Author: News Desk

WHO exceeds target for Gaza polio vaccinations as campaign continues The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that polio vaccinations in central Gaza have exceeded expectations during the first two days of its immunisation campaign. Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in the Palestinian territories, reported that 161,030 children under 10 were vaccinated on Sunday and Monday, surpassing the initial target of 156,500. The vaccination campaign was made possible after Israel and Hamas agreed to a series of localised pauses in fighting, following Gaza’s first confirmed polio case in 25 years, which left a 10-month-old partially paralyzed. These pauses, which occur…

Seven dead in Lviv in fresh wave of strikes on Ukraine A fresh wave of Russian attacks in Ukraine has claimed the lives of seven people, including three children, in the western city of Lviv, according to Mayor Andriy Sadovy. The deadly strike occurred early Wednesday and involved drones and hypersonic missiles. Among the victims were a baby, two girls aged nine and 14, and a midwife, officials reported. The attack on Lviv comes as Ukraine is still grappling with the aftermath of a devastating strike on a military institute in Poltava on Tuesday, which killed at least 50 people.…

Twelve die after migrant boat sinks in Channel Twelve people, including six children and a pregnant woman, lost their lives when a boat carrying migrants sank in the English Channel off the French coast. The local prosecutor’s office reported that ten of the victims were female and two were male. The overloaded boat, which had its bottom “ripped open,” was carrying more than 50 people, but fewer than eight were wearing life jackets. The French Coast Guard rescued over 50 individuals near Cape Gris-Nez, with two in critical condition. This incident marks the deadliest tragedy in the Channel this year.…

US charges Hamas leaders over 7 October attack on Israel The US has charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and several other key figures in connection with the deadly attack on Israel on October 7th 2023. The Justice Department announced indictments against six Hamas members, including charges for the murder of US citizens, conspiracy to finance terrorism, and the use of weapons of mass destruction. This marks the first move by US law enforcement to hold the ringleaders of the October 7th attack accountable, although some of the individuals charged, including Sinwar, are either dead or in hiding. The other Hamas…

Markets slide as Nvidia shares plunge almost 10% Financial markets in Asia and the US have plummeted amid fears of an impending recession in the world’s largest economy. Concerns over the US economy overshadowed the excitement around artificial intelligence, leading to a nearly 10% drop in shares of American chip giant Nvidia. This decline wiped $279 billion off the company’s market value. On Tuesday, New York’s major stock indexes took a significant hit, with the S&P 500 falling over 2% and the Nasdaq dropping more than 3%. Other US tech giants like Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft also saw their shares…

Man charged after four shot dead on Chicago train A 30-year-old man from Chicago, Rhanni Davis, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder after a deadly shooting on a Blue Line train in Forest Park, a suburb of Chicago. The incident occurred early Monday morning when Davis allegedly shot four passengers who appeared to be asleep on the train. Three victims died at the scene, while the fourth passed away later in the hospital.  “This wasn’t a robbery. It didn’t appear that he was in a fight with anybody else,” Deputy Chief for the Forest Park Police Department…

Sewage in Scotland’s rivers and beaches far more widespread than realised Thousands of undisclosed sewage overflow incidents mean Scotland needs tougher regulations, says watchdog Sewage pollution of Scotland’s rivers and beaches is far more widespread than realised because ministers have failed to take the problem seriously, an environment watchdog has found. Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) said there were thousands of sewage overflow incidents last year, and that nearly half of the country’s storm overflows released sewage more than 50 times. Continue reading… https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/04/sewage-in-scotlands-rivers-and-beaches-far-more-widespread-than-realised

NHS faces ‘tipping point’ in England where most appointments will not be with GPs Rapidly falling number of family doctors will harm ‘continuity and quality’ of care according to new research. NHS in England is heading towards a “tipping point” after which GPs will no longer provide the majority of appointments because their numbers are falling so fast. That is the conclusion of an extensive piece of new research that also shows one in five surgeries has shut and the number of patients each family doctor looks after has soared over the last decade.1,625 GP surgeries closed between 2013 and…

Boy, 11, ‘accidentally separated from mum’ missing for nearly a day An urgent search has been launched to find a boy, 11, who has been missing for nearly a day. Ibrahim was separated from his mum outside a Poundland in Hayes, a town in the west London borough of Hillingdon, yesterday. He ‘accidentally got separated’ from his mum at the branch on Station Road, about a five-minute walk away from Hayes & Harlington train station. The youngster has been missing since Monday evening. Police said in an appeal: ‘Please can you urgently help us find Ibrahim. ‘Ibrahim is an 11-year-old…

Pension pot amount needed for ‘basic’ retirement rises 60% in three years Research shows ‘alarming’ rise in essential living costs during retirement, with low-paid workers worst affected. The average pension pot needed for a “basic” retirement has risen by almost 60% in three years, according to research that highlights how the UK cost of living crisis has left many workers fearing they will never be able to retire. The study from the Resolution Foundation think tank and the Living Wage Foundation found that a number of price rises across housing, energy, food and transport had helped “significantly” increase the cost…