International
Omicron rapidly dominating in South Africa; U.S. reports first case
Heavily mutated Omicron is rapidly becoming the dominant variant of the coronavirus in South Africa less than four weeks after it was first detected there, and the United States on Wednesday became the latest country to identify an Omicron case within its borders.
The first known U.S. case was a fully vaccinated person in California who returned to the United States from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive seven days later.
The person had mild symptoms and was in self-quarantine, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, told reporters at the White House.
Late on Tuesday, airlines in the United States were told to hand over the names of passengers arriving from parts of southern Africa hit by Omicron, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention letter seen by Reuters.
Key questions remain about the new variant, which has been found in two dozen countries, including Spain, Canada, Britain, Austria and Portugal. The UAE reported its first case on Wednesday, the second Gulf country after Saudi Arabia.
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| Photo: Reuters |
Early indications suggesting Omicron may be markedly more contagious than previous variants have rattled financial markets, fearful that new restrictions could choke off a tentative recovery from the economic ravages of the pandemic.
South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said early epidemiological data suggested Omicron was able to evade some immunity, but existing vaccines should still protect against severe disease and death.
It said 74% of all the virus genomes it had sequenced last month had been of the new variant, which was first found in a sample taken on Nov. 8 in Gauteng, South Africa’s most populous province.
The number of new cases reported in South Africa doubled from Tuesday to Wednesday.
World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist Maria van Kerkhove told a briefing that data on how contagious Omicron was should be available “within days.”
BioNTech’s CEO said the vaccine it makes in a partnership with Pfizer was likely to offer strong protection against severe disease from Omicron.
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| Pedestrians wearing protective masks, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, make their way at the Ameyoko shopping district in Tokyo, Japan, December 1, 2021. Photo: Reuters |
‘Prepare for the worst’
The president of the European Union’s executive body said there was a “race against time” to stave off the new variant while scientists establish how dangerous it is. The EU brought forward the start of its vaccine rollout for 5-to-11-year-olds by a week to Dec. 13.
“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told a news conference.
She said that full vaccination and a booster shot provided the strongest possible protection, according to scientists – a view echoed by Fauci.
But WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan criticized developed countries pushing booster shots for large parts of their fully vaccinated populations when vulnerable people in many poorer regions have had no vaccination at all.
“There is no evidence that I’m aware of that will suggest that boosting the entire population is going to necessarily provide any greater protection for otherwise healthy individuals against hospitalization or death,” he said.
Britain and the United States have both expanded their booster programs in response to the new variant.
The WHO has noted many times that the coronavirus will keep producing new variants for as long as it is allowed to circulate freely in large unvaccinated populations.
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| Passengers wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), walk at a subway station in Hong Kong, China December 1, 2021. Photo: Reuters |
Travel restrictions
Some 56 countries were reportedly implementing travel measures to guard against Omicron as of Nov. 28, the WHO said.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slammed what he called “travel apartheid.”
“Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,” the WHO said, while advising those who were unwell, at risk, or 60 years and over and unvaccinated to postpone travel.
The United States has barred nearly all foreigners who have been in one of eight southern African countries.
Hong Kong added Japan, Portugal and Sweden to its travel restrictions. Malaysia temporarily barred travelers from eight African countries and said Britain and the Netherlands could join the list.
Fitch Ratings said it lowered its global air passenger traffic forecasts for 2021 and 2022.
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| A person wearing a face mask shops, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in London, Britain, November 30, 2021. Photo: Reuters |
“It feels a little bit like we are back to where we were a year ago,” said Deidre Fulton, a partner at consultancy MIDAS Aviation, at an industry webinar. “And that’s not a great prospect for the industry and beyond.”
Wall Street’s major averages fell more than 1% on Wednesday, erasing morning gains, on investor angst over the first U.S. case, along with concerns about inflation. Crude oil prices also fell.
Fauci said it could take two weeks or more to gain insight into how easily the variant spreads from person to person, how severe the disease is that it causes, and whether it can bypass the protections provided by the vaccines currently available.
