International
Mpox cases decline in Africa as vaccination efforts continue
The mpox epidemic, formerly known as monkeypox, is showing signs of decline in Africa, with a drop in infections recorded during the past week, the African Union’s public health agency reported Thursday.
Authorities described this trend as “very encouraging” on the path toward controlling the outbreak.
Since January 2024, there have been 150,880 suspected cases and 41,292 confirmed infections, along with 1,830 verified deaths and 205 suspected deaths across 26 African countries, according to data from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
“This week, we continue to observe a downward trend in the number of suspected cases as well as confirmed cases,” said Yap Boum, incident deputy manager of Africa CDC, at a press conference. “This is very encouraging as it helps us see the light at the end of the tunnel as we move forward,” he added.
During the last week, 3,113 new cases (879 confirmed) were reported, a decrease from the 3,323 cases (957 confirmed) reported the previous week. The decline was especially notable in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicenter of the epidemic, as well as in Uganda and Sierra Leone.
Boum also emphasized that “we continue to encourage intensified surveillance and other public health measures to sustain and accelerate the decline” in cases. He urged the strengthening of vaccination programs in the most affected countries and called for the mobilization of additional vaccine doses.
Currently, eleven African countries have received mpox vaccines, and seven are conducting vaccination campaigns. According to Boum, just over three million doses have been distributed in total. “We understand,” he added, “that vaccination is not a silver bullet, but it is a key component of the response” to the epidemic.
The African Union health agency declared mpox a continental public health emergency on August 13. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued an international health alert the following day, which has remained in effect since June 9.
Mpox is an infectious disease characterized by skin rashes, fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, headaches, back pain, and general fatigue.
International
White House claims challenged as most ICE arrests in LA involve non-criminals
Nearly seven out of ten people arrested during immigration raids in Los Angeles from June 1 to June 10 had no criminal record, contradicting White House claims that the raids targeted “criminals,” according to an analysis published Wednesday by the Los Angeles Times.
Around 722 individuals were detained in the Los Angeles metropolitan area during the first ten days of June, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated the raids, according to data obtained by the Deportation Data Project of the University of California Berkeley School of Law.
The Los Angeles Times analysis found that 69% of those arrested during this period had no criminal record, and 58% had never been charged with any crime.
These figures contradict the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which said in a statement Tuesday that since June 6, ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched an operation “to remove the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin warned that the arrests are part of President Donald Trump’s promise to secure the border by deporting criminals, including drug traffickers in Los Angeles, without providing further details.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized last week in a CNN interview that although the White House said it would target violent criminals, the raids had focused on workers.
“This wasn’t a drug den, it was a Home Depot,” Bass said, questioning the locations where raids were conducted.
Activists have also denounced the raids for targeting vulnerable workers who are easy to detain.
The Los Angeles Times analysis found that the average age of those arrested was 38, mostly men. Nearly 48% were Mexican, 16% Guatemalan, and 8% Salvadoran.
International
Netanyahu and Trump vow to expand “Circle of Peace” amid Middle East ceasefire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he will continue fighting alongside U.S. President Donald Trump against their “common enemies,” and that both leaders will swiftly expand the “circle of peace” in the Middle East following their collaboration in the recent war against Iran.
“Thank you, President Trump, for your moving support for me and your tremendous support for Israel and the Jewish people. We will continue working together to defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and rapidly expand the circle of peace,” Netanyahu wrote on the social media platform X.
Netanyahu’s remarks came in response to a message from the former U.S. president on his social network, Truth Social, in which Trump called Netanyahu “perhaps the greatest warrior in Israel’s history,” praising his role in the war against Iran.
In that message, Trump also called for an end to the “witch hunt” against Netanyahu, referring to the ongoing corruption trials he has faced for months, and asked for their dismissal.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu himself requested a two-week postponement of his court testimonies due to national security concerns.
The statements about expanding the “circle of peace” come amid regional uncertainty following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran (proposed by Trump and coordinated with Qatar), the terms of which remain unknown.
Since the truce, Trump has advocated for regional peace, posting on Truth Social: “CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!” Days earlier, the U.S. had joined the conflict by bombing Iran’s main nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and the heavily fortified Fordow site.
White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff told CNBC that “major announcements” regarding the Abraham Accords — initiated during Trump’s first administration to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab states (including the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco) — could be made soon.
