Latest news with #Britain-based
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
6 million donkeys slaughtered for Chinese health supplement, charity says
Criminal networks have moved in since the African Union issued a moratorium on donkey slaughter in 2024. PHOTO: AFP ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Almost six million donkeys are slaughtered annually for Chinese medicine, with severe knock-on effects for African villagers who rely on the animals, a Britain-based charity said on June 26. It is driven by an increase in China's production of ejiao – a product marketed as a health supplement that uses collagen from donkey skins – which is a US$6.8 billion (S$8.6 billion) industry, according to China-based research firm Qianzhan. China, whose donkey population has plummeted from 11 million in 1992 to 1.5 million in 2023, has turned to Africa to meet its demand. With donkey populations falling, the African Union issued a 15-year moratorium on donkey slaughter in 2024. Britain-based charity The Donkey Sanctuary said 'the ejiao industry drives a massive global trade in donkey skins, much of it illegal'. It said around 5.9 million donkeys were killed worldwide in 2024. The ejiao trade is expected to require at least 6.8 million donkey skins by 2027. The rising value of donkeys means they have increasingly become targets for criminals. 'Traders exploit vulnerable people using large and sophisticated networks of agents to pressure donkey owners into selling their animals,' the charity said. 'Illegal networks operate across the continent, often without consequence, stealing and slaughtering donkeys in the night,' it added. 'Donkeys die in often unregulated, inhumane and unsanitary conditions, and large numbers perish on their way to slaughterhouses,' it said. The impact on humans is particularly felt by women and children, who rely on donkeys for farming activities such as ploughing and for carrying goods to market. The criminal operations also generated health risks, The Donkey Sanctuary said. 'The transportation of untreated skins and improper disposal of donkey carcasses risk triggering the spread of infectious diseases and damaging local ecosystems.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Venice, prime wedding spot, braces for a Bezos marital extravaganza
Advertisement Glassblowers, mask makers, and bakeries are counting their euros for a multiday event that has City Hall swooning. Officials project the economic benefits in the low eight digits, including $3.5 million in charitable donations. But not all of Venice is swooning. The city's latest wedding bash — a smaller affair compared with some Venetian blowouts, with government officials and one vendor estimating between 200 and 250 guests — has become a lightning rod for overtourism protesters, eco-activists, and left-wing demonstrators who are hosting a network of events against what they see as a manifestation of the era of the One Percent. Their slogan — 'No Space for Bezos' — has popped up on street corners and even a banner across the legendary Rialto Bridge. On Monday, activists from Greenpeace and the Britain-based group Everyone Hates Elon unfurled a giant image of a laughing Bezos in St. Mark's Square under the words: 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.' Advertisement Demonstrators had threatened to block access to what was expected to be Saturday's main wedding celebration at the Misericordia — a cavernous venue in northern Venice inaugurated in 1583 — by physically throwing themselves in canals. Sensing potential trouble, a decision was made this week to change the location, said a person familiar with the event. 'The decision was taken so as not to harm or create distress for residents, visitors and tourists,' said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential deliberations. Demonstrators are celebrating the relocation as a 'victory.' The new venue for Saturday's festivities remains officially secret, but protesters say they have tapped an underground network of cleaners, technicians, caterers, and others to pinpoint the new site in a secluded part of the Arsenale complex used to host Venice's annual Biennale art and architectural exhibitions, as well as high-security summits. The venue, city officials say, is more easily monitored and secured. Saying waters in the area are too treacherous to risk their original plan — jumping in canals with inflatable flamingos, ducks, and unicorns, to disrupt boats ferrying guests — protesters are now planning a less invasive Saturday march away from the venue. 'We have already won,' said Tommaso Cacciari, one of the protest organizers and the nephew of a former mayor. 'Bezos wanted to use Venice as a backdrop for his pictures. We used his event to show our fight to the world.' Advertisement City officials, police, and business owners, meanwhile, have pushed back against claims by protesters that Bezos sought to effectively 'buy Venice' for the event, noting that the city has hosted significantly larger and more extravagant affairs. They cite, for instance, the 'Wedding of the Century' that brought Bollywood to the Adriatic for three heady days in 2011. The silk-swathed celebration for an Indian heiress and her betrothed saw 800 guests sup on delicacies from Harry's Bar. There were stilt walkers, billionaires, and a blimp. Shakira crooned. Nobody protested. Then there was the wedding of George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin in 2014. 'Where were these protesters when George Clooney got married at City Hall, and really did disrupt the streets? This is a private wedding, out of the way. I can't understand this,' said Simone Venturini, the Venice city councilor responsible for the tourism sector. Venturini said he understood that Bezos and Sánchez were to be legally wed in the United States, and were simply hosting their celebrations in Venice. Bezos and Sánchez declined to comment. The wedding planners — the boutique agency Lanza & Baucina — also declined an interview request. In a statement, the company condemned the 'misinformation, falsehoods and misunderstandings' that have circulated in Venice about the wedding celebrations. They described the number of water taxis and gondolas booked as not 'excessive' and 'proportionate to the number of guests.' Senior officials estimate that the event has booked roughly 30 of the city's 250 water taxis. 