World Today: Race Against Time to Rescue 7 Trapped in Laos Cave
Rescue teams in Laos race against time
Cave divers who assisted in rescuing a Thai football team trapped in a cave eight years ago have arrived in Laos to help free seven people trapped in a flooded cave.
According to government media reports, seven Laotian villagers entered a cave in Xaysomboun province five days ago.
They are believed to have been searching for gold but became trapped after heavy rain triggered flash flooding.
Videos released by volunteer organisations show rescuers crawling through narrow, muddy crevices using ropes and torches.
“We still do not know if there are signs of life or whether they are alive,” said Bounkham Luanglat, president of the Laos Volunteer Rescue Association, to AFP.
Dozens affected by substance spray in Tokyo
Over 20 people were injured at a luxury shopping complex in central Tokyo after a man sprayed a substance, police and fire officials said.
Tokyo Fire Department reported residents complaining of sudden sore throats and feeling unwell near Ginza Six shopping complex.
More than 20 were taken to hospital, and the area outside the shopping centre in Ginza district was closed following the incident.
Symptoms were believed to be mild, according to officials.
Fire and police officials said an investigation is ongoing.
WHO: Ebola outbreak outpacing health response
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is spreading faster than response efforts, with suspected deaths reaching 220.
Tedros said delays in detecting Ebola cases have left response efforts ‘playing catch-up’, and the epidemic may worsen before improving.
Dr Tedros announced he would travel to the DRC, the outbreak’s epicentre, today (26 May) with WHO’s top health emergency official, Chikwe Ihekweazu.
On Monday (25 May), neighbouring Uganda reported two new Ebola cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to seven.
Dr Tedros warned other countries bordering the DRC are at high risk.
China launches Shenzhou-23 into space
China has launched three astronauts into space as part of its efforts to land a crew on the Moon by 2030.
The Shenzhou-23 spacecraft used a Long March-2F Y23 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China.
Payload specialist Lai Ka-ying, a former Hong Kong police inspector with a doctorate in computer forensics, is the first astronaut from the city to join a Chinese space mission.
The other crew members are commander Zhu Yangzhu and pilot Zhang Zhiyuan, both from the People’s Liberation Army astronaut corps.