Additionally, on June 24, Israel’s National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said Israel was holding talks with Syria in an attempt to normalize relations with its neighbor.
Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967 and, since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, has controlled the demilitarized zone between the two countries, which is Syrian territory.
International
Pope Leo XIV calls for fraternal priesthood, rejecting individualism
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged priests worldwide to adopt a fraternal way of life, avoiding individualistic “competitions,” during his visit to a forum on priestly ministry held at the Conciliation Auditorium in Rome.
“Fraternity is an essential style of priestly life. Being friends of Christ means living as brothers among priests and bishops, not as competitors or individualists,” he advised.
The American pope stepped outside the Vatican walls on Thursday to attend the International Meeting “Happy Priests,” organized by the Dicastery for the Clergy, held at the nearby Conciliation Auditorium on Rome’s Via della Conciliazione.
Attendees from around the world, also gathered for the Priests’ Jubilee this week, welcomed him enthusiastically, taking photos with their mobile phones and shouting, “Long live Pope Leo!”
In his speech, Prevost emphasized the importance of forming new priests in a way that “helps build strong bonds” so that each one “shares the struggles and joys” that come with the vocation.
“Forming priests who are friends of Christ means training men capable of loving, listening, praying, and serving together. Therefore, it is crucial to take great care in preparing formators, because the effectiveness of their work depends largely on their example of life and communion among themselves,” he urged.
In this regard, he highlighted that vocations continue to emerge despite the current “crisis,” and called for “adequate spaces” to nurture them.
White House claims challenged as most ICE arrests in LA involve non-criminals
Costa Rican president Rodrigo Chaves faces new campaign finance accusation amid political tensions
Honduras and U.S. strengthen cooperation on migrant rights and border security
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
-
International3 days agoU.S. braces for first major heat wave of the year with temperatures exceeding 100°F
-
International5 days agoMexican forces seize fentanyl and meth in major border drug busts
-
International4 days agoVenezuela condemns U.S. strike on Iran, calls It a threat to global peace
-
International4 days agoIrán ejecuta a presunto espía del Mosad en plena tensión con Israel
-
Central America21 hours agoKristi Noem discusses border security, migration, and TPS in Honduras
-
International5 days ago
Extreme heat wave to sweep U.S., NWS warns of highest-level risk
-
International3 days agoUN chief warns of dangerous cycle of retaliation after U.S. strikes on Iran
-
International3 days agoJury views explicit videos in Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial
-
International3 days agoIsrael and Iran reach total ceasefire, says president Trump
-
International3 days ago60 missing children rescued in Florida’s “Operation Dragon’s Eye,” one of largest in U.S. history
-
International3 days agoDominican prosecutors seek five-year prison term for MLB player Wander Franco in sexual abuse case
-
International21 hours agoEcuador’s most wanted criminal ‘Fito’ recaptured and set for extradition
-
International2 days agoDivided Latin America faces geopolitical tensions ahead of OAS Assembly
-
International2 days agoQatari PM calls for immediate return to U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations
-
International3 days agoU.S. Supreme Court allows Trump administration to resume deportations to third countries
-
International21 hours agoGunmen attack San Juan celebration in Guanajuato, leaving 11 dead
-
Central America2 days agoU.S. seeks free transit for warships through Panama Canal to deepen strategic ties
-
Central America21 hours agoCosta Rican President accuses Electoral Tribunal of censorship ahead of october elections
-
Central America21 hours agoPanama Canal traffic surges 30% in early fiscal 2025 amid recovery
-
International21 hours agoArmenian cleric accused of plotting bombings to overthrow government
-
International3 days agoIndonesian rescue teams locate brazilian tourist injured on Mount Rinjani
-
International3 hours agoMexican authorities arrest 17 linked to ‘Mayos’ Cartel in major operations across Sinaloa
-
International3 hours agoNetanyahu and Trump vow to expand “Circle of Peace” amid Middle East ceasefire
-
Central America3 hours agoHonduras and U.S. strengthen cooperation on migrant rights and border security
-
Central America3 hours agoCosta Rican president Rodrigo Chaves faces new campaign finance accusation amid political tensions
-
International3 hours agoHeat dome to bring record-breaking temperatures across southwestern Europe
-
International3 hours agoPope Leo XIV calls for fraternal priesthood, rejecting individualism
-
International3 hours agoWhite House claims challenged as most ICE arrests in LA involve non-criminals