New study confirms mammal-to-mammal avian flu spread

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

ITHACA, N.Y. – A new Cornell University study provides evidence that a spillover of avian influenza from birds to dairy cattle across several U.S. states has now led to mammal-to-mammal transmission – between cows and from cows to cats and a raccoon.

“This is one of the first times that we are seeing evidence of efficient and sustained mammalian-to-mammalian transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1,” said Diego Diel, associate professor of virology and director of the Virology Laboratory at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Diel is co-corresponding author of the study, “Spillover of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus to Dairy Cattle” published in Nature.

Whole genome sequencing of the virus did not reveal any mutations in the virus that would lead to enhanced transmissibility of H5N1 in humans, although the data clearly shows mammal-to-mammal transmission, which is concerning as the virus may adapt in mammals, Diel said.

So far, 11 human cases have been reported in the U.S., with the first dating back to April 2022, each with mild symptoms: four were linked to cattle farms and seven have been linked to poultry farms, including an outbreak of four cases reported in the last few weeks in Colorado. These recent patients fell ill with the same strain identified in the study as circulating in dairy cows, leading the researchers to suspect that the virus likely originated from dairy farms in the same county.

While the virus does have the ability to infect and replicate in people, the efficiency of those infections is low. “The concern is that potential mutations could arise that could lead adaptation to mammals, spillover into humans and potential efficient transmission in humans in the future,” Diel said.

It is therefore critical to continue to monitor the virus in affected animals and also in any potential infected humans, Diel said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has funded programs for H5N1 testing, at no cost to producers. Early testing, enhanced biosecurity and quarantines in the event of positive results, would be necessary to contain any further spread of the virus, according to Diel.

Infections from H5N1 were first detected in January 2022, and have resulted in the deaths of more than 100 million domestic birds and thousands of wild birds in the U.S. The Cornell AHDC's and Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory scientists were among the first to report detection of the virus to dairy cattle herds. The cows were likely infected by wild birds, leading to symptoms of reduced appetite, changes in fecal matter consistency, respiratory distress and abnormal milk with pronounced decrease in milk production.

The study shows a high tropism of the virus (capability to infect particular cells) for the mammary gland and high infectious viral loads shed in milk from affected animals.

Using whole genome sequencing of characterized viral strains, modeling and epidemiological information, the researchers’ determined cases of cow to cow transmission when infected cows from Texas were moved to a farm with healthy cows in Ohio. Sequencing also showed that the virus was transmitted to cats, a raccoon and wild birds that were found dead on affected farms. The cats and raccoon most likely became ill from drinking raw milk from infected cows. Though it isn’t known how the wild birds became infected, the researchers suspect it may have resulted from environmental contamination or aerosols kicked up during milking or cleaning of the milking parlors.

Kiril Dimitrov, assistant agency director for microbiology and research and development at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, is also a co-corresponding author.

Co-first authors include Leonardo Caserta, assistant research professor and interim associate director of the Virology Laboratory at AHDC, and Elisha Frye, DVM ‘10, assistant professor of practice, both in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences; and Salman Butt, a postdoctoral researcher in Diel’s lab. Cornell co-authors include Melissa Laverack, Mohammed Nooruzzaman, Lina Covaleda, Brittany Cronk, Gavin Hitchener, John Beeby, Manigandan Lejeune and Francois Elvinger.

The study was funded by the AHDC, the Ohio Animal Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory and the USDA.

-30-

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JOURNAL

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-024-07849-4 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Spillover of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus to Dairy Cattle

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Jul-2024

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed progress towards health-related Sustainable Development Goals and increased inequalities

Study analyzed 7 major health themes across 185 countries before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

PLOS

 

IMAGE: 

MEAN CUMULATIVE LOSSES BY 2030 IN ALL HEALTH-RELATED INDICATORS: COUNTRIES.

view more 

CREDIT: SILVEIRA ET AL., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY/4.0/)

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly widened existing economic and health disparities between wealthy and low-income countries and slowed progress toward health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a new study published July 24, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Wanessa Miranda of Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and colleagues.

The global SDGs were established in 2015 as a wide and integrated agenda with themes ranging from eradicating poverty and promoting well-being to addressing socioeconomic inequalities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is known to have delivered a devastating blow to global health, with large economic repercussions.

