International

Mexico arrests doctor and two officials accused of spreading deadly meningitis

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February 8th |

Mexican police arrested a doctor and two people implicated in the spread of a mysterious outbreak of meningitis in the northern state of Durango, which has left 35 people dead from the disease in recent months, all of them women.

Durango police early Tuesday arrested the doctor accused of using infected drugs that may have caused the disease.

Another 79 citizens have been hospitalized with symptoms of being infected, according to official data.

The doctor, who specialized in anesthesiology, was arrested and charged with illegal practices, including the reuse of medicines in the private hospitals where he worked. His full name has not been disclosed.

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Later on Tuesday, the Durango prosecutor’s office confirmed the arrest of two other people, a man and a woman, officials of the commission for protection against health risks in the northern state (Coprised) for the crimes of omission of information and inappropriate activities.

Meningitis is usually associated with a painful inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, often caused by a virus or, in some cases, by bacteria or a fungal infection.

The affected patients in Durango were likely infected with fungal meningitis while undergoing procedures at the same hospitals where the doctor worked, according to Durango state prosecutor Sonia Garza.

At a press conference in the state capital, she explained that the first procedures involving the infected patients took place last August, and that many of them had been given anesthesia for obstetric procedures.

Garza said the detainee carried out procedures without any restrictions and added that he carried his own medication for the patients, including unauthorized regulated drugs.

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The outbreak has raised concerns both in Mexico and among international organizations after the first death was confirmed last November.

Garza added that the detained doctor was the only one who performed procedures at the four hospitals where infections have been reported. She said he denied using his own medications at a hearing before prosecutors.

Reuters could not immediately seek comment from the doctor, nor locate his lawyer, but contacted his son who defended his father’s innocence.

“They made direct accusations to my dad without any proof,” he said, declining to provide his name.

The meningitis outbreak is limited to private hospitals in the state capital, also known as Durango, according to the Mexican Health Ministry.

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Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”