Afghanistan: Girls excluded as Afghan secondary schools reopen - BBC News

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The Taliban have excluded girls from Afghan secondary schools, after they ordered only boys and male teachers to return to the classroom.

A statement from the Islamist group saying secondary classes would resume made no mention of girls or women.

One Afghan schoolgirl told the BBC she was devastated. "Everything looks very dark," she said.

Despite Taliban promises it is the latest sign Afghanistan is returning to the harsh rule of the 1990s.

In another development, on Friday the Taliban appeared to have shut down the women's affairs ministry and replaced it with a department that once enforced strict religious doctrines.

During their rule between 1996 and 2001, the Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice was responsible for deploying so-called morality police on to the streets to enforce the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic religious law, known as Sharia.

'I am so worried about my future'

A statement issued ahead of Afghan schools reopening on Saturday said: "All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions."

Secondary schools are usually for students aged between 13 and 18. Most schools are also segregated, which would make it easy for the Taliban to close down schools for girls.

Schoolgirls and their parents said prospects were bleak.

"I am so worried about my future," said an Afghan schoolgirl, who had hoped to be a lawyer.

"Everything looks very dark. Every day I wake up and ask myself why I am alive? Should I stay at home and wait for someone to knock on the door and ask me to marry him? Is this the purpose of being a woman?"

Her father said: "My mother was illiterate, and my father constantly bullied her and called her an idiot. I didn't want my daughter to become like my mum."

Another schoolgirl, a 16-year-old from Kabul, said it was a "sorrowful day".

"I wanted to become a doctor! And that dream has vanished. I don't think they would let us go back to school. Even if they open the high schools again, they don't want women to become educated."

Earlier this week, the Taliban announced that women would be allowed to study at universities, but they would not be able to do so alongside men and would face a new dress code.

Some suggested the new rules would exclude women from education because the universities do not have the resources to provide separate classes.

Barring girls from secondary schools will also mean none will be able to go on to further education.

• PROFILES: Who's who in the Taliban leadership
• ANALYSIS: A new order begins under the Taliban's governance
• VOICES: Afghan women hit back at Taliban with clothing campaign

Since the Taliban were removed from power in 2001, enormous progress has been made in improving Afghanistan's education enrolments and literacy rates - especially for girls and women.

The number of girls in primary schools increased from almost zero to 2.5 million, while the female literacy rate nearly doubled in a decade to 30%. However, many of the gains have been made in cities.

"This is a setback in the education of Afghan women and girls," said Nororya Nizhat, a former Education Ministry spokesperson.

"This reminds everyone of what the Taliban did in the 90s. We ended up with a generation of illiterate and non-educated women."

Shortly after taking power the Taliban said the rights of women in Afghanistan would be respected "within the framework of Islamic law".

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2021-09-18 10:14:29Z
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'Tragic mistake': Pentagon apologies for Kabul drone strike that killed 10 civilians - Sky News

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2021-09-18 09:41:57Z
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Britain is warned it WON'T escape being targeted by France in ambassador row - Daily Mail

Britain is warned it WON'T escape French retaliation over new AUKUS defence pact as furious Emmanuel Macron recalls ambassadors to the US and Australia and one of his diplomats labels the UK as 'opportunistic' for signing up

• France recalled its ambassador to the US on Friday amid the dispute 
• Comes amid growing fury at defence deal between US, UK and Australia French
• French foreign minister cited 'exceptional seriousness of the announcements'

By Joe Davies For Mailonline and Geoff Earle, Deputy U.S. Political Editor For Dailymail.com

Published: 09:02 BST, 18 September 2021 | Updated: 10:17 BST, 18 September 2021

Britain has been warned it will not escape being targeted by France after Emmanuel Macron recalled ambassadors to the US and Australia but not the UK.

The French President is furious at the submarine pact between the three countries, which caught France off guard and resulted in the cancelation of multi-billion pound contracts for Australia to build French diesel submarines.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian last night announced the country was recalling the ambassador to the US Philippe Etienne, citing the 'exceptional seriousness of the announcements'. 

