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As the World Health Organization convenes its emergency committee Thursday to consider if the spiraling outbreak of monkeypox warrants being declared a global emergency, some experts say WHO’s decision to act only after the disease spilled into the West could entrench the grotesque inequities that arose between rich and poor countries during the coronavirus pandemic, Associated Press reported.

Declaring monkeypox to be a global emergency would mean the UN health agency considers the outbreak to be an “extraordinary event” and that the disease is at risk of spreading across even more borders. It would also give monkeypox the same distinction as the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.

Many scientists doubt any such declaration would help to curb the epidemic, since the developed countries recording the most recent cases are already moving quickly to shut it down.

Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the recent monkeypox epidemic identified in more than 40 countries, mostly in Europe, as “unusual and concerning.” Monkeypox has sickened people for decades in central and west Africa, where one version of the disease kills up to 10% of people. In the epidemic beyond Africa so far, no deaths have been reported.

“If WHO was really worried about monkeypox spread, they could have convened their emergency committee years ago when it reemerged in Nigeria in 2017 and no one knew why we suddenly had hundreds of cases,” said Oyewale Tomori, a Nigerian virologist who sits on several WHO advisory groups. “It is a bit curious that WHO only called their experts when the disease showed up in white countries,” he said, according to Associated Press.

Until last month, monkeypox had not caused sizeable outbreaks beyond Africa. Scientists haven’t found any major genetic changes in the virus and a leading adviser to WHO said last month the surge of cases in Europe was likely tied to sexual activity among gay and bisexual men at two raves in Spain and Belgium.

To date, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed more than 3,300 cases of monkeypox in 42 countries where the virus hasn’t been typically seen. More than 80% of cases are in Europe. Meanwhile, Africa has already seen more than 1,400 cases this year, including 62 deaths.

David Fidler, a senior fellow in global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, said WHO’s newfound attention to monkeypox amid its spread beyond Africa could inadvertently worsen the divide between rich and poor countries seen during COVID-19.

“There may be legitimate reasons why WHO only raised the alarm when monkeypox spread to rich countries, but to poor countries, that looks like a double standard,” Fidler said. He said the global community was still struggling to ensure the world’s poor were vaccinated against the coronavirus and that it was unclear if Africans even wanted monkeypox vaccines, given competing priorities like malaria and HIV.

“Unless African governments specifically ask for vaccines, it might be a bit patronizing to send them because it’s in the West’s interest to stop monkeypox from being exported,” Fidler said, Associated Press reported.

WHO has also proposed creating a vaccine-sharing mechanism to help affected countries, which could see doses go to rich countries like Britain, which has the biggest monkeypox outbreak beyond Africa — and recently widened its use of vaccines.

The government has expressed grief over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The quake is reported to have killed more than 1,000 people.

“Nepal is deeply saddened by tragic loss of lives due to devastating earthquake in Afghanistan. We extend deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish for speedy recovery of the injured. Nepali people stand in solidarity with people of Afghanistan at this difficult hour,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs twitted today.

The magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck south-east part of Afghanistan early on Wednesday about 44 km from the city of Khost and tremors were felt as far away as Pakistan and India.

Nepal reported 49 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 234 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 33 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 260 people underwent antigen tests, of which 16 were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of the virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 12 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 163 active cases in the country.

The Ramayana Circuit train "named "Bharat Gaurav tourist train” of India carrying 500 Indian pilgrims arrived in Janakpurdham of Janakpur on Thursday.

The Indian train carrying religious tourists arrived in Nepal with an aim to strengthen the cultural ties between Nepal and India.

Chief Minister of Madhes Pradesh Lal Babu Raut, Tourism Minister Shatrudhan Mahato, people’s representatives and locals among others welcome the tourists at the Janakpur-based railway platform.

The train that started its journey to Janakpur from New Delhi via Ayodhya, Nandigram, Sitamarhi, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Panchvati (Nasik), Hampi, Rameshwaram and Bhadrachalam on Tuesday.

The two countries signed the Ramayan Circuit agreement during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Janakpur visit four years ago.

The government on Thursday appointed Capitan Dipuraj Jwarchan as the acting general manager of the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC).

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation appointed Jawarchan as the acting general manager of the NAC today.

Earlier on June 20, the government had decided to appoint Jwarchan as the general manager of the NAC.

A Cabinet meeting had suspended the then NAC Chairman Yuvaraj Adhikari expressing dissatisfaction with his working style.

Tourism Minister Prem Bahadur Ale had proposed the Cabinet to suspend him.

Police have arrested three foreign nationals and a Nepali national in possession of over five kg heroin.

According to the Narcotics Control Bureau, a Tanzanian national, two Indian nationals and a Nepali national were nabbed with the heroin.

DSP Jeevan Kumar Shrestha, Chief at the Narcotics Control Bureau, said that the detainees have been identified as Tanzanian national Abuu Liki Abdallah (30), Indian nationals Bikram Jeet Singh (43) and Munim Singh (46) and Nepali national Bikki Rauniyar (30).

Shrestha said that they were apprehended from a hotel in Boudha.

According to a preliminary investigation, Abdullah was a seller and two Indian nationals were the buyers.

Police launched an operation after they concluded that drugs were being smuggled to Nepal by making it as transit, DSP Shrestha said.

The Tanzanian national had landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport via Johannesburg of South Africa on a Fly Dubai flight on June 16.

A team deployed from the Bureau followed him after he was spotted behaving suspiciously at the airport.

The team from the Bureau detained him with 5.9 kg heroin hidden inside a suitcase.

During the interrogation, Indian nationals and a Nepali national were arrested from a hotel in Boudha.

Further investigation into the incident is underway.

The price of gold has risen by Rs 200 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association, gold is currently trading at Rs 97, 500 per tola. The yellow metal was traded at Rs 97, 300  per tola on Wednesday. 

Similarly, the Tejabi gold is now trading for Rs 97, 000 per tola in the market. Earlier on Wednesday, it was traded at Rs 96, 800.

Similarly, the price of silver decreased by Rs five per tola and is now trading at Rs 1, 250 per tola.