North America
As suicide rates and post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis’s are increasing among our troops, the number of behavioral Army doctors is decreasing.  The Army’s Vice Chief of Staff, General Peter Chiarelli, came out on Jan. 25 and spoke about concerns with the army not having enough doctors, nurses, and other caregivers.  The underlying issue is that the nation as a whole has suffered a shortage of medical experts.  Thus, the army is forced to compete with the civilian sector to recruit and retain much needed doctors.

South America
A group of heavily armed men opened fire during a soccer match in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico Jan. 25.  The soccer game was taking place at a field built as a community center to help children live above the infuence.  These shootings are thought to have been linked to the drug cartels in the city, but police are unsure of the motives as of now.  Two were wounded and seven were killed, including a soccer player whose body lay face down under the center’s sign- “Live Better”.

Africa
In Cairo, Egypt the interior ministry banned demonstrations and threatened protesters with prosecution as the anti-government rallies continued for the second day.  Thousands joined the protest since its start on Jan. 25 against President Hosni Mubarak’s rule, encouraged by a pro-democracy youth group.  Since its start two protesters and one policeman have been killed, but the protesting continues.

Europe
Bulgarian and Greek police have arrested 11 people so far for participating in a baby trafficking ring. The investigation nicknamed “Operation Babies”, has discovered 14 cases in which the women agreed to sell their newborns.  Impoverished pregnant women from Bulgaria were brought to Greece to give birth.  Depending on the color of their skin, boys went for up to 20,000 euros while girls went for up to 15,000 euros.  However, mothers never received more than 1,500.  Police were finally tipped off when a women who had had her baby taken by force reported the rings location.

Asia
At least 71 people have died, 23 people are missing, and 13 people have been injured in the monsoon that has flooded the Philippines since Dec. 29.  The storms have affected nearly 1.6 million people according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and they estimate the damage to crops and infrastructure at about $40 million.

Australia
The Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, has proposed a new “flood tax” to help pay for the reconstruction in the aftermath of the flooding.  This is to be a twelve-month tax that will become effective July first of this year.  It applies only to people who make $50,000 a year or more and will only be applied, at most, as a one percent increase.  Those directly affected by the flooding will be exempt.  The tax is expected to generate about $1.8 billion.