South Africa Strike

Promises made by President Jacob Zuma seem to be proving hard to keep. In his campaign whilst running for the Presidency, Jacob Zuma promised to create 500,000 jobs in South Africa but this pledge has already been retracted according to sources in the country. Current reports estimate that around 150,000 workers across South Africa have gone on strike demanding a 15% pay increase. A spokesman from the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) said most of its members have also taken action after hearing news of the strike. Protestors in Limpopo province became disorderly and police have had no option but to fire plastic bullets into the crowd.

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Taliban suicide camps recruit teenagers

Boys as young as 13 have been rescued from a Taliban training camp by Pakistani soldiers. Murad, one of the rescued boys explained the Islamist extremists had kidnapped around 1,500 children to prepare for their fatal missions. The boys are put through physical exercise 16 hours a day whilst being constantly subjected to psychological indoctrination. They are led to believe that being a martyr is the biggest honour and a sign of loyalty towards Allah. Others are told that in attending the camp they are fulfilling a religious responsibility and will be trained to fight the enemies of Islam. Many of the boys are still missing and it is feared they have been sold on to other training camps. The Pakistani army have set up a rehabilitation camp to help children return to their former lives.

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The boom in Dubai comes to an endWriting blank cheques or pre-dated cheques is a way of conducting business and is often used to secure bank loans or in rental agreements. In the last four months according to official figures 5.7% of these cheques are bouncing. Severe penalties are incurred for not honouring agreed payments and the police chief has estimated that a fifth of all prisoners in the Emirates are there because of bounced cheques. Many expatriates are leaving Dubai each month with unpaid credit card bills. When the economy showed signs of slowing many foreign workers lost their jobs or suffered salary cuts resulting in a failure to make payments. Some people abandoned unpaid luxury cars at the airports and fled the country leaving their debts and possible imprisonment behind them.

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South Africa to build three nuclear power stations

Due to an increase in energy demands South Africa is considering allowing the construction of three new nuclear power stations on its coastline. The plan is faced with enormous opposition from environmentalists. The new stations would be in the Eastern and Western Cape with construction hoped to start by January 2012. A huge number of people are still living in shacks in South Africa with no access to electricity which has prompted violent demonstrations over poor service delivery. Greenpeace and other campaigners targeted Koeberg during and after its construction, the proposal of three more nuclear power stations has caused an outcry among these movements.

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Spinal injuries to be treated with food dyeUS researches have been investigating the healing properties of a blue dye similar to those used in confectionary production. The blue dye – Brilliant Blue G (BBG) – appears to have properties in it which minimises the severity of damage to the spinal cord caused in back injuries. However, one problem has occurred during laboratory tests is that the treated rats are turning blue.

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Wind carries fires across Europe

In the past week eight people have been killed as fire fighters and rescue workers battle wild fires in five countries along the Mediterranean rim. 70 holidaymakers had to be rescued from a beach in Greece on 28 July. Large areas of countryside in Italy, Spain, Croatia, France and Greece have been devastated and the estimated insurance bill will run over hundreds of millions of Euros. Forest fires are predominately caused by high temperatures, drought or arson. Croatia was hit by arson for the first time this summer.

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HIV families move into Cambodia’s ‘AIDs colony’

Families that are HIV positive and living in the Borei Keila neighbourhood situated just outside Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh are being moved to what has been nicknamed the ‘AIDs colony’. Last week a further 20 families were removed from their homes and relocated to the ‘colony’ made up of rows of metal sheds. The area lacks clean running water and human rights groups are outraged by the living standards, saying that even emergency housing is of a much higher standard. Tuol Sambo – the site the community is built on – is quite far from the city centre meaning the residents are miles from work opportunities, services and medical aid. Human rights groups fear it is this sort of isolation that will stigmatise those affected by HIV even more.

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Australia’s worst ever fire season

The last wild fires that engulfed parts of Australia left a wake of devastation, but a leaked government report has suggested the next fire season is set to be worse.  The state of Victoria has been named as one of the states that will be badly affected. The Department of Sustainability and Environment identified the increased danger as a result of a mild and dry winter and the forecasted El Nino. The El Nino effect is expected to make south-eastern Australia even dryer and that the bush fires could start as early as November.

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China to cut execution rate

China has announced plans to dramatically reduce the number of death sentences issued. The death penalty will be saved and only used for serious offences, offences that have and will cause damage to society. The Vice-President of the Supreme People’s Court has said China will increase the use of a “death penalty with reprieve sentence”. It has been estimated that last year in China 159,020 people were sentenced to five years or over, life imprisonment or the death penalty. Figures have to be estimated as China’s capital punishment is classified as state secrets making information impossible to obtain. The method of execution has also been reviewed, since 1996 a firing squad has been used but as of 2010 Beijing will use the lethal injection, leaders are trying to encourage other cities to do the same.

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Tamiflu causes side effects in children

Research has shown that more half of the children taking Tamiflu – the swine flu antiviral drug – have been experiencing nausea, sickness, cramping and nightmares. It is estimated that the total number of people prescribed Tamiflu is 150,000 and that up to 53% of the children taking the drug have suffered from one ore more of the side effects. Peter Holden, the British Medical Association’s lead expert on swine flu, believes Tamiflu is not suitable for those with milder symptoms and has suggested the drug is being over prescribed.

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