France also recalled its ambassador to Australia but has not yet made any move to remove its ambassador to the UK Catherine Colonna.

French officials are thought to view the US as prime movers in the deal and Boris Johnson insisted the UK's relationship with France is 'rock solid' despite the row. 

But a French diplomat slammed Britain for acting 'opportunistically' and former British ambassador to France Lord Peter Ricketts said he expects further measures against all three countries.

Pictured left-to-right: Boris Johnson, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden at the Carbis Bay Hotel during the G7 Summit in Cornwall in June

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves LeDrain announced the move to recall ambassador Philippe Etienne Friday night, saying it came in a request from French President Emmanuel Macron (pictured) 

America and the UK are to help Australia build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as part of an unprecedented alliance known as the AUKUS pact to combat China's naval dominance and will likely be the similar design as this Astute class submarine HMS Ambush (pictured)

Furious EU complains that it was 'not consulted' on AUKUS submarine deal 

The EU has complained that it was 'not consulted' on the AUKUS submarine deal while France has lashed out at Australia for 'stabbing it in the back'.

Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, said the union was only made aware of the new alliance through the media.

And French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has accused the Australians of a betrayal because the alliance meant they scrapped a multi-billion deal for France to provide subs.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace insisted Britain did not 'go fishing' for the pact to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia with the US after France called it a 'stab in the back'.

The UK, US and Australia agreed to co-operate on the development of the first nuclear-powered fleet for the Australian navy in a ground-breaking agreement dubbed AUKUS.

But this meant that Canberra ripped up a deal worth around £30billion that was struck with Paris in 2016 for France to provide 12 diesel-electric submarines.

A diplomatic row broke out, with Mr Le Drian telling France-Info radio: 'It was really a stab in the back.

'We built a relationship of trust with Australia, and this trust was betrayed.'

Meanwhile Mr Borrell, ex-President of the European Parliament, said: 'This alliance we have only just been made aware and we weren't even consulted.

'As high representative for security, I was not aware and I assume that an agreement of such a nature wasn't just brought together over night. I think it would have been worked on for quite a while.'

He added: 'We regret not having been informed – not having been part of these talks. We weren't included, we weren't part and parcel of this.'

Mr Wallace said he recognises the 'frustration' from France after speaking to his French counterpart Florence Parly on Wednesday night.

He told BBC Breakfast: 'I understand France's disappointment.

'They had a contract with the Australians for diesel-electrics from 2016 and the Australians have taken this decision that they want to make a change.

'We didn't go fishing for that, but as a close ally when the Australians approached us of course we would consider it. I understand France's frustration about it.'

Boris Johnson told MPs today that the UK's military relationship with France is 'rock solid' and insisted 'we stand shoulder to shoulder with the French' despite the row.

The Prime Minister met with his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, and US President Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Cornwall in June.

Downing Street confirmed that the three leaders discussed the subs at the meeting.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman added: 'I wouldn't say there was one single meeting that did it, this has been something that has been an undertaking of several months, it's a culmination of that work.'

Writing on social media last night, Lord Ricketts said France's moves so far suggest it sees Britain as 'accomplices' in the deal but that may not stop further repercussions from happening.

He said: 'France now recalls Ambassadors to US and Australia. 

'Unprecedented between allied nations? Interestingly not from UK. 

'A signal Paris regards Washington and Canberra as ringleaders in plot, with London as accomplice. 

'Expect further French measures targeting interests of all three.'

Mr Le Drian yesterday called the nixing of the $90billion (£65.5billion) sub-contract 'unacceptable behaviour'. 

Le Drian said in a statement: 'At the request of the President of the Republic, I have decided to immediately recall our two ambassadors to the United States and Australia to Paris for consultations. 

'This exceptional decision is justified by the exceptional gravity of the announcements made on 15 September by Australia and the United States.'

