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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018939

Health officials identified the virus that causes polio in New York City’s wastewater, suggesting local transmission of the virus, state authorities said on Friday, urging unvaccinated New Yorkers to get vaccinated.

“The NYC Heath Department and the New York State Department of Health have identified poliovirus in sewage in NYC, suggesting local transmission of the virus,” the city’s health department said in a statement on Friday.

“Polio can lead to paralysis and even death. We urge unvaccinated New Yorkers to get vaccinated now.”

The identification comes weeks after a case of polio in an adult was made public on July 21 in Rockland County, marking the nation’s first confirmed case in nearly 10 years.

Earlier this month, health officials said the virus was found in wastewater in the New York City suburb a month before health officials there announced the Rockland County case.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said at the time it was not yet clear whether the virus was actively spreading in New York or elsewhere in the United States.

There is no cure for polio, which can cause irreversible paralysis in some cases, but it can be prevented by a vaccine made available in 1955.

New York officials have said they are opening vaccine clinics to help unvaccinated residents get their shots. Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only polio vaccine that has been given in the United States since 2000, according to the CDC. It is given by shot in the leg or arm, depending on the patient’s age.

Polio is often asymptomatic and people can transmit the virus even when they do not appear sick. But it can produce mild, flu-like symptoms that can take as long as 30 days to appear, officials said.

It can strike at any age but the majority of those affected are children aged three and younger.

Published : August 16, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018938

The United Nations has the logistics and security capabilities to support a visit by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant if both Russia and Ukraine agree, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.

Dujarric was responding to an accusation by Russia that UN security had blocked a visit by IAEA inspectors to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which Russia seized in March after invading Ukraine on Feb. 24.

“The UN Secretariat has no authority to block or cancel any IAEA activities,” Dujarric told reporters.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for military activity around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power complex to end as Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for the shelling of the area. 

Dujarric said that “in close contact with the IAEA, the UN Secretariat has assessed that it has in Ukraine the logistics and security capacity to be able to support any IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from Kyiv.”

But he said both Russia and Ukraine have to agree. Both countries have said they want IAEA inspectors to visit. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said he was ready to lead a mission and called on Russia and Ukraine to cooperate.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the world will lose to terrorism and give in to nuclear blackmail if it takes no action to prevent an accident at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.

“If now the world lacks the strength and determination to protect one nuclear plant, it means that the world is losing,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video message.

Russia took over the station, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, soon after invading Ukraine in February in what Moscow calls a “special military operation.”

Published : August 16, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018937

Norway is delivering all the gas it can to Germany, and any further boost would depend on making new discoveries, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday.

Norway, Western Europe’s largest petroleum producer, this year boosted its gas exports to take advantage of record prices and help Europe replace some of the volumes lost when Russia curbed supplies.

“Norway delivers as much gas as possible to Germany,” Stoere told a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“In total, we have been increasing our gas exports compared to what we had at the outset by close to 10%, which is really maximum, so we will do whatever we can with the companies to maintain a high level,” Stoere said.

Any further increase would depend on finding and developing additional resources, he added.

The German chancellor welcomed Norway’s effort.

Russia is Germany’s main gas supplier. The country’s Gazprom has cut gas flows to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 20% of capacity.

The value of Norway’s natural gas exports hit a record 128.4 billion Norwegian crowns ($13.22 billion) in July as prices and demand in Europe surged amid the continent’s effort to fill storage ahead of the winter season.

Meanwhile, Germany’s economy minister said his country had to introduce a new levy to help utility companies cover the cost of replacing Russian gas or its energy market would collapse.

“The alternative would have been the collapse of Germany’s energy market and with that the collapse of large parts of the European market,” Robert Habeck told reporters in Berlin.

German households will have to pay almost 500 euros ($509) more a year for gas after a levy was set to help utilities cover the cost of replacing Russian supplies, piling pressure on Berlin to come up with further relief measures for the public.

Trading Hub Europe, the German gas market operator, said on Monday it had set the charge at 2.419 euro cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).

The levy will be imposed from Oct. 1 and remain in place until April 2024 to help Uniper – the country’s largest importer of Russian gas – and other importers cope with soaring prices.

For an average family of four, the charge will amount to an additional annual cost of around 480 euros.

Germany’s Russia-dependent energy model had failed and would not be returning, he told reporters.

Germany is also awaiting a response from Brussels on a VAT exemption for the levy.

Published : August 16, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018935

Thirteen young scientists from the 21 Apec member economies have been nominated for this year’s Apec Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education, or Aspire.

