Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Friday (Jan 5) called on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to use his current tour to the Middle East to end Israel's aggression as the war in the Gaza Strip rages on.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Friday (Jan 5) called on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to use his current tour to the Middle East to end Israel's aggression as the war in the Gaza Strip rages on. In a televised statement, Haniyeh said he hoped Blinken learned the lessons of the last three months during which Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza to destroy Hamas. Haniyeh said that Washington's support for the Israeli military campaign "caused unprecedented massacres and war crimes against our people in Gaza." Click here to follow LIVE updates on the Israel-Hamas war "We... hope that he will be more focussed this time on ending the aggression" as well as "the occupation of all Palestinian lands", the Hamas chief added and urged regional leaders to meet Blinken to tell him that stability in the Middle East was "closely linked to our Palestinian cause". Blinken in Middle East This is Antony Blinken's fourth trip to the Middle East since Hamas launched an unprecedented attack against Israel on Oct 7 last year. Blinken arrived in Turkey's Istanbul on Friday to begin his week of diplomacy around the Middle East. The US Secretary of State will visit Israel, the Palestinian Authority base in the West Bank, and five Arab countries -- Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, according to the State Department. "We don't expect every conversation on this trip to be easy. There are obviously tough issues facing the region and difficult choices ahead," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. "But the secretary believes it is the responsibility of the United States of America to lead diplomatic efforts to tackle those challenges head-on," he added. Also read: Pregnant women in Gaza face medical uncertainty with dozens of hospitals closed On Saturday, Blinken met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks expected to focus on the war in Gaza and Ankara's request for US fighter jets. This meeting comes after Blinken held a two-hour meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The Turkish foreign ministry said that both Blinken and Fidan talked about "the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Sweden's NATO accession process, bilateral and regional issues." Death toll in Gaza over 22,700 The death toll in the Gaza Strip has now climbed to 22,722 since the conflict started. The Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry claimed on Saturday that 122 people in the war-torn region died in the last 24 hours. On the other hand, a total of 58,166 people have been wounded so far. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel-Hamas war: Focus on ending Israeli aggression, Hamas chief tells Antony Blinken

Pregnant women in the Gaza Strip are facing medical uncertainty as dozens of hospitals and health centres are closed due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Pregnant women in the Gaza Strip are facing medical uncertainty as dozens of hospitals and health centres are closed due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Friday (Jan 5), 29-year-old Iman Al-Masry recently gave birth to quadruplets via a c-section at the Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Her fourth child was still in the hospital's nursery. Weeks ago, Al-Masry, together with her husband Ammar Yasser, and their three children, fled from the severe Israeli bombing on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The family was staying inside the Rufaida school in Deir al-Balah. Click here to follow all updates on the Israel-Hamas war Speaking to Reuters, Yaseer said, "I had to evacuate our home because of my fear for the newborns, and my wife was very ill. Unfortunately, we had to separate from my family. My father stayed at home when I was displaced. I cannot bear being separated from my father and leaving him there after we were displaced. It is a difficult and painful feeling." 'Suffered a lot during my pregnancy' Al-Masry was six months pregnant at the time and walked five kilometres from her home until she found a car to Deir al-Balah. This led to premature delivery. During the first week of her eighth month of pregnancy, doctors decided to induce labour, and the quadruplets were born on Dec 18. "I suffered a lot during my pregnancy due to displacement from place to place and moving on the roads in dangerous situations. This caused me great fatigue and led to premature birth in the eighth month by caesarean section and one of the children remaining in the nursery for care," she told Reuters. Also read: Israel spy agency Mossad's chief says all Oct 7 attackers will be tracked down As the war intensified, hospitals were overcrowded, and the 29-year-old did not have time to recover from the C-section. She was forced to leave her fourth child, a boy, who needed medical supervision, in the nursery. Reuters reported that another woman- 30-year-old Sabreen Abu Warda, and her 15-day-old daughter suffered due to the war. After the girl was born, doctors operated on her oesophagus. But since then, there has been no improvement in the infant's condition because of a lack of medicines and doctor follow-up. War threatening nutritional status of infants Last month, a statement by the Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) said that the Israel-Hamas war was threatening "the nutritional status of infants, young children, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and other vulnerable groups, due to shock, stress and deprivation of food, water and other essential lifesaving services." "About 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza – 5,500 of whom are expected to deliver in the next month – are unable to obtain basic health and nutrition services. There are also an additional 105,800 breastfeeding mothers who are struggling to feed themselves and their babies," the statement said. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel-Hamas war: Pregnant women in Gaza face medical uncertainty with dozens of hospitals closed

A subway train in New York City (NYC) collided with another train on Thursday (Jan 4), injuring more than 20 people. According to a report by the news agency Associated Press, authorities said that the accident caused major service disruptions across Manhattan during the afternoon rush hours.

