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WHO declares cruise ship hantavirus outbreak over

Pro-Duterte senator hit with graft charges MANILA: A Philippine senator and key ally of Sara Duterte was charged with graft yesterday, the country’s ombudsman said, days before the vice-president’s Senate impeachment trial is to begin. The charges against Senator Rodante Marcoleta, tied to his alleged failure to declare US$1.2 million (RM4.88 million) in unused election campaign funds, include “plunder”, a non-bailable offence in the Southeast Asian country of 116 million. The decision to file charges was not “made lightly or by choice”, the ombudsman’s office said yesterday. “The evidence includes three cash donations totalling US$1.2 million, undeclared in the senator’s (statement of assets and liabilities) and campaign finance reports,” it said, adding that Marcoleta had “publicly confirmed receiving the money”. It was not immediately known if a warrant for the 72-year-old’s arrest had been issued. On Tuesday, thousands of members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) church, a powerful Philippine sect with ties to the Duterte political dynasty, took to the streets to protest the looming charges, grinding traffic to a halt in the capital. INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala slammed the case against Marcoleta as “selective justice”. Marcoleta is the second Duterte-aligned senator to be charged in just over a month, with Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada jailed over his alleged role in a massive corruption scandal involving bogus flood control projects. A third Duterte ally, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, is in hiding after narrowly escaping arrest on an International Criminal Court warrant over his role in the deadly drug war conducted by Duterte’s father, ex-president Rodrigo Duterte. All three men were considered all-but-certain votes against convicting Duterte at her Senate impeachment trial, which begins on Monday. A guilty verdict requires 16 votes in the 24-seat body. The House of Representatives on May 11 voted by a wide margin to impeach Duterte on allegations of graft, corruption, bribery and an alleged assassination plot against one-time ally President Ferdinand Marcos. A guilty verdict at the Senate trial, which could stretch for months, would see her removed as vice-president and permanently banned from elected office. – AFP

Argentina where it is endemic. However the country’s Health Ministry announced in June that an investigation in a second Argentine province had failed to find any virus-carrying rodents. WHO high impact epidemics chief Diana Rojas Alvarez said the Hondius outbreak could be declared over as it is no longer a public health risk. “However, Andes virus and other hantaviruses are still a public health threat for South America and some other endemic areas,” she said. Experts must keep monitoring such viruses and preparing for further spread, and involve local communities in preparedness and prevention. “The work on hantaviruses needs to continue over time.” WHO expressed hope that the episode might spur its member states into finally completing the missing part of the Pandemic Agreement later this month so that it may finally become operational. – AFP

Myanmar into civil war in 2021 when he commanded a military coup ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, detaining her and ending a decade-long experiment with democracy. He ruled directly as military chief for five years before becoming civilian president in April after staging elections blocked from rebel territory, excluding Suu Kyi’s party and jailing dissidents. His new administration is making a push for international legitimacy, analysts say, including in the 11-member Asean bloc, which has frozen Myanmar out since the coup. Min Aung Hlaing landed in neighbouring Laos yesterday morning accompanied by his wife Kyu Kyu Hla, according to images by his presidential information team. Laos local media said the state visit will last three days. In a statement earlier this week, Min Aung Hlaing’s office said he would meet Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone. “Sisoulith will engage in a cordial and open exchange of views to further the consolidation of existing GENEVA: Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday declared an end to the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that sparked international alarm, after the last person left quarantine. There were 12 confirmed and one probable case stemming from the MV Hondius , including three deaths. But while the outbreak is now over, the work is only in its early stages for scientists and experts, as they try to o Study being conducted on disease to develop diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines The World

to put to sea again after cleaning and disinfection. Tedros said more than 650 contacts were identified and followed up by health authorities in 33 countries and territories. He said WHO would continue working to understand the outbreak and the virus itself. “We are also coordinating a study involving 21 countries to understand how the disease develops, which will support the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for future outbreaks,” said Tedros. Spread by rodents, hantavirus is a rare virus for which no vaccines or specific treatments exist. The Andes species behind the Hondius outbreak is the only strain of hantavirus known to be able to jump from human to human. It had been thought that a passenger on the ship caught the virus while travelling in regions of

learn lessons from the episode that triggered a global health alert. “Today, the final contact of a person exposed to hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius completed their quarantine period, tested negative and returned home,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference. “No further cases have been reported since May 25. We are therefore very pleased to say that WHO considers the outbreak of hantavirus over.” The Dutch-flagged ship set off on April 1 from Ushuaia, Argentina, taking in remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, including Tristan da Cunha, before heading north to Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where remaining passengers were evacuated. The polar exploration ship finally docked on May 18 in Rotterdam harbour in the Netherlands. On May 30, the ship was cleared

Myanmar head makes first Asean visit as civilian leader YANGON: Myanmar coup chief turned president Min Aung Hlaing landed in Laos yesterday, officials said, in his first state visit to an Asean country since claiming the post of civilian leader. Min Aung Hlaing plunged

Min Aung Hlaing (right) and Sisoulith inspecting a guard of honour during a welcome ceremony in Vientiane yesterday. – AFPPIC

Hlaing’s recent personal command that 81-year-old Suu Kyi be moved from prison to house arrest. Analysts say other nations remain focused on the fact the leader of the 2021 coup remains in charge. – AFP

over how to treat Myanmar’s new administration, analysts say. Some nations are seen as open to restarting engagement, seizing on apparent concessions by the new administration, including Min Aung

friendly relations,” the statement said. The trip is Min Aung Hlaing’s third since taking over as civilian president. Last month he was feted with visits to India and China. Consensus in Asean is fraying

Death toll rises to 10 in Thai monk procession crash BANGKOK: The number of monks killed has risen to 10 after an 11-year-old boy drove a pickup truck into a Buddhist procession in Thailand, officials said yesterday. latest update from the Mukdahan Hospital in the country’s northeast. A group of 35 monks and five lay followers were walking along a roadside in Mukdahan province during a pilgrimage when a truck ploughed into them. parents’ vehicle without permission. Five monks died at the scene and another five died later in hospital. Mukdahan City Police chief Prayut Ruanthongkam told AFP yesterday that the boy was unable to give a statement to police.

They often hold public processions and are widely seen receiving alms of goodwill from ordinary Thais. A representative of Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom, a hilltop temple in Mukdahan, said the temple has taken in surviving and recovering monks, along with other followers involved in the procession. – AFP

accompanied by his mother. In Thailand, children under the age of 12 have no criminal liability. Police were also taking witness testimony from surviving monks as part of the investigation, said Prayut. Buddhist monks are venerated in Thailand, entrusted with preserving the Buddha’s teachings.

Ten other people are still hospitalised after Thursday’s crash, with two in critical condition and eight with injuries, according to the

He had been referred to child welfare authorities for assessment,

Police said it was driven by an 11-year-old who had taken his