ARTICLE 1
Cambodian government muzzles lawyers – Human Rights Watch 12 February 2013
(Human Rights Watch/IFEX) – The Cambodian government and bar association should drop their efforts to prohibit lawyers from giving media interviews without the permission of the national bar association, Human Rights Watch said today. On February 8, 2013, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith made public a January 31 instruction to radio and television stations not to invite lawyers to appear on programs without the approval of the Cambodian Bar Association.
International donors should quickly and publicly press the Cambodian government to reverse its latest move against freedom of expression.
“Just when you thought the Cambodian government couldn’t think of any new ways to try to muzzle critics, it has imposed an election-year ban on lawyers giving radio and television interviews,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “This ban dramatically demonstrates the government’s aim to control the media and the legal profession, but more broadly makes a mockery of free speech in a democratic society.”
The January 31 instruction notes that many radio and television stations have invited lawyers to appear on their programs to interpret and explain the law to the public, and to comment on government policies for legal and judicial reform.
It then says: “To avoid the negative consequences upon the people of such legal dissemination programming and to ensure that such dissemination has good consequences, the Ministry of Information instructs all radio and television stations that all invitations to lawyers and other legal professionals to speak as interpreters of the law must be invited via the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia.”
This instruction was coupled with a “letter of warning” from the Cambodian Bar Association, also dated January 31, which says that “from now on, lawyers must not give interviews or otherwise disseminate information related to their profession as lawyers via any media whatsoever without the authorization of the Bar.” The bar’s order would effectively prevent lawyers from making any statement through the print media as well as broadcast media without the bar’s approval.
The actions of the Information Ministry and the Cambodian Bar Association appear designed to prevent criticism of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). Many lawyers have become outspoken critics of the government and courts, which are frequently used to imprison or intimidate critics.
Opposition political party figures, critics of the government, and those resisting CPP-backed abuses, such as land-grabbing, have been increasingly subjected in recent years to groundless prosecutions, judicial investigations, and unfair trials leading to wrongful convictions and prison sentences.
Under the new rules, lawyers will not be allowed to give unapproved media interviews on subjects such as the use of the judiciary against political opponents. Among them are the opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is in self-imposed exile to avoid a politically motivated conviction, and Mom Sonando, the owner of a radio station that once gave much airtime to critical legal programming. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on false charges of fomenting a supposed armed insurrection.
The rules are also likely to discourage lawyers from using the media to assert the legal rights of groups such as the estimated 700,000 Cambodians who have been adversely affected by land-grabbing.
The new instructions seem particularly aimed at lawyers working for Cambodian human rights organizations. Hun Sen and senior government officials have frequently attacked domestic human rights groups, accusing them of being members of the political opposition or of causing instability after they have documented government violations. The United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers provide that: “Lawyers like other citizens are entitled to freedom of expression, belief, association and assembly. In particular, they shall have the right to take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights . . . without suffering professional restrictions by reason of their lawful action.”
“The government treats critics as enemies of the state, but to provide effective representation, lawyers often need to speak out against government policies and practices that violate human rights,” Adams said. “The new censorship regime of the government and bar association attempts to gag some of the most effective and professional government critics.”
The Cambodian Bar Association was re-established in 1995 for the first time since the Khmer Rouge period, 1975 to 1979. By statute the legal profession is supposed to be “an independent and autonomous profession involved in serving justice.” However, the bar association has been under de facto CPP control since 2004, when the party engineered an election of the bar president by overturning the victory of an independent candidate and installing a CPP-approved figure in his place.
This hotly contested election was part of a successful CPP maneuver to increase its control over Cambodia’s legal institutions at the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Sok An. Hun Sen and other party figures were later admitted as members of the bar association, despite their lack of legal education and qualifications.
The current bar association president, Bun Hon, is a former CPP appointee as undersecretary of state at the Justice Ministry who has spoken out in favor of Hun Sen’s political leadership. Sok An strongly backed Bun Hon’s election as president of the bar association and presided at his installation ceremony in November 2012. Bun Hon reportedly continues to serve as a member of the Council of Jurists at the Council of Ministers, which reports to Sok An and Hun Sen.
“Donor countries have spent a lot of time and money trying to develop an independent and professional legal profession, which had been destroyed during the Khmer Rouge years,” Adams said. “Particularly in an election year, donors need to speak out loud and clear about this attack on the independence of lawyers and free speech. They would never tolerate this kind of restriction in their own countries, and shouldn’t accept it in Cambodia, either.”
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“Tell Them That I Want to Kill Them” – Two Decades of Impunity in Hun Sen’s Cambodia – by November 13, 2012
This 68-page report documents key cases of unsolved killings of political activists, journalists, opposition politicians, and others by Cambodian security forces since the 1991 Paris Agreements, which were signed by 18 countries, including the five permanent United Nations Security Council members. The Paris Agreements and the subsequent United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission were supposed to usher in a new era of democracy, human rights, and accountability in Cambodia. More than 300 people have been killed in politically motivated attacks since then, yet not one case has resulted in a credible investigation and conviction. ISBN: 1-56432-963-1
III. Recommendations
Since the 1991 Paris Agreements, countless reforms of Cambodian institutions responsible for the administration of justice have been suggested. Year after year donors have proposed, and the Cambodian government has agreed to, significant reforms, such as measures to promote the professionalization of the police and independence of prosecutors and judges. Yet the justice system remains a deeply and unwaveringly politicized institution, with senior officials being political appointees whose primary allegiance is to the prime minister and the ruling CPP.
As early as 1995, UN special representative Michael Kirby recommended that a high-level interdepartmental committee be established to investigate and report on judicial complaints concerning refusal or failure of military, police, or other officials to execute court warrants directed at military, police, or political figures or members of their families.[150] Two years later no improvements were evident and his successor, Thomas Hammarberg, called for determined action to address impunity.[151] Hammarberg’s successors, Peter Leuprecht, Yash Ghai, and Surya Subedi, have repeated these calls. Not only have they been unsuccessful, but Hun Sen has frequently responded to their allegations with angry attacks on their character.
While the UN special representatives and rapporteur and the UN human rights field office have done exemplary work in documenting the problem and making useful recommendations, they have not been backed up by the international community, which does not seem to have adequately grasped the reality of impunity in Cambodia. Donors in particular do not seem to appreciate the corrosive effect that impunity has had on all aspects of governance, including efforts to institute the rule of law and combat the scourge of corruption. In part for this reason, the institution-building efforts demanded and supported by them over 20 years have largely failed, leaving a tragic mark on the post-Paris period.
Diplomats deserve credit for frequent interventions to protect opposition party members, civil society activists, and others when under threat from government officials. Yet foreign governments, the UN, and donors have not put sustained and coordinated pressure on senior officials and government institutions responsible for serious human rights violations. The culture of impunity needs to be addressed head-on, not ignored or downplayed, as so many foreign governments and donors have done over the past 20 years. Governments and donors should end their own culture of talking in generalities and avoiding confronting senior government and ruling party officials.
