Society's ChildS


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Shocking medical negligence in West Bengal: 114 children given Hepatitis B vaccine instead of polio drops

Vaccine
© NiTi Central
In a shocking incident that would only show the lackadaisical attitude of the health workers, at least 114 children were hospitalised in Hooghly district after they were mistakenly administered Hepatitis B vaccine orally instead of pulse polio drops.

Six persons were suspended for the lapse. Angry villagers protested against the health workers and locked them up.

Sunday was pulse polio day so parents had taken their children to the polio booth at the Khatul village under Arambagh sub-division, official sources said.

One of the parents noticed that the health workers at the polio booth in Khatul village was giving Hepatitis B vaccine orally instead of polio drops and immediately informed the matter to the health workers and the villagers, sources said.

By then 114 children had already been given the Hepatitis B vaccine orally.

Cheeseburger

Food insecurity in US a national problem

Food Shortage
© PressTV
A report released by the US Department of Agriculture has revealed that the national average rate of American households reporting "food insecurity" was 14.7 percent between 2010 and 2012.

The figure is more than one percent higher than that for the previous three-year period.

According to the USDA data, Nevada has the highest rate of food insecurity in the US, with 16.6 percent of households reporting food insecurity. Nevada is followed by California, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon.

People report "food insecurity" when they run short of food and are uncertain about where it will come from next.

Bizarro Earth

Meth lab playset sparks backlash

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The success of "Breaking Bad" has inspired all kinds of memorabilia, including a meth lab playset that's getting a lot of attention and a lot of backlash.

Chicago-based company Citizen Brick cooked up the Superlab Playset for super fans who need a fix. It's a Lego-like set modeled on the meth lab in the series and comes with figurines inspired by characters Walter White and Gus. This playset will set customers back $250.

Some people fear kids will get their hands on the playset with more than 500 pieces that's priced as a collectible. Citizen Brick has taken a lashing in the press, in particular by the 'Daily Mail,' for exposing children to drug dens and meth labs.

Question

Not funny: Creepy clown lingers on streets of Northampton in middle of the night

Creepy Clown
© Facebook/Spot Northampton’s ClownWaving on the traffic in the middle of the night.
When you go out to East Midlands today, you're sure of a big surprise.

An unnerving, anonymous clown has sent shivers down the spines of Northampton residents by lingering on street corners in full fancy dress, for the second night running.It reportedly first appeared on Friday 13th and was spotted again yesterday, under the cloak of darkness on Cedar Road in the north-east of the city.

With its white face, drawn-on brows, a red wig and ruffled collar, it is a carbon copy of the Pennywise clown from Stephen King-inspired 1990 horror film, IT.

The scary apparition-like sight has also been seen standing on a pavement waving with a teddy hanging between its fingers in its other hand.

Heart - Black

Heartbreaking: Parents charged in starvation death of 3-year-old girl

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© Unknown
The parents of a three-year-old Philadelphia girl, who only weighed 11 pounds at the time of her death, have been charged with murder.

Carmen Ramirez and Carlos Rivera, parents of Nathalyz Rivera, have been charged in her murder. Rivera weighed only 11 pounds when she died.

Wearing bio-hazard suits and masks, crime scene investigators tried to search the West Oak Lane home of the three-year-old, where according to police, she died from starvation.

Once inside, however, investigators found the home strewn with trash. They say it was so filthy and deplorable they actually had to call in the fire department to use their ladder to take pictures from the outside.

Pistol

American Police State: Two bystanders shot and wounded by NYPD officers who opened fire on mentally disturbed suspect in crowded Times Square

Women rushed to hospital after being shot in leg

Sound of gunfire heard in popular tourist spot

Man charged at cops and threw one into side of car

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Injured: This pedestrian was apparently shot in the leg during an incident near Times Square
Two bystanders were shot by New York police officers in Times Square on Saturday night as they opened fire on a mentally disturbed suspect

Witnesses said police were responding to reports of a 35-year-old man acting strangely at 42nd Port Authority, when two women were caught in the cross fire.

The women were taken to hospital after being shot in the leg and buttock, in an incident between 42nd Street and 8th Avenue.