The move comes amid a huge backlash in France over the move.

A French diplomatic source lashed out at Britain, telling Reuters: 'The UK accompanied this operation opportunistically. 

'We do not need to consult in Paris with our ambassador to know what to think and what conclusions to draw from it.'

A top French diplomat told Associated Press Macron got a letter from Australian PM Scott Morrison announcing the sub deal's cancellation on Wednesday morning. 

The French reached out to Washington 'to ask what was going on', but the resulting discussions occurred just hours before Biden announced the deal in a video conference with the two key allies. 

According to The Times, the AUKUS deal was codenamed Operation Hookless inside Number 10 and was the most closely guarded secret inside government for many years.

Among the tiny number of people in the know – besides the PM – were outgoing Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, National Security advisor Sir Stephen Lovegrove and First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.

The clandestine discussions were said by a defence source to be like a scene from a John Le Carré novel.

Defence sources familiar with the discussions told the newspaper that Australia had decided that the submarines which it had agreed to buy from France were not enough to ward off the threat posed by China.

They instead wanted nuclear-powered ones which are faster and stealthier and not in need of regular refuelling.

Another man who was reportedly in the top-secret loop of decision-makers was John Bew, Mr Johnson’s foreign policy advisor.

Those who were aware are said to have been ordered to sign a paper vowing to not speak of the secret discussions outside of the group. 

Le Drain on Thursday called the move a 'stab in the back'.

'We built a relationship of trust with Australia, and this trust was betrayed. This is not done between allies.'

France is the US' longest-standing ally after the European country's essential support during the American Revolution. 

Numerous US presidents have taken part in annual commemorations of the Normandy invasion that attest to the close historical bonds between the two nations.

The stunning diplomatic slap comes a day after France made a lesser statement by nixing a planned gala at its luxurious embassy in Washington that was meant to celebrate the US-French relationship, while also ditching another event in Baltimore.

The embassy gala was to mark the 240th anniversary of the Battle of the Capes, when the French Navy fought the Royal Navy of Britain during the Revolutionary War. 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (left) described President Biden's deal as a 'unilateral, brutal, unpredictable decision' amid French fury that it triggered cancelation of an Australian agreement to buy French diesel powered submarines. French Ambassador to the US Philippe Etienne (right) has been recalled amid a diplomatic row over a new US-UK-Australia alliance

China flies TEN aircraft including fighter jets into Taiwan's airspace ramping up tensions just a day after AUKUS pact was signed 

China has flown ten aircraft including fighter jets into Taiwan's air space just a day after the UK, US and Australia signed a defence pact to push back against Beijing.

Taipei said two J-11 fighters, six J-16 fighters, one Y-8 anti-submarine plane and one Y-8 spy aircraft entered its air defence identification zone near Pratas Island today.

Fighter jets were scrambled to turn the aircraft back while radio warnings were also broadcast and missile defence systems activated to monitor the situation.

Details of the flights published by Taiwan's defence ministry show the Chinese fighters briefly skirted into the defence zone before turning back.

But the spy plane and anti-submarine aircraft made a longer route, flying several miles along Taiwan's south coast before turning around and heading away.

The island's government has complained for a year of repeated missions by China's air force near its borders, often in the southwestern part of its air defense zone close to Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island. 

Self-governing Taiwan, which is home to the Republic of China which fought against the Communist Party when it first emerged, views itself as an independent state but Beijing views it as a breakaway province. 

It has long-standing ties with the US, which historically recognised it as the legitimate government of China.

Tensions around the island have been mounting since President Xi Jinping vowed in 2019 to 'reunify' Taiwan with the Chinese mainland, using force if necessary.

It all came at the end of a week where President Joe Biden announced a new agreement between the US, the UK, and Australia, in a move meant to counter China and bolster security in the Indo-Pacific region. 

