Peshawar, Pakistan (DT) — Militants killed six Pakistani soldiers in a shootout, the army said Saturday, the latest unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan where armed groups including the Pakistani Taliban are active.
The troops died in an overnight operation in North Waziristan district on Saturday, according to an army statement. It said six militants also were killed.
The army said a separate operation killed two militants in Swat, also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. One of them was said to be involved in an attack on a convoy of foreign ambassadors in the area earlier this month.
Also Saturday, cellphone services remained suspended in Islamabad as it entered a second day of a lockdown aimed at thwarting rallies in support of ex-leader Imran Khan. He is in prison on multiple charges.
Police officers stand guard next to shipping containers set up by authorities to block a road leading to important government buildings in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Shipping containers blocked off the city’s entry and exit points, but videos from Khan’s PTI party showed supporters piled into vehicles and attempted to head toward Islamabad.
The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, and others in the convoy worked throughout the night to remove shipping containers from the road, according to the party.
The PTI later said that security forces arrested Gandapur for entering Islamabad in defiance of a ban on rallies. Police and officials did not immediately confirm the arrest.
Clashes broke out between Khan supporters and security forces in D-Chowk, which is close to several key government buildings including Parliament and the Supreme Court.
The PTI also said it planned to hold a rally in Lahore.
As well as grappling with political instability arising from confrontations with Khan’s party, Pakistani authorities are struggling to contain violence in southwestern Balochistan province, where a blast killed three security personnel and injured four others on Saturday.
Shipping containers set up by authorities block a road, preventing the supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally to demand his release in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Police official Habib ur Rahman said members of the Frontier Corps were on a routine patrol in Kalat district, around 160 kilometers (44 miles) south of the provincial capital Quetta, when a homemade bomb was remotely detonated.
Bosnia declares state of emergency after at least 21 killed in flooding
Bosnia-Herzegovina (DT) — Flash floods and landslides in central Bosnia-Herzegovina have left at least 16 people dead, with towns and villages cut off and reports in some places of homes being almost submerged.
Some of the worst scenes were in the area around Jablanica, a town on the main route between the cities of Mostar and the capital, Sarajevo, about 70km (40 miles) to the north-east.
A number of other people have been reported missing and a state of emergency has been declared.
Development minister Vojin Mijatovic said the country had witnessed a terrible disaster and appealed for calm.
Officials from the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton said 13 deaths had been confirmed in the area, rather than 16 as earlier reported.
In the town of Fojnica, three other deaths were confirmed.
The area worst hit by flash floods and landslides was around Jablanica. Photo : Reuters
Search and rescue work continues, with ten people still unaccounted for in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.
Rivers burst their banks after an overnight storm and aerial photos showed many towns and villages left inundated.
Roads, bridges and railway tracks were washed away or blocked by debris, while landslides left houses buried in rocks and earth as high as their upper storeys.
Members of the mountain rescue service and civil defence conduct search and rescue operations in the area destroyed by a landslide in Donja Jablanica, October 4, 2024. Photo : AP/Armin Durgut
Rescue services in the towns of Jablanica and Kiseljak said the power was off overnight and mobile phones lost their signal.
The Jablanica fire station said that the town was completely inaccessible because roads and trainlines were closed.
“The police informed us that the railroad is also blocked,” the state rescue service said in a statement. “You can’t get in or out of Jablanica at the moment. Landline phones are working, but mobile phones have no signal.”
President of the Central Election Commission, Irena Hadžiabdić, said on Friday that discussions were underway with local electoral commissions in the hardest-hit areas to postpone forthcoming municipal elections.
Around the Europe
Heavy rains and strong winds were also reported in neighbouring Croatia, where several roads were closed and the capital Zagreb prepared for the swollen Sava River to burst its banks.
It’s a similar picture in Slovenia where heavy rain has caused the Sava, Krka and Kolpa rivers to overflow, flooding several houses in the central village of Kot.
The national meteorological agency ARSAO has warned that more rain is expected and said there is a danger of landslides.
And floods caused were also reported in Montenegro, south of Bosnia, where some villages were cut off and roads and homes flooded.
England (DT) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly defended Britain’s position on the Falkland Islands after Argentina’s government vowed to retake the disputed territory. In a heated diplomatic exchange, Buenos Aires renewed its claim over the islands, sparking tensions between the two nations more than four decades after the Falklands War.
Speaking in Parliament, Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, stating, “The Falkland Islands are British, and their people have the right to self-determination. We will not waver in our duty to protect them.”
