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WHO declares mpox public health emergency of international concern

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared mpox a “public health emergency of international concern”.

The declaration comes a day after the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) declared mpox a “public health emergency of continental security”.

It is the second time in two years that the WHO has declared mpox a global emergency.

Last week, Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general (DG), said he was convening an emergency committee under the international health regulations to evaluate the upsurge of mpox in Congo and other African countries.

Speaking during an online press briefing on Wednesday, Ghebreyesus said the emergency committee met and advised that the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

“I have accepted that advice,” the WHO DG said.

Over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths, mostly from a new variant clade 1b, have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the beginning of the year.

The virus has also spread to other African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda, particularly among children.

The WHO DG said the rapid spread of the new mpox clade in eastern Congo, the detection in neighbouring countries that had not previously reported any cases, and the potential for further outbreaks within Africa and beyond are “very worrying”.

“In addition to other outbreaks of other clades of mpox in other parts of Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” he said.

“A public health emergency of international concern is the highest level of alarm under international health law.

“The emergency committee’s advice to me and that of the Africa CDC, which yesterday declared a public health emergency of regional security, are aligned.

“WHO is on the ground, working with the affected countries and others at risk through our country and regional offices, as well as with partners including the Africa CDC, NGOs, civil society, and more.

“For example, we are providing machines to analyze blood samples and confirm cases of mpox; we’re supporting laboratories to sequence viral samples; we’re on the ground supporting case investigation and contact tracing, risk communication, and community engagement; we’re training health workers and supporting clinicians to provide appropriate care; we’re supporting countries to access vaccines and develop the strategies to roll them out; and much more.

“To fund this work, WHO has developed a regional response plan, requiring an initial $15 million. We have released $1.45 million from the WHO contingency fund for emergencies, and we plan to release more in the coming days. We are also appealing to donors to fund the rest of the response plan.

“WHO is committed in the days and weeks ahead to coordinate the global response, working closely with each of the affected countries and leveraging our on-the-ground presence to prevent transmission, treat those infected, and save lives.”

World

Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Colombia after US deportation flights were denied entry

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US President Donald Trump has imposed 25 percent tariffs on Colombia after its president barred two military planes carrying deported migrants from landing in the country.

Earlier today on his official X page, Colombian President Gustavo Petro had denied entry to US military planes carrying deported migrants into the country.

“The US cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals,” Petro posted.

“I deny the entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants into our territory.

“The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we receive them.”

US officials told the BBC on Sunday, that two military planes from San Diego were due to land in Colombia with migrant deportees, but the plans were scrapped due to complications.

Speaking on the matter in a post on Truth Social, Trump said emergency tariffs “on all goods” entering the US from Colombia would be implemented “immediately”.

Trump said the 25 percent tariffs would be increased to 50 percent in a week.

The president said the US would impose a travel ban and “immediate visa revocations” on Colombian government officials.

Trump also said there would be visa sanctions on Colombian government supporters, and enhanced customs and border protection inspections “of all Colombian nationals and cargo on national security grounds”.

“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump added.

The US president said his administration would not allow the Colombian government “to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the criminals they forced into the United States”.

During the campaigns for the US presidential elections, Trump had promised to carry out “mass deportations” of illegal migrants.

The president signed multiple executive orders related to immigration on his first day in office.

Some of Trump’s executive orders were signed to expand immigration and customs enforcement’s (ICE) ability to arrest and detain unlawful migrants on US soil.

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US lawmaker introduces bill seeking third term for Trump

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A Republican house member has introduced a bill seeking to allow US President Donald Trump to run for a third term.

Andy Ogles, the representative, initiated the resolution on Thursday.

The US Constitution does not permit anyone to be elected to the office of the president more than twice.

Ogles’ resolution seeks to revise this to read: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times … ”

According to the lawmaker, Trump “has proven himself to be the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation’s decay and restoring America to greatness, and he must be given the time necessary to accomplish that goal”.

“It is imperative that we provide President Trump with every resource necessary to correct the disastrous course set by the Biden administration,” Ogles said in a statement.

“He is dedicated to restoring the republic and saving our country, and we, as legislators and as states, must do everything in our power to support him.

“I am proposing an amendment to the Constitution to revise the limitations imposed by the 22nd Amendment on presidential terms.”

Trump previously dismissed insinuations that he would seek a third term. However, after winning the 2024 presidential election, he light-heartedly hinted that he would be open to a third term during a chat with Republican lawmakers.

“I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you do something,” Trump had said.

“Unless you say, ‘he’s so good, we have to just figure it out.’”

Ogles praised Trump’s slew of executive orders signed on the first day of his second coming, including the handling of the southern border, restricting gender identities to male and female, energy production, and withdrawing from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The 22nd Amendment was proposed in 1947 and adopted in 1951. It was ratified to prevent the President Franklin Roosevelt scenario.

Roosevelt ran for the presidency and won four times (1933-1945). He died in 1945, less than 90 days after his fourth inauguration.

Afterwards, Americans welcomed George Washington’s proposition that any president who served more than two terms would likely gravitate to a king or dictator.

Washington is the founding father of the United States and the country’s first president.

Republicans currently hold a three-seat majority in the US house of representatives.

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Trump’s official portrait sparks mixed reactions on social media

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The official portrait of the US President-elect, Donald Trump, has been unveiled.

Daniel Torok, the president-elect’s chief photographer, shared the photo in an X post on Thursday alongside that of Vice-President-elect JD Vance.

“We are entering the GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA!” Torok captioned the starkly contrasting photos of Trump and Vance.

As Vance struck a relaxed pose, smiling for the camera, Trump opted for a stern, unyielding stare.

The brightly lit photo is also a departure from his 2017 portrait where he smiled warmly.

The president-elect’s stare closely mirrored his mugshot after leaving jail in 2023.

In the mugshot, the 78-year-old stared menacingly at the camera with furrowed brows and a clenched jaw.

He was the first US former president to have their mugshot taken.

The photograph sparked a fundraising bonanza, appearing on t-shirts and mugs. It soon became the physical characterisation of Trump as a politically motivated prosecuted victim.

Trump’s transition team said the official photographs “go hard.” The pair will be sworn in on Monday.

Social media users had mixed reactions to the presidential pose.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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