Under the terms, Australia for the first time would purchase US-made nuclear submarines, which are quieter, faster, and must come to port less frequently than diesel or electric boats.

The move infuriated France, which said it had not been informed long in advance. 

Biden, who ran in part trumpeting his deft touch in diplomacy after helming the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, now finds himself at the center a diplomatic row with a key ally.

It comes at a time when his handling of the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan is also under scrutiny.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said France had been informed in advance of the move, and tried to put the best light on the state of relations.

'France in particular is a vital partner on this, and so many other issues,' he said.

The diplomatic slap came just minutes after the US military had to admit that a US drone strike in the final days before the US pullout in Afghanistan had mistakenly hit an aid worker, killing nine family members, including seven children. 

Australia had been relying on French shipbuilder Naval Group to construct its diesel submarine fleet, set to be delivered in the mid 2030s. 

The move also piqued the government New Zealand, which has a longstanding opposition to nuclear energy, and which was not included in the agreement.

The Australian government today expressed 'regret' over France's decision.

A spokesperson for Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said in a statement: 'We note with regret France's decision to recall its Ambassador to Australia for consultations following the decision on the Attack Class project.

'Australia understands France's deep disappointment with our decision, which was taken in accordance with our clear and communicated national security interests.

'Australia values its relationship with France, which is an important partner and a vital contributor to stability, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. This will not change.

'We look forward to engaging with France again on our many issues of shared interest, based on shared values.'

The pact does not make the design of Australia's new submarines clear, but they will be based on previous US and UK designs. Pictured above is a cross-section of Britain's Astute-class nuclear attack subs, which is likely to mirror the new vessels

Australia's defence minister has today admitted that war with China is possible in the South China Sea (pictured) with Taiwan (top) as the likely flashpoint. China claims control over the whole of the sea, which other nations dispute 

Australia will acquire at least eight nuclear-powered submarines and a host of other advanced military technology from the UK and US after singing an historic deal aimed at countering China's growing power

The so-called Aukus defence pact between the UK, US and Australia has been widely seen as an attempt to counter the growing military assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific region.

Beijing swiftly denounced the initiative as 'extremely irresponsible' and a threat to regional peace and stability.

In the Commons on Thursday, Mr Johnson said it was not intended as an 'adversarial' move against China or any other power.

He also insisted that relations with France remained 'rock solid' while Downing Street described Paris as 'a close ally and friend' of the UK.

Nevertheless, the Prime Minister also made clear he expected the agreement to bring 'hundreds' of highly-skilled jobs to Britain — jobs which may well have otherwise gone to France. 

Why is Australia building nuclear-powered submarines? 

Why nuclear submarines?

Nuclear submarines are powered by nuclear reactors which produce heat that creates high-pressured steam to spin turbines and power the boat's propeller. 

They can run for about 20 years before needing to refuel, meaning food supplies are the only limit on time at sea.

The boats are also very quiet, making it harder for enemies to detect them and can travel at top speed - about 25mph - for longer than diesel-powered subs.

The first nuclear submarines were put to sea by the United States in the 1950s. They are now also in use by Russia, France, the United Kingdom, China, and India. 

A senior US defense official told reporters in Washington DC: 'This will give Australia the capability for their submarines to basically deploy for a longer period, they're quieter, they're much more capable.' 

Will Australia have nuclear weapons? 

Scott Morrison made it clear that the nuclear-power submarines will not have nuclear missiles on board.

Australia has never produced nuclear weapons and signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1973 which prevents non-nuclear states which don't already have them from developing nuclear weapons.

Mr Morrison also said the Australia has no plans to build nuclear power stations which are widely used around the world. 

'But let me be clear, Australia is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons or establish a civil nuclear capability,' he said.  

Are they safe? 

The nuclear reactors are shielded from the rest of the submarine in a separate section to protect the crew from dangerous radiation. 

The US has an excellent safety record with its nuclear-powered fleet although early Russian subs suffered a few accidents which caused 20 servicemen to die from radiation exposure between 1960 and 1985.