The new study investigated the potential impact of these economic disruptions on progress toward health-related SDGs. The research team used data from the official United Nations SDG database and analyzed the associations between well-being, income levels, and other key socioeconomic health determinants. A yearly model was extrapolated to predict trends between 2020 and 2030 using a baseline projection as well as a post-COVID-19 scenario.

The study estimated average economic growth losses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as 42% and 28% for low and lower middle-income countries and 15% and 7% in high- and upper middle-income countries. These economic disparities are projected to drive global health inequalities in the themes of infectious disease, injuries and violence, maternal and reproductive health, health systems coverage and neonatal and infant health. Overall, low-income countries can expect an average progress loss of 16.5% across all health indicators, whereas high-income countries can expect losses as low as 3%. Individual countries, such as Turkmenistan and Myanmar, have estimated a loss of progress which is as much as nine times worse than the average loss of 8%. The most significant losses are seen in Africa, the Middle East, Southern Asia, and Latin America.

The authors conclude that the impact of the pandemic has been highly uneven across global economies and led to heightened inequalities globally, particularly impacting the health-related targets of the 2030 SDG Agenda. 

The authors add: “The COVID-19 pandemic significantly widened existing economic and health disparities between wealthy and low-income countries and slowed progress toward health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Overall, low-income countries can expect an average progress loss of 16.5% across all health indicators, whereas high-income countries can expect losses as low as 3%.”

#####

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0305955

Citation: Silveira F, Miranda W, Sousa RPd (2024) Post-COVID-19 health inequalities: Estimates of the potential loss in the evolution of the health-related SDGs indicators. PLoS ONE 19(7): e0305955. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305955

Author Countries: Brazil

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

---

JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0305955 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Post-COVID-19 health inequalities: Estimates of the potential loss in the evolution of the health-related SDGs indicators

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

24-Jul-2024

Even people who harbor positive sentiments toward immigrants imagine immigrants' faces as less trustworthy and less competent than US citizens' faces

PLOS

 

IMAGE: 

DEPICTION OF THE TRIAL SEQUENCE IN THE STEREOTYPE MISPERCEPTION TASK.

view more 

CREDIT: HUTCHINGS ET AL., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY/4.0/)

Even people who harbor positive sentiments toward immigrants imagine immigrants' faces as less trustworthy and less competent than US citizens' faces

###

Article URL:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306872

Article Title: Intergroup evaluative bias in facial representations of immigrants and citizens in the United States

Author Countries: USA

Funding: This work was facilitated by the National Science Foundation Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, grant #1764097 awarded to ART and grant #2215236 awarded to JWS. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

---

JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0306872 

ARTICLE TITLE

Intergroup evaluative bias in facial representations of immigrants and citizens in the United States

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

24-Jul-2024

COI STATEMENT

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla says she’s barred from the Olympic opening ceremony due to her hijab

ISLAMOPHOBIA AS SECULARISM SANS PLURALISM


The Eiffel Tower is seen behind a Paris Olympics canvas, from the Trocadero plaza Thursday, July 18, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

BY TOM NOUVIAN
 July 24, 2024

PARIS (AP) — French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla says she has been barred from Friday’s opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics because she wears a hijab, and the French Olympic Committee said it is working with her to find a solution that adheres to the team’s secular requirements for athletes.

Sylla, a 26-year-old member of France’s 400-meter women’s and mixed relay teams, shared her frustration on Instagram on Sunday.

“You are selected for the Olympics, organized in your country, but you can’t participate in the opening ceremony because you wear a headscarf,” she wrote.

France enforces a strict principle of “ laïcité ”, loosely translated as “secularism.” On Wednesday, David Lappartient, president of the French Olympic Committee, said that French Olympians are bound by the secular principles that apply to public sector workers in France, separating state and church, which includes a ban on hijabs.

“It’s perhaps sometimes not understandable in other countries in the world, but it’s part of our DNA here in France,” he said.

Lappartient said discussions are underway with Sylla to find a solution that adheres to the French Olympic team’s secular requirements while also respecting the athlete’s “legitimate wish that her beliefs are respected.”


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“I have no doubt that a solution can be found,” he said. “We hope that everyone can take part in the opening ceremony.”

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Follow all of AP’s coverage of the Summer Games.