“We don’t have enough information right now,” said Fauci, adding that the variant’s molecular profile “suggests that it might be more transmissible, and that it might elude some of the protection of vaccines. … We have to be prepared that there’s going to be a diminution in protection.”
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/international/20211202/omicron-rapidly-dominating-in-south-africa-us-reports-first-case/64492.html
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unhurt after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday, domestic media reported.
A loud explosion was heard, but the premier took cover and was unharmed while police subdued a man at the scene, public broadcaster NHK said. There were no injuries, NHK said, citing police.
“Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue,” Kishida said when he resumed his campaign speeches, in video broadcast by NHK. “I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together.”
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader of modern Japan, was assassinated with a homemade gun last July while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking the nation and prompting a review of security for politicians, who routinely press the flesh with the public.
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| Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends his outdoor speech at Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama,Wakayama Prefecture, south-western Japan April 15, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Photo: Reuters |
By-elections in various regions for the lower house of Japan’s parliament are to be held on April 23.
The incident late on Saturday morning incident occurred at the Saikazaki fishing harbour in Wakayama prefecture, some 65 km (40 miles) southwest of Osaka city.
Kishida was being served local speciality seafood just before the explosion, media reported. News video showed Kishida looking behind him in surprise as shouts filled the area.
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| A man, believed to be a suspect who threw a pipe-like object near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his outdoor speech, is held by police officers at Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, south-western Japan April 15, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Photo: Reuters |
A man identified by the Asahi newspaper as a staffer of the fishery cooperative grabbed a young man in a headlock as police swarmed the suspect and dragged him to the ground. Moments later, an explosion and cloud of smoke could be seen near where Kishida had been standing.
NHK video showed the thrown object, which appeared to be a metal cylinder.
NHK footage showed crowds running away as several police officers appeared to pin a man to the ground before removing him from the scene. The man appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, media said.
A representative of Wakayama’s prefectural police headquarters told Reuters he could not answer questions about the incident. Police arrested a 24-year old male suspect from Kawanishi city, Kyodo reported.
A woman on the scene told NHK that she saw an object flying overhead and “it gave me a bad feeling, so we ran away unbelievably fast. Then we heard a really loud noise. It made my daughter cry.”
Kishida is to host a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima next month. Japan’s foreign ministry said after the incident there would be no change to the security plan for a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting starting on Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa.
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| A man, believed to be a suspect who threw a pipe-like object near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his outdoor speech, is held by police officers at Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, south-western Japan April 15, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Photo: Reuters |
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| A man, believed to be a suspect who threw a pipe-like object near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his outdoor speech, is held by police officers at Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, south-western Japan April 15, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Photo: Reuters |
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unhurt after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday, domestic media reported.
A loud explosion was heard, but the premier took cover and was unharmed while police subdued a man at the scene, public broadcaster NHK said. There were no injuries, NHK said, citing police.
“Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue,” Kishida said when he resumed his campaign speeches, in video broadcast by NHK. “I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together.”
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader of modern Japan, was assassinated with a homemade gun last July while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking the nation and prompting a review of security for politicians, who routinely press the flesh with the public.
|
| Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends his outdoor speech at Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama,Wakayama Prefecture, south-western Japan April 15, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Photo: Reuters |
By-elections in various regions for the lower house of Japan’s parliament are to be held on April 23.
The incident late on Saturday morning incident occurred at the Saikazaki fishing harbour in Wakayama prefecture, some 65 km (40 miles) southwest of Osaka city.
Kishida was being served local speciality seafood just before the explosion, media reported. News video showed Kishida looking behind him in surprise as shouts filled the area.
|
| A man, believed to be a suspect who threw a pipe-like object near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his outdoor speech, is held by police officers at Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, south-western Japan April 15, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Photo: Reuters |
A man identified by the Asahi newspaper as a staffer of the fishery cooperative grabbed a young man in a headlock as police swarmed the suspect and dragged him to the ground. Moments later, an explosion and cloud of smoke could be seen near where Kishida had been standing.
