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2 KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Sorry is not enough for the Afghan survivors of an errant U.S. drone strike that killed 10 members of their family, including seven children. Emal Ahmadi, whose 3-year-old daughter Malika was killed on Aug. 29, when the U.S. hellfire missile struck his elder brother's car, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the family demands Washington investigate who fired the drone and punish the military personnel responsible for the strike. “That is not enough for us to say sorry,” said Ahmadi. “The U.S.A. should find the person who did this." Ahmadi said the family is also seeking financial compensation for their losses and demanded that several members of the family be relocated to a third country, without specifying which country. The AP and other news organizations in Kabul reported after the strike that the driver of the targeted vehicle, Zemerai Ahmadi, was a longtime employee at an American humanitarian organization and …

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ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Officials are banning alcohol at a Georgia beach for the weekend of the Georgia-Florida football matchup, hoping to discourage big crowds amid a high rate of coronavirus infections. Commissioners in Glynn County voted 6-to-1 to prohibit possession or consumption of booze on the beach at St. Simons Island on Oct. 29 and 30, news outlets reported. The island has become a hotspot for Georgia Bulldog fans on their way to the big game in Gainesville, Florida, each fall, with residents derisively referring to the surfside crowds as “frat beach.” Glynn County Commissioner Cap Fendig, who proposed the alcohol ban that was approved Thursday, says he hopes it will reduce the need for police and other public safety personnel at the beach, and therefore limit their potential exposure to the virus. “We’re drawing the line because our community is not coming up with a Plan B,” Fendig said. “I think it’s the right thing to do.” …

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2 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida reported more than 75,000 cases of COVID-19 over the week, continuing a drop from summer highs when the state battled a fierce surge in infections fueled by the delta variant, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figures released Friday brought the state's daily average for the week to more than 10,800 cases, though there were 11,275 new cases reported on Friday. A month ago, Florida was averaging more than 21,000 cases a day. The daily average for the past week was the lowest since the end of July. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Florida since the start of the pandemic in early 2020 is just shy of 3.5 million cases, according to the CDC. Despite the decline in new cases, Florida marked a somber milestone in the past week, surpassing 50,000 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began. Epidemiologists say the state’s rates of vaccination has outpaced the national …

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia prison officials say they are experiencing a severe staffing crisis and are seeking to increase starting salaries for correctional officers by about 25% in an attempt to recruit and retain officers. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the Department of Corrections says it is facing a shortage of more than 1,600 correctional officers, a situation they say jeopardizes security and safety for inmate, staff and the public. The COVID-19 pandemic, enhanced unemployment benefits, non-competitive salaries and the availability of less-demanding jobs have exacerbated the difficult job of recruiting officers. When the pandemic hit, the number of vacancies rose an average of 56 a month to 1,390 as of this June and 1,621 on Friday. “This is the worst staffing crisis the department has ever seen,” said Lisa Kinney, a spokeswoman for the department. Although the state’s prison population has dropped from about 30,000 inmates to 24,500 over the past two …

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A disaster relief organization founded by actor Sean Penn is boosting Georgia s drive to inoculate people against the coronavirus, though some of its pop-up vaccine clinics have struggled to attract people. CORE has offered COVID shots at hundreds of sites in big and small communities around the state, including schools, farmers' markets and meat plants. But it has had few takers at some locations — a likely reflection, at least in part, of skepticism about vaccines in Georgia. The percentage of people who are fully vaccinated in the state is well below the national average, and that's a big factor in Georgia's nearly three-month surge in COVID infections and hospitalizations. On a recent weekday, one person came in to get inoculated over six hours at an Atlanta church where CORE was offering the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines. State health officials say regardless of how many people show up at each site, the group has been a key partner in their mobile …

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8 ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algeria’s leader declared a three-day period of mourning starting Saturday for former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, whose 20-year-long rule, riddled with corruption, ended in disgrace as he was pushed from power amid huge street protests when he decided to seek a new term. Bouteflika, who had been ailing since a stroke in 2013, died Friday at 84. His public appearances had been rare in the final years of his presidency, and he had not been seen since President Abdelmadjid Tebboune took office in late 2019. Flags are to fly at half-staff during the mourning period, the president’s office said. The honors reflect Bouteflika’s role in Algeria’s brutal seven-year war for independence from France that ended in 1962. Those who fought are considered martyrs today. The former president’s lawyer, Salim Salim Hadjouti, said Bouteflika was being laid to rest in an official ceremony at El Alia cemetery, …

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DEL RIO, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration worked Saturday on plans to send many of the thousands of Haitian immigrants who have gathered in a Texas border city back to their Caribbean homeland, in a swift response to the huge influx of people who suddenly crossed the border from Mexico and congregated under and around a bridge. Details were yet to be finalized but would likely involve five to eight flights per day that would begin Sunday, according to an official with direct knowledge of the plans who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. San Antonio, the nearest major city to Del Rio, where the migrants have gathered, could be among the departure cities. The official said Friday that operational capacity and Haiti's willingness would determine the number of flights, but that “good progress” was being made. Another administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity expected two flights …

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3 TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing a tough battle against his Conservative Party rival, Erin O’Toole, in Canadian elections on Monday. Trudeau called the early election in hopes of winning a majority of seats in Parliament, but has faced criticism for calling a vote during a pandemic in order to cement his hold on power. Here's a guide to Monday's election: _____ WHAT’S AT STAKE? Trudeau and his Liberal Party could lose power to the Conservative Party after six years in office. Trudeau has struggled to justify why he’s holding the election early amid the pandemic, and the opposition has been relentless in accusing him of doing it for his own personal ambition. But Trudeau is betting that Canadians will reward him for navigating the coronavirus crisis better than most countries. Canada has seen far fewer cases and deaths than many other nations, and Trudeau's government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the …

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HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — The property and structure at 417 Jonathan St. in Hagerstown has a long history. The trees used in its construction were cut down in the winter of 1739-40 and 1740-41 near Hagerstown, and were used for another building before being recycled in the 1830s to build the structure. At one point, the plot was owned by Hagerstown founder Jonathan Hager and was passed from his son to a daughter before going into continuous African American ownership by the late 1800s to early 1900s. Fast-forward to the fall of 2018, when a Hagerstown Police Department patrolman crashed his cruiser into the 600-square-foot home. The crash displaced longtime owner and occupant Richard Davis, but also set off a series of events leading to a crowd that included numerous state and local dignitaries forming in front of the property Tuesday. They were there to celebrate the cabin’s restoration and renovation, and the future of Hagerstown’s historically African American Jonathan …

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3 WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — People danced in the streets and watched from their doorsteps as passing parade floats serenaded Wilmington’s majority-Hispanic Hilltop neighborhood last Sunday with the booming tunes of bachata and reggaetón. Many donned capes made of flags from Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Dominican Republic as they weaved through the crowd. On the sidewalks, vendors served up mangoes with chamoy, empanadas and esquites — corn served in a cup with mayo, chili powder and a healthy dash of strong cheese. On one corner, blue wisps of cotton candy lazily floated into the street as a vendor bundled together a sugary heap for a waiting customer. Wilmington’s Hispanic Festival and Parade had returned, after being canceled last year due to COVID-19. Hundreds of people poured onto West 4th Street last Sunday afternoon to celebrate the festival’s 45th anniversary in the city. The event celebrated the accomplishments of the community over the …

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