Geri Halliwell-Horner pays poignant tribute to Childline founder Esther Rantzen on charity’s 40th anniversary

WHO says cannot conduct full risk assessment on Russia plague

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Wednesday it could not produce a full risk assessment as it did not yet have the whole picture from Russia on the suspected plague death of a laboratory technician. The WHO, the United States and the European Union have urged Moscow to provide more information following the death of the 28-year-old woman in Irkutsk in Siberia. "We don't yet have the full picture of this event and we're not able to conduct a full risk assessment," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference. "Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the international regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public and risks." Tedros said the anti-plague laboratory worker died after being hospitalised with severe pneumonia, with initial media reports suggesting pneumonia plague following an accidental lab exposure. "WHO is aware that the Russian government held a meeting on October 2 because they suspected a resident of the Irkutsk oblast had contracted a dangerous infection," he add

Wall Street retreats from its record as stocks fall worldwide

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are pulling back from their record on Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent, a day after topping its prior all-time high set in August. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 302 points, or 0.6 percent, as of 1:54 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4 percent lower. Stocks felt pressure as yields swung in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed as high as 5.36 percent in the morning, up from 5.27 percent late Tuesday. Higher yields put downward pressure on prices for stocks and other investments. They can also slow the economy by making it more expensive for everyone to borrow money. But the 10-year yield eased back to 5.29 percent later in the day after the U.S. Treasury sold $39 billion of 10-year Treasurys at an auction, where the median yield was less than 5.26 percent. Yields also swung with oil prices, which continue to yo-yo amid uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the industry to return to normal. The International Energy Agency said Wednesday its members support accelerating the release of oil from in

Trump administration proposes $70,000 fee for int'l students to work in US

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the United States, the latest effort from the Trump administration to crack down on foreign enrollment. A proposed rule would require schools to pay the fee for every student who participates in the optional practice training program, known as OPT, which allows students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their time in school. Students are generally eligible for one year of work post-graduation, though certain science, technology, engineering and math majors are eligible for an additional two years. Schools would be required to pay the $70,000 for each new student's initial application to the program, and a $30,000 fee for each renewal. The change would represent a blow to American colleges and universities that heavily recruit students from overseas as a source of tuition revenue, as well as tech companies and other industries that hire many international students for technical roles. The OPT program allows international students to gain

Japanese brands, factories gain traction in Vietnam despite Korean competition

HANOI — About a 30-minute drive northwest of downtown Hanoi on Friday, the entrance to Thang Long Industrial Park came into view after crossing Nhat Tan Bridge, which connects Hanoi with Noi Bai International Airport. At factories throughout the industrial complex, Vietnam’s red flag with a yellow star flew alongside Japan’s flag. Developed by Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp., the industrial park is, in effect, a cradle of Japanese manufacturing. Beyond the entrance, signs for more than 100 Japanese companies, including Panasonic, Canon and Fujitsu, stretched across a 2.73-million-square-meter site. Some 60,000 Vietnamese workers stream into the complex every day. A female worker at Panasonic said Japanese companies were regarded as more stable, even though Chinese and Korean firms paid higher wages, adding that many employees stayed for years. “Many skilled workers have been here for more than 10 years, and new employees join every month, so the atmosphere is good,” she said. Nguyen Thanh, 32, a management employee at the industrial park, said it had reached full occupancy

Fed policymakers divided over rate-hike logic in September, minutes show

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve policymakers were divided last month over the rationale for raising interest rates, with "some participants" seeing a hike as needed to keep the impact of energy and other price shocks at bay, but a more hawkish core viewing it as necessary to guard against emerging demand-driven inflation. The competing arguments were outlined in the minutes of the US central bank's September 15-16 meeting, at which the Fed voted unanimously to raise the policy rate by a quarter of a percentage point even as officials disagreed about whether the move was largely precautionary or represented a shift towards significantly tighter monetary policy meant to curb investment and spending. The split, and the varying interpretations of where the economy stands right now, set up a likely vigorous debate at the October 27-28 policy meeting over whether inflation has taken on a broader, demand-driven dimension that warrants further Fed action now. The alternative would be to wait on further rate hikes to see if incoming data shows energy, tariff and other price shocks receding and i

