The euro fell to a 20-year low against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday, as fears about the European economy weighed heavily on the currency. It was one of several signs of renewed economic worries around the world, which were also reflected in stocks wobbling, bonds flashing warning signals and oil prices falling sharply.

The S&P 500 rose slightly on Tuesday, recovering from a much deeper slide earlier in the day.

The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note, an important gauge of borrowing costs, dipped below the two-year yield, which traded at about 2.8 percent. The so-called inverted yield curve is a rare phenomenon that often happens ahead of a recession.

Economists have recently been raising the possibility of a recession in their forecasts. Interest rates in the United States have experienced their largest increase since 1994, inflation is at its highest in 40 years, and financial markets set grim records in the first half of the year.

In Europe, energy industry turmoil and the war in Ukraine are weighing heavily on the region. Germany reported its first monthly trade deficit since 1991. Supply chain strains are expected to slow the eurozone’s largest economy, which is heavily dependent on exports, and may even cause a recession. “Overall, we think the outlook is deteriorating precipitously,” Daniela Ordonez of Oxford Economics wrote in a note Tuesday about the eurozone economy.

Another sign of anxiety about global growth was seen in the price of oil. Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, fell more than 9 percent on Tuesday, to $103 per barrel, its biggest daily decline since March. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, fell nearly as much, dropping below $100 per barrel for the first time since May.

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The euro’s decline brought it closer to parity with the dollar, with one euro trading for about $1.027, its lowest level since 2002. Many analysts have said it is only a matter of time before the euro reaches a one-to-one exchange rate with the dollar, as European economies struggle with high inflation, labor unrest and turmoil in energy markets.

“Europe is the weakest link in the global economy,” said Joe Quinlan, head of market strategy for Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank. “They’re in the cross hairs of the war and the energy crisis.”/agencies

The UN secretary-general's office has not been able to visit Crimea after Russian "occupying authorities" denied unfettered access, according to a UN report on Tuesday.  

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' report on the "Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine" was delivered to the UN Human Rights Council.

On the same day, UN Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet told the Human Rights Council said the "unbearable toll" of the conflict continues to mount.

"With daily killings, widespread destruction, arbitrary detention, and mass displacement, civilians are bearing the brunt of hostilities that seemingly have no end in sight," said Bachelet.

She said that by working closely with the Ukrainian government, over 300 local civil society partners, and international NGOs, the UN is reaching almost 9 million people with essential and life-saving assistance.

In his report, Guterres said: "Given the conditions stipulated by the Russian Federation, the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights was not able to find appropriate modalities to conduct a mission to Crimea in accordance with (a) General Assembly resolution."

A UN mission has worked in Ukraine and monitored Crimea's situation since March 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea, which had been part of Ukraine.

"The report is primarily based on direct interviews with victims of alleged human rights violations in Crimea, which were further verified by multiple sources," said the report.  

Access to information

The rights office said media freedoms and access to information in Crimea are adversely affected by Russian laws.

These impose "the status of 'foreign agent' on media that receive funding or other forms of ill-defined 'support' from foreign states or governments, international and foreign organizations, or foreign citizens."

The UN chief's report said Russia curtails dissenting political or alternative views in Crimea.

"In particular, freedom of peaceful assembly was undermined by the blanket requirement of prior authorization by the occupation authorities for any assembly," the report noted. 

Freedom of movement

Regarding freedom of movement, cases were documented of individuals unable to enter Crimea despite family connections and humanitarian reasons to travel. 

"The applicable exceptions provide no grounds for entry for same-sex couples, which prima facie may violate the prohibition of discrimination," said the report.

In another case, a man born in Crimea but who resided in Kyiv was denied entry to Crimea when he attempted to attend the funeral of his father, who had died of COVID-19-related complications.

During the period under review, Ukraine's parliament adopted a law canceling non-resident taxpayer status for persons originating from Crimea, which the report criticized./aa

Yum! Brands announced Tuesday it plans to exit the Russian market after selling its KFC business in the country.  

The US-based global fast-food company said it is in the advanced stages of transferring ownership of KFC restaurants, operating system, and master franchise rights, including the network of franchised restaurants, to a local operator.

"This builds on the company’s prior actions to suspend operations of all company-owned restaurants, halt all investment and restaurant development efforts, and redirect any profits from Russia operations to humanitarian efforts. Following completion of the KFC transaction, Yum! Brands intends to fully exit from Russia," it said in a statement.

Yum! Brands said it completed last month the transfer of its ownership of all Pizza Hut franchise assets to a local operator in Russia.

The company, which had around 50 Pizza Hut and 1,000 KFC locations in Russia, suspended all investments and operations in March.

Due to the war in Ukraine, major companies from various sectors around the world have announced the suspension of operations and withdrawal from the Russian market since Feb. 24, and western countries have imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian companies and individuals./aa

Uganda recently joined other countries in Africa to pilot the Tripartite Joint Risk Assessment (JRA) tool for zoonotic threats.

A zoonotic disease is a disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans or from humans to vertebrate animals, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

The country has in the last five years experienced a number of zoonotic disease outbreaks including Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus disease, Rift Valley fever, anthrax and Ebola virus disease.

On the eve of World Zoonoses Day, which is being observed on Wednesday, experts told Anadolu Agency that the ever-growing population exerting pressure on the natural habitats of wild animals has resulted in closer interactions between wild animals and humans, causing a rise in cases of zoonotic diseases.

“An increasing close interaction between humans and animals provides a high probability of encounters with novel viruses that have human pathogenic potentials. For example, in the case of an agricultural fair in (the US state of) Maryland in 2017, flu-stricken hogs were exhibited and infected a group of fairgoers. Bush hunting and bushmeat have also been pointed out as the precursor to HIV and the origin of Ebola outbreaks in Africa,” Katongole Hadija, a university lecturer, told Anadolu Agency.

She added that bats, which often dwell in residential homes, have notoriously been known as the origins of some notable viral epidemics in the human population like the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Animal domestication

Dr. Fatuma Nakintu, a zoologist, said animal domestication and human exploitation of wildlife are inevitable. Therefore, the available data should guide authorities to shift their thinking from pandemic responses to pandemic prevention.

“Many people in Uganda interact with animals every day because of their benefits. To some, they are a source of food. To others, a source of labor, livelihood, travel, and so on. Many other people have animals as pets. What I’m saying is that people will always interact with animals, leading to a higher risk of virus spillover. Therefore, the authorities should bear these facts and not wait for an outbreak to happen for them to respond. No, they should design mechanisms that make this inevitable interaction safe,” she said.

She added that disease emergence that occurs anywhere can affect everyone everywhere.

“The current COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world, in addition to its lasting negative impacts on local and global economies, is a tipping point those authorities cannot ignore.”

Transmission

Zoonoses have two modes of transmission, including direct zoonosis. This is when the infectious disease is directly transmitted from animals to humans through media such as air or direct contact such as consumption or through bites. The second mode is an indirect zoonosis, which happens when the infectious disease is transmitted via an intermediate species or vector that carries the pathogen without getting infected. The exact mechanism of viral spillover however remains unknown.

According to a 2020 WHO report, zoonoses comprise a large percentage of all newly identified infectious diseases as well as many existing ones and more than 60% of human pathogens are zoonotic in origin. Some diseases such as HIV begin as a zoonosis but later mutate into human-only strains. Other zoonoses can cause recurring disease outbreaks such as Ebola virus disease, while others, such as the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, have the potential to cause global pandemics, said the report.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. Researchers suggest that buffer zones such as tree farms or reforestation projects around biodiversity-rich forests could dramatically lessen the likelihood of human-wild primate interaction.

The Director General of Health Services at Uganda’s Health Ministry, Dr. Henry Mwebesa, told Anadolu Agency that the Joint Risk Assessment is a milestone in implementing a One Health approach to disease prevention and management of the complex health challenges in Uganda.

“Recognizing the serious consequences of emerging infectious diseases and bringing together information on humans, animals and the environment are critical in ensuring risk management decisions,” he said./aa

New Zealand's government has announced a ban on Russian gold imports as part of its sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine war, said a senior official.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said her country does not want to become a safe haven for Russian assets, according to a statement issued by her ministry late Monday.

The ban will come into effect from July 25.

“Today’s decision further signals New Zealand’s condemnation of Russia’s flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty,” said Mahuta.

