Thai-Cambodian Conflict Escalates

Reuters
From The New York Times

Thai and Cambodian troops escalate clashes across their border, which have killed 13 people in five days (S)

 

Thai and Cambodian troops fought with short-range rockets and guns near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple on Tuesday, opening a second front in a five-day confrontation that has killed 13 people in Southeast Asia's bloodiest border dispute in years.A Thai official said that one Thai soldier was wounded.There were no reports of Cambodian casualties.Sovereignty over Preah Vihear and two other ancient, stone-walled Hindu temples about 90 miles west of it -- Ta Moan and Ta Krabey -- and the jungle of the Dangrek Mountains surrounding them has been in dispute since the French withdrew from Cambodia in the 1950s.Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of Thailand said defense ministers from both sides might hold cease-fire talks on Wednesday.

Legalizing Indoor Prostitution Can Reduce Rape and STDs

From FiveThirtyEight
By Ben Casselman

Authors: Scott Cunningham, Manisha Shah

What they found: Decriminalizing indoor prostitution reduces forcible rape and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Why it matters: Experts have long debated whether legalizing prostitution would improve the well-being of sex workers by establishing minimum health and safety standards and by making it easier for prostitutes to go to the police if they are assaulted. But evaluating the effect of legalization is difficult because prostitution is illegal in most places, and the laws governing it change infrequently. In this paper, the authors take advantage of a 2003 Rhode Island court ruling that effectively decriminalized indoor prostitution from 2003 to 2009, when the state legislature recriminalized it. They find that decriminalization led to more prostitution, but that it led to a 31 percent decrease in reported rapes and a 39 percent decrease in cases of female gonorrhea. (All comparisons are versus model-based expectations of what the numbers would have been if prostitution had remained criminalized.) The declines came not just among sex workers, but in the population as a whole.

Key quote: “This study provides the first causal estimate of the impact of decriminalization on the sex market as well as outcomes related to sexual violence and public health. The results suggest that decriminalization could have potentially large social benefits for the population at large — not just sex market participants.”

Data they used: Weekly classified advertisements from the “adult services” section and restaurant advertisements from the Providence Phoenix; data on prostitutes and their transactions from a website called The Erotic Review; prostitution arrests and criminal offenses (including rape) from the Uniform Crime Reports; gonorrhea cases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s gonorrhea surveillance program,; sexual-behavior outcomes from the 1992 National Health and Social Life Survey; and state-level covariates from the Current Population Survey.

255 Prisoners Killed In Iraq

From Al Jazeera America

Iraqi security forces have executed more than 255 prisoners over the past month in apparent retaliation for atrocities committed by armed Sunni group Islamic State (IS) and to stop them from joining the rebellion, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The rights group said the killings of Sunni prisoners had taken place in six Iraqi towns and villages since June 9 and at least eight of the dead were under the age of 18. The vast majority of security forces are Shia; the prisoners were Sunni.

In further evidence of the bloody violence that has taken hold in the strife-torn country, gunmen killed some 29 people —20 of them women — Saturday in an apartment building in eastern Baghdad, official said.

Months of largely sectarian violence has seen Iraq edge towards full-blown civil war, with Sunni fighters taking large swathes of the country.

HRW said mass extrajudicial reprisal killings as evidenced in their report could amount to war crimes.

“Gunning down prisoners is an outrageous violation of international law,” Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “While the world rightly denounces the atrocious acts of [Islamic State] it should not turn a blind eye to sectarian killing sprees by government and pro-government forces.”

Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), is spearheading a patchwork of insurgents who hold territory grabbed in a lightning raid across the north and west of Iraq and have threatened to move on Baghdad.

The armed group members have made no attempt to hide mass executions of their prisoners. Days after they began sweeping through northern cities last month, they released videos showing their masked fighters machine-gunning captive government soldiers lying in shallow graves.

In a continuation of the violence on Saturday, Iraqi soldiers backed by Shia rebel groups fought Sunni rebels for control of a military base on the edge of Muqdadiya, 50 miles northeast of Baghdad. Heavy fighting raged for hours and was continuing in the afternoon, local security sources said.

Sources at the morgue and hospital in the nearby town of Baquba said they had received the bodies of 15 Shia fighters transferred after the morning's fighting. State TV also reported that 24 "terrorists" had been killed. Seven civilians including children from nearby villages were killed by helicopter gunship fire, police and medics said.

Elsewhere in Iraq, in the western city of Falluja, a hospital received three bodies and 18 wounded people on Saturday after army helicopters bombed the city, government health official Ahmed al-Shami said.

In Jalawla, Kurdish security forces attacked Islamic State positions late Friday night, killing at least 15 militants and three Kurdish security personnel, spokesman Halgurd Hikmat said. The town, in the eastern province of Diyala near the Iranian border, was seized by fighters last month.