What to know about fears of pneumonic plague in Russia

GENEVA — The death of a pathogen researcher in Siberia has raised concerns about the pneumonic plague, as Russian authorities provide little information publicly. The severe disease is less common than the better-known bubonic plague linked to the Black Death in the Middle Ages. Pneumonic plague spreads from person to person, causing a severe form of pneumonia, but recovery rates are high if it is detected and treated in time. The World Health Organization says it has yet to determine the cause of death for the 28-year-old woman, who worked at an anti-plague research institute, and has asked Russia to provide more information. The U.N. health agency has cited initial, unconfirmed reports suggesting pneumonic plague. Russian authorities say the lab worker died of what initially presented as a “typical” acute respiratory viral infection and that no recent cases of plague have been detected, according to the WHO. A local mayor said the hospital where the woman died was placed under quarantine. The case has revived memories of the COVID-19 pandemic and allegations the coronavirus may h

Trump says 'we don't think' Russian plague is bio-weapon

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the death of a Russian plague laboratory worker did not appear to be linked to a biological weapon. "We don't think so. We're going to find out soon enough, but we don't think so," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if a "bio-weapon" was involved. Russia warned earlier against "false" information as reports emerged of a second suspected case. The U.S. and UN have urged Russia to be more transparent. Trump said Russia insisted it had the situation under control, but added that not much information was coming out. "If you listen to them, it's under control. But you know, people have said that before about other things," Trump said of Moscow's response. Referring to China's initial response to the Covid pandemic, Trump added: "Well, China didn't say much, and Russia is not saying much either. But they do say they have it very much under control." Trump reiterated that he has a phone call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the issue, but would not say when. "Today is Vladimir Putin's birthday," Trump

CDC sees low plague risk, monitors Siberia arrivals after worker death

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Erica Schwartz said on Wednesday the risk to the U.S. from an unconfirmed pneumonic plague case in Siberia is extremely low, but the agency is prepared to monitor and screen travelers. "There are about 200 flights that come into the United States from Siberia, that region. We are working with Department of Homeland Security, working (with) Department of State, Department of War, and other agencies within the government to make sure that we know exactly if anyone from that area comes into the United States," Schwartz said at Wall Street Journal's The Future of Health event in Washington.

OpenAI says teens use ChatGPT for under 15 minutes a day as worries over risks grow

Teens spend under 15 minutes a day on average on ChatGPT, while less than 2% of them interact with the chatbot for over three straight hours, OpenAI said, as technology companies face scrutiny over the risks AI chatbots pose to children. Sam Altman's AI company released the figures in its first report on teen use on Wednesday as rapid adoption of AI platforms raises concerns about their impact on adolescent mental health and developmental safety. Such worries have been amplified by research on social media's harms to young users, with Meta in August agreeing to pay up to $18 billion and limit teens' use of Facebook and Instagram to settle claims that it designed the platforms to addict children. OpenAI said in nearly half of teen conversations where a break reminder appeared, the user either took a break or ended the chat within five minutes, aiming to show that its steps to regulate teen usage were working. The company said users with access to its dedicated teen version sent more education-related messages and used tools like learning visualizations and Study Mode. It is now looking to

Rs 90 LPA in Bengaluru or $300k in San Jose: Redditor asks if it's wiser to move to US on an L1 visa

Houthi airport strikes in Saudi Arabia kill three as Yemen war intensifies

Houthi airport strikes in Saudi Arabia kill three as Yemen war intensifies

New York’s famed Chrysler Building finally finds a buyer

A US real estate firm announced on Wednesday it is buying the Chrysler Building and will undertake a vast makeover of the art deco landmark that dominates New York’s skyline. The Chrysler Building, which was opened in 1930 as a symbol of exuberance and modernity, had faced several years of uncertainty over its ownership. Tishman Speyer, a commercial landlord, said it and other investors will inject US$235 million into the property to refurbish its ageing interior and exterior. They will also pay...