This week I'm going to do things a little differently by presenting a number of news stories from around the world through the use of images. I'll briefly describe the details of the story and provide a link to the original article for further information. The reason I'm changing my format is twofold; first, I need a breather after the amount of research and writing that went into the youth unemployment series, and second, I feel that by providing a brief summary of some of the events happening around the world you may be more enticed to research the events on your own. Independent research is a vital step to developing your awareness of the world around you and understanding the importance of the news.
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| HSBC apologized for its lapse, said reforms has been put in place, and admitted it was 'horrified' by what it found. (Gary Cameron / Reuters) |
Executives for HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, were forced to answer a barrage of difficult questions by US senators today because of "revelations that staff at its global subsidiaries laundered billions of dollars for drug cartels, terrorists and pariah states." Reports found that these subsidiaries had transported billions of dollars worth of cash in armoured vehicles, cleared suspicious travellers' cheques worth billions, and allowed Mexican drug lords to buy planes with laundered money. According to the Guardian David Bagley, HSBC's head of compliance since 2002, resigned before the committee. The problems were reported to have happened because of poor oversight and compliance which was "fragmented". The bank was also subjected to harsh criticisms of its operations in Iran, Syria and Cuba.
2) Fighting spreads in Damascus; Syrian rebels see turning point Source: The Toronto Star
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| Demonstrators raise Syrian opposition flags during a protest against Syria's President Bashar Assad in the Kfr Suseh area of Damascus on Monday. (Reuters) |
The fighting between security forces and rebels continued today in what was described as "the fiercest clashes to date reported in Damascus". This is the third consecutive day of attacks on Syria's capital and the 16th month of the civil conflict. According to Col. Qassim Saadeddine, Homs-based spokesman for the Joint Command of the rebel group, the fighting won't stop until the capital has been conquered, reported a Lebanese television station's website. The opposition says that the government retaliated by sending in attack helicopters and shelling to stop the rebels. Other opposition groups are appearing around Syria to fight to government but the state of the situation is difficult to judge because the Syrian government has restricted human rights monitors and journalists.
3) Taliban's vaccine ban may affect 280,000 children Source: CNN
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| A three-month-old infant receives polio vaccination drops from his mother at a camp in Jalozai, Pakistan on July 13. |
The World Health Organization estimates that 280,000 children could be affected by the polio vaccination ban imposed by Taliban militants. The ban was enacted last month and is in response to US drone strikes in the region. According to CNN a three-day nationwide effort to administer the vaccine failed to immunize children in North and South Waziristan. Throughout the rest of the country, 180,000 health workers and volunteers spread across communities in the attempt to immunize 34 million children, under the age of 5. The ban is highly criticized because it puts children at risk in an ill conceived attempt to use their lives as bargaining chips against the US government. An editorial from The Nation, a Pakistani newspaper, calls the ban "an act of extremist proportions that would earn the Taliban more public anger."
4) US FDA approves first drug shown to reduce risk of HIV infection Source: The Guardian
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| The HIV 1 virus shown under a microscope. The US FDA has approved a drug shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection. (Institut Pasteur / AFP) |
Truvada, a drug which has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection, has been approved by the FDA. It's already being used for Aids treatment but is now being positioned for individuals with "extreme risk of HIV" because their partners are infected. The cost of the drug is $14,000 a year, an expense not many people may be able to afford, especially those without health insurance. The article explains that supporters of the drug hope that eventually it can be offered in Africa and the developing world. The manufacturer of the drug, Gilead Sciences, discounts Truvada in the developing world, bringing the price as low as $100 a year. This discount applies to the drug's current application of Aids treatment and not the newly promoted use of prevention. However, the Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) are accusing the FDA of being "reckless" because studies show that the drug could potentially cause kidney damage. The AHF also argues that the pill shouldn't be given unless an HIV test is undertaken or those already infected could find the virus become resistant to the drug. According to the article, Truvada is a combination of two antiretroviral drugs used in HIV treatment - emtricitabine and tenofovir.
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