah in November.
Other anti-Semitic campaigns were spread in Texas, North Carolina and Maryland
By UPI Staff
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Police are investigating the distribution of anti-Semitic flyers in several cities in the United States, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The flyers allege that "every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish" and were distributed to dozens of homes in South Florida.
Detectives from Broward County to Miami-Dade County are assisting the FBI in the investigation, and so far, a van found in another area of Florida has been linked to the flyers.
Surfside police said flyers were found in various locations in the city.
The flyers were distributed in small bags with rocks used for weight. They featured names of American policymakers.
Miami Mayor Dan Gelber promised increased patrols in the city as investigators try to trace the origin of the flyers.
The incident is not isolated. Hundreds of the similar anti-Semitic flyers spread across California during Hannukkah in November.
Other anti-Semitic campaigns were spread in Texas, North Carolina and Maryland
General Motors to invest $7B in electric vehicle manufacturing
Mary Barra, chairwoman and CEO of General Motors, announced a $7 billion investment in Michigan manufacturing will create or retain some 5,000 positions.
GM said it plans to construct a new battery cell plant in Lansing, and convert an assembly plant in Orion Township to produce the Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra. The company is also investing more than $510 million to upgrade the Lansing Delta Township Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly for future upgrades.
"These investments also create opportunities in Michigan for us to bring our employees along on our transition to an all-electric future," Barra said.
President Joe Biden said the GM investment will fuel a "historic" manufacturing comeback for the United States.
"From day one, my administration has been laser focused on making sure that America leads the manufacturing future of electric vehicles," he said.
Biden signed an executive order in August setting a goal for half of all new vehicles made in the United States to be electric in some form by the end of the 2020s.
"It's electric, and there's no turning back," he said at the time. "The question is whether we'll lead or fall behind in the race for the future."
The Biden administration also unveiled plans in December to build a large, nationwide charging network for electric vehicles, starting with half a million charges.
Mary Barra, chairwoman and CEO of General Motors, announced a $7 billion investment in Michigan manufacturing will create or retain some 5,000 positions.
File Photo by Molly Riley/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- General Motors on Tuesday announced a $7 billion investment in its Michigan sites to increase electric truck and battery cell manufacturing capacity.
The automaker said the investment -- the largest in its history -- will create 4,000 new jobs and retain 1,000 existing positions.
"Today we are taking the next step in our continuous work to establish GM's [electric vehicle] leadership by making investments in our vertically integrated battery production in the U.S. and our North American EV production capacity," said Mary Barra, GM chairwoman and CEO.
"We are building on the positive consumer response and reservations for our recent EV launches and debuts, including GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Equinox EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV. Our plan creates the broadest EV portfolio of any automaker and further solidifies our path toward U.S. EV leadership by mid-decade."
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- General Motors on Tuesday announced a $7 billion investment in its Michigan sites to increase electric truck and battery cell manufacturing capacity.
The automaker said the investment -- the largest in its history -- will create 4,000 new jobs and retain 1,000 existing positions.
"Today we are taking the next step in our continuous work to establish GM's [electric vehicle] leadership by making investments in our vertically integrated battery production in the U.S. and our North American EV production capacity," said Mary Barra, GM chairwoman and CEO.
"We are building on the positive consumer response and reservations for our recent EV launches and debuts, including GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Equinox EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV. Our plan creates the broadest EV portfolio of any automaker and further solidifies our path toward U.S. EV leadership by mid-decade."
GM said it plans to construct a new battery cell plant in Lansing, and convert an assembly plant in Orion Township to produce the Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra. The company is also investing more than $510 million to upgrade the Lansing Delta Township Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly for future upgrades.
"These investments also create opportunities in Michigan for us to bring our employees along on our transition to an all-electric future," Barra said.
President Joe Biden said the GM investment will fuel a "historic" manufacturing comeback for the United States.
"From day one, my administration has been laser focused on making sure that America leads the manufacturing future of electric vehicles," he said.
Biden signed an executive order in August setting a goal for half of all new vehicles made in the United States to be electric in some form by the end of the 2020s.
"It's electric, and there's no turning back," he said at the time. "The question is whether we'll lead or fall behind in the race for the future."
The Biden administration also unveiled plans in December to build a large, nationwide charging network for electric vehicles, starting with half a million charges.
192 members of Congress sign Supreme Court amicus brief in Clean Air Act case
In a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, the state of West Virginia, the lead plaintiff, is trying to reign in the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency. File Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Nearly 200 members of Congress on Tuesday signed an amicus brief in a Supreme Court case, urging it to affirm a lower court ruling that allows the Environmental Protection Authority to maintain its full powers to enforce the Clean Air Act.
The act calls for states and the EPA to solve multiple air pollution problems through programs based on the latest science and technology information.
The state of West Virginia, the lead plaintiff in the case, is trying to reign in the authority of the EPA. It argued in its petition to the Supreme Court that "the court below held that a rarely used, ancillary provision of the Clean Air Act grants an agency unbridled power-functionally 'no limits' -- to decide whether and how to decarbonize almost any sector of the economy."
West Virginia and other Republican-led states involved in the case argue that the provision "does not clearly give EPA authority to upend the power industry."
The petitioners argue that due to the lower court (District of Columbia Circuit Court) ruling, the "EPA now has a judicial edict not to limit itself to measures that can be successfully implemented at and for individual facilities. "
They further argued that the EPA can set standards "on a regional or even national level, forcing dramatic changes in how and where electricity is produced, as well as transforming any other sector of the economy where stationary sources emit greenhouse gases. Power to regulate factories, hospitals, hotels, and even homes would have tremendous costs and consequences for all Americans."
