Seven people, including a three-year-old child, have died after eating a poisonous tortoise meat on the island of Pemba in Tanzania, Africa.

As per police, firstly the minor died after eating poisonous tortoise meat followed by two more deaths at night and then four more on Sunday.

Doctors say that the poisonous meat of tortoise affects children the most.

In rare cases turtle meat can be toxic due to a type of food poisoning known as ‘chelonitoxism’. 

Local police commander said that at least five families on Pemba, which is part of the semi-autonomous Zanzibar islands, ate the turtle meat last Thursday.

Moreover, 38 people were admitted to hospital, but most were discharged and the three who remain are said to be in a stable condition. 

Tortoise meat consumption is generally considered safe. But selenium toxins, which are rarely found in turtle meat turn the meat toxic and deadly to consume. 

The meat is a common delicacy among those living on Tanzania's islands and coastal areas but the authorities have now banned the consumption of turtles in the area. 

Earlier in March, 19 people succumbed to death in Madagascar after eating tortoise meat. 

Russia would pay a high price for any new military aggression against Ukraine, NATO and the United States warned on Tuesday as the Western military alliance met to discuss Moscow's possible motives for massing troops near the Ukrainian border.

President Vladimir Putin countered that Russia would be forced to act if US-led NATO placed missiles in Ukraine that could strike Moscow within minutes.

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that now aspires to join the European Union and NATO, has become the main flashpoint between Russia and the West as relations have soured to their worst level in the three decades since the Cold War ended.

"There will be a high price to pay for Russia if they once again use force against the independence of the nation Ukraine," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed Stoltenberg, saying: "Any escalatory actions by Russia would be a great concern to the United States..., and any renewed aggression would trigger serious consequences."

Tensions have been rising for weeks, with Russia, Ukraine and NATO all staging military exercises amid mutual recriminations over which side is the aggressor.

Putin went further than previously in spelling out Russia's "red lines" on Ukraine, saying it would have to respond if NATO deployed advanced missile systems on its neighbour's soil.

"If some kind of strike systems appear on the territory of Ukraine, the flight time to Moscow will be 7-10 minutes, and five minutes in the case of a hypersonic weapon being deployed. Just imagine," the Kremlin leader said.

"What are we to do in such a scenario? We will have to then create something similar in relation to those who threaten us in that way. And we can do that now," he said, pointing to Russia's recent testing of a hypersonic weapon he said could fly at nine times the speed of sound.

EU and other Western leaders are involved in a geopolitical tug-of-war with Russia for influence in Ukraine and two other ex-Soviet republics, Moldova and Georgia, through trade, cooperation and protection arrangements.

SOURCE: REUTERS

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday has ordered Gilgit Baltistan former chief judge Rana Shamim to submit the original draft of the original affidavit within five days.

According to details, Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench headed by Justice Athar Minallah took up contempt of court case over the affidavit of Rana Shamim. 

During the proceeding, Justice Athar Minallah remarked that Rana Shamim had tried to convince the people to lose confidence in court.

He remarked that if the original affidavit was found different from the affidavit being reported. Then the responsibility will be on the newspaper.

Rana Shamim told court that his affidavit was sealed one, but he did not know which affidavit was reported.

IHC CJ Athar Minallah directed the former GB chief judge to submit his original affidavit in the court along with his written response in the case within five days and adjourned the hearing of the case for seven days.

Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan requested the court to take action against Rana Shamim.

The court adjourned the hearing till December 7.