Indonesia screening against monkeypox

JAKARTA • Indonesia is taking precautionary measures to prevent the monkeypox virus from entering the country, after a case was confirmed in neighbouring Singapore earlier this month.

A 38-year-old Nigerian who arrived in Singapore on April 28 was confirmed last Wednesday to have contracted the monkeypox virus.

Indonesian hospitals are prepared to treat suspected patients infected by the monkeypox virus, while screening of visitors coming into the country has been intensified, the country's health authorities said.

XINHUA

Threat of El Nino lowered: Australia

SYDNEY • A recent cooling of the Pacific Ocean has reduced the threat of an El Nino weather event developing this year, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said yesterday.

While sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean remain close to El Nino levels, water beneath the surface has slowly cooled over the past few months, the bureau said. As a result, there is now a 50 per cent chance of an El Nino developing, down from a previous forecast of 70 per cent.

An El Nino weather event can trigger floods and drought in different parts of the world, and is associated with warmer, dry weather across the Asia-Pacific.

REUTERS

Five dead, one missing after planes collide

WASHINGTON, DC • Two sightseeing planes collided on Monday afternoon off the coast of Alaska, leaving five people dead and one person unaccounted for, according to Princess Cruises.

All 14 passengers on the two planes came from the cruise ship Royal Princess, which was on a seven-day trip from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Anchorage.

The two planes collided early on Monday afternoon, according to Princess Cruises, about 14.8km off Ketchikan, Alaska.

WASHINGTON POST