A subway train in New York City (NYC) collided with another train on Thursday (Jan 4), injuring more than 20 people. According to a report by the news agency Associated Press, authorities said that the accident caused major service disruptions across Manhattan during the afternoon rush hours. At around 3 pm, a train carrying about 300 passengers and an out-of-service Metropolitan Transportation Authority train with four workers on board hit each other near the 96th Street station, authorities said. Seven passengers and one crew member were hospitalised. Richard Davey, president of New York City Transit for the MTA, said that the out-of-service train had been stuck. Authorities added that there were no immediate signs of equipment failure and investigators were seeing if a human error was involved. According to a report by the New York Times (NYT), officials who chose to remain anonymous said that human error appeared to have caused the collision. 'Really scary' Speaking to local media, Evelyn Aguilar, 19, who was on her way home to Brooklyn, said, "It was just really scary. People’s belongings flew across the train. My head hit the window of the door. (Then) I hit my head on the pole." Addressing a press conference, Richard Davey said that there were no serious injuries. "Obviously two trains should not be bumping into one another. We are going to get to the bottom of that," he added. Also read: Man attacks elderly woman over 50 times with her own cane at NYC Subway According to the MTA, the collision knocked out service on the 1,2 and 3 lines in most of Manhattan. Crews were working Thursday night to clear the tracks and hoping to get service resumed by Friday. Firefighters helped remove passengers from the in-service train as well as a few hundred more people from another train that was not involved but had to stop in the tunnel because of the collision. A struggling subway system The NYC subway system has been struggling in recent years with power outages, signal problems and other breakdowns. The Associated Press report said that the MTA has been facing a fiscal crisis in recent years. However, the state's recent budget has helped the agency balance its books. (With inputs from agencies)

New York City subway trains collide, over 20 injured

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Friday (Jan 5) took a jibe at his fellow party leader and presidential hopeful Nikki Haley over her remarks on a shooting at a high school in Iowa on Thursday.

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Friday (Jan 5) took a jibe at his fellow party leader and presidential hopeful Nikki Haley over her remarks on a shooting at a high school in Iowa on Thursday. At a CNN Townhall, Haley called for mental health reforms following the shooting at the Perry High School where one student died and five others were injured. "We have to deal with the cancer that is mental health. We have to,” Haley told voters. Ramaswamy hit out at Haley for equating cancer with mental health and said, "I think she might’ve actually written this one herself." Also read: Who is Dylan Butler? Iowa school shooter with 'I’m your nightmare coming true' sentiment Haley also reiterated her concerns about the shooting on X, and wrote "We have to deal with the cancer that is mental health." However, some users were not happy with the comparison and were critical of Haley. "You writing fortune cookies or running for President?" X user Aaron Day 2024 wrote. "You’re terrible at metaphors “We need to deal with the broken foot that is diarrhoea,” wrote another user. While a third wrote, "You do need a psychiatrist. Crazy." The shooting incident The shooting at the Perry High School killed a sixth grader and injured five others. The incident prompted Vivek Ramaswamy to cancel a scheduled campaign event in the town. Addressing a press conference, Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said the shooting at the school took place on Thursday morning and resulted in multiple victims. The suspect was identified as Dylan Butler, a 17-year-old student at Perry High School. He was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound by responding officers. "The shooter has been identified as 17-year-old Dylan Butler, a student at Perry High School. Butler was armed with a pump action shotgun and a small calibre handgun. Butler also made a number of social media posts in and around the time of the shooting. Law enforcement is working to secure those pieces of evidence. All evidence thus far suggests that Butler acted alone," Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of Iowa division of criminal investigation, said. "There are six victims, one of them who is deceased. That individual was a sixth-grade student at Perry Middle School. The other five are being treated at area hospitals. Four of the surviving students, four of the surviving victims are students, and the fifth is a school administrator. The law enforcement response was swift and immediate. Roughly 150 officers from local, state, and federal agencies responded within the hour. The investigation in today's tragedy is ongoing," Mortvedt added. (With inputs from agencies)

US: Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy takes jibe at Haley's remark on Iowa school shooting

The Indian Supreme Court on Friday (Jan 5) refused to entertain a plea against a Allahabad High Court order, dismissing a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) seeking declaration of the site as Shree Krishna Janmabhoomi and the removal of Shahi Eidgah Mosque from the site in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura.

