Ukraine parliament pushes through sweeping anti-protest law | News , International | THE DAILY STAR

The decision in parliament, taken suddenly by a show of hands which caught the opposition off-guard, followed a court ban on protests in Kiev, boosting opposition fears of an imminent police crackdown.

\”What happened today in parliament is a violation of laws,\” said boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko, an opposition leader who is regarded as a strong challenger to Yanukovich for the presidency. \”They do not have any legal basis,\” he said.

And far-right nationalist Oleh Tyahnibok, another opposition leader, said the vote was \”simply a usurping of power\”.

The law would make it an offence punishable by up to 15 days detention to wear a mask or face-covering like that adopted by many of the protesters, particularly those from the nationalist parties.

Dissemination of extremist information and slander was also banned and seemed to be aimed at forcing the removal of political graffiti on walls and bill-boards, pillorying Yanukovich and his government.

via Ukraine parliament pushes through sweeping anti-protest law | News , International | THE DAILY STAR.

Destroy the land for jobs and then bye-bye! Gold mining stirs up controversy in Greece | Europe | DW.DE | 16.01.2014

Sustainable jobs?

“It’s a question of sustainability. I might be able to employ 1,300 people for 10, 12 years or so, but I also cause huge environmental damage in the process,

” Verginis said. “I also hurt jobs in other sectors, for instance tourism. If tourism numbers drop by 25 percent, 12,000 people will lose their jobs.”

According to Eldorado Gold’s vice president and general manager for Greece, Eduardo Moura, the company and its contractors currently employ about 1,600 people in the region. Its subsidiary Hellas Gold, of which Eldorado Gold owns 95 percent, is preparing the region for mining operations.

According to documents on Eldorado Gold\’s website, the Skouries mine is expected to be open by 2016 and have a mining life of 27 years.

via Gold mining stirs up controversy in Greece | Europe | DW.DE | 16.01.2014.

China cloning pigs and gene sequencing ‘cute animals’ at ridiculous rates: Shanghaiist

Looks like China might be able to solve its potential food and endangered species crises in one go, through industrial-scale cloning. The Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) clones 500 pigs each year, making it the world’s largest center for pig cloning. It also has plans to gene sequence millions of humans, plants, and other animals, but apparently only if they\’re cute. BBC reports:

The scale of ambition is staggering. BGI is not only the world\’s largest centre for cloning pigs – it\’s also the world\’s largest centre for gene sequencing.

To illustrate the scale of this operation, Europe\’s largest gene sequencing centre is the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge. It has 30 machines. BGI has 156 and has even bought an American company that makes them.

…..Again, a comparison for scale: a recently-launched UK project seeks to sequence 10,000 human genomes. BGI has ambitions to sequence the genomes of a million people, a million animals and a million plants.

Wang Jun is keen to stress that all this work must be relevant to ordinary people through better healthcare or tastier food. The BGI canteen is used as a testbed for some of the products from the labs: everything from grouper twice the normal size, to pigs, to yoghurt.

Species that taste good is one criterion. Another he cites is that of industrial use – raising yields, for example, or benefits for healthcare.

\”A third category is if it looks cute – anything that looks cute: panda, polar bear, penguin, you should really sequence it – it\’s like digitalizing all the wonderful species,\” he [Wang Jun, chief of BGI] explains.

(So I guess if you\’re endangered and ugly, you\’re screwed?)

via China cloning pigs and gene sequencing ‘cute animals’ at ridiculous rates: Shanghaiist.

Woman’s Body Recovered From Chicago River | NBC Chicago

 “I lost two good friends,” Hoang said in the written statement. “It’s not easy seeing your friend drift away and having one die in your arms. I have never felt so helpless in my life. This situation is very emotionally difficult and out of respect for the families involved I would like to leave it at that.”An autopsy conducted Tuesday found Ken Hoang drowned, and listed alcohol toxicity as a secondary factor, the medical examiner’s office said. His death was ruled an accident.

via Woman’s Body Recovered From Chicago River | NBC Chicago.

Seattle Hot Dogs watch out!

North Dakota Firm Recalls Beef Franks Due To Misbranding and Undeclared AllergenClass I Recall 003-2014Health Risk: High Jan 15, 2014Congressional and Public Affairs Luis G. Rivera 202 720-9113 WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2014–Cloverdale Foods Co., a Mandan, N.D., establishment, is recalling approximately 2,664 pounds of beef franks due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service FSIS announced today. The products were formulated with milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label. The following products are subject to recall: [View labels] 16-oz. packages of Cloverdale Meats “Seattle Mariners Beef Franks.” 12 lb. cases containing 12 packages of individual 16-oz. packages of Cloverdale Meats “Seattle Mariners Beef Franks.”

via .

‘No way to safeguard your data’ from NSA | World | DW.DE | 15.01.2014

(Real news is one thing but this is nothing but something made up to look like news – an interview with a secrecy “expert” for a magazine with no sources given for his musing. If true, document it! Otherwise…)

DW: News reports say that the NSA is using a special technique in order to spy on about 100,000 computers outside the US – even if they’re offline. How is that possible?

Martin Holland: According to reports, they\’re using special implants placed on the computer components. With the help of the implants, they can conduct surveillance on those machines. The NSA sends signals to the implants, and can then find out what was done on the computer by what\’s reflected back from the device.

via ‘No way to safeguard your data’ from NSA | World | DW.DE | 15.01.2014.

Living In a Gun Lobby Dystopia – NYTimes.com

The gun lobby says Americans would be safer if more “good guys” carried loaded guns in public places, and extols the benefits of an armed citizenry.

On Monday, the nation got a terrifying glimpse of how dangerous that vision really is — when a minor argument escalated into lethal violence at a movie theater in a Tampa suburb.

In this tragic episode, an irascible patron at a matinee showing of “Lone Survivor” shot a fellow audience-member because he was texting.

Without the presence of a gun, the two men might have shouted and thrown punches before theater employees arrived to stop the altercation. No one would have died.

As it is, a 43-year old father, Chad Oulson, paid for his texting with his life and his wife, Nicole Oulson, suffered a non-fatal wound — all because the retired police officer who admitted to the shooting, Curtis Reeves, couldn’t control his temper. On Tuesday, Mr. Reeves was charged with second-degree murder.

Most gun owners are not violent. Most gun owners are not criminals. But this latest shooting is a reminder that a “bad guy” with a gun is sometimes a “good guy” in a pique.

via Living In a Gun Lobby Dystopia – NYTimes.com.

USDA Greenlights Dow’s 2,4-D Seeds | Civil Eats

C#$P! !@#$!!! Have some Agent Orange with your soy sauce and corn flakes!

Earlier this month, USDA welcomed in the new year by presenting Dow AgroSciences with a bountiful gift: A virtual green light for the pesticide company’s new genetically engineered (GE) corn and soybean seeds. These crops are designed specifically to be used with Dow’s infamous herbicide, 2,4-D.

Dow has been waiting two years for the go-ahead from USDA to start marketing its 2,4-D-resistant corn and soy. And it now appears the corporation will get what it wants, despite strong opposition from farmers, healthcare professionals and concerned communities across the country.

Agricultural scientists warn that introduction of 2,4-D resistant crops is a very bad idea, and could lead to as much as a 25-fold surge in 2,4-D use across the country over the next six years. This would result in severe damage to vulnerable crops, loss of farm businesses and harm to rural communities’ health.

via USDA Greenlights Dow’s 2,4-D Seeds | Civil Eats.

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