THE EARLY WARNING MONTIOR
GLIC Weekly Report 2.19
Public Health
New Diabetes Cases and New Heart Disease Cases
Every eight-ounce serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage consumed worldwide contributes to a mounting public health crisis. According to new research from Tufts University, these drinks, from sodas to fruit punches, now cause millions of cases of preventable diseases annually, with developing nations bearing the heaviest burden. Researchers at Tufts’ Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy found that in 2020 alone, these drinks were responsible for 2.2 million new cases of Type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new heart disease cases worldwide. The comprehensive analysis, spanning 184 countries, paints a concerning picture of how these beverages affect public health across different regions and demographics.
Study Finds: New Diabetes Cases and New Heart Disease Cases January 6th 2025
Public Health
India
Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) Cases in India Triggers Stock Market Volatility
The virus, which typically causes cold-like symptoms, has led to several pediatric hospitalizations across major cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai, and Ahmedabad. On January 6, 2025, two babies, a three-month-old girl and an eight-month-old boy, tested positive for HMPV in Bengaluru. Health officials are concerned about its rapid spread, particularly in vulnerable groups such as infants, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Investors expressed concerns about possible disruptions to businesses, lockdowns, and the economic impact of widespread health outbreaks. Health authorities are urging the public to practice good hygiene, including frequent handwashing,
African Logistics: Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) Cases in India Triggers Stock Market Volatility January 7th 2025
Public Health
France
France Identifies First Mpox Variant Clade 1b Case in Brittany Woman
France has confirmed its first case of a new mpox variant, clade 1b, in a woman from Brittany who had contact with two individuals returning from Central Africa. The health ministry reported that the patient has not traveled to the region herself but is currently under medical supervision as authorities trace potential contacts. Dr. Jean-Pierre Delorme, a spokesperson for France’s public health agency, stated, “We are implementing all recommended oversight measures to ensure public safety and prevent further transmission.” Symptoms of mpox include fever, muscular aches, and large boil-like skin lesions. The emergence of clade 1b follows similar cases reported in Germany and Britain in October 2024.
The Logical Indian: France Identifies First Mpox Variant Clade 1b Case in Brittany Woman January 7th 2025
Public Health
Africa
Africa to receive just 10% of doses needed to control mpox outbreak
African countries are set to receive just one tenth of the vaccines they need to control the mpox outbreak by the end of 2024, analysis from the People’s Medicines Alliance has found, while rich countries hold nearly all of global supplies. As the outbreak spreads across Africa, high prices are keeping vaccines and tests out of reach for the people most at risk. Africa needs approximately 10 million vaccine doses to control the outbreak, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but only around 1 million have been delivered. An estimated 210 million vials of vaccine have been produced to date, but more than 99 per cent are thought to be sat in rich country stockpiles.
Oxfam America: Africa to receive just 10% of doses needed to control mpox outbreak January 7th 2025
International Security
Middle East
37 killed in Syria clashes between pro-Turkey, Kurdish forces
Battles between Turkish-backed groups, supported by airstrikes, and Kurdish-led forces killed 37 people on Thursday in Syria’s northern Manbij region, a war monitor said. The latest reported fighting comes despite the United States saying Wednesday that it was working to address Turkey’s concerns in Syria to dissuade the NATO ally from escalating an offensive against Kurdish fighters. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported “fierce battles in the Manbij countryside… in the past hours between the (Kurdish-led) Syrian Democratic Forces and the (Turkish-backed) National Army factions… with Turkish air cover.”
Alarabiya: 37 killed in Syria clashes between pro-Turkey, Kurdish forces January 10th 2025
Public Health
Sudan
MSF suspends operations at key Khartoum hospital amid violent attacks
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Friday it was forced to suspend activities at a key hospital in the capital of war-ravaged Sudan after months of violent attacks. MSF said its teams had faced threats and seen numerous attacks against patients over 20 months at the facility. “We’ve had to suspend our activities in the Bashair Hospital in Khartoum,” MSF Secretary-General Christopher Lock year told AFP, adding that the facility had “seen many attacks across the course of this war.” Tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions displaced, and the conflict has left more than 30 million people – over half of them children – in dire need of aid.
Alarabiya: MSF suspends operations at key Khartoum hospital amid violent attacks January 10th 2025
International Security
Armenia
Armenian government approves bill to launch EU accession bid
Armenia’s government on Thursday gave approval to a bill that calls for the country, once part of the Soviet Union, to launch a bid to join the European Union. Armenia has in recent years deepened ties with the West at the expense of its traditionally close relations with Moscow, which it has accused of failing to defend it from longtime rival Azerbaijan. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia needed to understand Brussels’ position, and that Armenia could not join the EU while remaining a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a trading bloc of some post-Soviet countries.
