Plastic six-pack harnesses, used to hold cans of soda and beer, are a great hazard to birds, fish and other wildlife. The harnesses are especially dangerous in water where they are practically invisible. Birds fishing or feeding in the water can easily entangle their bills and necks in the strong plastic rings. This usually leads to strangulation or starvation. Pick up any plastic six-pack holder you find and cut or pull apart the rings and recycle it. If possible, avoid buying products wrapped in these holders; most beverages are available with other packaging.
A group of young British Muslims have joined the fight back against Islamic State militants with a video and social media campaign.
After the murder of David Haines and kidnapping of Alan Hemming, the East London-based group Active Change Foundation decided to voice their anger.
They set up the #notinmyname campaign to spread the word that British Muslims reject IS, its ideology and actions and to show that IS do not represent the Islamic faith or the Muslim community.
Hanif Qadir, founder of ACF. said: “The murder of an innocent man has no justification in any religion or walk of life.
“These terrorists ISIS are not true Muslims, they do not practice the true teachings of Islam; peace, mercy and compassion, and they are the enemy of all mankind.”
Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson delivered an emotional and powerful speech at the United Nations headquarters on Saturday to help launch the HeForShe gender equality campaign.
Here are some extracts from her speech asking for equal rights for men and women:
“We want to end gender inequality and to do this, we need everyone involved. This is the first campaign of its kind at the UN. We want to try to galvanize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for change”
“the more I’ve spoken about feminism, the more I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop.”
“for the record, feminism, by definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.”
“I think it is right that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men.”
“But sadly, I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights. No country in the world can yet say that they have achieved gender equality. These rights, I consider to be human rights”
“Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation.Gender equality is your issue too. Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued les by society despite my needing his presence, as a child, as much as my mother’s.”
“We don’t want to talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are. “
“We should stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by who we are. We can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom.”
“If you believe in equality, you might be one of those inadvertent feminists that I spoke of earlier and for this, I applaud you.”
“I am inviting you to step forward to be seen and to ask yourself, ‘If not me, who? If not now, when?'”
Scotland has voted to stay in the United Kingdom after voters said no to independence.
The Yes camp has had some victories, including in Glasgow and Dundee, but not enough to secure victory overall.
Talks will now begin on giving more powers to Scotland.
Pro-UK Alistair Darling says Scotland has “chosen unity over division”
After weeks of campaigning across the country, Scottish voters made their decision yesterday by answering yes or no to the question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”
It was the first time people aged 16 and 17 were allowed to vote in a UK referendum.
85% of people registered turned up to vote – a record high for an election or referendum.
The final margin of victory for the pro-UK Better Together campaign was 55% to 45%.
Scotland has been part of the UK for more than 300 years, so the vote was a huge moment for the country.
MPs from the three main political parties in Westminster say – even with a NO vote the result will mean big changes across the UK.
The leader of the ‘Yes’ campaign, Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, has accepted defeat and called on Westminster to deliver on their promise of more powers for the Scottish Parliament.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, says he’s congratulated Alistair Darling, who is the leader of pro-UK Better Together campaign.
A referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country or stay in the United Kingdom will take place on Thursday, 18 September 2014.
The referendum question will be “Should Scotland be an independent country?” – voters can only answer yes or no. With some exceptions, all residents in Scotland over 16 can vote, representing over 4 million people.
SAUSALITO , California. — Two northbound deer briefly stopped traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge Friday night as they made a run for the hills of Marin County, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The deer, reported at 5:24 p.m., appear to have entered the bridge from the south.
The two deer brought traffic to a halt in three lanes of traffic.
Drivers appeared to have slowed behind the animals, leaving the lanes clear in front of them.
“They pretty much created their own traffic break,” police officer Barclay said, noting that northbound traffic tends to be backed up and slower around 5:30 p.m. anyway.
“That could be what saved the deer from getting hurt,” he added. “If it was lighter traffic the cars would have been moving faster.”
