Oil giants are in yet more trouble - Exxon's been accused of funding climate change deniers
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In the international press: oil giants are in hot water, neo-Nazi groups have taken patrolling the Arizona border into their own hands, and there's a boom in cosmetic surgery among Indian teenagers.
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But the International Herald Tribune takes the wind out of their sails- the paper says even if it stops now, the spill’s impact on the Gulf coast could last for decades.
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The paper says the wildlife around Alaska’s beaches still has not recovered from the Exxon Valdez disaster 21 years ago-
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Researches are still finding animals with oil in their organs-
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The article also says the coastline of Brittany still hasn’t recovered from an oil tanker spill in 1976 – because French authorities made the situation worse by clearing the oil up with bulldozers.
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Clean up crews could be making the same mistakes in Louisiana- the chemical dispersants they’ve used could be as dangerous for birds and fish as the oil itself.
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The Times also has oil companies in its sights- their front page says Exxon has given a million pounds to groups that promote scepticism about climate change-
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They’ve donated tens of thousands to groups who lobbied against an agreement in Copenhagen in December-
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The paper quotes an expert who’s been monitoring Exxon’s links to these groups- he’s quoted as saying Exxon’s PR is pure greenwash and they are actively trying to persuade the public and policymakers into believing climate change is a hoax.
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Mexico’s drug violence is in the news again today after 17 teenagers were killed yesterday in a grenade attack-
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Violence there is soaring and the Washington Post has been looking at where all the weapons are coming from-
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The paper says the gangs are using US army grenades left in Central America after Cold War conflicts in Nicaragua and El Salvador-
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Their investigation shows as many as 27 thousand hand grenades have been trafficked north into Mexico in recent years.
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The New York Times has also been looking at the US-Mexico border-
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This time at the state of Arizona which of course recently passed a highly controversial immigration law meaning anyone can be arrested on sight if police suspect their documents may not be in order.
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Some in the state are taking things further- the Times says neo Nazi gangs have taken border security into their own hands- and are patrolling the desert with their own militias.
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They have military fatigues, body armour and assault rifles-
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And they belong to the National Socialist Movement, who believe everyone who is not white should leave the country.
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Around the world students are looking forward to the new university year with excitement and trepidation-
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But according to the Guardian, many university starters in India are so anxious to make a good impression they’re investing in plastic surgery before they start uni.
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Cosmetic surgery is booming in the subcontinent- and 18 year olds are one of the biggest markets.
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The paper interviewed girls who had their lips enlarged, their chins reduced, and one who even paid 700 euros to have a dimple put in her cheek-
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All to make a better impression on her new classmates.
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