BEIRUT

In Middle East, North Africa, millions of kids out of school

An estimated 21 million children in the Middle East and North Africa are out of school or at risk of dropping out despite improved access to education in the region over the past decade, the United Nations said in a report released Wednesday.

Governments in the region, which includes 20 countries stretching from Morocco to Iraq, have invested in education in the past 10 years, which has helped push up enrollment rates, according to the UNESCO and UNICEF report. But progress has slowed in recent years in the face of conflict, poverty and discrimination.

“At a time of such change and turmoil, this region simply cannot afford to let 21 million children fall by the wayside,” said Maria Calivis, regional director for UNICEF. “These children must be given the opportunity to acquire the skills they need through education in order to play their part in the region’s transformation.”

More than 15 million children already are out of school in the region, while another 6 million are deemed at high risk of dropping out, the report said. Several factors contribute to the problem, including armed conflicts, gender discrimination, child labor, and poverty.

HAGATNA, Guam

Guam becomes first U.S. territory to OK gay marriage

Guam is becoming the first U.S. territory to allow gay marriage after Guam’s attorney general directed officials to immediately begin processing same-sex-marriage applications.

Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson issued her order to the territory’s Department of Public Health and Social Services on Wednesday. She says the department should treat “all same gender marriage applicants with dignity and equality under the Constitution.”

– From news service reports