Sylla’s post has prompted support from fellow athletes, including members of the French Olympic team, who voiced their indignation. Pole vaulter Marie-Julie Bonnin commented “I can’t believe it” on Sylla’s post, and relay teammate Muhammad Abdallah Kounta added “liberty, equality, fraternity they say. Please share this. This is not normal.”

Sylla has competed with a black headscarf in several previous events, including the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, as well as the World Relays in May 2024.

During Friday’s opening ceremony, the French delegation will wear tailor-made uniforms from the French luxury brand Berluti, owned by the LVMH group.

French Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said LVMH is involved in the effort to be “inventive with solutions so that everyone feels comfortable.”

Sylla’s hijab first arose as a concern before the European Championships in Rome earlier this year. The solution was a blue cap incorporated into the team kit that Oudéa-Castéra said “respected our principles.” The cap had a sewn-on strip of fabric that Sylla wore to cover her hair. It’s unclear if Sylla will wear a similar hair piece to compete in Paris.

“We want to follow the same logic. That’s why we’re progressing in discussions with LVMH and Berluti. I am confident,” Oudéa-Castéra said.
___

Associated Press writer John Leicester contributed to this story.
___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

WHITE SUPREMACIST AMERIKA
Missouri prison ignores court order to free wrongfully convicted inmate for second time in weeks


 Christopher Dunn, right, listens to his attorney Justin Bonus from New York City during the first day of his hearing to decide whether to vacate his murder conviction, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at the Carnahan Courthouse in St. Louis. A Missouri judge on Monday, July 24, 2024, overturned the conviction of Dunn, who has spent more than 30 years in prison for a killing he has long contended he didn’t commit. (Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, Pool, File)

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore, left, speaks at a news conference on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in St. Louis, after a judge overturned the murder conviction of Christopher Dunn. At right is Dunn’s wife, Kira. (AP Photo/Jim Salter)

BY JIM SALTER
Updated 2:37 PM MDT, July 23, 2024Share

ST. LOUIS (AP) — For the second time in weeks, a Missouri prison has ignored a court order to release an inmate whose murder conviction was overturned. Just as in the case of Sandra Hemme, actions by the state’s attorney general are keeping Christopher Dunn locked up.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser on Monday tossed out Dunn’s conviction for a 1990 killing. Dunn, 52, has spent 33 years behind bars, and he remained Tuesday at the state prison in Licking. “The State of Missouri shall immediately discharge Christopher Dunn from its custody,” Sengheiser’s ruling states.

Dunn wasn’t released after his conviction was overturned because Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey appealed the judge’s ruling, “and we’re awaiting the outcome of that legal action,” Missouri Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said in an email Tuesday.

The decision to keep Dunn incarcerated puzzled St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore, whose office investigated his case and determined he was wrongfully convicted, prompting a May hearing before Sengheiser.

“In our view, the judge’s order was very clear, ordering his immediate release,” Gore said at a news conference Tuesday. “Based on that, we are considering what approach and what legal options we have to obtain Mr. Dunn’s relief.” He declined to specify what legal options were under consideration.


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Bailey’s office didn’t respond to Tuesday messages seeking comment

Dunn’s situation is similar to what happened to Hemme, 64, who spent 43 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of a woman in St. Joseph in 1980. A judge on June 14 cited evidence of “actual innocence” and overturned her conviction. She had been the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the U.S., according to the Midwest Innocence Project, which worked to free Hemme and Dunn.

But appeals by Bailey — all the way up to the Missouri Supreme Court — kept Hemme imprisoned at the Chillicothe Correctional Center. During a court hearing Friday, Judge Ryan Horsman said that if Hemme wasn’t released within hours, Bailey himself would have to appear in court with contempt of court on the table. She was released later that 

The judge also scolded Bailey’s office for calling the Chillicothe warden and telling prison officials not to release Hemme after he ordered her to be freed on her own recognizance. It wasn’t clear if the attorney general’s office similarly called prison officials at the prison where Dunn is housed.

Dunn’s wife, Kira, said they would hold off really celebrating until he’s out of prison.

“We are overjoyed, and at the same time, we’re also afraid to really exhale until Chris actually takes his first free steps and feels the free ground against his feet,” Kira Dunn said at the news conference. “When that happens, I think all these feelings we’ve been holding onto for so long will finally erupt.”