A good place to start would be examining the backgrounds of key officials. For example, while the United States has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Cambodian government’s human rights record since Paris, its actions toward officials implicated in serious abuses often undermine its words. In March 2006 the FBI awarded a medal to the then Cambodian chief of national police, Hok Lundy, for his support of the US global campaign against terrorism. Hok Lundy, who died in a helicopter crash in 2008, was a notorious human rights abuser and perhaps the most feared person in Cambodia. The medal from the US was used as a major propaganda tool by the Cambodian government, while human rights activists called into question the true intentions of the US. In September 2009, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates hosted a meeting at the Pentagon in Washington with Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh. Tea Banh has presided over the Cambodian military for the past two decades, during which it has committed widespread abuses with impunity. Unsurprisingly, Tea Banh was greeted as a hero by CPP-controlled media upon his return from the United States.
Since 2006, the United States has provided more than $4.5 million worth of military equipment and training to Cambodia. US aid has included counter-terrorism training to personnel from Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit and Brigade 70, who have been moved to a special anti-terrorist unit that was created in January 2008. US training has also been provided to members of Division 911. As this report documents, Brigade 70 and Division 911 have been implicated in numerous serious abuses, including arbitrary detentions, targeted killings and other unlawful attacks, torture, and summary executions.
If the promise of the Paris Agreements is ever to be reached, Cambodian authorities and their international backers need to make the end of impunity a key priority. Voluminous documentation exists about individuals in high-ranking official positions in Cambodia. Only with an adequate awareness of the track records of Cambodian leaders they deal with and the situation in which they work can governments, diplomats, and donors begin to press the government to address impunity. Without memory, justice is impossible.
Keeping track of known human rights abusers should be the easy part. A harder but necessary step is to persistently demand the arrest and prosecution of people like Yon Youm, the perpetrators of the March 30, 1997, grenade attack, and other known perpetrators of serious abuses. This would be the best way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Paris Agreements and show Cambodians, including the many victims of the past two decades and their families, that the signatures of those 18 countries still have meaning.
Instead of rehashing recommendations contained in a plethora of long discarded donor agreements with the government, Human Rights Watch suggests that the 20th anniversary of Paris be used to restate some basic steps that should be accepted by the government and insisted upon by donors, the UN, and other influential actors in order to address impunity:
The creation of a professional and independent police service whose leadership is appointed by an independent police commission, which also has the power to audit the police, investigate complaints, and dismiss officers who violate a professional code of conduct.
The creation of a professional and independent judiciary and prosecution service. Judges and prosecutors should be appointed by an independent judicial commission, which also has the power to investigate complaints and discipline judges and prosecutors who violate a professional code of conduct. This would require a constitutional amendment to transfer powers from the deeply politicized Supreme Council of Magistracy, which currently makes proposals to the King on the appointment of judges and prosecutors to all courts.
A ban on senior police officials, judges, and prosecutors holding official or unofficial positions of leadership in political parties.
Revisions to the criminal law to make it a crime to obstruct the administration of justice, including by instructing or putting undue pressure on police officials, judges, or prosecutors to act or not act in a particular manner.
A demonstrated willingness by the government to respond in a professional and impartial manner to allegations of human rights abuses by victims and their families, human rights organizations and other civil society groups, the UN human rights office and other UN agencies, the media, and others who bring concerns to the government’s attention.
As the human rights organization LICADHO said in a recent report, for any proposed reforms to have an impact:
Cambodia’s donors must be more coordinated in their approach to legal and judicial reform, set stringent benchmarks for measuring improvements, and send a unified message to the government that “mere rhetoric, and enactment of laws that are not enforced, will no longer suffice.” In order to insist on meaningful reforms which have a real impact on the lives of Cambodians, the international donor community must understand, accept and engage with the reality of justice in Cambodia.[152]
To better engage with the “reality of justice in Cambodia,” donors should coordinate their efforts and establish an independent mechanism to monitor the functioning of the police, prosecutors, and judges and regularly assess the implementation of the above principles. Future funding allocations should be driven by the findings of the independent monitoring mechanism.
ARTICLE 2
Sinead O’Connor reacts to Papal announcement
Sinead 18 years ago before the pedo scandals broke. Perhaps now this ‘Cassandra’ is exhonerated? You were way ahead of your time Sinead! So was moi in 3rd world Malaysia! But thats another story for another day (or a story too well known and overtold . . . ) that needs no retelling . . . ‘I told you so’ . . . is our common trademark phrase! Freedom!
Sinead O’Connor is among the millions – both Catholic and not – reflecting on Pope Benedict’s statement this morning.
The Hot Press Newsdesk, 11 Feb 2013
Sinéad O’Connor has welcomed the news that The Pope will be stepping down on February 28 – the first time a pontiff has resigned in nearly 600 years.
“I would like to congratulate Pope Benedict on his wise decision to retire before the very worst of what has been going on is discovered,” O’Connor says suggesting something more sinister than the “advanced age” cited in today’s official announcement.
“I appreciate his alluding to some of it in his statement and assure him The Most High forgives those who can faithfully say they did wrong. “The church had been brought into dreadful disrepute by lies and blasphemies against The Holy Spirit,” she continues. “Benedict’s greatest achievement is this act of retiring. There is a chance now for the church to be re-built and made fit to house The Holy Spirit.”
When Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005 he became one of the oldest new popes in history. Critics – including our own Enda Kenny – have accused him of failing to properly address the issue of clerical child sex abuse.
In other celebrity reactions, comedian Frankie Boyle opines, “The Pope must have done something even the Church finds unacceptable. I’m guessing he’s shagged an adult woman”; Lisa Hannigan quips, “The next series of Pope Idol is only a few weeks away… Make them all sing ‘I Dreamed A Dream’!”; Pierce Morgan proffers, “The Queen’s a year older than The Pope. Can’t see her ever resigning because she’s tired”; recent Hot Press interviewee Jack Whitehall wonders, “Will the papacy now be foisted upon a younger pope with a stutter and a fear of public speaking?”; Simon Pegg weighs in with, “I bet he gets one really dangerous assignment, just before he retires, like a civil war or an exorcism” and Mia Farrow adds a touch more sensibly, “Hoping for a more progressive successor – imagine a Pope more like Archbishop Desmond Tutu.”
The Hot Press Newsdesk
Exclusive: Sinéad O’Connor reveals truth about Pope and Saturday Night Live
In a new interview in Hot Press, Sinéad O’Connor has revealed completely new facts about the most notorious incident in her career…
The Hot Press Newsdesk, 20 Sep 2012
For the first time, Sinéad O’Connor has revealed the full story behind the extraordinary night when she ripped up a picture of the Pope on live television in America.
The Irish singer – at the height of her success at the time, following her worldwide No. 1 with the Prince song ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ – sparked international outrage and condemnation when she shredded a photograph of Pope John Paul II on the iconic US television show Saturday Night Live.
