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“Underkingdom”, enslavement simulation, and the normalization of human trafficking and scam compound culture in southeast Asia
(Routledge, 2026) Lazarus, Suleman
This paper argues that Scam Center Simulator: UnderKingdom trivializes victim harm and dehumanizes trafficked persons. It normalizes offender identity within a documented and ongoing crisis. I examine these design features against Southeast Asia’s scam compound phenomenon. I adopt a viewpoint approach. The primary source is the developer’s public representation of game mechanics on Steam. This is supplemented by firsthand observation of available gameplay material. This constitutes a structural analysis of design intent, not a study of individual player outcomes. Theoretical analysis draws on Bandura’s moral disengagement theory and Sykes and Matza’s neutralization techniques. Evidence from the scam compound and online fraud literature anchors the argument throughout. The game’s design architecture reproduces the cognitive and moral architecture of scam compound operations. Its mechanics are directly mapped onto documented compound practices. Crucially, the simulator literalizes the emic offender argot “the game,” documented in the criminological literature. This renders a criminal self-concept as a commercially distributed entertainment product. This is the first critical examination of this game as a cultural artifact. I identify the literalization of offender argot as a structurally novel contribution to harm. My analysis has implications for trafficking research, media literacy, and platform regulation in Southeast Asia.
Euclid quick data release (q1): xxv. Hunting for luminous z > 6 galaxies in the euclid deep fields – forecasts and the first bright detections
(EDP Sciences, 2026) Allen, Natalie; Oesch, Pascal A; Karagiannis, Dionysios
The evolution of the rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity function (UV LF) is a powerful probe of early star formation and galaxy stellar mass build-up. At z > 6, its bright end (MUV < −21) remains poorly constrained due to small survey volumes of existing near-infrared (NIR) space-based imaging surveys. The Euclid Deep Fields (EDFs) will cover 53 deg2 with NIR coverage down to a magnitude of 26.5 AB, providing a factor of 100 increase in area compared to previous space-based surveys. They thus offer an unprecedented opportunity to select bright z > 6 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) and definitively constrain the bright end of the UV LF. With its NIR coverage extending to ∼2 μm, Euclid has the power to detect galaxies out to z ∼ 13. Here, we present a forecast for the number densities of z > 6 galaxies that Euclid is expected to observe in the final EDF dataset. Using synthetic photometry from spectral energy distribution (SED) templates of z = 5–15 galaxies, z = 1–4 interlopers, and Milky Way M-, L-, and T-type dwarfs, we investigate optimal selection methodologies for high-z LBGs in the EDF datasets. We find that a combination of signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) cuts with SED fitting (over optical to MIR bands) yields the highest fidelity sample, recovering more than 76% of the input synthetic z > 6 LBGs, while limiting low-z contamination to less than 10%. This contamination does not include effects from instrumental artefacts, which will impact the first Euclid data releases. Auxiliary data prove critical: optical coverage from the Hyper Suprime Camera and Vera C. Rubin Observatory will distinguish genuine Lyman breaks from contaminant features, while Spitzer Space Telescope/IRAC data are vital for recovering z > 10 sources. Based on empirical double power-law LF models, we expect more than 100 000 LBGs at z = 6–12 and more than 100 sources as far back as z > 12 in the final Euclid data release. In contrast, the steeper Schechter LF models predict no detections of z > 12 LBGs. In this work, we also present two ultra-luminous (MUV < −23.5) candidates selected from the Q1 EDF-N dataset (Euclid Quick Data Release). If their redshifts are reliable, their magnitudes suggest a DPL UV LF model at z > 9. This highlights the power of Euclid in constraining the bright end of the UV LF in the early Universe and in identifying the most luminous sources that are valuable for further follow-up observations.
