Russia Plague Outbreak Sparks Pandemic Fears; Trump Offers Aid

A plague outbreak in Russia has triggered global concern, with a researcher dead and 200 quarantined, while a self-proclaimed prophet's prediction of a deadlier pandemic has sparked widespread discussion. The incident has also drawn an offer of aid from former US President Donald Trump. The researcher, 28-year-old Daria Shipilova, died on October 1 after a test tube containing pneumonic plague bacteria broke at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in Siberia. Pneumonic plague is a severe infection that attacks the lungs. Following her death, nearly 200 people were placed in quarantine at a local hospital, though Russian authorities have not yet issued an official statement. The prophet, British resident Craig Hamilton-Parker, who claims to have predicted COVID-19 and Queen Elizabeth II's death, warned on September 24 of a bacterial pandemic that would be harder to control. He said Tibetan monks visited him with the warning, adding that AI would help defeat the outbreak. Trump stated the US is ready to assist Russia.