At the end of their 20-year lifetimes, the contaminated parts of nuclear reactors need to be disposed deep underground in special waste storage cells. 

Anti-nuclear campaigners say any leaks of radioactive waste could lead to an environmental disaster.  

Why now?

Australia needs to replace its six ageing Collins-class submarines. 

In 2016 it signed a deal with French Company Naval Group to build 12 diesel-electric attack subs - but the parties were in dispute over the amount of building that would be done in Australia.

That deal has now been torn up in favour of nuclear powered subs aided by the US and UK who will provide the technology to Australia.

The West is becoming increasingly concerned about the growing assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific region where it has made huge territorial claims in the South and East China seas, clashed with Indian troops and repeatedly flown planes over Taiwan. 

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2021-09-18 08:02:45Z
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US real estate heir Robert Durst convicted of murdering friend - Al Jazeera English

A California jury has found multimillionaire real estate heir Robert Durst guilty of murdering his longtime friend Susan Berman in 2000, the first homicide conviction for a man suspected of killing three people in three states over the past 39 years.

Durst, 78 and frail, will likely die in prison as the jury also found him guilty on Friday of the special circumstances of lying in wait and killing a witness, which carry a mandatory life sentence. Superior Court Judge Mark Windham, who oversaw the trial, set a sentencing hearing for October 18.

The trial came six years after Durst’s apparent confession was aired in the HBO television documentary series The Jinx, in which Durst was caught on a hot microphone in the toilet saying to himself, “What the hell did I do? … Killed them all, of course.”

The nine-woman, three-man jury had deliberated for seven and a half hours over three days for Friday’s decision. Durst, who has been in jail for the duration of the trial, was not present for the reading of the verdict because he was in isolation after having been exposed to somebody with COVID-19.

Windham decided to have the verdict read in Durst’s absence. Speaking to lawyers for both sides later, he called the case “the most extraordinary trial that I’ve ever seen or even heard about”.

Lead prosecutor John Lewin, who had pursued Durst for years, credited The Jinx filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling for their revealing interviews with Durst, telling reporters after the verdict: “Without them having conducted the interviews, we wouldn’t be where we are.”

In closing arguments, Lewin called Durst a “narcissistic psychopath” who killed Berman in an attempt to cover up the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst, in New York in 1982.

Judge Windham receives the verdict from the bailiff before finding Durst guilty of murder [Genaro Molina/Pool via Reuters]

Durst was only on trial for killing Berman in California, but prosecutors argued he murdered three people: his missing wife, Berman and a neighbour in Texas who discovered his identity when Durst was hiding from the law.

Despite long being a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, a 29-year-old medical student, Durst was never charged. Prosecutors said he killed her, then decided to kill Berman 18 years later because she had told others that she helped Durst cover up the crime. Berman, 55, was shot in the back of her head inside her Beverly Hills home.

Shortly after the verdict, the McCormack family issued a statement urging prosecutors in Westchester County, New York, to prosecute Durst.

“The justice system in Los Angeles has finally served the Berman family. It is now time for Westchester to do the same for the McCormack family,” the statement said.

Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah reopened the case in May, shortly after taking office.

Her office issued a statement on Friday commending those involved in securing the conviction, but a spokesperson said the Westchester investigation “remains ongoing and we will have no further comment at this time”.

‘Sick old man’

Defence lawyers portrayed Durst, a cancer survivor who testified from a wheelchair wearing a baggy jail uniform, as a “sick old man”. But he withstood 15 days as a witness, nine of them under cross-examination.

During a 58-day trial spread over a year and a half, including a one-year delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, Durst testified that he discovered Berman’s murdered body when he went to visit her but did not call the police.

The prosecution also delved into the 2001 death and dismemberment of Morris Black, who was Durst’s neighbour in Galveston, Texas. A Galveston jury acquitted Durst of murder, even though Durst admitted he chopped up Black’s body and dumped it in Galveston Bay.

