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New York Times
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Dispatches From Afghanistan Show How the U.S. Lost Its Way — and the War
TO LOSE A WAR: The Fall and Rise of the Taliban, by Jon Lee Anderson In one of the final scenes of Mike Nichols's 2007 movie 'Charlie Wilson's War,' Representative Charlie Wilson of Texas, played by Tom Hanks, pleads with his colleagues to approve reconstruction money for Afghanistan. The country's mujahedeen, backed by the C.I.A., had by this point defeated the Soviets after a long and bloody war over the course of the 1980s. American policymakers were ready to move on and Wilson, begging for one one-thousandth of the sum the U.S. government had recently appropriated to fight its secret war, says: 'This is what we always do. We always go in with our ideals and we change the world and then we leave. We always leave. But that ball though, it keeps on bouncing.' Jon Lee Anderson's 'To Lose a War: The Fall and Rise of the Taliban' follows the bouncing ball. One of this country's pre-eminent war correspondents, Anderson covered Afghanistan for more than two decades as a reporter for The New Yorker; this collection of his dispatches, all but one published in the magazine, spans that time, beginning in 2001, shortly after the assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leader of the U.S.-affiliated Northern Alliance, and ending in late 2021, with a grim portrait of Afghanistan's myriad challenges — from crippling drought and economic collapse to political feuds — in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal. In his preface, Anderson characterizes Afghanistan as 'more of a battleground of history' than 'a nation.' The early chapters deal with the rise of American power in Afghanistan in the aughts, as well as the Taliban's precipitate fall in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Weeks after those attacks, Anderson traveled to Kabul at an inflection point. The Taliban were on the run. Osama bin Laden was on the loose. And the country stood on the cusp of a promising future unimaginable only weeks before. In those heady days, Anderson interviewed Ghulam Sarwar Akbari, a former Afghan communist who, like Wilson in Nichols's movie, blames U.S. disengagement after the Soviet defeat for Afghanistan becoming a terrorist haven: 'After the Soviets left, and the mujahedeen were victorious, America, instead of helping them to create a good government, forgot about Afghanistan. America shouldn't have done this.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'80s Funk Icon, 72, Dazzles With Rare Red Carpet Appearance
'80s Funk Icon, 72, Dazzles With Rare Red Carpet Appearance originally appeared on Parade. Charlie Wilson just proved that being cool is simply part of his DNA. On June 9, 2025, the 25th annual BET Awards lit up the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and among the evening's most anticipated appearances was that of the R&B/funk legend. Known for his timeless style and charismatic presence, Wilson, 72, did not disappoint, delivering a rare and unforgettable red carpet moment. For the star-studded event, the former lead singer of The Gap Band—affectionately known as 'Uncle Charlie'—arrived in a striking ensemble that blended classic sophistication with contemporary flair. He wore a tailored black tuxedo adorned with shimmering metallic patterns, catching the light with every movement. His look was complemented by a crisp white shirt and a black bow tie, exuding the polished elegance befitting a music icon. Adding his usual finishing touch, the "Outstanding" artist sported sleek sunglasses, completing his look for the dazzling night out. On social media, the legendary musician noted that he was attending the function in support of Snoop Dogg, who received an Ultimate Icon award, in addition to Mariah Carey, Kirk Franklin, and Jamie Foxx. "Honored to be here supporting my nephew @snoopdogg@bosslady_ent 💙," the "Charlie, Last Name Wilson" crooner commented on an Instagram post shared by BET, in which he was seen posing alongside Snoop's wife, Shante Broadus.'80s Funk Icon, 72, Dazzles With Rare Red Carpet Appearance first appeared on Parade on Jun 10, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Business Wire
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Soul Beach Music Festival Will Return to St. Maarten Next Week After 30 Years
