Sweeden has decided not to ban sexist advertising, saying it would risk undermining the country's cherished right to freedom speech. But the decision puts the country at odds with its Nordic neighbours. Norway and Denmark have strict limits on the use of such images for commercial gain.

In Norway, sexist advertising has been banned since 2003. The ban forms part of a much broader package of legal limits on advertising, protecting the depiction of religion, sexuality, race and gender. read more

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A proposed solution to reverse the effects of global warming by spraying sulfate particles into Earth's stratosphere could make matters much worse, climate researchers said on Thursday.
They said trying to cool off the planet by creating a kind of artificial sun block would delay the recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole by 30 to 70 years and create a new loss of Earth's protective ozone layer over the Arctic.

Starvation in African countries often stems from food shortages caused by war. Now people in some of the poorest countries in the world fear starvation for another reason - globally spiralling food prices. Already there have been riots in the streets and high-level warnings of massacres to come. AfricaAfrica is not alone. Strife has broken out over pasta prices in Italy, tortilla prices in Mexico and tofu products in Indonesia. Experts are saying governments had better mobilise quickly or food riots will become more and more common and the world more unstable. read more

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There was a defining moment in the life of Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, one which both her army of devoted fans and her impressive publicity machine agree indicated the world had a huge star on its hands.

Aged just 7, Shakira was accompanying her family to a Middle Eastern restaurant in her home town in the steamy Colombian port city of Barranquilla.

As the Arabic drums started to pulse and the restaurant's in-house belly dancers took to the stage, up leapt the little girl, overtaken by a "natural instinct", she later recalled, "to move my hips and twirl my belly to the sound of the doumbek. I fell in love with the sensation of being on stage". read more

Your action is greatly needed to help put the people responsible for needlessly shooting people's pets during hurricane Katrina. The entire situation is horrendous and the judge threw the case out! The St. Bernard's Sheriff's Department will not own up to the cruelty that has taken place.
Below is a paragraph taken from Pasado's Safe Haven's website.

ST. BERNARD STREET SHOOTINGS CASE DISMISSED!
URGENT ACTION NEEDED! NEW EYEWITNESS IN DOG SHOOTINGS COMES FORWARD TO PASADO'S SAFE HAVEN

Pasado's Safe Haven was called this week by a man who was an EYEWITNESS to St. Bernard Sheriff's officers shooting dogs and cats approximately on August 30 and 31. He and his wife remained in their house for 11 days in St. Bernard Parish with no food or water. All of their pets, 2 dogs and 3 cats, eventually perished. He and his wife heard shots from boats in the floodwaters. He saw the individuals, "wearing St. Bernard Sheriff uniforms" who he claims he can identify in a photo line-up. He and his wife hid from the men, for fear the officers would shoot their animals. read more