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.

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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.

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International

Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing

Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.

“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.

He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.

A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.

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Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.

International

Peruvian woman arrested in Bali for smuggling cocaine in sex toy

A Peruvian woman was arrested on the popular Indonesian tourist island of Bali for allegedly attempting to traffic 1.4 kg of cocaine, part of which was hidden inside a sex toy in her vagina, police announced on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old woman, identified only by her initials N.S., arrived at Bali’s international airport from Qatar on August 12.

“Customs officers became suspicious of her behavior and, after consulting with the police, conducted additional checks,” said Radiant, head of Bali’s narcotics unit, during a press conference.

Authorities discovered 1.4 kg of cocaine, partly concealed in the sex toy. She was also accused of carrying dozens of ecstasy pills.

The Peruvian confessed to the police that she had been hired by a man she met in April on the dark web to transport the drugs to Indonesia in exchange for $20,000.

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Indonesia has some of the world’s strictest drug trafficking laws and imposes the death penalty on drug traffickers. Currently, more than 90 foreign nationals are on death row in the country for drug-related offenses, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections.

In July, a court in Bali sentenced an Argentine woman to seven years in prison for attempting to smuggle 244 grams of cocaine into the island in a condom hidden in her vagina.

The last executions for drug trafficking in Indonesia occurred in 2016, when an Indonesian and three Nigerians were executed.

International

Trump says Russia open to security guarantees for Ukraine amid peace talks

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday that Russia is willing to accept security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House.

After the talks, Zelensky described the discussions as positive, while Trump took a moment to speak with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and confirmed a trilateral summit between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia.

Trump expressed optimism about the prospects of ending the Russian invasion.

Zelensky, who also held a separate meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, called the discussions with the U.S. leader “the best to date.” He emphasized the importance of “strong signals” from the United States regarding Western security guarantees.

The atmosphere between the two leaders was reportedly more relaxed than in February, when Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, publicly rebuked Zelensky for not appearing “grateful” for U.S. support.

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“In one or two weeks, we will know if we are going to resolve this or if this horrible fight will continue,” Trump said at the start of the meeting.

The presence of leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission, and NATO highlighted ongoing concerns about Washington’s stance on Ukraine.

Before the meeting, Trump had pressured Kyiv to relinquish Crimea and abandon its NATO membership ambitions, two of Moscow’s main demands. However, he stated that the Alaska summit with Putin had brought progress.

“I like the ceasefire. From another perspective, it immediately stops the killing. But I think a peace agreement at the end of all this is very achievable and could be reached in the near future,” Trump said.