Saturday also saw the grim find of 29 bodies in a east Baghdad apartment building.

"When we walked up the stairs, we saw a couple of women's bodies and blood streaming down the stairs. We entered a flat and found bodies everywhere, some lying on the sofa, some on the ground, and one woman who apparently had tried to hide in a cupboard in the kitchen shot to death there,” a police officer told Reuters.

Shia fighters have been accused by locals of carrying out killings of women branded as prostitutes in that district of the capital, though there was no way to immediately confirm who was responsible for the attack. 

A U.N. envoy warned Saturday of further chaos if divided lawmakers do not make progress on Sunday towards naming a government. Most of Iraq's Sunnis and Kurds demand Maliki leave office, and Shia are divided, but he shows no sign of quitting.

Under a system created after the removal of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the prime minister has always been a member of the Shia majority, the speaker of parliament a Sunni and, with one exception, the occupant of the largely ceremonial presidency has been a Kurd.

The current political deadlock raises fears that Iraq could splinter along ethnic and sectarian lines, a reality already playing out in parts of the country.

Ebola Epidemic Growing

From BBC News

High numbers of new cases of the Ebola virus are being reported in Sierra Leone and Liberia, with 19 deaths over three days this week, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) says.

Such figures showed that it was a race against time to control the epidemic in Sierra Leone, medical charity MSF said.

In total there have been 539 deaths in West Africa since the outbreak began in neighbouring Guinea in February.

Regional leaders have now agreed to set up a fund to combat its spread.

At a summit of the regional body Ecowas in Ghana on Thursday, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to contribute $3m (£1.8m) to the fund.

Ebola spreads through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids and there is no vaccine or cure.

It kills up to 90% of those infected but if patients receive early treatment, they have a better chance of survival.

'Precarious'

The WHO statement said that Sierra Leone had accounted for 32 new cases and 15 deaths, while Liberia reported 11 new cases and four deaths.

WHO: West Africa Ebola outbreak figures

• Guinea - 309 deaths, 409 cases
• Liberia - 88 deaths, 142 cases
• Sierra Leone - 142 deaths, 337 cases

There had been two deaths and one new infection recorded between 6-8 July in Guinea, where it said the community transmission rate was low.

"The epidemic trend in Liberia and Sierra Leone remains precarious with high numbers of new cases and deaths being reported," it said.

The cases in Sierra Leone are centred in Kailahun and Kenema districts, and in Liberia's Lofa and Montserrado counties, the WHO said.

The Ebola death rate in Guinea - where specialised health workers
have been working since February - has slowed

Medecins Sans Frontieres said its teams in eastern Sierra Leone were "racing against time to stop the spread of the disease".

"We're under massive time pressure: the longer it takes to find and follow up with people who have come in contact with sick people, the more difficult it will be to control the outbreak," MSF emergency co-ordinator Anja Wolz said in a statement.

"We still have no idea how many villages are affected. I'm afraid we've only seen the tip of the iceberg."

The disease creates fear within communities and sick people are often stigmatised so experts believe the key to stopping the spread of the virus is to make sure affected communities understand it better.

"Families can be driven out of their villages, and sick people can be cast out to die on their own," said Ms Wolz.

The WHO gathers data on confirmed, probable and suspected cases and deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

So far in the West African outbreak there have been 888 cases.

Ebola virus disease (EVD)

• Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
• Fatality rate can reach 90%
• Incubation period is two to 21 days
• There is no vaccine or cure
• Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery
• Fruit bats are considered to be the natural host of the virus

North Korean News Shows North Korea Winning Group Stage at World Cup

By Brooks Peck
From Dirty Tackle

A parody of a North Korean state news broadcast claiming that the isolated nation's team won the World Cup group stage (despite not qualifying for the tournament) has some people convinced it's real and everyone giggling at its claims.

According to the video, North Korea sailed through the group stage with a 7-0 win over Japan, 4-0 win over the U.S. and 2-0 win over China, putting them in a playoff againstPortugal. It also shows images of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un superimposed on the big screen at Rio's World Cup fan fest.

Though this is all clearly nonsense, it doesn't appear to be North Korean nonsense. The news anchor's voice doesn't match up with her lips and, according to Reddit user "crnprdian," the voiceover's dialect is all wrong. Then there's also the fact that most of the 2014 World Cup's matches are being broadcast in North Korea, albeit on a 24-35 hour delay, so the country's residents are aware of what is actually happening in the tournament.

Metro and the CBC have both fallen for the parody, presenting it as an actual North Korean state broadcast.

North Korea actually did qualify for the World Cup in 1966 and 2010, losing 2-1 to Brazil, 7-0 to Portugal and 3-0 to the Ivory Coast in South Africa.

LeBron's Return Upsets GOP's Plan

By The Associated Press
From Politico

Celebrations aside, LeBron James’ decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA could complicate the Republican Party’s plan to nominate its presidential contender on Lake Erie’s shores in 2016.

