Former top military commander, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, killed in Iraq.
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who was former leader Saddam Hussein’s right-hand man, was killed in Iraq. (Image Courtesy of Heathcliff O’Malley)
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, former Deputy to Saddam Hussein and fugitive, was reportedly killed in Iraq. Douri was the official with the highest profile in Hussein’s government to avoid capture by US troops. In the past, rumours of Douri’s death have circulated. However, they were consistently retracted. This time, al-Arabiya TV has shown a photo that claims to capture the image of Douri’s dead body. The body has been sent to labs for confirmation. Douri purportedly died in battle north of Baghdad. The information surrounding his death is still unclear.
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Decreased biodiversity in Western population may affect health of people.
A study published in Cell Reports reveals that people living in the Western world, have a lower diversity of gut bacteria than those living in Papua New Guinea. Analyzing the fecal bacteria of people living in the two areas, the study showed that although both groups had common gut bacteria species, U.S. residents lacked about fifty bacterial strains that were dominant in rural Papua New Guinea.
U.S. residents have a lower diversity of gut bacteria than Papua New Guineans (Image courtesy of Andrew Greenhill).
Interest in gut bacterial populations has increased over the years as researchers search for their impact on health. Research has also proposed that changes in the population of gut bacteria may be responsible for the increase in diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, and colon cancer in the Western population. Despite the low biodiversity, however, higher standards of hygiene in the U.S. lead to a lower rate of gastrointestinal infectious diseases that are common in low-income communities, such as those found in rural Papua New Guinea. Researchers are working towards finding their affect on health in order to find a balance between the bacteria population and proper sanitation.
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Chimps seen making and using spears.
Closeup of a chimp carrying chimp-made spear. (Image Courtesy of BBC)
Scientists in Senegal are observing Fongoli Chimpanzees making and wielding spears. The spears are made from tree branches that are whittled, refined, and sharpened by teeth, measure around 75 cm on average, and most are made by females. The chimps then used the spears to hunt prey. This new discovery has lead scientists to think that early humans may have done the same to hunt for food. So far, the Fongoli Chimpanzees are the only group of non-human primates observed to have made their own weapons.
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China building airstrip on contested waters.
Satellite image on 2 April of, supposedly, the airstrip China is building. (Image Courtesy of DigitalGlobe/ AFP/Getty Images)
China is building an airstrip on an artificially created island, Fiery Cross Reef, in disputed waters in the South China Sea. The sea is claimed by China, Malaysia, and Brunei. Satellite images taken in late March showed a paved runway that was 500 meters in length. The island has a potential of holding a 3000 meter runway, allowing enough room for air force planes. This would give China more control over this contested region. Besides Fiery Cross Reef, China is also carrying out 8 other island reclamation projects. China claims that by building their airstrip, they are improving living conditions for the people in the area, while the US warns that it may raise tensions in the region.
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Xenophobia leads to attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.
Attacks have led to five deaths in recent weeks (Image courtesy of Reuters).
With an unemployment rate of 24%, South Africa is rife with unrest, resulting in a series of xenophobic attacks against foreign workers in the country. An attack on foreign-owned shops in east Johannesburg is the latest against migrants, despite Thursday’s rally against xenophobia in Durban and censure from President Jacob Zuma. The attack caused about two hundred foreigners to seek shelter at a police station and led to the arrest of twelve individuals.
The occurrence of these attacks has recently increased because many South Africans accuse the foreign nationals, a population consisting mostly of people from other African states and Asia, of taking their jobs. Data shows that approximately two million foreign nationals reside in South Africa, though some estimates put the number at five million. 24-hour centres have been opened by the police in an effort to suppress attacks on foreigners, while several African states have said they are willing to aid their citizens in returning home.
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