Middle East Experience

A 12-year-old boy has died in Kerala, India after being hospitalized for exhibiting symptoms of the Nipah virus, online news media The Indian Express reported on Sunday.He was first admitted to the hospital on Wednesday and his test samples were sent to the Pune National Institute of Virology. It was later confirmed that he had contracted the Nipah virus. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Three samples-plasma, CF and serum- were found infected. He was admitted to the hospital with a heavy fever four days ago. But on Saturday, his condition became worse. We had sent his samples for testing the day before yesterday,” health minister Veena George was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.Seventeen people he had previously been in contact with are reportedly under observation and will be subject to testing. According to the health minister, those on the contact list are not showing any symptoms, according to the report.Kerala under health alert as precaution A team from the Indian government’s National Center for Disease Control has been sent to Kerala to provide necessary technical support to the state.The state government hosted an urgent meeting on Saturday night, bringing together health officials to discuss the matter.The district’s authorities have placed the area under a health alert and closed off areas around the boy’s house, up to three kilometers. The hospital ward in which he was treated, and some surrounding wards, have also been shut down since his passing, sources told the Indian Express, adding that police have asked people to restrict their movement in and around those areas.Public health measures, quarantine required The disease control center has also implemented public health measures including active case search in the boy’s family and village as well as contact tracing for any individuals who were in contact with the boy in the past 12 days and strict quarantine requirements.Nipah virus last reported in 2019 The Nipah virus was last reported in Kerala in 2019. The previous outbreak in 2018 in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts caused the death of 17 people.The virus has been known to spread to humans through “direct contact with infected animals such as bats or pigs, or body fluids,” according to the US’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including but not limited to saliva and urine.With a fatality rate of up to 75 percent, Nipah can be transmitted to people from animals through contaminated food produce and from person-to-person.Symptoms of Nipah virus In infected people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and or fatal causes of encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. The usual treatment is supportive care.First recognized in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia, the virus was, over the next few years, reported across Asian nations.During the first recognized outbreak in Malaysia, which also affected Singapore, most human infections resulted from direct contact with sick pigs, or their contaminated tissues.In later outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, consumption of fruits or fruit products (such as raw date palm juice) contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats was the most likely source of infection.Read more:Nipah virus ‘is a cause of concern, lessons should be learned from COVID-19’: expertsNipah virus: How is it transmitted and what are the symptomsA new pandemic? Here’s what happened the last time Nipah virus spread
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Indian boy dies of Nipah virus in Kerala after being hospitalized with symptoms

The economic partnerships are expected to increase the UAE’s current trade volume of Dh257 billion to Dh40 billion annually..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UAE to sign trade deals with 8 countries; seize new investment opportunities

Lebanon registers 12 COVID-19 deaths, 864 cases in last 24 hours..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon registers 12 COVID-19 deaths, 864 cases in last 24 hours

Civil war will “likely” erupt in Afghanistan and this may lead to a resurgence of al-Qaeda, US chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, told Fox News.Asked whether the US was safer after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Milley said: “My military estimate is that the conditions are likely to develop to a civil war. I don’t know if the Taliban are going to be able to consolidate power and establish governance.”For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“I think there's at least a very good probability of a broader civil war and that will then in turn lead to conditions that could, in fact, lead to a reconstitution of al-Qaeda or a growth of ISIS or other myriad of terrorist groups,” he added.The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on August 15 and the US fully withdrew its troops and officials from the country on August 31.The Taliban are currently fighting the last major resistance holdout in Panjshir province which has become an anti-Taliban stronghold, mobilizing under Ahmad Massoud.Questions remain about the Taliban’s ability to govern Afghanistan given its lack of access to funds and the country’s struggling economy.As for al-Qaeda, the group’s power remains unclear. However, the Taliban released many senior al-Qaeda operatives when it captured Bagram Air Base.Read more:Taliban kill 17 by firing into air in celebrations over Panjshir battleBaradar to lead new Afghanistan government: Taliban sourcesUS may coordinate with Taliban against ISIS: Top military official
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Civil war in Afghanistan likely, may lead to resurgence of al-Qaeda: US top general

The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said the Taliban are holding some Americans hostage in Afghanistan.Republican Michael McCaul told Fox News Sunday: “We have six airplanes at Mazar-e-Sharif airport with American citizens on them, and [Afghan] interpreters and the Taliban [are] holding them hostage for demands right now.”For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The State has cleared these flights and the Taliban will not let them leave the airport,” he added.The US completed the withdrawal of its troops on August 31, and officials said that there are dozens left in Afghanistan and that it is coordinating with the Taliban to fly them out.McCaul did not specify the Taliban’s demands. However, he said he worried the group would continue to demand more “whether it be cash or legitimacy as the government of Afghanistan.”The White House has said the US and its allies were in no rush to recognize the legitimacy of the Taliban government, after the group seized control of the country on August 15.Read more:Civil war in Afghanistan likely, may lead to resurgence of al-Qaeda: US top generalTaliban kill 17 by firing into air in celebrations over Panjshir battleBaradar to lead new Afghanistan government: Taliban sources
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Top US Republican says Taliban holding Americans hostage at airport for demands

Here are all the stories making headlines on #TheRoundUp this Sunday: 🇦🇫 Qatar aid lands in Afghanistan 🇵🇸 Hamas rejects ‘Israeli interference’ in Qatari aid 🫁 HMC Qatar doctors successfully complete Qatar’s first lung transplant 🥉 Qatar Paralympian wins bronze at 2020 Tokyo Games..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: The Round Up | 5 September 2021 – Doha News | Qatar

Achieving the objectives of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network programme could add Dh25 billion to the UAE economy by 2031..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UAE’s Fourth Industrial Revolution Network to provide a platform for latest digital trends

Lebanon registered12 coronavirus deaths — highest daily toll in nearly four months –, and 864 cases in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry reported Sunday..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon sees highest number of daily virus deaths in nearly four months

Barkat claims he brought in 4,500 members.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Likud membership drive ends in apparent failure

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced national security expert and veteran peace negotiator Michael Herzog's appointment in August.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Gov’t confirms Michael Herzog as ambassador to US