Marine biologists have discovered that sharks off the coast of Brazil are testing positive for cocaine, the BB reported. Thirteen Brazilian sharpnose sharks captured near Rio de Janeiro were found to have high levels of cocaine in their muscles and livers. The concentrations detected were up to 100 times higher than those previously reported in other aquatic creatures.
This groundbreaking research, conducted by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, marks the first instance of cocaine being detected in sharks. Experts suggest that the drug is entering the ocean through illegal drug labs or via excrement from drug users. While there is a possibility that lost or dumped cocaine packages by traffickers contribute to this contamination, researchers consider this scenario less likely.
Sara Novais, a marine eco-toxicologist at the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre of the Polytechnic University of Leiria, described the findings as “very important and potentially worrying.” All the female sharks in the study were pregnant, but the effects of cocaine exposure on their fetuses remain unknown.
Further research is necessary to determine whether cocaine exposure is altering the sharks’ behavior. Previous studies have indicated that drugs can have similar effects on animals as they do on humans.
This discovery follows a similar finding last year when chemical compounds, including benzoylecgonine—a byproduct of cocaine metabolism—were found in seawater samples off the south coast of England.
Belize has expressed its support for the International Court of Justice’s stance on Israel’s policies and practices in Palestinian Territory. The government’s Press Office issued a press release, stating Belize’s support of the I.C.J.’s position in which it ruled that quote, “Israel’s legislation and measures constitute a breach of Article Three of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination” to which Belize is a party,” end quote. According to Article Three, States Parties condemn racial segregation and apartheid and seeks to prevent these practices in territories under their jurisdiction. The release goes on to state that the I.C.J. opinion upholds Belize’s National Assembly resolutions in 2022, which affirm that Israel’s regime of systemic oppression of Palestinians is a regime of settler colonialism and apartheid. Belize takes special interest in the fact that the I.C.J. determined that as a consequence of Israel’s practices, Palestinians have been deprived of their right to self-determination for decades now. The I.C.J. concluded that Israel must end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as quickly as possible and provide full reparation for the damage caused by its wrongful acts that have displaced Palestinians.
While COVID-19 isn’t causing the chaos it did in 2020 and 2021, Mexico has reported over 8,000 cases so far in 2024. In Mexico City, the resurgence of cases has prompted people to wear masks again. According to the federal Health Ministry, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased each week from May 26 to June 29. These figures may still be adjusting upward. However, the recent uptick remains relatively low compared to the peaks seen in 2020 and 2021. In contrast to the data from February 2024, when case numbers peaked above 700, weekly cases ranged between 100 to 200 from May to late June 2024.
According to the Sistema de Vigilancia Epidemiológica de Enfermedad Respiratoria Viral (SISVER), Mexico reported 20,264 confirmed COVID-19 cases in 2023. So far in 2024, there have been 98,370 suspected cases, with 8,075 (8.2%) confirmed as COVID-19 positive. The cumulative positivity rate, based on preliminary laboratory data, stands at 14%.
Weekly positivity rates showed an upward trend at the start of 2024, peaking in epidemiological week 6, then declining until week 13, before gradually increasing again.
The John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health highlights the significance of this metric, noting that it reflects the spread of the infection and the adequacy of testing. “A high percent positive means that more testing should probably be done – and it suggests that it is not a good time to relax restrictions aimed at reducing coronavirus transmission,” reported the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
In a historic decision, Joe Biden stepped down from the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. The unprecedented announcement, delivered less than four months before the election, instantly disrupted a campaign regarded by both political parties as the most consequential in generations. These sudden changes have significant implications for Harris, the Democratic Party, and former President Donald Trump.
The endorsement comes amid turmoil within the Democratic Party, fueled by concerns over Biden’s electability following a widely criticised debate performance. Logistically, Harris is positioned as Biden’s natural successor.
Vice President Kamala Harris has officially declared her intention to seek the Democratic nomination for president. Harris would become the first Black woman and Asian American to lead a major party ticket in US history. Recent polls have shown Harris outperforming both Biden and other Democratic contenders against Trump.
