K-Pop superstars boy band BTS took part at Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Moment 2021 at the 76th UNGA as South Korean President's special envoy.

WION USA Direct: K-Pop boy band BTS at the 2021 UNGA Summit

After an argument over gifts, three people were injured on being shot at during a baby shower in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, said Lower Burrell Police Chief John Marhefka in a press briefing. &nbsp;

In Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, police officers were dispatched to the Kinloch Volunteer Fire Department shortly after 6 pm for a shooting inside the fire hall. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;

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Marhefka said, "This was not an active shooter event, but rather an isolated family incident during a baby shower."

The preliminary investigation suggested the incident happened over a family argument about gifts at the baby shower.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/six-people-killed-and-24-injured-in-perm-university-shooting-russian-health-ministry-414468" hreflang="en">Six people killed and 24 injured in Perm university shooting: Russian health ministry</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

At first, it escalated into a physical fight, and then led to gunfire when the "suspect introduced a nine-millimeter semiautomatic handgun", and fired three shots into the crowd of about 25 friends and family, the chief said. &nbsp;

Three people were injured in the shooting, which includes a 23-year-old man, a 19-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy, he said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gunmen-kill-police-inspector-in-southeast-nigeria-414411" hreflang="en">Gunmen kill police inspector in southeast Nigeria</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

For treatment, the victims were taken to Pittsburgh hospital. During press briefing, their injuries were unknown. &nbsp;

After officers arrived, the suspected gunman walked out of the fire hall and was taken into custody. The suspect has been taken to the city jail, where he was expected to face charges later in the day.&nbsp;

After an argument over gifts, three people were injured on being shot at during a baby shower in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, said Lower Burrell Police Chief John Marhefka in a press briefing.

After an argument over gifts, three people were injured on being shot at during a baby shower in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, said Lower Burrell Police Chief John Marhefka in a press briefing. In Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, police officers were dispatched to the Kinloch Volunteer Fire Department shortly after 6 pm for a shooting inside the fire hall. Watch: × Marhefka said, "This was not an active shooter event, but rather an isolated family incident during a baby shower." The preliminary investigation suggested the incident happened over a family argument about gifts at the baby shower. Also Read: Six people killed and 24 injured in Perm university shooting: Russian health ministry At first, it escalated into a physical fight, and then led to gunfire when the "suspect introduced a nine-millimeter semiautomatic handgun", and fired three shots into the crowd of about 25 friends and family, the chief said. Three people were injured in the shooting, which includes a 23-year-old man, a 19-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy, he said. Also Read: Gunmen kill police inspector in southeast Nigeria For treatment, the victims were taken to Pittsburgh hospital. During press briefing, their injuries were unknown. After officers arrived, the suspected gunman walked out of the fire hall and was taken into custody. The suspect has been taken to the city jail, where he was expected to face charges later in the day.

After an altercation over gifts, three shot at a baby shower in US, say police

Former Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu mocked Joe Biden on Sunday as he repeated a previously debunked claim that the US president had dozed off during a meeting with new Israeli leader Naftali Bennett last month. Watch this report for more details.

Israel's  former PM Netanyahu appears to mock Biden

France has escalated its protest against the loss of a $66 billion dollar submarine contract with Australia. Watch this report for more details.

France cancels defence meeting with UK

All eyes are on New York where world leaders will gather for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session. WION's Siddhant Sibbal explains Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda and expectations from the high-level meeting.

WION-USA Direct: Indian PM Modi to address 76th session of the UNGA summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will meet in-person for the first time this week for the Quad summit, along with leaders of Japan and Australia. The bilateral talks between Modi and Biden will focus more on Afghanistan, Pakistan and China.

WION-USA Direct: First in-person Modi-Biden bilateral meet

All eyes are in New York where the world leaders will assemble for this year at UNGC . Watch this ground report for more details.

WION USA Direct: Afghanistan , Indo Pacific, pandemic, climate in focus

In an apparent effort to clear air after a row over a submarines contract sparked rare tensions between the allies, US President Joe Biden has requested for early talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, France said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The announcement came after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected accusations that Canberra lied about plans to cancel the contract to buy French submarines. The PM said he had raised concerns over the deal "some months ago". &nbsp;

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The decision of Australia to tear up the deal of French submarines in favour of US nuclear-powered vessels has sparked outrage in Paris. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In an unprecedented move, Macron has recalled France's ambassadors to Canberra and Washington. &nbsp;

On Sunday, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said there would be a telephone conversation between Biden and Macron "in the coming days" at the request of the US president. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-foreign-minister-jean-yves-le-drian-seek-to-deepen-india-france-strategic-partnership-414120" hreflang="en">Jaishankar, foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian seek to deepen India-France strategic partnership</a>

After the announcement of a US-Australian-British defence pact that prompted Canberra's cancellation of the huge contract for diesel-electric French vessels, Macron will ask the US president for "clarification". &nbsp;&nbsp;

Attal said, "We want explanations." The US have to answer for "what looks a lot like a major breach of trust". &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;&nbsp;

In an apparent effort to clear air after a row over a submarines contract sparked rare tensions between the allies, US President Joe Biden has requested for early talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, France said on Sunday.

In an apparent effort to clear air after a row over a submarines contract sparked rare tensions between the allies, US President Joe Biden has requested for early talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, France said on Sunday. The announcement came after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected accusations that Canberra lied about plans to cancel the contract to buy French submarines. The PM said he had raised concerns over the deal "some months ago". Watch: × The decision of Australia to tear up the deal of French submarines in favour of US nuclear-powered vessels has sparked outrage in Paris. In an unprecedented move, Macron has recalled France's ambassadors to Canberra and Washington. On Sunday, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said there would be a telephone conversation between Biden and Macron "in the coming days" at the request of the US president. Also Read: Jaishankar, foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian seek to deepen India-France strategic partnership After the announcement of a US-Australian-British defence pact that prompted Canberra's cancellation of the huge contract for diesel-electric French vessels, Macron will ask the US president for "clarification". Attal said, "We want explanations." The US have to answer for "what looks a lot like a major breach of trust". (With inputs from agencies)

Amid nuclear submarine contract row, Biden seeks early talks with Macron to clear air  

Law enforcement and residents of the District of Columbia were on high alert Saturday as far-right demonstrators were expected to gather at the foot of the Capitol to protest the jailing of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the building Jan. 6.

The Department of Defense put 100 National Guard troops on standby. The Capitol Police erected fencing around Capitol Hill. Even youth soccer games were canceled before the “Justice for J6” rally, the first significant gathering of right-wing demonstrators at the Capitol since a mob attacked the building in January as Congress was officially certifying President Joe Biden’s victory.

The rally is being organized by Matt Braynard, a former Trump campaign operative, and his organization, Look Ahead America. The organization has demanded that the Department of Justice drop charges against what the group calls “nonviolent protesters” facing charges stemming from the Jan. 6 riot. Organizers have secured a permit for 700 attendees, according to the document.

Braynard has told protesters to be peaceful, “respectful and kind” to the hundreds of police officers expected to meet them, and to refrain from bringing signs, flags or clothing promoting a candidate or objecting to the 2020 election.

“What we’re looking for is pure patriotism,” he said in a promotional video.

But the Department of Homeland Security has warned of potential violence.

“We are aware of a small number of recent online threats of violence referencing the planned rally, including online discussions encouraging violence the day before the rally,” the department’s intelligence officers wrote in a report obtained by The New York Times.

Officers are preparing for violence to erupt with “little-to-no warning,” although authorities have not identified any “specific or credible plot associated with the event,” according to the document.

It is not at all clear whether the event will attract a large crowd. But in a measure of the lasting effect of the Jan. 6 riot, Washington is bracing for trouble.

Dozens of officers in riot gear could be seen near the Capitol on Saturday morning, as well as officers on horseback. Law enforcement agencies in the region, including the Virginia State Police and the police department for Prince George’s County in Maryland, arrived with armored cars and other resources.

Soccer games and other outdoor activities for children in nearby parks were canceled. Taking time from a somber news conference in which the United States accepted culpability for an errant airstrike in Kabul, John Kirby, the Department of Defense's chief spokesperson, said the defense secretary had approved a request for a contingent of unarmed National Guard troops.

The rally is the latest effort to rewrite the history of the deadly mob attack on the Capitol, which sought to disrupt Congress’s count to formalize Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, and which prosecutors say led to as many as 1,000 assaults against police officers. Federal authorities have issued multiple intelligence reports this year warning that the attack on Jan. 6 may not have been an isolated episode and that domestic extremists have been emboldened by the mob attack and false narratives around the 2020 election.

Trump issued a statement from his office Thursday, making no mention of the rally but saying, “Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election.” He added, “JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!”

In addition to restoring the fence, the Capitol Police have installed new security camera technology to better monitor a wider range of activity around the complex and have streamlined their intelligence-sharing and planning processes after the January attack.

Law enforcement and residents of the District of Columbia were on high alert Saturday as far-right demonstrators were expected to gather at the foot of the Capitol to protest the jailing of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the building Jan.

