scourge

Long the scourge of water companies for blocking pipes, a ban on the sale of wet wipes made of plastic will be signed into law later today.

The vote is taking place amid unprecedented violence sparked by turf wars and side hustles of drug trafficking gangs, a scourge which Noboa has vowed to tackle with a firm hand.

"Trinidad and Tobago continues to be burdened by the scourge of gun-related crimes and gang violence," it added.

Yet these scourges aren’t unique to Mexico, the author points out—they exist around the world, even in “the countries that pride themselves on being the democracies par excellence.”

While no longer a scourge in wealthy countries, the disease remains a leading killer in the developing world.