Now, in an in-depth and hugely revelatory interview 20 years on, the controversial artist has opened up to Hot Press about the performance that changed her career – and her life – forever.
Speaking exclusively to Olaf Tyaransen, the 45-year-old singer explains that Bob Geldof unwittingly provided the inspiration.
“When the Boomtown Rats went to No. 1 in England with ‘Rat Trap’,” she recalls, “Geldof went on Top of The Pops and ripped up a photo of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, who had been No. 1 for weeks and weeks before (with ‘Summer Nights’ from the Grease soundtrack, which topped the UK charts for seven weeks in 1978).
“And I thought, ‘Yeah, fuck! What if someone ripped up a picture of the Pope?’ Half of me was just like, ‘Jesus, I’d love to just see what’d happen’.”
Sinéad descibes in detail to Hot Press how, on the night, she tricked the production crew into helping her with a gesture of defiance that would become notorious and divide onlookers and fans for years.
In a stunning revelation that will give fresh material to students of Irish Catholicism and of Freud alike to contemplate, she also states for the first time that the actual photograph of Pope John Paul II that she ripped up had been taken from the wall of her late mother’s home. “The photo itself had been on my mother’s bedroom wall since the day the fucker was enthroned in 1978,” she confides.
In the interview she also describes the extraordinary aftermath of an incident, which generated a staggering 4,484 complaints.
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The nature of paedohilia or sexual abuse is not directly physical, but also spiritual. From the looks of what Sinead is saying, Ratzinger has been indulging ‘From A Distance’ for ages with the DRUGGED astral selves of 1 billion Catholics, or even non-Catholics. What drugs ARE in our water or food to allow this ‘kidnapping of spirit’ and subsequent ‘sexual abuse’ to happen? Are ther antidotes Sinead? Is there a way to avoid such poisons if this guess is true? JUST a single letter? But came back now . . . yet this ‘house’ is too fearful so elswhere till then. That ‘episode you had’ was not true illness, but rather a form of spiritual attack, soul exchange and binding. Physical bodies and exchanged souls from the looks of things . . . Sinead how do you fathom this comment?
ARTICLE 3
Levin says Republicans holding Hagel to different standard than any other nominee – 1:34 PM 02/08/2013
In a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jim Inhofe, committee chair Carl Levin said that Republicans are attempting to hold Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel to a different standard than any other nominee had been held to before.
The letter was in response to a letter Wednesday sent by Inhofe, and signed by 25 other Republicans, which said that they would oppose Hagel’s nomination unless he made further financial disclosures.
Opposition from Republicans led Levin to postpone the committee vote on Hagel’s nomination, which was originally scheduled for this week, because “the committee’s review of the nomination is not yet complete.”
In the letter sent Friday, Levin said he was felt Republicans were requiring an amount of disclosure unprecedented in the committee’s history.
“This letter appears to insist upon financial disclosure requirements that far exceed the standard practices of the Armed Services Committee and go far beyond the financial disclosure required of previous Secretaries of Defense,” Levin wrote, noting that the committee requirements on that subject were “well-defined.”
“We have applied these disclosure requirements and followed this process for all nominees of both parties throughout the 16 years that I have served as Chairman or Ranking Minority Member of the committee. I understand that the same financial disclosure requirements and processes were followed for at least the previous 10 years, during which Senator Sam Nunn served as Chairman or Ranking Minority Member,” Levin wrote.
Republicans requested that Hagel disclose “all compensation over $5,000? received over the past five years, as well as “any foreign funding of eight private entities from which Senator Hagel has received compensation since leaving the Senate.”
Levin wrote that Hagel had already satisfied the first demand for the last two years, and said that any conflicts of interests resulting from the second fact were dealt with on the committee questionnaire which “asks whether, during the last ten years, the nominee or his spouse has ‘received any compensation from, or been involved in any financial or business transactions with, a foreign government or an entity controlled by a foreign government.’”
“The committee cannot have two different sets of financial disclosure standards for nominees, one for Senator Hagel and one for other nominees,” Levin concluded.
Republicans have expressed serious reservations about confirming Hagel as secretary of defense. A number of outside interest groups are running ad campaigns targeting the former Republican senator, for his position on Iran, among other things.
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Hagel could accept the demand AND THEN demand that ALL republicans do the same as well. That asset declaration would affect anyone drawing a taxpayer money salary would be quite good for democracy. Lets see how many billionaires among republicans there are.
ARTICLE 4
Group of students and parents wants to ban gays from Indiana high school prom – 9:14 AM 02/11/2013
White Fundos, not physically violent but psychologically violent.
It’s not clear exactly how many gays and lesbians are currently roaming the halls of Sullivan High School in rural Sullivan, Indiana. Nevertheless, a group of students and parents doesn’t want a single one of them at the high school prom this year.
On Sunday, the students and parents met along with a smattering of other community members at the Sullivan First Christian Church, reports WTWO, the NBC affiliate in Terre Haute. They want to raise money for a separate, “traditional” prom that only allows heterosexuals.
Sullivan High School itself presumably would not be involved with a prom that bans certain students from attending.
The participating students believe there is a large contingent among the 600 or so students at Sullivan High School who agree with them. They say those students are fearful of speaking out as they now have.
“If we can get a good prom then we can convince more people to come and follow what they believe,” letter jacket-wearing student Kynon Johnson told WTWO.
“We want to make the public see that we love the homosexuals, but we don’t think it’s right nor should it be accepted,” Bonnie McCammon, another student, added.
Diana Medley, a local special education teacher, told the station that many locals are offended by homosexuality. Medley, who believes everyone is born straight, disapproves of homosexuality.
“We don’t agree with it and it’s offensive to us,” the straights-only prom advocate said.
Medley was asked if she thinks gay people “have a purpose in life.”
“No I honestly don’t. Sorry, but I don’t. I don’t understand it,” the special education teacher answered. “A gay person isn’t going to come up and make some change unless it’s to realize that it was a choice and they’re choosing God.”
Several local pastors also endorse the movement for a separate prom.
“Christians have always been prepared for a fight,” said Pastor Bill Phegley of Carlisle Christian Church. “Jesus gave us armor for the front, not the back; we’re not running anymore.”
Other people in Sullivan and the surrounding area reject the idea of a prom that excludes gays and lesbians. For that point of view, WTWO chose a local man named Jim Davis. The station identified him as a “local Christian” and he couched his arguments in religious terms.
“We shouldn’t be condemning people, and that’s what judgment is,” Davis said. “Christ came to save the people not to condemn them.”
Davis observed that everyone is a sinner according to Christian theological doctrine. He suggested that homosexuality is a sin, but no different from any other sins.
“The feeling of being loved and belonging is universal,” he added.
Opponents of a private prom that bans gays have already started a Facebook page called “Support the Sullivan High School Prom for All Students.” The number of “likes” for the page is rapidly increasing.
