Rabbits, pigeons and chicken sent to Tianjin to check extent of spread of poison

Authorities in China are making use of animals like rabbit, pigeons and chicken to test the extent of spread of poison and whether it is now safe for people to return because, a giant chemical explosion in Tianjin last week had killed 116 people.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 23 August 2015.

The animals have been sent in cages into the danger zones because of fears of chemical contamination from the release of poisonous gases due to the explosion and, as per local media reports, the animals were still alive two hours after being placed at the site.
As revealed by the authorities, about 40 chemicals, including more than 100 tonnes of highly toxic sodium cyanide, were stored in the warehouse which was at the epicenter of the August 13 explosion. In the week since then, officials have tried to calm public fears of chemical dangers. There was a 3.2-Km evacuation of the area surrounding the epicenter and locals remain are still unwilling to return home.
Tianjin deputy mayor Wang Hongjiang has indicated that 200 tonnes of sodium cyanide had been collected as the lengthy clean-up operation continued. Moreover, contamination around the blast site was now under control and the density of air pollutants in the immediate area has also d9iminished.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Sale of sausage plummets in Britain, edged off the dining table by chicken and steak

Sausages have been favorites on the dining tables and barbecues for ages but, have not fallen out of favor of shoppers because they are going in for other healthier options like chicken and steak.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 21 July 2015.

Sale of sausages have plunged by more than two billion a year, that works out to the equivalent to 260.7million fewer packs being taken off the shelves. That is a reduction of more than a quarter compared to 2008.
Consumers have switched over to chicken and steak because they have become more aware of the fact that sausages fuel the obesity epidemic.
In Britain, the sales of beef, especially steak, have gone up by £1billion to £3billion – or 50 per cent – since 2008. Simultaneously, the demand for fresh chicken has pushed up its sales by nearly half since 2012 to £2billion.
The decline of the sausage, most of which are pork based, is a major twist in the nation’s culinary history because it is one of Britain’s oldest processed foods and had arrived with the Romans.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Officers on relief duty in 2013 Uttarakhand floods gorged on mutton and gulabjamuns

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This has been revealed through an RTI and reported in zeenews.com dated 30 May 2015.

It seems these officials of the state government had put up in posh hotels that charged Rs 7000 per day and savored mutton chops, chicken, milk and cottage cheese – they had been deputed to oversee and monitor the relief operations. The list of irregularities is a long one – they have claimed Rs 194 for half a litre of milk, supplied diesel to two-wheelers, paid relief twice to same people, purchased 1,800 rain coats from the same shop for three days to making payment of Rs 98 lakh towards fuel purchase to a helicopter company, apart from several financial bunglings.
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(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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