With this year’s theme of “Innovation to achieve economic, environmental, and social goals,” the prize aims to advance the integration of a bio-circular-green economy model with Apec members, as well as environmental, social and governance practices and responsible business conduct in the private sector—all of which align with Apec 2022 priorities of sustainability through renewable energy. 

Young scientists nominated for Aspire also foster regional cooperation by collaborating with peers across Apec to advance scientific research and education in the region.

“The research conducted by these young scientists underscores how vital it is to highlight biological advances, promote sustainability and strengthen agricultural systems,” said Xuemei Yang, Chair of the Apec Policy Partnership for Science, Technology, and Innovation, which administers the annual prise. 

“The Aspire provides a platform to highlight scientific research critical to envisioning a globally sustainable future. From combatting the plastics crisis to promoting smart environmental monitoring, this year’s nominees are truly making their marks by trying to change the world for the better,” Yang added.

The winner of the 2022 Aspire will be announced at an in-person award ceremony in Chiang Mai, Thailand, next week and will be awarded USD 25,000 supported by publishers of scholarly scientific knowledge, Wiley and Elsevier.

Work conducted by the 2022 nominees includes studies related to air pollution formation and its health impacts; microbial biotechnology for the recovery of clean water, renewable energy, and renewable materials; and the defence of human barrier organs against bacterial and viral infection.

“The brilliant work of these promising young scientists from across the Apec region lights the pathway to a more prosperous, sustainable and equitable future,” said Brian Napack, Wiley’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“We are inspired by the work of these young scientists, who are part of the new generation of leaders,” added Youngsuk “Y.S.” Chi, Chairman of Elsevier. “Their outstanding research will help us find real-world solutions for the critical environmental, social and economic transformation of society. We must continue to encourage this kind of cooperation among Apec economies to effect change for a better future.” 

Since its establishment in 2011, Aspire has recognized young scientists working on issues ranging from natural laboratories, food security, sustainable ocean development, biodiversity, strengthening international science and technology networks and promoting innovation.

THE 2022 ASPIRE NOMINEES

Australia / Georgina Gurney / Environmental social science  

Canada / Arthur Chan / Atmospheric chemistry and health

China / Shan Guangcun / Precision instrument, smart environment monitoring for radionuclides

Hong Kong / Ren Jingzheng / Sustainability-oriented decision-making, circular economy, waste-to-energy

Indonesia / Risky Ayu Kristanti / Bioremediation of toxic pollutants, water and wastewater treatment, environmental chemistry and microbiology, water purification, waste recovery, bio-energy production

Korea / Jaweook Myung / Environmental biotechnology

Malaysia / Ahmad Zaharin Aris / Hydrochemistry, environmental forensics, environmental chemistry and analysis

Russia / Iullia Pentekhina / Screening of chitinolytic bacteria with phytopathogenic potential isolated from the environment, chitin-degrading enzyme system analysis, recombinant characterization, biocontrol agents for crop production

Singapore / Franklin Zhong / Immunology

Chinese Taipei / Hsiao Hsu-Chun / Computer and network security

Thailand / Varodom Charoensawan / Molecular biology, systems biology

The United States / Micah Fisher / Geography, environmental governance, disaster management and community planning

Vietnam / Duyen Thi Thu Hoang / Soil sciences and plant nutrition

Published : August 15, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018929

India will aim to become a developed nation within 25 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a national day address on Monday, with policies to support domestic production in power, defence and digital technology.

Speaking from the 17th century Red Fort in Delhi as India celebrates its 75th year of independence from British colonial rule, Modi exhorted Indian youth to give their best years for the cause of the country.

The World Bank currently categorizes India as a lower-middle income economy – meant for countries with a gross national income per capita of between $1,086 and $4,255. High-income countries, like the United States, have a per capita income of $13,205 or more.

India is the world’s sixth-largest economy and is expected to grow at over 7% in the current fiscal year ending in March 2023 – the fastest among major economies. Many experts say India’s economy could expand to become the world’s third-largest by 2050 after the United States and China.

With about 1.4 billion people, India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country next year.

Published : August 15, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018902

Japan’s economy rebounded at a slower-than-expected pace in the second quarter from a Covid-induced slump, data showed on Monday, highlighting uncertainty on whether consumption will grow enough to bolster a much-delayed, fragile recovery.

While rising consumption propped up April-June growth, the outlook has been clouded by a resurgence in infections, slowing global growth, supply constraints and rising raw material prices that are boosting households’ living costs.