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1) Medley was asked if she thinks gay people “have a purpose in life.” “No I honestly don’t. Just look at that response. Atrocious if thats how people who become Christians think. How narrowly communal can a human being get?
This is worst, most superfluous and backhand hate espousing expression of ‘sharing of God’s love’ in the history of communication between dissenting groups. Having an attitude of non-hate does’nt change the logic of hate within the words. Insincere and hateful. Barbaric even.
2) Davis observed that everyone is a sinner according to Christian theological doctrine. He suggested that homosexuality is a sin, but no different from any other sins.
One man’s sinner is another man minding their own business about who has sex with who for recreation if not procreation. From a procreative sex ONLY person even (i.e. does not have sex for recreation and ONLY has sex to have children), the case for considering this a sin makes the narrow communalism factor as bad as the above earlier response. Can anyone say Taliban Among Christians?
There probably are many Christians who do not communicate in this offensive manner AND in full sincerity even though communicating correctly WITH corrects expression as well. The above HAS CORRECT WORDS **BUT** does not communicate correctly because the spirit of this correctly expressed opionion is insincere. Being skillful EMOTIONAL liars or disingenuous, is no expression of love but in fact casts doubt on the lack of earnestness or forthrightness in the nature of the person and thus what the religion cultivate (negative LGBT hate behaviour in this case) – in otherwords talking with 2 tongues. God would be loath to call these people Christians or be ashamed that such people exist in his flock. We could appreciate some Muslims more for at least being hateful openly and not mincing words, this contrived civility among Christians feels even more dangerous, perhaps psychotic even. NOT LIKE!
ARTICLE 5
Sir David Attenborough gets a mauling from academic….because he’s ‘ignoring’ all the gay animals in his BBC nature documentaries – by Fiona Macrae – PUBLISHED: 05:03 GMT, 9 February 2013 | UPDATED: 05:11 GMT, 9 February 2013
Homophobia in Documentaries presents inaccurate nature programs.
Homosexuality in animal world ‘pretty much everywhere’
Dr Brett Mills says documentary makers are ignoring issue
As a result, audience’s view of what is natural is being skewed
David Attenborough is accused of not covering homosexuality in the animal kingdom
Gay rights campaigners were delighted when the Commons approved same-sex marriage this week.
But it appears there is another fight on the horizon – for equality in Sir David Attenborough’s nature documentaries.
An academic has criticised the BBC star for failing to cover homosexuality in the animal kingdom.
Dr Brett Mills, head of media studies at the University of East Anglia, said that while he doubted Sir David was deliberately ignoring the issues, homosexuality is ‘pretty much everywhere’ in the animal world.
He said that by ignoring or sidelining the issue, wildlife documentary makers are skewing the audience’s view of what is natural.
Dr Mills – who has previously criticised such documentaries for invading animals’ rights to privacy – said: ‘These programmes make a valuable contribution to environmental awareness and how people think about the world around them. They are highly regarded and educational but they should also be offering alternative interpretations of animal behaviour.
‘The central role in documentary stories of pairing, mating and raising offspring commonly rests on assumptions of heterosexuality within the animal kingdom.
‘This is despite a wealth of scientific evidence which demonstrates that many non-human species have complex and changeable forms of sexual activity, with heterosexuality only one of the many possible options.’
Dr Mills’s criticisms come after watching hours of Sir David’s documentaries, spanning two decades.
In one example from 2003’s The Life Of Mammals, two male chimps are shown embracing. The narrator describes it as an act of friendly affection – but Dr Mills says alternative explanations should also be given.
Sir David
Dr Brett Mills, head of media studies at the University of East Anglia, said that while he doubted Sir David was deliberately ignoring the issues, homosexuality is ‘pretty much everywhere’ in the animal world
In The Life Of Birds in 1998, viewers were treated to male sandpipers circling one another in an ‘aggressive’ manner. Again, Dr Mills suggests another interpretation should have been addressed by the programme.
The academic also complains that Sir David’s programmes place too much emphasis on traditional family values and monogamy while ignoring promiscuity and single parenting, which are also rife among many animals.
He highlighted footage of emperor penguins from 1993 that suggests ‘family is an essential unit for the success of the offspring’. Similarly, the description of blue manakins, South American birds which have multiple mates, as ‘neglectful of their parental duties’ feeds the idea that one type of family is better than others, it is claimed.
The researcher chose Sir David’s documentaries to illustrate his point because of the ‘perceived authority and reverence’ lent to them by the veteran broadcaster – but he stressed that other wildlife documentaries are just as guilty.
Dr Mills, who airs his arguments in the European Journal of Clinical Studies, said: ‘The research now suggests that [homosexual] behaviour can be found in pretty much every species to different extents.
‘Anywhere people have actually looked, it will be found.’
The BBC did not respond to requests for comment.
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Attenborough’s dishonesty around LGBT issues, amazing and shocking at the same time. If even a person like Attenborough cannot tell things as they are, the documentaries they make amount to lies and anti-LGBT propaganda. Disappointing. Does this warrant a stripping of title from David?
ARTICLE 6
Nearly Half of All US Farms Now Have Superweeds — by Tom Philpott – Wed Feb. 6, 2013 3:06 AM PST
Last year’s drought took a big bite out of the two most prodigious US crops, corn and soy. But it apparently didn’t slow down the spread of weeds that have developed resistance to Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup (glyphosate), used on crops engineered by Monsanto to resist it. More than 70 percent of all the the corn, soy, and cotton grown in the US is now genetically modified to withstand glyphosate.
Back in 2011, such weeds were already spreading fast. “Monsanto’s ‘Superweeds’ Gallop Through Midwest,” declared the headline of a post I wrote then. What’s the word you use when an already-galloping horse speeds up? Because that’s what’s happening. Let’s try this: “Monsanto’s ‘Superweeds’ Stampede Through Midwest.”
That pretty much describes the situation last year, according to a new report from the agribusiness research consultancy Stratus. Since the 2010 growing season, the group has been polling “thousands of US farmers” across 31 states about herbicide resistance. Here’s what they found in the 2012 season:
Superweeds: First they gallop, then they roar. Graph: Stratus
• Nearly half (49 percent) of all US farmers surveyed said they have glyphosate-resistant weeds on their farm in 2012, up from 34 percent of farmers in 2011.
• Resistance is still worst in the South. For example, 92 percent of growers in Georgia said they have glyphosate-resistant weeds.
• But the mid-South and Midwest states are catching up. From 2011 to 2012 the acres with resistance almost doubled in Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana.
• It’s spreading at a faster pace each year: Total resistant acres increased by 25 percent in 2011 and 51 percent in 2012.
• And the problem is getting more complicated. More and more farms have at least two resistant species on their farm. In 2010 that was just 12 percent of farms, but two short years later 27 percent had more than one.
