DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Ten Zika cases confirmed
The nation on Saturday said it has 10 confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the ailment suspected of causing serious birth defects in newborns. Dominican Minister of Health Altagracia Guzman said lab testing of samples sent to the US had confirmed Zika in 10 out of 27 suspected cases. “In light of this finding, it is imperative to adopt strict measures across the nation to prevent and contain this illness,” Guzman said. Zika has been linked to a birth defect known as microcephaly, when babies are born with malformed and abnormally small heads. It is also associated with a higher incidence of miscarriages. Proposed measures to contain the illness include stepped-up mosquito eradication, including eliminating standing water that can be breeding grounds for the insects.
NICARAGUA
apsized boat kills 13
A tourist boat carrying more than 30 people capsized in bad weather off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua on Saturday, killing 13 passengers, authorities said. Nicaraguan Navy Commander Mario Berrios said the dead were all Costa Rican nationals, who were traveling aboard the Reina del Caribe — Spanish for “Caribbean Queen.” The vessel went down amid rain and strong winds as it was ferrying between the Corn Islands, a popular tourist destination. Berrios said that of the 32 passengers on the boat, 25 were Costa Ricans, four were Americans and three were Nicaraguans. He added that most of the 13 dead were women. The other 19 passengers were rescued. “This is a great tragedy, truly painful, because they were our Costa Rican, Central American brothers and sisters, who were vacationing in the waters of the Nicaraguan Caribbean,” government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo told media portal El 19 Digital. Berrios said the boat’s captain and owner was detained because the vessel was not supposed to be sailing during the inclement weather that has been lashing the region for several days. “There was a warning that the weather conditions would be bad, but it appears that was ignored and this tragedy happened,” Berrios said.
DENMARK
Baboon on the loose
Police on Saturday warned the public not to approach a baboon on the loose after it escaped from a zoo in the country’s west. The primate, described as the size of an average dog, was still believed to be roaming the town of Esbjerg, close to Blavand Zoo, following its escape on Friday. “Do not try to catch it, but call the police,” police said on Twitter where they also posted a picture of the animal wandering along a road. Baboons, which can weigh up to 40kg, can become aggressive toward humans if hungry.
BEIRUT
Airstrikes leave 47 dead
At least 47 people, including nine children, have died in airstrikes believed to have been carried out by Russian warplanes on a town in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday. The raids on Khasham, near the city of Deir al-Zor, on Saturday were among a series of strikes that also hit two other town and others areas in the previous 48 hours, killing scores of people. Russian jets have been bombing around Deir al-Zor as Syrian pro-government forces clash with Islamic State group fighters, who control most of the province. The group has besieged remaining government-held areas of the city since March last year and last week launched new attacks.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was