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| Animals killed in religious ritual in US Investigators believe some kind of religious ritual may be behind the discovery of the remains of more than 400 dead animals at a house in Philadelphia. The remains include deer, turtles and other animals. Officer George Bengal, director of law enforcement at the Pennsylvania SPCA, said investigators spent hours combing through the home in the city's Feltonville neighbourhood on Wednesday. He says the animals had apparently been used in some kind of religious ritual, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. Authorities are trying to find the people who rented the home.Animal welfareAnimalsUnited Statesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Cycle for Survival 2010 - Video CYCLE FOR SURVIVAL 2010 FUNDRAISER SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON RARE CANCERS AT MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER feedproxy.google.com |
Obama outlines $117bn bank levy President Barack Obama unveils a plans for a $117bn fee to be levied on bailed-out banks, and criticises their bonuses. news.bbc.co.uk |
Citigroup loses $7.8B in 4Q NEW YORK (AP) -- Citigroup Inc. became the latest bank to take a cautious view of consumers' credit problems, reporting a $7.77 fourth-quarter loss due to failed loans and the costs of repaying government bailout money.... hosted.ap.org |
Hong Kong MPs quit in push for elections Observers say resignation by five opposition MPs is desperate attempt to revive campaign for democracy in territoryFive Hong Kong MPs resigned today to try to press Beijing into allowing direct elections, in what some consider a desperate attempt to revive the campaign for democracy in the special administrative region.Amid victory signs, the MPs from the opposition League of Social Democrats and Civic party held up their resignation letters for photographers before handing the documents to the secretary of Hong Kong's legislative council."My resignation is in keeping with my campaign promise. I want to fight for direct elections," said one of the MPs, Alan Leong. "Today's resignations are meaningful. Today's resignations are proactive."A British colony for more than 150 years, the wealthy financial hub of 7 million people was returned to China 13 years ago with a special political status which promises western-style government and civil liberties.But Beijing has not lived up to the promise. The territory's leader is chosen by an 800-member committee, while its legislature is half elected and half chosen by interest groups. China ruled in 2007 that Hong Kong cannot directly elect a leader until 2017 and a whole legislature until this year. Local democracy activists say the public are ready now to choose their leaders.In their latest campaign, the two opposition parties hope the resignations of the five MPs – one from each of Hong Kong's five electoral districts – will force a special election pitting pro-democracy candidates against pro-China ones in what the opposition says will be a de facto referendum on democracy in the territory.The plan highlights problems for Hong Kong's democracy movement. When the territory was about to return to Chinese rule in 1997, its democracy activists warned that an authoritarian Beijing would crack down on freedom. But those fears never fully materialised, with Hong Kong's opposition figures and media left largely untouched.The democracy campaign enjoyed a brief revival in 2003, when the government tried to pass a national security bill wanted by Beijing. Many Hong Kongers considered it too draconian, and half a million people marched in protest against it.But protest numbers have dwindled since, as locals turned their attention to the economic downturn. With public interest waning, democracy activists are looking for a spark."They are doing this partly out of frustration," said Ma Ngok, a political scientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "They feel they need to do something more radical, try something new."The resignation plan is a long shot. Recent polls show lukewarm support among the public. Hong Kong's leading opposition party, the Democratic party, chose not to take part, while one of the leading pro-Beijing parties has said it will boycott the special elections. Others could follow suit.Beijing recently warned the five MPs not to resign. There was no immediate Chinese comment todayyesterday.Donald Tsang, Hong Kong's chief executive, said in a statement the "so-called referendum" had no legal grounding."The government will not recognise it," he said. "Legislators should do their jobs and fulfil their constitutional duty through the legislature. They shouldn't quit easily."The Hong Kong government is required by law to organise special elections as soon as possible, but no deadline is set in the law. Constitutional and mainland affairs bureau spokeswoman Bonnie Yip said the government would follow the law but declined to give a time-frame for the byelections.Chinaguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |