World
EU-donated mpox vaccines arrive in Kinshasa
The 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, have been donated through HERA, the EU’s agency for health emergencies.
The first batch of mpox vaccines has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, three weeks after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency.
The 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, have been donated by the European Union through HERA, the bloc’s agency for health emergencies.
“This will be the first delivery of the vaccine to the country. The second delivery of around 100,000 doses is expected to arrive in the following days,” said EU Commission spokesperson, Stefan de Keersmaecker.
“These deliveries are part of the 215,000 vaccine doses that the European Commission, HERA, that is Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority procured and also pledged to share with affected countries in Africa.”
Congolese authorities confirmed a further 100,000 doses are expected to be delivered on Saturday.
UNICEF is going to be in charge of the vaccination campaign in the most impacted provinces, Congo’s Health Minister Roger Kamba told reporters after the delivery of the vaccine.
But it remained unclear when the vaccination drive would begin.
About 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines have been promised by Western partners such as the European Union and the United States, Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters last week.
That is less than 15% of the three million doses authorities have said are needed to end the mpox outbreaks in Congo, the epicentre of the global health emergency.
Last week, the organisation said there were more than 22,800 mpox cases and 622 deaths on the continent and that infections had jumped 200% in the last week.
The majority of cases and deaths are in the DRC, where the new mpox variant was first detected and where most mpox infections are in children under 15.
Following the global mpox outbreak in 2022, wealthy countries quickly responded with vaccines and treatments from their stockpiles.
However, only a few doses have reached Africa despite pleas from governments there.
The MVA-BN vaccine has already been used in Europe and the United States, the EU said, and it is authorised for use in adults.
The European Medicines Agency is examining additional data to be able to administer it to children aged 12 to 17, which could happen at the end of the month.
ADVERTISEMENT215,000 doses were pledged and purchased for an undisclosed amount specifically to be donated to Congo, said Laurent Muschel, the Director-General of HERA.
The US said last week that it donated 10,000 doses of mpox vaccines to Nigeria, where the disease has been common.
It is the first known donation to Africa since the current outbreaks.
Nigeria has recorded 40 cases of the virus this year, according to Nigeria’s CDC.
ADVERTISEMENTMpox, formerly known as monkeypox, had been spreading mostly undetected for years in Africa before the disease prompted the 2022 outbreak in more than 70 countries, Dr. Dimie Ogoina, the chair of WHO’s mpox emergency committee told reporters last month.
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A gunman who fatally shot a Canadian tourist and wounded more than a dozen others atop a historic pyramid in Mexico on Monday has been identified, according to officials.
Authorities identified the gunman as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso, a Mexican national, according to a state official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Jasso later died by suicide after turning the gun on himself, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition. Authorities said he acted alone, with the State of Mexico government confirming he was the sole assailant on Monday night.
Officials said seven of the victims were struck by gunfire, while others were hurt in the chaos as people scrambled to get down from the pyramids, with some falling during the panic.
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The Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun are seen along with smaller structures lining the Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico, on March 19, 2020. A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and injured several others before taking his own life at the popular site, authorities said Monday. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
Those hospitalized included tourists from several countries, among them the United States, Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Canada, authorities said. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 61.
Footage circulating in local media appears to show the suspect positioned atop the structure as visitors rushed for safety below, with gunfire echoing across the site.
Police and forensic workers stand on a pyramid after authorities said a gunman opened fire in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
The Teotihuacan complex, located just outside Mexico City, is one of the country’s most visited archaeological landmarks, drawing millions of international visitors each year to its towering pre-Hispanic structures.
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The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon.
Security measures at the site have changed in recent years, with routine entry screenings no longer consistently in place, according to a local guide.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.
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“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” she wrote.
Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a “result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán” and that her “thoughts are with their family and loved ones.”
People visit the Pyramid of the Sun in the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan near Mexico City, Mexico, on March 21, 2024, following the spring equinox. (Henry Romero/Reuters)
Later in the evening, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson also expressed “deep concern” and sadness over the deaths and numerous injuries, and said in a post on X that the U.S. is “ready to provide support as needed while Mexican authorities continue their investigation.”
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The National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that the Teotihuacán archaeological site will remain closed until further notice.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Norway has pushed back against criticism from US President Donald Trump over what he described as “zero” European support in the conflict with Iran.
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“NATO is a defensive alliance. It is not an attack alliance,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Euronews’ Europe Today flagship morning show.
Eide said NATO members are focused on safeguarding key global trade routes, including keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. “NATO countries are doing something, but it’s not as a party to a conflict,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for not backing Washington in the Iran conflict. He raised the issue again during a White House meeting earlier this month with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Eide argued that there had been no prior preparation or consensus within the alliance. As a result, there is “very limited appetite” among member states to join the war.
He said that while both the US and Iran may have reasons to end the conflict, “the sides are far apart”, with negotiations hindered by opposing demands.
On Monday, Trump said the United States would maintain its blockade of Iranian ports until Tehran agrees to a peace deal.
Still, Eide pointed to signs of “some progress”, noting the broader global impact of the conflict. “This is not only an issue for the two sides, but it affects the whole world economy,” he said.
Addressing a European diplomatic push to establish a Palestinian state, Eide reiterated support for a two-state solution based on long-standing United Nations principles. However, he acknowledged that such an outcome is “not around the corner”.
He added that a two-state solution is also in Israel’s interest, describing it as “the only viable solution for real peace in a very troubled region”.
Norway, alongside Spain and Ireland, recognised the State of Palestine in 2024.
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