SWITZERLAND - The World Health Organization has designated the surge in monkeypox virus infections in Africa as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and urged a vaccination campaign. The virus has long been endemic in central Africa, mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When it first began spreading in late 2022, the WHO declared an emergency – and renamed the disease mpox, to avoid “stigma.” “On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. The virus “appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks,” Dr Tedros said, describing the development as “especially concerning.” The WHO has long designated gay men as a key demographic affected by the virus.

UKRAINE - All over the world, the old military rules are being broken, this has the potential to become very dangerous. The UN has once again failed to formulate a position on the invasion of Russian territory by Ukrainian forces. The US and the EU have so far confined themselves to vague statements. Official Kiev at the highest level has also been relatively quiet. The Ukrainian public mainly relies on Russian sources for information, and foreign military experts have also refrained from making detailed predictions. Apparently, the outside world is still not fully aware of what is going on, hence the muted reactions. In general, this is a trend. All over the world, red lines are being crossed, the old rules of the game are being broken and things are getting out of control. So for the Russian-Ukraine conflict the choice is really quite simple: there will either be a further escalation of hostilities or negotiations. Or first the former and then the latter. But, of course, it’d be better if we jumped directly to the latter.

USA - Most people don’t seem to realize this yet, but we have entered a time of global war. While millions in the western world are partying, an apocalyptic all-out war is threatening to erupt in the Middle East and Ukraine has launched a surprise invasion of Russia. Needless to say, seeing Ukrainian troops come pouring across Russia’s lightly defended border in the Kursk region came as quite a shock to Vladimir Putin and his generals. The Ukrainians have decided to take things to the next level, and the Russians are beyond angry. Meanwhile, Israel is bracing for a “large scale” Iranian attack at any time… We have been waiting for Iran to strike Israel since the end of July, but so far such an attack has not materialized.

UK - The bill for a weekly shop in Britain’s poorest households rose by far more than it did in wealthy homes during the height of the cost of living crisis as the sharpest price increases affected cheaper brands, research reveals. The study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found the least well-off had been hardest hit by “cheapflation” in the 2021-23 period – paying 29.1% more for their food, compared with 23.5% for better-off households. The report, which lays bare the disproportionate impact of rising food prices on the poor, has been released to coincide with the latest cost of living figures from the Office for National Statistics. Hard-up consumers had responded to the squeeze on living standards by switching to bargain brands that were experiencing the biggest price rises, the IFS found.

UK - Universities have been accused of running ‘Mickey Mouse’ courses to stay afloat as they advertise degrees in rap music, e-sports and social media. A wide array of novelty courses are on offer for students who do not make their predicted grades on A-level results day on Thursday and have to go through clearing. Students can apply for taxpayer-provided loans to cover the £9,250 a year tuition fees, plus maintenance loans for living expenses. It means they are getting the same levels of student funding as those studying at Oxbridge, in many cases for three-year degrees. Daily Mail analysis of the Ucas Clearing website shows 22 institutions are offering courses in e-sports; nine have social media courses; three have digital content creation courses; and one has a ‘rap and MC’ course. It comes as universities face tough financial challenges, with tuition fees frozen since 2017.

USA - Expanding public transportation and finding shelter for unhoused people are key elements of city’s planning. As the Olympics came to a close this weekend, stars gathered from Paris to Long Beach to help mark the end of this year’s events and usher in the 2028 Games, which are set to take place in Los Angeles. Los Angeles will host the Games for a third time in July 2028 – having previously held events in 1932 and 1984. The city has been preparing for years, adding thousands of hotel rooms, modifying existing venues for the games and expanding transit options.

UK - Fox hunters say they should be protected under equality laws in the same way as the Roma community and LGBTQ+ people. Pressure group Hunting Kind says it has been advised by a human rights lawyer that it could secure legal protection for those who hunt under the UK Equality Act 2010. While the status would not overturn the hunting ban, it would mean employers would not be able to discriminate against employees with pro-hunting views. It could also protect hunt fundraising balls in the face of pressure from animal-welfare activists, or of hunters having their bank accounts closed down. Prejudice against hunters has a long history. Oscar Wilde famously said 'The English country gentleman galloping after a fox: the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable'.

