Lao Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune has called on health officials and medical staff across Laos to improve the management of dengue fever cases, aiming to prevent a serious outbreak of the disease.

Medical staff at provincial and district hospitals and health centres need to broaden their knowledge and ensure the provision of effective services to people of all ethnic groups, the Center of Information and Education for Health under the Lao Ministry of Health on Wednesday quoted Kikeo as saying.

Every province, town and village should make sure that all stagnant water is regularly cleared so that mosquito breeding grounds are reduced, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting Kikeo.

He also advised improvement of the coordination framework about dengue fever and the sharing of information promptly, adding that various preventive measures should be thoroughly carried out and explained in detail so that the public and local government agencies will be able to follow through effectively.

Changes in agricultural practices due to variations in temperature and rainfall can affect the transmission of vector-borne diseases. Better reporting systems are needed to monitor and predict trends, as well as to support surveillance and capture the true burden of the disease. AGENCIES

About 25 tons of radioactive water have leaked within the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the plant’s operator has reported, a week after the latest round of ocean discharge started.

The nuclear-contaminated water, which leaked from a surge tank connected to the Unit 2 reactor building, was meant to be contained in a tank receiving overflow from the spent nuclear fuel pool, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

Accumulating on the first basement level of the reactor building, the leaked water led to a rise in the level of contaminated water already present in the area, TEPCO introduced on Tuesday, confirming that the contaminated water had not escaped outside the reactor building.

The leak was first identified last Friday when a decrease in the water level of the surge tank was detected, according to TEPCO, which, upon further investigation, discovered water flowing into a drain in a room on the third floor of the reactor building.

The company plans to use a remotely operated robot to measure radiation levels in the room by Friday and further pinpoint the exact location and cause of the leak. The cooling pump for the pool has been temporarily shut down as part of the investigation.

Hit by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered core meltdowns that released radiation, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.

The plant has been generating a massive amount of water tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down nuclear fuel in reactor buildings. The contaminated water is now being stored in tanks at the nuclear plant.

Despite furious opposition both at home and abroad, the ocean discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water began in August 2023, and the eighth round of ocean discharge started last week.

In fiscal 2024, TEPCO plans to discharge a total of 54,600 tonnes of the contaminated water in seven rounds, which contains approximately 14 trillion becquerels of tritium.

Amid raging credibility and safety concerns among the Japanese public following a series of accidents at the crippled plant, TEPCO and the Japanese government have been frequently challenged for mishandling the contaminated water. AGENCIES

 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday that he will not run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election next month, according to media reports.

While addressing a press conference here at the Prime Minister’s office, Kishida said his decision not to join the race, a decision that will lead to him stepping down as premier, is “the first step to show that the LDP will change” as quoted by Kyodo news agency report.

Kishida has been under scrutiny within the party for his handling of a political fundraising scandal involving some of its factions.

The approval ratings for Kishida’s Cabinet, launched in October 2021, have plunged to the 20 per cent range in the wake of the scandal.

Despite his unpopularity, Kishida had been keen to secure re-election in the leadership race. But calls have been growing within the LDP for him to resign amid fears over how the LDP would fare in the next general election under his leadership, political analysts said.

So far, former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is popular among the public, has expressed his intention to run in the LDP presidential election. Ishiba previously served as LDP Secretary General, the Number 2 figure within the ruling party.

Digital Minister Taro Kono, a reform-minded maverick and social media-savvy lawmaker, has informed LDP Vice- President Taro Aso, a former Prime Minister, that he intends to run in the race, according to sources.

LDP Secretary General Toshimitu Motegi, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi are also among those who may join the race. AGENCIES

The Israeli army has killed a Palestinian man during clashes that erupted after the soldiers blew up two apartments owned by prisoners in the West Bank, Palestinian sources said.

Israeli forces stormed the cities of Ramallah and al-Bireh and surrounded two residential buildings, Palestinian security sources told Xinhua news agency.

One apartment belongs to prisoner Ayser al-Barghouti, and the other to prisoner Khaled al-Kharouf, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israeli army arrested al-Barghouti and al-Kharouf on January 8 on the charge of carrying out a shooting attack east of Ramallah that killed an Israeli woman.