So where do farmers go from here? Well, Monsanto and its peers would like them to try out “next generation” herbicide-resistant seeds—that is, crops engineered to resist not just Roundup, but also other, more toxic herbicides, like 2,4-D and Dicamba. Trouble is, such an escalation in the chemical war on weeds will likely only lead to more prolific, and more super, superweeds, along with a sharp increase in herbicide use. That’s the message of a peer-reviewed 2011 paper by a team of Penn State University researchers led by David A. Mortensen. (I discussed their paper in a post last year.)
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And such novel seeds won’t be available in the 2013 growing season anyway. None have made it through the US Department of Agriculture’s registration process. The USDA was widely expected to award final approval on Dow’s 2,4-D/Roundup-resistant corn during the Christmas break, but didn’t. The agency hasn’t stated the reason it hasn’t decided on the product, known as Enlist, but the nondecision effectively delays its introduction until 2014 at the earliest, as Dow acknowledged last month. Reuters reporter Carey Gillam noted that the USDA’ delay comes amid “opposition from farmers, consumers and public health officials” to the new product, and that these opponents have “bombarded Dow and US regulators with an array of concerns” about it.
So industrial-scale corn and soy farmers will likely have to muddle along, responding in the same way that they have been for years, which is by upping their herbicide use in hopes of controlling the rogue weeds, as Washington State University’s Charles Benbrook showed in a recent paper (my post on it here). That means significant economic losses for farmers—according to Penn State’s Mortensen, grappling with glyphosate resistance was already costing farmers nearly $1 billion per year in 2011. It will also likely mean a jump in toxic herbicides entering streams, messing with frogs and polluting people’s drinking water.
For a good idea of what’s in store, check out this piece in the trade mag Corn & Soy Digest on “Managing Herbicide-Resistant weeds.” Here’s the key bit—note that “burndown” means a complete flattening of all vegetation in a field with a broad-spectrum herbicide such as paraquat, an infamously toxic weed killer that’s been banned in 32 countries, including those of the European Union:
For those with a known resistance problem, it’s not uncommon to see them use a fall burndown plus a residual herbicide, a spring burndown before planting, another at planting including another residual herbicide, and two or more in-season herbicide applications. “If you can catch the resistant weeds early enough, paraquat does a good job of controlling them. But once Palmer amaranth [a common glyphosate-tolerant weed] gets 6 ft. tall, you can’t put on enough paraquat to kill it,” [one weed-control expert] says.
But of course there’s another way. In a 2012 study I’ll never tire of citing, Iowa State University researchers found that if farmers simply diversified their crop rotations, which typically consist of corn one year and soy the next, year after year, to include a “small grain” crop (e.g. oats) as well as offseason cover crops, weeds (including Roundup-resistant ones) can be suppressed with dramatically less fertilizer use—a factor of between 6 and 10 less. And much less herbicide means much less poison entering streams—”potential aquatic toxicity was 200 times less in the longer rotations” than in the regular corn-soy regime, the study authors note. So, despite what the seed giants and the conventional weed specialists insist, there are other ways to respond to the accelerating scourge of “superweeds” than throwing more—and ever-more toxic—chemicals at them.
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Perhaps this will be how humanity dies out. From their own GMO experiments crosbreeding naturally to create super fast growing, super toxic plants that wipe out human populations. Humans civilisation taken over by Sentient plant life might be most intersting. So watch out Vegetarians. These plants will remember how they were specifically sought out for EATING rather than a balanced diet type.
ARTICLE 7
THE ZIO STEAMROLLER: 26 WHO GOT CRUSHED! (Excerp)
http://www.tomatobubble.com/zio_steamroller.html
1973: SENATOR WILLIAM FULBRIGHT
Long time, unbeatable, US Senator (D-AR, 30 years)
.
THE CRIME:
Stated, on a national televised news show (ABC’s Face The Nation):
“Israel controls the U.S. Senate. The Senate is subservient, much too much; we should be more concerned about U.S. interests rather than doing the bidding of Israel. The great majority of the Senate of the U.S. – somewhere around 80% – is completely in support of Israel; anything Israel wants; Israel gets…”
THE PUNISHMENT:
The Jewish Lobby organized against him and he was unseated in 1974
A Washington GIANT was suddenly taken down!
1982: CONGRESSMAN PAUL FINDLEY
Long time Congressman, unbeatable, (R-IL, 22 years)
.
THE CRIMES:
Outspoken critic of Isarel and the Jewish lobby (AIPAC)
Wrote the best selling book “They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel’s Lobby” (1985) in which he states that the AIPAC has vast influence over the United States Congress.
Supporter of the rights of Palestinians
Supported the efforts of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) to improve the image of Muslims in America
THE PUNISHMENT:
The Jewish Lobby – which referred to Findley as “a dangerous enemy of Israel” – organized against him and unseated him in 1982
Findley dared to speak out – and he soon lost his seat for it!
1984: SENATOR CHARLES PERCY
Long time US Senator (R-IL, 18 years)
.
THE CRIME:
Tried (but failed) to save Karl Linas, an anti-Communist Estonian-American (who fought in the German SS) from being deported to face death in the Soviet Union
THE PUNISHMENT:
The Jewish Lobby organized against him and he was unseated that same year (1984)
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Any citizen who stays that long in any post is preventing others from having their chance at democracy. These guys may be good individuals but their TERM LIMITLESS presence is a Mubarak and a Gaddfi or Salleh upon US politics. Consider the extreme salaries as well and goodies that come with being in political posts, I’d say these guys and the culture of such long terms should not be encouraged by labelling them ‘Unbeatable’. A good statesman would prefer to step aside and allow other fellow citizens to legislate. What these step asiders COULD do is band together in an association that could judge and endorse or condemn from the outside what the next politician says or does WITHOUT any special state funds being assigned other than a basic pension IF they are of retirment age. That way instead of being term limitless they are being a check and balance. Consider also that ANYTIME not more than 10-20 such panellists of former Governors or Senators could exist to lay judgment or advice on the current 1 TERM governor or senator or what ever political post holder.
ARTICLE 8
2011: CHARLIE SHEEN – One of Hollywood’s biggest stars
THE CRIME:
Angered Jewish groups when he seemed to mock the jewishness of his producer Chuck Lore, telling a radio host: “Chuck Lore, his real name is Chaim Levine (with repeated emphasis on ‘Levine’)
Upon being fired, Sheen then doubled down, referring to Lore/Levine as:
“a contaminated little maggot…I wish him nothing but pain in his silly travels.”
THE PUNISHMENT:
Immediately fired from his hit TV show “Two and a Half Men” (in spite of the show’s massive success which was due solely to him!)
Relegated to “has-been” status and doing freak shows
Sheen was dumped for pointing out the Jewish name of his producer.
[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]
Sheen could afford to continue a low budget version of 2.5 Men even without any studios and still might be a ‘been’.
ARTICLE 9
Pope’s brother: Benedict seeks quiet retirement – by FRANK JORDANS | Associated Press
Georg Ratzinger, brother of the outgoing Pope Benedict XVI, answers journalists’ questions during a media opportunity in his home in Regensburg, southern Germany, Tuesday, Feb 12, 2013. Pope Benedict XVI did what no pope has done in more than half a millennium, stunning the world by announcing his resignation Monday and leaving the already troubled Catholic Church to replace the leader of its 1 billion followers by Easter. (AP Photo/Frank Jordans)
Associated Press/Frank Jordans – Georg Ratzinger, brother of the outgoing Pope Benedict XVI, answers journalists’ questions during a media opportunity in his home in Regensburg, southern Germany, Tuesday, Feb …more
Pope Benedict XVI, center, leaves after attending a meeting of Vatican cardinals where he read a document in Latin in which he announced his resignation, at the Vatican, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013. Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign Feb. 28 – the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years. The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March.
Pope Benedict XVI to resign
REGENSBURG, Germany (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI is planning to stay out of the public eye following his retirement at the end of the month and will probably not write any further works during his lifetime, his brother said Tuesday after talking with the pontiff.
Speaking to reporters in his home in the southern German city of Regensburg, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, who was ordained on the same day as the pope in 1951, said his brother also has no plans to move back to his German homeland.
“You don’t transplant an old tree,” the 89-year-old said.
The two are very close, however, and Ratzinger said he’s already planning to visit his brother later in the year.
The 85-year-old Benedict shocked the world Monday by announcing that he planned to step down from the papacy at the end of the month.
For Ratzinger, however, the decision was no surprise.
“He has been thinking about it for several months,” he said. “He concluded that his powers are falling victim to age.”
He talked with the pope by telephone on Monday evening after the announcement and said his brother was now hoping to lead a quiet life in the Vatican. Though he was a prolific writer before and during his papacy, Ratzinger said that was now likely to end.
“I don’t think he will write any new works,” Ratzinger said.
Rudolf Voderholzer, the bishop of Regensburg who is also in charge of the pope’s theological institute that publishes his work, said that even if Benedict does write, no new works would be published during his lifetime.
“Anything he published could be conceived as interference in the work of the next pope,” he said.
As for his successor, Ratzinger said his brother “feels that a younger person is needed to deal with the problems of the times.”
Asked whether the time had come for a pope from outside of Europe, Ratzinger said that could happen in future, but not immediately.
“For now I think the job will remain with a European,” he said.
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I’d say the CPPCC Politburo of China will have to qualify all the above statements before any of the same hold true. Why? For those who know, the Vatican and by extension ALL Catholics OWE CHINA Why and how, I leave for those who are spiritually in the know, one holdback was all it took to expose the web of lies.
ARTICLE 10
Russian entrepreneurs oust Thais from their native land? – 01.02.2013
Russian businessmen have crossed all borders both literally and figuratively. Thai entrepreneurs say that Russians oust them from the tourism industry. In the kingdom, there are many companies and businesses owned by Russian citizens. In this regard, the Thais conducted an anti-Russian protest action. How justified are their claims?
The rally was held earlier this week in Bang Tao resort, on the island of Phuket in Thailand. Several hundreds of local entrepreneurs took to the streets of the village, accompanied by taxi drivers, who also believed that the Russians were building obstacles for them in their own land. The businessmen of the kingdom were outraged about the activities of travel agencies, established by Russians, in particular Alex Tour. A sign with this name was torn off the company office on Monday during the protest action, The Phuket News wrote.
The protesters also walked past all buildings with Russian signs on them – “Marusya”, “Matryoshka” and “Three Wild Boars” restaurant. Fortunately, all those Russian establishments were closed.
On the eve of the protest, Thai businessmen were handing out leaflets and posters, urging others to clean the island from the “Russian mafia” to “liberate” the locals. Russian businessmen were thus portrayed as occupiers of Thai businesses operating in the sphere of trade and services. Thai travel agents, restaurateurs, taxi drivers and even laundry owners allegedly suffer from Russians. However, local residents say that the Russians usually ask cheaper prices for their services, and therefore they should not be allowed to dump on the market in Thailand.
The Russians living in Thailand, in turn, were very surprised with the protest actions. They claim that the majority of Russians work in the Asian country legally, so local entrepreneurs use the term “Russian mafia” inappropriately. However,Bigness.ru discovered, the leaders of the tourism industry look at the situation differently.
“In fact, the right of the Thais really violated, Russian citizens can not work legally in Thailand as guides,” – said Nikolai Koziorov, CEO of ArtisSpace travel agency. “Most of our guides work illegally. And this is what the Thais are concerned about. Basically, there are good reasons for that, because they lose their jobs.”
According to expert, the Thais have reasons to complain about. To get a job in a travel agency, they study Russian, and earn less than the Russians, as native speakers are more eloquent guides for tourists. In addition, Russian entrepreneurs try not only to open their own travel firms, but also buy local ones, thus taking away bread from the local people. The employment of Russian citizens in Thailand, as the expert said, is very often against the law.
“Under the laws of the majority of tourist countries, one should to obtain at least a license to be able to become a guide. Russians do not usually have any. This is a problem not only in Thailand but also in other countries, but it always gets solved somehow, ” Nikolai Koziorov said. Some Russian guides will probably be caught and sent back to Russia, but most of them will remain to work in Thailand, he added.
Press secretary of Rostourism, Irina Shchegolkova, agrees with the travel industry representative. “In Egypt, for instance, before riots started there, local residents strongly protested against the opportunity for foreigners to take their jobs. There is a problem of training guides and drivers there, of course – they do not speak Russian very well. For Russian tourists, it is much more comfortable, when they speak Russian to a Russian guide, and when a guide speaks Russian to them. But of course, the Thais have a right to defend their country’s economy and their jobs. Maybe they also need to think about how they can improve the quality of their services,” the official said.
Indeed, local citizens should improve the tourism industry. The number of tourists from Russia has been growing rapidly in Thailand. A significant part of the Russians, who can afford to travel, do not know English, which is considered an international language. Consequently, it would be much better if the Thais would not go on the warpath with Russian businessmen, but offer their services in good Russian for Russians. Needless to say that no one knows the history and way of life in Thailand as deep as the indigenous population does.
Meanwhile, the relations between Thailand and Russia have become somewhat strained recently. “Over the recent years, the number of accidents that occur to Russian tourists in Thailand has grown considerably. It is about time Russia should sound the alarm. We have already informed the Thai authorities on this issue. Russian tourists in Thailand commit suicide, get in car accidents and suffer from street theft. We even discussed an opportunity to sign a formal agreement with the Thai authorities to guarantee safety to Russian citizens in Thailand,” Irina Shchegolkova said.
