Thursday 31 May 2012

Around the World in Five Minutes

Thousands of Yemeni Children face Starvation

Thousands of Yemeni children are facing life-threatening levels of starvation as a result of a worsening food crisis in the country.
Yemen is experiencing severe food crisis. Nearly half of the population - 10 million - do not have enough to eat, and 300,000 children are facing life-threatening levels of malnutrition.
The UNICEF representative in Yemen, Geert Capalaere, said, "The levels are terrible. Whatever we do, thousands upon thousands of children will die this year from malnutrition."
Political crisis, war in the north and south of the country, high birth rates and doubling of food prices have contributed to their predicament.

Fifty year jail term for Charles Taylor

Former Liberian president Charles Taylor has been sentenced to 50 years in jail by a UN-backed war crimes court. Last month Taylor was found guilty of aiding and abetting Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels during the 1991-2002 civil war. Judge Richard Lussick said he was responsible for aiding some of the most heinous crimes in history. Sixty-four-year-old Taylor insists he is innocent. His lawyer to BBC news that he will appeal the sentence.

Canada: posted body parts cause manhunt

 Canadian police have begun a nationwide search for a 29-year-old man who is wanted in connection with the delivery of a decomposing human foot to the headquarters of the Canadian Conservative Party.
A second package, containing a hand, was found by police on Tuesday night. Police are also investigating the discovery of a headless torso in Montreal.
A nationwide warrant has been issued for male Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29.
Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafreniere told a press conference the suspect has no criminal record and asked the public's help in tracking him down.

UK doctors to hold first industrial action in 37 years


British doctors on Wednesday voted to take industrial action for the first time in nearly four decades.
They are angry at proposed reforms to their pensions.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s government wants public sector workers to pay more towards their pensions. The changes would see civil servants work longer and retire on a “career average” salary pension scheme, instead of a final salary one.
Hamish Meldrum, the chair of the British Medical Association’s ruling council, said“We hope that the public will realise that doctors are not asking for any preferential treatment, they’re only asking for fair treatment.”

Nanotech to extend shelf life of fruit & Veg



Researchers are working on 'nano-film' packaging materials to extend the shelf-life of fruit and vegetables and reduce huge post-harvest losses in South Asia.
The project follows studies at Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, India, showing that a nano-film that emits a chemical vapour can extend the shelf-life of vegetables by up to 21 days without any deterioration in quality.
Now, researchers at the university have linked up with collaborators in Canada and India to test such novel nano-materials on mangoes. 

6 comments:

  1. Beats me how morally warped you have to be to send body parts through the post! I hope the police catch this criminal and haul him through the justice system to face up to his henious crime.
    UK doctors to strike over pensions? Welcome to the real world guys,nice to see you out of your sheltered lives!
    I am amazed that throughout his trial,Mr Taylor has engaged in increasingly ridiculous political posturing and dismissive shenanigans. One would be excused for thinking that the normal demeanour would be one of contrition.Oh well,not in Mr Taylor's case.

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  2. Will! Nice to read your comment. I totally agree with you on the Canadian guy. Some people are just sick.

    As for Charles Taylor, he doesn't look any different from former dictators who have occupied the same position. They never show remorse. Always that disinterested, non-nonchalant look plastered on their faces.

    Appreciate your comment.

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  3. Welcome back FresherAngle! Nice to see you giving us an apprehensive view of the news in your usual style.
    Thinking of Yemen, the idea of starving children dwelling within its borders at first seems hard to percieve, because whenever I think of the countries in the middle east, all I see are rich governments and peoples backed up by crude oil! Once again I needed FresherAngle to provide me with a more balanced perspective of what's going on in the world.
    Just as ironical is the expression on Charles Taylor's face as he's supposedly recieving a 50 year sentence. Is this the dictator who dressed in military garments shouted whatever orders he liked just a while ago? Without going into the details of the trail, that is one of the things that attracts me to the law up till this time, it is one of the few institutions in life with the ability to correct injustices, bring about equity in a kind of 'ho-ha' (blatant) manner. Ride on UN Court of HRs. I look forward for when such justice can be sought and effected from western politicians and monopoly businesses that have abused their power causing suffering in the economies of developing countries as well!

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  4. You would think that the act of murder would be enought to satisfy the desires of a killer. What satisfaction are they trying to get from cutting up the body into bits? Just shows that such individuals are not just bad, they are mad!
    I must admit not being comfortable with the doctor's plan to go on strike. Dr Meldrum will greatly help if he could provide a greater clarification between what is 'preferential' and what is 'fair'. Because while acknowledging the need to treat medical doctors well, I must admit being inclined to seeing no need for the strike.
    As for the new plan to further chemicalise vegetables and farm produce so as to make it 'immortal', it raises questions whether such immortal vegetables are beneficial to the human body, any cook will certainly know that such items do not taste better than whole organic products. I think I can say on behalf of the average human being: we don't want everlasting products! So please focus agricultural research somewhere else. Any suggestions on what they should focus on?

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  5. INVITATION TO CAMEROUN, MP'S AND THE QUEEN TO REGULARLY JOIN IN READING FRESHER ANGLE: You'll get a balanced wholesome perspective of the news daily, without the politically biased comments and repetitive headlines!

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  6. Dlaw! Thanks a million for your full bodied comments (as always). I agree with everything you've written. And you raise a good point about the planned strike by British doctors - they need to distinguish between what is fair and what is preferential. I know doctors study for years and work very hard. But I also feel they are paid good money for their labour. They are not the only ones facing a cut in pensions so they need to get over it.

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