News
Saudi Arabia Says 1,301 Died On Hajj This Year
Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that over 1,300 individuals died on this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, with “numerous cases” attributed to heat stress and “unauthorized” trips accounting for more than four out of five fatalities.
“This year, the health-care system dealt with countless cases of heat stress, and some people are still receiving treatment. Regrettably, the number of fatalities has reached 1,301,” the Saudi government said in a statement as it revealed its first official data.
According to the statement, 83% of those who died were “unauthorized to perform Hajj” and had “walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort.” There were “several elderly and chronically ill individuals” among the deceased, it claimed, adding that all of the dead’s families had already been located.
Saudi Arabia Says 1,301 Died On Hajj This Year
Extreme heat has been identified as a major contributor to the hundreds of deaths and injuries reported this year during the Hajj. On Monday, temperatures in Mecca, the holy city at the center of the Hajj pilgrimage, reached a record-breaking 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Several officials say the increase in unofficial pilgrimages has exacerbated the problems.
To legally visit Mecca, Saudi Arabia requires each pilgrim to get one of the 1.8 million eligible licenses, which can cost several thousand dollars. Unlicensed pilgrims rarely travel in organized tour buses with air conditioning or easy access to water and food supplies.
The Saudi authorities also appeared to infer that the unlawful character of many of the trips contributed to the delay in issuing an official death toll, as it hampered the identification process.
“Identification is complete, notwithstanding the initial lack of personal information or identification documents. The proper procedures for identifying, burying, and honoring the deceased were followed, and death certificates were supplied, according to the statement.
Some pilgrims have complained about the poor infrastructure and planning of this year’s Hajj. Even pilgrims on organized excursions spend most of their time outside in the blazing heat.
Some witnesses told CNN that they saw worshipers lose consciousness and walk past bodies wrapped in white fabric.
The Saudi declaration comes as Egypt’s government has threatened to cancel the licenses of 16 Hajj tourism businesses involved in unlawful pilgrimages to Mecca, as well as submit the company’s managers to the public prosecutor, amid fears that hundreds of Egyptians have died.
Egypt’s decision was made during a cabinet meeting on Saturday following a report that exposed the questionable practices of some tourism companies.
Saudi Arabia Says 1,301 Died On Hajj This Year
The official death toll among Egyptians is 31. However, Reuters news agency and other publications say that 500 to 600 Egyptians died during the trek.
The report, which was examined by the cabinet, stated that some operators had not provided correct visas, preventing holders from entering the holy city of Mecca and forcing them to arrive “through desert paths on foot.” It also accused certain companies of neglecting adequate accommodations, leaving travelers vulnerable to the heat.
During the meeting, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly expressed his “sincere condolences and sympathy” to the families of the slain pilgrims, promising to provide them with the necessary help.
Hajj permits are granted to countries on a quota basis, and Saudi Arabia requires each pilgrim to get one of the 1.8 million authorized licenses to legally visit Mecca.
However, because one of these permissions costs several thousand US dollars, many pilgrims attempt to enter the site illegally and do not travel in scheduled tour busses with air conditioning or easy access to water and food supplies.
The Islamic lunar calendar determines the schedule of the Hajj, which coincided with searing temperatures in Saudi Arabia this year. This year’s pilgrims braved temperatures as high as 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).
Saudi Arabia Says 1,301 Died On Hajj This Year
Ahmed, a 44-year-old Indonesian, told CNN that he witnessed many people get ill or even dying as a result of the heat.
“On the way home, I encountered several pilgrims who had perished. Almost every few hundred meters, there was a body lying and wrapped in an ihrom [white fabric] cloth.”
“Every time there is a distribution of water from local residents or certain groups, it is immediately overrun by pilgrims,” he added, noting that he did not observe any health staff or ambulances on the road.
As part of the pilgrimage, the faithful execute a series of rites in and around Mecca, which frequently include long daily walks in the blazing heat.
The exact death toll for this year’s Hajj may yet grow, as countries are only aware of pilgrims who registered and traveled to Mecca by their country’s quota.
SOURCE – (CNN)
News
The US Election Causes Bluesky To Gain One Million Users Since People Are Leaving X.
(VOR News) – The social media network Bluesky has seen a spike in the number of new users, with over a million people signing up since the conclusion of the U.S. presidential election.
This rise can be linked to the fact that users left the platform because they were unhappy with the direction that X was taking under the direction of Elon Musk, the company’s billionaire owner.
