The UN has expressed concern about the first confirmed cholera outbreak in Syria in years, saying it poses a "serious threat" to the entire region.

More than 900 suspected cases and eight deaths have been reported in the war-torn country in the past three weeks.

The outbreak has been concentrated in Aleppo and Deir al-Zour provinces.

It is believed to be linked to people drinking contaminated water from the River Euphrates, which flows through the provinces, and using it on crops.

The outbreak is also seen as an indicator of the severe shortages of water throughout Syria caused by climate change and conflict.

Rising temperatures, below-average rainfall and reduced flow from upstream neighbour Turkey have resulted in critically low levels in the Euphrates.

That, combined with widespread damage to supply and sewerage infrastructure, has left many of the 5 million Syrians who depend on the river for drinking water and crop irrigation reliant on unsafe sources. It has also triggered an increase in dangerous water-borne diseases like cholera.

The Syrian health ministry said on Monday that 20 cases of cholera, including two deaths, had been confirmed by laboratories in the northern province of Aleppo, the state-run Sana news agency reported.

It added that another four cases had been confirmed in the coastal province of Latakia as well as two in the capital Damascus among patients from Aleppo.

However, the UN warned that surveillance data showed a total of 936 severe acute diarrhoea cases, including at least eight related deaths, had been recorded across Syria since 25 August.

More than 670 of those suspected cases and six of the deaths were in Aleppo, while 201 cases and two deaths were in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour.

"The outbreak presents a serious threat to people in Syria and the region," warned the UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Syria, Imran Riza.

"Swift and urgent action is needed to prevent further illness and death," he added, appealing to donor countries for urgent additional funding.

The UN said rapid diagnostic tests, intravenous fluids and rehydration salts had been delivered to health facilities in affected communities and other high-risk areas, such as camps for displaced people. Clean water is also being delivered by lorries and chlorination is being scaled up.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera. In severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.

BBC

The grand imam at Egypt’s top religious authority has traveled to Kazakhstan to lead a delegation at an interfaith conference of the world’s religious leaders.
Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, who is the most senior cleric at Al-Azhar and chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, met President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the capital Nur-Sultan as part of preparations for the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
The pair discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Kazakhstan and Al-Azhar. Tokayev expressed his appreciation for the grand imam’s efforts to promote peace and tolerance, and said his country’s need for Al-Azhar grew every day.
Al-Tayyeb stated Al-Azhar’s readiness to support Kazakhstan with scholarships and training for imams.
As grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s oldest and foremost seat of learning, Al-Tayyeb will deliver a speech at the main session of the congress, which starts on Wednesday in Nur-Sultan. He will also meet Pope Francis, who is also in attendance.
Participants will discuss the role of religions in promoting spiritual and moral values in the modern world and coexistence between religions and cultures.
They will also discuss the contributions of religious and political leaders to the fight against extremism, radicalism and terrorism.
The grand imam will also visit the Hazrat Sultan Mosque, the largest in Kazakhstan and among the largest in Asia./agencies

The Cedar Creek Fire in central Oregon has burned over 86,000 acres (34,800 hectares), according to data updated on Monday as the US West faces a heat wave that has contributed to multiple infernos raging in the region.

Over 1,200 firefighters are attempting to bring the Cedar Creek Fire under control after it exploded in size over the weekend amid high temperatures and strong winds. It is raging in steep and difficult-to-access terrain about an hour’s drive east of the city of Eugene.

The fire first was detected Aug. 1 following a lightning storm, and prior to the weekend, firefighters had brought it to 12% containment. But the weekend surge in activity has resulted in it now being 0% contained. Authorities now do not expect to bring the inferno under control until Nov. 1.

A Level 3 evacuation order – the highest level in Oregon – remains in effect for surrounding areas, with residents being asked to depart immediately.

The Cedar Creek Fire is one of 22 blazes burning in the northwestern state that have claimed over 303,000 acres (122,620 hectares), according to official data. The largest blaze, the Double Creek Fire, makes up over half of all areas burned. It has consumed more than 154,000 acres (62,322 hectares), and is just 15% contained.

Meanwhile, 14 wildfires continue to rage just to the north in Washington state, including the Bolt Creek Fire, which emerged on Saturday. The fire resulted in the local closure of US Highway 2, which runs west to east across the state.

About 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) have already burned, and schools in the area were closed on Monday. Only half of those asked to leave under evacuation orders have done so, according to local law enforcement.

In California, a record heat wave was partly mitigated by an unusual storm hitting southern California after making landfall in Mexico. Hurricane Kay, downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hit the US state, brought strong winds and flash floods to parts of southern California beginning on Friday.

Authorities are continuing to battle 10 blazes in the state's north and east, including the Mosquito Fire, which has burned 46,587 acres (18,862 hectares) since Sept. 6. It is just 10% contained./Agencies

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Monday approved the latest omicron-adapted version of the BioNTech/ Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

“EMA’s human medicines committee has recommended authorizing an adapted bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in addition to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2,” the EU regulator said in a statement.

The body concluded that the new version of the jab as booster shot after the primary vaccination series is expected to be more effective than the original one at triggering an immune response against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

These virus strains cause most of the new coronavirus infections in Europe.

EMA recommends the use of the new vaccine as of age 12.

The company promised to roll out the vaccines by October so that the national authorities can start fall vaccination campaigns with the new and more effective shots.

Stella Kyriakides, the European commissioner for health and food safety, described the approval "another key step" in supporting members' autumn/winter vaccination efforts, adding that the EU Commission's authorization will follow./Agencies

Millions of Russians will no longer be protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, the Council of Europe said on Monday, as Moscow will cease to be a party to the convention on Sept. 16.

According to Marija Pejcinovic Buric, the secretary-general of the Strasbourg-based council, with its departure from the convention, Russia “will further isolate itself from the democratic world and deprive more than 140 million Russian citizens of the protection offered by the Convention.”

She said the council will continue to support “human rights defenders, democratic forces, free media and independent civil society” members in Russia and “ensure justice and accountability for the people involved.”

The 46-nation council aims to promote democracy and protect human rights and the rule of law in Europe.

It expelled Russia on March 16, after 26 years of membership, in the wake of the country’s war on Ukraine.

Agencies

Two Spanish government ministers met with the country’s largest food distributors and consumer groups on Monday to find a way to make basic food products more affordable amid soaring inflation.

“Our proposal involves offering consumers affordable shopping baskets that include fresh and healthy foods including fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, eggs and dairy products,” Yolanda Diaz, Spain’s labor and social economy minister, told press after the meeting.

Prices of food and non-alcoholic drinks have surged 13.5% in the year leading up to July, according to official Spanish inflation data.

“The duty of any progressive government should be protecting the purchasing power of working families, and we’re working to find ways to freeze and moderate price increases for basic goods,” said Consumer Affairs Minister Alberto Garzon.

The ministers insisted that they were not proposing mandatory price caps on food products but were instead pressuring and incentivizing distributors to use their power to help Spanish society cope with inflation.

Last week, Diaz met with the supermarket company Carrefour to discuss their plans for an affordable “shopping basket.”

On Monday, the French chain announced that it would launch its take on the affordable basics: 30 products for €30 ($30.4). However, that basket of basic goods does not include many of the products mentioned by the government such as eggs, fresh fruit or fresh vegetables.

July inflation data shows that the price of eggs and milk have both increased 23% in a year, while fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, and most meats have also seen more than the 13.5% average annual increase.

While Monday’s meeting did not result in an immediate agreement, the ministers applauded the “positive attitude” of the distributors to strike a deal that would last “beyond Christmas.”

The ministers said the negotiations will continue in the weeks to come.

AA