The Princess of Wales has spoken of her relief at completing her course of chemotherapy, in a highly personal video released by Kensington Palace.

Catherine revealed in March that she was undergoing cancer treatment and has been out of sight of the public for much of this year.

She will be carrying out a few engagements this year, which could include Remembrance events in November and her annual Christmas carol concert.

But in an emotional video message she says this year has been “incredibly tough” and “that life as you know it can change in an instant”.

This latest update on Catherine’s health sends a positive message about her progress, but there is a long road still to go.

Kensington Palace has indicated it is not possible at this stage to say whether she is cancer-free.

The princess describes the “stormy waters” of her experience of cancer as “complex, scary and unpredictable”.

“With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything,” says the princess, in an unusually personal video filmed last month in Norfolk.

The video, shot in autumnal colours, suggests how pleased she is to have completed this stage of her treatment.

“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” she says, seen driving and walking with her family.

The princess is expected to return for a “handful” of visits later this year, perhaps including the annual Remembrance service at the Cenotaph.

But palace sources also emphasise that there is still a long way to a full return and that the princess will make her health her main focus for the next few months.

“My path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she says.

She says despite the tough times her experience has given her a “renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life”.

Catherine has been in recovery and away from public duties for much of what has been a difficult year.

Her health problems began in January when she was in hospital for an unspecified type of abdominal surgery.

A cancer diagnosis was then revealed by the princess in March, with a video message saying that she was undergoing treatment and would need privacy while she recovered.

Catherine described it as a “huge shock” after an “incredibly tough couple of months”.

Her first public appearance of the year came at Trooping the Colour in June, when she waved from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Ahead of that appearance the princess had issued a personal statement of cautious optimism, announcing her return but saying she was “not out of the woods yet” and had “good days and bad days” with her cancer treatment.

Her most recent appearance was in July when she was given a standing ovation at Wimbledon when she attended the men’s singles final.

(BBC News)

A busy bridge in northern Vietnam has collapsed in the wake of super typhoon Yagi, plunging 10 cars and two scooters into the Red River, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc said on Monday.

At least three people have so far been rescued and 13 are missing after the Phong Chau bridge in Phu Tho province collapsed, Mr Ho added. It is unclear if there have been any deaths.

Part of the 375-metre (1230 feet) structure is still standing, and the military has been instructed to build a pontoon bridge as soon as possible.

Yagi, Asia’s most powerful storm this year, has killed more than 60 people since it made landfall in Vietnam on Saturday, bringing strong winds of up to 203 km/h (126 mph).

In the days since, the storm has wreaked havoc in northern Vietnam.

At least 44 victims were killed by landslides and flash floods, the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Monday – a 68-year-old woman, a one-year-old boy and a newborn baby among them.

More than 240 people have been injured, while some 1.5 million are still without power.

The typhoon also tore roofs from buildings and uprooted trees.

Although it has weakened into a tropical depression, authorities have warned of more flooding and landslides as the storm moves westwards.

In the Yen Bai province, flood waters reached a metre (three feet) high on Monday, with 2,400 families moved to higher ground as the water levels rose, AFP news agency reported.

Yagi also sunk and swept adrift dozens of fishing boats. On Sunday, search and rescue personnel found 27 people drifting at sea after a dozen fishermen were reported missing.

Nearly 50,000 people have been evacuated from coastal towns in Vietnam, with authorities issuing a warning to remain indoors.

Schools were temporarily closed in 12 northern provinces, including Hanoi.

Before hitting Vietnam, Yagi left 24 people dead across southern China and the Philippines.

Scientists say typhoons and hurricanes are becoming stronger, more frequent and staying over land for longer due to climate change. Warmer ocean waters mean storms pick up more energy, which leads to higher wind speeds.

A warmer atmosphere also holds more moisture, which can lead to more intense rainfall.

(BBC News)

A young man in India who had recently returned from a country experiencing an Mpox (monkeypox) outbreak, has been identified as the first suspected Mpox case in India.

He is symptomatic but stable, with samples taken to confirm infection.

Authorities have initiated contact tracing and are managing the case according to established protocols to identify sources and assess the impact within India.

This situation aligns with the earlier risk assessment by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Officials stress there is no cause for alarm, stating, “the country is well-prepared to handle isolated travel-related cases.” They also asserted that robust measures are in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed between humans through close physical contact. It can sometimes be deadly, causing fever, muscular aches, and large boil-like skin lesions.

The World Health Organization declared an international emergency on August 14 due to a surge in cases of the Clade 1b strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which then spread to nearby countries. A vaccination campaign against Mpox in Congo will begin on October 2.

(Excerpts : TOI)