“It also supports international efforts to ensure Russia does not circumvent international sanctions by leveraging its immense gold reserves to finance its illegal war,” she added.

According to New Zealand Trade and Export Minister Growth Damien O'Connor, the decision aims to prevent the Kremlin from relying on gold holdings to prop up the ruble, as Moscow's financial system is already cut off from international markets.

“Russia’s Central Bank holds extensive gold reserves, estimated to be worth up to US$140bn. Twenty percent of the Russian Central Bank’s reserves are held in gold. Under the Russia Sanctions Act, we are making it illegal for New Zealanders to import gold of Russian origin,” said Damien O’Connor.

Last week, the US Treasury Department announced a ban on Russian gold imports, but the move only applies to Russian-origin gold, not gold located outside of Russia./aa

The UN human rights chief on Tuesday called for a “prompt, independent and transparent investigation” into the deadly protest in Uzbekistan’s autonomous Karakalpakstan region. 

"The reports we have received about serious violence, including killings, during the protests are very concerning. I call on the authorities to exercise utmost restraint," Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.


Citing the latest figures that at least 18 people were killed and 243 injured during the clashes between protesters and security forces, she noted that it is feared the real number of casualties may be higher.

"Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Uzbekistan is a State Party, everyone has the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the right to participate in public affairs," Bachelet said.

People should not be criminalized for exercising their rights, she added.

Bachelet also urged the relevant authorities to "immediately open a transparent and independent investigation" into any allegations of criminal acts to ensure accountability.


At least 18 people were killed and 243 others injured, including 94 seriously, during clashes between protesters and security forces on July 1-2 in the regional capital Nukus, according to Uzbekistan's General Prosecutor's Office. 

Protests had erupted over proposed constitutional changes that would have affected the region’s autonomous status.

On Saturday, Uzbekistan announced a month-long state of emergency in Karakalpakstan. The decree was signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev after demonstrations erupted in the region.

The decree limits entry and exit from the province and all public events are prohibited./agencies

Around 50,000 people have been asked to evacuate their homes after floods hit Australia’s New South Wales state.

In a statement on Tuesday, Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said that the flooding has resulted in a large number of evacuations throughout Sydney, Hawkesbury, and the Central Coast, with major flood operations still ongoing.

The government has activated emergency funding support in affected areas to help people who have been displaced.

"These are uncapped payments, they are demand-driven and they will be available for anyone who qualifies," Watt told ABC News.

"We have seen some of these impacted communities being hit by flood for a third and fourth time in 18 months, which is extremely distressing to the residents of these communities," said the minister.

The statement came as rain continues to bucket down on NSW on Tuesday, with authorities urging residents to stay vigilant of flash flooding as rivers continue to rise, the broadcaster reported.

Meanwhile, the NSW Bureau of Meteorology issued a fresh warning of more rains and floods in several areas, including Tuggerah Lake, the Macquarie River, and Narromine River, and asked people to shift to evacuation centers.

"Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding may develop across the Mid North Coast and southeastern areas of the Northern Tablelands later this evening, continuing through Wednesday and easing late Wednesday,” said the Bureau of Meteorology.

The latest floods in New South Wales are the fourth in the last 18 months.

In March, at least 12 people died and hundreds of properties were damaged due to heavy flooding./aa

Seven members of the same family were killed in an armed attack in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, according to local media.

The family was shot in the middle of the night at their home in the municipality of Boca del Rio, media reports said.

Three women and four men, including a minor, were killed in the attack.

The family reportedly ran a chain of butcher shops.

An operation was launched to apprehend the suspects with the support of security forces./aa

The Tunisian coast guard recovered the body of an irregular migrant and rescued 97 others after their boats capsized off the country’s eastern coast, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

Three boats carrying irregular migrants sank off the coast of the city of Sfax and the Kerkennah Islands, the ministry said in a statement.

Tunisian authorities stop illegal migration attempts and arrest hundreds of irregular migrants on almost a daily basis.

For years, Maghreb countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania and Morocco have witnessed attempts by migrants mainly from sub-Saharan Africa to reach Europe, hoping for a better life. While some of the migrants manage to reach their destination, others often die during the journey./aa