CHICAGO — Instead of completing a massive federal study that would recommend a permanent solution to the Asian carp problem by 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will release an array of preliminary options to Congress by next year,
Corps to seek
earlier feedback on Asian carp proposals
CHICAGO — Instead of completing a massive federal study that would recommend a permanent solution to the Asian carp problem by 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will release an array of preliminary options to Congress by next year, officials announced Tuesday.
The timeline of the Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study had come under fire from some members of Congress and Great Lakes states, who criticized regulators for dragging their feet on an urgent issue.
Now, instead of unveiling a detailed proposal in about three years, the Corps will draft several alternatives by the end of 2013 and seek reaction from Congress and the public, said Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
The Corps does not yet know how many alternatives it will present. Although they believe the new timetable will speed up the process, there is no guarantee Congress will take action on it any sooner than under the original plan.
Al Jazeera closes Beijing bureau after reporter expelled
BEIJING — Al Jazeera is closing its Beijing bureau following the departure of its correspondent Melissa Chan, a hard-hitting reporter who was effectively expelled from the country.
It marks the first time since 1998 Beijing has forced out an accredited correspondent and underscores the deterioration of the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and the press.
Chan, who had tangled frequently with uncover police to expose illegal jails and land confiscations, flew out of Beijing Monday night after authorities refused to renew her visa.
At a press briefing Tuesday in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei deflected a barrage of questions about press freedom.
The Chinese government “welcomes foreign journalists to report objectively in China,” said Hong Lei, who described the local reporting environment as “very open and free.”
Chan declined to comment, but posted on Twitter, “Yes my press credentials have been revoked and I will no longer report f/China.”
South Korea: Confiscated capsules contain human flesh
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean customs said it had confiscated more than 17,000 “health” capsules smuggled from China that contain human flesh, most likely extracted from aborted fetuses or stillborn babies.
The Chinese Ministry of Health said Tuesday it had been investigating allegations that capsules were being manufactured from human remains but had found no evidence.
The South Korean customs agency said pills had been smuggled into the country through parcels and luggage carried from China. The pills were composed of “ground stillborn fetus or babies that had been cut into small pieces and dried in gas ranges for two days, then made into powders and encapsulated,” the report said.
“Flesh pills have been continuously smuggled into (South Korea), camouflaged as health tonics,” the statement said. The pills came mostly from cities in northeastern China: Yanji, Jilin, Qingdao and Tianjin.
The South Korean government has been investigating capsules made of human flesh since last year when a monthly magazine released a lengthy report about the use of dead infants in traditional medicines. The reports said the infants and fetuses were purchased illegally from hospitals.
By wire sources
