Europe and North America detect rare monkeypox outbreaks

May 19 2022

North American and European health authorities have detected several suspected or confirmed cases of rare monkeypox starting early May.

Raising concerns that the disease, endemic in parts of Africa, is spreading, Canada was also the latest country to report it was investigating more than a dozen cases.

Spain and Portugal detected more than 40 possible and verified cases, with Britain confirming nine cases since May 6th and the USA verifying its first case Wednesday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed Tuesday that it was coordinating with health officials in aforementioned countries over the new outbreaks.

Monkeypox is an illness which most people recover from within several weeks, only proving fatal in rare cases. The WHO also revealed that it was investigating how many cases reported were people identifying as gay, bisexual or as men who have sex with other men.

The UKHSA noted that monkeypox has not previously been characterised as a sexually transmitted disease, as it can be passed on by direct contact during sex. The illness starts with flu-like symptoms before causing a chicken-pox like rash.

According to the CDC, there were no reported cases of monkeypox for 40 years before it re-emerged in Nigeria in 2017. It currently poses no risk to the public however, as health authorities see how to address the outbreak.

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Frankfurt beat Rangers on penalties to win UEFA Europa League

May 19 2022

German side Frankfurt have beaten historic Scottish team Rangers in a penalty shootout to claim their first ever UEFA Europa League. The final was held in Seville, the stadium of six time champions Sevilla FC.

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The first 90 minutes of the game was very close, with both teams looking up for the spectacle and a historic win for both their clubs. Rangers had more control of the ball but Frankfurt with the use of their well planned counter attacks had more clear cut chances in the first half. The first goal of the game came in the 57th minute when Rangers’ striker Joe Aribo capitalized on a massive mistake made by the Frankfurt defence. The next goal didn’t take as long to come as the first one, as Frankfurt equalized through a Rafael Borre goal only 12 minutes after Rangers’ opener. The game ended in a close draw meaning extra time was needed.

Extra time was very similar to the previous 90 minutes with both teams having their fair share of chances. The second half of extra time seemed more to go in Rangers favour as they seemed more up for it. Rangers winger Ryan Kent missed a golden opportunity in they dying minutes of the game when German keeper Kevin Trapp produced an incredible save. After a Rangers free kick was saved the 120 minutes were up and penalties were needed to separate the two teams.

The quality of the penalties were all very good, except unfortunately for Rangers the one of Aaron Ramsay. The Welsh midfielder decided to take a chance and shoot it down the middle but was denied by Kevin Trapp’s long legs. As Frankfurt scored all five of their penalties, they won the match and lifted the Europa League title. This also means that they will be playing Champions League football next season.

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Strong support towards Casa’s Social Climate Fund; “millions invested in Malta’s households”

EU proposes solar panels be made mandatory on all buildings

May 18 2022

Under a new proposal by the European Commission, solar panels could be made mandatory on all new buildings in the EU.

According to the Commission’s REPowerEU plan, a legal obligation to install panels on new buildings will be introduced. It will concern all buildings, irrespective of whether they are public, commercial or residential.

The plan forms part of the EU’s bid to end the bloc’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels after it invaded Ukraine. The EU is now using this opportunity to strengthen its shift to green energy and tackle the climate crisis.

The three main pillars are energy savings, diversification of energy supplies and accelerated roll-out of renewable energy. An additional investment of €210 billion between now and 2027 will be needed to deliver on the objectives.

The commission has also proposed to increase the target of renewable energy supplies by 2030 to 45% in the EU. This means measures to integrate solar thermal or geothermal energy technology, communal heating systems and deploying heat pumps.

Member states are also being called upon to create dedicated go-to areas for renewables in places with lower environmental risks. 10 million tonnes of domestic renewable hydrogen production and 10 million tonnes of imports by 2030 have also been set as a target to replace natural gas, coal and oil by 2030.

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