Law enforcement and residents of the District of Columbia were on high alert Saturday as far-right demonstrators were expected to gather at the foot of the Capitol to protest the jailing of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the building Jan. 6. The Department of Defense put 100 National Guard troops on standby. The Capitol Police erected fencing around Capitol Hill. Even youth soccer games were canceled before the “Justice for J6” rally, the first significant gathering of right-wing demonstrators at the Capitol since a mob attacked the building in January as Congress was officially certifying President Joe Biden’s victory. The rally is being organized by Matt Braynard, a former Trump campaign operative, and his organization, Look Ahead America. The organization has demanded that the Department of Justice drop charges against what the group calls “nonviolent protesters” facing charges stemming from the Jan. 6 riot. Organizers have secured a permit for 700 attendees, according to the document. Braynard has told protesters to be peaceful, “respectful and kind” to the hundreds of police officers expected to meet them, and to refrain from bringing signs, flags or clothing promoting a candidate or objecting to the 2020 election. “What we’re looking for is pure patriotism,” he said in a promotional video. But the Department of Homeland Security has warned of potential violence. “We are aware of a small number of recent online threats of violence referencing the planned rally, including online discussions encouraging violence the day before the rally,” the department’s intelligence officers wrote in a report obtained by The New York Times. Officers are preparing for violence to erupt with “little-to-no warning,” although authorities have not identified any “specific or credible plot associated with the event,” according to the document. It is not at all clear whether the event will attract a large crowd. But in a measure of the lasting effect of the Jan. 6 riot, Washington is bracing for trouble. Dozens of officers in riot gear could be seen near the Capitol on Saturday morning, as well as officers on horseback. Law enforcement agencies in the region, including the Virginia State Police and the police department for Prince George’s County in Maryland, arrived with armored cars and other resources. Soccer games and other outdoor activities for children in nearby parks were canceled. Taking time from a somber news conference in which the United States accepted culpability for an errant airstrike in Kabul, John Kirby, the Department of Defense's chief spokesperson, said the defense secretary had approved a request for a contingent of unarmed National Guard troops. The rally is the latest effort to rewrite the history of the deadly mob attack on the Capitol, which sought to disrupt Congress’s count to formalize Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, and which prosecutors say led to as many as 1,000 assaults against police officers. Federal authorities have issued multiple intelligence reports this year warning that the attack on Jan. 6 may not have been an isolated episode and that domestic extremists have been emboldened by the mob attack and false narratives around the 2020 election. Trump issued a statement from his office Thursday, making no mention of the rally but saying, “Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election.” He added, “JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!” In addition to restoring the fence, the Capitol Police have installed new security camera technology to better monitor a wider range of activity around the complex and have streamlined their intelligence-sharing and planning processes after the January attack.

Capitol area on edge over right-wing protest of Jan 6 arrests

No president has ever packed as much of his agenda, domestic and foreign, into a single piece of legislation as President Joe Biden has with the $3.5 trillion spending plan that Democrats are trying to wrangle through Congress over the next six weeks.

The bill combines major initiatives on the economy, education, social welfare, climate change and foreign policy, funded in large part by an extensive rewrite of the tax code, which aims to bring in trillions from corporations and the rich. That stacking of priorities has raised the stakes for a president resting his ambitions on a bill that could fail over the smallest of intraparty disputes.

If successful, Biden’s far-reaching attempt could result in a presidency-defining victory that delivers on a decadeslong campaign by Democrats to expand the federal government to combat social problems and spread the gains of a growing economy to workers, striking a fatal blow to the government-limiting philosophy of President Ronald Reagan that has largely defined U.S. politics since the 1980s.

But as Democrats are increasingly seeing, the sheer weight of Biden’s progressive push could cause it to collapse, leaving the party empty-handed, with the president’s top priorities going unfulfilled. Some progressives fear a watered-down version of the bill could fail to deliver on the party’s promises and undermine its case for a more activist government. Some moderates worry that spending too much could cost Democrats their seats in the 2022 midterm elections, erasing the party’s control of Congress.

The legislation contains the bulk of Biden’s vision to overhaul the rules of the economy in hopes of reducing inequality and building a more vibrant middle class. But its provisions go beyond economics.

Democrats hope the package will create a pathway to citizenship for as many as 8 million immigrants living in the country illegally, make it easier for workers to form unions, and lower prescription drug costs for seniors. They want to guarantee prekindergarten and community college for every American, bolster the nation’s strategic competitiveness with China, and stake an aggressive leadership role in global efforts to fight climate change and corporate tax evasion.

The plan includes a large tax cut for the poor and middle class; and efforts to reduce the cost of child care, expand access to home health care for older and disabled Americans, and create the first federally guaranteed paid leave for American workers.

No president has ever packed as much of his agenda, domestic and foreign, into a single piece of legislation as President Joe Biden has with the $3.5 trillion spending plan that Democrats are trying to wrangle through Congress over the next six weeks.

No president has ever packed as much of his agenda, domestic and foreign, into a single piece of legislation as President Joe Biden has with the $3.5 trillion spending plan that Democrats are trying to wrangle through Congress over the next six weeks. The bill combines major initiatives on the economy, education, social welfare, climate change and foreign policy, funded in large part by an extensive rewrite of the tax code, which aims to bring in trillions from corporations and the rich. That stacking of priorities has raised the stakes for a president resting his ambitions on a bill that could fail over the smallest of intraparty disputes. If successful, Biden’s far-reaching attempt could result in a presidency-defining victory that delivers on a decadeslong campaign by Democrats to expand the federal government to combat social problems and spread the gains of a growing economy to workers, striking a fatal blow to the government-limiting philosophy of President Ronald Reagan that has largely defined U.S. politics since the 1980s. But as Democrats are increasingly seeing, the sheer weight of Biden’s progressive push could cause it to collapse, leaving the party empty-handed, with the president’s top priorities going unfulfilled. Some progressives fear a watered-down version of the bill could fail to deliver on the party’s promises and undermine its case for a more activist government. Some moderates worry that spending too much could cost Democrats their seats in the 2022 midterm elections, erasing the party’s control of Congress. The legislation contains the bulk of Biden’s vision to overhaul the rules of the economy in hopes of reducing inequality and building a more vibrant middle class. But its provisions go beyond economics. Democrats hope the package will create a pathway to citizenship for as many as 8 million immigrants living in the country illegally, make it easier for workers to form unions, and lower prescription drug costs for seniors. They want to guarantee prekindergarten and community college for every American, bolster the nation’s strategic competitiveness with China, and stake an aggressive leadership role in global efforts to fight climate change and corporate tax evasion. The plan includes a large tax cut for the poor and middle class; and efforts to reduce the cost of child care, expand access to home health care for older and disabled Americans, and create the first federally guaranteed paid leave for American workers.

Biden’s entire presidential agenda rests on expansive spending bill

The US Capitol was on high alert on Saturday ahead of a rally in support of the Pro-Trump rioters who had ransacked the area during the infamous January 6 unrest.

Small group of Trump supporters rally in US Capitol amid high security

France has accused longtime allies Australia and the United States of lying over a security pact that saw the Australian government scrap a contract to buy French submarines in favour of US vessels.

France rebukes Australia after submarine deal ditched

A Texas doctor disclosed Saturday that he had performed an abortion in defiance of a new state law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, setting up a potential test case of one of the most restrictive abortion measures in the nation.

In an opinion essay published in The Washington Post under the headline “Why I violated Texas’s extreme abortion ban,” the doctor, Alan Braid, who has been performing abortions for more than 40 years, said that he performed one Sept. 6 for a woman who, although still in her first trimester, was beyond the state’s new limit.

“I acted because I had a duty of care to this patient, as I do for all patients, and because she has a fundamental right to receive this care,” Braid wrote. “I fully understood that there could be legal consequences — but I wanted to make sure that Texas didn’t get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested.”

Braid’s disclosure was the latest — and perhaps most direct — salvo by supporters of abortion rights who have been fighting to stop the law, which prohibits most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women are even aware that they are pregnant. The law makes no exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

Even before his disclosure, Braid, who has operated abortion clinics in Houston and San Antonio as well as in Oklahoma, was already challenging the law in court. His clinics were among the plaintiffs in a pending federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the measure.

On Sept. 1, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision prompted by the lawsuit, declined to immediately block Texas’ new law. The majority stressed that it was not ruling on the law’s constitutionality and did not intend to limit “procedurally proper challenges” to it.

On Tuesday, the Justice Department asked a federal judge to issue an order that would prevent Texas from enforcing the law, known as Senate Bill 8, which was passed with the strong support of the state’s Republican leaders.

The Justice Department argued in its emergency motion that the state adopted the law “to prevent women from exercising their constitutional rights,” reiterating an argument the department made last week when it sued Texas to prohibit enforcement of the contentious legislation.

At the centre of the legal debate over the law is a mechanism that essentially deputizes private citizens, rather than government officials, to enforce the new restrictions by suing anyone who either performs an abortion or “aids and abets” the procedure. Plaintiffs who have no connection to the patient or to the clinic may sue and recover legal fees, as well as $10,000 if they win. Patients themselves cannot be sued.

“I understand that by providing an abortion beyond the new legal limit, I am taking a personal risk, but it’s something I believe in strongly,” Braid wrote.

Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is already representing Braid in his clinics’ pending lawsuit, said in a statement that he had “courageously stood up against this blatantly unconstitutional law.”

“We stand ready to defend him against the vigilante lawsuits that SB 8 threatens to unleash against those providing or supporting access to constitutionally protected abortion care,” she said in a statement.

A representative for Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed the measure into law, and Texas Right to Life, an anti-abortion group that had been seeking tips on any doctors who might be violating the new law, did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Saturday.

In an interview Saturday, Braid declined to say whether the woman whose abortion he performed Sept. 6 had been informed that her procedure could be part of a test case against the new law. “I’m not going to answer any questions about the patient in any way,” he said.

He said that he had consulted with lawyers from the Center for Reproductive Rights and hoped that, by publicly stating that he had performed an abortion, he might contribute to the campaign to invalidate the law.

“I hope the law gets overturned,” he said, “and if this is what does it, that would be great.”

In his opinion essay, Braid noted that his career began with an obstetrics and gynaecology residency at a San Antonio hospital on July 1, 1972, just before Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion.

“At the hospital that year, I saw three teenagers die from illegal abortions,” he wrote. “One I will never forget. When she came into the E.R., her vaginal cavity was packed with rags. She died a few days later from massive organ failure, caused by a septic infection.”

