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'Vile' slaughter of ducklings in park sparks outrage

People's Park Lake
© Jon CorkenIt could happen again: The lake at People's Park, where a number of ducklings were attacked by youths.
A huge public reaction has erupted over the "vile" and "disgusting" slaughter of ducklings in People's Park - and it may not be an isolated incident.

The RSPCA has launched an investigation after eyewitnesses saw youths smash duck eggs, throw birds to one another and even drop-kick a duckling.

They are also investigating claims that some ducklings were stomped on and that a live bird was posted through the letterbox of a resident living near the park.

The story, published on yesterday's front page, has sparked public outrage, with many claiming both the children and their parents should be severely punished.

And one man contacted the Telegraph to say that he had a duckling posted through his door three weeks before these incidents - proving it has happened before and could happen again.

The Patrick Street resident - who did not want to be named for fear of repercussions - said that afterwards, the children even had the nerve to knock on his door again and ask for it back so they could continue their cruel game.

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Five-alarm blaze in SW Houston kills four firefighters

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© Cody Duty, Houston Chronicle / © 2013 Houston ChronicleSmoke from a 4-alarm blaze at the Southwest Inn on Hornwood drifts over motorists traveling the inbound lane of 59, Friday, May 31, 2013, in Houston. Four firefighters were transported in critical condition, and one was with a knee injury.
Four firefighters died in a five-alarm blaze that broke out at a restaurant Friday afternoon along U.S. 59 in southwest Houston, according to the mayor's office.

The Fire Department released a statement on Friday evening identifying the fallen firefighters:

Capt. EMT Matthew Renaud, 35, of Station 51; EMT Robert Bebee, 41, of Station 51; EMT Robert Garner, 29, of Station 68; and Fire Station 68's Anne Sullivan, 24, a recent graduate of the Houston Fire Department Academy.

"The Houston Fire Department has never seen four firefighters pass away from the same incident in the history of the department," the statement says. "Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with not only those friends and family of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice today but also those who were injured and all members of our department."

Five firefighters were also reported injured, two critically, while fighting the blaze that broke out about 12:09 p.m. at Bhojan Restaurant at 6855 Southwest Freeway. It engulfed the neighboring Southwest Inn along the Southwest Freeway near Hornwood, according to the Houston Fire Department. The flames also burned a sports bar and disco.

People

Thousands blockade European Central Bank in Frankfurt

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© Unknown
The entrance of the European Central Bank (ECB) was blocked by over 3,000 'Blockupy' protestors in a march against austerity.

Anti-capitalist protestors have taken to the streets the financial heart of Frankfurt a day ahead of Europe-wide gatherings planned for June 1 to protest leaders handling of the three-year euro debt crisis.

"We call up everyone to join our protests."

The crowd, estimated at 2,500 by local authorities, is clutching signs demanding 'humanity before profit'.

'Blockupy' has become a top-ten Twitter trend in Frankfurt, and at 10:09am (08:09 GMT), user Enough14 tweeted, "Strong Powerful blockade at Kaiserstr. Not one banker will come through here," in reference to the ECB headquarters, The Guardian reported.

Black Cat

Man fights off cougar with skateboard; Parks Canada tracking animal

Cougar
© CTV News, CanadaA cougar is shown in this file photo taken near Kelowna, B.C.

Banff, Alberta -- Parks Canada officials are advising people in Banff to be on alert after a man told them he fought off an attacking cougar with his skateboard.

Bill Hunt, the resource conservation manager for the Banff field unit, said the man was attacked Thursday and originally reported the incident anonymously.

But Hunt said officials tracked him down to get more information in order to find the cougar.

"I think he was reluctant to contact us right away because he'd be in trouble for striking an animal inside a national park. But of course, in that situation you're in defence mode and it's totally appropriate," Hunt explained Sunday.

Hunt said the man told them he was listening to music through earbuds while walking between the townsite and an industrial area when the cougar attacked.

"He was hit from behind, knocked to the ground and instantly reacted properly. With a cougar, the correct thing to do is fight back hard and convince that cougar that you're not going to be available for prey," Hunt said.

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Ostrich runs through traffic in China's Fujian province


An ostrich has survived being struck twice by different cars while running through oncoming traffic on a highway in China.

CCTV footage from Chinese state television shows the animal on the loose during the evening rush hour in Zhangzhou City, Fujian province on Tuesday.

