A focused recap of international news stories by Newsendip: A Tanzanian engineer provides clean water for an ailing region, Bolivia looks to become a central trade country in South America, labor shortage in Israel, and more.
- The engineer bringing clean water to 400,000 people in East Africa
- Decriminalizing abortion to decongest jails in the Philippines?
- The EU and its internal disagreement over the definition of rape
- In Sweden, controversies over past actions of fertility doctors
- Israel looks to Africa to solve its labor shortage
- MERCOSUR accepts Bolivia to join the group
- Costa Rica: a country with no military since 1948
The Tanzanian engineer bringing clean water to 400,000 people
Only 61% of Tanzanian households currently have access to a water supply and 32% to basic sanitation. The 31,000 annual deaths caused by lack of access to clean water account for more than 10% of preventable deaths in Tanzania. Aware of the problem, Professor Askwar Hilonga began research into nanomaterials capable of purifying water shortly after obtaining his doctorate in nanotechnology in South Korea and now helps solve a regional health issue.
Decriminalizing abortion to decongest jails in the Philippines?
The Attorney General of the Philippines has asked legislators to decriminalize defamation and abortion as part of the state’s efforts to relieve prison congestion. “This is one of the recommended solutions,” a Justice Department spokesperson said on Wednesday. Filipino jails have nearly four times as many people as their normal capacity. Women who undergo abortions may be punished by up to six years in jail, as well as doctors and midwives who perform abortions.
The EU disagrees on the definition of rape
The proposal and subsequent rejection of a consent-based definition of rape has been creating friction in the European Union. On one side, some countries, like Italy, Greece, and Sweden, wanted to define rape across the EU as only about consent, meaning there needs an expressed consent for it not to be considered rape. On the other hand, France and Germany, among others, want to maintain that rape also requires other conditions. Members of the European Parliament asked that the heads of states approve the proposal they voted.
In Sweden, past fertility doctor actions now resurface as malpractice
Swedish media revealed a fertility doctor used his own sperm for several inseminations more than 30 years ago at a time when the practice was not really regulated. The doctor said he did this to help women who wanted children. In a case pending at the European Court of Justice, a Swedish doctor is accused of having stolen sperm samples dedicated to medical use for insemination.
Israel looks to Africa to solve its labor shortage
Kenyan and Malawian agricultural workers will join Israeli farms to partially offset the lack of workforce in Israel. The agriculture ministry says it needs 30,000 to 40,000 people to work on farms. More than 10,000 migrant workers, mainly from Thailand, have left the country since the conflict with Hamas began in October. Moreover, Palestinian workers, who make up nearly 20% of the agricultural workforce, are barred from entry. The labor shortage is also due to the approximately 360,000 Israeli reservists called up for military service since the start of the conflict.
By joining MERCOSUR, Bolivia hopes to turn its trade deficit around
All countries of the South American trade alliance MERCOSUR have now approved adding Bolivia as a member. Having mainly exported gas and primary resources before, the country seeks to turn around its trade deficit through industrial exports. It will be the only country to be a part of two major South American trading blocks.
Costa Rica: A country with no military since 1948
On the 1st of December, Costa Ricans commemorated the 75th anniversary of the official abolishment of the military. The gathering took place at Abolishment Square, where the former president, José Figueres Ferrer, symbolically destroyed the wall of the former military headquarters with a mace, marking the end of a violent civil war. The country prides itself on diverting funds from the military to education, but is facing recent increases in violent crime.
