On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization declared Mpox, previously known as Monkeypox, a global health emergency due to a surge in cases across Africa. The announcement came after a meeting of the UN health agency`s emergency committee.  Originally identified over 50 years ago in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mpox virus has been endemic in the region for decades. Recently, a new variant of the clade 1 strain, known as clade 1b, has emerged and is spreading in eastern Congo and neighboring countries that previously had no cases. Swedish authorities reported a case of the clade 1 variant on Thursday, 15th August, marking the first detection of this strain outside Africa. Despite this, they have assessed the public risk as low. Now let us understand what Mpox virus is, the symptoms and how they spread. Watch video

After Maharashtra govt announced Rs 11 crore prize money for the Indian Cricket Team, Maharashtra Assembly LoP Vijay Wadettiwar questioned the government and asked “what was the need” and said that law and order of the state have gone out of control. “... In the last 4 months, 1068 farmers have committed suicide. It would have been good had they given money to the distressed farmers. They gave such a huge sum to the Indian Cricket Team, what was the need?... Team India played for the country and not themselves, this is why the streets were flooded to welcome them... The future of youth is in danger, the farmers are in distress and they are giving away huge sums of money... Maharashtra is already under a debt of Rs 7.92 lakh crores and they are going to spend another Rs 1 lakh crore for the Ladli Bahan Yojana... Law and order of the state have gone out of control... The youth has been put at risk because of drugs... They are busy bringing in money and forming governments...” said Vijay Wadettiwar.