Trump makes hardliner Stephen Miller his chief of staff after midterm defeat

MOSCOW: Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with allegedly facilitating terrorist activities and issued an international arrest warrant for him. The FSB announced the charges on Wednesday. It accused Telegram of failing to remove content that was allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence-linked groups and terrorist and extremist organisations. According to the Russian security agency, the material was allegedly used to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage, terrorism, mass killings and cyber-fraud operations inside Russia. The allegations have not been independently established, and Durov has not publicly responded to the charges. Soon after the announcement, Telegram’s official account on X posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture. The post did not include an explanation or detailed response to the Russian allegations. Telegram is an encrypted messaging platform founded by Durov in 2013. The service has grown into one of the world’s largest messaging applications, with more than one billion users. The platform is widely used in both Russia and Ukraine and has played a significant role in communication during the Russia-Ukraine war. Russian authorities have repeatedly sought to restrict Telegram’s operations. The government has also promoted its own state-backed messaging service, MAX. Despite previous attempts to limit Telegram, Russian state institutions continue to use the platform. The Kremlin and the Russian Defence Ministry remain active on Telegram and regularly publish official updates. Durov was born in Russia but now holds French and Emirati citizenship. Before creating Telegram, he founded VKontakte, a major Russian social networking platform often described as the country’s equivalent of Facebook. He sold his remaining stake in VKontakte in 2014 after facing increasing pressure from Russian authorities. The latest Russian case comes as Durov is also facing legal scrutiny in France. French authorities are investigating allegations that Telegram failed to adequately tackle criminal activity on its platform and did not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement agencies. Durov has denied wrongdoing in the French case. Russia’s latest move was preceded by reports earlier this year that Durov was already being investigated in connection with a terrorism-related case. In April, Durov said on Telegram that a summons addressed to “Suspect P.V. Durov” had been delivered to an apartment in Russia where he had lived about two decades ago. He responded sarcastically at the time, suggesting that the authorities could be targeting him for defending constitutional protections related to freedom of speech and private correspondence. Durov’s current location was not immediately confirmed. A post on his Telegram channel in May indicated that he was in Dubai. On July 23, he said he had been impressed by Georgia and hoped to return there soon.

The Ugandan government has initiated a large-scale emergency relief operation across the eastern Karamoja region following at least nineteen hunger-related deaths caused by prolonged drought and devastating crop failures. With approximately 1.5 million residents confronting acute food shortages and rising rates of malnutrition, parliament approved a emergency funding allocation of forty-five billion Ugandan shillings to procure and distribute over nine thousand tonnes of food aid over the coming two months. Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Sam Engola personally launched the distribution efforts in Kaabong district, assuring local communities that the state would oversee the delivery to ensure no starving household is left behind. The current environmental crisis marks the most severe dry spell to strike Karamoja in recent years, with the crucial rains failing completely since the start of the planting season in April. Health facilities across the region report a surge in children suffering from severe malnutrition, forcing desperate residents to seek low-paying, grueling work in informal gold-mining operations simply to purchase basic staples like maize and beans. The disaster comes amidst significant international aid reductions, particularly following severe budget cuts from donors such as USAID, which forced organisations like the World Food Programme to scale back assistance to over one million refugees in the country. In response, Ugandan officials and civil rights advocates emphasise that while emergency food distribution provides immediate life-saving relief, the government must prioritise long-term climate resilience, drought-resistant crops, and proper water infrastructure to permanently prevent recurring starvation in the region.

