Human Interest

Uproar after Bolivian congressmen given gift of ‘Viagra’ for Father’s Day

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Male members of the Bolivian lower house of congress received a packet of generic Sildenafil, the main ingredient in the ED pill Viagra, as they entered Congress Thursday, an early gift anticipating Bolivian Father’s Day Friday. It is believed the gift came from the MAS ruling party.

Opposition congresswoman Samantha Nogales called the gift “unacceptable, and a highly machista act,” while Senator Andrea Barrientos denounced the act in a tweet, “In times when we should speak of joint responsibility of care, of equity, of stability, public resources are spent on Viagra. A shame.”

The pills were wrapped in a crafts-tie made of construction paper which many of the men hung around their necks. Other congressmen, however, said they felt insulted, calling for an investigation of the use of funds.

By Milan Sime Martinic

Mountain of gold discovered in Africa, mining banned while authorities figure what to do

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Luhihi Mountain in Congo’s South Kivo province is currently the scene of a gold rush, with some reports stating that the mountain is 60-90% gold. News of the mountain of gold caused hundreds of people to flock to the area with picks and shovels and a lot of ambition.

Melees erupted as masses of people worked up a frenzy to strike it rich with a handful of the precious metal. In turn, their actions caused the government to issue a decree banning mining on the mountain until new rules could be established, “Not only to protect lives but also to guarantee the traceability of the gold produced in accordance with Congolese law.”

The minister assured citizens that the suspension was made in order to identify the miners and ensure that they are registered with the regulators. “Traders, miners, and the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) must abandon the Luhihi mines and are prohibited from mining until further notice,” said the decree.

The discovery of the mound of gold ore is perhaps as significant for Congo as was the discovery of the Silver ore in Potosi, current-day Bolivia, in the 1500s, say mining analysts. The silver mountain made the former Inca hamlet the economic center of the world and transformed it into the wealthiest and most powerful city in the world at the time.

By Milan Sime Martinic

Downed Brazilian pilot rescued after given up for dead in Amazon jungle

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SAO PAULO  -  Antonio Sera survived 36 days in the thick jungle along the Para River in Brazil’s lower Amazonia after his plane crashed and burned January 28. Government rescuers found no trace of him and gave up after a week. He told the Folha of Sao Paulo that he survived by eating fruit that he saw that monkeys would eat. The 36-year-old walked through the thick bush to safety and was 26 kilos lighter when found by Brazil nut farmers.

By Milan Sime Martinic

Crocs escape farm, South Africans in Danger

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DURBAN, South Africa – Police have set up a special unit to trap the crocodiles after an unknown number of the reptiles escaped from a breeding farm in the SA’s Western Cape Province.

It is believed that the crocodiles have escaped through the breeding farm’s broken fence and made their way to the Breede River.

So far, it was reported that 27 crocs have been captured. However, officials said they were not sure how many more they need to find, and now the South Africans are very afraid.

The residents have been urged to stay clear of the river and have been warned against approaching these dangerous reptiles which are believed to measure up to 1.5m (4ft 11in) in length.

The police are on standby, using bait in cages along the riverbank.

By Zakithi Dlamini

At least 7 dead in confrontation after 4 story fall at university in Bolivia

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Packed tightly and fighting, hundreds of students at the Public University of El Alto pressed and shoved against a railing that collapsed as the balcony appeared to crumble at the base, dropping 11, leaving a mounting death toll, and at least 4 young people in intensive care. The dead range in age from 19 to 27.

The tragedy came after a call to an extraordinary general student assembly which bucked biosecurity regulations and agglomerated protesting young people on a high hallway protected by a balustrade that gave way.

One woman can be seen in video footage lunging toward another young woman who is pressed into the railing as it gives way, dropping her from a height of over 50 feet. Various videos shows her in a pile of bodies at the bottom, and the lounging woman trapped by the weight of other students on her feet while she hangs precariously upside-down and is pulled to safety.

Investigations are under way into the decision to congregate so many people, the nature of the confrontation, and structural faults in construction.

By Milan Sime Martinic