Nobel Laureates Challenge Greenpeace Anti-GMO Campaign

FILE - An agriculturist prepares to plant Golden Rice seedlings, grown from genetically modified rice grains, at the International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos, Laguna, south of Manila in the Philippines, Aug. 14, 2013.

More than 100 Nobel Prize winners are calling on Greenpeace and other environmental activist groups to cease their opposition to genetically modified foods, saying they pose no danger to health and can even be beneficial.

The group — which includes scholars from varied disciplines such as medicine, economics, literature, chemistry and physics — is set to present an open letter to Greenpeace on Thursday in Washington, D.C. In it, the group says Greenpeace should stop opposing development of a genetically engineered type of rice that supporters say could reduce vitamin deficiencies that cause blindness and death.

The Nobel laureates say Greenpeace and its allies "should re-examine the experience of farmers and consumers worldwide with crops improved through biotechnology," and respect the findings of authoritative scientific bodies and regulatory agencies.

Golden Rice was designed to counteract vitamin A deficiencies.

The type of rice they are talking about is known as Golden Rice. It was designed to counteract vitamin A deficiencies that affect children, in particular. The Nobel laureates note in their letter that vitamin A deficiency has the greatest impact on impoverished people in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Greenpeace criticism, GMO praise

Speaking Wednesday to the Washington Post, organizer Richard Roberts — 1993 Nobel laureate in physiology and medicine — said Greenpeace's opposition to GMOs is "anti-science." He said Greenpeace and some of its allies "deliberately went out of their way to scare people" about genetically modified crops, as a way to raise money for their cause.

Roberts said he supports Greenpeace on many of its other activities, but said "this is an issue that they got wrong."

In their letter, the Nobel winners say, "Scientific and regulatory agencies around the world have repeatedly and consistently found crops and foods improved through biotechnology to be as safe as, if not safer than, those derived from any other means of production. There has never been a single confirmed case of a negative health outcome for humans or animals from their consumption."

Furthermore, fact sheets distributed with the letter say genetically modified crops can reduce the use of pesticides in agriculture by 37 percent, increase crop yields by 22 percent, and increase farming income by 68 percent.

Greenpeace, which has called genetically modified foods a form of "genetic pollution," has not commented on the letter
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Oscars In Bid To Create More Diversity

Idris Elba is among hundreds of people invited to join the Academy after the row over lack of diversity among nominees.

Idris Elba at this year's BAFTAs

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A record number of new people have been invited to vote for next year's Oscars following the row over a lack of diversity.

Luther star Idris Elba and Star Wars actor John Boyega are among 683 people who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

That is more than double the total invited the previous year.

John Boyega with Daisy Ridley at the Empire Awards

None of the nominees for the best actor and actress and best supporting actor and actress categories at this year's Oscars was from an ethnic minority.

This prompted film star Will Smith and director Spike Lee to boycott the ceremony in February.

Morning Stories: 'The Race Card'

The hashtag OscarSoWhite also became a rallying cry on social media for dissatisfied film stars and fans.

The Academy, which has already pledged to double the number of "women and diverse members" by 2020, said the group of people invited to join was 46% women and 41% "people of colour".

At the start of 2016, there were 6,261 voting members, with around 92% white and 75% men.

 'Change Has To Happen'

The new group will shift the Academy's overall membership to 27% women and 11% non-white, it said.

Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said the new members represented "the best in our global film community, and who have made a lasting impact on movie fans everywhere".

"We're proud to welcome these new members to the academy and know they view this as an opportunity and not just an invitation, a mission and not just a membership," she said.

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    Gallery: 88th Academy Awards In Hollywood

"This class continues our long-term commitment to welcoming extraordinary talent reflective of those working in film today."

Emma Watson, Kate Beckinsale, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Rylance, who won the Oscar for best supporting actor this year, are also among the British stars who have been invited to join the Academy.

Best actress Oscar winner Brie Larson and Alicia Vikander, who was named best supporting actress, have also received invitations, along with British film director Ken Loach.

You Looking At Me? Oscars Fashion

Larson, who won an Oscar for her role in the kidnap drama Room, expressed her delight on Twitter.

She wrote: "I got in! Excited to use my vote to nominate talent that reflects the real world we live in - DIVERSITY."

Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, who is also joining the Academy, tweeted: "As a child I'd dream of opportunity 2 express my talent & now I get 2 create opportunity 4 others. Thanks @TheAcademy."

