European court examines Ireland abortion policies
The European Court of Human Rights blasted Ireland’s abortion policies in a judgment Thursday, saying they prevent women from receiving adequate care in life-threatening situations. Observers expect the ruling to increase pressure on Ireland to clarify and extend abortion rights to women facing pregnancies that pose a serious risk to their health.
A blueprint for mobile learning
The use of mobile phones to deliver English-language lessons to users in parts of Asia and Africa is also providing a template for those who seek to provide educational programs to some of the world’s poorest communities. Successful programs by BBC in Bangladesh, and Nokia in Nigeria and elsewhere, are examples.
Independent body to investigate Haiti cholera origin
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected Friday to announce the creation of an independent commission to determine whether UN peacekeepers from Nepal brought cholera to the devastated island of Haiti, where the disease has killed more than 2,400 and sickened tens of thousands. The outbreak, which is expected to affect some 600,000 people, is the first in Haiti in recent memory.
Health officials take aim at Congo polio outbreak
Health officials working in the Republic of Congo to complete three rounds of polio vaccinations hope to bring an end to an outbreak of cases that has killed 200. The immunization campaign is targeting more than 4 million people.
Clinton: Women’s equality is a security matter
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that the status of women worldwide will be a crucial part of a State Department foreign-policy document slated for release this week. “Women’s equality is not just a moral issue, it’s not just a humanitarian issue, it is not just a fairness issue,” she said, but a security, prosperity and peace issue.
Postelection riots hamper cholera treatment in Haiti
Valerie Amos, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said Thursday in an interview that the ongoing riots in Haiti over disputed election results for president are complicating efforts to treat the tens of thousands of people stricken with cholera. “We don’t want people to die from this, they don’t need to,” she said.
WHO endorses new tuberculosis test
The World Health Organization has backed broad use of a new tuberculosis test that cuts diagnosis time from three months to 100 minutes, and backers say will save millions of lives. Tuberculosis killed 1.7 million people in 2009.
