Venezuela to fingerprint shoppers
To prevent food hoarding, Venezuela has unveiled a new fingerprinting system. Venezuelans buying basic goods will have to show identification and place their thumbs on a machine. Venezuela has suffered from chronic shortages of basic food staples like milk and eggs for years and even toilet paper.
Pakistan test-fires nuclear capable ballistic missile
Pakistan has successfully test-fired a ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads beyond the borders of its strategic rival India. The Shaheen-III surface-to-surface missile landed in the Arabian Sea after flying 1,720 miles from its launching pad. This is more than double the maximum range required to hit a target anywhere in India but falls short of being able to reach Israel, located more than 2,100 miles away.
Myanmar police charge at student protesters
Hundreds of riot police charged at students protesting Myanmar’s new education law, pummeling them with batons and then dragging them into trucks, bringing a quick, harsh end to a week-long standoff. The law allows all decisions about education policy and curriculum in the hands of a group largely made up of government ministers, in which students believe undermines the autonomy of universities. Some protesters were beaten in the head, punched and kicked as they were dragged to the waiting trucks. 114 people were detained and several students and police were injured.
Two officers shot outside Ferguson police department
Two police officers were seriously injured last week in a shooting outside the Ferguson police department amid new protests following the resignation of the town’s embattled police chief. A 32-year-old officer was shot in the face and a 41-year-old officer was shot in the shoulder. The police are now out of the hospital. Their injuries were described as “very serious.” Authorities have arrested 20-year-old Jeffrey Williams in connection to the shootings.
Tetanus shot may aid treatment of deadly brain cancer
A study from Duke University Medical Center proved patients lived longer when they received a dose of tetanus vaccine in addition to an experimental treatment for the most common and deadly kind of brain tumor. The treatment was aimed at making the immune system attack the cancer, and the tetanus shot apparently helped that process.
South Florida brothers plead guilty to terrorism charges
Two South Florida brothers charged with plotting to blow up New York landmarks plead guilty to terrorism charges in Miami federal court on March 12. Raees Alam Qazi, 22, and Sheheryar Alam Qazi, 32 — naturalized U.S. citizens from Pakistan who had lived together in Oakland Park before their arrests in 2012 — were charged with conspiring to support the al-Qaida terrorist group and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction. The brothers initially pleaded not guilty.
Zoo employees ride bikes to work to save wildlife habitat
Workers at the Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society have been focused on reducing its carbon footprint. All employees are challenged to find other ways to get to and from work other than by driving alone, and to do so at least once a month. So far, the zoo has cut its carbon footprint by 6 percent in just a year. The zoo also is focused on recycling 90 percent of its trash, building a garden to provide some of the food for the animals and trying to create compost from the zoo’s garbage.