Durst said Black pulled a gun on him and was shot accidentally when the two men wrestled over the firearm.

Black’s death marked the second time Durst had a dead body at his feet, according to his testimony.

In both cases, Durst said he at first tried to call the 911 emergency number, but later decided against it, fearing nobody would believe he was not guilty.

Besides The Jinx audio, two other pieces of evidence appeared to damage Durst’s defence. One was the recorded 2017 testimony of Nick Chavin, a mutual friend who said Durst admitted to him in 2014 that he had killed Berman.

“It was her or me. I had no choice,” Chavin recounted Durst telling him.

Durst also admitted he authored a handwritten letter to Beverly Hills police with the word “cadaver” and Berman’s address, directing them to her undiscovered body. Durst had denied writing the note for 20 years.

Durst is the grandson of the founder of The Durst Organization, one of New York City’s premier real estate companies.

He long ago left the company, now run by his estranged brother Douglas Durst, who testified at trial and said of his sibling: “He’d like to murder me.”

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2021-09-18 07:14:44Z
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Doctor, 40, charged with murdering her three girls is remanded in a secure mental health unit - Daily Mail

Churchgoing doctor accused of murdering her two-year-old twins and their sister, 6, days after finishing two-week New Zealand hotel quarantine is remanded in a mental health unit - as posts emerge of her praising 'beautiful' family

• Lauren Dickason, 40, charged with murder of her three daughters on Friday 
• Two-year-old twins, Maya and Karla, and six-year-old sister Liane found dead
• Children's bodies were found by their father in New Zealand's South Island
• The family, who are both doctors, had just arrived from South Africa in August 

By Stephen D'antal In New Zealand and Harry Howard For Mailonline and Peter Vincent and Miriah Davis For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 01:42 BST, 18 September 2021 | Updated: 02:20 BST, 18 September 2021

A churchgoing doctor who struggled for years to get pregnant appeared in court last night charged with murdering her three young daughters.

Lauren Dickason, 40, stood silently in the dock at Timaru District Court in New Zealand, where she and her husband Graham, an orthopaedic surgeon, had moved from South Africa just weeks ago with two-year-old twins Karla and Maya and their older sister Liane, six.

Mr Dickason discovered the tragedy shortly before 10pm on Thursday when he returned home after attending a work function at Timaru Hospital.

In court on Saturday morning, his wife was led from the cells wearing a light grey hoodie and black trousers to make a brief appearance to hear the charges for the first time.

She looked drawn and distressed as she entered no plea and was remanded to a secure mental health unit until her next appearance, at Timaru High Court on October 5.

Mrs Dickason did not speak during the hearing and did not enter a plea. She nodded briefly when listening to her solicitor, Kelly Beazley.

The couple, married for 15 years, had only been released from 14 days enforced Covid quarantine in a hotel following their life-changing flight from South Africa to start a new life days before the alleged murders. 

There was nothing in the couple's background to suggest a troubled family, according to their long-standing nanny in Pretoria, Mendy Sibanyoni.

Both parents had 'loved their kids like nobody's business,' said Mrs Sebanyoni, who Mrs Dickason had described in a Facebook as an 'angel'.

Just four months ago, Mrs Dickason had paid a loving public tribute to her husband on Facebook, writing: 'Happy 15th wedding anniversary ... What an adventure,' she wrote.

'We have truly created a beautiful family and had many good times together. May the next years be more blessed, more happy and may the kids let us sleep.'

Churchgoing doctor Lauren Dickason, who struggled for years to get pregnant, appeared in court last night charged with murdering her three young daughters. Above: Mrs Dickason with husband Graham, two-year-old twins Karla and Maya and their older sister Liane, six 

Just four months ago, Mrs Dickason had paid a loving public tribute to her husband on Facebook, writing: 'Happy 15th wedding anniversary ... What an adventure,' she wrote

Through her lawyer, she initially applied for name suppression but withdrew the application after media objections.

