The World Health Organization released their yearly report. Photo courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons
World Wide: The World Heath Organization has released a prediction on cancer cases. By the year 2035, the number of cancer cases reported yearly will reach 24 million. Currently, 14 million people a year are diagnosed with cancer. The WHO also says that half of the 24 million cases could be prevented if people changed their lifestyles. The major sources of preventable cancer are smoking, infections, alcohol, obesity and inactivity, radiation from sun and medical scans, air pollution and other environmental factors.
In the Middle East: In Syria, children are and have been suffering. More than 10,000 children have been killed, many more injured or missing. Many children were arrested and tortured by government forces in 2011 and 2012. Last week, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad accused the rebels of abducting and killing children. The UN released a report on the children and armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic on January 27. This report details the ‘grave violation’ of children by both the government and armed opposition groups.
In Latin America: Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos launched an investigation into reports that army agents spied on government negotiations. The magazine Semana reports that the alleged group that spied on these talks was run by the army, but the army had hired younger hackers and experts. For slightly longer than a year, Colombia’s government has been negotiating a peace treaty with the Farc, Colombia’s largest drug cartel. This is the fourth attempt at peace with the two groups since the 1980s.
In Asia: North and South Korea came to an agreement that on February 20 through 25 of this year, families separated by the 1950-1953 Korean War can hold brief reunions. More than 70,000 South Koreans want to meet lost family members at these reunions, however, few are chosen via lottery to do so. Previous meetings between families lasted seconds before they were sent back to their homes. Many wonder if this agreement is linked with North Korea’s demands for the cancellations of annual military exercises by the United States and South Korean militaries.