Author: HeraldStar

Thousands of Tunisians took to the streets on Friday to protest against President Kais Saied, accusing him of attempting to rig the upcoming presidential election by detaining and intimidating his rivals. The massive march, one of the largest in two years, demonstrated the growing opposition to Saied’s rule, which began in 2021 when he started governing by decree, a move critics describe as a coup. The protesters chanted slogans such as “Out with dictator Saied” and “No fear, no terror, streets belong to the people,” expressing their discontent with the president’s actions. The electoral commission, whose members were appointed by…

Pope Francis has criticized both former US President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris over their stances on immigration and abortion, respectively. During a press conference on his flight back to Rome from Singapore, the pope stated that not welcoming migrants is a “grave” sin and likened having an abortion to an “assassination”. He urged US Catholics to “choose the lesser evil” when voting in November, without elaborating on who that might be. The pope’s comments came after a 12-day tour across Southeast Asia and Oceania, where he spoke to journalists about the upcoming US presidential election. Although he…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu on Saturday, where they discussed deepening strategic dialogue between the two countries. According to state media KCNA, they had a wide exchange of views on regional and international situations, and reached a satisfactory consensus on issues including cooperation to defend mutual safety interests. Kim emphasized that North Korea will continue to expand cooperation with Russia in accordance with the strategic partnership between the two countries. The meeting between Kim and Shoigu comes amid accusations from the United States, Ukraine, and independent analysts that North Korea is…

A joint US-Iraqi military operation on August 29 resulted in the deaths of 14 ISIS operatives, including four senior leaders, in Western Iraq. The US military disclosed the operation in August, revealing that seven military personnel were also injured during the raid. On Friday, US Central Command confirmed the deaths of several top ISIS leaders, including Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi. Al-Ithawi was responsible for overseeing all ISIS operations in Iraq, making his elimination a significant blow to the terrorist organization. The successful operation deals a substantial setback to ISIS, which has been attempting to regain its foothold in Iraq.…

In a recent update to the finance ministry’s list, Seven & i Holdings, the owner of 7-Eleven convenience stores, has been designated as “core” to national security. This classification has sparked questions about whether it is a strategic move to defend against the recent $38.5 billion buyout offer from Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard. The new status does not necessarily pose additional hurdles to a potential takeover by Couche-Tard. However, it does highlight the Japanese government’s scrutiny of foreign investments in key sectors. When a company is categorized as core, foreign entities seeking to acquire a stake of 1% or more must…

Russia has begun manufacturing a new long-range attack drone, dubbed the Garpiya-A1, using Chinese engines and components, according to documents and sources from a European intelligence agency. The drone has been deployed in the ongoing war in Ukraine, causing significant damage to critical infrastructure and resulting in civilian and military casualties. The Garpiya-A1, meaning “Harpy” in Russian, is produced by IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Russian state-owned weapons maker Almaz-Antey. The company has manufactured over 2,500 drones between July 2023 and July 2024, with production expected to continue. The drone’s development marks a departure from Russia’s reliance on Iranian designs…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the MVA-BN vaccine as the first vaccine against mpox to be added to its prequalification list. The prequalification approval is expected to facilitate timely and increased access to this vital product in communities with urgent need, to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak. WHO’s assessment for prequalification is based on information submitted by the manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic A/S, and review by the European Medicines Agency, the regulatory agency of record for this vaccine. “This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both…

WHO has updated its guidelines for the care of patients with influenza. The guidelines are designed primarily for health care providers who manage patients with influenza virus infection, and will also serve as a reference source for policymakers and others in efforts towards epidemic and pandemic preparedness. Influenza is a viral disease. Seasonal influenza is common in all parts of the world. It is estimated that there are around a billion cases of seasonal influenza annually, including 3–5 million cases of severe respiratory illness. An estimated 290 000-650 000 deaths each year are due to seasonal influenza related respiratory disease, in addition to…

Around 560 000 children under ten years old were vaccinated against polio during the first round of an emergency vaccination campaign conducted in three phases from 1-12 September 2024 in the Gaza Strip. The 12-day campaign provided novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to 558 963 children, following meticulous planning and coordination. This involved the use of an extensive network of teams, vaccinating at selected fixed sites at health facilities and outreach posts. Mobile and transit teams actively reached out to families living in shelter homes, tents, and camps for the displaced, alongside community workers engaging families to raise…

In coordination with Member States, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have established an access and allocation mechanism for mpox medical countermeasures including vaccines, treatments and diagnostic tests. The Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) will increase access to these tools for people at highest risk and ensure that the limited supplies are used effectively and equitably. This is part of the response to the public health emergency of international concern declared by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on 14 August 2024, following an upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries. Fifteen countries…