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Geopolitics

Colombian President Rejects FARC Ceasefire

MERCO PRESS (Uruguay), TELESUR (Venezuela), BBC (UK), AP, REUTERS

Worldcrunch

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos rejected a proposal by FARC rebels for a bilateral ceasefire during talks next month aimed at bringing an end to half a century of war, reports MercoPress.

The call for both sides to put down their weapons while talks are under way in Norway came earlier from leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia at a news conference in Havana, Cuba, according to Reuters.

President Santos said that would not happen, and that Colombian military and police had been instructed to intensify offensive actions against the rebels, reports the AP.


Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

“There’s not going to be a ceasefire. We will not five anything until we get the final agreement, and I want to make that very clear,” the president told Telesur.

MercoPress notes that the FARC proposal and its rejection by the government could complicate the process from the start, as Santos is adamant that Colombian military operations would continue across “every centimeter” of the Andean nation.

Mr Santos added that he did not want to "repeat the mistakes of the past." This is a reference to the failed peace talks in 2002, which is believed to have given time to the FARC to regroup: the rebels used a demilitarized area the size of Switzerland to beef up their military operations and establish a multibillion-dollar drug-trafficking network, writes MercoPress.


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Green

A Naturalist's Defense Of The Modern Zoo

Zoos are often associated with animal cruelty, or at the very least a general animal unhappiness. But on everything from research to education to biodiversity, there is a case to be made for the modern zoo.

Photograph of a brown monkey holding onto a wired fence

A brown monkey hangs off of mesh wire

Marina Chocobar/Pexels
Fran Sánchez Becerril

-OpEd-

MADRID — Zoos — or at least something resembling the traditional idea of a zoo — date back to ancient Mesopotamia. It was around 3,500 BC when Babylonian kings housed wild animals such as lions and birds of prey in beautiful structures known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Ancient China also played a significant role in the history of zoos when the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) created several parks which hosted an assortment of animals.

In Europe, it wouldn't be until 1664 when Louis XIV inaugurated the royal menagerie at Versailles. All these spaces shared the mission of showcasing the wealth and power of the ruler, or simply served as decorations. Furthermore, none of them were open to the general public; only a few fortunate individuals, usually the upper classes, had access.

The first modern zoo, conceived for educational purposes in Vienna, opened in 1765. Over time, the educational mission has become more prominent, as the exhibition of exotic animals has been complemented with scientific studies, conservation and the protection of threatened species.

For decades, zoos have been places of leisure, wonder, and discovery for both the young and the old. Despite their past success, in recent years, society's view of zoos has been changing due to increased awareness of animal welfare, shifting sensibilities and the possibility of learning about wild animals through screens. So, many people wonder: What is the purpose of a zoo in the 21st century?

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