News in brief for January 30
Rebel leader who overthrew Assad declared Syria’s president
DAMASCUS, Syria (NYT) — The rebel coalition that seized control of Syria last month appointed its leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, as president of the country to preside over a transitional period, Syrian state media reported Wednesday.
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A spokesperson for the coalition, Col. Hassan Abdel Ghani, also declared that the constitution had been nullified and the legislature and army formed under the country’s deposed dictator, Bashar Assad, were dissolved, according to Syria’s state news agency, SANA.
The declarations amounted to the country’s first official steps toward establishing a new government after the rebel coalition, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, swept into the capital, Damascus, last month in a lightning offensive that toppled Assad. Al-Sharaa, who led that coalition, has since been serving as the country’s de facto leader.
As the president of the transitional government, al-Sharaa will be at the helm of a once unimaginable period of transition in Syria, which had been ruled by the iron fist of the Assad family for more than 50 years.
Major tuberculosis outbreak hits Kansas City area
(Reuters) — An outbreak of tuberculosis in the Kansas City area has grown into one of the largest ever recorded in the United States, with dozens of active cases of the infectious disease reported, according to health officials.
As of Jan. 24, 67 active cases of tuberculosis, or TB, had been reported in Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas.
The outbreak began last year, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said on its website. It did not specify a source of the outbreak.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is monitoring 384 people for TB exposure and helping with testing and treatment, a spokesperson said in a statement.
“While this outbreak is larger than normal, the risk remains low for the general public,” the spokesperson said.
Tuberculosis, which spreads through the air, is caused by a bacterium that typically affects the lungs, but can also impact other parts of the body, such as the brain, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If not treated, it can be fatal.
Coffee prices surge to record highs above $3.60 per lb
NEW YORK (Reuters) — Global arabica coffee prices hit record highs above $3.60 per lb on Wednesday as Brazil, by far the world’s largest producer, has few beans left to sell and as worries over its upcoming harvest persist.
Dealers said 70%-80% of Brazil’s current arabica harvest has been sold and new trades are slow. Brazil produces nearly half the world’s arabica beans, a high-end variety typically used in roast and ground blends.
The country’s recent weather has been more favorable after a severe drought last year. Still, the upcoming crop will be 4.4% smaller than the previous, according to Brazilian food supply agency Conab.
Arabica coffee futures on the ICE exchange, a contract used globally to price physical coffee trades, hit a record high of $3.6945 per lb earlier, bringing gains for the year up nearly 15%. The contract later closed up 2.5% at $3.6655 per lb.