Greece's election on the 17th is too close to call and could push the debt-ridden country
out of the European single currency. Global financial markets are expected to be in turmoil
following this vote, which is a rerun of the May 6th vote that ended in a stalemate.
U.N. observers in Syria have suspended their monitoring of the cease fire started by former
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan due to escalating violence. This signals the internationally-backed
peace plan is disintegrating and unless Russia and China agree to a stronger response, a
full-blown civil war seems inevitable.
Millions of North Korean children are not getting the food, medicine or health care
they need to develop physically or mentally. Nearly a third of children under 5 show signs
of stunting, particularly in rural areas where food is scarce, and where chronic diarrhea
caused by a lack of clean water, sanitation and electricity has become the leading cause
of death. Hospitals were clean but few had running water or power, and drugs and medicine
were in short supply.
A 10-year-old girl has a new blood vessel thanks to a vein taken from a deceased donor
and the girl’s own stem cells. This kind of tissue engineering holds promise in treating
previously debilitating diseases and injuries. Last year, scientists created a synthetic
windpipe.
Emergency crews were called to a stage in Toronto after it collapsed while being set
up for a concert by Radiohead. One worker was killed, one suffered serious injuries,
and two were treated for minor injuries and released. The park is a popular venue for
concerts and 40,000 fans were expected to watch the English band perform.
The northern Seoul suburb of Paju, in Gyeonggi Province, is growing into a popular investment
destination for Japanese companies seeking a stable manufacturing site following last
year’s disastrous earthquake and tsunami.
