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People living with HIV are about twice as likely as their HIV-negative peers to develop herpes zoster—better known as shingles—but vaccination can close the gap, according to a Canadian study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Insects are not typically considered food in Western society, and many would probably balk at the idea of chowing down an insect bar (though gym bros might be excited at the idea of a new low-fat source of protein). However, the participants in a recent study were actually more likely to prefer an insect protein bar over a cereal bar. “Insect-based food, a potential solution for the escalating global food demand, faces consumer acceptance challenges in some regions,” a team wrote in the Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics study. “This article aims to understand the physiological reactions to an...

There has been an increase in the number of new HIV cases in Ireland recently, with the number of new cases back to pre-COVID levels. HIV Ireland says that the country now has the second highest transmission rate per capita in Europe. A new report by the organization, which was developed with clinicians, researchers, advocates and people with lived experience from across Ireland and the UK, said that Ireland is unlikely to achieve its objective of ending new HIV transmission by 2030. […] Professor Yvonne Gilleece, a consultant in HIV medicine, has said that Ireland needs to increase testing rates...

On July 7, the European Parliament voted 414-224 to open a formal review of whether a small pan-European political alliance called Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) still qualifies for EU registration and EU funding. Brussels insists this is a routine compliance matter. It is not. It is the first time in the history of the EU’s party-financing regime that this mechanism has been aimed at a party of the populist right, and everyone involved knows exactly which national party it is really about: Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD). You would be forgiven for never having heard of ESN. It is...

Some of the UK’s top judges are hearing arguments over whether a Trinidad and Tobago court had the legal right to overturn a 2018 ruling to remove colonial-era homophobic laws that criminalise anal sex between consenting men. The country’s “buggery law”, often referred to as its “sodomy” law, was created in 1925 and was written into Trinidad and Tobago’s 1986 Sexual Offences Act. In 2017 a Trinidadian LGBTQ+ rights activist, Jason Jones, challenged the law, and in 2018 a high court ruled that it infringed upon his constitutional right to privacy and equality. Last year a court of appeal quashed...

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer proudly boasts having the "gayest" parliament in the world. To celebrate Pride Month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a reception at 10 Downing Street for LGBTQ+ community leaders. A social media video from the event posted on Tuesday, local time, showed Starmer talking with attendees while a speaker jokingly referred to him as a "lesbian style icon".

"As NBC News reports, the account is called "ZnotluvuiSamez," and features the Ukrainian flag as its profile picture. The account made multiple big bets surrounding the Russo-Ukrainian war, including $409,000 on a contract that asks if "Putin out as President of Russia by December 31, 2026?" According to users' overall bets, there's currently a "11 percent chance" that Putin will be out by the end of the year. Of course, a massive bet is far from a guarantee that Putin will no longer be president, whether through an ouster or a decision to step down. For one, Putin isn't up...

Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has appealed to nearly 40 partner countries to urgently transfer Patriot missiles from their stockpiles in July in exchange for future deliveries already contracted for Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said on July 2. The appeal comes after Russia launched one of its largest-ever aerial assaults against Kyiv overnight on July 2, killing at least 22 people and overwhelming Ukraine's air defenses with dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles alongside hundreds of drones. According to the Defense Ministry, Ukraine has already signed contracts for hundreds of PAC-2 Patriot missiles with German support, but deliveries are not expected...

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce donated $26 million to a group of charities across the U.S. this week, including multiple in New York organizations, ahead of their alleged ceremony, Swift's rep confirmed to NBC News. The Store, which helps with food insecurity in Middle Tennessee and was founded by country singer Brad Paisley…posted on Instagram: "Thank you, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce,"… "Your generosity is providing food and hope to families in need." Nonprofit Education Through Music revealed in a press release that they received a $2 million gift from the bride and groom. "This gift will help us reach...

Air Force Major Jason Watson was arrested on the Capitol Steps Wednesday after taking part in a protest that called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Watson, an active member of the Air Force, delivered a speech ahead of his arrest. He listed several perceived crimes committed by the president and vice president. "Our Constitution binds us all together as Americans. Like countless veterans before me, military members serving now, I've devoted my life in service to our Democratic Republic," Watson said. "Always doing my best to honor my oath and protect America against...

BRUSSELS, June 30 (Reuters) - The European Union has transferred €3.9 billion ($4.44 ​billion) to Ukraine to ‌finance drone procurement, the Commission said on Tuesday. The disbursement is ​part of a €90 ​billion loan approved by the ⁠EU earlier this year. This ​disbursement follows the Commission's ​first €3.2 billion instalment to Ukraine made on June 25 to help ​with the country's ​government financing. "We are releasing a first ‌tranche ⁠of €3.9 billion for advanced drone technology to strengthen Ukraine's defence. And more will ​follow. ​These ⁠investments will help Ukraine protect its citizens, ​defend its sovereignty, ​and ⁠reinforce Europe's security," European...