But the 192 Democratic members of Congress who signed the amicus brief argue that "based on their experience as members of Congress, amici understand the importance of relying on the expert judgment of administrative agencies in technical areas where scientific knowledge, regulatory best practices, and market conditions continue to evolve."
The Congress members on the brief say the statutory provision at issue was added through the 1970 amendments to the CAA, which sought to "speed up, expand and intensify the war against air pollution in the United States."
The brief urged the court to "either dismiss this case as having been improvidently granted, or reaffirm, once again, that the text of the CAA plainly authorizes the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions -- including those arising from existing stationary sources, such as fossil fuel-fired power plants."
The Supreme Court in October decided to hear the case. It is scheduled to be argued on Feb. 28.
In a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, the state of West Virginia, the lead plaintiff, is trying to reign in the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency. File Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Nearly 200 members of Congress on Tuesday signed an amicus brief in a Supreme Court case, urging it to affirm a lower court ruling that allows the Environmental Protection Authority to maintain its full powers to enforce the Clean Air Act.
The act calls for states and the EPA to solve multiple air pollution problems through programs based on the latest science and technology information.
The state of West Virginia, the lead plaintiff in the case, is trying to reign in the authority of the EPA. It argued in its petition to the Supreme Court that "the court below held that a rarely used, ancillary provision of the Clean Air Act grants an agency unbridled power-functionally 'no limits' -- to decide whether and how to decarbonize almost any sector of the economy."
West Virginia and other Republican-led states involved in the case argue that the provision "does not clearly give EPA authority to upend the power industry."
The petitioners argue that due to the lower court (District of Columbia Circuit Court) ruling, the "EPA now has a judicial edict not to limit itself to measures that can be successfully implemented at and for individual facilities. "
They further argued that the EPA can set standards "on a regional or even national level, forcing dramatic changes in how and where electricity is produced, as well as transforming any other sector of the economy where stationary sources emit greenhouse gases. Power to regulate factories, hospitals, hotels, and even homes would have tremendous costs and consequences for all Americans."
But the 192 Democratic members of Congress who signed the amicus brief argue that "based on their experience as members of Congress, amici understand the importance of relying on the expert judgment of administrative agencies in technical areas where scientific knowledge, regulatory best practices, and market conditions continue to evolve."
The Congress members on the brief say the statutory provision at issue was added through the 1970 amendments to the CAA, which sought to "speed up, expand and intensify the war against air pollution in the United States."
The brief urged the court to "either dismiss this case as having been improvidently granted, or reaffirm, once again, that the text of the CAA plainly authorizes the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions -- including those arising from existing stationary sources, such as fossil fuel-fired power plants."
The Supreme Court in October decided to hear the case. It is scheduled to be argued on Feb. 28.
523 acres of redwood forestland in Calif. donated to tribal group
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Some 523 acres of redwood forestland in Mendocino County, Calif. -- known as The Lost Coast -- are being returned to a tribal council dedicated to its preservation and the history of Indigenous people who were once forced from the land.
The deal was announced Tuesday by Save the Redwoods League, which owned the land, and the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, a non-profit consortium comprised of 10 federally recognized Northern California Tribal Nations with cultural connections to the lands and waters of traditional Sinkyone and neighboring tribal territories.
The league purchased the 523-acre property, formerly known as Andersonia West, in July 2020.
"To ensure lasting protection and ongoing stewardship, the league has donated and transferred ownership of the forest to the Sinkyone Council, and the Council has granted the league a conservation easement," the group said in a news release.
Catherine Elliott, senior manger of land protection for Save the Redwoods League, said in a video about the deal, "We can't undo what's been done, but we can help return people to the forest and the forest to them."
Through the partnership, the Sinkyone Council "resumes guardianship of a land from which Sinkyone people were forcibly removed by European American settlers generations ago," the league said in the release. "As an act of cultural empowerment and a celebration of Indigenous resilience, this forest will again be known as Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ, pronounced tsih-ih-LEY-duhn and meaning 'Fish Run Place' in the Sinkyone language."
Crista Ray, a tribal citizen of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and a board member of the Sinkyone Council, said, "Renaming the property Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ lets people know that it's a sacred place; it's a place for our Native people. It lets them know that there was a language and that there was a people who lived there long before now."
Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ is the league's second land donation to the Sinkyone Council. The first, in 2012, was the 164-are Four Corners property, north of Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ. The council also granted the league a conservation easement on Four Corners.
RELATED Tribal leaders call for increased Internet service in Native communities
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Some 523 acres of redwood forestland in Mendocino County, Calif. -- known as The Lost Coast -- are being returned to a tribal council dedicated to its preservation and the history of Indigenous people who were once forced from the land.
The deal was announced Tuesday by Save the Redwoods League, which owned the land, and the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, a non-profit consortium comprised of 10 federally recognized Northern California Tribal Nations with cultural connections to the lands and waters of traditional Sinkyone and neighboring tribal territories.
The league purchased the 523-acre property, formerly known as Andersonia West, in July 2020.
"To ensure lasting protection and ongoing stewardship, the league has donated and transferred ownership of the forest to the Sinkyone Council, and the Council has granted the league a conservation easement," the group said in a news release.
Catherine Elliott, senior manger of land protection for Save the Redwoods League, said in a video about the deal, "We can't undo what's been done, but we can help return people to the forest and the forest to them."
Through the partnership, the Sinkyone Council "resumes guardianship of a land from which Sinkyone people were forcibly removed by European American settlers generations ago," the league said in the release. "As an act of cultural empowerment and a celebration of Indigenous resilience, this forest will again be known as Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ, pronounced tsih-ih-LEY-duhn and meaning 'Fish Run Place' in the Sinkyone language."
