Lockdown of New Zealand’s largest city | Us Latest News | US President Joe Biden Slams Nicaragua Election As “Sham”:

Uncategorized

Washington: 

US President Joe Biden on Sunday slammed Nicaraguan presidential elections as a “sham,” as incumbent Daniel Ortega was assured to win after sidelining his challengers.

“What Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, orchestrated today was a pantomime election that was neither free nor fair, and most certainly not democratic,” Biden said in a White House statement on “Nicaragua’s sham elections.”



Ortega’s regime “rigged the outcome well before election day” by imprisoning 39 opposition figures, including seven would-be presidential challengers in recent months and “blocking political parties.”

Biden also hit out at the Nicaraguan leader for having quashed and “bullied” the independent media, the private sector and civil society.

“Long unpopular and now without a democratic mandate, the Ortega and Murillo family now rule Nicaragua as autocrats,” Biden said.

Nicaraguans went to the polls on Sunday under what rights groups called a climate of fear in the impoverished Central American country.



Polling stations closed at 6:00 pm (0000 GMT) after 11 hours of voting under the watchful eye of 30,000 police and soldiers.

Ortega, 75, is expected to take a fourth consecutive five-year term, his fifth overall, with his wife Murillo, 70, by his side.

Biden called on Ortega “to take immediate steps to restore democracy” and for the release of “those unjustly imprisoned.”

The United States “will use all diplomatic and economic tools at our disposal to support the people of Nicaragua and hold accountable the Ortega-Murillo government and those that facilitate its abuses,” the president added.



Lockdown of New Zealand’s largest city to end this month

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The lockdown of New Zealand’s largest city is likely to end later this month, with some coronavirus restrictions eased from Tuesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

Auckland has been in lockdown for almost three months after an outbreak of the delta variant. The outbreak has grown to more than 4,500 cases with about 150 new infections reported each day over the past week.

Ardern said Monday the city’s improving vaccination rate among people age 12 and older meant it could continue cutting back on restrictions.



“Auckland hit 90% first dose and 80% second dose over the weekend, and it’s now a matter of weeks away from 90% double-dose,” Ardern said. “And so while we’re getting those rates higher still, we are easing into our reopening.”

From tomorrow, retail stores and malls in Auckland can reopen, along with libraries, museums and zoos. Outdoor gatherings will be increased from a maximum of 10 people to 25.

Other facilities such as gyms and movie theaters will remain shut, and many Aucklanders will continue working from home.

Ardern had said previously the city would be able to move out of lockdown and into a new traffic-light system — where red, orange and green signify the virus’s spread and the corresponding health risks — once 90% of eligible people were fully vaccinated.



“Auckland has worked so hard to get their vaccination rates high, they deserve to be able to move as soon as they hit those targets regardless of what’s happening in the rest of the country.”

But it was unclear when the border between Auckland and other parts of New Zealand would be reopened, with vaccinations lagging in some parts of the country.

Ardern said she would make an announcement on the border next week. She said Aucklanders would be able to travel for their summer holidays over the Christmas break.

Former Steelers receiver Louis Lipps charged with DUI after Mt. Washington crash

Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Louis Lipps Jr. was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after city police say he crashed a pickup into a parked trailer Saturday night on his street in Mt. Washington.

Police said Lipps, 59, had trouble speaking and standing at the crash scene and declined to take standard field sobriety tests because, he said, he knew he would fail.

A breath test more than an hour later found Lipps had a blood alcohol level of .235%, nearly three times the legal limit to drive of .08%, police said in a criminal complaint.



Lipps’ arrest comes about a week before he is to be inducted into the Steelers’ 2021 Hall of Honor class at Heinz Field on Nov. 14. His inclusion in the class had been announced in July. The Tribune-Review has reached out to the Steelers for comment.

Lipps, a first-round pick in 1984, never appeared in a Super Bowl, but he was one of the NFL’s most dynamic receivers and punt returners with the Steelers from 1984 to 1991. He spent the 1992 season with New Orleans.

Police responded to the crash on Ruth Street shortly before 11 p.m. An officer found Lipps, 59, behind the wheel and his wife, Leah Lipps, in the front passenger seat, the complaint said.

The trailer was legally parked on the street, police said. Its owner was inside his home at the time of the crash they said.

In the criminal complaint, an officer said Lipps’ eyes were bloodshot, watery and glassy. Asked where he was going, police said Lipps, who lives on Ruth Street, said, “I’m going right down the street.”

The officer could smell signs of “an intoxicated beverage” coming from Lipps’ breath as Lipps continued to explain what happened, stuttering and slurring his words, the complaint said.

