Geneva, Aug 26 (IANS) The number of newly reported monkeypox cases has decreased worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In the week from August 15-21, there were 21 per cent fewer cases than in the previous week, dpa news agency quoted the global health body as saying in a statement issued on Thursday.
In the previous four weeks, the numbers had been rising.
"This decrease may reflect early signs of a declining case count in the European region, which would need to be subsequently confirmed," said the statement.
The European Region includes 53 countries from the EU to Turkey, Turkmenistan, Russia and Israel.
In the North and South America region, however, the numbers continued to rise.
Worldwide, 5,907 cases were reported during the week, compared to 7,477 the week before.
In total, some 41,600 infections and 12 deaths have been reported to the WHO from 96 countries since the beginning of the year.
Presently, the US has the highest number of cases at 15,877.
On its last legs, the MiG-21 continues to bare its fangs. The most advanced aircraft that the Pakistan Air Force flaunts went down to the oldest fighter in IAF inventory, the venerable MiG-21, in an aerial duel in the skies of Jammu and Kashmir today.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Thursday urged the prime ministers of India and Pakistan to engage in dialogue to settle the current conflict and long-standing issue of Kashmir.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that as a peace gesture they would be releasing Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan on Friday.
"It is telling that no country has spoken out in Pakistan's favour after the Indian air strike," Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistani Ambassador to the US, said.
India-Pakistan tensions persisted on Wednesday as the IAF chased away intruding Pakistani fighter jets in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera sector with India shooting down a Pakistani F-16 which fell on the Pakistani side.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday offered talks to India and urged that "better sense should prevail" as tensions spiked between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following an aerial engagement between their air forces.