On Friday morning, a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike triggered widespread outages across Microsoft systems, impacting critical sectors globally. Banks, stock exchanges, airlines, hospitals, and various public services were severely disrupted, with over one thousand and three hundred flights grounded in the U.S. alone, major European airports halting landings, and over twenty-five thousand flights delayed across the world, reported CBS News.
In a statement earlier on Friday, Microsoft said, “We remain committed in treating this event with the highest priority and urgency while we continue to address the lingering impact for the Microsoft 365 apps that are in a degraded state.”
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz acknowledged the issue stemmed from an update to its Falcon Sensor software, which caused Microsoft systems to crash, but clarified it was not a cyberattack. The glitch affected systems dependent on Microsoft 365 apps, forcing manual operations at airports and healthcare facilities worldwide.
Efforts to resolve the issue are underway, but the full recovery process is expected to take days. Microsoft and CrowdStrike are working to restore services, but disruptions are expected to persist across global operations. The incident highlights the interconnected nature of global technology and the significant repercussions of software vulnerabilities on everyday business operations.
Former President Donald Trump has stirred controversy by suggesting Taiwan should pay the United States for protection against China, raising doubts about Washington’s commitment to the island if he were to reclaim the White House in November, 2024.
In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Trump demanded that Taiwan, a self-governed island, should finance U.S. protection, evaded answering whether he would defend it against China’s military actions, and accused Taiwan for taking the computer chip business away from the US, “I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100% of our chip business, I think. Taiwan should pay us for defence,” said Trump.
Trump’s comments come amid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, where China has increasingly flexed its military muscle. The U.S. remains Taiwan’s key security partner, selling billions in weapons under legal obligations to bolster its defence capabilities. “They have consistently been one of the biggest buyers of U.S. weapons for its defence,” said McCaul, a Republican, who travelled to Taiwan to affirm the U.S. support for the island, AP reported.
Moreover, President Joe Biden has reiterated his administration’s readiness to defend Taiwan against any Chinese aggression. According to AP, “Last month, the Biden administration approved a $360 million weapons sale to Taiwan, sending the island hundreds of armed drones, missile equipment and related support material. Taiwan pays for the military equipment.”
Responding to Trump’s remarks, Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai reaffirmed the island’s gratitude for U.S. support and commitment to enhancing its self-defence capabilities: “as a member of the international community, Taiwan and the US share a common responsibility for the Indo-Pacific region of the Taiwan Strait, and we are willing to do more to defend ourselves and protect our security,” The Guardian reported.
As the U.S. presidential election approaches, Trump’s statements signal a potential shift in U.S. foreign policy priorities, particularly concerning its stance on China and its strategic engagements in the Asia-Pacific region.
The government of Belize has issued a firm condemnation of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump.
The statement read, “Belize categorically condemns the assassination attempt on former President @realDonaldTrump. We underscore the importance of free and fair elections as a fundamental principle of democracy. This encompasses the protection of the lives of all political candidates.”
President Joe Biden, in a rare Oval Office address, condemned the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and urged Americans to “lower the temperature in our politics.” Biden had previously ordered an independent review of security measures at the rally where Trump survived the shooting.
Trump, who sustained a gunshot wound to the ear, was quickly escorted off stage with visible blood on his face for safety. The assailant and an audience member were fatally wounded, while two injured attendees are now in stable condition, according to law enforcement. Here’s how the assassination attempt unfolded.
The FBI has identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, asserting that Crooks acted alone. The agency continues to investigate his background, including efforts to access his phone.
The Secret Service is now facing scrutiny, with calls for congressional inquiries into its handling of security during the rally.
N|uu, a language that has been around for over 20,000 years, is now at risk of extinction, with only one fluent speaker remaining—Ouma Katrina Esau. As a young girl in South Africa’s Northern Cape, Esau stopped speaking N|uu after being mocked and told it was an “ugly language.” Now, at the age of 90, she is the last known speaker of N|uu, a language nearly eradicated by the impacts of colonialism and apartheid.