Maria Snytkova
Bigness
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Russia is a terrible foe to have. USA has been ‘fighting off’ Russia for ages. All smaller countries should either walk with Russia or join another super power. Unfortunately for Thailand geographically, Russia is in the East and China of course is Russia’s ally in general and in many ways a go between diplomat between Russia and USA. China had dominated ASEAN region countries so long that even with the slight gap during 1800s to 1950s where all Chinese authority slipped for a moment, nothing can change the fact that the East will be dominated by these powers. Thailand should work with Russia and China if possible. As for the mafia issue, just work with the locals or what not, Russia could almost tear apart USA (especially when the US economy is weak and politics is less than democratic), Thailand, in fact all of ASEAN combined – barring China alone, would stand no chance against China much less Russia, work within the framework of the UN (which is quite Zion skewed in many ways and less than neutral or moving too slowly) and in economic issues, focus on professionalism and ethnic authenticity. The alliance between Russia and China already grants these 2 nations hegemony in the East.
No space for Thai idiosyncracies (while hospitable and having a reputation for among the more sensitive and beautiful people in ASEAN, some very important segments of Thai society are quite fundamentalistically superstitutious, insular and parochial (perhaps hierarchial to a fault though that too is their charm and sense of pedigree but for those who sought the truth, the very apex groups were their near doom, the respect for LIFE and FREEDOM, and only entitlement and spiritual entitlement as well rather than a love of justice and desire to aid or communicate with their petitioners resulted) is entirely lacking among the very most privileged – superficial socieies so fearful of their own people, they would deny the very first nature of existence – communication and access to TRUE WISDOM, they would prefer to suppress all and sundry without so much as a thought or attempt to respond as fellow SENTIENTS, these Thais being barely SAPIENT anyway) in their own manner, the subtleties of these natures could make the Russian trained and run tourist or business outfits easier to deal with than character flawed Thai socio-hierarchial sensitivities that completey ignore geopolitical realities and military strength) and the general 3rd world mindedness that has left the insular and somewhat fundo-minded Buddhist locals behind (I will remind against mandatory stints for youths as Buddhist Monks as being undemocratic and disrespectful of Human Rights as well as Theocracy leaning Ah Buddhism in Thailand and Malaysia, arrogance and entitlement is thy name! A sorry faith is the manner of practice and perhaps vindictive as hell . . . ). Lets put things into perspective, if in a game like ‘Red Alert’ (EA Games) – if even China does not have a storyline as a main player selection, Thailand does not appear in an extended expansion pack, (China does have and expansion pack but thats all China has, no storyline either), militarily we all know where Thailand stands overall even though as of this posting China and Thailand BOTH have 1 aircraft carrier while China should be building another score more and has an army that outnumbers even the Russian army (if both rely on robotics for war, the manpower behind remote controlled war machines overruning the continent will ensure that China wins simply because of more ‘players’ who will be better rested and able to take shifts and even days off, as opposed to nations with small populations – conversely populations without infrastructure could break a nation much like USA, USA is in serious trouble because of internal supply issues against the Corporatist parasite Bureaucracy.).
Unlike USA’s military option, in Thailands case, honesty and professionalism and no dirty tricks is the only way to counter Russia, this mafia labelling looks dangerously warlike in terms of language and Thailand as a nation in entirety, much less just the business community (in fact even Japan or all of ASEAN) is incapable of taking on Russia and should not do targeted killings because retaliations from Russia could go on for far (this means 1000s of years potentially – Malaysians beware, any antics against Russia in the past (in places like England of all places where a series of tit for tat occured) will not be quickly forgotten) too long for Thailand to be able to indulge these shows of bravado. Note, even China treads politely around Russia (i.e. no targeted killings) though this is mutual in many ways (as allies ASEAN has ZERO chance of fighting both combined) due to China’s (also partly North Korea’s army if they decide to unify with local North East Asian powers – a United Korea would put an end to anu Western hegemony if South Korea is more SCO inclined than NATO inclined) massive militarizable population and Russia’s still chaotic infrastructure.
M.A.D. scenario wise, much less infantry wise, Thailand is incapable of even taking on North Korea, Korea in general euphemistically termed China’s ‘Nephew’ from older times. HOW CAN THAILAND dare to kill Russian citizens?!? Suicidal. As the singlish version would go ‘You want to die is it?’
A regular dose of killings of Russian citizens in Thailand might be Thailand’s downfall in the long run as the lead nations of the Eastern sphere consolidate their power and eventually find time properly expand into South ASEAN, to think back on nations that killed their citizens and retaliate – with interest added. There is no way to fight Russia or China, or worse, the 2 combined. Thailand cannot go around disturbing Russian citizens much less killing them (this appeaers to be a favourite past time between ‘the West ( (actually if the whole lot lose patience and just overrun ASEAN, USA and EU being tied up in the Middle East will not be ready, even as debts in USA will take at very least a decade or few to clear) i.e. England and USA to a point, also against the ‘Krauts’ and former Axis nations though less so the EU)’, much like Malaysian Chinese need their equality in order to save face for mainland China as Chinese demands for Human Rights grow with their awareness against illegal structures like Bumiputra Apartheid applied against minorities in Malaysia that affects the Chinese superminority in Malaysia as well.
But only on issues of conscience and ethics or a moral ground (rather than military might, which targeted killings allude), is the possibility of ‘winning’ there. But tit for tat killing? No way. Even a Cold War with such assassination paradigms against Russia alone could crush Thailand or who knows even the whole of ASEAN. This is the East, and dominance ‘has never been and never will be’ – possible by Thailand over Russia – these tit for tat killings are ridiculous like a Mom and Pop shop taking on a multinational franchise WITH MONEY rather than making usre all the materials used are GMO free and everything is handmade.
Russia in fact might just want a reason to invade Thailand who knows, and is baiting Thai citizens to kill Russian citizens if not using the KGB to provoke killings of Russian citizens . . . who knows maybe Russia already has an army of ‘Yuris’ working on Thailand at this moment, so guess what a ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ satellite broadcast could do? Does Thailand have the technological infrastructure to fight Russia much less the military hardware?
ARTICLE 11
The grim reality of our abattoirs: Grisly image from inside Somerset slaughterhouse at centre of danger drug probe shows brutal last seconds of pony’s life – by Sean Poulter – PUBLISHED: 23:54 GMT, 14 February 2013 | UPDATED: 08:32 GMT, 15 February 2013
LJ Potter of Taunton kills 63 horses a week
Owner Stephen Potter sells his horsemeat through 50 butchers in Calais
Meat from three of the six horses containing bute have been sold and eaten
The meat from the second three has been recalled
This is the grisly scene played out every day inside the Somerset slaughterhouse which sent six horses containing danger drug bute into the human food chain.
A slaughterman balances a rifle against the pony’s head and pulls the trigger. The animal flails on the ground and is then winched on to the production line where her throat is cut with a razor sharp knife, severing the carotid artery.
The company LJ Potter of Taunton kills 63 horses a week using this method, with the carcasses shipped to France for food.
Last seconds: This is the grisly scene played out every day inside the Somerset slaughterhouse which sent six horses containing danger drug bute into the human food chain
The business is run by Stephen Potter, who said he sells his horsemeat through 50 butchers in the Calais area.