The forces planted explosives inside the two apartments and then blew them up, causing loud explosions in the two areas, the sources added.

Following that, clashes erupted between Palestinians who threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli forces while the forces fired live and rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters.

Medical sources told Xinhua news agency that the young man, Moataz Sarsour, from the al-Am’ari refugee camp, was critically wounded by live bullets to the chest and was transferred to the Palestine Medical Complex, where doctors declared him dead due to his injuries.

Israel frequently demolishes the homes of Palestinian attackers, which the Israeli government asserts is intended to deter potential attackers.

Cities, villages, towns, and refugee camps in the West Bank have been experiencing increasing tensions between Palestinians and Israelis since October 7, 2023, when the Hamas-Israel conflict broke out.

Since then, more than 620 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire and shelling across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. AGENCIES

Hezbollah attacked the Mount Neria base, a battalion leadership headquarters of Israel’s Golani Brigade forces, with volleys of Katyusha rockets late Tuesday night, according to state media.

Earlier, Hezbollah had launched more than 20 rockets from southern Lebanon at the Meron base in northern Israel, both al-Manar and Al Jazeera have reported.

Al-Manar reported that heavy rocket fire, explosions, and sirens were heard in Western Galilee.

Hezbollah announced that its fighters targeted an Israeli deployment at the Jal Al-Deir site with a barrage of rockets at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, hitting them directly, according to the National News Agency (NNA).

Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes targeting the Lebanese villages of At Tiri, Haddatha, and Rchaf around midnight, NNA added.

Israeli warplanes also conducted airstrikes on the Lebanese villages of Kafr Kila and Khiam, as well as the municipality of Kunin, it noted.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon, Xinhua news agency reported.

The situation escalated further after Israel’s attack on Dahieh in Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing a Hezbollah senior military commander, Fouad Shokor, and seven civilians.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah threatened a definite and painful response to the Israeli raid at the appropriate time and place. AGENCIES

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made a provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a sensitive site in East Jerusalem, sparking widespread condemnation.

In video footage released by his office on Tuesday, Ben-Gvir is seen accompanied by far-right supporters, walking around the compound and chanting,”The people of Israel live!”

He was joined by Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Israel’s Minister for the development of the Negev and Galilee, Xinhua news agency reported.

Several supporters were heard reciting a Jewish prayer, which is prohibited under the longstanding status quo. Photos circulating on social media showed dozens of Jews praying and bowing at the site.

“Our policy is to allow prayers,” Ben-Gvir said.

Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news reported that about 1,500 right-wing activists accompanied Ben-Gvir during the visit.

The visit prompted a response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, which said in a statement that Ben-Gvir could not establish new policies at the site.

“No minister, including the National Security Minister, has a private policy,” the statement said.

It emphasised that the visit “deviated from the status quo” and reaffirmed that Israel’s policy regarding the site “has not changed and will not change”.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesperson released a condemnation, warning in a statement of the “consequences of the dangerous provocations of the terrorist colonialist invasions in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque”.

Jordan, the custodian of the compound, condemned the visit.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry described the actions of the two senior officials as a “blatant violation of international law and the historical and legal status in Jerusalem and the holy sites”.

The continued unilateral Israeli actions and ongoing violations of the historical and legal status in Jerusalem and its holy sites require a clear and firm international stance condemning these violations and breaches, and providing necessary protection for the Palestinian people, said the Ministry.

A spokesperson for the US embassy in Israel also condemned the visit, stating that unilateral moves threaten the status quo in Jerusalem.

In a statement, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit condemned in the strongest terms the visit, saying that “those hardliners push the situation to the brink and deliberately provoke sentiments of millions of Muslims worldwide”.

The storming of Al-Aqsa happened under the protection of the Israeli police that turned the Old City into a military barrack and imposed restrictions on the access of the worshipers, Aboul-Gheit stressed.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “the Israeli irresponsible behaviours violate the international laws and the existing historical and legal condition in Al-Aqsa”.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound holds sacred significance for both Muslims and Jews and has long been a flashpoint for deadly violence between the two sides.

