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Barack Obama Calls For End To Gay ‘Conversion’ Therapies

Barack Obama Calls For End To Gay ‘Conversion’ Therapies

Washington (AFP) — US President Barack Obama is calling for an end to so-called conversion therapies that seek to change sexual or gender orientation of young homosexuals or transgenders.

The call is in response to a petition on the White House website that was launched after the death of 17-year-old Leelah Alcorn, a transgender youth who committed suicide in December.

In a note posted online before her death, Alcorn wrote about being forced to undergo conversion therapy by her parents.

Obama said young people must be given the right to choose and live safely regardless of sexual orientation.

“Tonight, somewhere in America, a young person, let’s say a young man, will struggle to fall to sleep, wrestling alone with a secret he’s held as long as he can remember,” Obama said in a statement Wednesday.

“What happens next depends on him, his family, as well as his friends and his teachers and his community. But it also depends on us — on the kind of society we engender, the kind of future we build.”

The online petition has received more than 120,000 signatures in the past three months.

Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to Obama said the therapy, also called “reparative” treatment, are morally and medically damaging.

“The overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates that conversion therapy, especially when it is practiced on young people, is neither medically nor ethically appropriate and can cause substantial harm,” Jarrett said in a statement.

“As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors.”

Obama has been a vocal supporter of gay rights, both on US soil and abroad and is the first US president to come out in support of same-sex marriage.

Photo: Mandel Ngan via AFP

Japan Plans To Resume Whaling Next Year

Japan Plans To Resume Whaling Next Year

By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times (TNS)

Japan informed the International Whaling Commission on Tuesday that it intended to resume hunting whales for scientific research next year, a move that conservationists called a defiance of the International Court of Justice ruling that Japan’s whale kills are illegal.

Since the commission invoked a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, Japan had been claiming an exception to the ban that allows whaling for scientific purposes and had set quotas of 1,035 kills in each of the last few years.

The International Court of Justice ruled in March that Japan’s failure to publish results from its purported research demonstrated that its claim of science-related whaling was a cover for banned commercial hunting and ordered a halt.

In the revised program submitted to the commission on Tuesday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries cut its catch quota to 333 minke whales and said it would no longer hunt the more limited pods of fin and humpback whales.

Joji Morishita, Japan’s whaling commissioner, said research findings would be published in the future to comply with the terms of the moratorium exceptions.

“All these activities, as we have been arguing, are perfectly in line with international law, a scientific basis, as well as ICJ judgment language,” he told the whaling commission, asserting that Japan’s new program to start in late 2015 will be responsive to the court order.

The challenge to Japan’s whaling program was brought in 2010 by Australia. The international court, in the Netherlands, ruled that there was no scientific basis for Japan’s quotas, nor was there sufficient published findings of its research to justify the size of the projected annual catch.

Conservationists said nothing has changed with the plan submitted by Tokyo on Tuesday.

“Japan’s new whaling proposal for the southern ocean sanctuary is neither new nor improved,” said Kitty Block, vice president of Humane Society International. “Despite the ICJ decision condemning the nation’s so-called scientific program, Japan is still trying to explain the inexplicable and defend the indefensible. The hunt is for commercial purposes — not science.”

Although Japan set catch quotas of 935 minke whales and 50 each of fin and humpbacks, its annual captures have been significantly lower in recent years due to declining demand for whale meat and increasing intervention by protesters such as the Sea Shepherd group. In 2012, Japan caught 103 minke whales and last year its catch was 251, the Japan Times reported.

Japanese whalers were ordered to suspend operations after the court order, although they plan a nonlethal hunt in spring.

Tokyo doesn’t require approval by the International Whaling Commission to resume its lethal hunt, and it was unclear whether Australia would make any legal challenge. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was elected last year, has drawn fire for weakening his country’s environmental commitments with expanded mining and logging.

Photo via WikiCommons

What Happens To U.S. Exports Already Bound For Russia?

What Happens To U.S. Exports Already Bound For Russia?

By Kevin G. Hall, McClatchy Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its plant health inspection service has halted all certification of almonds and other commodities bound for Russia “effective immediately.”

The move Thursday, confirmed by California almond growers, followed Russia’s imposition of a one-year ban on a wide range of agriculture products, raw materials, and food coming from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Norway, and Australia.

While Russia has banned most U.S. farm products, it’s not clear what happens to goods that were already in the pipeline.

