German Cops Foil Eloping Couple Bound for Africa...

(NEWSER) - Diarrhea kills 1.6 million children under 5 every year—more than AIDS or malaria—and gets a fraction of the funding. But a deceptively simple new treatment may mark a breakthrough, Time reports. Zinc supplements appear to dramatically decrease diarrhea-related deaths—one afflicted village in Mali hasn’t had a single death since the pills arrived. Zinc “has totally taken off,” a researcher says. “It looks like real medicine and is not given out for free.” More»

(NEWSER) - A German couple has been detained in Italy for abandoning their three hungry kids at a pizzeria, reports Der Spiegel. The poverty-stricken young parents, found in a forest outside the town of Aosta, said they didn't know what else to do. The parents had left behind their car and a diary that suggested they were considering suicide. The children—ranging in age from 8 months to 2 years—will be sent to their grandparents in Germany, officials said. More»

Middle East, Africa conflicts must be resolved: Benedict

(NEWSER) - Pope Benedict XVI passionately called for peace in the Holy Land during his annual Christmas message, delivered from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica. “The horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians,” he said, praying for hope against war, terrorism, and injustice. He also appealed for an end to clashes throughout the Middle East and Africa, the Voice of America reports. More»

Infestation threatens to spoil anniversary

(NEWSER) - The 725th anniversary of the Pied Piper's legendary removal of rats from the German town of Hamelin could be spoiled by—wait for it—rats. The rodents have infested an empty lot the size of a soccer field close to the picturesque medieval town. Rather than hire another piper, authorities have placed traps around the field. More»

Calls human rights in Zimbabwe 'damaging' to Africa's image

(NEWSER) - Germany blasted Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe today as the EU began a historic trade summit with Africa, Reuters reports. Mugabe listened as German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared Zimbabwe’s human rights crisis “damaging the image of the new Africa.” Such issues loom on the first day of the summit, which aims to open trade with the commodity-rich continent. More»