World Briefs

Trump-backed Nasry Asfura winner of Honduras’ presidential vote

Tegucigalpa: Trump-backed candidate Nasry Asfura won Honduras’ presidential election, the country’s electoral authorities said Wednesday afternoon, ending a weeks-long count that has whittled away at the credibility of the Central American nation’s fragile electoral system. The election is continuing Latin America’s swing to the right, coming just a week after Chile chose the far-right politician José Antonio Kast as its next president. Asfura, of the conservative National Party, received 40.27 per cent of the vote in the Nov 30 election, edging out four-time candidate Salvador Nasralla of the conservative Liberal Party, who finished with 39.39 per cent of the vote.

India-born physician appointed to State Nutrition Advisory Panel

Houston: Indian-origin physician Padmaja Patel has been appointed to the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee by Governor Greg Abbott. The Midland-based physician will serve on the committee through September 1, 2029. The panel advises the state on diet and nutrition and examines the role of food in preventing and managing chronic diseases, according to a press release. Members are appointed by the governor for staggered terms and represent a range of medical and public health disciplines, it said. The appointment was part of a broader slate of selections announced by the governor’s office.