Drug-resistant AIDS Virus 'On the Rise'

      A study published in The Lancet medical journal reveals that the new drug-resistant mutations of the AIDS virus is increasing in parts of Africa; a development which should be a clear warning to health watchdogs across the world. This rise in documented cases has researchers, doctors and patients urging the world's governments not to cut funding against the epidemic, reports Aljazeera. The study couldn't be coming at a more appropriate time as the 19th International AIDS Conference is being held in Washington D.C. this week and brings together the international community to discuss what's been accomplished in the fight against the virus and what still needs to be done to create an AIDS-free generation.

The Spread of 'Baby Boxes' in Europe Concerns the UN

     The United Nations is growing increasingly concerned over the use of baby boxes in Europe, a system which lets parents anonymously abandon their infant to health-care professionals and adoption agencies. The UN has taken offense to the practice because they believe that it contradicts the child's right to be known and cared for by his or her parents. Leaving a child in a safe place to be cared for by others is a controversial topic which draws debate from a number of different organizations such as political groups, religious organizations and pro-life lobbyists. The arguments are valid and raise a number of questions regarding state provision of family planning and counselling practices for women.

Slavery in Mauritania

     Chattel slavery, in which one person is owned as another's property, has existed in the West African country of Mauritania for 800 years. The ruling class is known as the bidanes (translated as white-skinned people) who are descendants of the Sanhaja Berbers and Beni Hassan Arab tribes who emigrated to Western Africa during the Middle Ages. They are the masters of the haratines, the black slave caste that makes up roughly 20% of the population (up to 600,000 men, women and children). The form of slavery that exists in Mauritania is called hereditary slavery, which means that a child who is born to a mother who is a slave inherits her status and serves the same family she does. It's because of this practice that the bidanes no longer need to hunt for slaves as many haratines serve the same family for generations.

Haiti 'Rape Victim' Testifies in Uruguay

     A 19-year-old Haitian man who accused Uruguayan troops of sexually assaulting him in September 2011 has testified in Montevideo before judge Alejandro Guido. The troops were in Haiti serving as United Nations peacekeepers, an occupation which has raised numerous concerns among both locals and international audiences. A video showing the attack, captured by one of the soldiers cellphones, was heavily circulated  in the southern Haitian town of Port-Salut and caused the already tense situation in Haiti to further devolve as this assault joins the growing list of failures by the UN since they came to the country more than eight years ago.