NHK video showed the thrown object, which appeared to be a metal cylinder.
NHK footage showed crowds running away as several police officers appeared to pin a man to the ground before removing him from the scene. The man appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, media said.
A representative of Wakayama’s prefectural police headquarters told Reuters he could not answer questions about the incident. Police arrested a 24-year old male suspect from Kawanishi city, Kyodo reported.
A woman on the scene told NHK that she saw an object flying overhead and “it gave me a bad feeling, so we ran away unbelievably fast. Then we heard a really loud noise. It made my daughter cry.”
Kishida is to host a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima next month. Japan’s foreign ministry said after the incident there would be no change to the security plan for a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting starting on Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa.
|
| A man, believed to be a suspect who threw a pipe-like object near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his outdoor speech, is held by police officers at Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, south-western Japan April 15, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Photo: Reuters |
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| A man, believed to be a suspect who threw a pipe-like object near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his outdoor speech, is held by police officers at Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, south-western Japan April 15, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Photo: Reuters |
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/international/20230415/japan-pm-kishida-evacuated-unhurt-after-explosion-at-speech-media/72648.html
At least four people died and 13 were injured in a fire at a shelter for children and adolescents in Northeastern Brazil on Friday, the local fire department said.
Firemen were called to fight a fire at the Lar Paulo de Tarso charity institution in Recife, capital of the Pernambuco state, at around 4:20 a.m.
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| A mattress is seen behind a civil defence tape outside Lar Paulo de Tarso shelter for children, after a deadly fire in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil April 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters |
A boy and a woman died at the site of the fire, the firemen said, while the other two victims died on the way to the hospital.
Recife Mayor Joao Campos offered his condolences on social media.
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| Lar Paulo de Tarso shelter for children is seen with civil defence tape after a deadly fire in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil April 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters |
“The moment is one of pain and solidarity. … The NGO has been providing shelter to children and adolescents in situations of social risk for more than 30 years. We remain mobilized to provide full support in this very difficult time,” he said on Twitter.
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| A burned area is seen after a deadly fire at Lar Paulo de Tarso shelter for children in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil April 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters |
Governor of Pernambuco Raquel Lyra also took to Twitter to mourn the tragedy.
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| A burned area is seen after a deadly fire at Lar Paulo de Tarso shelter for children in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil April 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters |
“Pernambuco is in mourning with what happened this early morning in Recife. … Firefighters and police are already working, as well as our health teams. I leave here my condolences to the families of the victims in this moment of pain,” Lyra said.
At least four people died and 13 were injured in a fire at a shelter for children and adolescents in Northeastern Brazil on Friday, the local fire department said.
Firemen were called to fight a fire at the Lar Paulo de Tarso charity institution in Recife, capital of the Pernambuco state, at around 4:20 a.m.
|
| A mattress is seen behind a civil defence tape outside Lar Paulo de Tarso shelter for children, after a deadly fire in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil April 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters |
A boy and a woman died at the site of the fire, the firemen said, while the other two victims died on the way to the hospital.
Recife Mayor Joao Campos offered his condolences on social media.
|
| Lar Paulo de Tarso shelter for children is seen with civil defence tape after a deadly fire in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil April 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters |
“The moment is one of pain and solidarity. … The NGO has been providing shelter to children and adolescents in situations of social risk for more than 30 years. We remain mobilized to provide full support in this very difficult time,” he said on Twitter.
|
| A burned area is seen after a deadly fire at Lar Paulo de Tarso shelter for children in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil April 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters |
Governor of Pernambuco Raquel Lyra also took to Twitter to mourn the tragedy.
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| A burned area is seen after a deadly fire at Lar Paulo de Tarso shelter for children in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil April 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters |
“Pernambuco is in mourning with what happened this early morning in Recife. … Firefighters and police are already working, as well as our health teams. I leave here my condolences to the families of the victims in this moment of pain,” Lyra said.
