POLL REVEALS CONCERNS OVER BIDEN'S AGE AND CALLS FOR AGE LIMITS IN POLITICS

In a recent poll, a substantial majority of Americans appear to share a common concern amid the current divisive political climate: they believe that Joe Biden, as he approaches his 80th year, is too old to effectively serve in a second term as President. Interestingly, Donald Trump, despite being only slightly younger than Biden, doesn't raise the same level of age-related concerns. However, Trump faces other issues that concern voters, including his legal challenges.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted the poll.

The poll's results are striking, with a staggering 77% of respondents stating that they believe Biden is too old to effectively serve another four years in the presidency. This sentiment is not limited to Republicans, as 69% of Democrats also express this concern. Importantly, this perspective spans different age groups, indicating that it's not solely a generational issue. However, older Democrats tend to be more supportive of Biden's potential 2024 bid.

On the other hand, approximately half of U.S. adults believe that Donald Trump is too old for the office, revealing a more partisan divide. Democrats are more inclined to disqualify Trump based on his age than Republicans are. The poll highlights a general desire among Americans for fresh faces in politics, advocating for age limits in various branches of government, including the presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court. Specifically, 67% of respondents support mandating retirement ages for Supreme Court justices, 68% endorse age ceilings for candidates running for the House and Senate, and 66% back age restrictions for presidential candidates.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump will stand trial on March 4, 2024 in federal court in Washington for trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat, a federal judge ruled on Monday, setting up a crowded schedule for the former president next year as he campaigns to recapture the White House.

UK AIRPORTS DISRUPTED BY FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUE

Hundreds of flights in Europe faced cancellations on a busy travel day in the UK due to a "technical issue" with Britain's air traffic control service. Over 200 flights departing from Britain were canceled, with an additional 271 arrivals scheduled for Monday also affected. Many other flights experienced significant delays, likely leading to more cancellations.

NATS, Britain's National Air Traffic Service, reported that the problem prevented the automatic processing of flight plans, requiring manual entry. Although British airspace remained open, NATS limited departing flights to ensure safety while engineers worked on resolving the issue. The disruption occurred on a "bank holiday," a national day off in Britain, when many travelers were returning from summer vacations.

Passengers were advised to check their flight status before heading to airports. The situation led to considerable delays for Jet2 and forced Ryanair to delay and cancel flights to and from Britain, offering passengers the option to change flights or receive full refunds.

FUKUSHIMA ROW: STONES PELTED AT JAPANESE MISSIONS, SCHOOLS IN CHINA

Tokyo : Japanese PM Fumio Kishidaasked China on Monday to urge its citizens to halt acts of harassment, including crank calls and stone throwing at Japanese diplomatic facilities and schools, in response to Japan’s release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. “I must say it is regrettable,” Kishida said.

He said vice minister for foreign affairs Masataka Okano summoned China’s ambassador, Wu Jianghao, to ask that Chinese people actcalmly.

The release of the treated wastewater into the ocean, which began Thursday and is expected to continue for decades, has been strongly opposed by fishing groups and by neighbouring countries. China banned all imports of Japanese seafood in response. In South Korea, thousands of people joined rallies over the weekend to condemn thedischarge.

Acts of harassment including crank phone calls and stone throwing have targeted Japan’s embassy and consulates and Japanese schools in China, while China’s government has not responded to requests from Japan for a joint scientific discussion of the release by experts, Kishida said. Japanese public broadcaster NHK said thousands of crank calls from China have targeted Fukushima government offices and the nuclear plant’s operator. It said many of the callers shouted in Chinese, and some yelled “stupid” and other swear words. Economy and industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura visited Fukushima to help with damage control.

COURT QUASHES SEDITION CASE AGAINST IMRAN

Islamabad : A Pakistani court on Monday quashed a sedition case against former PM Imran Khan on Monday, providing some relief for the cricket hero turned politician who was jailed on corruption charges earlier this month. The case against Khan, 70, had been registered in March in the southwestern city of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, based on an allegation that one of his speeches was seditious. Following an appeal by Khan, the Balochistan HC said prosecutors had failed to obtain the required consent from the federal or provincial government to lodge sedition charges. The charges are “without lawful authority and are of no legal effect”, the court ruled, throwing out the case. “God be praised,” Khan’s lawyer Naeem Panjutha said in a jubilant post on X, the messaging platform formerly known as Twitter.