Dunn was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1990 shooting of 15-year-old Ricco Rogers. Gore filed a motion in February seeking to vacate the guilty verdict.

After weighing the case for nearly two months, Sengheiser issued a ruling that cited “a clear and convincing showing of ‘actual innocence’ that undermines the basis for Dunn’s convictions because in light of new evidence, no juror, acting reasonably, would have voted to find Dunn guilty of these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Lawyers for Bailey’s office said at the hearing that initial testimony from two boys at the scene who identified Dunn as the shooter was correct, even though they recanted as adults.

A Missouri law adopted in 2021 lets prosecutors request hearings when they see evidence of a wrongful conviction. Although Bailey’s office is not required to oppose such efforts, he also did so at a hearing for Lamar Johnson, who spent 28 years in prison for murder. Another St. Louis judge ruled in February 2023 that Johnson was wrongfully convicted, and he was freed.

Another hearing begins Aug. 21 for death row inmate Marcellus Williams. Bailey’s office is opposing the challenge to Williams’ conviction, too


The hearing comes with urgency. Williams is scheduled to be executed Sept. 24.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell filed a motion in January to vacate the conviction of Williams for the fatal stabbing of Lisha Gayle in 1998. Bell’s motion said three experts determined that Williams’ DNA was not on the handle of the butcher knife used in the killing.

Williams narrowly escaped execution before. In 2017, then-Gov. Eric Greitens granted a stay and appointed a board of inquiry to examine innocence claim. The board never issued a ruling, and Gov. Mike Parson, like Greitens a Republican, dissolved it last year.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled in June that Parson had the authority to dissolve the board and set the September execution date.

Steve Bannon's 'We Build the Wall' fundraising trial set for December

HOPING FOR A TRUMP VICTORY


Steve Bannon, former White House adviser to former President Donald Trump, will stand trial on Dec. 9, for allegedly defrauding donors in the 2018 crowdfunding campaign called "We Build the Wall." Bannon is currently serving a four-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo

July 23 (UPI) -- Former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon will stand trial in December for allegedly defrauding donors in the 2018 online crowdfunding campaign called "We Build the Wall" to erect a permanent boundary along the U.S. southern border.

Bannon, 70, who is currently serving a four-month federal prison sentence in Danbury, Conn., for contempt of Congress and is scheduled to be released in October, did not attend Tuesday's hearing.

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge April Newbauer announced the trial will begin Dec. 9, after Bannon's attorneys asked the judge to push back the trial date so he could prep once he is released from federal prison.

Bannon, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy and scheming to defraud investors, asked the court in January to dismiss the case. Newbauer said she would rule on that request at the end of next month.

Related

Steve Bannon reports to federal prison for contempt of Congress

Bannon launched the "We Build the Wall" campaign, which pulled from a central theme of former President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential run, to bring in more than $25 million in donations.

According to prosecutors, Bannon defrauded donors by promising that none of the money would go to the nonprofit's president, Brian Kolfage.

Bannon is accused of laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars through third-party entities and funneling it to Kolfage, who financial records show received $100,000 plus monthly payments of approximately $20,000.

Kolfage, who lost his legs and right hand in a 2004 rocket attack in Iraq, is serving a 51-month prison sentence for his role in the fundraiser.

If convicted, Bannon could face a maximum of five to 15 years in prison.

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

U.S. recovers cash, artwork in $85M 1MDB civil forfeiture

By Mike Heuer


The superyacht Equanimity arrives at Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia, on Aug. 7, 2018, and is among many assets seized from suspected 1MDB embezzler Low Taek Jho in recent years. Photo by Ahmad Yusni/EPA-EFE

July 23 (UPI) -- The Department of Justice recovered nearly $85 million in cash and artwork allegedly paid for with money embezzled from 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

Federal prosecutors also recovered diamond jewelry and artwork by Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Diane Arbus and Jean-Michel Basquiat, it announced Tuesday.

The works of art and jewelry were allegedly possessed by Low Taek Jho, who also goes by Jho Low, and his co-conspirators after embezzling billions from 1MDB, which is Malaysia's sovereign investment fund.

Low and his co-conspirators are accused of embezzling more than $4.5 billion from 1MDB from 2009 through 2015.

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1MDB former general counsel "Jasmine" Loo Ai Swan agreed to help the Department of Justice recover artwork by Picasso and money from a Swiss bank account.