Crista Ray, a tribal citizen of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and a board member of the Sinkyone Council, said, "Renaming the property Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ lets people know that it's a sacred place; it's a place for our Native people. It lets them know that there was a language and that there was a people who lived there long before now."
Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ is the league's second land donation to the Sinkyone Council. The first, in 2012, was the 164-are Four Corners property, north of Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ. The council also granted the league a conservation easement on Four Corners.
RELATED Tribal leaders call for increased Internet service in Native communities
California Gov. Newsom, lawmakers announce deal for paid sick leave
By Darryl Coote
Local residents wait in line to receive the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif., on March 8, 2021. On Tuesday, state politicians announced they reached a deal to ensure workers sick with COVID-19 can get two weeks of paid leave. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 26 (UPI) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has reached a deal with state lawmakers to ensure workers get up to two weeks paid leave if they fall sick with COVID-19.
The Democratic governor announced the deal in a joint statement with Toni Atkins, the California Senate pro tempore president; and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, stating the framework to extend the paid sick leave includes tax credits and tax relief for businesses.
It also includes funding to bolster testing and speed-up vaccination campaigns, support for frontline workers and the healthcare system as well as combat misinformation.
"By extending sick leave to frontline workers with COVID and providing support for California businesses, we can help protect the health of our workforce, while also ensuring that businesses and our economy are able to thrive," the three politicians said. "We will continue to work to address additional needs of small businesses through the budget."
Assembly Democratic leader Eloise Reyes said the deal was reached by both the House and Senate following "extensive negotiations" and that she looks toward to voting it into being.
The announcement was made months after a similar supplemental paid sick leave put in place last year for employers with 26 or more workers expired at the end of September.
California law mandates employers give at least three days of paid leave, but the supplemental COVID-19 sick leave that went into effect last year extended that to 80 hours
The new measure was sought by lawmakers as the recent and ongoing surge of the Omicron variant had labor unions, such as United Food and Commercial Workers, calling for the sick leave benefits to be put back in place.
"Make no mistake: today's agreement happened because workers who are on the frontlines of the pandemic demanded safety for ourselves, our families and our communities," Bob Schoonover, president of the Service Employees International Union, told KCRA in a statement. "We spoke up about the impossible choices we faced without enough sick time to recover from COVID-19 without our kids going hungry. We know we can't wait for employers to keep us safe -- we have to advocate for ourselves, and Gov. Newsom and legislators listened."
By Darryl Coote
Local residents wait in line to receive the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif., on March 8, 2021. On Tuesday, state politicians announced they reached a deal to ensure workers sick with COVID-19 can get two weeks of paid leave. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 26 (UPI) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has reached a deal with state lawmakers to ensure workers get up to two weeks paid leave if they fall sick with COVID-19.
The Democratic governor announced the deal in a joint statement with Toni Atkins, the California Senate pro tempore president; and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, stating the framework to extend the paid sick leave includes tax credits and tax relief for businesses.
It also includes funding to bolster testing and speed-up vaccination campaigns, support for frontline workers and the healthcare system as well as combat misinformation.
"By extending sick leave to frontline workers with COVID and providing support for California businesses, we can help protect the health of our workforce, while also ensuring that businesses and our economy are able to thrive," the three politicians said. "We will continue to work to address additional needs of small businesses through the budget."
Assembly Democratic leader Eloise Reyes said the deal was reached by both the House and Senate following "extensive negotiations" and that she looks toward to voting it into being.
The announcement was made months after a similar supplemental paid sick leave put in place last year for employers with 26 or more workers expired at the end of September.
California law mandates employers give at least three days of paid leave, but the supplemental COVID-19 sick leave that went into effect last year extended that to 80 hours
The new measure was sought by lawmakers as the recent and ongoing surge of the Omicron variant had labor unions, such as United Food and Commercial Workers, calling for the sick leave benefits to be put back in place.
"Make no mistake: today's agreement happened because workers who are on the frontlines of the pandemic demanded safety for ourselves, our families and our communities," Bob Schoonover, president of the Service Employees International Union, told KCRA in a statement. "We spoke up about the impossible choices we faced without enough sick time to recover from COVID-19 without our kids going hungry. We know we can't wait for employers to keep us safe -- we have to advocate for ourselves, and Gov. Newsom and legislators listened."
EXPLAINER: What’s known about ‘stealth’ version of omicron?
By LAURA UNGAR
A medical worker wearing protective gear collects a sample from a resident at a coronavirus test site in Xichen District in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Hong Kong has already suspended many overseas flights and requires arrivals be quarantined, similar to mainland China's "zero-tolerance" approach to the virus that has placed millions under lockdowns and mandates mask wearing, rigorous case tracing and mass testing.
By LAURA UNGAR
A medical worker wearing protective gear collects a sample from a resident at a coronavirus test site in Xichen District in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Hong Kong has already suspended many overseas flights and requires arrivals be quarantined, similar to mainland China's "zero-tolerance" approach to the virus that has placed millions under lockdowns and mandates mask wearing, rigorous case tracing and mass testing.
(AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the omicron variant that has been found in at least 40 countries, including the United States.
This version of the coronavirus, which scientists call BA.2, is widely considered stealthier than the original version of omicron because particular genetic traits make it somewhat harder to detect. Some scientists worry it could also be more contagious.
But they say there’s a lot they still don’t know about it, including whether it evades vaccines better or causes more severe disease.
WHERE HAS IT SPREAD?
Since mid-November, more than three dozen countries have uploaded nearly 15,000 genetic sequences of BA.2 to GISAID, a global platform for sharing coronavirus data. As of Tuesday morning, 96 of those sequenced cases came from the U.S.
“Thus far, we haven’t seen it start to gain ground” in the U.S., said Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas, which has identified three cases of BA.2.
