North Korea’s 1st international commercial flight after Covid pandemic lands in Beijing

North Korean travelers wait in line at a check-in counter of North Korea's Air Koryo at Beijing International Airport, China 22 August 2023, as flight services between North Korea and China reopened three years and seven months after they were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. EFE-EPA/YONHAP SOUTH KOREA OUT

Beijing, Aug 22 (EFE).- A flight of North Korean state carrier Air Koryo from Pyongyang landed at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday, becoming the country’s first international commercial flight since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. An electronic board shows the arrival of an Air Koryo plane, JS151, from Pyongyang at Beijing International Airport, … Read more

Dengue cases break annual record in Bangladesh as death toll nears 500

Twelve-years old Shahana (L) receives treatment for dengue fever at Mugda Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 15 August 2023 EFE-EPA FILE/MONIRUL ALAM

Dhaka, Aug 3 (EFE).- Bangladesh’s serious dengue outbreak has now resulted in the highest-ever annual caseload as the country’s health authorities on Monday reported 2,197 hospitalized cases, taking the total number of cases this year to 102,191. Meanwhile nine new deaths were reported since Sunday, taking this year’s death toll to 485. The number of … Read more

German government announces weed legalisation law

(FILE) A participant holds a banner with the cannabis symbol during the Hemp Parade (Hanfparade) demonstration as they  by the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, , 10 August 2019. EFE/EPA/OMER MESSINGER

Frankfurt, , Aug 16 (EFE).- A draft bill decriminalizing the consumption and cultivation of limited amounts of cannabis for adults in was unveiled by the German government on Wednesday. The legislation, which the three-way coalition government had pledged to introduce during election campaigning in 2021, still needs to be approved by the country’s parliament, … Read more

New Zealand lifts all remaining Covid-19 restrictions

Detainees are seen inside the Park hotel quarantine facility in Melbourne, Australia, 06 January 2022. EFE-EPA FILE/JAMES ROSS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

Sydney, Australia, Aug 14 (EFE).- New Zealand, which imposed some of the world’s strictest policies against Covid-19, announced on Monday that it will eliminate all the remaining restrictions against the disease, including seven days of mandatory isolation for those infected. Protesters are seen outside of the Park hotel quarantine facility in Melbourne, Australia, 06 January 2022. … Read more

South Korea records highest heat-related deaths in 5 years

People take a rest under the shade of trees in Gwanghwamun square in Seoul, South Korea, 03 August 2023. EFE/EPA/FILE/JEON HEON-KYUN

Seoul, Aug 9 (EFE).- South Korea has recorded its highest heat-related deaths this year since 2018, the country’s disease control agency said Wednesday. Until Tuesday, a total 27 people had lost their lives due to apparent heat-related illness, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. This is the highest since 48 people died … Read more

Dengue deaths touch an all-time high in Bangladesh

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) worker sprays insecticides to kill mosquitoes in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 10 July 2023. EFE/EPA/FILE/MONIRUL ALAM

Dhaka, Aug 3 (EFE).- Bangladesh recorded Thursday the highest number of deaths from dengue in a year following the death of 10 people in the last 24 hours, taking the total deaths from the disease to 283 so far in 2023. The Directorate General of Health Services reported 10 new deaths in 24 hours until … Read more

Experts warn of health risks amid extreme heat scorching Europe

Tourists cover their heads from the sun with fans in Valencia, 17 July 2017. EFE/Ana Escobar

Madrid/Rome/Geneva, Jul 18 (EFE).- A record-breaking heatwave battering southern Europe has sparked concern among healthcare professionals over the impact of soaring temperatures on people’s health. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday warned of the risks hot nights pose to people in regions where temperatures remain around 40C (104F) even after sundown. A person on … Read more

Bangladesh dengue death toll nears 100

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) worker sprays insecticides to kill mosquitos in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 10 July 2023. The numbers of cases diagnosed with dengue fever increased sharply in Bangladesh over the last 24 hours, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), in the last 24 hours, 836 dengue patients, including 516 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country. So far, 12,954 dengue cases have been recorded this year, with 10,131 recoveries and 73 deaths. EFE/EPA/MONIRUL ALAM

Dhaka, July 14 (EFE).- Hospitals in Bangladesh are currently overwhelmed with patients, and long queues are forming at labs as the country grapples with a dengue outbreak. This comes amid a rising number of infections at the beginning of the monsoon season. The health services department reported five new deaths from dengue in its latest … Read more

US gives green light for 1st over-the-counter birth control pill

A pharmacist fills an order in Dallas, Texas. The Food and Drug istration on 13 July 2023 approved the United States' first-ever over-the-counter birth control pill. In a statement, the FDA said it had given the green light for the Opill (norgestrel) tablet to be used without a prescription to prevent pregnancy. EFE/Jose Luis Castillo Castro/File

Washington, Jul 13 (EFE).- The Food and Drug istration on Thursday approved the United States’ first-ever over-the-counter birth control pill. In a statement, the FDA said it had given the green light for the Opill (norgestrel) tablet to be used without a prescription to prevent pregnancy. “Today’s approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily … Read more

Six in 10 Haitians lack access to health care

A pregnant women undergoes an ultrasound exam at St. Damien Pediatric Hospital in Port-au-Prince. EFE/St. Damien/EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Madrid, July 5 (EFE).- Only 40 percent of Haiti’s 11.8 million inhabitants have access to health care and getting treatment for some illnesses depends on the ability to pay, the director of St. Damien Pediatric Hospital in Port-au-Prince told EFE here. Dr. Pascale Gassant and the hospital’s project coordinator, Marytza Beaubrun, are in Madrid for … Read more

Ukraine reports possible cholera outbreak in Russia-occupied Kherson region

A Ukrainian serviceman looks on a she stands in a flooded street of Kherson, Ukraine, 06 June 2023. EFE-EPA/FILE/IVAN ANTYPENKO

Kyiv, July 5 (EFE).- The Ukrainian military Friday reported a spike in intestinal infections carrying “signs of cholera” in Russia-occupied areas of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine where the destruction of a dam last month caused severe flooding and widespread human suffering. In a Facebook post, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said … Read more

At least 54 dead due to high temperatures in northern India

People try to protect themselves from the heat as they walk along the Yamuna riverbed, amidst a heatwave, in New Delhi, India, 13 June 2023. EFE/EPA/FILE/RAJAT GUPTA

New Delhi, Jun 18 (EFE).- At least 54 people have died in northern India in the last three days supposedly due to heat related issues, Indian health system officials said on Sunday. Most of those were over 60 years with chronic diseases that were complicated due to high temperatures, prolonged sun exposure or dehydration, the … Read more