Under the status quo, non-Muslim worshippers may visit the site in the heart of the Old City but are not allowed to pray there. AGENCIES

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India after the fall of her government following a mass uprising, has demanded an investigation into the killings, vandalism and arson carried out in the name of agitation in her country.

She also demanded on Tuesday that the culprits be identified and brought to justice, The Daily Star reported.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Hasina’s son, posted her statement on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday.

Hasina was compelled to step down on August 5 following the student protests, which saw more than 500 people killed.

In the statement, she said, “Since July, lots of lives have been lost in violence, arson in the name of protests. I express my condolences and prayers for the victims, including students, teachers, police, journalists, cultural activists and a pregnant police woman, members of Awami League and its associate bodies, pedestrians and various professionals.”

She conveyed sympathy to the bereaved families, The Daily Star reported.

In her statement, Hasina recalled the massacre of August 15, 1975, when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were assassinated.

Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, also expressed grief over the vandalism and arson at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 and sought justice from country’s people.

She urged all to observe the National Mourning Day on August 15 in a befitting manner by placing floral wreaths at Bangabandhu Bhaban and offering prayers. AGENCIES

Cambodia has found and safely removed another war-left US-made M117 aerial bomb in southern Kandal province, a mine clearance chief said.

Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC)’s Director-General Heng Ratana said on Tuesday that the massive bomb was spotted buried at a paddy field in Kandal Steung district, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Today, August 13, 2024, CMAC’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts safely neutralised an aerial bomb type M117 from Kandal Steung district, Kandal Province,” Ratana wrote on social media, with photographs of the bomb.

“This M117 bomb with a total weight of around 340 kg and extensively used during the Vietnam-America war, commonly dropped by B-52G aircraft,” he said.

According to the official, since the start of the year, the EOD team had unearthed and safely removed 10 MK-82 aerial bombs and two M117 aerial bombs in different provinces, including Kampong Cham, Kampong Speu, Kandal, Preah Sihanouk, and Svay Rieng, as well as the capital Phnom Penh.

Ratana wrote on social media in February that an estimated more than four million tonnes of aerial bombs and 27 million cluster bombs had been dropped on nearly 115,273 locations throughout Cambodia by more than 500,000 US bombing missions between mid-1965 and 1973.

Cambodia is one of the world’s worst countries suffered from mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) as the results of three decades of war and internal conflicts from the mid-1960s until 1998.

An estimated four to six million landmines and other munitions left over from the conflicts.

From 1979 to June 2024, landmine and UXO explosions had claimed 19,830 human lives and either injured or amputated 45,242 others in the Southeast Asian country, according to an official report. AGENCIES

California Governor Gavin Newsom urged all school districts in the state to implement restrictions on smartphone use in classrooms as the new academic year begins.

In a letter addressed to school leaders on Tuesday, Newsom emphasised the need to create the best learning environment for students while addressing the growing concerns surrounding excessive smartphone use among youth, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Excessive smartphone use among youth is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues,” he said, urging school districts to “act now” to help students focus at school by restricting their smartphone use.

The Governor’s call to action comes in the wake of mounting evidence linking smartphone use to various mental health issues in young people. According to a Pew Research Center survey cited by Newsom, 72 per cent of high school and 33 per cent of middle school teachers reported cell phone distractions as a major problem.

Additionally, research from Common Sense Media found that 97 per cent of students in the US use their phones during the school day for a median of 43 minutes.

Newsom’s letter referenced AB 272, a law he signed in 2019 that grants school districts the authority to regulate smartphone use during school hours.

He encouraged districts to take full advantage of this legislation, stating that “reducing phone use in class leads to improved concentration, better academic outcomes, and enhanced social interactions”.

The Governor also praised districts already implementing smartphone restrictions, such as Los Angeles Unified School District, Santa Barbara Unified District, and Bullard High School in Fresno.

These schools have reported positive outcomes, including higher test scores, improved grades, increased student engagement, and reduced bullying, according to the governor.

While Newsom is currently working with the California legislature to further limit student smartphone use on campuses, he stressed that there is no reason for schools to delay action.

The Governor’s initiative aligns with recent warnings from US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy about the risks of social media use among youth. In June, Murthy called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms. AGENCIES