The mutant appears much more common in Asia and Europe. In Denmark, it made up 45% of all COVID-19 cases in mid-January, up from 20% two weeks earlier, according to Statens Serum Institut, which falls under the Danish Ministry of Health.
WHAT’S KNOWN ABOUT THIS VERSION OF THE VIRUS?
BA.2 has lots of mutations. About 20 of them in the spike protein that studs the outside of the virus are shared with the original omicron. But it also has additional genetic changes not seen in the initial version.
It’s unclear how significant those mutations are, especially in a population that has encountered the original omicron, said Dr. Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
For now, the original version, known as BA.1, and BA.2 are considered subsets of omicron. But global health leaders could give it its own Greek letter name if it is deemed a globally significant “variant of concern.”
The quick spread of BA.2 in some places raises concerns it could take off.
“We have some indications that it just may be as contagious or perhaps slightly more contagious than (original) omicron since it’s able to compete with it in some areas,” Long said. “But we don’t necessarily know why that is.”
An initial analysis by scientists in Denmark shows no differences in hospitalizations for BA.2 compared with the original omicron. Scientists there are still looking into this version’s infectiousness and how well current vaccines work against it. It’s also unclear how well treatments will work against it.
Doctors also don’t yet know for sure if someone who’s already had COVID-19 caused by omicron can be sickened again by BA.2. But they’re hopeful, especially that a prior omicron infection might lessen the severity of disease if someone later contracts BA.2.
The two versions of omicron have enough in common that it’s possible that infection with the original mutant “will give you cross-protection against BA.2,” said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infectious diseases expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Scientists will be conducting tests to see if antibodies from an infection with the original omicron “are able to neutralize BA.2 in the laboratory and then extrapolate from there,” he said.
HOW CONCERNED ARE HEALTH AGENCIES?
The World Health Organization classifies omicron overall as a variant of concern, its most serious designation of a coronavirus mutant, but it doesn’t single out BA.2 with a designation of its own. Given its rise in some countries, however, the agency says investigations of BA.2 “should be prioritized.”
The UK Health Security Agency, meanwhile, has designated BA.2 a “variant under investigation,” citing the rising numbers found in the U.K. and internationally. Still, the original version of omicron remains dominant in the U.K.
WHY IS IT HARDER TO DETECT?
The original version of omicron had specific genetic features that allowed health officials to rapidly differentiate it from delta using a certain PCR test because of what’s known as “S gene target failure.”
BA.2 doesn’t have this same genetic quirk. So on the test, Long said, BA.2 looks like delta.
“It’s not that the test doesn’t detect it; it’s just that it doesn’t look like omicron,” he said. “Don’t get the impression that ‘stealth omicron’ means we can’t detect it. All of our PCR tests can still detect it.”
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF?
Doctors advise the same precautions they have all along: Get vaccinated and follow public health guidance about wearing masks, avoiding crowds and staying home when you’re sick.
“The vaccines are still providing good defense against severe disease, hospitalization and death,” Long said. “Even if you’ve had COVID 19 before — you’ve had a natural infection — the protection from the vaccine is still stronger, longer lasting and actually ... does well for people who’ve been previously infected.”
The latest version is another reminder that the pandemic hasn’t ended.
“We all wish that it was over,” Long said, ”but until we get the world vaccinated, we’re going to be at risk of having new variants emerge.”
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the omicron variant that has been found in at least 40 countries, including the United States.
This version of the coronavirus, which scientists call BA.2, is widely considered stealthier than the original version of omicron because particular genetic traits make it somewhat harder to detect. Some scientists worry it could also be more contagious.
But they say there’s a lot they still don’t know about it, including whether it evades vaccines better or causes more severe disease.
WHERE HAS IT SPREAD?
Since mid-November, more than three dozen countries have uploaded nearly 15,000 genetic sequences of BA.2 to GISAID, a global platform for sharing coronavirus data. As of Tuesday morning, 96 of those sequenced cases came from the U.S.
“Thus far, we haven’t seen it start to gain ground” in the U.S., said Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas, which has identified three cases of BA.2.
The mutant appears much more common in Asia and Europe. In Denmark, it made up 45% of all COVID-19 cases in mid-January, up from 20% two weeks earlier, according to Statens Serum Institut, which falls under the Danish Ministry of Health.
WHAT’S KNOWN ABOUT THIS VERSION OF THE VIRUS?
BA.2 has lots of mutations. About 20 of them in the spike protein that studs the outside of the virus are shared with the original omicron. But it also has additional genetic changes not seen in the initial version.
It’s unclear how significant those mutations are, especially in a population that has encountered the original omicron, said Dr. Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
For now, the original version, known as BA.1, and BA.2 are considered subsets of omicron. But global health leaders could give it its own Greek letter name if it is deemed a globally significant “variant of concern.”
The quick spread of BA.2 in some places raises concerns it could take off.
“We have some indications that it just may be as contagious or perhaps slightly more contagious than (original) omicron since it’s able to compete with it in some areas,” Long said. “But we don’t necessarily know why that is.”
An initial analysis by scientists in Denmark shows no differences in hospitalizations for BA.2 compared with the original omicron. Scientists there are still looking into this version’s infectiousness and how well current vaccines work against it. It’s also unclear how well treatments will work against it.
Doctors also don’t yet know for sure if someone who’s already had COVID-19 caused by omicron can be sickened again by BA.2. But they’re hopeful, especially that a prior omicron infection might lessen the severity of disease if someone later contracts BA.2.
The two versions of omicron have enough in common that it’s possible that infection with the original mutant “will give you cross-protection against BA.2,” said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infectious diseases expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Scientists will be conducting tests to see if antibodies from an infection with the original omicron “are able to neutralize BA.2 in the laboratory and then extrapolate from there,” he said.
HOW CONCERNED ARE HEALTH AGENCIES?
The World Health Organization classifies omicron overall as a variant of concern, its most serious designation of a coronavirus mutant, but it doesn’t single out BA.2 with a designation of its own. Given its rise in some countries, however, the agency says investigations of BA.2 “should be prioritized.”
The UK Health Security Agency, meanwhile, has designated BA.2 a “variant under investigation,” citing the rising numbers found in the U.K. and internationally. Still, the original version of omicron remains dominant in the U.K.
WHY IS IT HARDER TO DETECT?
The original version of omicron had specific genetic features that allowed health officials to rapidly differentiate it from delta using a certain PCR test because of what’s known as “S gene target failure.”
BA.2 doesn’t have this same genetic quirk. So on the test, Long said, BA.2 looks like delta.
“It’s not that the test doesn’t detect it; it’s just that it doesn’t look like omicron,” he said. “Don’t get the impression that ‘stealth omicron’ means we can’t detect it. All of our PCR tests can still detect it.”
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF?
Doctors advise the same precautions they have all along: Get vaccinated and follow public health guidance about wearing masks, avoiding crowds and staying home when you’re sick.
“The vaccines are still providing good defense against severe disease, hospitalization and death,” Long said. “Even if you’ve had COVID 19 before — you’ve had a natural infection — the protection from the vaccine is still stronger, longer lasting and actually ... does well for people who’ve been previously infected.”
The latest version is another reminder that the pandemic hasn’t ended.
“We all wish that it was over,” Long said, ”but until we get the world vaccinated, we’re going to be at risk of having new variants emerge.”
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
SEND THEM TO THE THIRD WORLD
COVID-19 vaccine booster drive is faltering in the USBy MAE ANDERSON
Riley Bredbeck, 13, from Westminster, Vt., looks away when getting the Pfizer COVID-19 booster during a vaccine clinic that was hosted by Rescue Inc. at Bellows Falls Fire Department, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022, in Bellows Falls, Vt. The COVID-19 booster drive in the U.S. is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious omicron variant. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — The COVID-19 booster drive in the U.S. is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious omicron variant.
Just 40% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the average number of booster shots dispensed per day in the U.S. has plummeted from a peak of 1 million in early December to about 490,000 as of last week.
Also, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Americans are more likely to see the initial vaccinations — rather than a booster — as essential.
“It’s clear that the booster effort is falling short,” said Jason Schwartz, a vaccine policy expert at Yale University.
Overall, the U.S. vaccination campaign has been sluggish. More than 13 months after it began, just 63% of Americans, or 210 million people, are fully vaccinated with the initial rounds of shots. Mandates that could raise those numbers have been hobbled by legal challenges.
Vaccination numbers are stagnant in states such as Wyoming, Idaho, Mississippi and Alabama, which have been hovering below 50%.
In Wyoming, 44% are fully vaccinated, up just slightly from 41% in September. To boost numbers, the state has been running TV ads with health care workers giving grim accounts of unvaccinated people struggling with COVID-19.
“Certainly we would like to see higher rates. But it would be wrong for anyone to think that the rates we have are due to lack of effort,” Wyoming Health Department spokeswoman Kim Deti said Tuesday.
And in neighboring Idaho, which also has one of the country’s lowest vaccination rates, the number of people getting their first vaccine dose has remained under 1,000 almost every day this year and the number getting booster shots is also declining. Still, officials say they won’t give up.
“I don’t like to use the word ‘resigned,’” said Elke Shaw-Tulloch, administrator of the Idaho Division of Public Health. “I think we just need to keep saying it over and over again, how important it is.”
At the other end of the spectrum, Vermont is a national leader in the percentage of people who have been fully vaccinated and received a booster shot. About 60% of the population over 18 has gotten a booster. But it’s not enough, said Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine.
“I’d love to see that percentage much closer to 90%,” Levine said.
The U.S. and many other nations have been urging adults to get boosters because the vaccine’s protection can wane. Also, research has shown that while the vaccines have proved less effective against omicron, boosters can rev up the body’s defenses against the threat.
As for why an estimated 86 million Americans who have been fully vaccinated and are eligible for a booster have not yet gotten one, Schwartz said public confusion is one important reason.
“I think the evidence is now overwhelming that the booster is not simply an optional supplement, but it is a foundational part of protection,” he said. “But clearly that message has been lost.”
The need for all Americans to get boosters initially was debated by scientists, and at first the government recommended only that certain groups of people, such as senior citizens, get additional doses. The arrival of omicron, and additional evidence about falling immunity, showed more clearly a widespread need for boosters.
But the message “has been lost in the sea of changing recommendations and guidance,” Schwartz said.
The AP-NORC Center poll found that 59% of Americans think it is essential that they receive a vaccine to fully participate in public life without feeling at risk of COVID-19 infection. Only 47% say the same about a booster shot.
Keller Anne Ruble, 32, of Denver, received her two doses of the Moderna vaccine but hasn’t gotten her booster. She said she had a bad reaction to the second dose and was in bed for four days with a fever and flu-like symptoms.
“I believe in the power of vaccines, and I know that’s going to protect me,” said Ruble, the owner of a greeting card sending service. But the vaccine “just knocked me out completely and freaked me out about getting the booster.”
She said she does plan to get the booster in the next few weeks and in the meantime wears an N95 mask and tries to stay home.
“I just don’t want to get COVID in general,” she said. “It does scare me.”
Blake Hassler, 26, of Nashville, Tennessee, said he doesn’t plan to get the booster. He received Pfizer’s two doses last year after having a mild case of COVID-19 in 2020. He said he considers himself to be in a low-risk category.
“At this point, we need to focus on prevention of serious illness at the onset of symptoms rather than creating a new shot every six weeks and more divisive mandates,” he said.