“At this time, the Almond Board of California is not aware of how consignments already in transit or now arriving in Russia will be handled,” the group said in a statement shared with McClatchy. “Year to date, shipments to Russia represent about 3 percent of total California almond exports.”

Russia imported about 23,500 tons of U.S. almonds last year, most from California, valued at $126 million.

“We look forward to working again with our customers in Russia, once the market is reopened,” said Jenny Nicolau, the board’s senior specialist for industry relations. “The Almond Board will continue to monitor the situation, working closely with U.S. government.”

AFP Photo/Maxim Shipenkov

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Suarez Faces World Cup Ban Over Bite

Suarez Faces World Cup Ban Over Bite

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Football disciplinary chiefs gathered evidence against Luis Suarez on Wednesday as calls mounted for the Uruguay star to be kicked out of the World Cup after his latest biting storm.

The Liverpool striker shocked the footballing world when he sank his teeth into Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay’s 1-0 victory over the Azzurri on Tuesday.

Suarez, banned twice before for biting opposing players, could be expelled from the tournament if found guilty.

Suarez and Uruguayan officials have until 5:00 pm to submit evidence to a disciplinary panel set up by football’s governing body FIFA.

“The disciplinary committee is working to get a decision as early as possible,” FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said when asked if a decision would likely be made before Uruguay’s last 16 match against Colombia on Saturday.

Fischer would not speculate on any possible punishment, although she said Suarez’s previous offences could be taken into account.

“The disciplinary committee can take all elements into account as it deems necessary,” she said.

While Suarez had “a right to be heard”, he was not expected to travel to Rio de Janeiro from Uruguay’s training base to address any disciplinary hearing, Fischer said.

Suarez was nowhere to be seen Wednesday as his Uruguay team-mates trained in Natal amid the raging controversy.

Suarez, who plays in the English Premier League for Liverpool, is one of the world’s biggest stars, and could theoretically be banned for up to 24 games under FIFA rules.

Fischer declined to say whether any potential punishment of Suarez could extend to club football as well as international football.

“It’s the disciplinary committee which decides the scope of any potential sanctions,” she said.

Suarez has already received long bans for biting during his club career as well as racially abusing Manchester United player Patrice Evra during a game in 2011.

The latest flashpoint occurred towards the end of Uruguay’s clash with Italy.

Replays showed Suarez biting Chiellini’s shoulder as the two players made contact in an off-the-ball incident.

Chiellini angrily remonstrated with Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez, pulling his shirt off his shoulder to show red marks on his neck.

Afterwards, Chiellini told Italian television: “He bit me, it’s clear, I still have the mark.”

Suarez sought to play down the incident in comments to Uruguayan television, claiming Chiellini had barged him.

“There are things that happen on the pitch and you should not make such a big deal out of them,” Suarez said.

However the damning video evidence drew almost blanket condemnation on Wednesday across the globe.

Former England captain Alan Shearer, working in Brazil for the BBC, said FIFA should impose a lengthy global ban.

“I would give him a worldwide ban for as long as I could,” Shearer said.

“It’s not the first time, it’s not the second time, it’s the third time — to actually bite someone on a football pitch in front of millions. It’s unacceptable.”

Sponsors linked to Suarez reacted cautiously.

German sporting goods manufacturer Adidas said it was awaiting FIFA’s “full investigation into this matter.”

British online gambling firm 888poker said it was “reviewing” it’s relationship with the player.

“We will not tolerate unsporting behaviour,” the firm said.

Many in Uruguay defended Suarez, echoing suggestions by coach Oscar Tabarez that he was being unfairly persecuted.

“We have no doubt that this (probe) was started because it is Suarez, and two because Italy was eliminated,” Alejandro Balbi, lawyer and member of the board of the Uruguayan football federation, told radio Sport 890.

“There is no doubt that Suarez is a stone in the shoe for many,” he added.

But a notable exception was ageing national hero Alcides Ghiggia, who scored Uruguay’s World Cup-winning goal against Brazil in the 1950 tournament in Rio.

“This boy’s clearly not right in the head. That’s just not something you do on the pitch,” said Ghiggia.

With the Suarez controversy dominating the off-field headlines, it was left to Argentina captain Lionel Messi to put the focus back on football.

Messi scored two goals — taking his tournament tally to four in three games — as Argentina beat Nigeria 3-2 to finish top of Group F.

Nigeria also reached the last 16 for the first time since 1998 despite the defeat after Iran were beaten 3-1 by already eliminated Bosnia.

©afp.com / Javier Soriano