A critical analysis of the capital gains tax implications on the disposal of cryptocurrencies: an evaluation of possible lessons for South Africa from Hong Kong
(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Sithole, Makungu Duncan; Moosa, Fareed
Cryptocurrencies are internet-based digital currencies or digital representations of value that are not issued by a central bank. They are traded, transferred, and stored electronically, whether by natural or juristic persons, as a means for payment, investment, and other forms of utility, and it exists wholly in the virtual realm. In the South African context, cryptocurrencies are, presently, treated as neither official South African tender, nor are they, as yet widely used as a medium of payment or exchange. Similarly, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) does not yet consider cryptocurrencies as ‘currency’ for income tax and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) purposes. Instead, SARS regards cryptocurrencies as valuable property of an intangible nature. Conversely, the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department does recognize cryptocurrencies and classify them into three categories, being payment tokens, security tokens, and utility tokens. Payment tokens are used as payment for goods and services. Security tokens provide the owner with interests in a business, such as debt or rights to a share in the profits in that business. Utility tokens give access to specialized products and services, which the company is working on, and thus, the taxation of cryptocurrencies in Hong Kong depends on the type and use of each token. This study shows that, while SARS levies tax on cryptocurrency using the legislative framework provided by the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 (ITA), in Hong Kong, Capital Gains Tax are not levied on the disposal of any cryptocurrency. The study examines the legal position in South Africa and Hong Kong as to the treatment of cryptocurrencies for purposes of taxation with a view to hypothesizing that SARS ought to adopt an approach akin to that followed by the Hong Kong Tax Authority. The study provides concrete recommendations for the development and enhancement of tax policy in South Africa so far as it concerns cryptocurrency treatment.
Maternal and neonatal outcomes after infection with monkeypox virus clade I during pregnancy in DR Congo: a pooled, prospective cohort study
(Elsevier B.V., 2026) Vakaniaki, Emmanuel Hasivirwe; Barhishindi, Isaac; Mubiala, Ange; Malembaka, Espoir Bwenge; Braunack-Mayer, Lydia; Nganga, Bruce; Sabiti Nundu, Sabin; Brosius, Isabel; Bracke, Stefanie; Bangwen, Eugene; De Vos, Elise; Colebunders, Robert; Ngale, Mireille; Kayembe, Gabriel; Tshongo, Christian; Dilu, Ali; Tshimanga, Celestin; Biampata, Jean-Luc; Bugeme, Patrick Musole; Ntamabyaliro, Nsengi; Kirenga, Bruce; Wayengera, Misaki; Siewe Fodjo, Joseph Nelson; Lupande Mwenebitu, David; Rimoin, Anne W; Wawina-Bokalanga, Tony; Vercauteren, Koen; Mukadi-Bamuleka, Daniel; Muyembe-Tamfum, Jean-Jacques; Krasemann, Susanne; Kindrachuk, Jason; Azman, Andrew S; Nussenblatt, Veronique; Crozier, Ian; Dodd, Lori E; Tshiani-Mbaya, Olivier; Ahuka-Mundeke, Steve; Amuri-Aziza, Adrienne; Makangara-Cigolo, Jean-Claude; Kinganda-Lusamaki, Eddy; Lumembe-Numbi, Raphaël; Mujula, Yves; Munganga, Papy; Tshomba, Jean-Claude; Houben, Sarah; Van Dijck, Christophe; Hoff, Nicole A; Merritt, Sydney; Peeters, Martine; Kojan, Richard; Mutimbwa-Mambo, Léandre; Munga, Jenestin Babingwa; Kitwanda, Steeven Bilembo; Mambo, Divin Mazambi; Kumbana, Franklin Mweshi; Zangilwa, James Wakilongo; Kacita, Cris; Bahizire, Esto; Bapolisi, Wyvine; Bisimwa, Bertin C; Bisimwa, Bertin C; Nyalundja, Arsene Daniel; Bbuye, Mudarshiru; Mukashyaka, Claudine; Saleeb, Marina; Jacquemyn, Yves; Kumar-Singh, Samir; Mohamed, Osama A.A; Ali, Rosine; Basika, Michael Kombozi; Kindombe, Esaie; Kisala, Mays; Ibanda, Augustin; Baudouin, Baudouin Matiba; Mukendi, Gael; Mutombo, Patrick; Lutete, Tona; Lusakibanza, Mariano; Lula, Yves; Kabuni, Patricia; Lonza, Hippy; Mulumba, Sylvain; Mutomboh, Henri; Kumuamba, Yves-Ninon; Alonga, Jules; Shosongo, Claude; Cone, Katherine; Mukika, Trust Faraja; Bugale, Patrick Kazuba; Shangula, Salomon Mashupe; Bugwaja, Levi; Ngai, Stephanie; Jackson, Jules; Low, Nicola; Katoto, Patrick D M C; Mbala-Kingebeni, Placide; Liesenborghs, Laurens