___
AP writers Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado; Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vermont; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.
Private group works to free Americans, locals loyal to U.S. from Afghanistan
By Zoya Mirza, Medill News Service
Some of those who were helped in fleeing Afghanistan by Task Force Argo board a Kam Air plane that is about to leave Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport in October. Photo courtesy of Task Force Argo
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- In the late hours of a cold Saturday evening, Sadia Ali and her family sat huddled together in a car parked outside of a defunct federal office situated west of the Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Holding hands and clutching onto overstuffed backpacks that carried their most-precious belongings, they awaited a phone call that would give them a green light to approach the heavily armed Taliban who were guarding this checkpoint.
This was the family's third attempt of fleeing Afghanistan after the formal withdrawal of the U.S. military and subsequent Taliban takeover. After two near-death experiences amid the chaos at the airport, Ali was determined to make this one work.
Soon, the phone rang, and a breathless woman's voice pierced through the anxious silence: "OK, one of you go approach them. Make sure you speak English because they're going to be communicating in different languages, and you want them to believe you're a U.S. citizen. And if they get aggressive in any way, don't argue. Just leave!"
Ali approached the armed men with her husband, waving her blue passport and gesturing toward the car that was packed with her two children, siblings and parents, urging the Taliban militant to let them through. After a tense back and forth, the man signaled for the gate to open.
Ali and her family were just some of the 2,216 people who were evacuated safely from Afghanistan through the coordinated efforts of Task Force Argo, a network of American veterans and private citizens working toward rescuing Americans and vulnerable Afghans who previously assisted the U.S. government and are stuck in a country now under a Taliban regime.
These evacuations came before countries clamped down on accepting people from Afghanistan and before many nations required reassurances from the United States to let planes with those fleeing land on their soil.
The operation completely relies on volunteer contributions made by people who have separate full-time jobs, but enter the realm of a self-described "Digital Dunkirk" at the end of their workday.
These volunteers coordinate with other members spread across the country, most of whom are veterans, through the signal app to keep messages secure, and help to compile an ever-growing database of people left behind in Afghanistan through communication relayed by trusted informants with years of active service.
"Task Force Argo is one of the subgroups of the Digital Dunkirk effort, and we link it to operation Dunkirk from World War II because it, too, was a group of civilians rescuing soldiers on their private boats," said Rebecca, a veteran who is one of the lead organizers of the rescue mission, and a current federal employee who requested anonymity for her last name.
RELATED U.S. military presence abroad faces domestic, foreign opposition
"We're carrying out a similar mission, except it's all done over the phone. We're essentially doing the U.S. government's job alongside our daily day jobs -- with very little resources and very little money."
Rebecca was one of the two Task Force Argo members who coordinated Ali and her family's escape from Kabul in August.
She said that the idea of the rescue operation grew out of the distress she experienced after she saw the horrific footage of Afghans hanging onto a U.S. Air Force transport jet in a desperate attempt to escape, some falling to their death shortly after the plane took off.
What started out as a plan of action scribbled on a legal pad soon materialized into a whole organization once Rebecca started to reach out to her contacts in the military, the Department of Defense and other agencies.
But her largest recruitment of volunteers came through a post she made on the Air Force Office of Special Investigations page on Facebook.
"I put out a request asking for handlers who could coordinate with Afghan families on the ground, data entry specialists, data scientists, people who could reach out to donors for funds. And, within a few hours, I had around 60 volunteers," Rebecca said.
By the first week of September, Task Force Argo had more than 184 people contributing to the operation, who had now curated a presence on social media and within the broader network of privately funded rescue operations being carried out in Afghanistan.
Currently, the operation serves to evacuate American citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents, Special Immigrant Visa and P1/P2 visa holders and applicants -- visa designations for Afghans who were affiliated with or worked for the U.S. government at any point -- plus their immediate families.
Only in rare circumstances does Task Force Argo help individuals who don't qualify for either of these categories, but are at-risk targets under the Taliban regime, such as journalists and female educators, according to Rob Tackett, a veteran and firefighter based in South Carolina who serves as a handler.
Despite the organization's success in safely getting vulnerable Afghans onto a departing flight and their rigorous vetting process, it has not been able to win the full support of the U.S. State Department.
Jesse Jensen, co-president of Task Force Argo and a decorated veteran who served two years of combat tours in Afghanistan, said the State Department wasn't even aware of the total number of Americans and qualifying immigrant visa holders stuck in Afghanistan.
Moreover, he said, the State Department was hesitant to issue a "Do Not Object" letter or a "Non-Object Cable" that would allow these privately chartered planes to land in foreign host countries that were willing to take in Afghan refugees.
Though Secretary of State Antony Blinken did issue a blanket diplomatic letter Aug. 24 stating that the U.S. government had no objections to foreign governments accepting individuals from these flights and providing assistance to them, it also said the "United States does not make determinations of the immigration status of the individuals transported by these private or non-governmental organizations."
According to Jensen, many foreign heads of state were hesitant to accept refugees on the basis of just this letter and requested direct correspondence from the U.S. government or State Department.
"Specific countries, rightfully so, want to make sure that they're not going to upset the United States government by accepting people from a foreign country that they're being asked by a private group of citizens to take. It's a completely rational concern," Jensen said.
As of now, the State Department has not agreed to issue country-specific letters directed to these foreign governments, leaving rescue operations such as Task Force Argo with people who could fill planes, but with no destination for them.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the State Department said these flights posed significant challenges, as no military personnel were on the ground to ensure the immigration eligibility of the passenger names provided by private rescue groups.
The spokesperson added that identity checks carried out upon the arrival of these planes also revealed that many passengers were not eligible for relocation to the United States and, in some cases, did not match the list of names provided by these groups, despite their best efforts.
