In 2007, Ecuador announced plans to fund the protection of almost 4,000 square miles (10,000 sq km) of pristine Amazon rain forest instead of drilling for oil in it. Those plans have been abandoned because of a lack of international financial support for the conservation plan. This part of the Amazon rain forest is one of the most biologically diverse regions of the world.

It is technically difficult to prevent all tainted blood samples from slipping through tests, says The Japan News. The report followed news that in 2013, a man in his 60’s contracted HIV through transfused blood. When donated blood is infected with HIV, there is a window period during which the virus cannot be detected.

Though Zimbabwe’s guerrilla fighting along its border with Mozambique ceased more than 30 years ago, antipersonnel mines continue to maim and kill. “Since 1980, more than 1,500 people and 120,000 livestock have been killed and 2,000 people have been maimed by mines on the Zimbabwean side of the border,” reports the International Committee of the Red Cross.

According to a survey, more and more separating couples fight over the custody of pets. Among jointly owned assets that are a source of contention, pets rank behind real estate, money, and certain personal effects.