JAN. 17, NEW YORK – A pair of twin girls is the center of a heated debate this week, as two couples from Great Britain argue over their custody, because both of them “bought” the same set over the Internet. The babies were advertised on the Web for $12,000. Prime Minister Tony Blair “shares people’s horror that you can buy and sell children as a commodity, and end up with a situation where you have two sets of people who claim to be these children’s parents,” a spokesperson said earlier. The case is under investigation by British authorities. JAN. 16, IRAQ – Rumors earlier this month report that Iraqi president Sadaam Hussein is seriously ill, sparking anticipation for those who wish to see an end to the regime that began the Persian Gulf War. However, reports also mention that Qusay Hussein, Saddam’s youngest son, appears to be the most likely successor. Qusay apparently holds the same ruthless tendencies as his father. “Most of the killings are done by Qusay now,” said a former Iraqi official. “It used to be Saddam or his security service … Qusay’s the butcher of the family now.”
JAN. 16, SANTA TECLA, EL SALVADOR – The massive earthquake that occurred last Saturday has now claimed the lives of at least 600 people, with the death toll still expected to rise. Almost 2,500 people have been reported injured so far from the quake, which measured a 7.6 on the Richter scale. It has damaged property and houses for thousands of El Salvadorians, as landslides caused by the quake have left towns in a state of destruction. “We must face this phenomenon with serenity and with hope,” said Salvadorian president Fransisco Flores. “We have the capacity to face what has happened, but right now the most important thing is solidarity with the people who need it most.”
JAN. 16, ALABAMA – American citizens in Alabama are being refused the privilege of a driver’s license because they cannot speak English. Although U.S. resident Martha Sandoval can read road signs in English, she does not understand the state’s driver’s license exam. Thanks to the “English-only” amendment to the Alabama Constitution, making English the state’s official language, Sandoval was forbidden to take the test in Spanish. The Supreme Court, set to hear arguments in the case this week, will decide whether a private citizen should be allowed to sue the state on these grounds.
JAN. 15, SOUTH CAROLINA – While Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday was celebrated Monday, thousands of South Carolinians gathered at the Statehouse once again to protest the presence of the Confederate flag. Although the flag no longer flies over the capital, it is still visible on its grounds. Participants carried pictures of King and signs with slogans like, “It’s not about heritage,” and “We stand on principle, not compromise.” NAACP state Conference of Branches director Dwight James said, “That flag is one of those symbols that divides us.”
JAN. 15, LONDON – In response to the overwhelming resurgence of mad cow disease (also known as BSE) in Europe in the past months, Americans have begin to feel the damaging effects as well. Although it has not been recorded that tainted meat was found in the United States, the U.S. government has banned beef from BSE-infected countries, ordered vaccines from infected countries replaced and has placed bans on certain blood donations, especially from donors who may have eaten contaminated beef. That translates to approximately 300,000 units or pints of blood, which is more than 120,000 transfusions.