Philippines accuses China of assaulting Vietnamese fishermen in S China Sea
MANILA, Oct 04: The Philippines accused Chinese maritime officials on Friday of carrying out an "unjustified assault" on Vietnamese fishermen in the contested waters of the South China Sea, adding its voice to a fraught dispute over the confrontation. Vietnam said this week that Chinese law enforcement officers had beaten 10 fishermen and seized their gear while they were working last Sunday near the Chinese-controlled Paracel Islands, which Hanoi also claims and calls Hoang Sa. — Reuters
WHO approves first mpox diagnostic test
GENEVA, Oct 04: The UN health agency said on Friday that it had approved the use of the first diagnostic test for mpox, a key tool in countries battling outbreaks. More than 800 people have died across Africa from mpox, where the disease has been officially detected in 16 countries, according to the African Union's disease control centre. "The approval for emergency use" of the test "will be pivotal in expanding diagnostic capacity in countries facing mpox outbreaks, where the need for quick and accurate testing has risen sharply," the World Health Organization said in a statement. — Arab News
Nobel Prizes to be announced against
a backdrop of wars, famine and AI
STAVANGER, Oct 04: Wars, a refugee crisis, famine and artificial intelligence could all be recognized when Nobel Prize announcements begin next week under a shroud of violence. The prize week coincides with the Oct. 7 anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which began a year of bloodshed and war across the Middle East. The literature and science prizes could be immune. But the peace prize, which recognizes efforts to end conflict, will be awarded in an atmosphere of ratcheting international violence - if awarded at all. "I look at the world and see so much conflict, hostility and confrontation, I wonder if this is the year the Nobel Peace Prize should be withheld," said Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. — AFP
India to investigate if beef fat used in sacred offering at Hindu temple
NEW DELHI, Oct 04: India's Supreme Court on Friday directed an investigation team to probe allegations that a sacred offering at one of the most visited Hindu temples was adulterated with animal fat that is considered sacrilege, the Bar and Bench legal website reported. The allegation that the clarified butter used to prepare the sweet offering, called laddu, at the Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, contained traces of beef tallow, fish oil and lard, were made by the Andhra Pradesh state government, citing lab reports. The allegation has sparked outrage in the Hindu-majority country in the past weeks and led to demands for an independent investigation. The Venkateswara temple, which is almost 2,000-years old, has since undergone a four-hour purification ritual, the state government's spokesperson said last month. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who took over in June, welcomed the court's decision. His government has said the adulteration was in samples collected before it come to power. Naidu's predecessor, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, has rejected the accusation. — Reuters
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