World’s largest butterfly endangered

This video is called Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterfly.

From daily The Guardian in Britain:

World’s largest butterfly disappearing from Papua New Guinea rainforests

Rare Queen Alexandra’s birdwing is losing habitat to logging and oil palm plantation

Posted by Mark Stratton

Monday 30 July 2012 11.35 BST

How large does a butterfly have to be before anybody notices it is disappearing? In the case of Papua New Guinea‘s (PNG) Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, the answer is enormous.

The world’s largest butterfly boasts a 1ft (30cm) wingspan – imagine the width of a school ruler – yet few outsiders in its rainforest home in Oro province in northern PNG have ever seen it. It’s a scenario unlikely to improve as oil palm plantation and logging remorselessly devours this endangered butterfly’s habitat.

Edwardian naturalist Albert Meek first recorded it in 1906 on a collecting expedition to PNG. The fast-flying butterfly frequents high rainforest canopy so Meek resorted to blasting them down by shotgun. The Natural History Museum taxonomically allocated his buckshot-peppered specimens into the birdwing genus (a tropical grouping possessing super-elongated forewings) and named it after Edward VII’s wife.

How does mimicry work in butterflies? Academy researcher Durrell Kapan and his colleagues have found the answer in the butterfly’s genome: here.

Japan may have a real-life Mothra on its hands. Like the giant moth that often battled Godzilla, the butterflies near the site of the 2011 Fukushima disaster may have been mutated by exposure to radiation: here.

September 2012. This wettest summer for a century saw the numbers of many common butterflies fall, the world’s biggest butterfly count has revealed. More than 25,000 people across the UK took part in the Big Butterfly Count 2012, counting over 223,000 butterflies and day-flying moths: here.

Squid cuts off own arm, video

This video says about itself:

28 July 2012

Economy of arm autotomy in the mesopelagic squid Octopoteuthis

Octopoteuthis deletron autotomizes 2 arms onto a bottle-brush that is attached to an arm of the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) ‘Ventana’ on October 22, 2008, at 830 m depth. The 2 arms remain attached to the bottle-brush, and then 1 arm detaches and thrashes for 10 s before ceasing movement. The terminal photophore of the thrashing arm is white, therefore it is presumably bioluminescent (Video 1).

- Disarming Deep-Sea Tactics: see here.

Reference

Economy of arm autotomy in the mesopelagic squid Octopoteuthis
Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS) 458:133-140 (2012) – doi:10.3354/meps09714
http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v458/p133-140/

Abstract

Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) were used to observe and collect the mesopelagic squid Octopoteuthis deletron Young, 1972. I documented numerous individuals with shortened, blunt-ended arms and regenerating arm-tips, which may be indicative of arm autotomy, i.e. the jettisoning of a body part as a defense. To test the hypothesis that O. deletron is capable of arm autotomy, laboratory investigations and an in situ experiment using ROVs attempted to induce autotomy. I looked for autotomy fracture planes in histologically sectioned arms. O. deletron is capable of arm autotomy, but it requires traction to occur. O. deletron has numerous places where an arm can sever; arm breakage always occurred immediately proximal to the point of interaction, minimizing tissue loss, and demonstrating ‘economy of autotomy’. Despite the fact that this species can autotomize an arm anywhere along its length, only a few well-defined fracture planes were found in our histological sections, indicating that autotomy probably occurs via loss of tensile strength during a defensive interaction. In O. deletron, an autotomized arm usually thrashes and the terminal arm photophore bioluminesces—whether a steady glow, flashing on and off, or both—which could be an important part of predator distraction associated with autotomy in dark, mesopelagic waters. O. deletron is the first squid reported to autotomize its arms, the only cephalopod known to be capable of economy of autotomy, and is one of very few species known to use attack autotomy, whereby a predator is grasped by a body part that is subsequently autotomized.

See also here.

Iran cheetah research

This video is called Powerful Cat, The Cheetah.

From Wildlife Extra:

Iran’s cheetah brothers roaming far and wide in search of food and a mate

Cheetah “brothers” Are Now in Ariz

July 2012. Born in Iran’s Siahkouh National Park in the spring of 2010, two cheetah siblings are now roaming in the zone known as the ‘Ariz No Hunting Area‘ in central Iran. After losing a sibling during their first few months, the cheetahs, accompanied by their mum, walked more than 130 kilometres through vast deserts of central Iran to arrive in Dare Anjir Wildlife Refuge in summer 2011.

Since last winter, they have dispersed southward and now they are ranging in Ariz, a newly established reserve just south of Dare Anjir. After the brothers became independent from their mum, they departed Dare Anjir and returned 130 kilometres (at least) back to Siahkouh.

