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Australia blames refugee advocates after asylum seeker sets herself alight

By Colin Packham SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia blamed refugee advocates on Tuesday for “encouraging” asylum seekers held in remote camps towards acts of self-harm after a woman set herself on fire, while the United Nations renewed its criticism of Australia's harsh immigration policy. Australian officials said an unidentified 21-year-old Somali woman was in a critical condition after she set herself alight at an Australian detention camp on the tiny South Pacific island of Nauru on Monday, the second such incident in a week. A 23-year-old Iranian man also set himself on fire last week in protest against his treatment on Nauru and later died.

More urgent action needed on air pollution in Britain – MPs

By Nina Chestney LONDON (Reuters) – A government plan to tackle air pollution in five major cities in Britain by 2020 will not be enough and more urgent action needs to be taken, lawmakers said on Wednesday. Britain has some of the highest levels in Europe of the pollutant nitrogen dioxide, which is produced by diesel vehicles, and has already breached EU limits. Last year, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it would introduce so-called clean air zones in areas of Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton by 2020 in a bid to improve air quality.

Washington to boost mental hospitals’ security after escapes

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Washington officials promised Saturday they were working quickly to increase security at the state's psychiatric hospitals after a week in which two patients escaped and another two went missing.

VA says it may shut down hospitals to close $2.5B budget gap

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs says it may have to shut down some hospitals next month if Congress does not address a $2.5 billion shortfall for the current budget year.

Wisconsin ice rink closed after gas leak sickens more than 80 people

By Brendan O’Brien MILWAUKEE (Reuters) – An ice rink in a central Wisconsin town was closed on Monday after at least 81 people at a weekend minor league hockey game were sickened by a gas leak thought to have been caused by faulty ice resurfacing machines, authorities said. Paramedics were called to a hockey game on Saturday between the Dells Ducks and the Rochester Ice Hawks at an arena in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, after one player fainted and several others had symptoms including nausea, headaches and dizziness, the Lake Delton Fire Department said in a statement. …

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