Türkiye Passes Law to Get Stray Dogs off the Streets and Into Shelters 

Garip, a stray dog, who has been taken care by the shopkeepers at a local market, is pictured in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)
Garip, a stray dog, who has been taken care by the shopkeepers at a local market, is pictured in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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Türkiye Passes Law to Get Stray Dogs off the Streets and Into Shelters 

Garip, a stray dog, who has been taken care by the shopkeepers at a local market, is pictured in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)
Garip, a stray dog, who has been taken care by the shopkeepers at a local market, is pictured in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)

Türkiye’s parliament on Tuesday approved a law that aims to round up millions of stray dogs and put them into shelters, a plan that has alarmed animal lovers who say a mass neutering campaign would be a better solution.

Under the legislation, proposed by the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK party, municipalities would have to get the strays off the streets and into shelters. Any dogs showing aggressive behavior or that have untreatable diseases will be put down.

Under previous legislation, municipalities have to neuter and vaccinate all street dogs and leave them where they were found following treatment.

The population of street dogs in Türkiye is estimated to be 4 million, and municipalities have neutered around 2.5 million in the past 20 years, according to the draft bill. The animals are often taken care of by neighborhood residents and treated like pets.

There are currently 322 animal shelters with a capacity for 105,000 dogs, according to the bill.

The law also requires all municipalities to spend at least 0.3% of their annual budget on animal rehabilitation services and building shelters.

Municipalities will be given time until 2028 to build new shelters and improve current shelters, the law says.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets over the past few weeks to protest against the law, occasionally scuffling with police.



Astronaut Brings French Menu in Space

The astronaut and chef held a tasting in Paris to decide the menu, the ESA said 
The astronaut and chef held a tasting in Paris to decide the menu, the ESA said 
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Astronaut Brings French Menu in Space

The astronaut and chef held a tasting in Paris to decide the menu, the ESA said 
The astronaut and chef held a tasting in Paris to decide the menu, the ESA said 

When you think about the food that astronauts eat in space, lobster, haddock and foie gras probably don't spring to mind - but that's exactly what France's next visitor to the International Space Station (ISS) will be dining on.

According to BBC, Astronaut Sophie Adenot has teamed up with award-winning French chef Anne-Sophie Pic to create a menu of gastronomic delights that will travel with Adenot to the ISS next year.

Instead of the usual freeze-dried nutrients that astronauts eat, Adenot, 42, will be choosing from the likes of “Foie gras cream on toasted brioche” and “Lobster bisque with crab and caraway.”

The menu - which the European Space Agency (ESA) has dubbed “a pinch of France in space” - includes four starters, two main courses and two desserts.

Adenot said the dishes, which also include braised beef, and chocolate cream, will not only “delight our palates” but also help her feel connected to Earth, and her home country.

“Her (Pic's) cuisine signature is deeply influenced by the terroir. This is important to me because I grew up in the countryside, and it will remind me of my roots,” she was quoted as saying in an ESA statement.

There are strict rules for food on the ISS - it must be crumb-free, lightweight and keep for at least 24 months, the ESA says.

Therefore, most meals are canned, vacuum packed or freeze-dried, with fresh fruit and vegetables a rare luxury that can only be enjoyed when a spacecraft arrives with new supplies.

But to keep things interesting, boost morale, and help with crew bonding, every tenth or so meal is one prepared especially for each astronaut, with these “bonus meals” often made in partnership with a chef.

Famous for her haute cuisine, Pic, 55, has the most Michelin stars of any female chef in the world - 10.

She says this project is "pushing the boundaries" of gastronomy, as she worked with her team to create special food, while keeping within the technical constraints.

“Cooking for space is an exhilarating challenge,” she was quoted as saying by the ESA.