El Niño could be one of the most intense since 1950, NOAA warns

Cuban doctors in Calabria: key support for regional health

The Italian region of Calabria continues to hire Cuban doctors to support its health system, despite pressure from the United States to cancel these agreements.

Currently, more than 200 professionals from the island work in hospitals in this area of ​​southern Italy. Its arrival, starting in 2023, has been decisive in reversing the closure of services due to lack of personnel.

Local health authorities report that Cuban doctors managed to drastically reduce waiting times. At the Polistena hospital, for example, patients went from waiting up to 12 hours to being treated in less than an hour.

The shortage of medical personnel in Calabria was critical. The incorporation of these professionals allowed us to keep emergency areas open and improve general care. Despite warnings from Washington, Italian authorities defend cooperation as a pragmatic solution to an urgent need.

Floods in Guangxi

At least 39 people died and nine remain missing after severe flooding caused by Tropical Storm Maysak in the Chinese region of Guangxi, authorities reported this Thursday.

Most of the deaths occurred in the city of Hengzhou, where the partial collapse of a dam unleashed a flood of water that devastated entire communities.

Record rains, which began over the weekend, caused reservoirs to overflow, left thousands of people trapped and forced approximately 130,000 residents to evacuate.

US airstrikes in Iran

The recent US offensive against targets in Iran sparked a new escalation in the Middle East. Tehran responded with missiles towards countries in the Persian Gulf allied with Washington, which set off alarms in the region. Air defense systems were activated in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan.

President Donald Trump justified the actions as a response to Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that any new aggression will receive a “much worse” response. Although he assured not to seek a prolonged war, he left open the possibility of intensifying military operations.

The US Central Command reported that it attacked around 90 military targets in Iranian territory to reduce Tehran’s ability to threaten shipping in that key sea route for the global oil and gas trade. Iranian authorities reported at least 14 dead and 78 injured after the bombings, in addition to explosions near the Bushehr nuclear power plant and in other cities.

Reactions and consequences

Iran accused Washington of breaking previous commitments. The speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, stated that his country will not give in to pressure and threatened retaliation if the attacks continue. The new escalation occurs while differences persist over the future of the provisional agreement.

The clashes rekindle fears of a regional war affecting global energy supplies. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant part of the oil trade transits, remains under pressure. Negotiations for a definitive agreement remain in a scenario of high uncertainty.