Roe v. Wade, he wrote, “enabled me to do the job I was trained to do.” Then, this month, “everything changed” with the Supreme Court decision not to block the Texas law.

“I have daughters, granddaughters and nieces,” Braid wrote. “I believe abortion is an essential part of health care. I have spent the past 50 years treating and helping patients. I can’t just sit back and watch us return to 1972.”

A Texas doctor disclosed Saturday that he had performed an abortion in defiance of a new state law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, setting up a potential test case of one of the most restrictive abortion measures in the nation.

A Texas doctor disclosed Saturday that he had performed an abortion in defiance of a new state law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, setting up a potential test case of one of the most restrictive abortion measures in the nation. In an opinion essay published in The Washington Post under the headline “Why I violated Texas’s extreme abortion ban,” the doctor, Alan Braid, who has been performing abortions for more than 40 years, said that he performed one Sept. 6 for a woman who, although still in her first trimester, was beyond the state’s new limit. “I acted because I had a duty of care to this patient, as I do for all patients, and because she has a fundamental right to receive this care,” Braid wrote. “I fully understood that there could be legal consequences — but I wanted to make sure that Texas didn’t get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested.” Braid’s disclosure was the latest — and perhaps most direct — salvo by supporters of abortion rights who have been fighting to stop the law, which prohibits most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women are even aware that they are pregnant. The law makes no exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Even before his disclosure, Braid, who has operated abortion clinics in Houston and San Antonio as well as in Oklahoma, was already challenging the law in court. His clinics were among the plaintiffs in a pending federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the measure. On Sept. 1, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision prompted by the lawsuit, declined to immediately block Texas’ new law. The majority stressed that it was not ruling on the law’s constitutionality and did not intend to limit “procedurally proper challenges” to it. On Tuesday, the Justice Department asked a federal judge to issue an order that would prevent Texas from enforcing the law, known as Senate Bill 8, which was passed with the strong support of the state’s Republican leaders. The Justice Department argued in its emergency motion that the state adopted the law “to prevent women from exercising their constitutional rights,” reiterating an argument the department made last week when it sued Texas to prohibit enforcement of the contentious legislation. At the centre of the legal debate over the law is a mechanism that essentially deputizes private citizens, rather than government officials, to enforce the new restrictions by suing anyone who either performs an abortion or “aids and abets” the procedure. Plaintiffs who have no connection to the patient or to the clinic may sue and recover legal fees, as well as $10,000 if they win. Patients themselves cannot be sued. “I understand that by providing an abortion beyond the new legal limit, I am taking a personal risk, but it’s something I believe in strongly,” Braid wrote. Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is already representing Braid in his clinics’ pending lawsuit, said in a statement that he had “courageously stood up against this blatantly unconstitutional law.” “We stand ready to defend him against the vigilante lawsuits that SB 8 threatens to unleash against those providing or supporting access to constitutionally protected abortion care,” she said in a statement. A representative for Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed the measure into law, and Texas Right to Life, an anti-abortion group that had been seeking tips on any doctors who might be violating the new law, did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Saturday. In an interview Saturday, Braid declined to say whether the woman whose abortion he performed Sept. 6 had been informed that her procedure could be part of a test case against the new law. “I’m not going to answer any questions about the patient in any way,” he said. He said that he had consulted with lawyers from the Center for Reproductive Rights and hoped that, by publicly stating that he had performed an abortion, he might contribute to the campaign to invalidate the law. “I hope the law gets overturned,” he said, “and if this is what does it, that would be great.” In his opinion essay, Braid noted that his career began with an obstetrics and gynaecology residency at a San Antonio hospital on July 1, 1972, just before Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. “At the hospital that year, I saw three teenagers die from illegal abortions,” he wrote. “One I will never forget. When she came into the E.R., her vaginal cavity was packed with rags. She died a few days later from massive organ failure, caused by a septic infection.” Roe v. Wade, he wrote, “enabled me to do the job I was trained to do.” Then, this month, “everything changed” with the Supreme Court decision not to block the Texas law. “I have daughters, granddaughters and nieces,” Braid wrote. “I believe abortion is an essential part of health care. I have spent the past 50 years treating and helping patients. I can’t just sit back and watch us return to 1972.”

Texas doctor says he performed an abortion in defiance of new state law

Tropical Storm Peter formed in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean on Sunday, forecasters said, announcing the 16th named storm of the 2021 season.

As of 9 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, the storm was about 470 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands and expected to pass “well north of the Lesser Antilles,” according to the National Hurricane Center.

The center said that rainfall around the edge of the storm could lead to “areas of urban and small stream flooding” in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the rest of the northern Leeward Islands from late Sunday into Tuesday.

Meteorologists have faced a dizzying several months as the arrival of peak hurricane season — August through November — has led to a run of named storms that formed in quick succession, bringing stormy weather, flooding and damaging winds to parts of the United States and the Caribbean.

The arrival of Peter came as another storm, Odette, weakened into a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday and was expected to bring heavy rain and strong wind gusts to Newfoundland and Labrador on Sunday into Monday, according to the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

Tropical Depression Nicholas made landfall early on Sept. 14 as a hurricane over the Gulf Coast of Texas. The storm unleashed heavy rain across parts of Louisiana, threatening to hinder the state’s efforts to restore electricity to tens of thousands of customers who were already battered by Hurricane Ida.

Tropical Storm Mindy hit the Florida Panhandle on Sept. 8, just hours after it formed in the Gulf of Mexico, while a powerful Hurricane Larry was simultaneously churning in the Atlantic.

Ida battered Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 29 before its remnants brought deadly flooding to the New York area. Two other tropical storms, Julian and Kate, both fizzled out within a day at the same time.

In mid-August, Tropical Storm Fred made landfall in the Florida Panhandle and Hurricane Grace hit Haiti and Mexico. Tropical Storm Henri knocked out power and brought record rainfall to the Northeastern United States on Aug. 22.

The links between hurricanes and climate change are becoming more apparent. A warming planet can expect to see stronger hurricanes over time, and a higher incidence of the most powerful storms. But the overall number of storms could drop, because factors like stronger wind shear could keep weaker storms from forming.

Hurricanes are also becoming wetter because of more water vapor in the warmer atmosphere; scientists have suggested storms like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 produced far more rain than it would have without the human effects on climate. Rising sea levels are also contributing to higher storm surge — the most destructive element of tropical cyclones.

A major United Nations climate report released in August warned that nations have delayed curbing their fossil-fuel emissions for so long that they can no longer stop global warming from intensifying over the next 30 years, leading to more frequent life-threatening heat waves and severe droughts. Tropical cyclones have likely become more intense over the past 40 years, the report said, a shift that cannot be explained by natural variability alone.

Ana became the first named storm of the season on May 22, making this the seventh year in a row that a named storm developed in the Atlantic before the official start of hurricane season on June 1.

In May, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that there would be 13 to 20 named storms this year, six to 10 of which would be hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher in the Atlantic. In early August, in a midseason update to the forecast, scientists continued to warn that this year’s hurricane season would be an above average one, suggesting a busy end to the season.

NOAA updated its forecast on Aug. 4, predicting 15 to 21 named storms, including seven to 10 hurricanes, by the end of the season on Nov. 30. Peter is the 16th named storm of 2021.

Last year, there were 30 named storms, including six major hurricanes, forcing meteorologists to exhaust the alphabet for the second time and use Greek letters.

It was the highest number of storms on record, surpassing the 28 from 2005, and included the second-highest number of hurricanes on record.

Tropical Storm Peter formed in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean on Sunday, forecasters said, announcing the 16th named storm of the 2021 season. As of 9 a.

Tropical Storm Peter formed in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean on Sunday, forecasters said, announcing the 16th named storm of the 2021 season. As of 9 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, the storm was about 470 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands and expected to pass “well north of the Lesser Antilles,” according to the National Hurricane Center. The center said that rainfall around the edge of the storm could lead to “areas of urban and small stream flooding” in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the rest of the northern Leeward Islands from late Sunday into Tuesday. Meteorologists have faced a dizzying several months as the arrival of peak hurricane season — August through November — has led to a run of named storms that formed in quick succession, bringing stormy weather, flooding and damaging winds to parts of the United States and the Caribbean. The arrival of Peter came as another storm, Odette, weakened into a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday and was expected to bring heavy rain and strong wind gusts to Newfoundland and Labrador on Sunday into Monday, according to the Canadian Hurricane Centre. Tropical Depression Nicholas made landfall early on Sept. 14 as a hurricane over the Gulf Coast of Texas. The storm unleashed heavy rain across parts of Louisiana, threatening to hinder the state’s efforts to restore electricity to tens of thousands of customers who were already battered by Hurricane Ida. Tropical Storm Mindy hit the Florida Panhandle on Sept. 8, just hours after it formed in the Gulf of Mexico, while a powerful Hurricane Larry was simultaneously churning in the Atlantic. Ida battered Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 29 before its remnants brought deadly flooding to the New York area. Two other tropical storms, Julian and Kate, both fizzled out within a day at the same time. In mid-August, Tropical Storm Fred made landfall in the Florida Panhandle and Hurricane Grace hit Haiti and Mexico. Tropical Storm Henri knocked out power and brought record rainfall to the Northeastern United States on Aug. 22. The links between hurricanes and climate change are becoming more apparent. A warming planet can expect to see stronger hurricanes over time, and a higher incidence of the most powerful storms. But the overall number of storms could drop, because factors like stronger wind shear could keep weaker storms from forming. Hurricanes are also becoming wetter because of more water vapor in the warmer atmosphere; scientists have suggested storms like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 produced far more rain than it would have without the human effects on climate. Rising sea levels are also contributing to higher storm surge — the most destructive element of tropical cyclones. A major United Nations climate report released in August warned that nations have delayed curbing their fossil-fuel emissions for so long that they can no longer stop global warming from intensifying over the next 30 years, leading to more frequent life-threatening heat waves and severe droughts. Tropical cyclones have likely become more intense over the past 40 years, the report said, a shift that cannot be explained by natural variability alone. Ana became the first named storm of the season on May 22, making this the seventh year in a row that a named storm developed in the Atlantic before the official start of hurricane season on June 1. In May, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that there would be 13 to 20 named storms this year, six to 10 of which would be hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher in the Atlantic. In early August, in a midseason update to the forecast, scientists continued to warn that this year’s hurricane season would be an above average one, suggesting a busy end to the season. NOAA updated its forecast on Aug. 4, predicting 15 to 21 named storms, including seven to 10 hurricanes, by the end of the season on Nov. 30. Peter is the 16th named storm of 2021. Last year, there were 30 named storms, including six major hurricanes, forcing meteorologists to exhaust the alphabet for the second time and use Greek letters. It was the highest number of storms on record, surpassing the 28 from 2005, and included the second-highest number of hurricanes on record.

