Posts Tagged ‘Mexico’
Written by admin on 06 February 2012
Mexico City, Feb 6 (IANS/EFE) A vaccine against heroin addiction that has been patented in Mexico will be ready for human use in around five years.
Health Secretary Salomon Chertorivski said laboratory experiments have been carried out on rats and “the next step is testing on humans”.
The vaccine, however, must undergo a “normal development process” and therefore at least another five years of work will be required before it can be used by human beings, he said.
“We can be very proud of our scientists at the National Institute of Psychiatry because they’ve achieved something that hasn’t been achieved in other areas of the world,” the official said.
“And it’s not only heroin… that’s what’s been patented so far but we’re advancing rapidly on cocaine and methamphetamines,” he said.
–IANS/EFE
pm
Tags: Mexico, Mexico City
Posted in America | No Comments »
Written by admin on 06 February 2012
Bogota, Feb 6 (IANS/EFE) Some 180 half-naked people in the northwestern city of Medellin positioned themselves to form the word “stop” to demand an end to bullfighting in Colombia.
“‘Stop. That’s enough of bullfights, of mistreating animals’: That is our message for the world that looks down on us,” said Animanaturalis representative Edison Duque, the coordinator of the event in Medellin.
The event was held Saturday in the Parque de los Deseos, a venue provided to them by the Medellin Public Companies Foundation, a few hours before the start of one of the bullfights held within the framework of the city’s bull festival.
For about two hours, the anti-bullfighting group withstood intense sunshine and imitated the postures of the bulls as they die in the ring, covered with paint to resemble dried blood.
“We want to make clear that these are teaching, educational events and are never against anyone. What we want is for the torture of animals to end and not to have death made into a celebration,” Duque said.
Numerous curious onlookers came up to the demonstrators to observe their activities and exchanged comments with them about the practice of bullfighting in Colombia, one of the parts of the world where it is most enthusiastically followed.
–IANS/EFE
rd
Tags: Bogota, Mexico
Posted in America | No Comments »
Written by admin on 06 February 2012
Mexico City, Feb 6 (IANS/EFE) A total of 58 people have died of flu in Mexico so far this year. The deaths were caused by different strains of flu virus, the predominant one being swine flu.
As many as 2,815 alive patients have been confirmed to have the infection, the health secretariat said.
From Jan 1 to Feb 2, 93 percent of the deaths were caused by the AH1N1 swine flu, it said.
Of the current cases of infection, 90 percent have been due to the AH1N1 virus.
Two other flu viruses are currently active in Mexico — AH3N2 and influenza B.
Swine flu broke out in Mexico in March-April 2009. Till June 2010, there had been around 1,300 deaths and more than 70,000 cases of the infection.
–IANS/EFE
pm
Tags: Mexico, Mexico City
Posted in America | No Comments »
Written by admin on 05 February 2012
Cancun (Mexico), Feb 5 (IANS/EFE) Spanish actor and producer Antonio Banderas wants everyone to join the fight against child sexual exploitation, something that, he said, affects not only underdeveloped nations but everyone.
‘We have to take this very seriously and root it out,’ the film star said Friday.
Banderas made the call during the presentation of the book ‘Libro de Suenos’ (Book of Dreams), prepared by the humanitarian organization Unicef and the Iberostar Group to make parents and their children understand the dangers and degradation of child sexual exploitation.
He spoke about the importance of raising awareness to combat child sexual exploitation and said that in recent years it has become ‘a problem affecting many nations’.
‘Many of us associate the scourge with a single country, I’m not going to say which one but it’s in all our minds, an Asian country, but when we do that we’re making a little exercise in hypocrisy because we know that basically that is going on in many countries, including some that are totally developed,’ he said.
–IANS/EFE
rd
Tags: Cancun, Mexico
Posted in America | No Comments »
Written by admin on 05 February 2012
Mexico City, Feb 5 (IANS/EFE) Diana Sanchez Barrios, the first transsexual woman to seek a seat in Mexico City’s municipal assembly, says she is confident of winning.
“This isn’t a matter of transsexuality but of capability, and I’m capable of legislating for all citizens – I’m ready to win and I know I’m going to win,” she told EFE.
Sanchez Barrios, who at 16 began a hormone treatment to modify her body and then for several years prepared herself for sex-change surgery, said that she spent more than 10 years developing her activism in defense of human rights and sexual identity.
The activist has been a local councillor in the leftist PRD and is now seeking the party’s nomination for a spot in the municipal assembly.
In her opinion, there’s still a long way to go before transsexuals enjoy their full rights in Mexico, since little has yet been done about such issues as adapting documents and obtaining the relevant health care.
“You live undocumented in your own country. How are you going to apply for a job or be treated by doctors if your name doesn’t match the way you look?” she asked.
In 2009 the capital’s assembly approved an ordinance that allows transsexual people to go through the procedure of identity change, though in the rest of the country no such progress has been made.
Sanchez Barrios has managed to change all her documentation to her new identity: birth certificate, voter registration and documents of property ownership.
“I’m beginning to open the way not only for the transsexual community but for all kinds of vulnerable groups that are sometimes afraid to go out and do things,” she said.
Sanchez Barrios said she will not just legislate for transsexuals but for all citizens, with the priority going to the most vulnerable groups.
“My personal situation made me more mature, it made me understand a lot of things and fight – it got me where I am right now,” she said.
–IANS/EFE
rd
Tags: Mexico, Mexico City
Posted in America | No Comments »
Written by admin on 03 February 2012
Cancun (Mexico), Feb 3 (IANS/EFE) Spanish film star Antonio Banderas said here Thursday that Mexico has a “very special” place in his heart.
Banderas was invited to Cancun as guest of honour at the inauguration of a new hotel belonging to Spain’s Iberostar chain.
“Mexico has a very essential place in my heart. There are many, many things that join me to this land, to its people,” the actor and producer told reporters.
He also stressed the need for job creation in Mexico.
“I am here to add my little grain a sand, so you know I’m on your side,” he said.
–IANS/EFE
rd
Tags: Cancun, Mexico
Posted in America | No Comments »