Alarabiya: Armenian government approves bill to launch EU accession bid January 10th 2025
International Security
Iran-Switzerland
Iran says Swiss national held on spying charges died by suicide in prison
A Swiss national detained on espionage charges has died by suicide in a prison in Iran’s Semnan province. Over the years, Iran’s security forces have detained dozens of foreigners and dual nationals, often accusing them of espionage or security-related offenses. Rights groups have criticized Iran for using such arrests to extract diplomatic concessions, a claim Tehran denies. Switzerland represents US interests in Iran, as Washington and Tehran do not have diplomatic relations.
Alarabiya: Iran says Swiss national held on spying charges died by suicide in prison January 10th 2025
International Security
Germany
Scholz Blocking Ukraine Aid
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is dragging his feet on approving an additional €3 billion ($3.1 billion) military aid package for Ukraine, despite pressure from Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Der Spiegel reported on Thursday. Scholz, who is facing a snap election, reportedly believes the move is unnecessary.
According to the outlet, the German government is embroiled in a heated debate over the proposed aid. The package could reportedly include advanced anti-air weapons and artillery and is seen by Baerbock and Pistorius as critical for Ukraine as it struggles to contain Russian advances on the battlefield. The ministers are also said to be concerned about the uncertainty of continued US support for Kiev following the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, a critic of Ukraine aid.
RT: Scholz Blocking Ukraine Aid January 10th 2025
International Security
US
US annexation of Greenland would pose ‘military threat’ – top Russian MP
The US could use Greenland to stage an attack on Russia, State Duma Defense Committee chairman Andrey Kartapolov said on Thursday. The comment came after US President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his plan of purchasing the self-governing Arctic Island from Denmark. Trump has insisted that “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for American national security. Asked by RIA Novosti whether the US annexation of Greenland would pose a “military threat” to Russia, Kartapolov replied: “Obviously.” “Greenland occupies a very large area in the Arctic and gives direct access to the Arctic, so for us it would not be the best option,” he said. The legislator argued that the island could serve as “a good springboard for America in a future hypothetical intercontinental clash.”
RT: US annexation of Greenland would pose ‘military threat’ January 10th 2025
International Security
Israeli officials warn of potential war with Türkiye
Israel should brace for a potential clash with Türkiye over Ankara’s support for various factions in Syria, a major government-backed panel warned in a report. The report highlighted what it sees as Ankara’s ambitions to restore Ottoman-era influence in the Middle East, warning that some Syrian factions are aligned with Türkiye. “The threat from Syria could evolve into something even more dangerous than the Iranian threat,” the commission stated.
RT: Israeli officials warn of potential war with Türkiye January 10th 2025International Security
Türkiye will intervene at ‘slightest risk’ of Syria splintering – Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that his country will intervene if necessary to avoid any division of Syria and will be “uncompromising” in its determination. The comments from Erdogan are seen as a veiled warning to the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as well as to the US, which backs the group against Islamic State forces. “We cannot accept under any pretext that Syria be divided and if we notice the slightest risk we will take the necessary measures,” the Turkish leader said in remarks following the first cabinet meeting of 2025. He added that Ankara has “more than enough power, capacity, and talent to do this.”
RT: Türkiye will intervene at ‘slightest risk’ of Syria splintering January 10th 2025
International Security
India condemns Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan
New Delhi has “unequivocally” condemned last month’s attack on villages in neighbouring Afghanistan by Pakistan, which resulted in deaths of at least 46 people, including women and children. The airstrike on December 24 hit seven settlements, according to Islamabad, targeting multiple suspected hideouts of Pakistani Taliban militants. On Monday, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi condemned “any attack on innocent civilians.” “It is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbors for its own internal failures,” he added. India had previously accused Pakistan of supporting and sponsoring cross-border terrorism. “Whenever we investigate terrorism, we find Pakistani involvement,” Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said at a rally last year.
RT: India condemns Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan January 10th 2025
International Security
Iran warns Israel of potential ‘large-scale war’
Israel risks triggering a large-scale war if it launches another military attack on Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told Chinese media. The longstanding shadow conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated into several direct military confrontations over the past year, which could potentially spiral out of control unless diplomacy prevails. Tehran-allied Houthi forces have launched multiple ballistic missiles at central Israel in recent weeks, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has bombed Yemen in. The most recent direct exchange of fire occurred in October, when Israel conducted a large-scale airstrike targeting Iran’s radar and air defense systems, in retaliation for a ballistic missile attack on Israel.
RT: Iran warns Israel of potential ‘large-scale war’ January 10th 2025