The EU says protecting Europe's identity is against its values. Eva Vlaardingerbroek - Eva Vlaardingerbroek on X. Campaigners behind the ‘Save Europe Act’ say the European Commission is preparing to reject their European Citizens’ Initiative after receiving a letter warning that its proposals appear to violate the European Union’s fundamental rights and values. In a video published on Tuesday, June 30th, the initiators of the act—Dutch conservative commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek and Austrian identitarian activist Martin Sellner—said they had received a letter from the European Commission, warning them that the Save Europe Act appears to be “manifestly contrary” to the Charter...

July 1 (Reuters) - Ukraine has struck a Russian oil refinery in the city of Ufa, more than 1,300 km (800 miles) from the frontline for the second time, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday, as Kyiv steps up its strikes deep in Russia. "Every day, our plan for imposing Ukrainian long-range sanctions is being implemented," Zelenskiy said on X, referring to Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russian territory. "This is an entirely just response to everything Russia is doing against us." Zelenskiy also reported a strike on what he said was a "strategic" Russian military-industrial facility in the Penza region,...

The Africa Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC) said on Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda has now killed over 200 people, and the number of confirmed cases surged by 38 percent in just the past week. Africa CDC reported 894 confirmed cases in total, with most of them sourced to the eastern DRC. This makes the current outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola much worse than Uganda’s first known Ebola outbreak in 2000, but not yet as bad as the devastating DRC outbreaks in 2014 and 2018. Doctors fear...

Britain will provide 150,000 drones to ​Ukraine by the end ‌of 2026 as part of a £752 million ($996 million) ​funding package, defence ​minister Dan Jarvis said on ⁠Thursday at a ​meeting of the Ukraine ​Defense Contact Group in Brussels. The package, funded by Britain's £2.26 ​billion loan to ​Ukraine, includes 350 air defence missiles ‌and ⁠ground-based radar systems. The loan is backed by proceeds from immobilised ​Russian sovereign ​assets. Jarvis, ⁠who co-chaired the meeting with his ​German counterpart, met ​with ⁠U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and other ⁠defence ​ministers including ​France and Ukraine.

Toronto police say multiple investigations into shootings around the Toronto area, including incidents at synagogues and the U.S. Consulate, reveal a pattern of young people being hired to perpetrate gun crimes in the city. Chief Myron Demkiw and Chief Supt. Joe Matthews spoke at a news conference Tuesday morning, less than a week after police carried out search warrants related to multiple shootings across the city. Three recent arrests have been linked to the shooting investigations, Matthews said, including the alleged killer of a Toronto police officer who was shot during a raid Thursday. Demkiw said the investigators recovered two...

Britain is a 'two-tier state against white people', Nigel Farage has declared. In a lengthy essay, Reform UK's leader claimed that 'anti-white racism' is 'embedded' in every part of the public sector. He set out how in everything from housing and policing to healthcare and education, he believes official policies only benefit minorities and discriminate against white Britons. 'On the surface, the objective seems unobjectionable: the Government should strive to be a little bit kinder, a little bit more understanding, in its dealings with minority groups,' Mr Farage wrote in a 6,000-word post on Substack. 'In practice, it is a...

Leo XIV Met Homosexual Activist Bad BunnyOn Monday evening, Pope Leo XIV met with the Puerto Rican homosexual activist and singer Bad Bunny at Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium.Both were touring Spain, the Vatican said on Tuesday.Spanish media report that several photos were taken, including by members of the papal entourage, and discussions have taken place about whether and when to publish them."Bad Bunny" is the stage name of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, a Puerto Rican rapper. He is known for his "fluid" gender expression, evident in his fashion choices, nail polish, wearing skirts and kissing men during performances. He is also...

The leaders of Ukraine and its close European allies - the UK, France and Germany - have set out out five conditions for reaching a "just and lasting" deal to end the war with Russia. In a joint statement after talks in London, Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they would "stand firmly with Ukraine". The five conditions include a stop to the fighting, starting negotiations from the current position in the field as well as "robust" security guarantees for Ukraine. The leaders reiterated the need for the...

Russia has a problem it cannot bomb its way out of. For months, Ukraine has been quietly dismantling the one road that keeps Russia's southern war machine alive — a highway so critical that without it, Crimea starves, and the front line goes cold. On May 27th, Kyiv stopped being quiet about it. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov formalized what had been a covert campaign into a declared strategic program, announcing a $113 million initiative he calls a "logistics lockdown." The target is the R-280 highway — also known as the M-14, renamed by Russian occupation authorities the "Novorossiya" route....