According to a report by LiveLaw, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta heard a special leave petition filed by lawyer Mahek Maheswari (the petitioner), after the dismissal of the PIL by the high court in October last year.

Maheswari sought the recognition of the disputed site as the birthplace of the Hindu God Krishna. He urged the land to be handed over to Hindus for the establishment of a trust for Krishna Janmabhoomi Janmasthan.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-west-bengal-govt-tells-sc-it-filed-appeal-challenging-high-courts-verdict-on-adolescent-girls-676955">West Bengal govt tells SC it filed appeal challenging high court's verdict on adolescent girls</a>

Hearing the case, Justice Khanna told the counsel appearing for Maheswari that the PIL was not required as several civil suits on the matter were pending, LiveLaw reported.&nbsp;

In response, the counsel said that the high court only dismissed Maheswari's plea on the grounds that other suits were pending. In reply, Khanna said, "Let's not have multiplicity of litigation. You filed it as PIL, which is why it was rejected. File it as otherwise, we will see."

On being asked if the petitioner was at liberty to file a separate petition, Khanna said it had been clarified in the impugned judgment, LiveLaw further reported.&nbsp;

Maheshwari challenged the high court's order in the Supreme Court, saying that the high court's dismissal overlooked important facts and failed to delve into the merits of the case. He contended the PIL was in the public interest, defending the fundamental rights of Hindus under the Constitutions Article 25 and Article 26.

The petitioner also sought a court-monitored GPRS-based excavation by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) of the disputed structure as an interim measure.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The Indian Supreme Court on Friday (Jan 5) refused to entertain a plea against a Allahabad High Court order, dismissing a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) seeking declaration of the site as Shree Krishna Janmabhoomi and the removal of Shahi Eidgah Mosque from the site in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura.

The Indian Supreme Court on Friday (Jan 5) refused to entertain a plea against a Allahabad High Court order, dismissing a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) seeking declaration of the site as Shree Krishna Janmabhoomi and the removal of Shahi Eidgah Mosque from the site in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura. According to a report by LiveLaw, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta heard a special leave petition filed by lawyer Mahek Maheswari (the petitioner), after the dismissal of the PIL by the high court in October last year. Maheswari sought the recognition of the disputed site as the birthplace of the Hindu God Krishna. He urged the land to be handed over to Hindus for the establishment of a trust for Krishna Janmabhoomi Janmasthan. Also read: West Bengal govt tells SC it filed appeal challenging high court's verdict on adolescent girls Hearing the case, Justice Khanna told the counsel appearing for Maheswari that the PIL was not required as several civil suits on the matter were pending, LiveLaw reported. In response, the counsel said that the high court only dismissed Maheswari's plea on the grounds that other suits were pending. In reply, Khanna said, "Let's not have multiplicity of litigation. You filed it as PIL, which is why it was rejected. File it as otherwise, we will see." On being asked if the petitioner was at liberty to file a separate petition, Khanna said it had been clarified in the impugned judgment, LiveLaw further reported. Maheshwari challenged the high court's order in the Supreme Court, saying that the high court's dismissal overlooked important facts and failed to delve into the merits of the case. He contended the PIL was in the public interest, defending the fundamental rights of Hindus under the Constitutions Article 25 and Article 26. The petitioner also sought a court-monitored GPRS-based excavation by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) of the disputed structure as an interim measure. (With inputs from agencies)

Krishna Janmabhoomi case: Indian Supreme Court dismisses plea for removal of mosque

Businesses tied to former United States president Donald Trump got at least $7.8 million in foreign payments from 20 countries when he was serving as president, said Democratic congressional investigators, reported news agency Reuters on Thursday (Jan 4).