One of the women, who was using a walker, appeared to have been shot in the knee. She was pictured laying on the sidewalk, with blood seeping through her jeans.


No Entry

Irish soup kitchen operator feeding the hungry shuts premises after jail threat for 'not having planning permission'

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"What's that? You want to feed people for free because they're hungry? No, you can't do that because it's against the law..."
The operator of the network of Twist soup kitchens has avoided the threat of jail by shutting down one of his soup kitchens.

Last week, Ennis Town Council told Oliver Williams, a former helicopter pilot, that he could face a six-month prison term or a large fine of up to €12,697 if convicted of operating an unauthorised soup kitchen in the Co Clare town.

In a warning letter, it told Mr Williams his soup kitchen operating at St Flannan's Terrace, Clonroad Beg, Ennis did not have planning permission.

Yesterday, Mr Williams confirmed he has shut down the soup kitchen and would not be seeking planning retention.

"The real losers in this are the people in Ennis who need the service and there is a demand," he said.

Mr Williams was himself homeless while living in London in the 1980s.

"Like everyone else, I've experienced hard times. And you don't have to look too hard to see that the most vulnerable in our society are being hit the hardest by the economic crisis."

The Irish government recently revealed that 10 percent of the population is living in a state of "food poverty."


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New Zealand police sickened by attack on lambs

Pet Lamb
© Fairfax NZShocking Cruelty: Chocky the pet lamb survived having his throat slashed in what appears to have been an attack.
A pair of pet lambs have been mutilated - one so badly it had to be put down - in what appears to have been an attack by a drunken party-goer.

The attack, which happened sometime on Thursday night at a property in Matamata, has sickened police and traumatised two children who were planning to enter the lambs in their school's agricultural day. On the night of the attack, Jamie and Karen Nicholls had noticed the lambs were more unsettled than usual, because of a party happening next door.

"We really didn't think anything of it," Mrs Nicholls said.

It wasn't until the morning, when the children went out to feed Raspberry and Chocky that they realised something was wrong.

"Our kids came running in saying Raspberry had blood all over him," she said.

"We thought a dog might have got into their enclosure, but the vet confirmed the lambs had been attacked by a person."

Raspberry had been stabbed half a dozen times. His right thigh bone was broken and the skin around his mouth had been ripped from the bone. He was so severely injured, he had to be put down. The other lamb, Chocky, had his throat cut, but was able to be stitched up by the vet.

Matamata Veterinary Services veterinarian Chris Hutchings, tended to the lambs and said it was obvious that the injuries sustained were not from a dog attack.

"Dogs tend to tear and rip. It was very clear that the lambs were stabbed and cut with a sharp object," he said.

He said he had never seen such cruelty inflicted on an animal in his 30-year career.

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Unarmed man, seeking help after apparent car crash, shot dead by North Carolina police officer

Charlotte - An unarmed man who may have been looking for help after a vehicle wreck was shot and killed by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Saturday as he ran toward him, police said. The officer was later charged with voluntary manslaughter.

A statement issued by police said officers responded to a breaking and entering call on the city's east side around 2:30 a.m. Someone had knocked on the door of a residence, and the homeowner opened the door, thinking it was her husband. When she discovered it wasn't, she closed the door and called 911.

When officers arrived, they found Jonathan A. Ferrell, 24, a short distance from the home, and he matched a description given by the homeowner, police said.

The statement said officers approached Ferrell to investigate the original call. Ferrell ran toward the officers and was hit with a Taser. Ferrell continued to run toward police when Officer Randall Kerrick fired his weapon, hitting Ferrell several times. Ferrell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said they think a wrecked car discovered down an embankment in nearby woods may have been driven by Ferrell, and investigators say he may have been trying to get help from the resident who called 911.

Take 2

Young man makes anti-Muslim comments in front of U.S. soldier - The soldier's reply? Priceless

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It seems that no matter how much money the US govt throws at it, the anti-Muslim propaganda campaign is failing
This powerful social experiment set out to show us a glimpse of the disturbing discrimination many Muslims sadly face every day in America. I began watching this video thinking I would be left feeling disheartened and angry, but the words the soldier says at 5:05 are so powerful that I wish all people who held prejudice could hear him speak.