Recently in International Category

By Karen Elizondo

At least 600 million people were affected Tuesday in the worst blackout in India's history, reported the Washington Post.

A power grid failure on Monday that left 350 million people out of power grew to 600 million when the second and larger grid failure occurred Tuesday, CNN reported.

The blackout has shutdown trains, air conditioners, and stoplights, causing traffic to back up into a "gridlock on many streets of the capital," the Washington Post reported.

Airports and hospitals have been forced to run on backup power, CNN reported.

Power is largly being restored, CNN reported.

By Karen Elizondo

Beijing's reportedly worst rainstorm in 60 years struck on Saturday and continued through the night to Sunday, killing 37 people, BBC News reported.

At least 65,000 people were evacuated Sunday evening, BBC said.

Twenty-five people died from drowning and others from lightning strikes, roof collapses, and electrocution from downed power lines, the BBC reported

The deadly 10 hour storm raised several questions about the response effort of the government and the infrastructure throughout the city, CNN reported.

Many people used social media sites like Weibo -- the Chinese equivalent to twitter -- to express their feelings of anger toward the lack of support given by the government. On user argued that there "was no emergency broadcast system deployed, no government shelters, and no special hotlines," CNN reported.

Others complained about the infrastructure in the city, saying that money was spent to "host the most luxurious Olympics" but not to fix the city's drainage system, CNN reported

By Karen Elizondo

The first drug shown to reduce the risk of the HIV infection was approved by the Food and Drug Administration Thursday, the Pioneer Press reported.

The Gilead Sciences' pill, Truvada, is a new milestone in the 30-year fight against the virus that leads to AIDS, Pioneer Press reported.

In studies, Truvada has shown to be 90 percent effective at preventing the virus when participants used the drug as prescribed, reported NBC News.

Although it was approved, there are a number of concerns accompanying the drug, NBC said.

Many people are worried that the drug might lead to a reduction in the the use of condoms. Another concern is the fear that people may only take the drug for the weekend, using it as a "party drug" when they feel their risk is higher, NBC reported.

According to NBC the drug is $14,000 a year.

A New York man was convicted and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on a charge of organ trafficking Wednesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

In addition to his prison sentence, Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, the first person in the United States convicted of trafficking human organs, was ordered to forfeit $420,000 in fees he received for his black market business, reported the Star Tribune.

Rosenbaum reportedly sold three Americans kidneys from Israeli recruits who had a "desperate need for cash," said the Star Tribune.

One of the paid donors, Elahn Quick, testified in court and said he was paid $25,000 to donate. He said he thought he was doing a good deed but got cold feet while he was lying on the surgery bed, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.

Quick said he realized he didn't want to go through with the surgery just seconds before the anesthesia, he tried to stop the surgery but couldn't communicate it clearly to the surgeon before he fell asleep. Quick woke up without a kidney, reported the Star Tribune.

Quick told the press that he felt victimized, reported the StartTribune.

Karen Elizondo

For the first time in 50 years maritime shipments directly from Miami to Cuba resumed Friday, reported the Associated Press found in the Star Tribune.

The shipments will be charitable aid and packages for family hand friends living in Cuba, the Associated Press said.

The ship, Ana Cecilia, arrived early Friday morning to an unaware Cuban public. The Cuban media has not mentioned anything about the event, the only way anyone knew of it was through word of mouth, the Associated Press Reported.

According to NBC Miami, there is controversy over the packages that will be sent once a week. Some Cuban exiles have said they think the shipments might violate U.S. Law.

Congresswoman Lleana Ros-Lehtinen wrote a letter to the federal government asking to investigate the maritime shipment to see if there are law violations in regards to the trade of goods, reported NBC Miami.

International Port said that they have followed the law and have the licenses and permits necessary under the law, NBC Miami reported.

By Karen Elizondo

A slab of ice Thursday was snapped off by one of the climbers starting a summer avalanche on Mount Blanc in the French Alps, reported the Washington Post.

"Unusually we weather" in recent days up to the event may have been part of the problem reported Fox News.

The two mountaineers who have died are from spain, reported Fox.

Rescuers were sent to pull the dead and injured from the mess but risks of another avalanche delayed their efforts, reported Fox.

According to the Washington Post, the climbers involved seemed experienced.

Serena Williams, 30, took her fifth Wimbledon title Saturday, reported the Star Tribune.
She beat Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland for the championship title making it 10 Wimbledon titles total for Serena and her sister Venus, reported the Star Tribune.

Serena had been away from tennis for about a year after she won the Wimbledon in 2010 from a foot injury and a pulmonary embolism that prevented her from playing, reported the Los Angeles Times.

"A few years ago, you know, I was in the hospital, and now I'm here again. It's so worth it, and I'm so happy," Serena said according to the LA Times.

Serena is the first woman since Martina Navratilova, to win a Wimbledon title at age 30 or older, reported the Star Tribune. Navratilova won in 1990 when she was 33.

By Karen Elizondo

Protests grew in Tokyo during the weekend in front of the entrance of a nuclear plant, the Washington Post reported.

With the announcement of a reboot for the Ohi nuclear facility on Japan's western shoreline, protesters gather to block the entrance of the facility and shout, "No to the restart," the Washington Post reported.

One protester told the Associated Press that he doesn't think the plants are safe to restart yet. The Star Tribune quoted him when he said, "After experiencing the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, how can Japan possibly want nuclear power?"

Seventy percent of japanese respondents have said they favor the idea of decreasing the use of nuclear power in the country according to a poll done by the Pew research center, the Star Tribune reported.

However, government officials worried about a power crunch and blackouts in the hot summermonths have led them to turn on "Ohi No. 3" and maybe plant No. 4, the Star Tribune reported.

After the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last year sent the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant into multiple meltdowns, 50 of the working reactors were shut down, the Star Tribune reported. The Fukushima meltdown called for an evacuation of more than 100,000 people, the Washington Post reported.

By Karen Elizondo

Spain, defending champions, pulled a championship win again in the European Championship 2012 Sunday, reported USA Today.

Italy failed to score any points against Spain's four goals, reported CNN.

Spain has now won three straight championships in a row, including the World Cup in 2010, and another European Championship in 2008, reported USA Today.

Spain's head coach, Vicente Del Bosque, 61, is the first man to lead a single team to multiple crowns. Bosque has coached Spain to the European Championship, the World Cup, and Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002, reported CNN.

The team looks forward to trying to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, according to CNN.

By Karen Elizondo

Three federal officers were shot and killed in a Mexico airport Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

At around 9 a.m. 3 policemen were preparing to arrest two suspected drug traffickers, reportedly fellow officers. The suspects noticed the officers and fatally shot them, according to the New York Times.

According to the New York Times, the suspects fled and the police is trying to track them down.

Drug cartel operations out of the airport were found in late 2010, involving flight employees aiding with the trafficking of cocaine to Spain, reported the NY Times.

There have been upwards of 50,000 deaths in relation to the drug war in the past six years, reported the LA Times, there is rarely airport violence.