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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Friday, October 22, 2010

23 October - Articles and Atrocities in the News

SMImage by K's GLIMPSES via Flickr

 treehugger

Colgate Accused of Biopiracy of Traditional Indian Toothpaste Recipe

It's the battle of the toothpaste titans: In the red corner we have Colgate Palmolive, the the world's largest producer of toothpaste, who have taken out a patent for an Indian herbal toothpaste. In the blue corner we have the Ayurvedic medicine manufacturers who are disputing the patent, calling it an act of biopiracy. Who will strike the knock out blow?

Compounds from the Neem tree were first extrac...Image via WikipediaColgate Palmolive claims that their groundbreaking "red herbal dentifrice" uses red iron oxide, which is different than the ingredients in the traditional toothpaste.
It's a battle of big business: The toothpaste sales to a huge country like India could be worth billions of dollars. But to the Indians it is a battle for their culture. Who owns India's folk medicines and how can you patent something that has been around for thousands of years?
More info: Daily Mail
India Has Declared Traditional Medicinal Recipes Un-Patentable
As a developing country, India has long been concerned about intellectual property rights and the ownership of knowledge. A few years ago, Indians were shocked when an American company tried to patent turmeric--a spice and healing powder that is widely available in markets across the country. The country also fought a 10-year battle to overturn a patent for an anti-fungal product, derived from neem that was awarded to a multinational company. The government successfully argued that the medicinal neem tree is part of traditional Indian knowledge.
In an attempt to head off further acts of biopiracy and patenting of traditional knowledge and remedies, in 2009 India legally declared all traditional medicinal recipes "public property". So, should it be determined that Colgate's recipe has indeed existed as a traditional medicine in India, or that red iron oxide is not different enough from traditional recipes, Colgate may well have a fight ahead.

Seventeen countries have come together to form the Group of Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries. The group which includes Bolivia, Brazil, Indonesia and Kenya, has been created to "act as a mechanism of cooperation to promote their interests regarding biological diversity and in particular the protection of traditional knowledge, access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their use." 

Understanding emerging political divisions between Europe and the US 

Daniel Ellsberg: “I’ve waited forty years for a release of documents on this scale.”

On the eve of the biggest leak of classified documents in US history, Daniel Ellsberg appeared on Democracy Now. Daniel is on his way to London to participate in a press conference with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Saturday to announce the release.

At 5pm EST Friday 22nd October 2010 WikiLeaks released the largest classified military leak in history. The 391,832 reports (‘The Iraq War Logs’), document the war and occupation in Iraq, from 1st January 2004 to 31st December 2009 (except for the months of May 2004 and March 2009) as told by soldiers in the United States Army. Each is a ‘SIGACT’ or Significant Action in the war. They detail events as seen and heard by the US military troops on the ground in Iraq and are the first real glimpse into the secret history of the war that the United States government has been privy to throughout.


 “They Fled Away Like Gangsters”: Murder & Greed in Baghdad
A US attorney is bringing suit in a Federal court against a foreign-based "security" company for needlessly and brutally killing two Iraqi women back in 2007.  

Obama's Military Appointments Have Corrupt Past  

Newly Disclosed Documents Shed More Light on Early Taliban Offers, Pakistan Role | FPJ 


US announces $2 billion aid package for Pakistan

US' 'fight Taliban or lose funding' quid-pro-quo to Pak

Worried US demands China nuclear pact details from Pak 
( Do we know this tune from the 'Axis of Evil' ?  ) 

Left-out-Pak' desperate for role in ongoing Afghan-Taliban reconciliation talks 

U.S. halts aid to Pakistani army units over abuses 


US forces 'ignored Iraq torture
 The biggest leak of military records in US history, being released by Wikileaks, shows commanders did not investigate torture by the Iraqi authorities.
 ( The Canadian Prime Minister has been desperately suppressing successful investigation into allegations that Canadian troops knowingly provided many more Afghans to torture than other NATO forces : last year he dissolved Parliament to give time to allow the Liberal leader to be replaced for daring to head a coalition that would remove him from power ) 



America: no stranger to genocidal war crimes 


Afghan aid work threatened by private security ban
 ( If past reports are anything to go by, 'aid work' will be far from the 'battle zone' and/or places of chronic real need regardless  )

Iran is weak, Afghanistan is better, and the tea party is good for America  
 
www.truth-out.org

 "The one thing I couldn't live without in Iraq was my own humanity," says Iraq veteran Ethan McCord, who came home from dropping his children off at school to find a video of himself rescuing an child from a bombed-out van. That was the now-infamous WikiLeaks video, and McCord has been collecting hi... 

 Wikileaks' Iraq War Logs: U.S. Ignored Iraqi Torture [Leaks]

 US lawyer to face charges of genocide denial in Rwanda

 Turkey: All roads lead to Istanbul 


Florida Oil Spill Law

Feds funding study of oil spill’s effect on FLESH-EATING bacteria — Blamed for multiple recent Gulf-area deaths after water/seafood contact (VIDEOS)

DOH: Six Die from Deadly Saltwater Bacteria, WONO (Orlando), September 14, 2010:
The Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday that six deaths have occurred this year as a result of a deadly bacteria, at least two of them from raw oyster consumption. Known as Vibrio vulnificus, the bacteria infects the body in two ways, either by exposure to contaminated seafood or through an open wound exposed to contaminated seawater. DOH said that the other four deaths remain under investigation as to the source of the exposure. DOH is warning Floridians to avoid eating raw oysters and exposing open wounds to seawater and estuarine water.

 LATEST HEADLINES:

 

FLASHBACKS:

Chile cuts customs’ red tape to help exporters face stronger peso
 
Argentina's industrial production surged in September boosted by domestic demand and strong export markets. Industrial production rose 9.7% in September from the year-ago month,... 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
( His Story : the narrative of power )
 

Israeli presence on Palestinian land 'irreversible'

A UN human rights rapporteur has said continued settlement construction will probably make Israel's occupation of Palestinian land irreversible. 
Richard Falk said the peace process aimed at creating an independent, sovereign Palestinian state therefore appeared to be based on an illusion. 

( Gee. Do you suppose that's why 3-way 'negotiations' with the U.S. ( ? ) are with somebody who does not have any mandate from Palestinians ? )


 

Alberta Local News

Red Deer featured on ‘Rick Mercer Report’

Canada’s favourite funny man Rick Mercer made a trip to Red Deer in early October to visit the Central Alberta Freestyle Ski Club.
He dropped by Three Mile Bend in north Red Deer with his crew to talk to members of the club and shoot them going down their new ramp — doing 360s, backflips and more — into the water.
On the video, Mercer starts out doing the pizza wedge on skis towards one of the coaches but by the end of the day Mercer went down the ramp and into the water. 

 The world's 10 coolest observation decks

 
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