COVID WAVE IN US BRINGS WARNING OF MORE TO COME

As late-summer COVID-19 infections surge, affecting schools, workplaces, and local government, experts are warning of further spread in the fall and winter. According to recent CDC data, hospitalizations have risen by 24% in the two weeks ending August 12. Wastewater monitoring indicates an uptick in COVID-19 infections in the West and Northeast regions. While the increase in hospitalizations is relatively modest, most patients are experiencing mild symptoms resembling a cold or flu.

Despite these developments, most Americans are reluctant to return to the pandemic's earlier days of frequent testing, mask-wearing, and isolation. Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, acknowledges that the situation has improved but highlights the challenge of transitioning to a post-COVID world.

While the virus continues to disrupt daily life, including a COVID-19 outbreak linked to a city council meeting in Nashville, most schools are not planning to reimpose stricter mask and testing rules as students return. Chicago's public school district, for example, offers free rapid COVID tests but doesn't plan to resume testing.

Dr. John M. Coleman, a pulmonary and critical care doctor, expects COVID infections to rise in the coming months, but he notes that recent virus strains are less severe. Hospitalized patients typically have pre-existing conditions or weakened immune systems, making them more susceptible to severe symptoms.

HOURS AFTER BAIL, PAKISTAN RIGHTS LAWYER RE-ARRESTED

The police in Pakistan re-arrested human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari outside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Monday, hours after an Islamabad anti-terrorism court granted her bail in a sedition case.

The Islamabad police said Ms. Imaan was arrested in a terrorism case registered at the Bara Kahu police station.

Ms. Imaan, the daughter of former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, and former lawmaker Ali Wazir were arrested on August 20 by the police, two days after they participated in a protest rally organised by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), a group of ethnic Pashtun who are highly critical of the Army, and also criticised the military.

REPORT: SAUDI CRITIC GETS DEATH FOR ONLINE POSTS

Dubai : Saudi Arabia has sentenced to death a government critic who denounced alleged corruption and human rights abuses on social media, his brother and others familiar with the case told AFP onMonday. The judgment was handed down against Mohammed alGhamdi in July by the specialised criminal court. The charges include conspiracy against the Saudi leadership, undermining state institutions and supporting terrorist ideology. Saudi officials did not respond to a request for comment. Human rights activists said the case highlights an intense crackdown on criticism published on social media. Saeed al-Ghamdi, Mohammed’s brother said the case against Mohammedwas at least partly built on posts on X, criticising the government and expressing support for “prisoners of conscience” like the jailed religious clerics Salman alAwda and Awad al-Qarni.

‘UK CONSIDERING ELECTRONIC TAGGING OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS’

London : Electronically tagging illegal migrants into the UK as part of the government’s expanded detention plans is among a range of options being considered by the government, home secretary Suella Bravermansaid on Monday. The Indian-origin minister was reacting to a report in ‘The Times’ newspaper that claimed that GPS trackers will be deployed to tag migrants under the new Illegal Migration Act requirements.

“We’ve just enacted a landmark piece of legislation in the form of our Illegal Migration Act — that empowers us to detain those who arrive here illegally and thereafter swiftly remove them to a safe country like Rwanda,” Braverman told ‘Sky News’.

FOXCONN FOUNDER GOU REVEALS HIS PLAN FOR TAIWAN PRESIDENTIAL BID

TAIPEI: Foxconn’s billionaire founder Terry Gou announced on Monday that he will run for President of Taiwan as an independent candidate. Mr. Gou made his fortune turning Foxconn into the world’s largest contract producer of electronics. He has a long-running ambition to become the leader of the self-ruled island.

IRAN ARRESTS SINGER FOR ENCOURAGING VEIL REMOVAL

Iranian police arrested pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi on Monday for releasing a song against women’s compulsory wearing of the veil, the judiciary said.

A day earlier, the judiciary’s Mizan Online website announced that a “legal case” had been filed against Mr. Yarrahi “following the release of an illegal song which defies the morals and customs of the Islamic society”.

Mr. Yarrahi, 41, on Friday released the song called “Roosarito”, which means “Your Headscarf” in Farsi. He called on women to “take off their (head)scarves”, and the video included several women with hair uncovered.