Sexual assault and online bullying come to tragic ends on either side of North America;  A kid recovers from the new Bird Flu while hundreds of others are catching measles elsewhere on the globe;  And BBC Radio One has to choose between respect for the deceased and the will of the marketplace.  Yikes.

Police in San Jose, California arrested three 16-year-old boys for allegedly sexually abusing a younger girl who hung herself. 15-year old Audrie Potts had passed out at a house party when the assault occurred.  She had been bullied for a week by online photos of the assault before she could take no more and committed suicide. 

A similar case in Halifax, Nova Scotia where the Premiere is appointing a special investigator into a case of a teenage girl who committed suicide under the same circumstances.  At the funeral for 17-year old Rehteah Parsons, her family urged people not to use violence to avenge the girl.  Her Dad says Rehteah donated her organs and saved the lives of four people in the process.

Usually, victims of sexual assault are not named in news stories.  However, the families of both young women authorized it because they want to draw attention to the crimes of rape and bullying, which seem to be happening too frequently these days.

The gunman in this week’s massacre of 13 people in a Serbian village has died of his self-inflicted injuries.  60-year old Ljubisa Bogdanovic was a veteran of the savage Balkan Wars of the 1990s.

Venezuela’s Presidential campaign is heading to home in Sunday’s election.  The polls say the late Hugo Chavez’s hand-picked successor Nicolas Maduro has a double-digit lead over his rival Enrique Capriles.  The conservative challenger is not giving up and is counting on the public’s concern over the highest murder rate in South America as well as frequent food shortages to help him.

Nearly 700 measles cases are reported in Swansea, Wales.  And doctors say not enough parents are coming forward with their children aged 10 to 17 to get their Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccines.  Doctors warn parents not to mess with measles, it’s highly contagious, and symptoms can range from the typical red rash with diarrhea and respiratory infections, all the way to complications like encephalitis (brain infection), seizures, pneumonia, and death.

A 4-year old boy has recovered from the new H7N9 strain of Bird Flu in China, making him the first to completely recover and leave hospital.  So far there are 38 confirmed cases of the influenza that was never seen in humans until the last couple of weeks, with 10 fatalities.  The UN World Health Agency is concerned but urging calm.

Japan is recalling more than 3 million cars around the world, because of a potential problem with airbags. Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Mazda are taking part in the recall.  Two automakers identify the airbags as made by Tokyo-based Takata Corporation, and that they might inflate improperly causing a fire inside the passenger compartment.

G8 ministers are urging all countries to contribute to a UN humanitarian aid appeal for Syria opposition.  However, the emphasis was on “humanitarian”.  The ministers made no mention of supplying arms to the rebels, one faction of which pledged allegiance to al Qaeda this week.

Love her or hate her, there’s no denying that Margaret Thatcher’s legacy has left the UK divided.  BBC Radio 1 is considering defying pressure from above and playing the song, “Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead” after Thatcher’s death sparked a massive surge on the download charts.  Tory MPs are especially trying to pressure the “Beeb” into not playing it.  But some say the playlist is supposed to reflect what the people are buying:  Isn’t that the free market Thatcher embraced?


HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND, OZ!!!