N|uu, pronounced with a clicking sound between the ‘N’ and the ‘uu’, is the most endangered language in the world. It originated from the ǂKhomani people of the southern Kalahari, an area on the modern-day borders of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. The language has little written history due to its oral tradition and the violent suppression by the British Empire during the colonization of Africa in the 19th century.
The language went underground as people were beaten and even killed for using it, until the 1990s when Dr. Nigel Crawhall, a sociolinguist, and the United Nations initiated efforts to revive it. Initially, 25 people claimed fluency in N|uu, but by December 2021, only Esau remained.
Dr. Kerry Jones, a linguist and director of African Tongue, a professional linguistic consultancy working with contemporary speakers of endangered languages in southern Africa, highlighted the historical significance of the language. She explained that the 1990s marked a turning point when people began to feel safe to come forward and reveal their true identities and languages.
Esau recalled the challenges of her youth, stating, “We became ashamed when we were young girls, and we stopped speaking the language.” Instead, she spoke Afrikaans, the language promoted by South Africa’s white minority rulers.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as part of the United Nations Emergency Technical Teams (UNETT), is deployed in the areas affected by Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean to advance rapid needs assessment and preparation of proposals, under the leadership of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), to restore production and livelihoods.
FAO is supporting through damage and needs assessment using drones and satellite remote sensing. This information includes ground-level data collection through surveys and key informant interviews. All of this will guide response and recovery planning. Through the Ministries of Agriculture and CDEMA, governments continue to assess the full extent of damage caused.
According to the assessments carried out so far, the primary humanitarian needs for the food security sector are focused on restoring the fishing capacity of artisanal fishermen and actors involved in the value chain, including processing, conservation, and transformation equipment and infrastructure; providing planting materials to recover affected crops as well as inputs for short-cycle crops that serve as an alternative source of food and income; cash transfers and other mechanisms so that the most vulnerable fishermen and farmers can access basic needs; and food assistance for the affected population.
Preliminary indications are that approximately 60,000 people require humanitarian assistance in Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines. Loss of fishing capacity, including damage to vessels, support infrastructure, and fishing equipment, and damage to crops and livestock, have been reported.
Agriculture in Jamaica has also suffered damage, with preliminary assessments indicating that several crops have been affected. Access to rural areas remains a challenge, and authorities estimate over US$6.4 million in damage to the agricultural sector, raising concerns about food security and livelihoods. Damaged crops include vegetables and fruits, which are sources of food on the island. In addition, the livestock and fisheries sectors have also experienced considerable damage.
FAO immediately mobilized technical assistance through its Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA) to support its coordination and response capacities in the affected countries. This includes the recruitment and rapid deployment of staff, field missions, logistics, partnerships, resource mobilization, and technical assistance activities.
Mario Lubetkin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, said: “We at FAO express our commitment to the Caribbean countries and reiterate our support for mobilizing international cooperation for the response and the recovery of agricultural, livestock, and fisheries production in the affected countries.”
In addition, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), FAO is working on a response plan that includes the needs identified, highlighting the needs of producers and fishermen. This approach seeks to mobilize international attention on the need to support rapid response in a region where the hurricane season is expected to be very intense.
To date, the Ministries of Agriculture of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada have officially requested FAO to support the recovery of their food production systems through emergency agricultural interventions critical to safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable. Requests for assistance include the distribution of seeds, fertilizers, fishing inputs, repair of boats and critical processing, preservation and transformation infrastructure, and support for subsistence livestock farming, among others.
Guyana’s National Assembly recently passed the Criminal Law Procedure (Paper Committals) Bill 2024, marking a significant change in the country’s legal system by eliminating lengthy preliminary inquiries (PI). The bill, presented by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, aims to replace traditional oral preliminary inquiries with paper committals. This shift is expected to streamline judicial processes, reduce case backlogs, and alleviate the burden on the prison system.
Under the new legislation, instead of conducting oral hearings with witnesses present, paper committals will involve a review of written evidence and arguments submitted by both the prosecution and defense. This method, already in use in other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, promises efficiency and expediency, addressing issues of prolonged remand periods and ensuring fair trials within reasonable time frames.