Tropical storm Peter forms in the Atlantic Ocean

“I think I’ve come to believe that even if the COVID death toll was '10 times' what it currently is,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes wrote a few days ago on Twitter, “the politics of all of it wouldn’t be appreciably different.”

I like this question because I’m interested in COVID-19 counterfactuals — whether ideology and identity and in-group loyalty determined everything about the pandemic response, or whether there’s a world where Donald Trump went all-in for strict disease-fighting measures and liberals turned anti-lockdown in response, or one where Trump won reelection and hesitation over the “Trump vaccine” ended up stronger on the left.

But those are strictly political counterfactuals, whereas Hayes raises a more medical one: How much of our polarized response to COVID-19 is independent of the nature of the disease itself?

Here’s a quick case that he’s right. At the pandemic’s outset, skeptics of a sweeping response argued that public health authorities were overestimating the disease’s dangers, and many conservatives were eager to believe them. The Hoover Institution’s Richard Epstein famously predicted COVID-19 would claim only 5,000 lives in the United States. Stanford University epidemiologist John Ioannidis speculated that 10,000 deaths could be a reasonable expectation — which absent media hysteria would feel no different from a bad flu year. Over subsequent months skeptics talked about a “casedemic” in which testing would find more cases but deaths would remain relatively low, and in June 2020 Mike Pence famously downplayed predictions of a second wave.

Today it’s clear that the public health authorities got all kinds of things wrong, and many bad decisions — especially about closing schools — were made in an atmosphere of panic. Still, on the fundamental question of how bad the disease would be, the authorities were more right than their more optimistic critics. Even with rapidly developed vaccines, we’ve had 670,000 reported coronavirus deaths and counting. This is less death, yes, than some of the absolute worst-case projections. But it’s still more than '50 times' more death than the early predictions from people who thought authorities were panicking too quickly.

In that sense we’ve already run a version of Hayes' counterfactual. COVID-19 has been deadlier than many people on the right hoped or predicted, and yet the partisan divide that took shape last spring hasn’t really budged, with Republicans still taking the libertarian side in debate after debate — closures, masks, now vaccine mandates.

But I’m still not sure Hayes is right about the COVID-19 10-times-worse scenario being basically identical to this one in its divisions. As bad as the coronavirus has been, most people who get it still come out OK, children are especially unlikely to be hospitalized or die, and deaths are concentrated in a population, the elderly in nursing homes, that (to our shame) we already keep somewhat out of mind.

Yes, long-haul COVID-19 is a real problem, but America is good at ignoring its chronic illness epidemics. Yes, there does seem to be a notable tendency for right-wing talk radio hosts to die of the disease — but in the big picture of celebrities, the most famous deaths are more obscure than seemed likely when Tom Hanks or for that matter Trump himself fell ill.

And as terrible as it is that 1 in 500 Americans have died of COVID-19, it’s still much easier to have gone through the pandemic 'without' having a close friend or family member die of it — as I have not, for instance — than it would be were the toll 1 in 50.

Before the pandemic, I once built a column around psychiatrist-blogger Scott Alexander’s concept of “the scissor,” which describes a controversy or idea or event perfectly calibrated to divide people while making them think that the other side is bonkers. Arguably COVID-19's death rate makes it a perfect scissor: It’s high enough to make the alarmed feel vindicated, but still low enough that many skeptics feel vindicated as well.

Whereas if the fatality figures were 10 times lower, I suspect there would be much more internal liberal debate over the wisdom of the sweeping early response. And if they were 10 times higher, I think there might have been more red-state support for public health restrictions of all kinds.

But that doesn’t mean that the country would have been more unified in a “COVID 10-times-worse” world. Instead, there would be more regional fractures, more governors trying to close borders and restrict travel, more vicious interstate fighting over medical resources, more frenzied culture wars over which drugs to try experimentally, more total panic and meltdown around schools.

And since the one thing we don’t seem to be doing yet is preparing for the next pandemic, my fear is that within the next 20 years we’ll encounter an invisible enemy that puts the Hayes counterfactual to a test.

“I think I’ve come to believe that even if the COVID death toll was '10 times' what it currently is,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes wrote a few days ago on Twitter, “the politics of all of it wouldn’t be appreciably different.

“I think I’ve come to believe that even if the COVID death toll was '10 times' what it currently is,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes wrote a few days ago on Twitter, “the politics of all of it wouldn’t be appreciably different.” I like this question because I’m interested in COVID-19 counterfactuals — whether ideology and identity and in-group loyalty determined everything about the pandemic response, or whether there’s a world where Donald Trump went all-in for strict disease-fighting measures and liberals turned anti-lockdown in response, or one where Trump won reelection and hesitation over the “Trump vaccine” ended up stronger on the left. But those are strictly political counterfactuals, whereas Hayes raises a more medical one: How much of our polarized response to COVID-19 is independent of the nature of the disease itself? Here’s a quick case that he’s right. At the pandemic’s outset, skeptics of a sweeping response argued that public health authorities were overestimating the disease’s dangers, and many conservatives were eager to believe them. The Hoover Institution’s Richard Epstein famously predicted COVID-19 would claim only 5,000 lives in the United States. Stanford University epidemiologist John Ioannidis speculated that 10,000 deaths could be a reasonable expectation — which absent media hysteria would feel no different from a bad flu year. Over subsequent months skeptics talked about a “casedemic” in which testing would find more cases but deaths would remain relatively low, and in June 2020 Mike Pence famously downplayed predictions of a second wave. Today it’s clear that the public health authorities got all kinds of things wrong, and many bad decisions — especially about closing schools — were made in an atmosphere of panic. Still, on the fundamental question of how bad the disease would be, the authorities were more right than their more optimistic critics. Even with rapidly developed vaccines, we’ve had 670,000 reported coronavirus deaths and counting. This is less death, yes, than some of the absolute worst-case projections. But it’s still more than '50 times' more death than the early predictions from people who thought authorities were panicking too quickly. In that sense we’ve already run a version of Hayes' counterfactual. COVID-19 has been deadlier than many people on the right hoped or predicted, and yet the partisan divide that took shape last spring hasn’t really budged, with Republicans still taking the libertarian side in debate after debate — closures, masks, now vaccine mandates. But I’m still not sure Hayes is right about the COVID-19 10-times-worse scenario being basically identical to this one in its divisions. As bad as the coronavirus has been, most people who get it still come out OK, children are especially unlikely to be hospitalized or die, and deaths are concentrated in a population, the elderly in nursing homes, that (to our shame) we already keep somewhat out of mind. Yes, long-haul COVID-19 is a real problem, but America is good at ignoring its chronic illness epidemics. Yes, there does seem to be a notable tendency for right-wing talk radio hosts to die of the disease — but in the big picture of celebrities, the most famous deaths are more obscure than seemed likely when Tom Hanks or for that matter Trump himself fell ill. And as terrible as it is that 1 in 500 Americans have died of COVID-19, it’s still much easier to have gone through the pandemic 'without' having a close friend or family member die of it — as I have not, for instance — than it would be were the toll 1 in 50. Before the pandemic, I once built a column around psychiatrist-blogger Scott Alexander’s concept of “the scissor,” which describes a controversy or idea or event perfectly calibrated to divide people while making them think that the other side is bonkers. Arguably COVID-19's death rate makes it a perfect scissor: It’s high enough to make the alarmed feel vindicated, but still low enough that many skeptics feel vindicated as well. Whereas if the fatality figures were 10 times lower, I suspect there would be much more internal liberal debate over the wisdom of the sweeping early response. And if they were 10 times higher, I think there might have been more red-state support for public health restrictions of all kinds. But that doesn’t mean that the country would have been more unified in a “COVID 10-times-worse” world. Instead, there would be more regional fractures, more governors trying to close borders and restrict travel, more vicious interstate fighting over medical resources, more frenzied culture wars over which drugs to try experimentally, more total panic and meltdown around schools. And since the one thing we don’t seem to be doing yet is preparing for the next pandemic, my fear is that within the next 20 years we’ll encounter an invisible enemy that puts the Hayes counterfactual to a test.

What if COVID-19 were 10 times deadlier?

Thousands of migrants, mainly fleeing Haiti, are currently being held under a bridge at Del Rio near the US-Mexico border as immigration facilities in the area have reached capacity.

US immigration: Thousands gather under a bridge at US-Mexico border

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden during his visit to the United States. He will also participate in the first in-person QUAD leaders' summit in Washington on Sept 24th. On September 25, he will address the UN general debate of the UN General Assembly at its 76th session.

WION-USA Direct: Indian PM Modi to hold bilateral meeting with President Biden in Washington

It has been 12 months since the historic Abraham Accords were signed at the White House. A year later, Ghadi Francis takes a look at what the normalisation deals have achieved in the region.

The West Asia Post: The Abraham accords, a year later

Gravitas will be taking you to the United States for the upcoming Modi-Biden bilateral & the first-ever in-person QUAD summit. From Monday onwards, join Palki Sharma every evening at 9 PM IST & 3:30 PM GMT for live broadcasts from Washington DC & New York.

Next Week: Gravitas Live from the United States

Aukus has created a full-fledged international dispute. An outraged France has called off an event in Washington DC. Paris is keen to recoup billions of dollars it lost after Australia broke a submarine contract. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Aukus has created a new problem for the United States

The John Deere tractor pulled onto Broadway and rumbled into the madness.

On a Friday night in the heart of Nashville, as crowds and music spilled from packed clubs, it lumbered along at 5 mph, tugging a canopied trailer with flashing lights and a group of friends from Denver sipping drinks and dancing to Shania Twain.

It wasn’t especially conspicuous. The Big Green Tractor, as it’s called, passed an open-air school bus crammed with partyers, and then another, and another. It also crept beside a vehicle with women leaning over a railing in tank tops printed with the slogan “Let’s Get Nashty!”

The tractor hadn’t even made it a mile.

“It’s the Wild West out here,” Ronee Heatherly said from her perch behind the bar of the Big Green Tractor, where she served variously as safety monitor, bartender, DJ, photographer, tour guide and taunter of ride-share drivers blocking the tractor’s path. (She blasted the Ludacris song “Move” as she stared them down.)

As Nashville has cemented its reputation as a destination for getaways and bachelorette trips, party vehicles have proliferated, promising a rollicking good time and quite a stage to see and be seen while exploring the city. But there’s a growing sense — among residents, local officials, even some in the so-called transportainment industry — that it has all gotten out of hand.

“We made the monster, and now we can’t control the monster,” said Steve Haruch, a journalist and the editor of the book “Greetings From New Nashville.” “It’s the plot of every monster movie.”

The menagerie on Nashville streets includes — but is by no means limited to — a truck with a hot tub, a bus packed with electric massage chairs, a Ford pickup retrofitted into a “party barge” with waves painted on the side and “Ship Faced” stamped on the tailgate, retired military vehicles, a purple bus with drag performers, an old school bus named Bev adorned with antlers, and yet another old bus, with antlers, named Bertha.

City officials estimate as many as 40 companies operate vehicles on weekends. About 20 were launched in the past six months alone.

The expanding multitude of vehicles has stirred concerns about safety, noise and traffic, given the parade of fuming drivers often trailing them. But the consternation also reflects something deeper: To critics, the vehicles are a rowdy side effect of Nashville’s soaring popularity in recent years that threatens to dilute the soul that made the city so alluring to begin with.

“That is my fear, that we are losing our sense of who we are, what built our success,” said Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., describing a version of Nashville — for generations known as the capital of country music — with an easygoing vibe and access to exceptional live music any day of the year that now must coexist with something much more decadent.

“You can have a fun, entertaining, unique experience here,” he said. “There’s nothing unique about downing 12 White Claws at 3 in the afternoon in 95-degree heat.”

Scrutiny of the transportainment industry sharpened this summer after a 22-year-old man fell off a party bus that then ran over his legs, an episode that underscored the virtual absence of safety regulations for the vehicles. A petition circulated blaming the vehicles for “causing a bigger hangover than they’re worth.” Nashville’s Metropolitan Council is now considering a proposal to rein in the industry, barring alcohol, requiring training, permits and inspections, and delineating limited areas where vehicles are authorized to operate.

Still, the vehicles have multiplied for a reason. The demand is there. They have been hired for children’s birthdays and retirement parties; a church once rented one to hand out Bibles. But transportainment is mostly associated with a revelrous side of the city that earned the nickname NashVegas, as it draws visitors for trips that — depending on how things go — could wind up being unforgettable or entirely forgotten.

Some in the industry contend that unruly outliers overshadow responsible businesses with passengers safely enjoying themselves at no one else’s expense.

Hell on Wheels, a company that deploys converted military cargo trucks, has strict rules: No music with explicit lyrics. No inflatable penises, an item that is popular with bachelorette parties. The last ride is done by 10:30 p.m.

“It’s not always about being loud and ridiculous on Broadway,” said Nicholas Lyon, an owner of the company, which is named after an armored tank division of the U.S. Army.

That said, he added, Nashville will always be a lively place, and the riders on party vehicles have been an ingredient in the city’s success. “Those ‘woo’ girls are literally the heartbeat of our economy,” Lyon said of downtown tourism. “If someone is looking for quiet Mayberry, you move to Brentwood, you move to Franklin.”

(Brentwood and Franklin are Nashville suburbs where, coincidentally, residents called the police last year with complaints about noise and indecent exposure after party vehicles displaced by the city’s temporary coronavirus limits on gathering places ventured farther afield.)

Lyon said he is a reluctant supporter of regulations. He worries that restrictions that are too onerous could choke the life out of businesses like his, which he started three years ago.

Yet he considers the free-for-all nature of the industry just as much of a threat. It is open to pretty much anyone with the desire and access to an old school bus. (Craigslist in Nashville has some listed for as little as $5,800.) There are no safety requirements or insurance mandates specifically related to transportainment, and most of the vehicles are not regulated by the local government, people in the industry and city transportation officials said.

“We need these bad apples out of here,” Lyon said.

After the city’s pandemic restrictions were eased in the spring, party vehicles started populating the streets again, making it possible on a weekday afternoon to see two roofless old buses, a converted pink SUV and a farm tractor and trailer at a single intersection.

The industry is largely concentrated in the Lower Broadway district, the nucleus of the Nashville that tourists come to see — a sort of Tennessee take on Times Square, with bright lights and beloved old haunts crowded alongside big brands and behemoth multistory bars linked to major music stars (Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk &amp; Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse, for example).

On a recent evening, the Big Green Tractor started its jaunt a few blocks from Broadway in the alley behind a liquor store, where riders could stock up.

Once the passengers boarded, Heatherly discussed the rules and issued a warning: Break them, and she would have no problem stopping the tractor, forcing everyone off and riding away.

She pointed to a metal railing around the trailer. “My husband used to say, this is for your safety, not your booty,” she said, moving swiftly to the next edict: “If you puke on this wagon, it will cost you some money.”

“Nobody puke!” one of the riders called out.

It turned out to be a lovely night: A day of rain gave way to a breeze and open skies. The women from Denver swayed and shimmied as Heatherly worked her way through a playlist of country hits and party staples: the Walker Hayes song “Fancy Like,” Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” Big and Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).” She fast-forwarded to get to the good part of the Backstreet Boys song “Everybody.”

The tractor wasn’t on Broadway for long. The densest section of the thoroughfare was limited to pedestrians, sending the vehicle on a slow-moving obstacle course of narrow streets, jaywalkers, idling Ubers, lifted pickups and 90-degree turn after 90-degree turn.

The driver, Cole Canada, seemed to take it in stride.

“It hurts me to see Cole up there driving,” Heatherly said, “because my husband should be up there.” Her husband, Rickie, died in June; they had been married for 42 years. The business had been Rickie Heatherly’s creation, and he was an expert driver, she said, maneuvering the wagon into tight spaces others would not dare attempt.

Cheree Jubin, whose wedding in the fall was the impetus for the trip, stood on the wagon’s wooden bench. “Everyone needs to raise their glass to Rickie!” she said as her friends cheered.

“I’ve really loved it,” Jubin said of the evening. “I didn’t expect it to be as beautiful as it was.”

The tractor had crossed the Cumberland River, stopping at a truck stop for a restroom break. Then, it wove around the stadium where the Tennessee Titans play, headed for the ideal spot for Heatherly to take the group’s photo. The women stood huddled together with the neon from Broadway and the lights from the skyline looming behind them and reflecting off the river.

But the quiet was fleeting. A roofless school bus, with speakers thumping, was already waiting, its riders eager to get the same shot.

The John Deere tractor pulled onto Broadway and rumbled into the madness. On a Friday night in the heart of Nashville, as crowds and music spilled from packed clubs, it lumbered along at 5 mph, tugging a canopied trailer with flashing lights and a group of friends from Denver sipping drinks and dancing to Shania Twain.

