News in Brief (2022-05-27)

UK readies for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee
LONDON, May 26: Britain brings out the bunting next week for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, with four days of public events to mark her 70 years on the throne. Across the country, red, white and blue Union Jack are being hung for street parties, picnics and barbecues over four days from Thursday to Sunday. With two public holidays and the weekend, retailers and the hospitality sector in particular are hoping for a sales boost, after a difficult few years. Harvir Dhillon, an economist at the British Retail Consortium, predicted a rush to stock up on party food and booze. "Fresh food, sales of alcohol and particularly items adorned with the Union Jack are expected to perform well," he told AFP. The British Beer and Pub Association estimated that 90 million pints will be sold, giving a 105-million-pound ($132 million, 124 million euros) boost to the trade. Closing time has been extended from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am from Thursday to Saturday night. — AFP
Cholera kills 140 people in seven months in Cameroon
YAOUNDE, May 26: A spike in cholera in Cameroon has killed 140 people since October last year, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute said Wednesday. "The updated epidemiological situation report shows a total of 7,287 notified cases, including 140 deaths, since October 2021," he said in a statement. "Three regions continue to record new patients," he added, referring to the Littoral region, the West region, and the English-speaking Southwest region. A vaccination campaign is to start in June, the government has said. Cholera is an acute form of diarrhoea that is treatable with antibiotics and hydration but can kill within hours if left untreated. — AFP
Oklahoma signs into law US's strictest abortion legislation
TEXAS, May 26: The law allows private citizens to sue abortion providers in almost all cases, a model first used in Texas. Oklahoma's conservative governor has signed into law the most severe abortion restriction currently active in the United States. The law, passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature last week and signed into law on Wednesday by Governor Kevin Stitt, allows private citizens to sue abortion providers in almost all situations, allowing exceptions only to save the life of a pregnant woman or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest that has been reported to law enforcement. The legislation is modelled after a similar Texas law, which effectively banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, designed to be enforced by civil lawsuits rather than criminal prosecution. — Al Jazeera