Many details were suppressed under New Zealand law and no cause of death for any of the three girls has emerged.

Judge Dominic Dravitzki ordered a report under New Zealand's Crimes Act to ascertain Mrs Dickason's state of mind at the time of the killings.  

'I'm torn apart. Part off me is gone,' Mrs Sebanyoni told South African media. 'And it's like those kids, they are my kids too because I raised them. They were such nice children.

'I don't know what to do about this because the only question that I've got now is, what happened? What went wrong?

'I never saw any fight in that family or anything. We treated each other as family. I was family too. There was nothing wrong.

Mrs Sebanyoni, who had tried unsuccessfully to contact Mr Dickason in New Zealand, said the three girls were all polite and well-mannered. '

'They listened when you told them not to do that, and when they wanted something they would ask,' she said.

'We used to play outside and take a walk on the streets. When I come in they used to be excited that Mendy is here. They would say goodbye to their mother and 'we are going to play with Mendy.'

Many details were suppressed under New Zealand law and no cause of death for any of the three girls has emerged. Above: Mrs Dickason's children

A photograph posted on social media on August 30 (pictured) showing the three girls happily clutching little kiwi cuddly toys with excited smiles as they arrived in the country 

Mrs Dickason was described as 'very humble' and 'the nicest person', by a former neighbour in Pretoria.

'I cannot comprehend what happened - she is a medical doctor and she wasn't arrogant or anything like that. 

'She was very humble,' former colleague and neighbour, Natasja le Roux, told the Sunday Times in South Africa.

'She was really just a nice person, she and her husband.'

According to information on her Facebook page, Mrs Dickason went to Pretoria High School for Girls before reading medicine at Cape Town University. 

She graduated in 2004. In 2007 she became a GP at Pretoria East Hospital Orthopaedic Theatre.

A former neighbour said the couple had struggled to conceive their children and were dedicated and loving parents. Pictured: Police tape protects the scene on Queen Street in Timaru, New Zealand's South Island

The former neighbour said the couple had struggled to conceive their children and were dedicated and loving parents.

'They waited years for those children because she had troubles with fertility and stuff, so it really is a big shock,' Mrs le Roux said.

Another former neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the couple were very 'grateful' for their children.

'They absolutely adored those children. They were so grateful for having them because they struggled to get pregnant and when they finally got the children, they loved them,' the neighbour said.

There was nothing in their background to suggest a troubled family, according to their long-standing nanny in Pretoria, Mendy Sibanyoni 

'Something just doesn't add up. I don't know if it's the stress from New Zealand, moving there, being quarantined for so long and everything - just not coping with that going on. So I think whatever happened is not normal, it wasn't normal circumstances,' the neighbour said.

The only sign of distress in Mrs Dickason's life came in a Facebook post in March which referred to mental illness suffered by Hollywood stars Demi Lovato, Robin Williams and Carrie Fisher.

Underlined in red was a section which read: 'Unfortunately we live in a world where if you break a bone everyone comes to sign the cast but if you tell people you're depressed they run the other way.'

Neighbours in Timaru have described distressed wailing shortly after Mr Dickason arrived home on Thursday night and watched as he was consoled by another doctor who lived next door. 

His wife was taken to hospital after police arrived minutes later.   

Mr Dickason was heard by neighbours screaming: 'Is this really happening?' when he arrived home.  

The children's father Graham Dickason, who is an orthopaedic surgeon, had returned to their Timaru home at around 10pm on Thursday where he discovered the children's bodies. Pictured: Graham and Lauren

A photograph posted on social media on August 30 shows the three girls happily clutching little kiwi cuddly toys with beaming smiles as they arrived in the country.   

'The first noise we heard was somebody sobbing, and then we heard a loud thud like someone just slammed a door,' the neighbour Jade Whaley told Stuff. 

'We could see someone through our fence wandering behind the house and wailing.'

Another resident, Karen Cowper, described hearing a man crying and saying 'is this really happening?'

The young family (pictured together) had just moved to New Zealand from Pretoria, South Africa and recently finished their 14-day hotel quarantine

'We asked him if he was OK. He did not respond to us and was screaming and crying hysterically,' Ms Cowper said.  

The girls' grandmother said the family was struggling to comprehend what had happened. 

'It hasn't actually sunk in yet. We're in a terrible state of shock. We are devastated,' she told Stuff.

Canterbury Police District Commander Superintendent John Price said the family appeared to have few contacts in New Zealand.

Earlier this month the mother took to social media asking for help as they prepared for the move.

She had asked for advice about buying furniture in Timaru and wanted to know which schools would be best for her children. 

Detective Inspector Scott Anderson said NZ Police was 'speaking with people from the address and no-one else is being sought at this time'.

The deaths are the second tragedy in as many months to befall the South Island community.

Last month, five teenage boys were killed in a one-car crash in which only the 19-year-old driver survived.

In South Africa, the girls' grandmother said the family was struggling to comprehend what had happened. Pictured: The twins, Maya and Karla and sister, Liane

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2021-09-18 00:42:06Z
CAIiEJlkzrf26QZsG-T447WCz_IqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowzuOICzCZ4ocDMN-YowY

France recalls US and Australia envoys over submarine deal - Al Jazeera English

France has recalled its ambassadors to US and Australia for consultations – an unprecedented move taken over a submarine deal.

France has recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia for consultations, in a backlash over a submarine deal.

Australia on Wednesday cancelled a multibillion-dollar deal for conventional French submarines to enter a strategic Indo-Pacific alliance with the United States and Britain in which it will obtain US nuclear-powered submarines.

Calling the cancellation “unacceptable behaviour”, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement on Friday the decision to recall the envoys, on request from President Emmanuel Macron, “is justified by the exceptional seriousness of the announcements” made by Australia and the United States.

A White House official said on Friday that the US regrets France’s decision and will continue to be engaged in the coming days to resolve differences between the two countries.

The recalls from the United States and Australia, key allies of France, are unprecedented.

Earlier on Friday, a top French diplomat spoke of a “crisis” in relations with the US.

The diplomat, who spoke to The Associated Press news agency anonymously in line with customary government practice, said that for Paris “this is a strategic question concerning the very nature of the relationship between Europe and the United States about the Indo-Pacific strategy”.

He would not speculate on the effects the situation would have on France’s relationship with the US.

“There’s a crisis,” he stressed.

France has pushed for several years for a European strategy for boosting economic, political and defence ties in the region stretching from India and China to Japan and New Zealand. The European Union unveiled this week its plan for the Indo-Pacific.

The French diplomat said on Friday that Macron received a letter from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday morning announcing the decision to cancel the submarine deal.

French officials then decided to reach out to the US administration “to ask what was going on,” he said. He added that discussions with Washington took place just two to three hours before Biden’s public announcement.

Le Drian on Thursday expressed “total incomprehension” at the move and criticised both Australia and the US.

“It was really a stab in the back. We built a relationship of trust with Australia, and this trust was betrayed,” he said. “This is not done between allies.”

He also compared US President Joe Biden’s move to those of his predecessor, Donald Trump, under Trump’s “America First” doctrine.

Paris had raised the issue of the Indo-Pacific strategy during the June 25 visit to Paris of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, expressing the importance of its submarine programme with Australia, the diplomat said.

“We said that it was for us a very important and critical component in our Indo-Pacific strategy,” he said. Blinken met with Macron during the visit.

The French diplomat said Australia never mentioned to France before its will to shift to nuclear-powered submarines, including during a meeting between Macron and Morrison in Paris on June 15.

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2021-09-17 20:37:30Z
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BREAKING: US drone strike in Kabul 'a mistake' - Sky News

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2021-09-17 20:42:59Z
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