Background Monkeypox virus (MPXV) has been linked to vertical transmission, but systematic data are scarce. We aimed to describe the sociodemographic, clinical, and virological characteristics and assess the frequency and determinants of adverse outcomes in pregnant women with MPXV clade I infection. Methods In this prospective cohort study, we pooled data from three cohort studies (MBOTE-SK, PREGMPOX, and Uvira mpox) and one randomised controlled trial (PALM007) conducted in the South Kivu, Maniema, and Sankuru provinces of DR Congo between Dec 29, 2022, and June 20, 2025. Pregnant women and adolescent girls with a PCR-confirmed diagnosis of mpox were followed up throughout hospitalisation for mpox, delivery, and until discharge during the postpartum period. We extracted data on sociodemographic characteristics, MPXV exposure, clinical and obstetric presentation, and laboratory results. In a univariable analysis, we examined factors associated with the following adverse outcomes: spontaneous or missed abortion (<20 weeks of gestation), stillbirth (≥20 weeks of gestation), preterm birth (<37 weeks of gestation), live birth of a neonate with macroscopic mpox-like lesions, early (first 7 days) neonatal death, congenital anomaly, or maternal death (during pregnancy or discharge postpartum). Findings We collected data from 89 pregnant women in the first (25 [28%]), second (31 [35%]), and third (33 [37%]) trimesters across all four studies: MBOTE-SK (36 [40%]), PREGMPOX (24 [27%]), PALM007 (25 [28%]), and Uvira mpox (four [4%]). All participants recovered from mpox; no maternal deaths were reported. During hospitalisation for mpox, fetal loss was reported in 17 (19%) women. Final pregnancy outcomes were known for 69 (78%) participants; adverse outcomes were reported in 35 (51%) women (95% CI 38–63), including fetal loss in 31 (45%; 95% CI 33–57; 16 [52%] spontaneous abortions, four [13%] missed abortions, and 11 [35%] stillbirths). Of the 38 live births, four neonates had congenital mpox-like lesions; one infant died a few hours after birth. No preterm births or congenital abnormalities were recorded. MPXV infection during the first trimester was associated with a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes than during the second (risk ratio [RR] 0·6 [95% CI 0·4–0·9]) and third (0·2 [0·1–0·4]) trimesters (p=0·0008). Adverse outcomes were also associated with high viral load in skin lesions (PCR cycle threshold ≤30; RR 3·5 [95% CI 1·0–12·3]; p=0·045), direct sexual contact with the index case (1·6 [1·1–2·4]; p=0·026), positive HIV status (2·0 [1·4–2·9]; p=0·0002), and the presence of genital lesions (1·9 [1·1–3·2]; p=0·025). Interpretation MPXV clade I infection in pregnancy is associated with a high risk of fetal loss and congenital infection, particularly during the first trimester. Targeted preventive and clinical strategies are urgently needed to protect pregnant women and their infants in settings that are endemic and epidemic for mpox. Funding The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, the Belgian Directorate-General Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Research Foundation–Flanders, the Gates Foundation, the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, and the National Cancer Institute.
Enquiry into what frustrates the efficacy of preferential public procurement as a policy tool for black economic empowerment
(University of the Western Cape, 2011) Beukes, Soraya; Fredericks, Izak
Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has been a topic of discussion since the dawn of democracy in April 1994. Due to the entrenched inequalities of the past, economic empowerment is very important for the economic growth of the majority of South Africa's citizens. However, significant economic enrichment of black people has not been made, despite, economic success, legislation, state policies and programme interventions. This economic growth is to be realised through the use of preferential procurement as a policy tool for BEE. Whilst sufficient legislation has been enacted to regulate preferential procurement, to favour black people, much still seems to be lacking in the enforcement of the laws in public procurement. Central to the challenges of preferential procurement is the disharmony between the Framework legislation governing preferential procurement and BEE.