Meat from three of the six horses found to contain the anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, known as bute, has been sold and eaten, while meat from the second three has been recalled.
Mr Potter said he bought ponies, thoroughbreds and riding stable horses that are old or injured.
‘People come to us to dispose of their horses because they feel we do it very well,’ he said.
‘We wish to produce meat that is wholesome, nutritious, good value and, most importantly, safe.
‘We firmly believe that the humane destruction of horses for the human food chain has an important role to play in ensuring horse welfare, as otherwise unwanted horses would be left to enter a downward spiral to neglect.’
The details have triggered a fierce political row, with Labour accusing the government of ‘catastrophic complacency’ in its handling of the horsemeat scandal.
Grisly: LJ Potter of Taunton kills 63 horses a week using this method, with the carcasses shipped to France for food. The business is run by Stephen Potter, pictured. This is a file picture
Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, Mary Creagh, warned ministers of the danger of bute contamination on January 24, however horses containing the drug continued to be slaughtered and exported for food.
It was not until this week that a new regime, which stops horsemeat being sold until tests show it is negative for bute, was introduced.
She challenged food minister David Heath in the Commons yesterday, saying: ‘We must make sure horsemeat intended for humans is not contaminated with bute, it really is as simple as that.
‘So why did you not act immediately when I raised this issue three weeks ago in this House?’
She added: ‘It’s astonishing. We were in the middle of a horsemeat adulteration scandal, this is just catastrophic complacency from you.’
Mr Heath said the government is working with the French authorities to track the British horse carcasses killed at Mr Potter’s abattoir.
He also insisted that Britain is leading the way in getting European co-operation to track down the criminals responsible for the scandal.
Slaughterer: Mr Potter, pictured, said he sells his horsemeat through 50 butchers in the Calais area. This is a file picture
‘We have probably the biggest investigation that has ever been conducted across Europe into criminal behaviour, going on at the instigation of this Government,’ said Mr Heath.
He described Britain’s role as a ‘quite remarkable achievement in a very short time’.
Throughout the crisis, ministers have argued the horsemeat contamination is a matter of food fraud rather than a health risk.
News that British horses containing bute have entered the food chain suggests these were premature.
In theory, high doses, far more than would be present in a horsemeat burger, can induce blood disorders, including aplastic anaemia.
This means the bone marrow stops making enough red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets for the body, putting people at risk of life-threatening infections.
However, the Government’s chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, yesterday insisted any risk to consumers is small.
‘Horsemeat containing phenylbutazone – bute- presents a very low risk to human health,’ she said.
Agriculture minister David Heath
Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh
Row: Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, Mary Creagh, right, warned ministers of the danger of bute contamination on January 24. She challenged food minister David Heath, left, in the Commons yesterday
‘At the levels of bute that have been found, a person would have to eat 500 – 600 one hundred per cent horsemeat burgers a day to get close to consuming a human’s daily dose.
And it passes through the system fairly quickly, so it is unlikely to build up in our bodies.
‘In patients who have been taking phenylbutazone as a medicine there can be serious side effects but these are rare. It is extremely unlikely that anyone who has eaten horse meat containing bute will experience one of these side effects.’
Mr Potter did not respond to calls asking about his methods and where the six horses were sent in France.
Speaking in 2007, he defended what he does, saying: ‘We will all be old at some point and may spend our later years in great discomfort, horses are the same.
‘The horses are handled in a stress-free manner, by professional people and despatched with the minimum of fuss. None of us could ask for anything better than that.’
A Yorkshire abattoir owner, Peter Boddy, has been accused of providing horses to a factory in Wales where they were passed off a beef and turned into burgers and kebabs.
Mr Boddy is contracted to remove fatally injured horses from racecourses, including Aintree and the Grand National.
Yesterday, the racing authorities said measures are in place to ensure horses killed on the track cannot be sold for food.
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So in a place like Malaysia, probably dog meat and cat meat and Human flesh could well be found in burgers as well. That Muslim hated pork or bacon could not be replaced with Human flesh now could it? Is that why Malaysia often sabotages applications for pork abbatoirs or destroys existing private pork abbatoirs? Are the Chinese eating REAL pork? Or is that the flesh of fallen Jewish soldiers killed then shipped from Palestine? Pass the Gorean Sugu-burgers? How about some minced Kugan?
ARTICLE 12
Hove murder: Heavy object killed homeless Lee Williams – 13 February 2013 Last updated at 21:08 GMT
What is society or even law at all when these things can happen with impunity? Little wonder government is less and less respected.
‘Vicious attack’ left man dead
A homeless man who was murdered in what police have described as a “brutal, vicious and sustained attack” with a heavy object has been named.
Lee Williams, 45, who was originally from Hastings, was found dead next to the Hove pitch and putt on Monday.
He died from severe injuries to his face and head caused by a heavy object, post-mortem tests revealed.
Det Ch Insp Ian Pollard, from Sussex Police, said Mr Williams also suffered multiple fractures to his ribs.
He said: “We believe Lee was living in Hove for about a year and had a few friends within the homeless community but on the whole he was quite a private person.”
Police remain at scene
He said Mr Williams was an alcoholic and had been living in an archway under the promenade looking on to the pitch and putt course.
The rough sleeper had been a regular at the Thursday night soup kitchen near the Peace Statue next to Hove Lawns, and bought his beer from the Londis store next to the Alibi pub on Kingsway, he added.
Officers have not established the time of the attack but believe Mr Williams was last seen on Sunday morning.
Det Ch Insp Pollard said: “Lee suffered a brutal, vicious and sustained attack causing multiple injuries to his face, head and body. We need to find whoever did this to him and bring them to justice – they should not be allowed to get away with this.”
Police at scene Specialist officers have searched the area and forensic tests are still taking place
He urged anyone who knew Mr Williams or had seen him, or knew of any reason why someone would want to kill him, to contact the force.
He also said members of the homeless community who may not feel comfortable talking to the police could contact officers in strict confidence.
Earlier, police said the murder scene near Western Esplanade would remain cordoned off until the end of the week.
A large number of items such as food, drink, bedding and clothing had been found where he lived and each item was being forensically examined.
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Why should there be any homeless at all? Is there any unused state land the homeless can build homes and do subsistence farming on? Whats wrong with England and England’s lawmakers? This article’s matter of fact tone also bothers. Are the homeless so normalized ESPECIALLY when there is unused state land that they could be allowed to use for subsistence farming or live on? If the country belongs to everyone, then the homeless ALSO own in equal share all the plantation and mineral wealth or unused land which they could access to build homes and cultivate subsistence on. If a person has a nation, they are entitled equally, maybe the voters and the homeless do not know how, but this is simple.
Vote in MPs that will pass laws for the above suggestion. Assign ALL homeless unused state land to cultivate and live on. End of problem.
malaysiandemocracy1 