Drought ignites fear for a Kenyan famine
After months of putting off the warning signs, Kenya has found itself in the midst of a devastating drought. It could turn out to be one of the worst droughts this nation has seen in over a decade. Crops and animals cannot survive the harsh conditions and therefore people are dying of hunger and thirst. Dust has taken the place of Kenya’s once green lands. Kenya usually has high tourism rates. The drought, however, has been keeping tourism at an all time low. The number of Kenyans who are in desperate need of food are about four million, yet help from other nations has been extremely slow. Many Kenyan officials do not appear to believe that the country is experiencing a major drought and are in denial that citizens are constantly dying of hunger.
Swine flu vaccine may not be ready
The swine flu vaccine that was expected to protect 159 million Americans may not be ready in time to take the brunt of this pandemic. Epidemiologists expect the rush of swine flu cases to come as early as next month, not nearly enough time to produce enough vaccinations. If H1N1 reaches its peak in late October, millions of people will be without the vaccine. If the swine flu holds out until late December, however, there is a chance that people will be protected.
Sarkozy to announce raise in French taxes
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will soon announce that he is going to significantly raise taxes on those who use transport and household fuels. As a result, the cost of both driving and heating homes will rise considerably over the next years. By 2030, it could cost about $143 for every ton of carbon emitted. It is thought that the reason for implementing this plan is to help France overcome its debt. There is much controversy over the matter because it is a huge burden to those who are lower income families.
Ford endorses texting while driving bank
The Ford Motor Company is the first automaker to endorse the federal ban on no texting while driving. Ford released a statement that supported legislation proposed by Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York. The proposal stated that any states that do not comply with a text messaging ban will lose 25 percent of their federal highway financing. Text messaging bans have been instated in 14 states and the District of Columbia. However, no other auto companies have taken a stand for or against the bill.
Iranian opposition leaders issue warning
Opposition leaders, Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hussein Moussavi, have been threatened with arrest because they have been publicly opposing the government and the last election results. Moussavi ran in the last presidential election in Iran and tried to prove that the election was rigged. According to Karroubi, many protesters of the election were tortured and raped, and over 70 died in prison. On Friday, Sept. 11, Khamenei stated that if the protests did not stop, there would be bloodshed.
