The beekeeper is a man about 70 years old. He runs the beekeeping buzz for decades at the Coté d 'Azure in the South of France. The Côte d' Azure has a largely "domesticated" nature. All is made nice looking. 

I asked him why there were fewer bees this year, because the past years, I have observed that even all the many millions of thyme flowers in my garden are almost entirely without bees. There where simply not many, really just a few coming to collect nectar. The beekeeper, far from being an environmental apostle, explained that especially many indigenous plants have disappeared. He assumes that the reason of it is the use of pesticides. He then mentioned additionally "also these indigenous flowers are replaced by cultured flowers. These flowers are indeed beautiful to look at but useless for bees."


Until recently, the evidence was inconclusive on the cause of the mysterious “colony collapse disorder” (CCD) that threatens the future of beekeeping worldwide. But three new studies point an accusing finger at a culprit that many have suspected all along, a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids. Neonics are absorbed by the plants’ vascular system and contaminate the pollen and nectar that bees encounter on their rounds. They are a nerve poison that disorient their insect victims.

Numerous scientists believe that exposure to toxic pesticides is only one factor that has led to the decline of honey bees in recent years. The destruction and fragmentation of bee habitats, as a result of land development and the spread of mono-culture agriculture, deprives pollinators of their diverse natural food supply. This has already led to the extinction of a number of wild bee species. The planting of genetically modified organism crops – some of which now contain toxic insecticides within their genetic structure – may also be responsible for poisoning bees and weakening their immune systems. 

Meanwhile, entire armies of people in Peoples Republic of China pollinating flowers manually because there are no more bees anymore...

here is more about this on Mother Jones

Islamabad's rich are facing hard times. The public officials of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, are cracking down on illegal slums.At least 14 settlements will be "cleared", - of course without compensation or rehousing plan for the dwellers. Most of them are working for approximately 100 €uro per month as maids, chauffeurs, gardeners and helpers in the households of Islamabad's rich elites.

The inhabitants of these slums are actually refugees from Afghanistan and often in Pakistan since the 1980th. Often they already the second and third generation who are living in the slums around Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Most of the people told me that they consider themselves as Pakistanis, not Afghans. But they never have had even the chance to apply for Pakistani citizenship.

The slums are housing tens of thousands of people who are unable to afford the city's high rents so their huts are made from clay bricks. Some are located on drainage paths, designed to channel away the rain water of the monsoon. Most of them have no access to electricity, gas or water supply.

Their huts will be "cleaned" up by riot police and army. There will and must be forced repatriations to Afghanistan to avoid future unrests. Still ti step will violate every international law for the protection of displaced people. Among the Pakistani population any willingness for support of these people is missing. Even my driver, a chauffeur for an international aid organization responded to my questions only "na, these are people who are not good people" and talked in Urdu about “katchi abadis” and colonies