LOS ANGELES (Xinhua) – Despite a growing supply of the monkeypox vaccine in the United States, there is still no evidence that protection is reaching those most at risk, CNN reported earlier this week. About three months into the ongoing monkeypox outbreak in the country, there are more than 12,000 cases and counting, said the report. “But despite a growing supply of the Jynneos vaccine -- and a new strategy that could stretch the current supply five times further -- there is still no evidence that protection is reaching those most at risk,” said the report. A detailed analysis of monkeypox case records published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this month offered new insight into which populations are disproportionately affected in the outbreak, including Black and Hispanic people, according to the report. But there is still no nationwide look at who has received the vaccine, and the limited state-level data that has been made available is not promising, said the report.  

 

***

BERLIN (AP) – More than 60% of German residents are dissatisfied with the performance of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the governing coalition of the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Free Democratic Party. This is shown by the results of a survey, conducted by the sociological institute INSA on behalf of the “Bild” newspaper. Currently, only 25% of Germans are satisfied with Scholz’s performance as chancellor, and as many as 62% are dissatisfied - a record low during his tenure. If the chancellor had been elected directly, Scholz would have taken only third place. According to the survey, 25 percent would choose current Economy Minister Robert Habeck as Germany’s chancellor, 19 percent would choose CDU leader Friedrich Merz and only 18 percent would choose Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Meanwhile, the reputation of the ruling coalition, known as a “traffic light” because of its party colors, continues to fall, with only 27% of Germans currently satisfied with the government and 65% dissatisfied. By comparison, a possible governing union known as “Jamaica” between the right, the Greens and the Free Democrats would enjoy the trust of 58% of Germans.

 

***

NEW DELHI (AP) – At least 40 people have died and others are missing in flash floods triggered by intense monsoon rains in northern India over the past three days, officials said Sunday. The rains inundated hundreds of villages, swept away mud houses, flooded roads and destroyed bridges in some parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states. The Indian Meteorological Department predicted that heavy to very heavy rain would continue to fall in the region for the next two days. An official government release Sunday said landslides and flooding in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh over the last three days killed at least 36 people. Hundreds were taking shelter in relief camps after being displaced from their flooded homes. In the neighboring state of Uttarakhand, a series of cloudbursts Saturday left four dead and 13 went missing as rivers breached banks and washed away some houses.

Rescue teams were evacuating the stranded in both states.

 

***

WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – Nearly 10 million people across southwestern U.S. states of Arizona and New Mexico as well as western Texas have been placed under severe rain and flood watches, including major cities of Phoenix, El Paso and Albuquerque. “The stage is set for southern Arizona and New Mexico to potentially receive prolific rainfall and widespread flash flooding today,” as a low-pressure system brings moist, tropical air to the Southwest in the form of heavy rain and thunderstorms to add to the already active monsoon season across the region, the official US-based Weather Prediction Center (WPC) declared as cited in a CNN report. Widespread rainfall totals of two to three inches, with locally higher totals of five to seven inches, are forecast across the region -- leading the WPC to issue a level 3 out of 4 “moderate” risk for excessive rainfall ahead of the wet forecast, the report further underlined, predicting potential “widespread flash flooding across the Southwest.” “Urban locations in addition to areas of complex terrain, slot canyons, arroyos, and burn scars are especially vulnerable for flash flooding and can quickly turn into very dangerous situations,” the WPC added.

 

***

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) – At least nine Pakistani soldiers were killed and four injured when their truck plunged into a ravine in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Sunday morning, military and witnesses said. The truck - part of a military convoy - was heading towards Mang Bajri in Bagh district of Pakistani Kashmir when the occurred near Shujaabad, some 12 km before its destination, at about 4 a.m. on Sunday, military officials said. “There were with 13 soldiers, including the driver, on board the truck and seven of them died on the spot while the rest were injured,” a military official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media. The injured were evacuated to a hospital in Rawalakot, where two of them succumbed to their wounds, he said. Local police said the truck fell 500 feet (150 meters) down the ravine.

 

***

ANKARA (RT) – Sweden and Finland will not become NATO members if they continue to ignore Ankara’s extradition demands, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said. “Until now, none of the persons accused of terrorism, whose extradition from Sweden and Finland was requested by Turkey, have been returned,” Bozdag told reporters.  “Our expectation is not about those accused of fraud. The Swedish and the Finnish governments should understand this very well,” he added.  Bozdag said the process of Sweden and Finland joining NATO “will not move a step forward” unless the matter is resolved.  Turkey agreed to formally back the invitation of the two Nordic states to join the U.S.-led military bloc in June on condition that they would not support organizations that Ankara views as terrorist groups. Turkey has since stated that Sweden and Finland have failed to respect this deal.  Ankara has requested the extradition of 33 people accused of terrorism, according to the country’s media. The Swedish government, meanwhile, said this month that it would extradite one man convicted of credit card fraud.