Watching the World

New York City enacted legislation that prohibits smoking on beaches, in parks, and in pedestrian plazas. Offenders will be subject to a fine of $50 per violation. Officials hope that the ban will be “self-enforcing.”​—THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, U.S.A.

“Selective abortion of girls [girl babies], especially for pregnancies after a firstborn girl, has increased substantially in India.” In families that already had a firstborn girl, the number of girls born per 1,000 boys fell from 906 in 1990 to 836 in 2005.​—THE LANCET, BRITAIN.

The World Health Organization has classified radio-frequency electromagnetic fields, “such as those emitted by wireless communication devices,” as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”​—INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR RESEARCH ON CANCER, FRANCE.

The United Nations has celebrated the defeat of rinderpest, or cattle plague. This is “the first animal disease to be eliminated from its natural setting thanks to human efforts . . . and only the second disease of any kind to be eradicated, after smallpox in humans.”​—FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, ITALY.

Ready for Apocalypse?

“A Legal Manual for an Apocalyptic New York” is the title of a New York Times article. It reports the publication of an official manual to help judges and lawyers deal with thorny legal questions that could potentially be raised by “another terrorist attack, a major radiological or chemical contamination or a widespread epidemic.” The manual, published by the New York State court system and the state bar association, sets out for ready reference how existing law regulates such matters as quarantine, mass evacuation, search without warrant, slaughter of infected animals, and suspension of law.

Inside Old Pillows

Clean pillow cases may be “wrapping up something really nasty,” says Art Tucker, principal clinical scientist at St. Barts Hospital, London. The Times of London, which reported on his research, states that after two years’ use, more than one third of a pillow’s weight is “made up of living and dead dust mites, dust mite faeces, dead skin and bacteria.” Pillows are good incubators for allergens, germs, and mites. A solution? “Mites . . . dry out and die when exposed to sunlight,” says The Times, “meaning the old fashioned practice of airing bedding helps control mites.” Soaps do not kill mites, but washing pillows at more than 60 degrees Celsius [140 degrees Fahrenheit] will do so, and will rinse most of them out.