Poland’s top court outlaws ritual animal slaughterNovember 28, 2012 - 18:53 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Poland's top court has outlawed the religious slaughter of animals weeks before the EU is due to allow the practice on religious grounds, BBC News said. The Constitutional Tribunal said it was against Polish law to allow animals to have their throats cut and bleed to death without first being stunned. Poland has small Muslim and Jewish communities who use such methods. However, it is unclear whether the ruling will be superseded by a new EU law allowing religious slaughter. On 1 January, a new regulation takes effect in the EU allowing the practice and setting common standards. Poland's Agriculture Minister Stanislaw Kalemba told Polish radio the EU law took precedence, and would remove any doubt about the legality of the practice. His ministry has awarded licences to at least 17 slaughterhouses to carry out killing of animals according to Jewish or Muslim guidelines. But campaigners against cruelty to animals believe the EU law allows for individual countries to set their own rules. Before the Polish ruling, Sweden was the only state in the EU which banned the religious - sometimes called ritual - slaughter of animals. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Russia sends note of protest to Armenia over envoy’s trip to Ukraine’s Bucha Russia has sent a note of protest to Armenia over the visit of Vladimir Karapetyan and Tigran Ter-Margaryan to Bucha. Armenia: Protesters march to parliament, some spend the night on street The protesters did not disperse despite heavy rain that began at around 2 a.m. local time. Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. |