Top stories from DAWNS Digest
The ICC Case Against Kenyan Leaders is Sort of Crumbling
Witnesses are not showing up to testify against Kenya’s deputy prime minister William Ruto. “The start of Ruto’s trial on Sep. 10 was delayed due to the absence of a key prosecution witness from the Rift Valley Province. Ruto is facing charges of murder, and the forceful transfer and persecution of people during the violence that followed Kenya’s disputed 2007 presidential elections…The first witness took the stand on Tuesday, but she gave her testimony as a number of other witnesses withdrew from the case. By the start of the trial last week, the prosecution witness list had dwindled to 20 names from the original 42. An additional four withdrew on Sept. 15, two days before the trial resumed. (IPS http://bit.ly/17GWDl8)
Leprosy on the Rise in India?
The biblical scourge may be making a comeback. “Nationally, India’s leprosy prevalence dropped below 1 case for every 10,000 people in 2005, allowing the country to claim elimination. The disease, which causes chronic skin sores,nerve damage and muscle weakness, is usually spread through close contact with untreated cases via bacteria-laden respiratory secretions, or through contaminated soil. This year, 36 districts reported a prevalence of more than 2 cases per 10,000 people, nine more districts than last year. The worst-affected was Tapi, in the western state of Gujarat, where there were 6.55 cases per 10,000 people in March, compared with 4.03/10,000 last year.” (Bloomberg http://bloom.bg/150KVnm)