The Prime Minister has defended a new agreement with Mauritius regarding the remote Chagos Archipelago, stating that it will secure the “single most important goal” of protecting the long-term future of the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain.
However, critics have raised concerns that the deal could open the door for China to establish a military presence in the Indian Ocean, potentially shifting the strategic balance in the region. Additionally, there are growing worries about the implications for the future of other UK overseas territories, with some suggesting that this agreement may set a risky precedent.
The debate over the agreement has sparked intense political discussion, with supporters focusing on the strategic importance of maintaining US-UK defense operations on Diego Garcia, while opponents warn of potential long-term risks to regional stability.
Office of Her Excellency the Governor, supporting the people of the Falkland Islands post on X on 3 October : Statement to the #Falklands by Her Excellency the Governor regarding the political agreement between the UK and Mauritius;
US President Joe Biden welcomed the “historic” agreement and said it secures the “effective operation of the joint facility on Diego Garcia into the next century”.
Argentina’s foreign minister, Diana Mondino, also welcomed the decision by the UK Government towards ending “outdated practices”
“Mauritius is one of only two countries in Africa that’s not a member of China’s Belt and Road (Initiative). So this notion that we’ve somehow given the Chagos Islands to an ally of China is rubbish, and anyway the negotiations were started by the previous Tory government.”
Chagossians were forced to leave the central Indian Ocean territory by 1973 to make way for the military base.
The expulsions are regarded as one of the most shameful parts of Britain’s modern colonial history and Chagossians have spent decades fighting to return to the islands.
The United Nations’ highest court, the International Court of Justice, previously ruled the UK’s administration of the territory was “unlawful” and must end.
Talks between the UK and Mauritius to reach an agreement began under the previous Conservative government in 2022.
Colombo, Sri Lanka (AP) — India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Friday in the first such visit of a dignitary since a new government took office in the island nation last month, amid questions over how Dissanayake would balance between regional powers China and India. The two men discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties.
Sri Lanka is located on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes in what India considers part of its strategic backyard. China too has exerted influence in the country in recent years by including it in its Belt and Road project.
“Appreciate his warm sentiments and guidance for the India-Sri Lanka relations. Discussed ways to deepen ongoing cooperation and strengthen India-Sri Lanka ties for the benefit of people of two countries and the region,” Jaishankar said in a post on the social media site X.
On October 4, 2024, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar engages in discussions with former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo : DrSJaishankar X account
The support of the two regional rivals is crucial for Sri Lanka to emerge from its worst economic crisis in decades, which led to a political calamity and finally paved the way for Dissanayake’s party to come to power.
Beijing was once widely seen as having an upper hand with its free-flowing loans and infrastructure investments. But Colombo’s economic collapse in 2022 provided an opportunity for India, as New Delhi stepped in with massive financial and material assistance including food, fuel and medicines.
At the same time, China’s support to restructure its infrastructure loans to Sri Lanka is vital for Sri Lanka to emerge from its dire economic crisis.
On Friday, India’s top diplomat also met his counterpart Vijitha Herath and “assured him of India’s continued support to Sri Lanka’s economic rebuilding,” in a separate post on his account on X.
Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry said the main objective of Jaishankar’s visit was to congratulate the new president and the government and also “to demonstrate India’s commitment in moving forward with the strong bilateral partnership.”
Jaishankar has extended an invitation to Dissanayake to visit India at a mutually convenient date, the ministry said in a statement.
Traditionally, Sri Lankan leaders undertake their maiden official trip to India.
China has lent Sri Lanka billions of dollars for development projects, some of which have been criticized as having little practical use. They include the Hambantota port, built with Chinese money in former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s home region, despite the plan having been rejected by an expert panel.
Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar meets with his counterpart, Sh. Vijitha Herath, during his visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka, on October 4, 2024. Photo : DrSJaishankar X account
When the port failed to generate enough revenue to pay back the loan, Sri Lanka in 2017 was forced to hand the facility and thousands of acres of surrounding land to Beijing for 99 years — giving China a key foothold in the country directly opposite India’s coastline.
Both India and China have separately agreed on terms with Sri Lanka for restructuring its debt, which would enable the country to come out from bankruptcy and rebuild the tattered economy.
It declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt — more than half of it to foreign creditors.
China accounts for about 10% of Sri Lanka’s loans, trailing Japan and the Asian Development Bank.