If James leads his team into post-season play then, the GOP could find its preferred June 28 start date for the convention impossible because of the site conflict. Convention planners typically take weeks to customize the space with lights, seats and the traditional balloon drop from the rafters — impossible tasks if the Cavaliers go into post-season play.

That leaves Republicans looking at their backup date of July 18, still earlier than parties typically nominate their presidential hopeful in recent years, but later than RNC chief Reince Priebus preferred.

“All options remain on the table as we’re still very early on in the negotiation process,” RNC spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said. “We’re excited about Cleveland, and LeBron’s return is further evidence that it’s a city on the rise.”

Priebus insisted his party’s convention be scheduled for early summer 2016, roughly two months sooner than has become the norm. That would give the GOP’s next presidential nominee quicker access to tens of millions of dollars in general election cash

“The candidate can be broke, but they’re not able to raise general election money until the convention is held,” Priebus said earlier this week.

But James’ return to the Cavaliers from the Miami Heat could complicate that timeline and perhaps Republican efforts to win the White House. Teams with James have made it to the league finals in five of the last eight seasons, and his move to Cleveland is unlikely to reverse that trend.

Cleveland on Tuesday won the unanimous backing of a RNC panel, all but guaranteeing the GOP’s 2016 presidential pick will accept the party’s nomination in perennially hard-fought Ohio. RNC lawyers are now in negotiations with Cleveland’s organizing committee over the exact terms of the bid, including how many weeks of early and exclusive access Republicans can expect in the Cavaliers’ arena.

If the RNC insists on its preferred date and weeks of early access to hang balloons and bunting, the Cavaliers could be forced to look at other venues for post-season play. Ohio State University’s basketball arena in Columbus is one such option.

The full 168-member RNC is expected to finalize the deal next month.

Ohio’s allure as a political prize proved tempting. The last candidate to win the White House without Ohio was John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, in 1960.

During the 2012 presidential race, President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney made Ohio a central piece of their strategies. Combined, they spent $150 million on television ads and were frequent visitors to the state, which narrowly broke in Obama’s favor.

91 Year Old Chemotherapy Patient Sets Marathon Record

By Andie Adams
From NBC News San Diego



Harriette Thompson at the Rock'n Roll Marathon. Picture from NBC News.

 

The 2014 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon saw new records for time and age shattered by one runner. At 91 years old, Harriette Thompson has become the oldest woman to complete the Southern California race – her 15th time running it. That made her the second oldest marathon runner in U.S. history.

 

With a time of 7 hours, 7 minutes and 42 seconds, she also broke the U.S. record for the fastest marathon run in the 90-94 age group. The previous record was held by a 90-year-old runner in Portland, Oregon, who ran a marathon in 8:53:08, according to U.S.A. Track & Field.

 

But a brief chat with Thompson reveals her story outpaces even her record-breaking running. The North Carolina resident is a cancer survivor, most recently battling squamous cell carcinoma on her legs, Runners World reports.

“I’m having radiation on my legs. I just had nine radiation treatments, and they’re being healed now,” she said before Sunday’s race. Treatments and hospitalizations forced her to skip last year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon, but she came back this year with a new spring in her step. Before the race, she said she felt fine, though one leg was giving her a bit of trouble.

 

Through her runs, Thompson helps to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. The team’s campaign director told the Charlotte Observer Thompson’s efforts have generated more than $90,000 for the society. The cause is close to her heart because everyone in her family had died from leukemia or some form of cancer, she told NBC 7.

Recently, she lost her 99-year-old brother to lymphoma, so keeping up her own health is one of her main motivations to run. In previous races, Thompson has trained with a team, but this year, she had a hard time keeping up with them – understandable, since they are a group of 20 year olds.

Instead, she put together her own routine.

 

“I try to run around the block, and I do a few 5Ks,” said Thompson. “I think the most I’ve done this year is an 8K, so it’s sort of a lot to ask to jump from that to 26.” But jump she did, running with her son to help keep her going. Her favorite part of a marathon?

“Oh, my favorite part’s at the end when I get over that finish line! That’s the best part,” she said.

However, there’s more to this race that has kept her coming back for 15 years. The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego is the first marathon she ever ran, making her debut at the age of 76, according to the Charlotte Observer.

“The city is wonderful, the people are wonderful, the scenery, the weather – everything’s great. And it’s not terribly hilly, so I can’t imagine doing any other one,” said Thompson.

 

But this year, she did not anticipate all the media attention. When told that she was an inspiration to others, the humble runner responded, “That’s wonderful if that’s true. That’s a benefit I didn’t expect.” The 91-year-old took some time before the race to share some wisdom for those beyond the marathon course.

 

"I guess I could say it's never too late, and you feel wonderful if you -- I'm sure that if you exercise, you certainly know the benefits of it," she said.