In the meantime, the “brothers” who roamed most of Dare Anjir (1750 km2), and occasionally even outside of the reserve boundary during the last winter, were sometimes joined by another probably un-related young male to form a coalition of three males. However, camera traps indicate that their coalition was not stable during winter, and sometimes the new male preferred a solitary life.

ARTICLES ABOUT THE WORK OF THE IRANIAN CHEETAH SOCIETY

Leopard cubs caught on photo trap in Iran
Cheetah conservation in Iran
Leopard conservation in Iran
Brown bears in Iran
Young leopard dies in snare in Iran
Blandford’s fox caught on camera across Iran

Video captures fastest cheetah breaking world record: here.

Greek bank workers strike against privatisation

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

Greek bank staff strike against state sell-off

Monday 30 July 2012

Workers at Greek bank ATEBank launched rolling 24-hour strikes today to protest against the carve-up of its employer.

The government announced on Friday that it will sell the state-run company in a no-cash transfer to Piraeus Bank and, to sweeten the deal for the privateer even further, will retain the bank‘s weak investments under state control.

Unsurprisingly banking sector shares zoomed up as much as 8.74 per cent on the Athens stock exchange as a result.

The Greek Federation of Bank Employee Unions OTOE went ahead with a 24-hour strike to protest against austerity cuts.

Meanwhile the three parties involved in Greece’s coalition government resumed talks to try to agree on even more cuts demanded by its creditors as a condition for continued bailout financing.

Conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras met his junior coalition partners to attempt to persuade them to sign off on a new €11.5 billion (£8.9bn) cuts package for 2013-14.

Germany Is Scared to Throw Greece Out of the Euro: here.

Over 500 trains were cancelled in Spain today as workers staged a 24-hour strike against threats to privatise up to half the country’s railways: here.

The leaders of the three Greek government parties have announced their agreement on further austerity cuts amounting to €11.5 billion: here.

Mark Weisbrot, The Guardian UK: “The [European Central Bank] has always had, and continues to have, the power to end the immediate crisis in the eurozone, but has refused to do so…. [F]or a nefarious political reason: in order to force the weaker economies of Europe to accept a regressive political agenda”: here.

Although most governments and parliaments are on their summer break, a fierce dispute over the future of the euro is raging between the European capitals: here.

Workers in Tunisia have been protesting, and in some places striking, against the privatisation of factories that were nationalised during the revolution: here.

CSC corporation’s torture flights scandal

From Computer Weekly in Britain:

NHS seeks explanation over CSC role in ‘torture flights’

Mark Ballard

Monday 30 July 2012 12:15

The Department of Health is seeking an explanation from CSC over allegations the supplier was involved in the illegal rendition of European citizens in the US “war on terror”.

CSC has been accused of organising the flights of people between secret prisons where they were alleged in some cases to have been tortured.

“We are concerned by these allegations and plan to seek clarification from CSC,” said the Department for Health in a statement to Computer Weekly.

The department and the UK Cabinet Office are in the middle of protracted negotiations with CSC over its failure to deliver IT systems to the NHS National Programme for IT. The coalition government had been trying to scrap the NHS programme but has been unable to renegotiate the contract with CSC. A resolution is expected in August – although previous deadlines for an agreement have been missed.

Human rights charity Reprieve is writing to CSC customers after it unearthed documents it claims prove the IT supplier managed rendition flights for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Invoices allegedly show CSC was contracted to charter flights in one case, where the CIA transported German citizen Khaled El-Masri after his abduction from Europe and secret imprisonment in Afghanistan.

But other CSC customers are choosing to disregard the allegations.

“It’s not our policy to comment on things like that,” said a spokesman for ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel producer, which outsourced its IT to CSC in July 2011.

Transport for London (TfL), which in January renewed a CSC contract on which it has spent £100m since 2006, said: “TfL was not aware of the allegations made against CSC.”

Reprieve has written to TfL and its chairman, London mayor Boris Johnson. TfL has so far declined the opportunity to respond to further questions from Computer Weekly.

A spokesman for Royal Mail, which has outsourced its IT to CSC since 2003, said: “We do not comment on our commercial relationships with our customers and suppliers.”

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it had sought an explanation from CSC after giving it a seven-year, £400m contract in April to run the British Service Personnel and Veterans Agency system, which handles approximately £14bn in pay and pensions every year.

The procurement process included a “good standing” assessment, to tell if bidders had committed criminal offences or acts of grave professional misconduct that might bar them from working with UK armed forces.