However, the spokesperson did not provide any insight into the State Department's issuance of a Non-Object Cable, and called the evacuation and relocation effort a "monumental task."
Despite these obstacles, Task Force Argo remains committed to helping those in need and aims to keep raising more funds to sustain the objective of its mission.
"My country has been in the headlines since my earliest memories, and I just had to watch it get bombed every day, and see Afghan lives reduced to numbers that didn't exist anymore," said Aishah Bostani, an Afghan-American based in New York whose extended family is trapped in Afghanistan.
"How do you make those numbers intimate to other people? You can't just manufacture care."
Bostani hopes that, like Ali's, her family, too, can make it out someday, and that people don't just stop caring.
By Zoya Mirza, Medill News Service
Some of those who were helped in fleeing Afghanistan by Task Force Argo board a Kam Air plane that is about to leave Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport in October. Photo courtesy of Task Force Argo
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- In the late hours of a cold Saturday evening, Sadia Ali and her family sat huddled together in a car parked outside of a defunct federal office situated west of the Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Holding hands and clutching onto overstuffed backpacks that carried their most-precious belongings, they awaited a phone call that would give them a green light to approach the heavily armed Taliban who were guarding this checkpoint.
This was the family's third attempt of fleeing Afghanistan after the formal withdrawal of the U.S. military and subsequent Taliban takeover. After two near-death experiences amid the chaos at the airport, Ali was determined to make this one work.
Soon, the phone rang, and a breathless woman's voice pierced through the anxious silence: "OK, one of you go approach them. Make sure you speak English because they're going to be communicating in different languages, and you want them to believe you're a U.S. citizen. And if they get aggressive in any way, don't argue. Just leave!"
Ali approached the armed men with her husband, waving her blue passport and gesturing toward the car that was packed with her two children, siblings and parents, urging the Taliban militant to let them through. After a tense back and forth, the man signaled for the gate to open.
Ali and her family were just some of the 2,216 people who were evacuated safely from Afghanistan through the coordinated efforts of Task Force Argo, a network of American veterans and private citizens working toward rescuing Americans and vulnerable Afghans who previously assisted the U.S. government and are stuck in a country now under a Taliban regime.
These evacuations came before countries clamped down on accepting people from Afghanistan and before many nations required reassurances from the United States to let planes with those fleeing land on their soil.
The operation completely relies on volunteer contributions made by people who have separate full-time jobs, but enter the realm of a self-described "Digital Dunkirk" at the end of their workday.
These volunteers coordinate with other members spread across the country, most of whom are veterans, through the signal app to keep messages secure, and help to compile an ever-growing database of people left behind in Afghanistan through communication relayed by trusted informants with years of active service.
"Task Force Argo is one of the subgroups of the Digital Dunkirk effort, and we link it to operation Dunkirk from World War II because it, too, was a group of civilians rescuing soldiers on their private boats," said Rebecca, a veteran who is one of the lead organizers of the rescue mission, and a current federal employee who requested anonymity for her last name.
RELATED U.S. military presence abroad faces domestic, foreign opposition
"We're carrying out a similar mission, except it's all done over the phone. We're essentially doing the U.S. government's job alongside our daily day jobs -- with very little resources and very little money."
Rebecca was one of the two Task Force Argo members who coordinated Ali and her family's escape from Kabul in August.
She said that the idea of the rescue operation grew out of the distress she experienced after she saw the horrific footage of Afghans hanging onto a U.S. Air Force transport jet in a desperate attempt to escape, some falling to their death shortly after the plane took off.
What started out as a plan of action scribbled on a legal pad soon materialized into a whole organization once Rebecca started to reach out to her contacts in the military, the Department of Defense and other agencies.
But her largest recruitment of volunteers came through a post she made on the Air Force Office of Special Investigations page on Facebook.
"I put out a request asking for handlers who could coordinate with Afghan families on the ground, data entry specialists, data scientists, people who could reach out to donors for funds. And, within a few hours, I had around 60 volunteers," Rebecca said.
By the first week of September, Task Force Argo had more than 184 people contributing to the operation, who had now curated a presence on social media and within the broader network of privately funded rescue operations being carried out in Afghanistan.
Currently, the operation serves to evacuate American citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents, Special Immigrant Visa and P1/P2 visa holders and applicants -- visa designations for Afghans who were affiliated with or worked for the U.S. government at any point -- plus their immediate families.
Only in rare circumstances does Task Force Argo help individuals who don't qualify for either of these categories, but are at-risk targets under the Taliban regime, such as journalists and female educators, according to Rob Tackett, a veteran and firefighter based in South Carolina who serves as a handler.
Despite the organization's success in safely getting vulnerable Afghans onto a departing flight and their rigorous vetting process, it has not been able to win the full support of the U.S. State Department.
Jesse Jensen, co-president of Task Force Argo and a decorated veteran who served two years of combat tours in Afghanistan, said the State Department wasn't even aware of the total number of Americans and qualifying immigrant visa holders stuck in Afghanistan.
Moreover, he said, the State Department was hesitant to issue a "Do Not Object" letter or a "Non-Object Cable" that would allow these privately chartered planes to land in foreign host countries that were willing to take in Afghan refugees.
Though Secretary of State Antony Blinken did issue a blanket diplomatic letter Aug. 24 stating that the U.S. government had no objections to foreign governments accepting individuals from these flights and providing assistance to them, it also said the "United States does not make determinations of the immigration status of the individuals transported by these private or non-governmental organizations."
According to Jensen, many foreign heads of state were hesitant to accept refugees on the basis of just this letter and requested direct correspondence from the U.S. government or State Department.