Sri Lanka last year agreed to a $2.9-billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund. Over the past year, Sri Lanka’s severe shortages of essentials like food, fuel and medicine have largely abated, and authorities have restored power supplies.
But public dissatisfaction has grown over the government’s efforts to increase revenues by raising electricity bills and imposing heavy new income taxes on professionals and businesses.
Dissanayake won last month’s election over his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa as Sri Lankans rejected the old political guard whom they blamed for pushing the country into an unprecedented economic crisis.
Wickremesinghe, however, had warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion from the IMF, which is crucial for economic stability. Days before the election Wickremesinghe’s administration also agreed in principle to restructure Sri Lanka’s foreign debt.
Separately on Friday, Dissanayake met the visiting IMF officials.
According to a statement from the president’s office, Dissanayake told the IMF officials that he would agree with the objectives of the IMF program, but at the same time, his government expects to provide relief to the masses. No further details on the meeting were immediately available.
Dantewada, India (DT) — At least 31 suspected Maoist rebels were killed in a battle with Indian troops in central India, police said Saturday.
The fighting erupted on Friday when counterinsurgency troops, acting on intelligence, cornered nearly 50 suspected rebels in the Abhujmaad forest area along the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts in Chhattisgarh state, said state police Inspector General Pattilingam Sundarraj.
Sundarraj said the operation was launched on Thursday, and the battle began the next day, lasting about nine hours. He said search operations were continuing in the area and that the troops had recovered some arms and ammunition, including automatic rifles. There were no reports of casualties among the troops.
There was no immediate statement from the rebels.
Indian soldiers have been battling the Maoist rebels across several central and northern states since 1967, when the militants, also known as Naxalites, began fighting to demand more jobs, land and wealth from natural resources for the country’s poor indigenous communities. The insurgents are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.
Years of neglect have isolated many local villagers, who face a lack of jobs, schools and health care clinics, making them open to overtures by the rebels. The rebels speak the same tribal languages as many local villagers and have promised to fight for a better future especially in Chhattisgarh, one of India’s poorest states despite its vast mineral riches.
Authorities say at least 171 militants have been killed so far this year in Chhattisgarh.
Friday’s fighting was the deadliest clash this year.
In April, government forces killed at least 29 suspected Maoist rebels in in Chhattisgarh, three days ahead of the start of India’s national election.
The rebels have ambushed police, destroyed government offices and abducted officials. They’ve also blown up train tracks, attacked prisons to free their comrades and stolen weapons from police and paramilitary warehouses to arm themselves.
Tehran, Iran (DT) – In a fiery address earlier today, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, described the recent militant attack on Israel as “the least of punishments” the country should expect for its actions in Palestine.
His comments come in the wake of heightened tensions in the region following a large-scale attack on Israeli cities by armed groups linked to Gaza and Hezbollah.
Khamenei was addressing thousands of worshippers at a collective prayer honoring the slain leader of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.
“What our military forces did was the least of the punishments for the Israeli regime’s aggression,” the top political and religious authority of Iran said at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran.
“The action of our armed forces two or three nights ago was a legal act,” Khamenei added, referring to Tuesday night’s attack with 200 missiles against Israel.
“Every blow to the Zionist regime is a service to all humanity.”
The cleric stressed that “every nation has the right to defend its country and territory against an aggressor,” referring to the killings of Nasrallah and an Iranian general in Israeli strikes in Beirut on Saturday, as well as Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader office shows people cheering for the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Iran, 04 October 2024. EFE/EPA/IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
“Hezbollah and its heroic and martyred leader embody Lebanon’s historical virtues and identity,” he said, referring to the Lebanese group that is one of Tehran’s main allies in the region.
Call for Islamic Unity Khamenei also called on the Muslim world to unite against the enemy, “whose policy is divide and conquer.”
“The policy of the Quran is that Muslim nations must be united,” he said, adding that “the enemy of Iran is the enemy of Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Yemen.”
He specifically pointed to the United States as a key source of tension in the Middle East. “The United States seeks to control the region’s resources through the Israeli regime.”
Khamenei reiterated his support for Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, deeming it ”a legal and international measure, a legitimate right of the Palestinians.”
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader office shows, Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (C), Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (L), Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (2-L), and Iranian judiciary chief Mohsen Ejeie (R), attending the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Iran, 04 October 2024. EFE-EPA/IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
He affirmed their right to confront any enemy that has “destroyed their home and their life.”
After his speech, Khamenei led his first Friday congregational prayer since 2020, which he had previously conducted following the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a former general heading the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), by the US in Iraq.