An MoD spokesman said: “We looked for assurances from CSC following these allegations from Reprieve.

“They provided an assurance that CSC has a robust corporate responsibility programme that includes an affirmative human rights statement.”

The MoD was led to believe the allegations centred on DynCorp, a company CSC acquired in 2003 and sold in 2005.

Dr Crofton Black, a researcher for Reprieve, said the charity had discovered invoices connecting CSC with likely rendition flights up to mid-2006, after it sold DynCorp.

CSC acquired DynCorp along with 40 subsidiaries and 26,000 staff for $950m in 2003. CSC subsequently won a contract to supply DynCorp security personnel to support the US invasion of Iraq and became the fourth largest contractor to occupying US forces. But CSC sold part of DynCorp subsidiary DynPort for $850m after it was rebuked by the US State Department for the aggressive behaviour of its guards protecting Afghan leader Hamid Karzai.

CSC remained the 92nd largest contractor in Iraq after the sale and retained parts of DynCorp including DynPort, which produces biological warfare vaccines under contract to the Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defense.

Reprieve claims CSC also retained its rendition contracts.

CSC said in a statement that it retained the name DynCorp but subsumed its retained divisions, particularly DynCorp Technical Services, which became CSC Applied Technologies, and provides security and operates test ranges for US military bases. Other DynCorp subsidiaries were sold or discontinued.

USA: How should we mark the 10th anniversary of the effort by the Bush administration to justify torture? By ensuring it never happens again: here.

Secret trials to cover up Britain’s role in torture: here.

Madagascar wetland birds

This video is called Mahajamba Bay • Madagascar.

From BirdLife:

Conservation, community benefits and a new Ramsar site: Ten years of conservation in western Madagascar.

Mon, July 30, 2012

Conservation, community benefits and a new Ramsar site: Ten years of conservation in western Madagascar.

Madagascar has recently designated Lake Kinkony as a Ramsar Site (Wetland of International Importance). Lake Kinkony is a permanent freshwater lake situated within the new Protected Area of the Mahavavy-Kinkony Complex, in western Madagascar, where BirdLife Partner, Asity Madagascar has been undertaking important conservation work for the last ten years. Ramsar designation for the site is a highly significant achievement in terms of international recognition of the ecological, economic, cultural, scientific and recreational importance of the lake and the wetlands.

The Mahavavy-Kinkony Complex consists of marshes, rivers, lakes, coastal zones, mangroves, palm savannah, dry forests and even caves. The site is home to a large number of threatened species including the Critically Endangered Madagascar Fish-eagle Haliaeetus vociferoides, the Endangered Sakalava Rail Amaurornis olivieri, Madagascar Heron Ardea humbloti, Madagascar Pond-heron Ardeola idea, and Madagascar Sacred Ibis, Threskiornis bernieri as well as the Vulnerable Madagascar Plover Charadrius thoracicus; Critically Endangered endemic fish are also present. The site is also highly important to the Malagasy people for fishing, hunting and agriculture. However, the wetlands’ wildlife has been threatened by over-exploitation, habitat loss and sedimentation; forest areas have suffered from illegal timber extraction and unsustainable shifting agriculture.

Aug. 21, 2012 — Newly established Makira Natural Park is now Madagascar’s largest protected area. The hope is that the park will protect hundreds of unique species that live in the northeastern part of the island nation: here.

Burrowing owl video

This is a burrowing owl video from Artis zoo in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Bahraini workers demand jobs back

This video from the USA is called Bahrain Protests – U.S. Selling Weapons.

From Gulf Daily News:

26 workers demand jobs back

By Sandeep Singh Grewal

Monday, July 30, 2012

A GROUP of 26 sacked workers from the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) staged a sit-in yesterday in Riffa, demanding to be reinstated.

They were reportedly dismissed last year as a result of the privatisation of their section and claimed the organisation had failed to pay them their outstanding dues.

They demanded their salaries to be paid, pending completion of procedural requirements, in addition to accounting for 10 additional years added to their pension scheme or reinstating them with the same salaries as before.

The Bahrainis, who worked in the make-up, decor, design, carpentry and engineering departments in addition to other specialisations, were backed by the National Free Thought Society, which has taken up their case and organised the peaceful demonstration near the Shaikhan Grand Mosque.

“These workers were sacked last year not because of the political unrest but due to the privatisation of the section, where they were employed,” said society secretary-general Layla Rajab.

“They are clearly qualified Bahrainis who worked in the Information Affairs Authority with clean records.

“The decision to dismiss them is unacceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.”

