Briefly

UNITED NATIONS

Conflicts slowed kids' vaccinations

More children were left out of critical vaccination drives for diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough last year as a rise in conflicts across the globe hindered the supply of lifesaving shots mostly in strife-torn regions, the United Nations said on Monday. About 14.5 million children failed to get vaccinated last year, compared with 13.9 million a year earlier, according to UN estimates. The number, however, was lower than during the pandemic, when about 18 million children missed out on vaccinations. The UN also said that an additional 6.5 million children failed to receive more than a single dose, meaning they were not fully protected.

NEPAL

50 still missing after landslide

Rescuers in Nepal ruled out chances of finding survivors in last week's landslide that swept two passenger buses carrying 65 people into a river swollen by heavy rain, authorities said on Monday. Hundreds of security personnel resumed search operations early on Monday to locate the buses and some 50 passengers who remained missing, more than 72 hours after the accident. Searchers scouring Friday's accident site in Chitwan district have so far found 11 dead bodies. "There are no chances of finding survivors. Our focus is on recovering bodies," said Bhesh Raj Rijal, a senior police official in Chitwan. Landslides and floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in Nepal since mid-June.

KENYA

Serial killer held for 42 murders

A suspected serial killer has been arrested in Kenya following the discovery of nine mutilated bodies at a quarry in Nairobi, with police saying on Monday he had confessed to killing 42 women including his wife. Police said Collins Jumaisi, a 33-year-old man living near the quarry in Mukuru neighborhood, was arrested early on Monday. Jumaisi confessed to luring and killing 42 women and dumping their remains at the quarry, said Amin Mohamed, head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. The murders stretch back to 2022, starting with Jumaisi's wife, with the most recent on July 11, Mohamed said.

JAPAN

PM faces opposition in LDP reelection race

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is facing growing opposition for reelection in the upcoming leadership race of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, according to a survey conducted on the weekend by Japan's All-Nippon News Network. Some 57 percent of respondents are against Kishida running in the LDP election in September, the survey showed, and only 26 percent support his candidacy, highlighting a challenging political landscape for Kishida who faces both internal and public opposition.

Agencies - Xinhua