More than 100,000 people in England have received potentially life-saving treatment for hepatitis C in the past decade, as the NHS steps up efforts to eliminate the virus as a public health threat by 2030. New NHS figures show that more than 100,000 people have been diagnosed and treated since pioneering antiviral medicines were introduced in 2015, putting England among a handful of countries that have already exceeded the World Health Organisation benchmark of treating 80% of known hepatitis C cases. (NHS England) Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can damage the liver and, if left untreated, can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening conditions including cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. The infection can remain undetected for years because many people experience no noticeable symptoms until significant liver damage has already occurred. However, modern treatment has transformed the disease. A free course of antiviral tablets lasting between eight and 12 weeks can cure more than 95% of cases. The NHS says effective treatment could reduce the number of people requiring liver transplants by 80% over the next decade, while also reducing cases of liver cancer and cirrhosis. Deaths from hepatitis C have already fallen by 36% over the past ten years. (NHS England) NHS urges people at risk to get tested The latest figures have prompted the NHS to urge people who may be at greater risk of having undiagnosed hepatitis C to order a free and confidential home-testing kit. Those particularly encouraged to test include people who have moved to England from certain Eastern European countries, anyone who has had a tattoo abroad, and people who currently use or have previously used injectable drugs. Adults born in Ukraine, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia and Slovakia are also being urged to test. The NHS says some people from these countries may have been exposed to the virus through medical or dental procedures before 1991, when modern sterilisation standards were introduced. The free home-testing service is designed to reach people who may not otherwise come into contact with drug and alcohol services, sexual health services, GPs or A&E departments. Thousands of hidden cases identified The NHS has significantly expanded hepatitis C testing over the past five years. A first-of-its-kind programme offering hepatitis C testing to patients having blood tests in participating A&E departments has identified around 1,900 previously undiagnosed cases since 2022. GP practices are also asking new patients whether they received a blood transfusion before 1996, helping identify people who may have been infected through the contaminated blood scandal. The treatment programme was made possible on a large scale following a landmark 2019 agreement between the NHS and pharmaceutical companies Gilead Sciences, MSD and AbbVie, which enabled access to modern curative treatments. (NHS England) ‘Determined to finish the job’ Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, said hepatitis C could cause serious harm including liver failure and cancer, while many people could remain unaware they have the virus. He said treating more than 100,000 people in a decade was a major achievement but stressed that the NHS would continue looking for people with undiagnosed infections. “England is now leading the world in the mission to eliminate this disease and on course to beat the WHO’s 2030 target,” Professor Swords said. He added that the NHS was “determined to keep up the momentum and finish the job”. “With hepatitis C curable in more than nine out of ten cases, we are committed to finding and treating everyone who needs support,” he said. (NHS England). Patient urges others to take the test Among those treated is 65-year-old Paul Eatwell from Blackburn, Lancashire, who discovered he had hepatitis C after routine liver-function tests following a change of GP. His new doctor ordered additional tests, including screening for hepatitis C. Paul said he initially could not believe the result because he had no symptoms and could not understand how he might have contracted the virus. The precise source of his infection was never established, although possible risk factors included surgery in South Africa several decades ago. He said the specialist team helped answer his questions and reassured him about the condition. Paul said treatment was far less difficult than he had imagined, involving one tablet a day for 12 weeks and several blood tests. He urged anyone who believes they may have been exposed to hepatitis C to get tested, saying that knowing their status could provide peace of mind. ‘Leading the world’ Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said the progress demonstrated the impact of NHS treatment and prevention programmes. She said hepatitis C was now curable in the vast majority of cases and described the UK’s progress as part of efforts to “wipe out this disease for good”. “This is exactly the kind of preventative, forward-looking healthcare that we want the NHS to deliver across the board – catching illness earlier, easing pressure on hospitals, and giving people the chance to live longer, healthier lives,” Cooper said. (NHS England. Dr Sema Mandal, deputy director of Blood Safety, Hepatitis, STIs and HIV at the UK Health Security Agency, said the sharp fall in cases since 2015 demonstrated the impact of expanded testing and access to modern treatments. She said treating more than 100,000 people in ten years had brought England closer than ever to eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat. The Hepatitis C Trust also called for continued long-term investment to maintain the progress made by the national programme, particularly among marginalised communities that can face barriers to healthcare. Rachel Halford, chief executive of The Hepatitis C Trust, said continued funding would be essential to ensure people at greatest risk were not left behind. Hepatitis B remains a challenge While England’s progress against hepatitis C is described as world-leading, health authorities stress that elimination of viral hepatitis as a whole also includes hepatitis B. Further work is therefore required to improve diagnosis and access to treatment for people living with hepatitis B. A national