Ms Rajab, who was present at yesterday’s protest, said the families of the sacked employees were suffering because they could not afford the added expenses of Ramadan.

“We all know during Ramadan families spend more and with no source of income, they are in a tough position,” she explained.

“This will be further worsened when they have to shop for Eid Al Fitr next month.”

Ms Rajab and the dismissed workers held placards demanding “justice” and carried umbrellas to beat the summer heat as they protested for hours.

She raised the issue with His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa last month, but wants MPs and Shura Council members to step in and help the group.

A Bahraini woman, who worked as a make-up artist and was present at the sit-in, demanded authorities to pay their pending salaries and to add 10 additional years to their pension scheme.

“All the staff dismissed from their jobs want their salaries to be paid and completion of procedural requirements,” she said.

The IAA were unavailable for comment when contacted by the GDN yesterday.

Bahrain Is Criticized for Its ‘Torrent’ of Tear Gas Use: here.

Tortured Tamil political prisoner interviewed

This video from the USA is called Sri Lankan Government Accused of Human Rights Abuses Near Civil War’s End.

By Athiyan Silva:

WSWS interviews tortured Tamil political refugee

30 July 2012

In April and May of 2009, the war waged by successive Sri Lankan governments since 1983 against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was coming to its brutal end with the crushing of the latter by the army.

President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government and its military intelligence, aided by Tamil paramilitary groups, began round-ups in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps of anyone who had “even a small connection” with the LTTE.

More than 11,000 Tamils were arrested, many of them women and youth. After a few days of screening in IDP camps, they were separated and given minutes to gather their belongings before being sent to so-called rehabilitation centres.

According to the government, 5,000 of these prisoners have been released. But they remain under close military surveillance. More than 6,000 people are still in secret camps and the so-called rehabilitation centres. They have not been charged with any crime, but most have been in detention since the end of the war. Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), political prisoners in Sri Lanka can be held indefinitely without trial.

In May 2009, President Rajapakse boasted that the war was over and “LTTE terrorism” had been eliminated, but the arrests of “LTTE suspects” continue in the north and east, which are under military occupation. Last April 21, in the Trincomalee district, the security forces rounded up around 160 Tamil males and females from their houses for questioning. Thirty-eight people were detained under the PTA. They will be put through a year-long process known as “rehabilitation”.

Amnesty International reported on March 14, 2012: “People released from detention have remained under surveillance by intelligence forces. The Sri Lankan Army continues to have a large presence in the north and is deployed for civil policing. The Special Task Force (STF), an elite police commando unit with a history of human rights violations, remains active across the country. Former detainees have been harassed and rearrested, and physically attacked. Killings and enforced disappearances of newly released detainees have also been reported”.

Last week, WSWS reporters in Paris interviewed a former Tamil political prisoner, now 28. A few months ago, to save his life, he came to Europe as a political refugee. For security reasons we do not give his name. He was held in several different “rehabilitation” centres.

Australian government forcibly deports Tamil asylum seeker: here.

Sri Lankan government moves to gag web sites: here.

Bahraini prince drunk and disorderly on plane

This CNN video is called Rights group alleges torture in Bahrain 22-04-2011.

From eTurboNews:

Bahraini prince arrested for being drunk and disorderly on BA flight

July 29, 2012

So much for Ramadan… A drunk Arab prince was threatened with 50,000-volt Tasers by gun cops after trying to storm the flight deck of a British Airways jet.

The billionaire, 28 — who was sozzled by 10am — had jumped up from his £2,700 First Class seat to complain to the captain about “poor” service before the Boeing 777 took off from Heathrow to Bahrain.

Crew members called armed cops, who pointed stun guns at the prince after he refused to calm down.

The royal — said to be a close relative of Bahrain’s King Hamed bin Isa Al Khalifa — was hauled off Flight BA125 and taken to the West London airport’s police station. The prince had his DNA, mugshot and fingerprints taken before being released on bail.

A passenger said: “We were terrified when the armed police came on and started pointing Tasers at him.”

A BA spokesman confirmed a customer “was off-loaded from the London to Bahrain service” and appeared to be “intoxicated”. Scotland Yard said a man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

From Digital Journal:

The consumption of alcohol is allowed in Bahrain, but only for non-Muslims. In 2010 the Shura Council approved a ban on all Muslims drinking alcohol in the tiny Gulf state. Under Bahraini law the penalty for a Muslim drinking alcohol is a three-year jail sentence. However, Gulf royals often flout the Islamic rules they impose on their subjects, indulging in alcohol and other prohibited activities.