Mystery Pneumonia Outbreak in China

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Global Recap
November 23, 2023 • Read in: 8 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

Remember me crossing my fingers, hoping for no major news to be announced after pressing send? Well, I must have jinxed myself.

After hitting the send button on yesterday’s newsletter, which reported Israel’s intention to initiate a ceasefire on Thursday, Israel declared a delay. 🤦‍♂️

🌐 Around the world:

  • India fails assassination on US soil.

  • China: “We never said we won’t invade Taiwan.”

  • Tensions rise in the DMZ as both Koreas rip up the 2018 peace pact.

  • Al-Shifa hospital director arrested for Hamas ties.

  • New mystery pneumonia outbreak in China.

Let’s get into today’s news.

🇮🇳 India Fails Assassination on US Soil

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

The US government issued a warning to the Indian government for its suspected role in a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on American soil.

  • Target: Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a New York-based lawyer and activist for a separate Sikh state called Khalistan.

  • Background: Mr Pannun is the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice, a group that India considers a terrorist entity.

🇨🇳 China Downplays Xi’s Taiwan Promise

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua dismissed President Xi Jinping’s reported assurance to President Joe Biden that China has no plans to invade Taiwan.

  • Context: Xi and Biden met in San Francisco on November 15 to discuss a variety of issues.

  • Report: A US official originally recounted Xi telling Biden he had no intention of attacking Taiwan.

  • Position: Chen refuted this, reiterating that China’s stance on Taiwan has not changed and that reunification is "unstoppable."

The CCP tightly controls the information flow within China, meticulously shaping narratives to guide public opinion. Simultaneously, they tailor a distinct narrative for global audiences to align with their international agenda.

Is this what we are seeing here? Or is China simply backtracking as the Taiwanese elections loom?

🇰🇷 DMZ Tensions Escalate

Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, and then-President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in.

In response to Seoul’s partial retreat from a 2018 peace pact, North Korea is flexing its military muscle, announcing the deployment of new troops and weaponry along the South Korean border.

The move comes after North Korea launched its first spy satellite, which could enhance its ability to target its enemies.

  • Agreement: The 2018 Inter-Korean Military Agreement was signed by then-President of South Korea Moon Jae-in and the Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un to ease tensions and prevent war on the Korean Peninsula.

  • Backlash: The agreement has been undermined by the lack of progress in denuclearization talks and the increased military activities by both sides.

🏥 Hospital Director Arrested

Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) arrested the director of Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital, Mohammad Abu Salmiya, on Thursday morning. He is suspected of being a senior Hamas operative.

  • Director: Dr. Muhammad Abu Salamiyah was in charge of the hospital where Hamas built tunnels and stored weapons

  • Staff Fear: A former British doctor who worked at Shifa confirmed that there were areas off-limits to him, or else he would be shot.

  • Ceasefire-Hostage Deal: A temporary halt in fighting and a release of some hostages are expected to begin no earlier than Friday.

Below, an IDF spokesperson reveals CCTV footage of Hamas terrorists dragging a hostage into al-Shifa Hospital, where they use civilians as human shields. Hamas denies using the hospital as a base.

China

Mystery Pneumonia Outbreak in China

😷 China’s Mystery Illness. The World Health Organization (WHO) is on high alert, demanding more information from China about a mysterious surge in respiratory infections and pneumonia cases in children. The public is on edge as this new health crisis unfolds.

🏥 Hospitals Overcrowded. Since mid-October, there’s been a chilling increase in flu-like illnesses in northern China, outpacing previous years. Hospitals in Beijing and Liaoning province are overwhelmed with sick children who have lung inflammation and high fever, but not a cough or other typical symptoms.

The cause of the illness is unknown, and some cases are labeled as:

❝

undiagnosed pneumonia

🦠 What’s Causing the Illness? China’s authorities are pointing fingers at the cold weather and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. They argue that the spread is due to known culprits - influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, and the common yet contagious respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), notorious for causing severe respiratory symptoms in young children.

🔎 Who’s Investigating?

  • ProMed, a disease surveillance system that alerted the world of COVID in 2019, has reported the outbreak and asked for more information.

  • The World Health Organization has made an official request to China for more information and laboratory results from the reported outbreaks.

🤔 Why It Matters. The outbreak raises concerns about the transparency and accuracy of China’s reporting on respiratory diseases, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic that is known to have originated in Wuhan in 2019.

👀 What to Watch Out For. The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging Chinese communities to armor up against the outbreak. The battle plan?

  • Get vaccinated

  • Mask up

  • Maintain social distance

  • Stay home when feeling under the weather

  • Keep your hands clean

We just got done with COVID. Please, no more.