Top stories from DAWNS Digest
Suspected Cases of Polio in Syria
The WHO is investigating potential cases of polio showing up in Syria. If confirmed, it would be the first cases in Syria since 1999. “The organization said it received reports Thursday of ‘a cluster of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases’ in the country. The cluster was detected early in the month in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, it said. ‘Initial results from the national polio laboratory in Damascus indicate that two of the cases could be positive for polio — final results are awaited from the regional reference laboratory of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of WHO.’” (CNN http://bit.ly/1cKLPEP)
The Nigerian City That Defeated Boko Haram
There is still much violence in Northern Nigeria. But the regional capital of Maiduguri, once a hotbed of Boko Haram attacks, is largely pacified. “The city of two million, until recently emptied of thousands of terrified inhabitants, is bustling again after four years of fear. For several months, there have been no shootings or bombings in Maiduguri, and the sense of relief — with women lingering at market stalls on the sandy streets and men chatting under the shade of feathery green neem trees in the 95-degree heat — is palpable.” (NYT http://nyti.ms/19VxKQd)