International
Monkeypox cases top 5,000: WHO
AFP
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that 5,322 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox had been reported to it in the current outbreak, 85 percent of which are in Europe.
Though case numbers are rapidly increasing, the United Nations health agency has not set a date for its emergency committee on monkeypox to convene for a second meeting.
“From January 1 to June 30 this year, we have 5,322 laboratory-confirmed cases and one death,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told reporters in Geneva.
The number has increased by 56 percent in eight days. The previous figure given by the WHO, for the period up to June 22, was 3,413 cases.
A surge in monkeypox cases has been reported since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.
Chaib said infections had now been reported in 53 countries.
“Eighty-five percent of cases are in Europe, followed by the African region, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Pacific,” she said.
“The WHO continues to ask countries to pay particular attention to monkeypox cases to try to stop further infections.”
Most monkeypox infections so far have been observed in men who have sex with men, of young age and chiefly in urban areas, according to the WHO.
The normal initial symptoms of monkeypox include a high fever, swollen lymph nodes and a blistery chickenpox-like rash.
On June 23, the UN health agency convened an emergency committee of experts to decide if monkeypox constitutes a so-called Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) — the highest alarm that the WHO can sound.
But a majority found the situation had not yet crossed that threshold.
However, they acknowledged the emergency nature of the outbreak and said controlling its further spread required intense response efforts.
The committee can reconvene at any time, depending on the changing situation.
The WHO’s 16-member emergency committee on monkeypox is chaired by Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who is a former director of the WHO’s Vaccines and Immunisation Department.
International
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Seven out of ten Mexicans born into poverty remain poor throughout their lives, highlighting an urgent need for public policies focused on promoting social mobility through equal opportunity, according to civil society organizations.
The 2025 Social Mobility Report in Mexico, published by the Espinosa Yglesias Center for Studies (CEEY), reveals that 73% of individuals born into the bottom 20% of income households in Mexico — Latin America’s second-largest economy — continue to live in poverty based on income.
The report signals a worrisome stagnation in social mobility, defined as the ability of individuals to improve their socioeconomic standing compared to that of their parents. This lack of upward movement indicates that one’s economic origins are largely inherited, according to CEEY.
Geographically, disparities are stark:
-
In northern Mexico, 37% of those born in poverty remain there.
-
In the south, that number rises dramatically to 64%.
Gender gaps are also evident. Among those born in wealthier households, women experience less upward mobility, with a rate of 47% compared to 53% for men.
The report also notes that 48% of economic inequality in Mexico stems from inequality of opportunity — placing Mexico among the top ten countries with the highest opportunity inequality across 50 nations analyzed globally.
International
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Spain registered a record-breaking temperature of 46°C (114.8°F) on Saturday, June 28, in El Granado, Huelva — a southern town near the Portuguese border — marking the highest temperature ever recorded in June in the country, according to Spain’s national meteorological agency, Aemet.
The temperature was officially recorded at 4:40 p.m. local time, surpassing the previous June record of 45.2°C (113.4°F)set in Seville back in 1965, also in the Andalusia region.
Like many parts of Southern Europe, Spain is experiencing a severe heatwave, with large areas of the country facing temperatures above 40°C even though summer has just begun.
As one of Europe’s countries most vulnerable to climate change, Spain has endured its three hottest years on recordfrom 2022 to 2024, marked by repeated heatwaves and temperature extremes.
Climate scientists have long warned that global warming is amplifying the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts — trends now evident across the Iberian Peninsula and the broader Mediterranean region.
International
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
The Republican administration of Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Monday against Los Angeles officials, challenging the city’s sanctuary policies as illegal amid an intensifying federal immigration crackdown.
The Department of Justice accused the Democratic-led city of interfering with federal immigration enforcement, arguing that its sanctuary policies have contributed to “violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement” recently seen in Los Angeles.
“The sanctuary city policies were the cause of violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in an official statement.
The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, names Mayor Karen Bass, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and the entire City Council as defendants.
While Los Angeles had long been considered a sanctuary city for immigrants, the City Council officially adopted the designation through a municipal ordinance in November last year, following Trump’s election to the presidency.
The legal action seeks to limit local authorities’ cooperation with federal immigration agents under Trump’s policies.
With over one-third of its population being immigrants, Los Angeles has become a flashpoint in the battle against Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, which began with his campaign promise to deport millions.
Tensions in the city escalated earlier this month after an increase in workplace immigration raids, sparking mass protests downtown. The situation further intensified when Trump overrode California Governor Gavin Newsom and ordered the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to the area.
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America5 days agoHonduras and U.S. strengthen cooperation on migrant rights and border security
-
International5 days agoWhite House claims challenged as most ICE arrests in LA involve non-criminals
-
Central America5 days agoCosta Rican president Rodrigo Chaves faces new campaign finance accusation amid political tensions
-
Central America4 days agoHonduras secures IDB loan to improve access and quality of education in vulnerable areas
-
Internacionales4 days agoJalisco’s grim discovery: drug cartel mass grave found in construction site
-
International3 days agoProtests erupt over Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ migrant jail in the Everglades
-
International5 days agoPope Leo XIV calls for fraternal priesthood, rejecting individualism
-
International5 days agoNetanyahu and Trump vow to expand “Circle of Peace” amid Middle East ceasefire
-
International4 days agoU.S. targets families of sanctioned drug traffickers with new Visa restrictions
-
Central America3 days agoMigrants stranded in Panama amid US Policy crackdown and Darién gap barriers
-
International2 days agoTikTok sale advances as Trump reveals deal is in place
-
International5 days agoMpox cases decline in Africa as vaccination efforts continue
-
International5 days agoMexican authorities arrest 17 linked to ‘Mayos’ Cartel in major operations across Sinaloa
-
International5 days agoHeat dome to bring record-breaking temperatures across southwestern Europe
-
Central America2 days agoCastro to address FfD4 in Spain as Global Financial Reform takes center stage
-
International21 hours agoEcuador’s former VP Jorge Glas sentenced to 13 more years for corruption
-
International21 hours agoTrump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
-
International21 hours ago7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
-
International21 hours agoSpain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave