Turkey: Turkish-German Professionals: Young, Qualified and Unwanted Highly qualified professionals of Turkish descent are leaving Germany because they feel denied opportunities there. In contrast other countries, particularly Turkey, are vying for their talents. Experts warn of the disastrous consequences of this “fatal” brain drain( Spiegel).
Myanmar: Relief workers who are still prohibited from entering Myanmar warned that it could take weeks to reach many cyclone victims due to the nation's decrepit infrastructure. Such a delay will increase the number of people at risk and raise the possibility of unrest, they said. As many as 1.5 million people — including more than 200,000 now believed to be congregating in temporary camps along Myanmar's coast — face an increasing risk of epidemics of malaria, cholera and other potentially deadly diseases, aid workers said. (WSJ Asia)
Afghanistan: The killing and abduction of dozens of health workers in the past two years has prompted officials to shut down at least 36 health facilities in Afghanistan's volatile southern and eastern provinces, depriving hundreds of thousands of people of basic health services, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). Afghanistan has managed to reduce slightly its high infant mortality rate from 165 under-five deaths per 1,000 live births in 2001 to about 135 per 1,000 in 2006, but it is still struggling to deliver basic health services in some 85 percent of the country's territory. (IRIN)
Italy: Italian police are being forced to protect Roma Gypsies who have come under attack from local residents in Naples two nights running. Makeshift homes were set alight as demonstrators attacked two camps. The disturbance was sparked by an alleged kidnap attempt by a Roma teenager. There is deep suspicion throughout the country of the Roma community. The government is preparing controversial anti-immigration measures targeting Romanians in particular. The incidents in Naples began when a Roma teenage girl was caught inside an apartment, allegedly trying to steal a six-month-old baby girl. (BBC)
Israel: Israel's Arab minority has a lower life expectancy than that of Jewish citizens; the Arab community suffers from higher infant mortality rates; and in relative terms the number of elderly Arabs without teeth is very high. A new report says these are some of the signs of discrimination within the health care system. According to official numbers, there is about a five-year difference between the life expectancy of Jews and Arabs. Muslim-Arabs have an infant mortality rate of 7.3 for every 1,000 births – and among the Bedouins it was 15.5 – compared to just 3.1 for Jewish citizens. (IRIN)
China: More than 80,000 dead or missing in quake , the government said on Thursday, up from the reported 70,000 issued on Tuesday. Concerns that the death toll could continue to rise as disease increased following the rainy season and aftershocks.