British attitudes on EU improving
LONDON – An extensive new survey finds British attitudes toward the European Union are improving ahead of a decisive referendum on whether to remain in the EU that must be held by the end of 2017.
The Pew Research Center report on attitudes in six European countries released Tuesday shows that 51 percent of Britons now have a favorable opinion about the EU, with positive feelings rising consistently since a low point was reached two years ago at the tail end of a prolonged economic slowdown. The rest had a somewhat or very unfavorable view of the EU or refused to answer.
The findings are important because Prime Minister David Cameron, pressured by the right wing UK Independence Party and by many euroskeptics in his own party, is committed to a referendum on whether to withdraw from the 28-nation bloc.
Group issues warning on elephant deaths
NAIROBI, Kenya – A wildlife conservation group says the sharp decline of the elephant population in Tanzania, most likely because of poaching, is catastrophic.
The Tanzanian government Monday estimated that 65,721 elephants have died in the country in the last five years.
Steve Broad, executive director of wildlife conservation group TRAFFIC, said Tuesday it is incredible that poaching on such an industrial scale had not been identified and addressed.
The statistics back concerns by TRAFFIC in a 2013 report that the Tanzanian ports of Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar have become main exit points for vast amounts of ivory, the group said.
According to the conservation group, at least 45 tons of ivory have flowed from Tanzania to Asia since 2009.
Associated Press
