Thailand confirmed on Thursday that the country has its first case of the new, more dangerous strain of mpox, and Argentina has quarantined a cargo ship in the Parana River over a suspected case onboard.
The news comes as global public health authorities raise the alarm about the fast-spreading variant of the virus, which has already surged in central and eastern Africa. So far in 2024, those regions have recorded over 17,000 infections, and while cases are usually mild, more than 500 people have died.
Mpox is a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms. It is typically transmitted through intimate physical contact, face-to-face breathing, infected skin lesions, or contaminated objects.
Why is this strain different? The new clade 1b strain has caused concern because it seems to spread more easily through routine close contact, and it is affecting women and children in larger numbers. It is fatal in about 3.6% of cases, especially for children.
Although the World Health Organization has issued a global public health emergency warning, it insists this “is not the new COVID,” and that the spread can be controlled through public health efforts — like enhanced surveillance and tracing, as well as isolating those infected — while the new strain is studied.
1,170: The number of high-rise buildings in Kyiv that were left without heating following a barrage of Russian attacks last night on Ukraine’s capital and its energy facilities, per Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hold up signed documents regarding securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths, at a bilateral meeting at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan, October 28, 2025.
Representatives from the European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, and others will meet in Washington this week to discuss a strategic alliance on critical minerals.
80,000: The number of people estimated to be in the streets of Czechia on Sunday to show their support for President Petr Pavel after he blocked the nomination of an environmental minister who performed the Nazi salute and posted Nazi memorabilia.
The US has started handing $1,000 to the bank accounts of newborn babies. But can policies like this one help boost sagging birthrates in advanced democracies?