The John Deere tractor pulled onto Broadway and rumbled into the madness. On a Friday night in the heart of Nashville, as crowds and music spilled from packed clubs, it lumbered along at 5 mph, tugging a canopied trailer with flashing lights and a group of friends from Denver sipping drinks and dancing to Shania Twain. It wasn’t especially conspicuous. The Big Green Tractor, as it’s called, passed an open-air school bus crammed with partyers, and then another, and another. It also crept beside a vehicle with women leaning over a railing in tank tops printed with the slogan “Let’s Get Nashty!” The tractor hadn’t even made it a mile. “It’s the Wild West out here,” Ronee Heatherly said from her perch behind the bar of the Big Green Tractor, where she served variously as safety monitor, bartender, DJ, photographer, tour guide and taunter of ride-share drivers blocking the tractor’s path. (She blasted the Ludacris song “Move” as she stared them down.) As Nashville has cemented its reputation as a destination for getaways and bachelorette trips, party vehicles have proliferated, promising a rollicking good time and quite a stage to see and be seen while exploring the city. But there’s a growing sense — among residents, local officials, even some in the so-called transportainment industry — that it has all gotten out of hand. “We made the monster, and now we can’t control the monster,” said Steve Haruch, a journalist and the editor of the book “Greetings From New Nashville.” “It’s the plot of every monster movie.” The menagerie on Nashville streets includes — but is by no means limited to — a truck with a hot tub, a bus packed with electric massage chairs, a Ford pickup retrofitted into a “party barge” with waves painted on the side and “Ship Faced” stamped on the tailgate, retired military vehicles, a purple bus with drag performers, an old school bus named Bev adorned with antlers, and yet another old bus, with antlers, named Bertha. City officials estimate as many as 40 companies operate vehicles on weekends. About 20 were launched in the past six months alone. The expanding multitude of vehicles has stirred concerns about safety, noise and traffic, given the parade of fuming drivers often trailing them. But the consternation also reflects something deeper: To critics, the vehicles are a rowdy side effect of Nashville’s soaring popularity in recent years that threatens to dilute the soul that made the city so alluring to begin with. “That is my fear, that we are losing our sense of who we are, what built our success,” said Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., describing a version of Nashville — for generations known as the capital of country music — with an easygoing vibe and access to exceptional live music any day of the year that now must coexist with something much more decadent. “You can have a fun, entertaining, unique experience here,” he said. “There’s nothing unique about downing 12 White Claws at 3 in the afternoon in 95-degree heat.” Scrutiny of the transportainment industry sharpened this summer after a 22-year-old man fell off a party bus that then ran over his legs, an episode that underscored the virtual absence of safety regulations for the vehicles. A petition circulated blaming the vehicles for “causing a bigger hangover than they’re worth.” Nashville’s Metropolitan Council is now considering a proposal to rein in the industry, barring alcohol, requiring training, permits and inspections, and delineating limited areas where vehicles are authorized to operate. Still, the vehicles have multiplied for a reason. The demand is there. They have been hired for children’s birthdays and retirement parties; a church once rented one to hand out Bibles. But transportainment is mostly associated with a revelrous side of the city that earned the nickname NashVegas, as it draws visitors for trips that — depending on how things go — could wind up being unforgettable or entirely forgotten. Some in the industry contend that unruly outliers overshadow responsible businesses with passengers safely enjoying themselves at no one else’s expense. Hell on Wheels, a company that deploys converted military cargo trucks, has strict rules: No music with explicit lyrics. No inflatable penises, an item that is popular with bachelorette parties. The last ride is done by 10:30 p.m. “It’s not always about being loud and ridiculous on Broadway,” said Nicholas Lyon, an owner of the company, which is named after an armored tank division of the U.S. Army. That said, he added, Nashville will always be a lively place, and the riders on party vehicles have been an ingredient in the city’s success. “Those ‘woo’ girls are literally the heartbeat of our economy,” Lyon said of downtown tourism. “If someone is looking for quiet Mayberry, you move to Brentwood, you move to Franklin.” (Brentwood and Franklin are Nashville suburbs where, coincidentally, residents called the police last year with complaints about noise and indecent exposure after party vehicles displaced by the city’s temporary coronavirus limits on gathering places ventured farther afield.) Lyon said he is a reluctant supporter of regulations. He worries that restrictions that are too onerous could choke the life out of businesses like his, which he started three years ago. Yet he considers the free-for-all nature of the industry just as much of a threat. It is open to pretty much anyone with the desire and access to an old school bus. (Craigslist in Nashville has some listed for as little as $5,800.) There are no safety requirements or insurance mandates specifically related to transportainment, and most of the vehicles are not regulated by the local government, people in the industry and city transportation officials said. “We need these bad apples out of here,” Lyon said. After the city’s pandemic restrictions were eased in the spring, party vehicles started populating the streets again, making it possible on a weekday afternoon to see two roofless old buses, a converted pink SUV and a farm tractor and trailer at a single intersection. The industry is largely concentrated in the Lower Broadway district, the nucleus of the Nashville that tourists come to see — a sort of Tennessee take on Times Square, with bright lights and beloved old haunts crowded alongside big brands and behemoth multistory bars linked to major music stars (Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse, for example). On a recent evening, the Big Green Tractor started its jaunt a few blocks from Broadway in the alley behind a liquor store, where riders could stock up. Once the passengers boarded, Heatherly discussed the rules and issued a warning: Break them, and she would have no problem stopping the tractor, forcing everyone off and riding away. She pointed to a metal railing around the trailer. “My husband used to say, this is for your safety, not your booty,” she said, moving swiftly to the next edict: “If you puke on this wagon, it will cost you some money.” “Nobody puke!” one of the riders called out. It turned out to be a lovely night: A day of rain gave way to a breeze and open skies. The women from Denver swayed and shimmied as Heatherly worked her way through a playlist of country hits and party staples: the Walker Hayes song “Fancy Like,” Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” Big and Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).” She fast-forwarded to get to the good part of the Backstreet Boys song “Everybody.” The tractor wasn’t on Broadway for long. The densest section of the thoroughfare was limited to pedestrians, sending the vehicle on a slow-moving obstacle course of narrow streets, jaywalkers, idling Ubers, lifted pickups and 90-degree turn after 90-degree turn. The driver, Cole Canada, seemed to take it in stride. “It hurts me to see Cole up there driving,” Heatherly said, “because my husband should be up there.” Her husband, Rickie, died in June; they had been married for 42 years. The business had been Rickie Heatherly’s creation, and he was an expert driver, she said, maneuvering the wagon into tight spaces others would not dare attempt. Cheree Jubin, whose wedding in the fall was the impetus for the trip, stood on the wagon’s wooden bench. “Everyone needs to raise their glass to Rickie!” she said as her friends cheered. “I’ve really loved it,” Jubin said of the evening. “I didn’t expect it to be as beautiful as it was.” The tractor had crossed the Cumberland River, stopping at a truck stop for a restroom break. Then, it wove around the stadium where the Tennessee Titans play, headed for the ideal spot for Heatherly to take the group’s photo. The women stood huddled together with the neon from Broadway and the lights from the skyline looming behind them and reflecting off the river. But the quiet was fleeting. A roofless school bus, with speakers thumping, was already waiting, its riders eager to get the same shot.

In the heart of Nashville, rolling parties rage at every stoplight

NATO military chief on Saturday played down the dispute between France and the US over the latter handing over a nuclear submarine contract, saying that the tensions between the two nations won’t have an impact on "military cooperation"&nbsp;within the group.

"There might be implications or consequences as a result of this agreement but I don't foresee for the moment it will have an impact on the cohesion within NATO,” Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, told reporters in Athens.

“First of all, as far as I know, Australia is a partner but it's not part of the NATO organisation. There are many agreements among nations that might have an affect on NATO on the political side.&nbsp;

"But for now, it will not have an affect as far as I can see on the military cooperation within NATO," Bauer added following NATO military chiefs of defence conference.

Watch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-what-does-aukus-mean-for-india-413632/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

On Thursday, France accused Australia of “backstabbing” and Washington of “Donald Trump-era behaviour” after Canberra scrapped a huge submarines deal with Paris and went for nuclear subs from the US.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-kept-india-in-loop-regarding-aukus-at-the-highest-level-413782">Australia kept India in loop regarding Aukus at the highest-level</a>

France's Naval Group, partly owned by the state, had been chosen to build 12 conventionally-powered submarines for Australia, based on France’s Barracuda nuclear-powered subs in development.

However on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden announced a new Australia-US-Britain defence alliance (AUKUS), extending US nuclear submarine technology to Australia as well as cyber defence, applied artificial intelligence and undersea capabilities.

The pact, widely seen as aimed at countering the rise of China, infuriated France, which lost its contract to supply conventional submarines to Australia that was worth Aus$50 billion ($36.5 billion) when signed in 2016.

As a result, French President Emmanuel Macron recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia on Friday.&nbsp;

A White House official expressed "regret" over the French envoy's recall but added "we will continue to be engaged in the coming days to resolve our differences, as we have done at other points over the course of our long alliance".

(With inputs from agencies)

NATO military chief on Saturday played down the dispute between France and the US over the latter handing over a nuclear submarine contract, saying that the tensions between the two nations won’t have an impact on "military cooperation" within the group.

NATO military chief on Saturday played down the dispute between France and the US over the latter handing over a nuclear submarine contract, saying that the tensions between the two nations won’t have an impact on "military cooperation" within the group. "There might be implications or consequences as a result of this agreement but I don't foresee for the moment it will have an impact on the cohesion within NATO,” Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, told reporters in Athens. “First of all, as far as I know, Australia is a partner but it's not part of the NATO organisation. There are many agreements among nations that might have an affect on NATO on the political side. "But for now, it will not have an affect as far as I can see on the military cooperation within NATO," Bauer added following NATO military chiefs of defence conference. Watch On Thursday, France accused Australia of “backstabbing” and Washington of “Donald Trump-era behaviour” after Canberra scrapped a huge submarines deal with Paris and went for nuclear subs from the US. Also read | Australia kept India in loop regarding Aukus at the highest-level France's Naval Group, partly owned by the state, had been chosen to build 12 conventionally-powered submarines for Australia, based on France’s Barracuda nuclear-powered subs in development. However on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden announced a new Australia-US-Britain defence alliance (AUKUS), extending US nuclear submarine technology to Australia as well as cyber defence, applied artificial intelligence and undersea capabilities. The pact, widely seen as aimed at countering the rise of China, infuriated France, which lost its contract to supply conventional submarines to Australia that was worth Aus$50 billion ($36.5 billion) when signed in 2016. As a result, French President Emmanuel Macron recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia on Friday. A White House official expressed "regret" over the French envoy's recall but added "we will continue to be engaged in the coming days to resolve our differences, as we have done at other points over the course of our long alliance". (With inputs from agencies)

AUKUS row won’t impact military cooperation: NATO military chief

A top US general has admitted that the country made a mistake when it launched a drone strike against suspected ISIS terrorists in Kabul. The strike killed 10 civilians including children.