When the officer asked Lipps to turn off the pickup, Lipps said “It is off.” He turned it off after the officer advised him it was still on, the complaint states.

When the officer asked Lipps to hand over the keys, police said Lipps turned the vehicle back on, and then off again.



Asked again what happened and how he hit the trailer, Lipps said, “I hit the trailer?” the complaint said.

When asked to step out of his vehicle for sobriety tests, police said, Lipps almost fell and officers had to catch him. Because he was swaying and staggering while walking, officers escorted him to the side of his vehicle, the complaint said.

Asked how much he had to drink, police said, Lipps responded, “A lot.” Asked if he would perform the sobriety tests, police said Lipps said, “I’m going to fail, so no.”

After being taken to a zone station where the breath test was performed with Lipps’ consent shortly after midnight, police said, Lipps was taken to the Allegheny County Jail because he was not able to provide a sober party to pick him up.

Lipps’ pickup, which was moderately damaged, was towed from the scene because Leah Lipps also was intoxicated, police said. She was not charged with anything.



No attorney was listed for Louis Lipps in court records.

Lipps was arraigned on two misdemeanor DUI charges Sunday morning and released. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22, according to court records.

Condolences were coming from police, firefighters and medics across the Pittsburgh airport area Sunday in response to the news that a Robinson police officer had died.

Robinson police announced the death of Sgt. Scott “Scotty” Patton on the department’s Facebook page. His age and cause of death were not given.

According to the post, Patton had been a police officer for 11 years and was promoted to sergeant three years ago.



Before he was a police officer, Patton was a paramedic with Robinson Emergency Medical Services.

“We thank you immensely for your dedication and service to the Township of Robinson,” Robinson EMS said on its Facebook page.

Other agencies including the McKees Rocks Volunteer Fire Department, Oakdale Hose Co. and police departments in Ohio, Crescent and Moon townships also expressed their condolences and sympathies.

“The emergency services family has suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of Officer Sgt. Scott Patton with the Robinson Twp. Police Department,” McKees Rocks firefighters said in their post. “Please keep his family, friends and brothers/sisters in uniform in your prayers.”

Oakdale Hose said Patton positively impacted countless lives, including at least one of their own members.

“Today our community lost an excellent responder but an even better man,” their post said.

Ohio Township police said Patton was always willing to help and was a great asset to Robinson.

“Sgt. Patton was a professional, well-liked officer who will be missed by many,” the department’s post said.



Crescent police offered condolences to the officers Patton worked with and all of those whose lives he touched while working as a paramedic and police officer.

“We’ll take it from here,” their post said.

viral video 

No information on services for Patton was immediately available.

A GOP gubernatorial candidate complained about mail-in voting after his daughter’s ballot arrived late. Officials say she applied to vote in the wrong county.

In this Oct. 17, 2018 photo, U.S. Attorney William McSwain speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Philadelphia.
In this Oct. 17, 2018 photo, U.S. Attorney William McSwain speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Rourke



  • Bill McSwain tweeted that his daughter’s mail-in ballot arrived two days after Election Day.
  • Election official Lisa Deeley told McSwain that his daughter registered to vote in the wrong county.
  • Because of US Postal Service funding cuts, election officials urged voters to request ballots early.

Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill McSwain tweeted that the state’s voting system is broken after his daughter’s mail-in ballot arrived after Election Day. A state election official responded that his daughter attempted to register as a voter in the wrong county.

“My daughter ordered a mail-in ballot 3 weeks ago and it arrived yesterday – 2 days AFTER Election Day, what a joke! We need to fix this broken system so that everyone can make their voice heard and every legal vote is counted,” McSwain tweeted.

Lisa Deeley, chair of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, responded that McSwain’s daughter applied to vote on October 17 in a county that did not correspond with her address. The commissioners are in charge of elections and voter registration for the city of Philadelphia, according to the board’s website.

“Your daughter applied to the wrong county on 10/17, it was transferred to us on 10/20 we mailed it to the requested address in West Chester the next day. This issue is the results of the disastrous cuts to the @USPS which underscores the need to accept ballots postmarked by [Election Day],” Deeley tweeted.

As cuts were made to the US Postal Service during the pandemic, Americans began experiencing service disruptions, prompting many to worry about timely delivery of ballots during elections. Officials throughout the country have urged voters to request their ballots as soon as possible, with some states expanding mail-in voting and the amount of time allotted for in-person voting to counteract delivery uncertainty.



Insider has reached out to McSwain and Deeley for comment.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *