Halsey performed a hat trick on Monday when her album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power claimed the number one spot on Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart — her third consecutive chart-topper.
Prior to her latest effort, she previously wore the crown after releasing 2020’s Manic and 2017’s Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.
Some 70,500 physical copies of Halsey’s latest effort flew off the shelves, making it the best-selling album of the week and eclipsing Kanye West‘s Donda, which debuted at number two after selling 37,000 copies. However, it should be noted that Ye’s album is only being sold digitally at this time.
Further breaking down the album’s sale numbers, Halsey sold an impressive 25,300 If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power copies on vinyl and 27,200 on CD. Digital sales were comprised of 18,000 units.
It should be noted that the “Graveyard” singer also tops Billboard‘s Vinyl Albums chart this week, thanks to her robust sales numbers.
And while Halsey can boast about having this week’s best-selling album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power did not bow atop the Billboard 200, debuting instead at number two, behind Donda.
Streaming is where Halsey was unable to catch up with Ye. Her studio effort clocked 34.76 million on-demand streams, compared to Donda‘s historical 357.39 million listens.
Ha;sey’s Manic also peaked at number two when it was released last year, and also was bested by a surprise release when Eminemdropped Music to Be Murdered By with zero warning.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Music Group
Kanye West is 10 for 10 now that his latest album, Donda, bowed atop the Billboard200.
Donda, Ye’s 10th studio effort, is the biggest release of 2021 after moving a jaw-dropping 309,000 units in its first week. The previous record holder was Olivia Rodrigo‘s SOUR, with 295,000 units. Ye’s album also was streamed 357.39 million times, the largest number of any album this year, and sold 37,000 physical copies.
With the “Stronger” rapper celebrating his 10th number one, he’s now among an elite class of only seven artists who’ve accomplished the feat, tied with Elvis Presley and Eminem, both of whom have 10 number-one albums. Ahead of him are Barbra Streisand and Bruce Springsteen, with 11, Jay-Z with 14, and The Beatles, who have 19 chart-toppers.
Ye’s current rival, Drake, stands to tie with him should Certified Lover Boy bow atop the chart next week.
Also, Kanye ties with Eminem for having 10 consecutive number-one albums. Only the pair’s debut efforts, The College Dropout and The Slim Shady collection, missed the milestone after both peaked at #2 in 2004 and 1999, respectively.
Donda, which boasts 27 tracks, was released late last month after numerous delays. The album is named after Ye’s late mother, Donda West, who died in 2007.
Hugh and his father in 2003 — Vince Bucci/Getty Images
Hugh Jackman is mourning the loss of his father, Christopher.
Christopher Jackman “peacefully passed away” on Australia’s Father’s Day, which was Sept. 5, the Greatest Showman star wrote on Instagram.
Christopher Jackman was 84 years old, according to reports.
“Whilst there is deep sadness, I am filled with such gratitude and love,” Hugh Jackman wrote. “My Dad was, in a word, extraordinary. He devoted his life to his family, his work and his faith. I pray he is now at peace with God.”
Hugh Jackman is the youngest of five, and his family moved to Australia from England before he was born. He was mostly raised by his father, as his mother returned to England when he was a boy. Although the actor says the arrangement was difficult at times, he once told Good Housekeeping that he “always felt love from both my parents.”
The “Les Misérables” star also told the magazine that his father espoused the importance of responsibility and humility, among other virtues. “When I was 5, my father used to sit me down and explain that from my dollar a week, I should set aside 10% for church, 20% for entertainment, and 10% for savings,” Jackman recalled.
“He is a deeply thoughtful man whose religion is in his deeds way more than anything else. It’s not talked about that much,” Jackman said. “He set a great, great example.”
The actor’s tribute to his father garnered many responses from friends and fans alike, with actor Ryan Reynolds commenting, “I was lucky to have met him.”
Kelsea Ballerini‘s current single, “Half of My Hometown,” a duet with Kenny Chesney, is currently in the Top 30, and quickly climbing the charts. The song was written by Kelsea, along with Jimmy Robbins, Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally and Nicolle Galyon, while they were all on a writing retreat in Florida.
“Kelsea rented a house, and we all flew down there to just hangout for a couple of days and write songs,” Jimmy recalls to CMT. “This was one of those songs that wouldn’t have happened anywhere else. We went to dinner the night before, and somebody just said it. The line came out. Wine was involved in dinner, which was helpful, and with the whole trip, really.”
The next day, while they were relaxing, the song quickly came out.
“We were actually sitting in the pool,” Jimmy says. “Nicolle got video of it; we were sitting in the pool and I’m playing guitar. We wrote the whole song in the pool.”
Once the writers started working on “Half of My Hometown,” it didn’t take long to have a finished product.
“I think probably within an hour the song was written, and then an hour later we had the demo,” Jimmy shares.
“Half of My Hometown” is on Kelsea’s eponymous 2020 album.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the latest entry in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, topped the Labor Day weekend box office — and expectations — posting an estimated $90 million over the four-day weekend.
The film’s three-day total, an estimated $75.5 million, bested the record previously set by 2007’s Halloween, which got off to a $30.6 million start.
Shang-Chi, the first Marvel film to feature an Asian superhero as the protagonist, is also the second-highest-grossing film of the pandemic era, behind Black Widow’s $80.3 million back in July. Unlike Black Widow, however, Shang-Chi was released exclusively in theaters and should have more staying power than the Scarlett Johansson-led film, which simultaneously rolled out on the Disney+ streaming service.
Shang-Chi — starring Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh and Tony Leung — grabbed an estimated $56.2 million overseas, bringing its worldwide total to $146.2 million.
The horror thriller Candyman slipped from first to second place in its sophomore frame, delivering an estimated $10.5 million over the three-day weekend and $13 million through Monday.
Disney/20th Century’s sci-fi comedy Free Guy finished Monday with an estimated $11.2 million, including $8.7 million from Friday-Sunday, bringing ticket sales to $94.3 million in the U.S. and $81.8 million worldwide.
Disney’s Jungle Cruise and Paramount’s PAW Patrol tied in fourth place, each nabbing an estimated $4 million over the three-day weekend and $5.2 million through Monday.
Jungle Cruise crossed the $100 million plateau at the U.S. box office, with its tally currently resting at $106.8 million.
Marvel and 20th Century Studios are owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 649,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 62% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Sep 07, 7:05 am
3rd person dies in Japan after receiving contaminated Moderna vaccine
A third person has died in Japan after receiving a dose from one of three batches of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine that have since been recalled due to contamination, according to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The 49-year-old man died on Aug. 12, one day after getting his second shot of the two-dose vaccine. His only known health issue was an allergy to buckwheat, the Japanese health ministry said in a statement Monday.
Two other men, aged 30 and 38, also died in August within days of getting their second Moderna shot. In all three cases, the men received doses from a batch manufactured in the same production line as another lot from which some unused vials were reported to contain foreign substances at multiple inoculation sites in Japan.
The deaths remain under investigation, and the Japanese health ministry said it has yet to establish any casual relationship with the vaccine.
The contaminated lot and two adjacent batches were suspended from use by the Japanese health ministry last month, pending an investigation. Moderna and its Japanese distribution partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. ultimately recalled the three lots, containing about 1.63 million doses, after an investigation confirmed the foreign matter to be high-grade stainless steel from manufacturing equipment.
The Japanese health ministry said that, based on the companies’ analysis, it is unlikely the stainless steel contaminants pose any additional health risk.
Moderna and Takeda have yet to release statements on the third fatality, but the companies have previously said there is currently no evidence that the other two deaths were caused by the vaccine.
(NEW YORK) — Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba — Twenty years after 9/11, the trial of the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is set to resume once again after a series of delays, including the coronavirus pandemic.
Mohammed will be joined by four co-defendants in pretrial proceedings as a new judge presides over the military commission nearly 20 years after 2,977 people were killed at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The moment is primed to create headlines as the legal process resumes not only days before the 20th anniversary of the attacks, but also less than two weeks after the U.S. military completed its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
It is also fraught with a sense of justice delayed for years, charged battles over whether civilian or military authorities should try the cases and of course, the fight over the infamous Guantanamo Bay complex itself, where a number of those swept up in the war on terror were held indefinitely.
Also at issue is how much the public will learn and when. With concerns about classified information, images and transcripts from the courtroom, while in public view, will be tightly controlled and the proceedings could be halted for national security reasons. After this pretrial phase Sept. 7-17, another pretrial continuation is set for Nov. 1-19.
There could be additional pretrial phases added after that, at the discretion of the judge. After that, the military commission will go through a process that could last two months to select military officers to serve as panel members. The trial itself could begin as soon as next April, although a date is not yet definite. Mohammed and his codefendants face capital charges that could carry the death penalty if convicted.
Approximately 15 reporters received a tour Sunday afternoon of the Expeditionary Legal Complex (ELC) at Camp Justice, where the hearings will take place.
Here’s what we learned about the courtroom and proceedings, and how we got to this point:
A nearly decade-long detention
The defendants in this case were arraigned in 2012, but have yet to truly see their day in court because of a numerous delays in the pretrial process.
One of the key issues to be decided before the trial can begin is what evidence will be admissible. The defendants were held in secret prisons abroad, called CIA black sites, before they were transferred to the Guantanamo facility. There, they were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques, which many human rights organizations and the defense teams argue are tantamount to torture.
Accounts obtained after the prisoners came to Guantanamo are also in question. Defense lawyers contend that their clients were already conditioned to give their interrogators the answers they wanted to hear.
The court itself has also undergone many changes during the duration of the trial. Established by former President George W. Bush in 2001, the Guantanamo military commission was revised via Congressional act in 2006 and later amended through the legislative branch again in 2009. Former President Obama attempted to transfer detainees to the U.S., but was effectively blocked by Congress.
Critics have argued the military court is unconstitutional and unjust because the accused are denied the right to due process and a speedy trial.
The courtroom
There is a sound-proof gallery where 53 reporters and family members of 9/11 victims and survivors of the terrorist attacks can watch the proceedings through sound-proof glass. A blue curtain separates family members of victims or 9/11 survivors from the press, if they wish to pull it closed for privacy. The proceedings can also be observed by members of the public at Fort Meade, Maryland via closed-circuit TV.
If classified material is raised during the trial, the judge or trial judiciary staff, such as a court information security officer, or CISO, could stop the closed-circuit feed — cutting off the presentation before any classified information is revealed publicly. The prosecution could also preemptively invoke national security to disrupt the defense’s argument even before any classified information is actually revealed.
The courtroom — built specifically for the trial of the 9/11 defendants, cost $12 million to construct in 2008 and is basically a renovated warehouse. Despite rhetoric by the Obama and Biden administrations promising to “close GITMO” — that discussion is really only about ending the detainee program, and the Naval Station, which has been under U.S. control through a lease with the Cuban government since 1903 is not in jeopardy of closing.
After visiting the gallery, reporters were taken into the large courtroom — approximately 100 feet by 100 feet — if not a little bigger.
The defendants have not been in the courtroom since early 2020 – just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. In addition to Mohammed, four other defendants charged in the 9/11 terrorist attacks will be in the courtroom: Walid bin Attash, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ammar al-Baluchi (also known as Abd al Aziz Ali) and Mustafa al Hawsawi.
The defendants will sit at five tables alongside their defense teams and interpreters — with Mohammed in the front — and his alleged co-conspirators seated from front-to-back in the order listed on the indictment and above.
Col. Matthew McCall will preside, becoming the fourth judge to sit on the bench during the pretrial proceedings. McCall was initially selected to oversee the trial last year, but withdrawn after prosecutors objected, citing his lack of experience. He was reinstated after completing two years as a military judge, meeting the minimum requirement for the war court.
At the base of each seat for the defendants are chains anchored into the carpet that could potentially be hooked to shackles if the judge determines a defendant must be restrained, although Wendy Kelly — chief of operations at the Office of Military Commissions Guantanamo Bay — did not believe this would be needed. There is also a hospital bed positioned in the back of the courtroom for a defendant in another trial.
A sixth table was built in the courtroom for a prospective sixth 9/11 defendant, although it will likely be unoccupied since the defendant was not indicted.
Timetable and priority on classified information
Protecting classified intelligence is a priority during the hearings. Information about events, location and timing could appear to be innocuous but combine to present a classified narrative. Kelly said the defendants have frequently sought to delay the proceedings by revealing classified information and details that they are privy to themselves.
The military commission is expected to have an open session all day Tuesday and a closed session on Wednesday, when none of the defendants will be permitted in the courtroom as the judge, defense and prosecution have a classified session. On Thursday, the court is expected to have an open session for a half day, and then another closed session on Friday. The pretrial proceedings are set to resume the following Monday and potentially carry on through Sept. 17.
What happens next is largely up to the discretion of the judge. He is expected to hold additional pretrial hearings later this year, but jury selection will not begin until 2022 at the earliest.
No video or audio from the courtroom will be released publicly, although an unofficial courtroom transcript will be posted approximately one day later, depending on the length of the proceedings and any potential security review for classification. There will be a sketch artist, who will be present in the soundproof gallery to draw images of the defendants in the courtroom. Kelly said that steps will be taken in the gallery to observe social distancing — with all attendees required to wear face masks. The judge must still determine whether to socially distance the defendants and their defense teams or ask them to wear masks.
Four out of five of the 9/11 defendants accepted an offer to receive vaccinations against COVID-19, and some personnel on the base have tested positive for the disease.
Approximately 10 remote-controlled video cameras are mounted on the walls and ceilings of the courtroom and Kelly assured ABC News that there are no hidden cameras in the courtroom.
To the far right of the courtroom is a box for the panel members — who serve as a jury and will be comprised of 12 military officers, with four alternates (although six may ultimately be chosen).
The pool of prospective jurors is comprised of hundreds of officers from all branches of the service. They are not expected to be sequestered during the trial, but may be asked by the judge not to read or view media reports on the trial, or the conduct interviews with the media. Kelly predicted it could take up to two months to vet and select prospective jurors.
Along the right side of the courtroom are several tables for the prosecution, which is also comprised of U.S. citizens — some civilian and some military. There is a podium in the middle of the courtroom that has a laptop computer and microphone. The podium swivels 360 degrees, so any speaker may turn to address the panel of military officers serving as the jury, for example.
There will be five 9/11 victim family members or survivors of the terrorist attacks — and each may bring one guest to accompany them in the gallery, as well as VFM (Victim Family Member) escorts. No recordings are allowed — so military security is present to ensure that nobody breaks the rules imposed by the military commission.
The detainees
After viewing the courtroom, journalists were taken outside to view holding cells where the defendants will be detained during any recesses in the proceedings, as well as immediately before the day’s proceedings commence. Reporters were permitted to peer into the cells but were prohibited from fully entering for security reasons.
Kelly said that detainees, who are held at the Joint Task Force miles from the courtroom, will be awoken about 5 a.m. each day, and then taken to the holding cells about 6:30 a.m. There are five cells, numbered ELC14 through ELC18. Inside each is a mounted bed with a foam cushion resting on a mattress. There are no sheets, after several detainees died by suicide years ago.
The cells also have a toilet and a Qibla pointer — an arrow that points toward Islam’s holiest site — the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Monitors provide a closed-circuit feed to the defendants in each cell, if they decide not to remain in the courtroom or are removed for some reason.
There is also a larger holding cell nearby that can accommodate meetings with more members of the defense team. Between the larger holding cell and the five cells is another small building with a shower. There was also a make-shift shower positioned between cells ELC14 and ELC15. This was built on the site in case any of the defendants have to stay overnight at the ELC, and then later a more modern shower facility with additional privacy was added.
A thick black netting is designed to prevent anyone from the outside to see movements within. There was a long corridor leading from the detention cells to the courtroom, which the defendants will have to traverse in order to enter the courtroom.
Another building within the ELC is ready for any evidence introduced or entered into the record at the hearings — complete with digital servers. Nearly all of the evidence is digitally presented, although Kelly said there will also be physical evidence presented from the sites of the terrorist attacks. That physical evidence is possessed by the FBI in a locker across a courtyard in the ELC.
(NEW YORK) — Olympic swimmer Elizabeth Beisel, 29, is on a mission to complete a swim that is not just historic but also very dear to her heart.
Beisel, who is a two-time Olympic medalist, will attempt to swim from Rhode Island to Block Island on Sept. 9 in honor of her late father. The swim is 20km, or 12.4 miles, in the open Atlantic ocean. The distance is 50 times longer than her signature 400m medley event, winning silver in at the 2012 London Olympics.
For Beisel, who grew up in Rhode Island, this is a swim she’s dreamed about since she was a little girl. If she finishes, she will be the first woman in history to do so.
“No woman has ever done it before, which is kind of crazy to me,” she said. “Even when I was little, I was like, that’d be so cool if I was the first girl to do it. So, 20 something years later, here we are, and no woman has done it yet.”
Swimming with a purpose
Block Island holds memories of Beisel’s dad, Ted Beisel, whom she cherishes now more than ever.
“I have so many memories of being [on Block Island] with my dad flying kites, just going around the island,” she said.
Ted Beisel was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in 2020 on Christmas Day. After a brave yet brief battle with the disease, he died in July 2021.
