2 boys abused in Aussie prison counter-sued

SYDNEY • Two of the six Aboriginal children teargassed by police while in custody in Australia are being counter-sued by the Northern Territory government for damaging the prison in an escape attempt.

Prison footage broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corp this week showed the boys stripped naked, hooded and strapped to a chair, thrown by the neck into a cell and held in solitary confinement.

The boys sued the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre and its guards for damages for the abuse they suffered while in custody. In a July 4 response to their claims, the Northern Territory government counter-sued, seeking more than A$160,000 (S$162,321) in damages.

REUTERS

Nasal bacterium makes powerful antibiotic

BERLIN • Scientists searching for new antibiotics to cure hard-to-treat infections have found an effective bacterium in the human nose.

Researchers from Germany's University of Tubingen discovered a strain of nasal bacterium called Staphylococcus lugdunensis. It can produce a chemical called lugdunin, which is a bactericidal against major pathogens, according to a report published in the scientific journal Nature on Wednesday.

The chemical will not develop resistance in the bugs that it kills with repeated use, said the researchers.

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