Children are increasingly targeted in Mexico’s drug war
Drug cartels in Mexico are increasingly targeting children for violence in efforts not only to terrorize the populace, but to prove to rivals that their savagery knows no bounds as they fight for position in local and international narcotics markets. “Decapitations and hanging bodies from bridges send a message. Killing children is an extension of this trend,” said the director of a children’s rights group.
France arrests woman, enforces ban on Islamic face veils
French police have detained at least one woman after a new law came into effect banning the wearing of a face-concealing Islamic veil in public. Kenza Drider was reportedly arrested not for wearing a veil, but for participating in an unauthorized protest against the ban, the first in a European country.
An app to diagnose malaria
Graduate students at a Florida university hope their newly developed software application for smartphones will help health care workers in remote locations immediately confirm and begin treatment for malaria infections. The software takes pictures of blood samples, identifies the presence and number of malaria parasites and communicate the findings without needing an Internet connection to make a diagnosis.
New aftershock revives Japanese nuclear fears
The northeastern region of Japan was rocked by yet another aftershock — the strongest since last month’s 9.0-earthquake and tsunami — causing vast power outages and complicating efforts to stabilize the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which is at risk of rupture. Two other nuclear facilities were running on emergency generators.
WHO: Improper drug treatment hinders disease battle
Widespread misuse of antibiotics has damaged the global fights against tuberculosis, malaria and gonorrhea, and is contributing to rising rates of drug-resistant cases and medical treatment costs, the World Health Organization warns. About 440,000 cases of drug-resistant cases of tuberculosis were reported in 60 countries last year.
Haiti earthquake survivors face eviction
About 25% of people left homeless by the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti face eviction from camps where they live as the rainy season approaches, the International Organization for Migration warns. Most of the forced moves are taking place in an orderly fashion, the IOM says, but in some cases people are pushed out violently in the middle of the night.
Ban: Empower women in the Middle East, Africa
Women’s rights need to remain a priority as efforts for revolutionary change sweep across the Middle East and Africa, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says. Empowering women, Ban says, is central to efforts to promote democracy and respect for the rule of law.
