A recent exposé from a Russian website has shed light on the operations of a “troll factory” managed by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. This organization is responsible for disseminating disinformation and propaganda across the internet.
On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin warned the West that Russia is technically prepared for nuclear war. He also stated that if the U.S. were to deploy troops to Ukraine, it would be viewed as a major escalation of the conflict.
Tim Chen, a final-year economics student at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, travels nearly 2 hours by plane from his home in Calgary to attend school. Chen chooses this method of commuting to avoid the high cost of off-campus housing.
An ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa has been likened to the early days of the HIV crisis, with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it a public health emergency. Scientists warn that the situation mirrors the initial struggles with HIV, emphasizing the urgent need for increased access to testing, vaccines, and treatments in the affected regions.
Medical experts are calling for a swift response, urging not only the acceleration of resources but also campaigns to combat the stigma surrounding the virus. The outbreak, particularly severe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has resulted in 38,465 cases and 1,456 deaths across Africa since January 2022. Of these, over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have occurred in the DRC this year alone.
The virus includes clades I and II, along with a newly identified variant, clade Ib, which seems to be driving the outbreak in the DRC and neighboring countries. Children, in particular, appear to be at higher risk from this new strain.
The WHO's declaration of a “public health emergency of international concern” puts mpox in the same category as past global threats like Ebola, Covid-19, and the 2022 mpox outbreak in Europe. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern over the situation, noting that the emergence of clade Ib in eastern DRC and its spread to nearby countries is especially alarming.
To address the crisis, the WHO has already allocated $1.5 million from its contingency fund and plans to secure the remaining $15 million needed for ongoing efforts in the region. Tedros has called on international donors to contribute more resources.
Trudie Lang, a global health research professor at Oxford University, highlighted the similarities between this outbreak and the early days of HIV, particularly the spread of the virus through sexual networks. Vulnerable groups, such as young, exploited sex workers, are at high risk, and public health campaigns will be crucial to reduce stigma and encourage treatment-seeking behavior.
Lang also noted reports from frontline workers of pregnancy complications and babies born with mpox lesions, raising concerns about transmission in the womb. There are still significant unknowns about the virus, including the number of undiagnosed cases in the community.
“What worries me most,” Lang said, “is the potential for mild, hidden infections, particularly those transmitted sexually. We still don’t know when the virus is most infectious or how it spreads.”
She added that while the virus might be quickly contained if it reached Europe or the U.S., similar success is unlikely in impoverished regions of Africa.
Dr. Ayoade Alakija, chair of the Africa Vaccine Delivery Alliance and the diagnostics non-profit Find, argued that if this outbreak occurred in Europe, it would already be considered a major international health emergency. She urged that the WHO’s declaration should spur action and funding to address the crisis more effectively.
“There’s a critical need for deeper research into mpox transmission to guide control efforts,” Alakija said, stressing the importance of equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments. She pointed out that most of these resources have been pre-ordered by wealthier countries, with only one diagnostic test available.
Alakija also expressed concern that without adequate testing, the interplay between mpox and other viruses like HIV remains unclear, potentially exacerbating the outbreak’s severity and spread. She warned that delays in addressing the virus in the DRC have almost inevitably led to its spread to neighboring countries, increasing the risk of a broader outbreak.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) had already declared mpox a public health emergency, with its director general, Dr. Jean Kaseya, calling for aggressive efforts to contain and eliminate the virus. Responding to this, Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University, expressed hope that the declaration would prompt African governments to allocate necessary funds to combat the outbreak.
In early August, the African Union approved $10.4 million for Africa CDC’s response, but Kaseya estimates that the continent will need around $4 billion to effectively tackle the crisis.
A 42-year-old individual, self-identifying as transgender, has been apprehended by authorities in Peru for trespassing and filming inside a women's restroom at the 'Rosa de América Women's College' in Huancayo. The suspect, identified as Walter César SolÃs Caler, disguised himself as a schoolgirl, easily gaining access to the school premises without scrutiny. Once inside, he covertly recorded and took pictures of students.
The incident came to light when the vice principal noticed Caler using a cell phone on school grounds, a violation for all students. Attempting to address the infraction, she soon realized that Caler was not a student, leading to her alerting the principal and subsequently involving the police.
Upon inspecting Caler's phone, authorities discovered evidence of similar incidents at various other schools. A Twitter user shared the news along with a photo of Caler, who had concealed his face with a hat and a mask.
The police investigation is now examining whether the suspect is linked to a wider pedophile network. Outside the school, parents, informed of Caler's actions, gathered before the arrival of the police. When Caler was brought out, the enraged parents physically attacked him, prompting one father to even assault a police officer in his attempt to reach Caler. While the father was detained for questioning, the commanding police officer acknowledged the emotional nature of his actions given the circumstances.
Public Prosecutor MarÃa Gutiérrez Fernández, specializing in violence against women, expressed her intention to prosecute Caler. The school's principal, Ernesto Ronald VÃlchez Cuadrado, voiced concerns about the possibility of a network employing similar tactics to infiltrate schools in the region.
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The mayor of San Pedro Huamelula in Mexico, Victor Hugo Sosa, recently participated in an unusual union, marrying a reptile named Alicia Adriana as part of an ancestral ritual aimed at bringing prosperity to his community, reports AFP. San Pedro Huamelula is a town predominantly inhabited by the Indigenous Chontal people.
Local tradition refers to the reptile as "the princess girl." This unique form of matrimony, spanning 230 years, commemorates the day when two Indigenous groups established peace through a symbolic marriage. According to the custom, a Chontal king, now represented by the mayor, wed a princess girl from the Huave Indigenous group, symbolized by the caiman.
The union is believed to establish a connection with the earth's emblem, seeking blessings from the all-powerful for essential elements like rain, seed germination, and overall peace and harmony for the Chontal community, explains Jaime Zarate, a chronicler of San Pedro Huamelula.
Before the ceremony, AFP notes that the reptile is paraded from house to house, adorned with a ribboned headdress, allowing residents to hold her and partake in a dance. Her snout is securely bound. Subsequently, she is dressed in a white bridal costume and transported to the town hall for the unique ceremonial event.
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