Dozens Killed By Deadly Swine Flu Virus In Ukraine
An outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus has killed more than 50 people in Ukraine this winter -- an increase of 10 percent over last year, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukrainian Health Minister Aleksandr Kvitashvili urged people not to panic, saying, “We haven’t exceeded the epidemic threshold, and every year January is the peak of the flu season.”
Nevertheless, the outbreak is serious as many people died unnecessarily by not seeking treatment in time to be saved, he said at a cabinet meeting on January 13.
People with high temperatures should immediately consult doctors and not attempt to self-medicate, as some treatments are not effective after 48 hours, he said.
The areas worst hit include Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, and Odesa, lawmaker Irina Sysoyenko wrote on her Facebook page. She said 28 people have died from flu in Odesa and 25 in Vinnytsya.
“As of today, 5.7 percent of the population is ill with the flu,” Sysoyenko wrote. “Of these, 70 percent are children and pregnant women."
According to the Health Ministry, only 0.3 percent of Ukraine's population received flu vaccines.
Based on reporting by the Kyiv Post and TASS
That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Wednesday, January 13. Check back here tomorrow for more of our continuing coverage.
Sides In Ukraine Conflict Vow To Abide By Truce
Negotiators at the Ukraine peace talks have vowed to make fresh efforts to enforce a shaky cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.
Martin Sajdik, the envoy for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), made the comment on January 13.
He spoke in Minsk after a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group, which is negotiating a settlement to the conflict that has killed more than 9,000 people since April 2014.
Sajdik said the parties agreed to try again to fully halt fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia separatists and discussed new efforts to exchange war prisoners.
Taking part in the Minsk talks was Boris Gryzlov, a former speaker of the Russian parliament who has been named a Russian envoy.
Gryzlov, a member of Russia's presidential Security Council, is seen as more influential than his predecessor, Mikhail Zurabov.
His appointment has been interpreted by some analysts as a sign the Kremlin wants to intensify the talks.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP and Interfax
Obama, Putin Discuss Crisis In Ukraine
U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone on January 13, discussing the crises in Ukraine and Syria, the White House said.
"They spent a significant portion of their time discussing the need for the Russians to live up to the commitments that they made in Minsk -- to end their support for separatists that are destabilizing Ukraine right now," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
Kyiv and Western government accuse Moscow of fueling the conflict, providing weapons and other aid to the separatists, charges the Kremlin denies.
According to the Kremlin, Putin and Obama also called for an easing of tensions between and Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The two leaders also discussed a resolution to Syria's crisis and the situation on the Korean peninsula, a Kremlin statement said.