Businesses tied to former United States president Donald Trump got at least $7.8 million in foreign payments from 20 countries when he was serving as president, said Democratic congressional investigators, reported news agency Reuters on Thursday (Jan 4). In a 156-page report, US House of Representatives Oversight Committee Democrats said, "These countries spent — often lavishly — on apartments and hotel stays at Donald Trump's properties — personally enriching President Trump while he made foreign policy decisions connected to their policy agendas with far-reaching ramifications for the United States." The countries included China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malaysia. China spent over $5.5 million at Trump properties The report said that the Chinese government and its state-owned entities spent more than $5.5 million at properties owned by Trump when he was president. This is the largest total of payments made by a foreign nation to date. A report by CNN on Thursday said that these payments included millions of dollars from the Chinese embassy in the US, a state-owned Chinese bank accused by the US Justice Department of helping North Korea evade sanctions and a state-owned Chinese air transit company. Also read: Trump's support remains resilient, while one in three Americans now question Biden's 2020 win: Poll Trump's campaign has not commented on the matter so far. The 77-year-old Republican, who is a presidential hopeful, is facing 91 felony counts across four criminal cases. Shortly after Trump became president in 2016, Congress began investigating conflicts of interest and his potential violations of the emoluments clause of the American Constitution, which bars the acceptance of presents from foreign states by a person holding federal elected office without congressional consent. Reuters reported that the investigation led to a lengthy court dispute, which ended in a settlement in 2022. When Republicans took control of the House in 2023, the committee stopped requiring Trump's accounting firm to produce documents and a district court ended the litigation. 'Trump has legitimate businesses, Bidens do not' Reacting to the report's findings, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said that it was beyond parody that Democrats continued their obsession with Trump. "Former President Trump has legitimate businesses but the Bidens do not," Comer said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump businesses got $7.8 million in foreign payments when he was prez; China paid over $5.5 million

Cases of Covid are rising in many countries including the United States and India. Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries in the Southeast Asia region to strengthen surveillance and for people to take protective measures given the increasing numbers of cases of respiratory diseases including due to Covid.

Cases of Covid are rising in many countries including the United States and India. Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries in the Southeast Asia region to strengthen surveillance and for people to take protective measures given the increasing numbers of cases of respiratory diseases including due to Covid. The recently detected sub-variant JN.1 has sparked health concerns globally. The WHO had classified JN.1 as a variant of interest and said current evidence showed the risk to public health was low from the strain. Till now, India has recorded over 500 cases of the variant. In the US, JN.1 has become the new dominant variant, a report by The Washington Post on Thursday (Jan 4) said. Here's a look at the top updates on the virus: > The total number of active Covid cases in India has climbed to 4,423, the health ministry's bulletin on Thursday showed. In the last 24 hours, India recorded 760 fresh cases, two deaths and 775 recoveries. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases have again gone up after the emergence of Jn.1 and cold weather conditions. > In the US, hospitals in at least four states reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of Covid, seasonal flu and other respiratory illnesses. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Thursday, hospitals in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts made masks mandatory among patients and providers. Recent weekly data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that there were more than 29,000 hospitalisations from Covid across the country from Dec 17-23 last year, up more than 16% from the previous week. Also read: Mask mandate reinstated in New York City hospitals as COVID-19 cases rise > On Thursday, China's aviation regulator said that it expected the number of international flights to and from the country to reach 6,000 per week by the end of this year, or about 80% of pre-Covid levels. In a statement, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said that for the year ahead, it would continue to promote a "significant" increase in direct flights between China and the US from 63 flights presently. Also read: People with long Covid shouldn't undertake intense exercise, says study > A recent study suggested that people with long Covid should not undertake intense exercise as it damages their muscles and worsens metabolism. "A distinctive symptom of patients with long Covid is post-exertional malaise, which is associated with a worsening of fatigue- and pain-related symptoms after acute mental or physical exercise, but its underlying pathophysiology is unclear," the study, published in the journal Nature Communications on Thursday said. > Nepal is all set to destroy four million doses of the Sinovac Covid vaccine, which were procured from China in 2021. The destruction had been necessitated on the recommendation of the vaccine advisory committee which said the China-made vaccine is not fit for use as a booster dose as well as a regular dose. (With inputs from agencies)

Covid: India's active cases over 4,400; mask mandates return at some US hospitals

The government of the Indian state of West Bengal told the Supreme Court on Thursday (Jan 4) that it filed an appeal challenging a Calcutta High Court judgement which advised adolescent girls to “control sexual urges” and young men to train themselves to respect women.