The Department of Justice also obtained civil forfeiture orders on assets allegedly obtained by Low using embezzled funds, including the aforementioned diamond jewelry and works of art.

Instead of using 1MDB funds for their intended purpose of promoting economic development in Malaysia through direct foreign investment and global partnerships, the Department of Justice says Low and Loo conspired to embezzle the money.

Instead of improving the well-being of Malaysian people, the Department of Justice alleged the pair and others conspired to engage in international bribery and money laundering to promote their own well-being at the expense of the Malaysian people.

Loo agreed to surrender a Picasso work of art and $1.8 million in cash. The agreement still leaves Loo liable for potential criminal charges.

Low also agreed to forfeit the many works of art he allegedly bought using embezzled funds from 1MDB.

In June, he agreed to a $100 million asset forfeiture.

The combined assets forfeited by Loo and Low amount to about $85 million.

The asset forfeiture was done through the U.S. District Court for Central California.

The Department of Justice previously secured a combined total of about $1.4 billion in assets and returned them to Malaysia.

The assets were associated with the international embezzlement, money laundering and bribery scheme in which Loo, Low and others allegedly participated.

Low also is charged with conspiracy to launder billions embezzled from 1MDB and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by allegedly bribing Malaysian and Emirati officials.

He also is accused of concealing foreign campaign contributions made during the 2012 presidential election in the United States.

The additional criminal charges against Low are filed in the U.S. District Court of Eastern New York.

More Americans with diabetes are using marijuana

By Ernie Mundell, HealthDay News


Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News

As marijuana loses much of its stigma and laws around its use relax, Americans are increasingly consuming it medically and recreationally.

Americans with diabetes are no exception, a new study finds.

The number of adults with diabetes who said that they'd used cannabis at least once over the past month jumped by a third between 2021 and 2022, the new report found.

This surge in use means that "clinicians must discuss with their patients with diabetes the potential harms of cannabis use on diabetes-related outcomes," even as the merits of marijuana for diabetes care remain unclear, wrote a team from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

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The findings were published Monday in the journal Diabetes Care.

The new study was led by Dr. Benjamin Han, associate chief of research in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care at UCSD.

His team looked at federal data from the 2021-2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

During that time, about 9% of adults with diabetes said they'd used cannabis at least once over the prior month, and the rate rose from 7.7% in 2021 to 10.3% in 2022, a 33.7% rise.

Users tended to be younger: "Nearly half [48.9%] of the people with diabetes who used cannabis were under age 50," the team noted.

Use was nearly three times more likely if people lived in a state where marijuana was legal, and a history of major depression also increased the odds that a person with diabetes would use the drug.

Use of illicit drugs or heavy alcohol use also heightened the odds that a person with diabetes might use cannabis, Han's team found.

That could prove to be a toxic mix for people battling diabetes, the researchers warned.

"In addition to cannabis, use of some substances, including tobacco and excess alcohol use, are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease and could impact glucose metabolism," they explained. "Additionally, cannabis may complicate diabetes management, adversely affecting glycemic control and self-management behaviors."

All of this means that doctors need to ask patients with diabetes about their use of marijuana and other substances.

"Our results emphasize the importance of comprehensive substance use screenings in diabetes care, with a specific focus on cannabis," Han and his colleagues wrote.

More information

Find out more about the care of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes at the American Diabetes Association.

Meta removes 63,000 Nigerian Instagram accounts in sextortion crackdown


Meta said Wednesday it has removed around 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria attempting to target people in financial sextortion scams. Meta also took down 1,300 Facebook accounts including 5,700 Facebook Groups and 200 Facebook pages based in Nigeria. File photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo


July 24 (UPI) -- Meta said Wednesday it removed tens of thousands accounts based in Nigeria in a crackdown on sextortion schemes stemming from the country.

The company said it took down 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria, including a smaller coordinated network of roughly 2,500 accounts linked to 20 people.

"Financial sextortion is a horrific crime that can have devastating consequences. Our teams have deep experience in fighting this crime and work closely with experts to recognize the tactics scammers use, understand how they evolve and develop effective ways to help stop them," Meta said.

Meta also removed Facebook accounts, Pages and Groups it said were run by Yahoo Boys, a loosely organized group of cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria. Those accounts are banned under Meta's Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy.