Top US general admits mistake when launching drone strike against ISIS terrorists

An extremely&nbsp;rare&nbsp;original&nbsp;copy&nbsp;of the American&nbsp;constitution, signed in 1787 in Philadelphia, will soon be auctioned with an estimated value of between $15 million and $20&nbsp;million,&nbsp;Sotheby's&nbsp;announced Friday.

It is one of only 11 known surviving copies and will be sold in New York in November, the&nbsp;auction&nbsp;house said.

Sotheby's&nbsp;is exhibiting until Sunday a private collection of American constitutional documents dating from the revolutionary period, 1776 to 1789.

Included is the&nbsp;constitution, signed on September 17, 1787 at Philadelphia's Independence Hall by America's founding fathers, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison and ratified the following year.

"It's incredibly&nbsp;rare," said Selby Kiffer, a manuscripts and ancient books expert at&nbsp;Sotheby's, noting that it was probably printed on the eve of the signing.

"This was probably printed in an edition of 500 copies. Now only eleven are known to survive and this is the only one in private hands," he said.

Kiffer doesn't worry if the famous document, with those immortal opening words "We the People", goes abroad, even though he thinks it will stay in the United States.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/aukus-angry-france-cancels-gala-event-in-washington-413759">Also read |&nbsp;Aukus: Angry France cancels gala event in Washington</a>

"It's the longest-serving charter&nbsp;of government in the world. I think it's already been a model for other constitutions around the world," he explained.

"But I think when it comes down to it, no one values American history more highly than Americans and I would be surprised that the new owner was not an American," Kiffer added.

The document is in excellent condition and currently belongs to American collector Dorothy Tapper Goldman.

Sotheby's&nbsp;is exhibiting the collection of American constitutional history at a time of tense and polarised political atmosphere in the US.

On Saturday, supporters of former president Donald Trump are due to demonstrate in support of rioters arrested for storming the US Capitol on January 6.

"I think it's very interesting the&nbsp;constitution&nbsp;is always in debate but I think under the current political climate it's as much discussed now as it was when it was being debated for ratification," said Kiffer.

An extremely rare original copy of the American constitution, signed in 1787 in Philadelphia, will soon be auctioned with an estimated value of between $15 million and $20 million, Sotheby's announced Friday.

An extremely rare original copy of the American constitution, signed in 1787 in Philadelphia, will soon be auctioned with an estimated value of between $15 million and $20 million, Sotheby's announced Friday. It is one of only 11 known surviving copies and will be sold in New York in November, the auction house said. Sotheby's is exhibiting until Sunday a private collection of American constitutional documents dating from the revolutionary period, 1776 to 1789. Included is the constitution, signed on September 17, 1787 at Philadelphia's Independence Hall by America's founding fathers, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison and ratified the following year. "It's incredibly rare," said Selby Kiffer, a manuscripts and ancient books expert at Sotheby's, noting that it was probably printed on the eve of the signing. "This was probably printed in an edition of 500 copies. Now only eleven are known to survive and this is the only one in private hands," he said. Kiffer doesn't worry if the famous document, with those immortal opening words "We the People", goes abroad, even though he thinks it will stay in the United States. Also read | Aukus: Angry France cancels gala event in Washington "It's the longest-serving charter of government in the world. I think it's already been a model for other constitutions around the world," he explained. "But I think when it comes down to it, no one values American history more highly than Americans and I would be surprised that the new owner was not an American," Kiffer added. The document is in excellent condition and currently belongs to American collector Dorothy Tapper Goldman. Sotheby's is exhibiting the collection of American constitutional history at a time of tense and polarised political atmosphere in the US. On Saturday, supporters of former president Donald Trump are due to demonstrate in support of rioters arrested for storming the US Capitol on January 6. "I think it's very interesting the constitution is always in debate but I think under the current political climate it's as much discussed now as it was when it was being debated for ratification," said Kiffer.

Rare US constitution copy tipped for $20 million sale at auction

Thousands of Haitian migrants have assembled under and around a bridge in a small Texas border town, presenting the Biden administration with a fresh and immediate challenge as it tries to manage large numbers of asylum-seekers who have been reaching U.S. soil.

More than 10,000 undocumented migrants reach US from Haiti

The United States and European Union on Friday made a joint&nbsp;pledge to cut global methane emissions by almost a third in the next decade. The climate experts have hailed this as one of the most significant steps yet towards fulfilling the Paris climate agreement.

This comes after the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, warned of a “high risk of failure” at the vital UN climate talks, Cop26, set for Glasgow this November.

As per the plan between US and the EU, a target has been set of cutting at least 30 per cent from global methane emissions, based on 2020 levels, by 2030.&nbsp;

If adopted around the world, this would reduce global heating by 0.2C by the 2040s, compared with likely temperature rises by then. The world is now about 1.2C hotter than in pre-industrial times.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-tourists-talk-to-tom-cruise-from-orbit-413892">Also read |&nbsp;SpaceX tourists talk to Tom Cruise from orbit</a>

Boris Johnson said the UK would be one of the first to join the US-EU methane pledge when it opens for more signatories at Cop26.&nbsp;

During a meeting of world leaders from major economies on Friday, he said, “Over the last 30 years the UK has cut emissions of methane by something like 60%. And there are good commercial uses for methane, you can use it to make fabrics, you can use it to make antifreeze. So the world could slash its output of this powerful greenhouse gas tomorrow if we wanted to.”

Also, the UN published a report which has revealed that the current pledges on emissions from national governments would result in an increase of 16 per cent in emissions in 2030 compared with 2010 levels, whereas scientists warn that emissions must fall by 45 per cent in that period to stay within 1.5C.&nbsp;

The OECD published another report showing that climate finance funding from private and public sources that flows from the rich world to developing countries was falling about $20 billion short of a longstanding target of $100 billion a year.

The United States and European Union on Friday made a joint pledge to cut global methane emissions by almost a third in the next decade. The climate experts have hailed this as one of the most significant steps yet towards fulfilling the Paris climate agreement.

The United States and European Union on Friday made a joint pledge to cut global methane emissions by almost a third in the next decade. The climate experts have hailed this as one of the most significant steps yet towards fulfilling the Paris climate agreement. This comes after the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, warned of a “high risk of failure” at the vital UN climate talks, Cop26, set for Glasgow this November. As per the plan between US and the EU, a target has been set of cutting at least 30 per cent from global methane emissions, based on 2020 levels, by 2030. If adopted around the world, this would reduce global heating by 0.2C by the 2040s, compared with likely temperature rises by then. The world is now about 1.2C hotter than in pre-industrial times. Also read | SpaceX tourists talk to Tom Cruise from orbit Boris Johnson said the UK would be one of the first to join the US-EU methane pledge when it opens for more signatories at Cop26. During a meeting of world leaders from major economies on Friday, he said, “Over the last 30 years the UK has cut emissions of methane by something like 60%. And there are good commercial uses for methane, you can use it to make fabrics, you can use it to make antifreeze. So the world could slash its output of this powerful greenhouse gas tomorrow if we wanted to.” Also, the UN published a report which has revealed that the current pledges on emissions from national governments would result in an increase of 16 per cent in emissions in 2030 compared with 2010 levels, whereas scientists warn that emissions must fall by 45 per cent in that period to stay within 1.5C. The OECD published another report showing that climate finance funding from private and public sources that flows from the rich world to developing countries was falling about $20 billion short of a longstanding target of $100 billion a year.

US and EU pledge 30 per cent cut in methane emissions

A few hours after the French government expressed disagreement and anger over the new ‘Aukus’ alliance, the European country has recalled its ambassadors from the US and Australia.

Several nations and world leaders were left shocked and surprised as the US, UK and Australia announced a new alliance in front of the world.

While China fumed over the new alliance’s harsh stance on the Asian country, the European Union (EU) claimed they were unaware of this new friendship.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-china-fumes-over-new-alliance-taiwan-thanks-australia-and-us-for-firm-and-open-support-of-ausuk-413773">As China fumes over new alliance, Taiwan thanks Australia and US for 'firm and open support' of Aukus</a>

However, the biggest setback came for the French government, who claim Australia abandoned its deal with Paris to buy French submarines in favour of US vessels.&nbsp;

On Friday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian&nbsp;confirmed that the decision to recall ambassadors from the US and Australia was taken due to "the exceptional seriousness of the announcements made on September 15 by Australia and the United States".

The announcement came a few hours after France called off a gala at its ambassador's house in Washington which was scheduled for Friday. This event was organsied to celebrate the anniversary of a decisive naval battle in the American Revolution.

France has accused the US and Australia of practicing morally incorrect practices. "It's really a stab in the back," Le Drian said Thursday. "We had established a relationship of trust with Australia, this trust has been betrayed".

Emmanuel Macron-led government had a pending deal with Australia. After the announcement, France lost the contract to supply conventional submarines to Australia that was worth Aus$50 billion (31 billion euros, $36.5 billion) when signed in 2016.

French minister lashed out at US President Joe Biden and compared him to his predecessor, Donald Trump. "This brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision reminds me a lot of what Mr Trump used to do," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Franceinfo radio. "I am angry and bitter. This isn't done between allies."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-aukus-has-created-a-new-problem-for-the-united-states-413866">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-aukus-has-created-a-new-problem-for-the-united-states-413866/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, Australia and US have been trying to make it up to the angered nation.

Australia said that while it understands France’s anger, the country hopes it will continue working closely with Paris.

Australia said Friday it hoped to keep working closely with France but understood its "disappointment" with the scrapping of a major submarine deal.

"I absolutely understand the disappointment. There's no doubt that these are very difficult issues to manage," Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in Washington. "But we will continue to approach constructively and closely with our colleagues in France."

