News in Brief-(2024-02-15)

FE Team | Published: February 14, 2024 22:12:43

US officials confirm rare human case of
bubonic plague transmitted by cat
LOS ANGELES, Feb 14: Officials in the US state of Oregon have said they are dealing with a rare human case of bubonic plague that was likely transmitted by a pet cat. The disease, which killed at least a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages during a pandemic known as the "Black Death," is uncommon in developed countries and can now be treated, but remains potentially dangerous. The identity of the patient in Deschutes County has not been revealed, but officials said they were being treated, adding that the individual was most likely infected by their cat. — AFP
N Korea fires several cruise missiles
SEOUL, Feb 14: North Korea fired several cruise missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, Seoul's military said, the latest in a string of weapons tests this year. "Our military detected several unknown cruise missiles over the waters northeast of Wonsan around 09:00 today (1200 GMT) and South Korea-US intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It added that it was "strengthening surveillance and vigilance, and closely watching for any additional signs and activities from North Korea". — AFP
Four Armenia troops die in border clash
YEREVAN, Feb 14: Arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other Tuesday of opening fire on their volatile border, with Yerevan saying Azerbaijani forces killed four of its soldiers as Russia and the United States urged restraint. Yerevan and Baku had fought two wars-in 2020 and in the 1990s-over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region before Azerbaijan recaptured in a lightning offensive last September. — AFP
Police tear gas farmers in India again
KOCHI, Feb 14: Indian police have used tear gas for a second day to stop farmers demanding minimum crop prices from marching on the capital Delhi. Mostly from Punjab state, the farmers are still 200km (125 miles) from Delhi at the Shambhu border in Haryana state. The capital is ringed by razor wire, cement blocks and fencing on three sides to block their entry. On Tuesday, Haryana police had fired tear gas after farmers began removing barricades on the way. — BBC
Vehicle crashes into hospital: One dead
WASHINGTON, Feb 14: At least one person died and five others were injured on Tuesday evening when a vehicle crashed into a hospital emergency room in the US state of Texas, authorities said. One child and one adult were seriously injured when the vehicle plowed into St. David's North Austin Medical Center in the state's capital at around 5:30 pm local time (23:30 GMT), Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services said in a Facebook post. US news outlets reported that the driver of the vehicle died at the scene, citing officials. — AFP