Tuesday’s bombing marked the second Iranian missile attack on Israel since an initial assault in April, which included missile and drone strikes in response to the deaths of seven soldiers in the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
Following the attack, Israel announced it would retaliate, to which Iran responded that it would respond with even greater force. EFE
New Delhi, India (DT) – In a major step towards bolstering India’s renewable energy capacity, GAIL (India) Limited and AM Green have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of renewable energy projects totaling up to 2.5 GW. The partnership also aims to advance initiatives in green chemistry, marking a significant leap in the country’s push for sustainable growth.
The partnership covers the long-term supply of carbon dioxide (CO2) for a hybrid renewable energy project, as well as the production and exploration of eMethanol across India.
Shri Sumit Kishore , Executive Director (Business Development and Exploration & Production), GAIL, and Shri Mahesh Kolli , Chairman, AM Green Group, signed the MoU in the presence of Shri Rajeev Singhal , Director (Business Development), GAIL.
As per the MoU, both parties intend to jointly explore setting up of solar-wind hybrid renewable projects of up to 2.5 GW capacity across India. The solar-wind hybrid projects combined with Greenko’s upcoming pumped storage projects are poised to provide round-the-clock electricity to end users, including the proposed eMethanol project.
Both parties plan to undertake studies for the long-term supply of approximately 350 KTA of CO2 generated by GAIL at its gas processing plants to produce eMethanol, an environmentally friendly fuel that can reduce carbon emissions and promote a circular economy. GAIL will also have the option to invest in the proposed eMethanol project, which will ensure a strategic partnership that will support both companies’ goals of promoting sustainable energy solutions.
Mahesh Kolli , Chairman, AM Green Group : “We are delighted to partner with GAIL on one of the world’s largest carbon-free renewable energy supply contracts.
This partnership demonstrates AM Green’s emerging leadership position as a global clean energy transition solutions platform, while contributing to India’s ambition to become an exporter of reliable, sustainable and low-cost green molecules and its derivatives, thereby accelerating the decarbonisation of industry globally. The production of green methanol will also contribute to the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping, steel, cement etc.”
Rajeev Singhal , Director (Business Development), GAIL: “The signing of this MoU with AM Green underscores our commitment to developing sustainable energy solutions. By facilitating the supply of CO2 for the production of eMethanol, we are taking a proactive approach to reduce carbon emissions and support the development of alternative fuels.
The development of renewable energy projects will help reduce the country’s carbon footprint and advance India’s transition to a greener energy landscape. The partnership between GAIL and AMG is expected to foster technological innovation in India while promoting economic growth and environmental sustainability.”
AM Green’s production of green ammonia at multiple sites in India will accelerate its target of achieving 5 MTPA of green ammonia capacity by 2030, as well as its efforts to achieve net zero targets in India and OECD markets. This will be equivalent to approximately 1 MTPA of green hydrogen, which is one-fifth of India’s green hydrogen production target under the National Green Hydrogen Mission and 10% of the European Union’s green hydrogen import target by 2030.
AM Green will also establish large-scale bio-refineries that will use multiple feedstocks and produce high-value green products enabling global decarbonisation in aviation, fuels, chemicals and other industrial sectors.
Beirut, Lebanon (DT) – A deadly Israeli airstrike in the heart of Beirut has left 9 dead and 14 injured, heightening fears of an all-out conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The strike hit a densely populated area in central Beirut, destroying buildings and sending shockwaves through the city.
Eyewitnesses reported scenes of chaos as first responders rushed to the site, where bodies were pulled from the rubble and survivors sought safety.
As investigations continue, officials have collected DNA samples to identifying the victims of the Israeli bombing that targeted the central Beirut area of Al Bashura.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, specialists are still “working to complete DNA tests to identify the remains recovered from the site of the attack,” and the final victim count will be confirmed once these tests are completed.
The Lebanese National News Agency (ANN) reported that the strike destroyed a center operated by the Islamic Health Authority, an organization affiliated with Hezbollah responsible for healthcare services.
Smoke rises from a damaged building following Israeli airstrikes in Dahieh, a southern suburb controlled by Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon, 03 October 2024. EFE-EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
They also indicated that “internationally banned phosphorus bombs” were used in the assault.
The strike follows a targeted bombing by Israel on Monday that hit an apartment in the Cola neighborhood in southern Beirut, killing three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Israel’s military has been conducting near-daily airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahye, a key Hezbollah stronghold. Just last week, the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in a bombardment that reverberated throughout the capital.