She also added that the Australian government understands the importance of France’s work in the Pacific region. The minister added that she hopes the Australian government can work with the French government "to make sure that they do understand the value that we place on the role that they play and do understand the value we place on the bilateral relationship and the work that we want to continue to do together."

The US too is hoping to sort out the matter with France during the United Nations General Assembly&nbsp;being held in the country next week.

"We hope to continue our discussion on this issue at the senior level in coming days, including at #UNGA next week," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Twitter.

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[1 of 3]: We have been in close contact with our French allies. We understand their position, and we are aware of their plans to recall Ambassador Etienne to Paris for consultations. France is a vital partner &amp; our oldest ally, and we place the highest value on our relationship. <a href="https://t.co/xLci8Y8V6V">pic.twitter.com/xLci8Y8V6V</a>
— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDeptSpox/status/1439027696730845184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"We have been in close contact with our French allies. We understand their position," Price said. "France is a vital partner &amp; our oldest ally, and we place the highest value on our relationship."

A few hours after the French government expressed disagreement and anger over the new ‘Aukus’ alliance, the European country has recalled its ambassadors from the US and Australia.

A few hours after the French government expressed disagreement and anger over the new ‘Aukus’ alliance, the European country has recalled its ambassadors from the US and Australia. Several nations and world leaders were left shocked and surprised as the US, UK and Australia announced a new alliance in front of the world. While China fumed over the new alliance’s harsh stance on the Asian country, the European Union (EU) claimed they were unaware of this new friendship. Also read | As China fumes over new alliance, Taiwan thanks Australia and US for 'firm and open support' of Aukus However, the biggest setback came for the French government, who claim Australia abandoned its deal with Paris to buy French submarines in favour of US vessels. On Friday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed that the decision to recall ambassadors from the US and Australia was taken due to "the exceptional seriousness of the announcements made on September 15 by Australia and the United States". The announcement came a few hours after France called off a gala at its ambassador's house in Washington which was scheduled for Friday. This event was organsied to celebrate the anniversary of a decisive naval battle in the American Revolution. France has accused the US and Australia of practicing morally incorrect practices. "It's really a stab in the back," Le Drian said Thursday. "We had established a relationship of trust with Australia, this trust has been betrayed". Emmanuel Macron-led government had a pending deal with Australia. After the announcement, France lost the contract to supply conventional submarines to Australia that was worth Aus$50 billion (31 billion euros, $36.5 billion) when signed in 2016. French minister lashed out at US President Joe Biden and compared him to his predecessor, Donald Trump. "This brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision reminds me a lot of what Mr Trump used to do," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Franceinfo radio. "I am angry and bitter. This isn't done between allies." WATCH | Meanwhile, Australia and US have been trying to make it up to the angered nation. Australia said that while it understands France’s anger, the country hopes it will continue working closely with Paris. Australia said Friday it hoped to keep working closely with France but understood its "disappointment" with the scrapping of a major submarine deal. "I absolutely understand the disappointment. There's no doubt that these are very difficult issues to manage," Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in Washington. "But we will continue to approach constructively and closely with our colleagues in France." She also added that the Australian government understands the importance of France’s work in the Pacific region. The minister added that she hopes the Australian government can work with the French government "to make sure that they do understand the value that we place on the role that they play and do understand the value we place on the bilateral relationship and the work that we want to continue to do together." The US too is hoping to sort out the matter with France during the United Nations General Assembly being held in the country next week. "We hope to continue our discussion on this issue at the senior level in coming days, including at #UNGA next week," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Twitter. [1 of 3]: We have been in close contact with our French allies. We understand their position, and we are aware of their plans to recall Ambassador Etienne to Paris for consultations. France is a vital partner & our oldest ally, and we place the highest value on our relationship. pic.twitter.com/xLci8Y8V6V — Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) September 18, 2021 × "We have been in close contact with our French allies. We understand their position," Price said. "France is a vital partner & our oldest ally, and we place the highest value on our relationship."

'Just like Trump': France recalls ambassadors from US, Australia over Aukus nuclear submarine deal

Contributing to a growing humanitarian crisis, some 10,000 migrants have gathered under a US-Mexico border bridge over recent days. The bridge connects Del Rio in Texas to Mexico's Ciudad Acuña and the temporary camp there has grown rapidly in recent days.

Contributing to a growing humanitarian crisis, some 10,000 migrants have gathered under a US-Mexico border bridge over recent days. The bridge connects Del Rio in Texas to Mexico's Ciudad Acuña and the temporary camp there has grown rapidly in recent days. The Haitian migrants, who have crossed the Rio Grande, are sleeping under the bridge in squalid conditions. Earlier this year, it was reported that the number of migrants who were detained at the US-Mexico border in July exceeded 200,000 for the first time in 21 years. Also, just last month, the authorities arrested more than 195,000 migrants at the Mexican border, according to government data released. This summer's numbers represent a significant increase from the 51,000 arrested in August 2019. Also read | 'We apologize': US admits Kabul airstrike killed 10 civilians, not ISIS-K militants The migrants are said to be mostly Haitians, with some Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans also present. According to reports by the Washington Post, they appear to be part of a larger wave of Haitians heading north, many of whom arrived in Brazil and other South American nations after the 2010 earthquake. As per Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano, more than 10,500 migrants were under the Del Rio International Bridge as of Thursday evening. In a statement issued by the border patrol, they said that it was increasing staffing in Del Rio to facilitate a "safe, humane and orderly process". "To prevent injuries from heat-related illness, the shaded area underneath Del Rio International Bridge is serving as a temporary staging site while migrants wait to be taken into USBP (US Border Patrol) custody," it added.

Thousands gather under bridge at US-Mexico border amid growing migrant crisis

A top U.S. military commander has conceded as a 'mistake' the drone strike by the American forces in Kabul last month, targeting ISIS-K terrorists days after a suicide bombing at the city airport, that killed 10 civilians, including up to seven children. Watch this report for more details.

US admits strike in Kabul was a mistake

In the year 1787, delegates from 12 of the 13 United States gathered in Philadelphia to try to create something they desperately need, a government that actually works.

The entire process began in York, Pennsylvania.&nbsp;

In 1777 the Continental Congress, meeting in the York County Courthouse after fleeing the British occupation of Philadelphia approves the Articles of Confederation. The article achieves two lasting results - it names the new country “The United States of America,” and it gives York bragging rights as the first capital of the country.

In order to maintain the sovereignty of the individual states, the creators of the Articles of Confederation made the central government too weak to hold things together.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/september-17-in-history-first-space-shuttle-tamils-recognition-and-more-328063">Also read |&nbsp;September 17 in history: First space shuttle, Tamil's recognition and more</a>

Therefore, in 1787 the delegates at what will become known as the Constitutional Convention start the task of revising the Articles of Confederation.&nbsp;

From May to September the delegates worked on the same.&nbsp;

On September 17, the delegates gathered one last time, and voted to present their finished product to the Confederation Congress, and signed the Constitution.

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify the new Constitution.&nbsp;

After a period of 230 years and 27 amendments, the basic framework remains unchanged.

Constitution Day dates back to 1940 when Congress and the President passed a resolution creating “I Am an American Day".&nbsp; 
This was done to recognize new American citizens, to be observed on the third Sunday in May.&nbsp;

Then In 1952, the holiday is renamed “Constitution Day” and the date moved to September 17.&nbsp;

In 2004 Congress changed the name of the holiday to Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.&nbsp;

So the day now honours both the Constitution and those who choose to live under that Constitution.

On the occasion, US President Joe Biden highlighted how American democracy requires our constant care, vigilance, and full participation to determine the course and conscience of our Union.&nbsp;

"As President, I swore an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, and I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that we uphold and strengthen this remarkable system of self-government for future generations ready to put their own shoulders to the wheel", he wrote in a press release.

In the year 1787, delegates from 12 of the 13 United States gathered in Philadelphia to try to create something they desperately need, a government that actually works.

In the year 1787, delegates from 12 of the 13 United States gathered in Philadelphia to try to create something they desperately need, a government that actually works. The entire process began in York, Pennsylvania. In 1777 the Continental Congress, meeting in the York County Courthouse after fleeing the British occupation of Philadelphia approves the Articles of Confederation. The article achieves two lasting results - it names the new country “The United States of America,” and it gives York bragging rights as the first capital of the country. In order to maintain the sovereignty of the individual states, the creators of the Articles of Confederation made the central government too weak to hold things together. Also read | September 17 in history: First space shuttle, Tamil's recognition and more Therefore, in 1787 the delegates at what will become known as the Constitutional Convention start the task of revising the Articles of Confederation. From May to September the delegates worked on the same. On September 17, the delegates gathered one last time, and voted to present their finished product to the Confederation Congress, and signed the Constitution. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify the new Constitution. After a period of 230 years and 27 amendments, the basic framework remains unchanged. Constitution Day dates back to 1940 when Congress and the President passed a resolution creating “I Am an American Day". This was done to recognize new American citizens, to be observed on the third Sunday in May. Then In 1952, the holiday is renamed “Constitution Day” and the date moved to September 17. In 2004 Congress changed the name of the holiday to Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. So the day now honours both the Constitution and those who choose to live under that Constitution. On the occasion, US President Joe Biden highlighted how American democracy requires our constant care, vigilance, and full participation to determine the course and conscience of our Union. "As President, I swore an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, and I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that we uphold and strengthen this remarkable system of self-government for future generations ready to put their own shoulders to the wheel", he wrote in a press release.

September 17 celebrated as US Constitution Day: History and Significance

With the increase in the cases of coronavirus in the United States, religious exemptions grow, but the vaccine hesitancy soars in the faith group. Watch this report in this video.

US : COVID-19 vaccine mandate kicks in , religious exemptions grow

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