SIMPSON BAY, St. Maarten--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The St. Maarten Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications (TEATT), Port St. Maarten Group and Princess Juliana International Airport are proud to welcome Soul Beach Music Festival back to St. Maarten next week, decades after its inception on the island. The iconic Soul Beach Music Festival is returning to its roots May 21-26, to celebrate its 23rd anniversary with performances by award-winning artists including Charlie Wilson, Muni Long, Cedric the Entertainer and more. Soul Beach Music Festival originated in St. Maarten as Sinbad Soul Music Festival in 1995 - as an HBO special - before relocating to Miami and then Aruba. Since then, the festival has evolved into a multi-day experience, bringing together residents and visitors for a vibrant celebration of culture and entertainment with iconic artists performances throughout the years, including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Usher and Earth, Wind & Fire. By returning to its native soil in this full-circle moment, Soul Beach Music Festival's goal is to support the island's local economy by encouraging visitors to explore the wonders of St. Maarten. With venues spread across the island, festival goers will get a taste of St. Maarten's vibrant soul, from its pristine beaches, world-class cuisine, and blend of immersive experiences. Mark Adkins, CEO and executive producer of Soul Beach Festival, said, 'This year is both a nostalgic tribute to our past and an inspiring glimpse into the future for our many newbies, fueled by the energy that is St. Maarten.' 'The return of the Soul Beach Music Festival is a significant milestone for St. Maarten, reinforcing our island's status as a premier destination. What began with about 60% room capacity has now grown to 85–100% occupancy island-wide — a clear sign that we've not only revived the festival, but elevated it. This event boosts economic growth, supports local businesses, and brings together visitors and residents for a safe, vibrant celebration of culture and entertainment. Hosting Soul Beach so many years after its inception right here in St. Maarten is both nostalgic and meaningful — and I am proud to say: mission accomplished,' said Grisha Heyliger-Marten, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication. Additional sponsors for the festival include Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, Oceans at Divi Little Bay, JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort Casino & Spa, Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, Simpson Bay Resort Marina & Spa, The Morgan Resort & Spa, Oyster Bay Beach Resort, Jennifer's Vacation Rentals and Hertz. For more information, please visit and follow @SoulBeachMusic. About St. Maarten The charismatic, intercultural Caribbean island nation of St. Maarten welcomes curious visitors inspired to renew their passion for life via nature-immersive, wellness, and experiential travel opportunities. Occupying the southern part of the island it shares with French overseas territory Saint Martin, the beloved, Dutch-owned Caribbean destination offers inspirited travelers one of the region's most diverse menus of intercultural experiences -- a coveted hub where quintessential island vibes meet incomparable Caribbean cosmopolitan flair -- inclusive of the color-laden capital of Philipsburg, serene lagoons, 37 sundry beaches, fascinating salt pans, and beyond. From the snorkeler to the shopper, from the surfer to the foodie, from the thrill seeker to the history enthusiast, in St. Maarten, all lifestyles find their place under the sun. For more information, please visit
Otago Daily Times
07-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to the Editor: hospital beds, Kaikorai stream, Census
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including plan to reduce hospital beds for elderly, Kaikorai stream and Census stats. Reduction in beds will add to aged care crisis The decision by the current government to significantly reduce dementia and psychogeriatric capacity in the new Dunedin hospital will add to the growing crisis for care of the elderly in Otago and Southland. For decades, aged residential care facilities have provided a ''moat'' around the public health system, protecting hospitals from a major influx of long-term elderly patients, with public hospitals dealing only with the overflow. This moat is now rapidly disappearing. Demand for aged care is rising as baby-boomers move through to later stages of life, but a broken government funding system means aged residential care is failing to keep up with demand. The sector has become increasingly less viable, and no new conventional aged care capacity is being built. Growing demand will not be met by the aged residential care sector, and the public hospital system will provide even less of a backstop. Residents and families seeking appropriate dementia and psychogeriatric care will struggle to access the services they deserve. It is disgraceful that our seniors, who have contributed so much to the communities we enjoy today, will pay the price for inept decision-making and lack of insight. Malcolm Hendry Chief executive, Birchleigh Residential Care Centre Actions and inaction In your Saturday edition (ODT 3.5.25) the Prime Minister says ''six years of a Labour government of utter inaction didn't deliver a single thing for the people of Dunedin on the Dunedin Hospital''. Has he not seen the all but completed out patients building that was initiated and nearly all built during the Labour government's term? It is good that the National-led government is carrying on with the build, but why did the PM have to lie? Was it a diversion to cover their cutting back of the bed numbers? Charlie Wilson Green Island Health Minister Simeon Brown has said the new hospital would open with 351 inpatient beds, 59 fewer than originally proposed, but with capacity to expand to 404 beds over time. - Editor. Vaping and health I am an 81-year-old asthmatic. Moreover I also suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Research reveals that young people of 16 and 17 are vaping (ODT 3.5.25) and that this will result in them at that young age progressing from vaping to fully blown chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, their lives will be cut short by vaping. Brian Collins Petone Owl lovely What a lovely article about our native owl Maroon Pullover (ODT 2.5.25). Also known as morepork, the ruru was transported to Dunedin after being involved in a car accident in Fiordland. The good people at our Wildlife Hospital and Botanic Garden aviary nursed him back to health, allowing him to return home. What a feel good story - we need more of these. Gaye Ellis Waverley Restore natural streams like Kaikorai stream Thanks Mary Williams for your informative article ''Stream of Toxicity'' (ODT 3.5.25). Shame on all polluters of Kaikorai stream and best wishes to Aroha/Love Kaikorai Valley Trust (AKV). That AKV are working to restore Kaikorai stream back to providing life for macroinvertebrates, insects, fish, eels and birds is great. Why doesn't the Dunedin City Council remove the fence, opening the stream side path between Donald St and Townleys Rd, enabling walking there? Wouldn't it be good to be able to walk beside this and other streams and rivers in Otago? Many enjoy being part of nature, getting outside into our wonderful environment. Thanks to all who help restore natural systems in public spaces. Lynne Stewart Clyde The silent type Interesting to see Doug Hall's response to the planting of a few trees along the edge of the Kaikorai stream by the property he owns. He said more in this article than he did in the whole nine years he was a councillor at the Dunedin City Council. Neville McLay Opoho Double counts confusing and far too broad I refer to an excellent expose by Hilary Calvert on the questions in the last census and a perplexing reply from Stats NZ (ODT 2.5.25) arguing why dual counting for mixed heritage is frankly OK, when it is arguably outside of the Census honesty requirement. The issue is not assisted by the Census question of ethnicity and the further collation of those who ticked Maori (366,015). Those who had further confirmed their ethnicity was actually Maori mixed with European and other non determined races (409,401) were then, to assist Stats NZ, lumped in with Maori as a predominant ethnicity which gives a distorted total of 887,493 or 17.8% of the population. Either Maori 7.4% - 366,015 or being part European/Maori 9.0% - 409,401 ethnicity or heritage should be what Census data and the government Budget appropriations apply funds to and not double dipping. This is definitely misleading towards inaccuracy. Surely in 2025 we are either born here or happy to be a resident in New Zealand and the minutiae of our differences is irrelevant. Basil Walker Queenstown In her letter explaining how Stats NZ uses ethnicity information, Kathy Connolly confuses the issue by claiming Asian and European are ethnicities. These are not ethnicities but broad geographical areas. It is ridiculous to suggest that people from Iraq and Korea are of the same ethnicity. Or that people from Greece are the same ethnicity as people from Iceland. It is estimated there are some 2000 ethnic groups in India, 600 in Indonesia. Apparently Stats NZ decided that using accurate ethnicities was too ''messy'' and so they lump together huge geographical groups which they then falsely claim to be ethnic groups with something in common. This enables the production of meaningless statistics such as the average life span of Asians in New Zealand. R Donaldson Dunedin Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Justin Bieber's cryptic message to wife Hailey sparks fan theories about their 'marriage woes'
Justin Bieber appears to be putting rumors of 'marriage woes' to rest after a cryptic show of support to his wife Hailey. On Tuesday, the troubled pop star shared a post of Hailey in her Met Gala look with the caption: 'Tell em uncle charlie'. The caption appeared to reference hip hop legend Charlie Wilson, whose song, There Goes My Baby, served as the background music for the post. Hailey, 28, attended the Met Gala without her husband, 31, who instead enjoyed a night watching hockey in Los Angeles. The post began with a snap of Hailey clad in a sexy LBD she wore to the style soiree (with her now famous martini in hand) followed by another one of her before the big event in another short dress. While the duo have been embroiled in rumors of marital strife as of late, the post may have assuaged fears for their relationship with fans happy to see the Baby singer supporting his wife. 'We love a supportive husband,' one fan gushed. 'Just a husband praising his WIFE,' one wrote. 'One thing Justin gon do is Stan tf out of his wife. Love to see it,' another posted. 'Now this is how you convince people you love your wife, keep this up,' one wrote posted. However there were also several cynics, with a few theorizing that Hailey had actually posted the photos herself from Justin's phone despite the duo being in separate locations. 'This girl really thinks we think Justin is posting this,' one wrote. 'I think she post it,' one wrote. 'every one knows.' 'hailey put justins phone down,' one posted. One fiercely stood up for the couple against those skeptical Hailey was behind the post: 'And justin and hailey are not in the same place, so this is definitely him. Cry haters.' Another accused Justin of doing the 'bare minimum' in the relationship by posting the photos. 'You can tell he's super happy and proud of her,' another posted, prompting one to reply, 'Or the complete opposite. And just trying to convince himself.' Not only did Justin post the photos of his wife to his main grid, he also shared oodles of snaps of Hailey at the gala to his Instagram Stories, along with a recent post she shared herself and a sexy snap of Hailey prepping for the bash from her Rhode Instagram account. Earlier Monday evening Hailey cut a somber figure as she made her return to the Met Gala without husband Justin, four years after she was heckled by fans of his ex, Selena Gomez. She looked stoic as she hit up the red carpet solo while flashing her legs in a Saint Laurent mini blazer dress. One said Bieber was doing the 'bare minimum' by sharing the post The mother-of-one paired her looked with platform peep toe heels and glittering jewelry while sporting heavy contour. The star was making her return to fashion's biggest night after a three year absence while husband Justin remained in LA and enjoyed a night of sports instead. He shared a video showing him relaxing at home while watching playoff hockey captioned: '1 down @mapleleafs.' There's heavy speculation that her brief absence from the Met Galas was due to the bullying she was rumored to have endured during the 2021 event. It was rumored that Bieber was crying on the 2021 Met Gala red carpet when she attended with Justin. The 'crying' was said to be brought on by fans heckling Bieber, chanting Selena Gomez's name at her. In fact, Bieber was allegedly so 'upset' that she kept her sunglasses on the entire night. Bieber, who later appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast revealed that while the chanting definitely bothered her, she wasn't exactly crying. 'I felt like I had something in my eye,' she said to Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper in an attempt to dismiss the speculation. And as for the sunglasses, she said it was always meant to be part of her look. Though she did note that the chanting she heard was 'disrespectful' to her and her relationship. But Bieber said she had a mantra that helped keep her grounded: 'Another day, another negative slay,' she told Cooper. Furthermore, swirling rumors have shrouded the state of Bieber's seven-year marriage to Hailey. The Biebers welcomed their first child, eight-month-old son Jack Blues Bieber, last summer. But fans have expressed concern for the couple due to their frosty public appearances. And a source revealed to earlier this year that the Rhode businesswoman's famous friends have allegedly urged her to split from Bieber. In March, Hailey appeared to unfollow her boyfriend on Instagram, sparking a frenzy among fans. But she took to TikTok to reveal what really happened, writing: 'It's a glitch. Didn't unfollow him. Hope this helps!' Yet, the mother-of-one made her return to the Met Gala alone Monday as she attended the spectacular of fashion for the first time since 2021 without her husband by her side.
