World | Common News Update

May212018 by adminNo Comments

Congo reports one new Ebola death, prepares for vaccinations

May 20 (UPI) -- The Democratic Republic of Congo's health ministry announced a new death in the Ebola outbreak Sunday, as the city of Mbandaka prepares to administer vaccinations. A total of 26 people have died in Congo's Equateur province since the outbreak began and four new cases of Ebola virus have been confirmed by the country's health ministry. There have been 46 total cases of the hemorrhagic fever reported, including 21 confirmed cases of Ebola, 21 probable cases and four suspected cases. Health authorities plan to begin administering vaccines in Mbandaka, which is home to 1.2 million people, on Monday in an attempt to "ringfence" the outbreak and keep it from spreading. About 4,000 doses of the vaccine have been delivered to the country and officials said more are expected to ar...

May202018 by adminNo Comments

The fight to leave the 'open air prison' of Gaza

World

Uniformed officials scream at a desperate group of men and women trying to force their way into an indoor football stadium in the Gaza town of Rafah on the border with Egypt. The men and women are desperate because they have effectively won the lottery - a chance to leave Gaza for Egypt - and they do not want to miss the bus. And it is literally a bus.Tens of thousands of people are waiting for their names to be called for travel. But their numbers will be pitifully small. A few hundred people are waiting today but most of them won't cross.The crossing to Egypt was closed for 329 days last year. It is open now for Ramadan, a gesture by the Egyptian government after the violence here in recent weeks, but it is only for a few. Image: ...

May202018 by adminNo Comments

WHO: Congo Ebola not a global health emergency

World

May 19 (UPI) -- Two more cases of Ebola have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo city of Mbandaka, bringing the total to three. Despite more breakouts, The World Health Organization on Friday said the crisis being labeled an international health emergency is not warranted. The new cases of Ebola in the Congo take the number of suspected infections to 43, according to the health minister. Outbreaks were previously reported in remote areas. Friday's meeting was called because Mbandaka is a sprawling city of 1.2 million people, and also because the city sits on the banks of the Congo River and is a major trade thoroughfare. Nine neighboring countries, including Congo-Brazzaville and Central African Republic, have been advised they are at high risk of spread for the disease, a...

May192018 by adminNo Comments

China lands nuclear bombers on South China Sea island

World

May 19 (UPI) -- The Chinese military landed a strategic bomber for the first time Saturday on an island reef in the South China Sea, something the U.S. Department of Defense said is raising tension and destabilizing the region. A Chinese state news agency said the People's Liberation Army Air Force sent the bombers to conduct drills in its "southern waters." Several bombers, including the advanced H-6K, was conducting take-off and landing drills on an island reef. The Communist Party of China, People's Daily, shared a video on social media of the drills. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said the H-6K has a combat radius that could cover the entire South China sea. "Nearly all of the Philippines falls within the radius of the bombers, including Manila and all five Philippine mili...

May192018 by adminNo Comments

Ecuadorian Embassy in Britain scales back security for Assange

World

May 18 (UPI) -- Ecuador announced on Friday it will remove extra security at its British embassy, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has received asylum since 2012. The country's National Communications Secretariat said the embassy will have "normal security similar to Ecuador's embassies in the world." The announcement follows a change in Ecuador's political leadership, with the election of President Lenin Moreno in 2017. It was also revealed this week that Ecuador spent $ 5 million protecting Assange by monitoring visitors, embassy personnel and British police. The operation to house and protect Assange was supported by former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. In March, Assange's Internet connection at the embassy was withdrawn to prevent him from interfering in other countries' ...