WORLD & NATION DECEMBER 9, 2011 Stories by Becca Heller Graphic by Daniel Vasiles RUSSIA Scientists from Russia and Japan ^ ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A MAMMOTH EXPERIMENT ... LITERALLY. Using preserved marrow from the thigh bone of a woolly mammoth, the team intends to bring the animal back from extinction by cloning it. According to BBC, the team, claiming that the cloning could be complete within five years, plans to extract a nucleus from the marrow of a mammoth and insert it into the egg of an African elephant. Many, however, are skeptical. According to the Roslin Institute, which became famous for cloning dolly the sheep, stated that it predicted the probability of success for the experiment to be between 1 and 5 percent. UNITED STATES On Dec. 3 Tea Party conservative Herman Cain ANNOUNCED HIS DECISION TO SUSPEND HIS CAMPAIGN FOR THE Republican nomination, after four separate women came forward accusing him of sexual harassment and misconduct. A fifth woman. Ginger White, came forward on Nov. 28 with claims that Cain had had a 13-year-long affair with her, ending it just before his presidential campaign. Cain denies the legitimacy of all five accusations. "These false and unproved allegations continue to be spinned in the media and in the court of public opinion so as to create a cloud of doubt over me and this campaign and my family," Cain said to BBC. Mexican authorities say they have thwarted a SCHEME BY A CRIMINAL GANG ORGANIZATION TO SMUGGLE Saadi Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, into Mexico. Officials say the plot, which involved buying several properties in Mexico and using false names and documents, was discovered through Mexican intelligence reports. According to Mexican Interior Secretary Alejandro Poire, the crime ring involved in the plan included people from Mexico, Denmark and Canada. According to BBC, Gaddafi's lawyer, Nick Kaufman, denied the accusations that Gaddafi had attempted to escape, and said that his client "would continue to respect the United Nations sanctions" until they were lifted. Gaddafi remains under house arrest in Niger. ITALY On Dec. 7 Italian police announced the arrest of the NOTORIOUS Italian mafia boss Michele Zagaria. Prior to the arrest, Zagaria was head of the Casalesi clan, a powerful mafia group within the Camorra criminal network which dominates the underworld in Naples. Zagaria, 53, had been in hiding for nearly 16 years, presumably for safety reasons extending beyond the justice system. According to BBC, he was found after the police dug into a secret bunker in his hometown of Casapesenna; he was then sentenced to multiple life sentences. Italian citizens and government officials alike celebrated Zagaria's capture. "He wasn't just the king of the Camorra," said Italian writer and crime journalist Roberto Saviano ,to La Repubblica. "He was the manager of all criminal organizations." HIV/AIDS infections down by 21 percent By Victor Lopez Staff Writer According to a 2011 report released by UNAIDS, the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS, the number of new HIV infections in 2010 was down 21 percent from the staggering 1997 apex of the disease. The report states that 2.7 million new HIV infections were reported in 2010. This statistic included an estimated 390,000 children, which is significantly lower than previous reports. "This was 15 percent less than in 2001 and 21 percent below the number of new infections at peak of the epidemic in 1997," the report states. The number of people contracting HIV has continued to fall — in some countries more rapidly than others — according to the report. "HIV incidence has fallen in 33 countries, 22 of them in sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by the AIDS epidemic," said the report. The UNAIDS report reminded Timothy Leisman, junior peace and conflict studies major, of the need to continue the fight against the pandemic. "We cannot allow positive reports regarding AIDS to let us devalue its problem," said Leisman. "However, the report definitely shows human technology making life better." The report also brought to light "a new generation of young people" that are taking charge of their destinies and protecting themselves against HIV. The report indicated there are positive trends with younger people in countries with the greatest HIV burdens. "HIV prevalence declined among young people (aged 15-24 years) in at least 21 of 24 countries with national HIV prevalence of 1 percent or higher," according to the report. The report also suggested that with improved treatment regimens and strengthened commitment to a comprehensive response, it is feasible by 2015 to eliminate new HIV infections among children and to keep their mothers alive. The number of new HIV infections among children has almost completely stopped, with the number of new infections among children falling by 93 percent between 1992 and 2005 in the U.S. Also noted in the report, more people are surviving rather than dying once contracting the virus. The report attributes this to the fact that people now have better access to treatment. The number of individuals living with AIDS is estimated at 34 million, up 17 percent from 2001. This number of AIDS patients still alive and functioning includes new HIV infections. However, the overall trend is indicative of the impact that increased access to antiretroviral therapy has on reducing AIDS-related deaths. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the key advisors to the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services on global AIDS issues, told The Guilfordian that the data from the UNAIDS report is as accurate as can be expected in the tracing of such a large pandemic. Fauci noted that although cases and deaths are declining, AIDS is still an enormous global health problem and people should not let their guard down. "History has taught us that as certain epidemics have begun to decline, people lost interest in them only to see them return with a vengeance," said Fauci. Fauci told The Guilfordian that college students can play a major role in AIDS prevention. "College students can further the battle against AIDS by taking care that they do not get infected by practicing risky behavior," said Fauci. Fauci encouraged students to increase awareness of the risks of contracting and spreading the HIV infection by supporting programs led by the U.S. government and NGOs fighting the AIDS pandemic. The 2011 UNAIDS report is consistent with Fauci's assertions, as it calls for community action to maintain the forward momentum against the pandemic. "Now is the time for action, the time to translate words of commitment into meaningful and lasting results for people," said the report.