 

Turkey Makes Arrests in Raids Targeting Islamic State Militants

Police officers patrol at the country's largest airport, Istanbul Ataturk, following yesterday's blast in Istanbul, Turkey, June 29, 2016.

Turkey's state-run news agency said Thursday police carried out raids against suspected Islamic State militants in Istanbul and the western coastal city of Izmir.

The Anadolu Agency said authorities arrested nine people in Izmir accused of having links to Islamic State fighters in Syria that included support for the group's finances, recruiting and logistics.

The raids in Istanbul targeted several neighborhoods, but it was not clear if any arrests were made or if the operations were related to Tuesday's triple suicide bombing at an Istanbul airport that killed 42 people and wounded 239 others.  Turkish officials have blamed Islamic State for the attack, though the militants have not made any claim of responsibility.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Wednesday the investigation is ongoing, but that evidence points to Islamic State.  He suggested the attack could have been a response to Turkish efforts to improving relations with Russia and Israel.

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency chief John Brennan said the bombings had all the typical signs of Islamic State "depravity" and warned of the challenges of stopping that type of attack.

"You look at what happened in the Turkish airport, these were suicide vests.  It's not that difficult to actually construct and fabricate a suicide vest," he told Yahoo News.

Family members and friends attend the funeral prayer for Gulsen Bahadir, 28, a Turkish Airlines (THY) flight attendant killed Tuesday at the blasts at Ataturk airport, in Istanbul, June 29, 2016.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday at a summit of North American leaders in Canada that his government "will not rest until we have dismantled these networks of hate that have had an impact on the entire civilized world."

His comments came after he spoke by telephone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan said the attack "shows that terrorism strikes with no regard to faith and values." But he said Turkey "has the power, determination and capacity to continue the fight against terrorism until the end."

The attack on the airport, Europe's third busiest, is the latest in a wave of bombings in Turkey over the past year that has killed more than 260 people. The terrorism has decimated Turkey's tourist industry on which the country's economy heavily relies.

Islamic State has been blamed for two suicide bombings earlier this year in Istanbul that targeted foreign tourists. 

The rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, has also carried out suicide bombings, but usually targets security forces.  A PKK attack on a police bus earlier this month killed 11 people
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Airports Expansion Decision Delayed Again

The fallout from the Brexit vote means there will be no decision on raising airport capacity until the autumn at least.

 Extended Delay On Runway Capacity

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There will be no decision on whether Heathrow or Gatwick get to expand until after the election of a new Tory leader, the Government has said.

An announcement on which project was to get the nod was due to be made by David Cameron within weeks.

But his resignation as Prime Minister last Friday has prompted a new delay - a move likely to infuriate the airports and business groups which have previously expressed frustration over the lack of a decision.

The Airports Commission recommended the building of a third runway at Heathrow almost a year ago but the Government decided to carry out more work on noise, pollution and compensation before making its position clear.

Gatwick is Heathrow's biggest challenger for a new runway while the other main option, not favoured by Heathrow itself, is the so-called Heathrow Hub proposal to extend the North runway at the west London airport.

 Dec: Gatwick's Expansion Case

That is supported by major Heathrow customers with BA-owner, IAG, its main champion, fearing the estimated £23bn cost of an extra runway at Heathrow would prove too rich for airlines in terms of increased fees.

Commenting on the delay, Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: "We have a tiny fraction of the environmental impact of Heathrow yet you get all of the same economic benefits, all of the same connections to short haul destinations, all of the same connections to long haul destinations and at a cheaper price.

"When we look at whoever the next leader is, our intention will be simply to continue to press the merits of our case because we simply think we've got the strongest case and we certainly believe we've got the only deliverable case."

Heathrow, which recently said it would abandon night flights to help its case, said: "If Britain wants to be confident, outward-looking and at the centre of the world's economy then expanding Heathrow must be a key building block in the Government's Brexit plan."

May: Heathrow's Night Flight Plans

It added: "Government can send the strongest possible signal that Britain is open for business and confident in its future by expanding Heathrow".

Chief executive of the London First business group, Baroness Jo Valentine, said: "Clearly this is disappointing.

"Nothing can be more vital for a trading island than sufficient air links, especially after the referendum result.

"There should be no question that whoever takes over from David Cameron must keep the Government's commitment to open a new runway by 2030".

McDonnell: Heathrow Has Trust Issue

Gavin Hayes, director of campaign group Let Britain Fly, said: "One of the first tests of leadership for the next prime minister, and the clearest way of demonstrating we have strong government again, is to make this long overdue decision.