Eid gatherings could worsen measles outbreak in Bangladesh
Dhaka, May 26: As Bangladesh’s escalating measles outbreak claimed over 500 lives, public health experts and physicians have warned that mass gatherings, long-distance travel and family visits during Eid holidays could further accelerate the spread of the disease. They advised families with young children to avoid unnecessary gatherings, restrict movement and adhere to the preventive measures, cautioning that approaching the hot season may intensify the transmission risks, local media reported on Tuesday. (IANS)
19 Australians linked to IS group reach Australia
Melbourne, May 26: Two planes carrying 19 Australian women and children linked to the Islamic State group in Syria landed in Melbourne and Sydney on Tuesday, despite Australia’s government warning that the returnees could face charges. The government earlier confirmed seven women and 12 children were heading home on Qatar Airways flights, less than three weeks after a group of 13 people in similar situations returned to Australia’s two largest cities. Two women with seven children flew to Melbourne. Four women with six children landed about an hour later in Sydney, a joint police and intelligence agency statement said. No one had been charged on arrival, but investigations into their activities in Syria were continuing, the statement said. (AP)
4 dead, 5 hurt in crash between train and school bus in Belgium
Buggenhout, May 26: A crash between a bus and a train travelling at high speed in northern Belgium killed four people, including two children, and injured five other children, prosecutors said Tuesday. The injured children were taken to the hospital in a serious condition, spokeswoman Lisa De Wilde said at a news conference. The accident happened at a level crossing during the morning rush hour near the town of Buggenhout, about 30 kilometres northwest of the capital, Brussels. De Wilde said that the dead included the driver of the minibus and an escort as well as two children. She said that the cause of the accident had not been established. Investigators are questioning witnesses and checking for images from nearby cameras. (AP)
Canadian police arrest 17 men of ‘Indian’ origin for extortion
Ottawa, May 26: Canadian police have arrested 17 persons, believed to be of Indian origin, for their alleged involvement in extortion and organised crime targeting South Asian business owners and community members in the region. The Extortion Task Force of the Peel Police “dismantled a coordinated campaign of intimidation, threats, and escalating violence used to extort local businesses”, according to a press release issued by the Peel Regional Police on its official website on Monday. The majority of the arrested individuals have ties to an international criminal network known as ‘For Brothers’, which targeted South Asian business owners and community members across the region in Canada and US, it said. (PTI)
