News Dabba 23 May: 5 stories across the web for a balanced news diet

Anushka Vani brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from Monkeypox outbreaks, BA.4 and BA.5 variants of Omicron in India, the drop in fuel prices, to the US extending military support to Taiwan.

BBC reports Monkeypox outbreaks in different nations amid Covid-19 challenges and countries in war

In the recent meet of UN health agency experts in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus discussed the outbreak of Monkeypox outbreak in 15 nations outside Africa, reported BBC. According to the report, more than 80 cases have been confirmed in different parts of Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and Israel. The risk of spreading amongst a wider public is still low. The virus however is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa. The illness of this virus is usually mild and the patient can recover within a few weeks, as per the UN National Health Services, says the report. Additionally, the report also mentions that the UK health officials have issued new advice that states that high-risk contacts of cases should be self-isolated for a period of three weeks. Read the full report on BBC.

INSACOG confirms the first case of BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron in Telangana, the Indian Express

Indian Express report states that the INSACOG (Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortium) has confirmed the first case of the BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron in the country. The case is from Telangana, detected in an 80-year-old man with no history of international travel, and is fully vaccinated against Covid-19. According to the report, he had mild clinical symptoms. Further, the report also adds that INSACOG has also officially confirmed two cases of BA.4, one from Hyderabad and one from Tamil Nadu. The Omicron variants of BA.4 and BA.5 have led to the outbreak of the fifth wave of Covid-19 cases in South Africa. Additionally, The European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has declared the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron as a ‘Variant of Concern’. Read the full report on IE.     

The Mint on drop-in fuel rates in Maharashtra

The Mint reported that a day after the announcements were made by the Central Government to reduce fuel prices, the Maharashtra administration on Sunday also slashed the Value-added-tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel. Earlier, after the announcement by the Central Government, the excise duty on petrol and diesel was cut down by Rs 8 per litre and Rs 6 per liter respectively. Along with the centre’s decision, the Maharashtra administration on Sunday slashed the VAT on fuel prices by Rs 2.08 per litre for petrol and Rs 1.44 per litre for diesel. The report also shared insight on the new fuel prices across the country. In Mumbai, after the reduction of excise duty and VAT, the cost of petrol is Rs 111.35 per litre and diesel is Rs 97.28 per litre, while in Chennai the price is Rs 102.6 and Rs 94.24 respectively. In Kolkata, the price is Rs 106.03/ and Rs 92.76, in Bangalore, the price is RS 101.94 and Rs 87.89 respectively and in Gurugram the price is Rs 97.81 and Rs 90.05. Read the full report on Mint.    

The Free Press Journal covers blackouts, flight cancellations and traffic snarls caused by Delhi rains

The Free Press Journal covers Delhi rains in today’s report. The rains have helped drastically cool down the temperature in Delhi, along with thunderstorms and strong wind lashes. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had stated that the temperature from 5:40 am to 7:00 am fell by 11 degrees Celsius from 29 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius. The rains brought along strong winds that have uprooted trees in several parts of the city that have caused disruption in these places. Some of the disruptions included traffic hassles, along with flight cancellations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (ISI). Water supply in the city was also hampered. Read the full report on the FPJ.

Telegraph reports US president Joe Biden extending military support to Taiwan if China invades

Telegraph reports US President Joe Biden’s statement at a news conference in Tokyo, that the US would provide military support to Taiwan if China was to invade. He also added that the burden to protect the self-ruled island was even stronger after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The report also states that under the One China policy, the US recognises Beijing as the government of China and it does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Read the full report on Telegraph.