The world’s third-largest economy expanded an annualized 2.2% in April-June, government data showed, marking the third straight quarter of increase but falling short of median market forecasts for a 2.5% gain.

The growth was driven largely by a 1.1% gain in private consumption, the data showed, as businesses re-opened after the lifting of pandemic-related curbs on economic activity.

Capital expenditure, another key driver of April-June growth, increased 1.4% from the previous quarter, exceeding a median market forecast for a 0.9% expansion, the data showed.

Domestic demand added 0.5% point to GDP growth, while external demand neither added to, nor shaved off from growth.

Japan has lagged other major economies in fully recovering from the pandemic’s hit due to weak consumption, blamed in part on curbs on activity that lasted until March. That has turned the Bank of Japan (BOJ) into an outlier in the global monetary tightening phase sweeping across many economies amid surging inflation.

Published : August 15, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018901

After 11 days of not having any news of their loved ones, relatives of Mexican miners trapped inside El Pinabete mine grew increasingly upset.

Rescue works have not been advancing as fast as families were expecting, a relative of a trapped miner Enereida Toledo told Reuters on Sunday. Toledo added that authorities have avoided giving relatives concrete answers on the status of the rescue works.

The ten miners became trapped inside the Pinabete mine in the town of Sabinas in the North-western state of Coahuila on August 3, when their excavation work caused a tunnel wall to collapse, triggering flooding in three wells.

Miner Gabriel Rodriguez Palomares who is assisting with rescue efforts said they needed more help and for authorities to allow experts to descend into the mine.

Over the last week, authorities and rescue teams have been pumping water out of the mine in order to allow rescuers to enter the chambers, but Coahuila state government said in a tweet on Sunday that water levels had risen. They added that engineers and experts were working to find out the source of the rise and to develop a new water abstraction strategy.

Published : August 15, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018899

Poison cannot be ruled out as the cause of a mass die-off of fish in the Oder river but tests so far have not proven toxic substances were to blame, Polish Environment Minister Anna Moskwa said on Sunday.

Tonnes of dead fish have been found since late July in the river Oder, which runs through Poland and along the border with Germany.

Both countries have said they believe a toxic substance is to blame, but have yet to identify what it is.

“As of today, none of these (water) tests have confirmed the presence of toxic substances,” Moskwa said after meeting with her German counterpart Steffi Lemke and other German and Polish officials in Poland’s Szczecin.

Moskwa said samples are now being tested for the presence of pesticides and around 300 more substances will be checked for in the coming hours.

She said Polish authorities were working to identify how the unidentified substance that caused the death of the fish had entered the river.

Lemke said the extent of the damage to the ecosystem and how long it would last was still unclear, and the Polish and the German sides would work together on the clean-up, investigation of the cause and improving communication to prevent future disasters.

Green activists and opposition politicians have criticised the Polish government for not responding quickly enough to the danger and failing to alert Poles to avoid bathing and angling in the river.

Germany has also grumbled over Poland’s response. Lemke said the Polish and German sides agreed at their meeting “one of the most essential points” in a similar situation was that all relevant organisations and authorities could get quick and comprehensive information.

Published : August 15, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018897

At least 41 people were killed and 12 injured in a massive fire that broke out in a Coptic church in Egypt’s Giza Province on Sunday, the Egyptian Health Ministry said.

The accident took place in Abu Sifin church in the Imbaba neighborhood, according to the ministry.
 

“Four of those injured are in unstable conditions,” the ministry said in a statement, adding it had sent 37 ambulances to the scene.

The fire started from an air conditioner on the second floor of the church building because of an electrical fault, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a separate statement.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi extended his condolences to the victims of the church fire in a phone call to Pope Tawadros II, head of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church.

“President Sisi reiterated that all state institutions are providing the necessary support to contain the aftermath of this tragic accident,” said the Egyptian presidency in a statement.

Fire fighters work at a fire site in Giza Province, Egypt, on Aug. 14, 2022. (Ministry of Interior Affairs of Egypt/Handout via Xinhua)

Published : August 14, 2022

By : Xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/international-news/40018887

The airport of the Australian capital, Canberra, was evacuated and a man was arrested after five gunshots were heard in the main terminal building, police said on Sunday.

One person has been taken into custody and a firearm was recovered, the police said. There have been no reported injuries, it added.

Police said CCTV footage has been reviewed and at this time the person in custody is believed to be the only person responsible for the incident. The airport was evacuated as a precaution and the public were not allowed to go into the terminal, police said.

The incident has led to delays and cancellations of flights, local media reports said.

Published : August 14, 2022

By : Reuters