Aussies Resume Live Cattle Exports to Egypt

Australia will again be exporting live cattle to Egypt. Shipments were halted recently due to allegations of animal cruelty.

Agriculture Minister Tony Burke, who planned to announce the agreement later Friday, told Fairfax newspapers that resumption of exports will be subject to strict conditions, including the cattle being handled according to international standards and slaughtered only at a new "high-quality" facility.

Exports were halted abruptly in 2006 after the previous government reacted to a television documentary showing cattle having their tendons slashed and their eyes poked out by Egyptian cattlemen.

Egyptian City Set to Kill Stray Dogs

The Egyptian city of Giza plans to either shoot or poison stray dog soon. The reason given is budgetary.

"It is necessary to return to the traditional ways of killing dogs with bullets or poison," he said "This method is used around the world particularly in developing countries."

The discovery of dogs carcasses in upscale neighborhoods and near the famed Pyramids of Giza in May provoked an uproar and petitions to the government from local and international animal welfare organizations to end the traditional methods of controlling strays.

Animal rights activist and former sex symbol Brigitte Bardot even addressed the Egyptian government over the matter and subsequently President Hosni Mubarak called for an investigation into using more humane methods to the city's population of strays.

Here is another article on the issue.

And here is Brigitte Bardot's foundation.