Sydney, Feb 26: The number of deaths from a disease linked to heavy rainfall and flooding in northeast of Australia’s state of Queensland has more than doubled to 12, local health authorities said.

Health authorities in the tropical north coast region of Queensland confirmed that the death toll from melioidosis in the current wet season has risen to 12, up from five deaths that had been reported as of February 21.

Of the 12 deaths, nine occurred in and around Cairns, the largest city in the region, and three in the city of Townsville, almost 300 km south.

Melioidosis is a rare tropical disease caused by bacteria commonly found in soil and water in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. After heavy rainfall it becomes airborne.

Queensland’s tropical northern coast was hit by widespread flooding earlier in February, with many towns getting record rainfall for the month in a matter of days.

There have been 53 confirmed cases of melioidosis in Carins and 34 cases in Townsville since the start of 2025, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported, citing Jacqueline Murdoch, director of the Tropical Public Health Services.

“It absolutely is a record-breaking year. Certainly we haven’t seen anything like this and the numbers are very alarming,” said Murdoch on Tuesday.

“It’s a very severe disease and it has a reasonably high fatality rate, so we do have a large number of deaths now, which is reflecting the large number of cases.”

She said that most of the patients were older people and that the majority had contracted the disease through the air.

Murdoch urged people to be careful about being outside in heavy rain, being in contact with soil and to wear a mask when using a high-pressure hose.

Anyone with a cough or difficulty breathing has been advised to visit their doctor or nearest emergency department.

Amman, Feb 24: Jordan and the Arab League reaffirmed their firm stance against the displacement of Palestinians from their land or within it.

During a meeting on Sunday in Amman between Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the two sides stressed that Gaza can be rebuilt without displacing its residents, according to a statement by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.

They also highlighted Egypt’s role in developing a plan to achieve this with Arab support.

Safadi and Aboul Gheit also discussed ways to enhance joint Arab action, reviewed the latest regional developments, and talked about preparations for the emergency Arab summit scheduled for early next month.

They emphasised the importance of strengthening joint Arab efforts, deepening cooperation and coordination to address shared challenges, and serving Arab interests and causes.

The two officials stressed the need to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza and ensure the adequate and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip.

Safadi and Aboul Gheit underscored the necessity of preventing further deterioration in the occupied West Bank and called for an end to Israel’s illegal measures that risk escalating tensions.

They reiterated that the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution, is the only path to achieving security, stability, and a just and comprehensive peace in the region.

They also discussed the latest developments in Syria, affirming the need to support the Syrian people in rebuilding their country on a foundation that ensures unity, security, and stability, eliminates terrorism, and safeguards the rights of all its components.

Riyadh, Feb 22: Leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain met in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh to discuss the Palestinian issue and the developments in the Gaza Strip, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

While the report described the gathering as a “consultative brotherly meeting” without providing details, media reports suggested that the discussions held on Friday were meant to focus on Gaza’s post-war reconstruction to counter a recent proposal by US President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians from the enclave and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” a plan widely rejected by Arab nations.

Umer Karim, an expert on Saudi foreign policy, called the summit the “most consequential” in decades for the wider Arab world and the Palestinian issue.

Trump triggered global outrage when he proposed the United States “take over the Gaza Strip” and relocate its 2.4 million people to neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.

According to SPA, the meeting is at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and attended by Jordanian King Abdullah II, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

During the meeting, the leaders also expressed their support for the upcoming emergency Arab League summit, scheduled to take place in Cairo on March 4, to address the latest Palestinian developments.

The Gaza Strip is largely in ruins after more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas, with the United Nations recently estimating that rebuilding would cost more than $53 billion.