“The one thing that I want to say about him is that he never complained once,” Beisel said. “The man was fighting a deadly cancer … he was positive up until the very last day, and it’s just a testament to who he was as a human being and who I hope to be like one day.”
In February, as a way to cope with her father’s diagnosis, Beisel said she decided to complete the swim. She thought the swim would give her dad something to look forward to while he was fighting cancer, she said, but also had a bigger mission in mind.
Beisel reached out to Swim Across America, a nonprofit organization that hosts charity swims across the country to raise money for cancer research, prevention and treatment. Together they formed Block Cancer – Beisel’s fundraising platform for her Block Island swim.
“He didn’t want the swim to be about him whatsoever. He wanted it to be about everybody who was fighting cancer,” Beisel said. “It gave my dad a lot of joy to kind of see Block Cancer come into fruition and turn into what it is now.”
Beisel started her fundraising goal for cancer research at $5,000. She has now raised over $100,000 for cancer research. Beisel said all of the money will be given to local Rhode Island hospitals, including the hospital where her father fought his battle with cancer.
“The number is so overwhelming,” Beisel said. “As sad as it is, cancer is going to touch all of us in some way at some point. And, you know, for me, to be able to have a platform where I can bring people together … it’s kind of a beautiful thing.”
Training for history
Beisel began training in March for the 20km swim. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, indoor swimming pools are not currently open in the state of Rhode Island. Beisel trained solely on land until June, when the ocean water was warm enough to swim in.
Since June, Beisel has tried to swim 5k to 10k a day and work out at the gym. Her training can take anywhere from two to four hours a day, she said.
“Training is completely different,” Beisel said. “This is a completely different beast like, I am no longer trying to be the fastest swimmer in the world. I’m just trying to go for a very long swim and sustain that pace for a long time.”
Beisel has a team of trainers that have helped map out the swim based on the weather, tides and currents. She will begin the swim at 6:45 a.m. and, if all goes according to plan, she will finish the race in six or seven hours.
When Beisel makes it to shore, she plans to be greeted by friends and family waiting to celebrate.
“The idea of this one was to have my dad waiting for me in Block Island. And me being able to swim ashore and see his big ear-to-ear grin and give him the biggest hug,” Beisel said. “But I’m also going to remind myself that this is for him, and he will be with me the entire way. And that’s going to make it even more special because I will be able to do this because of him, and the strength that he’s going to give me.”
Beisel, who has swam on the world’s biggest stage and won Olympic medals, said this will be the most memorable swim of her career.
“This is hands down by far the most meaningful swim I will ever do in my life. And I don’t say that lightly. Because I’ve been fortunate enough to compete at the highest stage of my sport,” she said. “It will be very emotional, but beautiful at the same time, and hopefully, I can help change somebody else’s life.”
(KABUL, Afghanistan) — With the U.S. military and diplomatic withdrawal now complete after 20 years in Afghanistan, the Taliban has taken over the country, including the Kabul airport, the site of an often-desperate evacuation effort the past two weeks.
But even as the last American troops were flown out to meet President Joe Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline, other Americans who wanted to flee the country were left behind and the Biden administration is now focused on a “diplomatic mission” to help them leave.
When President Joe Biden sat down with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos for an exclusive one-on-one interview at the White House on Aug. 18, he said he was committed to keeping the U.S. military in Afghanistan as long as needed. “If there are American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out,” he said.
Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:
Sep 07, 4:55 am
Around 100 Americans remain in Afghanistan, Blinken says
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Tuesday that “somewhere around 100” Americans remain in Afghanistan.
“We believe the number of those who have American citizenship — many of them dual nationals — who remain in Afghanistan is somewhere around 100,” Blinken said during a press conference in Qatar’s capital. “We’re in direct contact with virtually all of them.”
“For weeks now, we’ve been working very closely with Qatar, with Turkey to see to it that the Kabul airport could get up and running again to civilian air travel as soon as possible,” he continued. “We’re also working to facilitate overland passage for those who wish to depart when it comes to charters.”
Blinken admitted it’s a challenge without personnel on the ground in Afghanistan but one that “we’re determined to work through.”
“Many thousands of U.S. citizens or permanent residents or at-risk Afghans, who successfully evacuated and relocated from Kabul, have left aboard charter flights. Now, others are working to arrange more such flights,” he said. “We are working around-the-clock with NGOs, with members of congress and advocacy groups, providing any and all information and doing all we can to clear any roadblocks that they’ve identified to make sure that charter flights carrying Americans or others to whom we have a special responsibility can depart Afghanistan safely.”
U.S. officials have been engaging with the Taliban on departing flights, according to Blinken.
“They said that they will let people with travel documents freely depart,” he noted. “We will hold them to that, so will dozens of countries. The international community is watching to see if the Taliban will live up to their commitments.”
“It’s my understanding that the Taliban has not denied access to anyone holding a valid document, but they have said that those without valid documents at this point can’t leave,” he added. “Because all of these people are grouped together, that’s meant that flights had not been allowed to go. We’ve been able to identify a small number of Americans who we believe are seeking to depart from Mazar-e-Sharif with their families.”
Sep 06, 3:07 pm
4 US citizens evacuated over land border
The State Department has facilitated the evacuation of four U.S. citizens across one of Afghanistan’s land borders — the first Americans to leave the country with U.S. government help since President Joe Biden ended the massive, chaotic evacuation efforts that closed the country’s longest war.
Four Americans made their way across land with Taliban knowledge, according to a senior State Department official, who told ABC News they evacuated without Taliban interference.
The official declined to say which country they arrived in but added they were in “good condition” and met by U.S. embassy staff from the local embassy.
While the State Department helped these four evacuate, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said Sunday there were approximately 100 U.S. citizens still trying to escape the country, nearly a week after the last U.S. forces departed.
Among those left behind, there are several Americans in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif ready to board charter flights out that are being blocked by the Taliban, according to several sources. The Taliban has not give permission to the airlines, leaving the potential passengers stuck in the city now for days.
A State Department spokesperson told ABC News Sunday that they could not confirm the manifests of these flights because there were no U.S. personnel or assets in Afghanistan anymore, but added, “We will hold the Taliban to its pledge to let people freely depart Afghanistan.”
Sep 06, 4:53 am
Taliban claims victory over Panjshir, last pocket of resistance
The Taliban claimed victory Monday over Afghan opposition forces in Panjshir province, the last pocket of resistance in Afghanistan and the only province that the Taliban had not seized last month.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement saying Panjshir was under full control of Taliban fighters.
“We tried our best to solve the problem through negotiations, and they rejected talks and then we had to send our forces to fight,” Mujahid later told a press conference in Kabul on Monday.
The Taliban posted photos and videos on social media apparently showing fighters standing at the gate of the Panjshir provincial governor’s office and raising the group’s flag in the provincial capital.
A spokesperson for the resistance group, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), took to Twitter to deny that Panjshir had fallen.
“Taliban’s claim of occupying Panjshir is false,” the spokesperson tweeted. “The NRF forces are present in all strategic positions across the valley to continue the fight. We assure the ppl of Afghanistan that the struggle against the Taliban & their partners will continue until justice & freedom prevails.”
Sep 05, 6:31 pm
Some US citizens unable to fly out of Afghanistan due to Taliban interference
The Taliban is blocking efforts to get U.S. citizens out of Afghanistan on flights, according to a non-governmental organization arranging travel for some passengers.
Marina LeGree, the CEO of Ascend, told ABC News that the Taliban has prevented 600 people from leaving Mazar-e-Sharif by charter plane for six days.
The NGO is helping 100 of those passengers, none of whom are American, to try to fly out. LeGree said she is aware of 19 U.S. citizens who are trying to leave but Ascend is not overseeing their departure.
“Ascend, an organization dedicated to empowering young women through athletics, has members trying to leave Afghanistan,” LeGree told ABC News in a statement Sunday. “We call on the Taliban to honor their commitments and allow these charters to depart immediately.”
The affected passengers are either staying at the airport or at nearby hotels, according to LeGree.
The U.S. Department of State did not confirm whether there are Americans on those flights, but said it “will hold the Taliban to its pledge to let people freely depart Afghanistan.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Pittsburgh 6, Detroit 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto 8 NY, Yankees 0
Kansas City, 3, Baltimore 2
Tampa Bay 11, Boston 10
Minnesota 5, Cleveland 2
Houston 11, Seattle 2
Texas 4, LA Angels 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Washington 4, NY Mets 3
Chi Cubs 4, Cincinnati 3
Philadelphia 12, Milwaukee 0
LA Dodgers 5, St. Louis 1
San Francisco 10, Colorado 5
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Phoenix 86, Indiana 81