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/international/20230415/fire-in-a-children-s-shelter-in-brazil-leaves-at-least-4-dead-13-injured/72646.html
LIMA — Archaeologists in the Peruvian Andes have discovered an Inca bathing complex built half a millennia ago, which they believe may have served the elite of the sprawling empire that once dominated large swathes of South America.
Found near the “House of the Inca” in the Huanuco Pampa archaeological zone in central Peru, local archaeologists believe that the bath may have served a religious purpose for high-ranking members of the Inca empire, which 500 years ago extended from southern Ecuador to the center of Chile.
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| The remains of an ancient ceremonial Inca bathroom, discovered in a sector known as Inkawasi (House of the Inca), at the archaeological site Huanuco Pampa, are pictured in Huanuco, Peru April 5, 2023. Peru Culture Ministry/Handout via Reuters |
Luis Paredes Sanchez, project manager at Huanuco Pampa, said the structure was similar to “more hierarchical, restricted and sacred spaces within the Inca administrative centers, because rather than having a utilitarian or hygienic function, they also served for religious functions and worshiping ancestors.”
The “finely carved” bath averages some two-meters in depth, with independent pools and spillways and a central passage taking water into a drainage duct that divides the room into two small platforms, or “benches” for the Inca, Peru’s culture ministry said in a statement.
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| Archaeologists work in the remains of an ancient ceremonial Inca bathroom, discovered in a sector known as Inkawasi (House of the Inca), at the archaeological site Huanuco Pampa, in Huanuco, Peru March 20, 2023. Peru Culture Ministry/Handout via Reuters |
The Huanuco Pampa archaeological site is part of the Qhapaq Nan project, a complex 25,000-kilometer-long road network that linked Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The road system was declared a World Heritage Site in 2014.
Peru is home to hundreds of archaeological sites across the country, including the Machu Picchu citadel in the Inca capital of Cusco, and the Nasca lines, massive designs drawn in Ica’s coastal desert region over 1,500 years ago.
LIMA — Archaeologists in the Peruvian Andes have discovered an Inca bathing complex built half a millennia ago, which they believe may have served the elite of the sprawling empire that once dominated large swathes of South America.
Found near the “House of the Inca” in the Huanuco Pampa archaeological zone in central Peru, local archaeologists believe that the bath may have served a religious purpose for high-ranking members of the Inca empire, which 500 years ago extended from southern Ecuador to the center of Chile.
|
| The remains of an ancient ceremonial Inca bathroom, discovered in a sector known as Inkawasi (House of the Inca), at the archaeological site Huanuco Pampa, are pictured in Huanuco, Peru April 5, 2023. Peru Culture Ministry/Handout via Reuters |
Luis Paredes Sanchez, project manager at Huanuco Pampa, said the structure was similar to “more hierarchical, restricted and sacred spaces within the Inca administrative centers, because rather than having a utilitarian or hygienic function, they also served for religious functions and worshiping ancestors.”
The “finely carved” bath averages some two-meters in depth, with independent pools and spillways and a central passage taking water into a drainage duct that divides the room into two small platforms, or “benches” for the Inca, Peru’s culture ministry said in a statement.
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| Archaeologists work in the remains of an ancient ceremonial Inca bathroom, discovered in a sector known as Inkawasi (House of the Inca), at the archaeological site Huanuco Pampa, in Huanuco, Peru March 20, 2023. Peru Culture Ministry/Handout via Reuters |
The Huanuco Pampa archaeological site is part of the Qhapaq Nan project, a complex 25,000-kilometer-long road network that linked Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The road system was declared a World Heritage Site in 2014.
Peru is home to hundreds of archaeological sites across the country, including the Machu Picchu citadel in the Inca capital of Cusco, and the Nasca lines, massive designs drawn in Ica’s coastal desert region over 1,500 years ago.
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/international/20230415/peruvian-archaeologists-unearth-500yearold-inca-ceremonial-bath/72645.html
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