The government of the Indian state of West Bengal told the Supreme Court on Thursday (Jan 4) that it filed an appeal challenging a Calcutta High Court judgement which advised adolescent girls to “control sexual urges” and young men to train themselves to respect women. On December 8 last year, the Supreme Court criticised the high court's verdict by calling it “highly objectionable and completely unwarranted.”' The apex court initiated a suo motu writ petition in the matter and observed that judges were not expected to preach while writing judgements. According to a report by the news agency PTI, the matter came up for hearing on Thursday before a bench of justices A S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan. Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, who appeared for the West Bengal government, told the bench that the state filed an appeal in the apex court against the high court's verdict on Oct 18, 2023. Also read: India’s Supreme Court tells judges to ‘not preach’ after ‘control sexual urge’ advice by Calcutta High Court “The appeal was listed today before another bench of this court. That bench unfortunately could not sit,” Ahmadi said. PTI reported the Supreme Court bench observed the suo motu writ petition and the appeal filed by West Bengal will have to be heard together. “In the course of this, so many findings have been recorded. Where from these concepts come, we don’t know. But we want to deal with each and everything which is said. Your assistance is required,” the bench said and asked the registry to list the suo moto writ petition the special leave petition (SLP) filed by the state on Jan 12 after getting approval from the Chief Justice of India (CJI). What did the high court say A division bench of the high court, while announcing an order in the case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), observed that it was normal for adolescents to seek the company of the opposite sex but it isn't "normal for them to engage in sex devoid of any commitment and dedication." The bench also said that every female adolescent should control sexual urges as in the eyes of society she will be a loser when she gives in to enjoy sexual pleasure of hardly two minutes. (With inputs from agencies)

India: Bengal files appeal against high court judgement advising adolescent girls to 'control sexual urges'

Twenty-one-year-old Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the youngest lawmaker in New Zealand in 170 years, performed haka in her parliament speech last month. The video of this cultural performance has resurfaced on the internet and is going viral.

Twenty-one-year-old Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the youngest lawmaker in New Zealand in 170 years, performed haka in her parliament speech last month. The video of this cultural performance has resurfaced on the internet and is going viral. In her maiden speech, Maipi-Clarke said, "I will die for you ... but I will [also] live for you." “I truly feel like I’ve already said my maiden speech outside the steps of Parliament last year, for the 50th anniversary of Te Petihana," she said, adding she dedicated that speech to her grandparents. "However, this speech today ... is dedicated to all our children," she told parliament in December. At the opening of the speech, she performed Māori haka, the war dance of the Māori people in New Zealand. Here's a look at the video: 🚨🚨⚡ 🇳🇿In a groundbreaking moment in New Zealand's political landscape, 21-year-old Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke delivered a captivating maiden speech that echoed the strength of her heritage and challenged the status quo. Maipi-Clarke, the youngest lawmaker in 170… pic.twitter.com/PSDiWa5jkD — Fahad_ Heaven™ (The Wise) 🇵🇸 (@Fahad_Heaven) January 5, 2024 × Who is Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke? Born in 2002, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke has been representing the Te Pāti Māori also known as the Māori Party as an MP since last year's New Zealand general election. She is the youngest lawmaker since James Stuart, who was elected in 1853 at the age of 20. Her grandfather, Taitimu Maipi, was a member of the Māori activist group Nga Tamatoa. According to a report by the NZ Herald, her great, great, great grandfather was New Zealand's first Māori minister in parliament. “Hooki mai too mokopuna kia koe. My great x4 grandfather, Wiremu Katene, first Maaori Minister in Parliament. My first stop taaku kaitiaki i roto i teenei whare,” she said in a post on Instagram last year.

Watch: New Zealand's youngest MP in 170 yrs performs Māori haka in parliament speech

Is a UFC Middleweight Fight Logical for McGregor, Chandler?


On New Year's Day, UFC legend Conor McGregor announced his return to the octagon, saying he would fight Michael Chandler during the 'International Fight Week' on June 29 in the Middleweight division (185 pounds). The UFC has not confirmed or denied the fight.


Neither Fighter Ever Fought in Middleweight

Neither McGregor nor Chandler has ever fought in the Middleweight division and there are concerns that this fight might not be logical as both fighters would have to put on massive size which might slow their efficiency inside the octagon.

'The Bigger, The Better': Chandler Reacts

Reacting to McGregor's announcement, Michael Chandler said in a post on Instagram, "The bigger, the badder, the better. 185. Walk On. See you at the top!"