'From the outset, both our client's brief and our guiding principles have been very clear: minimizing the impact of the event on the city, respect for its residents and institutions and the prominent use of local workers in the creation of events,' the Lanza & Baucina statement read. 'The rumors of a 'takeover' of the city are completely false and diametrically opposed to our aims and reality.' Advertisement Bezos, the founder of Amazon, also owns The Washington Post. In some ways, the Bezos-Sánchez event has become a pawn in a bigger game. Much of Venice has fretted about overtourism. But the mayor and business interests are especially at odds with a small group of die-hard activists angered by high housing prices and the devolution of a once formidable city-state into a Disney-esque playground for shorts-wearing, selfie-taking hordes. Yet protesters, who include social housing activists, university collectives, workers' rights advocates and anti-cruise-ship groups, say they have particularly targeted Bezos because they see him in a 'political context' — calling the billionaire a symbol of consumer-driven culture and anti-labor-union animus, and a member of a global elite that has corralled wealth. Fairly or not, some protesters also said they equate him with President Trump. 'We would have protested Bezos even if he came with three people in a wooden boat with oars,' Cacciari said. Others in Venice, however, see just the opposite — a billionaire spreading his wealth. Not far from St. Mark's Square, sugary scents waft from the glass counters of the Rosa Salva bakery. The family business founded in 1879 was originally contracted months ago to produce sweets as gifts for a major but anonymous wedding this week. Three weeks ago, as protest fervor built, the owner, Antonio Rosa Salva, was informed that the order — for roughly 200 gift boxes — was for guests of Bezos and Sánchez. Rosa Salva called the protests shortsighted. Weddings, he said, are responsible for 30 percent of his total annual sales. 'We've done weddings for 500 people, events for 1,800, and nobody ever said a word,' he said. 'The truth is, Venice has been hosting events like this for centuries. It should be a pleasure and honor for us to host this now. We need this.' Advertisement In fact, the Bezos-Sánchez nuptials are happening as the Venice hotel association cites a drop-off in revenue following a banner 2024, a loss it partially attributed to fewer big-spending American tourists. For the association, the protests smack of a self-inflicted wound. Some people in 'this city want the tourist money, but they want it by mail,' said Claudio Scarpa, director general of the Venice Hotel Association, adding that he believed only a small subsection of the city was up in arms over the Bezos event. 'We should be seeing this as the best possible opportunity to advertise our city.' In a city highly sensitive to cruise ship traffic, speculation had raged over whether Bezos would sail his three-masted, 417-foot yacht Koru into Venice. The person familiar with the event said the vessel was not expected to enter the city, and Italy's La Repubblica reported the couple had arrived in the area by helicopter. On Wednesday evening, the Koru was located in the waters off nearby Croatia, according to . People magazine on Monday published images of the suds-covered couple aboard the Koru, enjoying what the outlet described as a 'foam party' with guests. Darco Pellos, the prefect of Venice in charge of public order, said a variety of local and national Italian security forces were being called in this week to keep the peace, given the level of the 'personalities' attending the event. He said he had been informed of the venue change for Saturday. Advertisement Depending on how things go, the event could mark a test of a newly passed national security law that grants authorities the right to detain protesters for obstructing public places. But Pellos said: 'I believe there will be no problems, as on all occasions when dissent has been manifested in this city. Our interest lies in guaranteeing the safety of citizens — those who demonstrate, and those who want this private event.' Luca Zaia, the governor of Veneto — the region of which Venice is the capital — disclosed this week that Bezos and Sánchez had donated 1 million euros to CORILA, a group that supports scientific research and preservation efforts on the Venetian lagoon. A person familiar with the donations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss financial details said additional donations of 1 million euros each were made to the Venice Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and to Venice International University. In an interview, Zaia called the $18 billion-a-year tourism industry the region's most important, and criticized the protests. 'We don't know how much Bezos's wedding will bring,' the governor said of the economic windfall. But, he said, Bezos 'has rented five hotels, about 30 taxis and, from what we understand, it will cost Bezos between 20 [million] and 30 million euros,' he said. 'We'll be awaiting Bezos with open arms.' For guests, the weather may be more uncomfortable than the protests, with high temperatures approaching 90. The locations of the week's other wedding-related festivities also remain closely guarded secrets — though word has seeped out of potential locations, both to protesters and the local press. The town is buzzing over mysterious activity near the Madonna dell'Orto Church in the Cannaregio district. Another rumored spot is San Giorgio Maggiore island, a graceful stretch of historical buildings with sweeping views of St. Mark's Square. Home to a small but ancient cloister of Benedictine monks, it has played host in the past to high-security international summits. Today, the island is owned by the Italian government and largely managed by the Giorgio Cini Foundation, founded by a former communications minister for Benito Mussolini who later turned against Il Duce. Foundation officials would not comment on rumors of a wedding-related event reportedly being planned in a closed-off park where black gazebos and a metal detector went up 10 days ago. A woman staffing an accreditation booth would only describe it as a 'private event.' 'I do not doubt that Mr. Bezos does great and good things,' Stefano Visintin, the Benedictine abbot on San Giorgio, told the Corriere del Veneto newspaper. 'But a personality of such caliber could have expected to also have enemies, and possibly cause a stir,' Visintin added. 'Couldn't he have gotten married in an isolated villa in Beverly Hills?'
