Iran shuts down internet again as government protests resume
Iran wants to make sure what happens in its country stays there. As Iranians prepared to launch another round of anti-government protests on Thursday, the government appeared to start shutting down internet and mobile service to seemingly block protesters’ messages from reaching the rest of the world. Internet monitoring service NetBlocks reported an internet outage…
Nuclear power plant in UAE risks sparking arms race, expert warns
Four nuclear reactors being built in the United Arab Emirates could spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and leave the Persian Gulf at risk of a Chernobyl-style disaster, a leading nuclear scientist has claimed. In a report, Dr Paul Dorfman, chairman of the Nuclear Consulting Group, warned the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power…
Japan's public broadcaster incorrectly alerted people that North Korea had fired a missile, feared to be Kim Jong Un's long awaited 'Christmas gift' to the US
KCNA via REUTERS Japan’s public broadcaster mistakenly alerted people that North Korea had fired a missile into the sea over Japanese airspace early on Thursday. It retracted the message sent at 12:22 a.m., saying it was a demonstration gone wrong, and apologised, Reuters reported. The US and North Korea’s neighbors have been waiting for the…
A giant 'blob' of hot water more than twice the size of California threatens the survival of fish and coral near New Zealand
David Burdick/NOAA/AP A 386,000-square-mile chunk of the Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand is about 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average. Sudden spikes in sea temperatures are called marine heat waves, and they can be devastating to ocean ecosystems. Earlier this year, another marine heat wave developed in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. In 2014, a similar…
US contractor killed in Iraq rocket attack, troops wounded
WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. defense contractor was killed and several American and Iraqi troops were wounded Friday in a rocket attack in northern Iraq, U.S. officials said. According to officials, the attack involved as many as 30 rockets fired at the Iraqi military compound near Kirkuk, where U.S. service members are also based. Officials…
Barrister who bludgeoned fox to death with baseball bat faces calls for police to investigate as killing branded 'disgusting'
A leading barrister who bludgeoned a fox to death with a baseball bat is facing calls for police to investigate the killing, as he is branded “disgusting” by an MP. Jolyon Maugham QC was accused of acting barbarically by animal rights supporters and calls have now emerged for him to face legal action over the killing.…
RSPCA investigating after prominent lawyer admits clubbing fox to death
The RSCPA is investigating a prominent barrister who revealed he had clubbed a fox to death in his garden. Jolyon Maugham QC, who is known for leading a series of legal actions over Brexit, provoked outrage by tweeting on Thursday: “Already this morning I have killed a fox with a baseball bat. How’s your Boxing…
A prominent British lawyer went viral after he killed a fox with a baseball bat while wearing his wife's kimono, and now animal services are investigating
Jo Maugham; Shutterstock A prominent British lawyer found himself the subject of an unexpected Christmas controversy on Thursday after tweeting that he had killed a fox with a bat. Jolyon Maugham, who is known in the UK for spearheading numerous legal challenges against Britain leaving the EU, tweeted at 8.10 a.m. local time Thursday that…
McDonald's employees call police after woman mouths 'help me' in the drive-thru
Staff at a McDonald’s restaurant have been praised for coming to the aid of a woman who mouthed “help me” as she entered the drive-thru. Police in California’s San Joaquin county said the woman, had entered the restaurant on Christmas Eve, and asked staff to call to help as she went to the lavatory. She…
Merkel plans Turkey trip to preserve migrant pact: Sueddeutsche
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Turkey next month to urge President Tayyip Erdogan to uphold the migration pact he agreed with the European Union, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported, responding to fears that conflict in Syria could unleash a new refugee wave. Erdogan warned on Sunday that Turkey, which already hosts about 3.7…