A round-up of today's other stories in brief
UK move to ban some 'legal highs'
LONDON – Britain's coalition government said yesterday it would introduce temporary bans on legal drugs that could be harmful to users.
A proposed new law would allow authorities to react quickly as new substances emerge with 12-month bans while experts assess the drugs.
The move reflects public concern over the effects of “legal highs” such as the drug mephedrone which was banned in April.
Crime prevention minister James Brokenshire said: “The temporary ban allows us to act straight away to stop new substances gaining a foothold in the market and help us tackle unscrupulous drug dealers trying to get round the law by peddling dangerous chemicals to young people.” – (PA)
Air traffic control strike averted
MADRID – Spain’s air traffic controllers agreed yesterday to the deal their union leaders had forged with the government last week, pulling a key sector of the crisis-hit economy further back from the brink of a strike.
The initial deal has been supported by a wide majority of controllers, said a spokeswoman for their union, which has threatened to take action since the government ended talks in February and pushed through changes to pay and working hours.
Europe’s air travel industry has so far managed to avert industrial action in both Spain and England over the busy summer season.
Spanish air traffic controllers’ relatively high salaries and short working hours have raised hackles in local media. – (Reuters)
Pesticide linked to attention disorder
WASHINGTON – Children whose mothers were exposed to certain types of pesticides while pregnant were more likely to have attention problems as they grew up, US researchers reported yesterday .
The study adds to evidence that organophosphate pesticides can affect the human brain.
Researchers at the University of California Berkeley tested pregnant women for evidence that organophosphate pesticides had been absorbed by their bodies, and then followed their children as they grew.
Women with more chemical traces of the pesticides in their urine while pregnant had children more likely to have symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at age 5, the research found. – (Reuters)
Call to impeach president of Benin
COTONOU – A group of lawmakers in Benin wants president Boni Yayi impeached over his suspected involvement in a Ponzi scheme that has swindled thousands of people of their savings in the impoverished west African nation.
The scandal threatens to upset one of the region’s most stable countries, a sliver of land between Nigeria and Togo with nearly nine million people. It has already triggered widespread protests and the sacking of a government minister.
At least 50 of 83 members of Benin’s parliament have signed a letter requesting Mr Yayi submit himself to trial for treason and perjury, saying they suspected his involvement with ICC Services, a company accused of running the scheme.
The president’s staff declined to comment on the letter. – (Reuters)