Explosion heard at Chernobyl nuclear plant site, radiation levels remain normal: IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday an explosion was heard at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) site overnight, but assured the radiation levels at the site remain normal.

The IAEA team at the Chernobyl site heard an explosion coming from the New Safe Confinement, which protects the remains of reactor 4 of the former Chernobyl NPP, causing a fire, the IAEA said on social media platform X.

The IAEA team was informed that an unmanned aerial vehicle had struck the confinement's roof, it said.

Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi said on Friday that the drone attack on the Chernobyl site was a very serious matter, but he could confirm that there was no nuclear leakage accident.

Grossi also said that the recent attack on the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the escalating military activities near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant highlight the persistent nuclear security risks, and the IAEA will maintain a high level of alertness.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media on Friday that the attack was carried out by the Russian side, using a drone with a high-explosive warhead that caused damage to the confinement's facility.

However, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Moscow was not behind the attack, and dismissed Zelensky's remarks as a "provocative" accusation by Ukraine.

The Chernobyl plant, some 110 km north of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, suffered one of the worst nuclear accidents in human history on April 26, 1986.

Explosion heard at Chernobyl nuclear plant site, radiation levels remain normal: IAEA

Explosion heard at Chernobyl nuclear plant site, radiation levels remain normal: IAEA

Explosion heard at Chernobyl nuclear plant site, radiation levels remain normal: IAEA

Explosion heard at Chernobyl nuclear plant site, radiation levels remain normal: IAEA

Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks, with recent tests showing common pathogens and no evidence of new infectious diseases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday.

At its first press briefing of 2026, the commission reported that flu activity nationwide remains moderate at the moment.

According to Xin Li, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, respiratory samples collected from sentinel hospitals indicated that the influenza virus was the most common pathogen, accounting for 27.4 percent of cases, followed by respiratory syncytial virus at 8.8 percent and rhinovirus at 5.7 percent.

"Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks and remains at a moderate level overall. Analysis of nationwide fever clinic consultations, influenza-like illness cases at sentinel hospitals, and multi-pathogen testing shows that all detected pathogens are known common ones, with no evidence of unknown pathogens or new infectious diseases," Xin told the press.

Data from sentinel hospitals indicated flu activity was falling across provincial-level regions, while reports of school outbreaks dropped for five consecutive weeks. Laboratory tests showed that 97.3 percent of positive influenza samples were H3N2 subtype viruses.

China flu activity declines for fourth week, no new pathogens detected: official