The Star
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Malaysian doctor highlights Semporna's stateless kids in London photo exhibit
An avid photographer, Dr Byron Mohammad Hamzah is hoping to make a difference by holding a photo exhibition in London on the lives of stateless children in Semporna, Sabah. The Britain-based award-winning lensman says the exhibition is a celebration of the culture, spirit and determination of the displaced youth of Semporna. "I have always been intrigued by the lives of those on the margins, and stateless people in Malaysia are no exception. "The struggles faced by stateless communities have long been a concern to me, and I felt that reading about them in newspapers wasn't enough. I wanted to understand the situation on the ground. "As I have always believed in the power of photography in telling a story and its ability to encourage engagement, I decided to use it as a tool to explore their narrative and share what I learned with a wider audience," says the Nottingham-based Dr Byron, 42, in an email interview. 'I have always believed in the power of photography in telling a story and its ability to encourage engagement,' says Dr Byron. Titled Bunga dan Tembok – Pemuda-Pemuda Tanpa Warganegara Semporna (The Flower and the Wall – Stateless Youths of Semporna), the exhibition runs from June 26-28 (6pm-10pm) at the Photofusion Gallery in Brixton, London. Featuring about 40 images and a self-made photobook, the exhibition is the result of nearly two years of work. The free exhibition is part of a final graduate showcase at the University of the Arts London, where Dr Byron has been pursuing his studies in photography. There will be seven other photographers from Britain and across Europe participating in the exhibition. A powerful tool Photography has been Dr Byron's passion for decades. To him, it is a way to capture the true essence of people and communities. In 2020, he was selected as one of the winners of the British Journal of Photography's Portrait of Britain competition. In 2022, he launched his first documentary photography project, Salam Malaya (Hello Malaya), driven by a desire to reconnect with his homeland. The exhibition merges documentary storytelling, underlining the power of photography to educate and inspire. The following year (2023), his other documentary photography project Yang Tinggal Hanya Kita (All That Is Left Is Us) was selected as a finalist in the 2023 Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize, one of the biggest international documentary portrait awards organised by London's National Portrait Gallery. While his earlier works focused on understanding his identity as a Malaysian, his current project shifts the focus outward - into the lives of others. "I always assumed photography to be a solitary and sometimes lonely pursuit, but this project proved it doesn't have to be. I have learned that photography can build friendships and enrich lives - especially in this case, with the children and youth," says Dr Byron, who has been living in Britain for 20 years. Dr Byron collaborated with stateless youth from Semporna for the project, encouraging their participation in shaping how they were portrayed. "As a result, the experience involved working with people, negotiating and a whole lot more planning. I truly enjoyed the collaborative aspect and the new connections it brought," says the KL-born medical practitioner, who worked closely with students from a free school run by Borneo Komrad – a grassroots non-governmental organisation that provides education for stateless communities – through four extended trips to Semporna. Survival and resilienceBunga dan Tembok carries the theme of civil rights and injustice. Dr Byron explains that the project title comes from a poem by Indonesian poet, Wiji Thukul. "In class, the marginalised youth are also taught literature and I remember sitting in on a class discussion on the poem. I had never heard of that poem, let alone of Wiji Thukul, and I went on to research his work. "It was a beautiful poem and a great allegory for the lives of the children there. Hence, I thought it was a fitting name for the project," shares Dr Byron, who will be discussing his project on June 28 (8pm, local time) as part of the the project, he chose to focus on the positive aspects of Semporna's stateless youth, and involved the marginalised kids in the creative process. "Many photographers, especially from the West, have documented this community, but often with a focus on deprivation and hardship. While relevant, the images tend to lean towards misery and exploit poverty. Dr Byron's aim through the exhibition is to shed light on the resilience of marginalised communities. "I wanted to shift the narrative. I focused on the students' lives at a more personal level. "As an outsider, I was initially unsure about gaining their trust, so I took a collaborative approach. I invited them to participate in how they wanted to be represented. Over time, that involvement helped build trust, and allowed their personalities to shine," says Dr Byron, who shares his photos on his Instagram. Working with these children for two years was indeed an eye-opener for Dr Byron. Over the years, he has forged close relationships with many of them. He also praises the amazing teachers who continue to guide these displaced youth. Above all, he has also learned the true meaning of resilience and survival. " These two words have resonated a lot with me throughout this experience and I have observed this so much in the children I have worked with, which has really inspired me. "It has also given me a new perspective on life, helped me readjust my priorities, and changed how I manage my own tribulations. "In the end, all I see are little children living in crisis, so it is hard not to be affected by it, or to keep it from becoming a matter that is close to your heart."In an ideal world, I want them to achieve the justice and equality they truly deserve. I will always support their fight. "With the knowledge and skills they've gained from the free school, I hope they'll continue to support themselves and advocate for their rights," he says.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Death toll in Damascus church suicide bombing climbs to 22
