Brazil Fights H.I.V. Spike in Youths With Free Preventive Drug

Brazil is the first country in Latin America and one of the first in the developing world to adopt the pill Truvada under a program called PrEP as a part of their preventative health care policy. The pill will be made available for free to eligible Brazilians in 22 different cities and 35 public health clinics. The program is being made available to transgender people, prostitutes, some drug users, people in relationships with partners who have H.I.V., and men who have sex with men.

For me, this signifies a huge step forward in terms of equal access to health care, and also more generally in terms of affordable access to meaningful health care, especially to see that this is happening in a developing country.

Journalists Arrested

Just a reminder that as aspiring journalists, although we see some limitations of the press here with the current president, it can be much worse abroad.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42335097

 

Philippines Extend Martial Law In South Africa

MANILA- On Wednesday the Philippine Congress approved a request from President Duterte to extend martial law on the southern island of Mindanao which will last another year. According to the president, this martial law will help fight armed groups that are terrorizing the island.

Mindanao was placed under martial law last May, only days after local militants backed by the Islamic State took control of the city of Marawi. It took nearly 7 months for the government to declare victory against the local militants. President Duterte said on Friday that a yearlong extension of martial law was needed to ensure the “total eradication” of militancy in Mindanao.

Abu Turaipe, who was the successor to Isnilon Hapilon, was the leader of the militant activity in Marawi. According to sources at least 185 fighters were believed to have been involved in the siege and more than 1,200 people were killed in the fighting. This has the biggest security threat in the Philippines since President Duterte took office only a year ago.

 

‘Homeless’ man found €300,000 in Paris airport

Some good luck for you this morning. Right around the holidays this was a nice read to make you feel the holiday spirit. What a nice Christmas present for him, indeed!

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42343604

Indian woman arrested over ‘replacement husband plot’

“A pair of lovers in India have been accused of killing the woman’s husband and then seeking cosmetic surgery so the male lover could take his place.”

I mean if you don’t want to be with someone, don’t be with someone. I have seen stories like this just throughout times here and there. They are always so crazy to me. Interesting read here.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-42335236

North Korea’s perception worldwide

A lot of attention is paid the a potential nuclear crisis between the United States and North Korea.

What gets lost in the midst are who other nations worldwide view North Korea.

One of the most telling quotes, is where United Nations officials saying that the situation was the most tense it has been in many years, and a standoff must be avoided at all costs.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/10/asia/north-korea-united-nations/index.html

4 Takeaways from the Global Summit on Climate Change

I chose this article, because I feel it’s important to note, that while President Trump is implementing his own policies, there are those in positions of power who are choosing to fight back.

I covered this event last week at Prudential Plaza, and the mayors from across the globe had a lot of great ideas on how to address climate change, and for those who still don’t believe it’s existence.

The forgotten survivors of the Gyumri earthquake

A large part of journalism is finding stories that have never been told before. This article and photo essay does just that with a group of people in Armenia still reeling from the effects of 7.0 magnitude earthquake that happened in 1988. The earthquake left the city of Gyumri in total devastation, and now the city has a 45% poverty rate. People who live there are in make-shift shelters and dilapidated buildings. The very first image is of a young girl, and the caption says her father had just committed suicide a few days before because of debilitating debt.

The images show disaster all around, and how humans make do with what they have and how they continue on with their daily lives.

Articles like this remind us that there are a lot more stories out there we may not even consider or give a second to. There are lots of people who are “forgotten survivors.”

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/forgotten-survivors-gyumri-earthquake-171004083707018.html

137 Children Need ‘Immediate Medical Evacuation’ From Syrian Suburb: UN Report

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/children-medical-evacuation-syria_us_5a2d7346e4b0a290f0518d8e?section=us_world-news

“The United Nations children’s agency says 137 children stranded in a war-torn suburb outside of Syria’s capital are in urgent need of medical evacuation. At least five children have died while waiting for medical care, according to the agency,” Huffington reporter Hayley Miller writes in a recent article.

This is an multimedia journalism effort that includes a one-minute videoclip, one piece of clear-shot photograph and 200-word text. All combined to go with the U.N report about the worsening war and violence in East Ghouta.

The war-torn suburb has been going without medical resources critical to treat children, some with kidney failure, others with severe malnutrition conditions for a long time.

But hospitals were bombed, medical evacuation, despite the urgency, still seems impossible at the point because of the war.

The number of children in need of treatment and better care rockets. And as one activist said in the article, “Children are still living through so much horror. Now is the time for all sides to do the right thing and to stop the violence.”

Venezuela opposition banned from running in 2018 election

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-42304594

I have posted a lot about Venezuela, but it is interesting to see democracy play out in different countries around the world. For example, the Catalonian fight for independence within a so-called democracy. Again we see democracy forming into another form of authoritative government in Venezuela.