Women's groups and politicians in Morocco have been discussing a contentious law on the rape of underage girls which allows a man to escape prosecution if he marries his victim. The meeting follows a case earlier this month when 16-year-old Amina Filali killed herself after being forced to marry her rapist. The MP Naima Ben Bella says amending the law would help change the attitude that such a marriage restored the victims' honour.
"Amina's case is one case among many. As members of parliament, we will do our best to prevent underage marriages. We have to change this traditional mentality."
The Mexican army has detained a local police chief who had in his possession arms, drugs and banners referring to a drug cartel. The Mexican defence department said Raymundo Monroy Mendoza was arrested in the town of Huetamo. It said troops searched his car after he began to act nervously at a military checkpoint. They found hand grenades, rifles, cocaine and banners and pamphlets about a drug cartel known as the Knights Templar, which is one of Mexico's newest cartels. The cartel controls much of the methamphetamine and marijuana trade in western Mexico.
Schools in Brazil have started to place computer chips in school uniforms to keep track of pupils and reduce truancy. The education secretary in the northeastern city of Vitoria da Conquista said 20,000 primary school pupils would have microchips embedded in their school T-shirts, and that by next year, all local pupils aged four to 14 would use them. Their parents will receive a text message when their children arrive at school or if they are late for classes.