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According to Meta those accounts were trying to "organize, recruit and train new scammers."

The removed Nigerian Instagram accounts targeted primarily adult men in the United States. Those accounts were identified using new technical signals Meta has developed to spot accounts engaging in sextortion.

Meta also removed approximately 7,200 Facebook assets, including 1,300 accounts, 200 Facebook pages and 5,700 Facebook Groups based in Nigeria that were allegedly providing tips for how to conduct sextortion scams.

"While these investigations and disruptions are critical, they're just one part of our approach," Meta's statement said. "We continue to support law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting these crimes, including by responding to valid legal requests for information and by alerting them when we become aware of someone at risk of imminent harm, in accordance with our terms of service and applicable law."

In April, two people in Nigeria were arrested and charged in the sexual extortion case of an Australian teen who died by suicide.

The boy took his own life after threats that intimate pictures he shared online with someone he thought was a female would be sent to family and friends.

The term sextortion refers to the act of getting victims to create and send sexually explicit material, then demanding money for not releasing that material.

Also in April, Meta tested new features to fight sextortion by automatically blurring nude images in Instagram by default on accounts for users younger than 18.

Meta said then that it had spent years working closely with experts to understand how scammers use sextortion to find and extort victims online.

North Korea dismisses Trump's claims of friendship with leader Kim Jong Un

By Thomas Maresca


North Korean state media said Tuesday that the relationship between former U.S. President Donald Trump and leader Kim Jong Un led to no "substantial positive change." Trump and Kim met briefly in June 2019 at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. File White House Photo by Shealah Craighead/UPI | License Photo



SEOUL, July 23 (UPI) -- North Korean state media commented on the U.S. presidential race on Tuesday, dismissing the likelihood of dialogue no matter which candidate wins and saying that former President Donald Trump's high-profile relationship with leader Kim Jong Un did not bring about "substantial positive change."

"The [U.S.] political climate, which is confused by the infighting of the two parties, does not change and, accordingly, we do not care about this," an unsigned column in state-run Korean Central News Agency said.

The column referenced comments Trump made about his relationship with Kim in his nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last week, saying they represented a "lingering desire" for improved U.S.-North Korean relations.

"I got along very well [with] Kim Jong Un," Trump said during his remarks Friday. "It's nice to get along with someone who has a lot of nuclear weapons or otherwise."

"We stopped the missile launches from North Korea," Trump added. "Now, North Korea is acting up again. But when we get back, I get along with him. He'd like to see me back too. I think he misses me, if you want to know the truth."

Trump and Kim held summits in Singapore in 2018 and Hanoi, Vietnam in 2019 but failed to secure a nuclear deal. Trump later boasted that Kim wrote him "beautiful letters" and said the two "fell in love."

"It is true that Trump, when he was president, tried to reflect the special personal relations between the heads of states in the relations between states, but he did not bring about any substantial positive change," the KCNA commentary said.

Trump's former national security adviser H.R. McMaster said Monday that he believed Kim would try to resurrect their "bromance" if the former president were to return to the White House.

"I think if Donald Trump is elected president, what you're going to see right away is Kim Jong Un trying to rekindle their bromance," McMaster said during an online event hosted by the Washington-based Hudson Institute.

McMaster speculated North Korea would offer to limit its nuclear program and end its long-range ballistic missile program in exchange for U.S. forces leaving the Korean Peninsula.

"He's going to hope to get something like an Iran nuclear deal -- a terrible deal for the United States," McMaster said. "He won't get that from a Trump administration, but he's posturing himself for that."

Under the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, Washington has repeatedly offered to meet with North Korea without preconditions, but Pyongyang has shown no interest in returning to the negotiating table as it continues to develop its nuclear and missile programs.

The KCNA column said that such "sinister" offers of dialogue from the United States are prompted by an "ulterior intention" to weaken the North Korean regime.

"Through the decades-long relations with the U.S., the DPRK has keenly and fully felt what the dialogue brought to it and what it lost," the column said. "The fair international community has already come to a conclusion that the U.S. is a perfidious country which does not fulfill its promises."

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

"The U.S. had better make a proper choice in the matter of how to deal with the DPRK in the future, while sincerely agonizing the gains and losses in the DPRK-U.S. confrontation," the column added.