"Specific countries, rightfully so, want to make sure that they're not going to upset the United States government by accepting people from a foreign country that they're being asked by a private group of citizens to take. It's a completely rational concern," Jensen said.
As of now, the State Department has not agreed to issue country-specific letters directed to these foreign governments, leaving rescue operations such as Task Force Argo with people who could fill planes, but with no destination for them.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the State Department said these flights posed significant challenges, as no military personnel were on the ground to ensure the immigration eligibility of the passenger names provided by private rescue groups.
The spokesperson added that identity checks carried out upon the arrival of these planes also revealed that many passengers were not eligible for relocation to the United States and, in some cases, did not match the list of names provided by these groups, despite their best efforts.
However, the spokesperson did not provide any insight into the State Department's issuance of a Non-Object Cable, and called the evacuation and relocation effort a "monumental task."
Despite these obstacles, Task Force Argo remains committed to helping those in need and aims to keep raising more funds to sustain the objective of its mission.
"My country has been in the headlines since my earliest memories, and I just had to watch it get bombed every day, and see Afghan lives reduced to numbers that didn't exist anymore," said Aishah Bostani, an Afghan-American based in New York whose extended family is trapped in Afghanistan.
"How do you make those numbers intimate to other people? You can't just manufacture care."
Bostani hopes that, like Ali's, her family, too, can make it out someday, and that people don't just stop caring.
UNICEF calls for children to be evacuated from Syrian prison
By Simon Druker
Syria Democratic Forces take up position at Ghweran district in Hasaka, northeastern Syria Friday after Islamic State fighters attacked a prison in the area. UNICEF said Tuesday close to 850 children remain in the prison and the agency called on the international community to evacuate them from the facility. Photo By Ahmed Mardnli/EPA-EFE
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- The United Nations Children's Fund on Tuesday called on the international community to help more than 800 children imprisoned in a military detention facility in northeast Syria.
The organization -- known as UNICEF -- made the appeal in a news release, saying it has received "deeply worrisome reports of fatalities among children in the Ghwayran military detention facility, in al-Hasakah."
The former school is the country's largest facility for suspected members of the Islamic State, housing around 3,000 prisoners in poor conditions, according to The Washington Post.
An attack on the prison Sunday killed more than 25 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are backed by the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve.
"We urge the actors currently in control of the detention facility and the detaining authorities to unconditionally release all children, starting with the youngest and those with urgent medical and other needs.
"If and when children are evacuated to a safe location, humanitarian actors, without any distinction, should be granted unimpeded and sustained access to the children for emergency care and assistance. We also plead with member states to do everything in their power to repatriate children who are their citizens or born to their nationals, in line with international child protection and human rights standards. Member states who can support these efforts should do so."
By Simon Druker
Syria Democratic Forces take up position at Ghweran district in Hasaka, northeastern Syria Friday after Islamic State fighters attacked a prison in the area. UNICEF said Tuesday close to 850 children remain in the prison and the agency called on the international community to evacuate them from the facility. Photo By Ahmed Mardnli/EPA-EFE
Jan. 25 (UPI) -- The United Nations Children's Fund on Tuesday called on the international community to help more than 800 children imprisoned in a military detention facility in northeast Syria.
The organization -- known as UNICEF -- made the appeal in a news release, saying it has received "deeply worrisome reports of fatalities among children in the Ghwayran military detention facility, in al-Hasakah."
The former school is the country's largest facility for suspected members of the Islamic State, housing around 3,000 prisoners in poor conditions, according to The Washington Post.
An attack on the prison Sunday killed more than 25 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are backed by the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve.
The U.S. State Department said the Islamic State had been attempting a siege on the prison for more than a year. It also praised SDF forces for their ability to thwart previous attacks and minimize the severity of the attack.
The SDF said almost 160 Islamic militants were killed during the attack, according to The Washington Post.
"We are also deeply concerned by reports that children trapped inside the facility may be forced to play an active part in the ongoing clashes between detainees and security forces. These children should never have been held in military detention in the first place. The violence they are subjected to may amount to war crimes," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement.
RELATEDU.S. condemns ISIS attack on prison in Syria to free detained fighters
"Almost 850 children, some as young as 12 years old, are currently in detention in northeast Syria, most of them are held in the Ghwayran facility. The majority of these children are Syrian and Iraqi boys while the rest are of 20 other nationalities. None of them has been charged with any crime under national or international law. The children of foreign nationals have received little to no support from their home countries."
The organization is appealing for immediate international help.
"The time to act is long overdue," Fore said.
The SDF said almost 160 Islamic militants were killed during the attack, according to The Washington Post.
"We are also deeply concerned by reports that children trapped inside the facility may be forced to play an active part in the ongoing clashes between detainees and security forces. These children should never have been held in military detention in the first place. The violence they are subjected to may amount to war crimes," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement.
RELATEDU.S. condemns ISIS attack on prison in Syria to free detained fighters
"Almost 850 children, some as young as 12 years old, are currently in detention in northeast Syria, most of them are held in the Ghwayran facility. The majority of these children are Syrian and Iraqi boys while the rest are of 20 other nationalities. None of them has been charged with any crime under national or international law. The children of foreign nationals have received little to no support from their home countries."
The organization is appealing for immediate international help.
"The time to act is long overdue," Fore said.
"We urge the actors currently in control of the detention facility and the detaining authorities to unconditionally release all children, starting with the youngest and those with urgent medical and other needs.
"If and when children are evacuated to a safe location, humanitarian actors, without any distinction, should be granted unimpeded and sustained access to the children for emergency care and assistance. We also plead with member states to do everything in their power to repatriate children who are their citizens or born to their nationals, in line with international child protection and human rights standards. Member states who can support these efforts should do so."
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