There are growing fears of a cholera outbreak in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, where officials say the Russian onslaught has left behind a nightmarish landscape of rotting corpses, rubbish and polluted water.
The pro-Ukrainian city council said tens of thousands of deaths from cholera were a “potential real scenario” for Mariupol, where Russia declared victory last month after a weeks-long siege characterised by some of the heaviest fighting of the war, leading to most of the city's population being evacuated.
That exodus has added to the city’s problems because there is now a shortage of doctors and many residents who were unable to leave Mariupol are already old and sick, city officials said.
“In this state of medicine, any infectious disease turns into a deadly epidemic,” said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol’s mayor. Some city officials have relocated to temporary homes in towns such as Dnipro or Zaporizhzhia.
Dr Margaret Harris, a representative of the World Health Organisation in Ukraine, said damage to infrastructure during the fighting meant water had become mixed with sewage.
The WHO is concerned about the risk of cholera in the ruins and has positioned cholera treatment and vaccination supplies in the area, Dr Harris said.
Cholera is caused by eating or drinking contaminated goods. It can kill within hours if nothing is done, although many people develop no symptoms and treatment is effective if done promptly.
A regular British intelligence update said isolated cases of cholera had been reported since May and said there was a risk of a major outbreak in Mariupol.
This reflected a pattern of Russia being unable to provide basic services in occupied territories, the UK's Defence Ministry said, with access to drinking water patchy and telephone and internet services disrupted.
“Medical services in Mariupol are likely already near collapse: a major cholera outbreak in Mariupol will exacerbate this further,” it said.
Ukraine suffered a significant cholera outbreak in the mid-1990s, which killed about 30 people, and there have been more cases since along the Sea of Azov where Mariupol is located.
The city council said Mariupol was “literally drowning in garbage and sewage”, that water was polluted and that hasty burials, or people being buried under rubble, meant thousands of bodies were decomposing in the summer heat.
About 22,000 people were killed in the fighting, the council said. An estimated 200,000 left for Ukrainian-held territory, while another 100,000 or so are said to be living under Russian occupation outside Mariupol.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in May that Mariupol had been “completely destroyed” in the fighting. Russia described it as a liberation after it captured the final Ukrainian stronghold in the city, the Azovstal steelworks.
Western officials considered Mariupol to be strategically important because it links Russian-annexed Crimea with the territories Moscow is trying to seize in eastern Ukraine.
Mr Zelenskyy said in an overnight address that key Donbas cities such as Severodonetsk and Lysychansk were “holding on” against Russia’s attempts to seize the region.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
More from our neighbourhood series:
Scoreline
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