It was announced on Wednesday that the microblogging site had achieved 15 million subscribers. Compared to the roughly nine million members it had in September, this is a considerable increase.
However, Bluesky subscriptions have grown since September.
Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, founded Bluesky in 2019, and it has become known as a safe haven for left-leaning users who are unhappy with the route that X has taken under Musk’s leadership. On Twitter, Bluesky has established a reputation as a safe haven.
Throughout its history, BlueSky has established a solid reputation as a safe and secure location.
Bluesky users have attributed their decision to transfer to Bluesky to an increase in offensive content on X and Musk’s connection to Donald Trump, the incoming US president. Bluesky is a social networking site that facilitates knowledge sharing and discussion. These two factors have been mentioned as justifications for switching to the new system.
On Tuesday, Mark Cuban, a billionaire who had previously backed Kamala Harris for vice president prior to the election, released a statement titled “Hello, Less Hateful World.” On Tuesday, Cuban’s comments was made public. When it came to several problems, Cuban supported Harris.
Due to the “disturbing content” that was accessible on the “toxic media platform,” The Guardian newspaper said in a statement on Wednesday that it will no longer print any information about X. This decision was made in part due to the “toxic media platform.”
Racist remarks and Bluesky conspiracy ideas were in this text.
The Guardian stated on its website, “The U.S. presidential campaign has underscored our long-held belief that X is a detrimental media platform, and its owner, Elon Musk, has leveraged its influence to shape political discourse.”
“The presidential election campaign in the United States merely underscored our long-held beliefs.” “The presidential election campaign in the United States merely underscored our long-held beliefs.”
Since we feel that there are more disadvantages to being on X right now than advantages, we think that promoting our work elsewhere would make better use of the resources we now have.
The business has helped to strengthen Bluesky’s reputation as a haven for liberals who are unhappy with their experiences.
There has been conjecture about Musk’s potential presence to observe election results alongside Trump. X responded by saying that none of its employees would be “sitting with a presidential candidate tonight and giving them direct access to control what you see online.”
This was done in response to the accusations made on the website. This was a reaction to the rumor that Musk would be there when Trump announced the election results. Musk was supposed to be there to witness the declaration.
Since Musk took over the site in October 2022, X has experienced multiple waves of user departures, although it still has a far larger user base than Bluesky. This is true even though Bluesky’s user base is already much larger. There are far less users using Bluesky.
Similarweb, a company that tracks internet traffic, estimates that on the day following the U.S. election, approximately 115,000 users who live in the country deleted their X accounts.
According to Similarweb, this figure was roughly determined. This falls into the category of the biggest single-day decrease in history, according to Musk’s leadership.
SOURCE: AJ
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News
Telehealth May Be Able to Stop Suicide in High-Risk Individuals.
(VOR News) – The results of a recent study suggest that telehealth therapy may lower the risk of suicide. In the United States, a study was conducted.
The results of a study that was published in the journal JAMA Network Open on November 12 indicate that cognitive behavior therapy can help lower the number of suicide attempts and thoughts.
US Telehealth researchers conducted the study.
This predicament is still true even when therapy is delivered via telehealth for a little period of time. As a result of the information they discovered during the investigation, the researchers finally reached this conclusion.
According to a study conducted by clinical psychologist Justin Baker, a researcher at Ohio State University, this is information that should be promoted.
According to Baker, this is a result of the fact that, at this specific point in history, therapy is increasingly being delivered via the use of virtual methods.
Baker was said to have stated, “The nearly overnight shift from mostly in-person to mostly virtual therapy appointments following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was the impetus for this research question.” Ohio State published a press release that contained this message.
In making this claim, Baker was alluding to the fact that the shift occurred very immediately after the outbreak began. Baker was referring to the changes brought about by the pandemic outbreak spreading significantly.
It has long been thought that patients who are deemed to be at high risk are not suitable candidates for virtual healthcare. This is because the use of virtual healthcare is linked to both accountability and the possibility of harm.
We randomly assigned the following telehealth programs to 96 Americans:
They received instruction on how to control and alter the disturbing ideas and bad notions they were experiencing through telehealth cognitive behavioral therapy, with a special emphasis on suicide. They received this instruction while participating in the activity.
A treatment method called present-centered therapy is used to help patients deal with the difficulties they are currently confronting in their life.
The results of the study conducted by the researchers demonstrated that a present-focused approach to treatment is a successful way to reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. Research has shown that therapeutic approaches that focus on the present moment are useful.