In his UFC career, McGregor has fought in three weight classes- Featherweight, Lightweight and Welterweight. He was the champion in the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions- and became the first UFC fighter to hold championships in two weight classes simultaneously. If the June 29 fight happens, McGregor will be the first fighter in UFC history to compete in four different weight divisions.


Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday (Jan 4) that his cabinet would approve next week the use of its reserved funds to cover damages from the series of major earthquakes in Central Japan earlier this week.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday (Jan 4) that his cabinet would approve next week the use of its reserved funds to cover damages from the series of major earthquakes in Central Japan earlier this week. Prime Minister Kishida said the figure (of the funds) to be considered in next week's meeting would be about double the roughly $13.95 million (2 billion yen) deployed in each of similar past disasters, from earthquakes to heavy rain. On New Year's Day on Monday (Jan 1), many earthquakes struck Japan's central region with the biggest one of magnitude 7.5 on the Richter scale. A total of 81 people died, and at least 330 others were injured. On Thursday, authorities published a list of 79 people whose whereabouts were unknown, the news agency AFP reported. Also read: Japan Earthquakes: Search dog rescues elderly woman trapped inside damaged house Prime Minister Kishida called the quakes the "worst catastrophe" in the current Reiwa era in the Japanese calendar. "The situation remains difficult, but we will continue to do our utmost to support the victims," he added. Thousands of households without power The AFP report said that hundreds of people in more than a dozen communities remained cut off in Ishikawa prefecture. Around 30,000 people in Ishikawa were without power, and 95,000 homes there and in two neighbouring regions had no water. The prefecture's Governor Hiroshi Hase told a disaster management meeting on Thursday that 72 hours after the earthquakes, "the survival rate of those in need of rescue is said to drop precipitously." Also read: Japan earthquakes sent ripple effect across world, got recorded within minutes In the coastal towns of Anamizu and Wajima, thousands of rescue personnel including firefighters, police officers and soldiers combed through the rubble of collapsed wooden houses and toppled commercial buildings for signs of life. Willing to help Japan on quakes: China The Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it was willing to provide help to Japan on the earthquakes. Addressing a press conference, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that there had been no Chinese casualties reported on the disaster.

Japan earthquakes: Cabinet to approve reserved funds for aid next week, says PM Kishida

A study has suggested that people with long Covid should not undertake intense exercise as it damages their muscles and worsens metabolism. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications on Thursday (Jan 4) said, "A distinctive symptom of patients with long Covid is post-exertional malaise, which is associated with a worsening of fatigue- and pain-related symptoms after acute mental or physical exercise, but its underlying pathophysiology is unclear.

A study has suggested that people with long Covid should not undertake intense exercise as it damages their muscles and worsens metabolism. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications on Thursday (Jan 4) said, "A distinctive symptom of patients with long Covid is post-exertional malaise, which is associated with a worsening of fatigue- and pain-related symptoms after acute mental or physical exercise, but its underlying pathophysiology is unclear." The study involved 25 patients with long Covid who reported experiencing malaise after exercising, and 21 people who were infected by the virus but made a full recovery. None of the participants had been hospitalised. "We obtained blood and skeletal muscle biopsies before and after a maximal exercise test with the aim to study the biological factors contributing to the limited exercise capacity and post-exertional malaise in long Covid. Results were compared with those obtained from 21 age- and sex-matched controls who fully recovered from a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection," the study added. The findings The study's findings showed that people with long Covid had a lower exercise capacity than healthy participants. "All long Covid patients experienced post-exertional malaise following maximal exercise, despite considerable heterogeneity in exercise capacity. Symptoms included muscle pain, greater severity of fatigue, and cognitive symptoms up to 7 days after maximal exercise," the study said. Also read: Physical activity and your menstrual cycle: Can workouts affect your period? All the participants performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer. The maximal oxygen uptake and peak power output were substantially lower in long Covid patients despite marked inter-patient heterogeneity. "Patients with long Covid had lower maximal ventilation and lower maximal end-tidal partial pressure of CO2 implying poorer ventilatory function during exercise," it added. Speaking to The Guardian, Dr Rob Wüst, an author of the study at VU University Amsterdam said, “It’s really confirming that there is something inside the body going wrong with the disease.” Wüst said the findings partly explained why people with long Covid had a lower capacity for exercise. “It damages your muscles, it worsens your metabolism, and it can explain why you feel muscle pain and fatigue up to weeks after the exercise,” he added.

People with long Covid shouldn't undertake intense exercise: Study

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