USA - Among the great mythologies of recent years, one that stands out above the rest, is that the world is in a "great energy transition." Actually, the world IS in a dramatic energy transition. But it isn't the one the Left wants it to be. Despite hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars thrown at wind and solar power, we still get less than 10% of our energy from green sources. The needle really hasn't moved at all over the past two decades. The more the government spends, the less we get per taxpayer dollar thrown at it. That's the very definition of a falling stock. The REAL energy transition is toward natural gas. A few weeks ago, the price of natural gas fell below $2 per MMBTU, the lowest price level for energy, after adjusting for inflation, in 20 years and probably ever in the history of mankind. Just a few years ago, the price in real dollars was four times higher.

CHINA - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri Kani on Sunday that the Chinese Communist Party supports Iran “defending its sovereignty, security and national dignity” prior to an expected Iranian attack on Israel. The Iranian Islamist regime has been threatening a large-scale attack on Israel for nearly two weeks in response to the killing of Hamas “political” leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. An explosion in Haniyeh’s lodgings eliminated the terror chief during a visit to Iran for the inauguration of current President Masoud Pezeshkian. The elimination of such a high-ranking terrorist leader under the security of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a US-designated terrorist organization, was a major embarrassment for the Iranian regime.

ISRAEL - Israel is expecting a 'large scale' Iranian attack and Hezbollah has evacuated its Beirut headquarters in anticipation of an all-out war with Israel, according to reports. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that Iran was making preparations for a large-scale military attack on Israel during a phone call on Sunday, Axios News reporter Barack Ravid wrote on X. The planned attack could happen 'within days', according to two sources who spoke to CNN. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has evacuated its headquarters in Beirut, according to Lebanese news outlet Al Joumhouria - further raising concerns.

ARGENTINA - Tensions between the UK and Argentina over the Falklands are once again growing and are threatening to reach the point of no return. Argentina has accused the UK of trying to use a UN maritime treaty to undermine its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, sparking new tensions between the two countries. Diana Mondino, Argentina's foreign minister, recently signed a UN sponsored agreement known as the Convention on the Law of the Sea. The treaty aims to regulate fishing in international waters and will be discussed by Argentinian MPs in the coming days. However, some politicians have already expressed their opposition to the treaty, arguing that the UK government is cleverly using the agreement to strengthen its hold on the Falklands.

UK - A record number of migrants crossed the English Channel on Sunday, delivering the highest single-day total since left-wing Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gained office with a vow to end the illicit human trade. Some 703 people arrived in 11 boats in the 24-hour stretch, according to provisional interior ministry figures as seen by AFP, as elsewhere Starmer commits to a crackdown on hurtful words on social media and a Covid-era government spy team monitoring the public for “disinformation” has been brought back. Stopping the small boat arrivals was a key issue in Britain’s general election in July however within days of taking power, Starmer scrapped a scheme to deport migrants to Rwanda.

UK - The latest gender dogma that demands men undergoing X-rays must fill in forms to determine whether they could be pregnant is a lunatic travesty. The policy, which applies to all patients aged 12 to 55, whether female or not, offers absolutely no clinical benefit. Worse, it damages public faith in doctors. It wastes valuable time and resources, and it risks alienating patients so deeply that some will opt not to have treatment. This policy, introduced in the name of diversity and inclusion, is a symptom of the madness that grips not only our health service but all public bodies and many large corporations.

USA - If Kamala Harris, deemed unelectable by her own party just a month ago, were to win the 2024 presidential election, it would represent a grim moment for the USA and an increasingly perilous world. China and Iran are likely licking their lips in anticipation. A Harris victory would not reflect her leadership abilities or policy vision but rather highlight the media’s efforts to obscure her significant failings. The media’s recent campaign to shield Harris from scrutiny, driven by their disdain for Donald Trump, demonstrates a disgraceful commitment to replace her historically unviable image with a fabricated, glowing narrative.

MIDDLE EAST - The leaders of the US, Egypt and Qatar have called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent negotiations to finalise a ceasefire and hostage release deal, saying there were no excuses “from any party for further delay”. The three countries, which have been trying to mediate a deal, said in a joint statement the talks could take place in either Doha or Cairo on 15 August, adding that it was “time to bring immediate relief both to the longsuffering people of Gaza as well as the longsuffering hostages and their families”.