World

Thailand confirms first Asian case of new Mpox strain

Published

4 weeks ago

August 23, 2024

editor

Thailand has announced its first confirmed case of a new, potentially deadlier strain of Mpox – the first in Asia, and second outside of Africa.

According to Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, the infected 66-year-old European man arrived in Bangkok from an unnamed African country on 14 August.

He began displaying symptoms the next day, and immediately went to hospital. It has since been confirmed he had contracted Mpox, and in particular the strain known as Clade 1b.

At least 450 people have died from Mpox in an outbreak centred in the Democratic Republic of Congo which started last year.

It has since spread to a number of nearby countries – including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, all of which were previously unaffected by Mpox.

Now a more worrying strain of Mpox called Clade 1b has been identified in the east of the DRC, which is being spread along the border and into neighbouring countries.

Sweden was the first place outside of the African continent to confirm a case of Clade 1b a week ago. The infected man had also recently travelled to an unnamed African country, Sweden’s public health ministry said at the time.

The infection in Thailand is the first confirmed case of Clade 1b in Asia.

Mpox is transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person – but it is nowhere near as infectious as other viruses like Covid and measles.

But the spread of the new variant and its high fatality rate in parts of Africa has sparked concern among scientists, and led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a public health emergency of international concern.

Outbreaks can be controlled by spreading awareness of the disease, tracking close contacts and preventing infections with vaccines, though these are usually only available for people at risk or those who have been in close contact with an infected person.

Vaccines in Africa are in short supply, but there are plans for millions of doses to arrive in the DRC in the next week or so.

In Thailand, the Department of Disease Control has tracked down some 43 patients who were sitting in the rows near the unidentified man, and those who met him after he landed.

They will all be monitored for 21 days.

Thailand is also requiring people travelling from 42 “risk countries” to test on arrival.

Mpox causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. For most people, it’s a mild illness but it can be fatal.

The new strain spreading in central Africa is thought to be more deadly than previous ones – with four in 100 cases leading to death. Mpox is most common in the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa and there are thousands of infections every year.

Another strain – Clade 2 – which is far milder, caused a global public health emergency in 2022. There are still cases of that Mpox strain in many countries.

(BBC News)

World

Hezbollah blames Israel after pager explosions injure thousands in Lebanon

Published

1 day ago

September 18, 2024

editor

Nine people, including a child, have been killed after handheld pagers used by members of the armed group Hezbollah to communicate exploded across Lebanon, the country’s health minister says.

Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was among 2,800 other people who were wounded by the simultaneous blasts in Beirut and several other regions.

Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, said the pagers belonged “to employees of various Hezbollah units and institutions” and confirmed the deaths of eight fighters.

The group blamed Israel for what it called “this criminal aggression” and vowed that it would get “just retribution”. The Israeli military declined to comment.

Hours before the explosions, Israel’s security cabinet said stopping Hezbollah attacks on the north of the country to allow the safe return of displaced residents was an official war goal.

There have been almost daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since the day after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on 7 October.

Hezbollah has said it is acting in support of the Iran-backed Palestinian group. Both are proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK and other countries.

The UN’s spokesman said the latest developments in Lebanon were “extremely concerning, especially given that this is taking place within a context that is extremely volatile”.

(BBC News)

World

Shanghai faces worst Typhoon in 75 years

Published

3 days ago

September 16, 2024

editor

Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in Shanghai and Zhejiang Province on Monday morning, prompting highway closures, bus suspensions, ship evacuations, and extensive emergency measures across the region.

According to the municipal meteorological authorities, Typhoon Bebinca is the most powerful typhoon to hit Shanghai since 1949.

On Sunday night, four district-level meteorological observatories in Shanghai elevated the orange alert to a red alert for Typhoon Bebinca, the 13th this year, as its intensity was estimated to be a strong typhoon.

In response, local authorities closed all highways across the city, reduced speed limits on urban expressways and overpasses to 40 km per hour, and suspended operations of ferris wheels at coastal resorts and bus operations in some areas.

More than 414,000 residents have been evacuated to safety and 810-plus ships have returned to ports.

Furthermore, the city’s two airports, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao Airport, have canceled all flights after 20:00 on Sunday.

Over 2,500 rescue teams, comprising 56,000-strong troubleshooters, are on standby for emergency response.

In neighboring Zhejiang Province, the typhoon has unleashed high gales and rainstorms along the coastline.

In the city of Zhoushan, the maritime affairs department has installed warning signs to advise all tourists and residents to stay clear of the coast areas. In addition, public security personnel were required to conduct round-the-clock patrols until the typhoon’s intensity subsides.

(CCTV +)

World

Trump rushed to safety after man spotted with rifle

Published

3 days ago

September 16, 2024

editor

Former President Donald Trump is safe following an apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf course, and a “potential suspect” is in custody, US authorities have confirmed.

Secret Service agents spotted the barrel of a rifle poking through some bushes and opened fire at him, officials said. The FBI said Trump was 300-500 yards (275 to 455m) away at the time.

An AK47-style firearm and scope, along with two backpacks and a GoPro camera, were later found at the scene.

A witness reported seeing the suspect running from some bushes and jumping into a black Nissan car after the agents had fired at him multiple times.

The witness took a picture of the vehicle and number plate and it was stopped later in Martin County, north of the club.

“We got a hold of Martin County Sheriff’s Office, alerted them, and they spotted the vehicle and pulled it over and detained the guy,” said Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County.

“After that, we took the witness that witnessed the incident, flew him up there and he identified as the person that he saw running out of the bushes, that jumped into the car,” the sheriff told a news briefing.

In an email to his supporters, Trump said he was “safe and well”.

“Nothing will slow me down,” he wrote. “I will never surrender!”

The incident comes almost exactly two months after a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, striking his ear.

The Secret Service confirmed in a post on X that they were investigating a “protective incident” involving Trump that took place shortly before 14:00 EST (19:00 BST) on Sunday.

(BBC News)