A suicide bombing at a Damascus church killed at least 22 people and wounded 63 others, marking the deadliest and first attack of its kind on a Christian place of worship in the Syrian capital in several years, officials said. According to Syrian authorities, two attackers stormed Mar Elias (St. Elias) Orthodox Church in the predominantly Christian Dweilaa neighbourhood during Sunday evening Mass, opened fire on worshippers, and detonated explosive belts near the entrance. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the death toll and reported that women and children were among the victims. "This was a condemned terrorist act. We first heard gunfire in the courtyard, then two men entered, fired on the congregation, and blew themselves up. Such a crime violates every religion and every shred of humanity," said parish priest Melatios Shtah. "They were yelling sectarian slogans while shooting. Then everything went dark after the explosion," Worshipper Lawrence Maamari told Xinhua news agency about the panic inside the church. Authorities sealed off the area and urged residents to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles while hospitals issued urgent calls for blood donations. The observatory called the bombing a "dangerous escalation," noting that previous attacks on Christian sites in Syria during the civil war were largely acts of looting or sabotage, especially in areas once controlled by the Islamic State (IS). This assault marks a shift in tactics aimed at destabilising civil peace and inflaming sectarian tensions, it added. Interior officials said early evidence points to Islamic State sleeper cells, although no group has claimed responsibility. Political analyst Mohammad Nader Al-Omari said the attack may have been timed to exploit regional instability following a recent US strike on Iran. Information chief Hamzah al-Mustafa condemned the bombing as a "cowardly act meant to undermine national cohesion" and pledged that those responsible would be brought to justice. Damascus has been largely free of major attacks since government forces reclaimed surrounding areas in 2018. Sunday's bombing shattered that calm and renewed concerns over the resurgence of IS in southern and eastern Syria. "The state will not allow criminals to destabilise society," Mazhar al-Wais, the country's justice affairs chief, said on X, vowing swift and fair trials for those behind the attack.
NBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Suicide bomber kills at least 22 in Greek Orthodox church in Syria
DWEIL'A, Syria — A suicide bomber in Syria opened fire then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people praying on Sunday, killing at least 22 and wounding 63 others, state media reported. The attack took place in Dweil'a on the outskirts of Damascus inside the Mar Elias Church, according to state media SANA, citing the Health Ministry for the toll of dead and wounded. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were at least 19 peopled killed and dozens wounded, but did not give exact numbers. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties. The attack on the church was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under its de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country. No group immediately claimed responsibility Sunday. Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba said in a news conference that a preliminary investigation pointed to the extremist Islamic State group. The ministry said one gunman entered the church and fired at the people inside before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies. 'The security of places of worship is a red line,' he said, adding that IS and remaining members of the ousted Assad government are trying to destabilize Syria. Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the bombing, calling it a terrorist attack. 'This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,' he said on X. 'We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state's pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.' Witnesses said the gunman's face was covered when he entered the church and started firing. When a crowd charged at him to remove him from the church, he detonated his explosives at the entrance. Syria's Social Affairs and Labor Minister Hind Kabawat, the country's Christian and female minister, met with the clergy at the church in the evening to express her condolences. 'People were praying safely under the eyes of God,' said Father Fadi Ghattas, who said he saw at least 20 people killed with his own eyes. 'There were 350 people praying at the church.' However, Meletius Shahati, a church priest, said there was a second gunman who shot at the church door before the other person detonated himself. Security forces and first responders rushed to the church. Panicked survivors wailed, as one lady fell to her knees and burst into tears. A photo circulated by Syrian state media SANA showed the church's pews covered in debris and blood. Issam Nasr, who was praying at the church, said he saw people 'blown to bits.' 'We have never held a knife in our lives. All we ever carried were our prayers,' he said.