Last night, Israeli army spokesman for Arab media, Avichay Adraee, warned residents of Dahye to evacuate at least 500 meters from targeted areas due for bombing in several locations on the outskirts.
“A call to all residents of Lebanese villages who have evacuated their homes for their own safety: IDF raids are continuing. For your safety and the safety of your families – do not return home until further notice,” Adraee wrote on X.
Smoke rises from damaged buildings following Israeli airstrikes in Dahieh, a southern suburb controlled by Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon, 03 October 2024. EFE-EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
At least 46 people were killed on Wednesday and another 85 were injured in Israeli bombings against Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said on X.
The casualties occurred in southern Lebanese regions, including Nabatieh, as well as Bekaa and Baalbek in the northeast of the country.
Among those killed Wednesday in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon was an American citizen, Kamel Ahmad Jawad, his daughter, Nadine Jawad, said in a statement.
Since the hostilities began last year, Israeli attacks have resulted in nearly 2,000 deaths and displaced 1.2 million people, primarily from the southern and eastern regions of Lebanon.
Israel and Hezbollah have been in conflict since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, but violence has escalated to unprecedented levels since 2006.
Two weeks ago, Israeli forces launched a massive bombing campaign that devastated entire towns and villages. EFE
Tunis/Los Angeles (DT) – Once hailed as the success story of the Arab Spring, Tunisia now faces a grim reality. According to a new study, Tunisia’s democracy, born from the 2011 Jasmine Revolution, is on the verge of collapse.
President Kaïs Saïed, who rose to power in 2019, has increasingly consolidated control, raising concerns that the upcoming October elections will solidify his authoritarian rule.
According to researchers behind a new Berggruen Governance Index (BGI) report, the promise of political reform, which once inspired hope, has failed to deliver economic progress, leaving many Tunisians disillusioned.
The Jasmine Revolution had brought a wave of optimism. Tunisia ousted long-time authoritarian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and embarked on sweeping political reforms. By 2021, Tunisia had significantly improved in democratic accountability, as shown by the Berggruen Governance Index.
However, these gains were not matched by economic growth. Tunisia’s GDP stagnated, and public goods provision – such as healthcare and infrastructure – remained weak.
President Saïed capitalized on growing public frustration. In 2021, he suspended the parliament in a move critics called an “auto-coup,” and a 2022 constitutional referendum further expanded his powers. Saïed’s crackdown on opposition groups and civil society has drawn widespread criticism, and human rights organizations have documented increasing repression.
Economically, Tunisia’s rejection of a 2023 International Monetary Fund loan, seen by many as a populist move, left the country in deeper financial trouble. Foreign investment, which peaked under Ben Ali’s authoritarian rule, has dwindled, compounding the economic crisis. Rising unemployment, inflation, and food insecurity have further eroded confidence in the government. Emigration has grown steadily.
As Tunisia prepares for the 2024 elections, many fear that Saïed’s authoritarian tendencies will undermine the democratic institutions that were painstakingly built after the revolution.
According to the report, which was conducted by researchers from the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), the Los Angeles-based Berggruen Institute and the Hertie School, a university in Berlin, Germany, the country’s experience highlights a critical lesson: Political reform must be accompanied by economic progress, or democracy itself may crumble.
MEXICO CITY (DT) — Assailants shot to death four men and wounded two others in an attack at a Mexican drug rehabilitation center, officials said Wednesday.
Officials in the north-central state of Guanajuato said the killings occurred late Tuesday in the city of Salamanca. There was no immediate information on the conditions of those wounded in the attack.
Mexico’s privately run drug rehabilitation centers are often abusive, clandestine, unregulated and underfunded. They have been the targets of similar attacks in the past.
The industrial and agricultural state of Guanajuato has for years been the scene of a bloody turf battle between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and a local gang, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel. Guanajuato has the highest number of homicides of any state in Mexico.
In 2020, gunmen shot to death 27 people at rehab center in another city in Guanajuato, Irapuato. In 2010, 19 people were killed in an attack on a rehab center in Chihuahua, a city in northern Mexico. More than a dozen other attacks on such facilities occurred in the decade between those massacres.
The Mexican government spends relatively little money on rehabilitation, often making the unregistered centers the only option available for poor families.
In addition, addicts and dealers who face attacks from rivals on the streets sometimes take refuge at the rehab clinics, making the clinics themselves targets for attack.
Mexican drug gangs have killed suspected street-level dealers from rival gangs sheltering at such facilities in the past.
