Donald Trump appoints John Ratcliffe as CIA chief, sidelines Kash Patel
Washington, D.C.: US President-elect Donald Trump has selected John Ratcliffe as the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), bypassing Kashyap 'Kash' Patel, who was previously considered a leading candidate for the position. Ratcliffe, a former Director of National Intelligence and a Texas Congressman, is known for his conservative political stance and close alignment with Trump’s policy views.
Ratcliffe has previously served as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) during Trump’s administration, holding office in the final eight months of Trump's presidency. A lawyer by training, Ratcliffe's career includes representing Texas in the US House of Representatives from 2015 to 2020 and serving as mayor of a Texas town for four terms.
Trump’s statement praised Ratcliffe's "fearless commitment to Constitutional Rights and national security" and expressed confidence in Ratcliffe's leadership at the CIA, particularly on issues like Israel and China. Ratcliffe has voiced strong criticism of President Joe Biden’s foreign policies, particularly regarding Israel and the US approach to China.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Unknown disease in Congo left dozens dead, officials say
Kinshasa, Dec 3: An unknown disease has killed at least 67 people over a two-week span in southwestern Congo, local authorities said.
The deaths were recorded between Nov 10 and Nov 25 in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province. The symptoms included fever, headache, cough and anaemia, the provincial health minister, Apollinaire Yumba, told reporters over the weekend.
The deputy provincial governor, Rémy Saki, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that between 67 and 143 people died.
"A team of epidemiological experts is expected in the region to take samples and identify the problem," he added.
Yumba advised the population to exercise caution and refrain from touching the dead to avoid contamination. He called on national and international partners to send medical supplies to deal with the health crisis.
Congo is already plagued by the mpox epidemic, with more than 47,000 suspected cases and over 1,000 suspected deaths from the disease in the Central African country, according to the World Health Organisation.