However, the results of this study show that when it came to reducing the proportion of patients who attempted suicide while getting telehealth services, cognitive behavioral therapy outperformed present-centered therapy.
Furthermore, the results showed that both treatments were effective in lowering the number of suicidal thoughts that patients thought about taking their own lives. The effectiveness of both therapies served as evidence for this.
Craig Bryan, a researcher and the chairman of telehealth Ohio State University’s Suicide Prevention Program, says, “We have good, tested treatments that will lead to significant symptom reduction and improved quality of life for those who are suffering from suicidal thoughts and behaviors.”
In addition, Bryan is currently the program’s leader. Additionally, Bryan is currently in charge of the program. “We have treatments that have been proven to be effective.”
Bryan said that a considerable percentage of therapists are still maintaining some aspect of their telemedicine practice following the epidemic, even though limitations are being loosened.
This leads to the scenario even when boundaries are being loosened. “The results of this study have the potential to expand access to essential treatments that are supported by evidence for people living in rural and difficult-to-reach areas.”
You should call the telehealth Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 if you or a loved one is experiencing an emotional or suicide crisis if you are experiencing emotional distress. They are available to listen to your issues as well as offer support.
SOURCE: USN
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The Main US Inflation Tracker Increased For The First Time Since March.
News
The Main US Inflation Tracker Increased For The First Time Since March.
(VOR News) – The challenging road to lower levels is demonstrated by the fact that one of the most important measures of inflation in the United States has increased for the first time since March.
The consumer price index (CPI), a metric that gauges price inflation across a variety of goods, at an annual rate of 2.6% as October reached its peak. The CPI has never been higher than it was at this time.
According to reports, the rate was 2.4% last month, the lowest in over three years. This rate is higher than the one that was noted the month before.
Eliminating food and energy, “core” inflation stayed at 3.3%.
This occurred upon completion of the computation. Following this stage, the index underwent a thorough analysis. A reading was considered accurate if it agreed with the estimates provided by economists.
Even though inflation has somewhat decreased since reaching its greatest level in four decades in the summer of 2022, many Americans still face financial hardship as a result of years of rising prices. This can be attributed to the fact that inflation peaked in the summer of 2022.
According to exit poll results, a significant number of Republican voters expressed dissatisfaction with their own financial circumstances as well as the state of the US economy.
Their voiced displeasure was a reflection of their dissatisfaction. A significant factor that contributed to the election was the ire generated by the rising cost of living. This rage was among the most important factors.
Concerns have been expressed regarding the real effects that these reforms would have on the inflation rate. Donald Trump proposed tax cuts and tariffs as workable answers throughout his campaign, but there have been questions raised over the real effects of these measures.
The next president has promised to levy tariffs on all U.S. imports that are at least 10 percent higher than the current rate, according to the results of a research by Yale’s Budget Lab.
The implementation of this strategy, which many industry experts believe would almost surely result in an increase in inflation of up to 5.1%, has already been made public.
It was the first time in four years that the Federal Reserve started lowering interest rates in September, which marked the first time in four years they had done so.
This was the first time they had ever implemented inflation.
The Federal Reserve has reached a significant turning point in its attempts to control inflation at this particular moment. Additional interest rate cuts were implemented Monday, lowering them to their lowest point since February 2023. Since February 2023, they have not been this low.
The Federal Reserve’s chairman, Jerome Powell, said the Fed “has gained confidence that we’re on a sustainable path down to 2%,” the target it has set for its inflation rate.
He hosted a news conference where he made this declaration. Considering the previously mentioned, he added that “the task is incomplete.”
As part of its “dual mandate,” the Fed is working to keep inflation from rising while also keeping the unemployment rate from rising. This is being done from the Federal Reserve’s point of view.
Over the past few months, the labor market has been significantly slowing down; in October, the United States created just 12,000 new jobs.
This suggests that there is a downturn in the labor market. In October 2023, the unemployment rate was 4.1%, which was a low figure that was similar to levels before the sickness started. Since the illness had not yet spread, this was the situation. This occurred following a reduction in the rate, which came to 3.4% in February 2023.
In response to a query concerning the impact of the election on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions, Powell said that officials “do not know the timing or substance of any policy changes.”
Powell was questioned on the significance of the election. As a consequence, we are unable to determine the possible economic impact of this. The current circumstances are to blame for this.
SOURCE: TG
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