Horse

Horse stuck in ravine rescued through 'telepathy'

Norwegian Fjord
© Wikimedia CommonsA grazing Fjord horse.
Washington state - Officials executed a difficult horse rescue on Tuesday, lifting an 800-pound Norwegian fjord out of a deep Redmond ravine without any injuries.

But the most incredible part, says the stable's owner, is how caretakers found the horse - with the help of a telepathic animal communicator.

Gemma, a 4-year-old with a history of escaping and other behavior problems, apparently got out of her stall at the Saddle Rock Stables, in the 24000 block of Northeast 115th Street, and slipped 70 feet into a steep ravine nearby before settling on a ledge.

Owner Barbara Linstedt said caretakers searched for her for hours before getting connected to acclaimed horse communicator Joan Ranquet on Monday night.

Question

New Age dolphin-assisted birth: 'Natural' and perhaps dangerous

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© Corbis
The decision made by expectant couples to have their births in water attended by dolphins has raised eyebrows.

According to a CBS News story, "Dolphin-assisted childbirth is an option that some expectant parents are embracing, claiming it is a more natural, relaxing way to deliver a baby. Adam and Heather Barrington, a North Carolina couple expecting their baby to be delivered in July, have traveled to Hawaii to plan a dolphin-assisted birth at the Sirius Institute, the Charlotte Observer reports. 'It is about reconnecting as humans with the dolphins so we can coexist in this world together and learn from one another,' Heather Barrington told the Observer."

Why it is important to Heather Barrington that her newborn connect with dolphins in the first few seconds of his life? The answer can be found in the mission statement of the Sirius Institute, a New Age center dedicated in part to "raising the level of human consciousness to that of the dolphins and integrating the consciousness of the dolphins ... with human consciousness." It's not clear what that means - or why human consciousness needs to be "raised" to dolphin level - but the center provides dolphin-assisted underwater births.

Stormtrooper

Philadelphia police kill suspect, 3rd shooting in a day

Philadelphia police were involved in a trio of shootings the same day the city's police commissioner said he is seeking a review of the department's use of deadly force. The latest shooting happened during a gun battle Wednesday night in the city's Germantown section while officers were pursuing at least three suspects, authorities said. The suspect was killed and a 2-year-old boy also suffered a graze wound. Officers were searching for the remaining suspects.

It was the third police-involved shooting in the city on Wednesday and came hours after the police Commissioner Charles Ramsey announced that he is seeking an independent review of the department's deadly force policies. Earlier in the day officers shot a man in the buttocks after police say he pointed a gun; another man was critically injured after he was shot by officers who said he fired at them.

Ramsey cited similar reviews done for the Las Vegas and New York police departments by CNA Analysis and Solutions and the RAND Firearm Evaluation group that had led the departments to adopt new training curriculums and new or revised policies. Ramsey said he had reached out to the federal Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to secure funding and assistance for a review of Philadelphia police practices, training and policies on police-related shootings.

Red Flag

Beverly, Massachusetts cancels Memorial Day parade due to lack of veterans


This Sunday, the streets of Beverly will look just like they always do. And that's the problem, some veterans say. The city has cancelled its annual Memorial Day parade for what's believed to be the first time since the end of the Civil War.

Many veterans who were gathered at the Herman A. Spear American Legion Post on Friday night are upset by the decision.

"It's not right to me," says Ron Innocenti. He is a Vietnam veteran who has not only marched in the city's Memorial Day parade in the past, he says he has also been its grand marshal.

He hates to cancel because of the message it sends to men and women serving now.

"It's a slap in the face to them that we're not doing it," he says. "But on the other hand, I can see why we're not doing it because of the age of the veterans we have now."

Black Magic

Jamaican woman kills and beheads estranged husband's 4 year old daughter, dumps body in sinkhole

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© Jamacia ObserverOnlookers gather outside the crime scene where four-year-old Natasha Brown was dumped in a sinkhole in her Duanvale community after she was reportedly beheaded.
'Dat a wickedniss'

The Trelawny police have confirmed that a woman in her early 40s has confessed to Monday's murder of her estranged common-law husband's four-year-old daughter, who was beheaded and her body dumped in a sinkhole in Duanvale, ironically as the world celebrates Childs Month.

"She has admitted knowledge of it," a high-ranking police officer told the Observer West last night, refusing to give details.

The deceased has been identified as Natasha Brown, a student of the Duanvale Basic School.

The entire community was plunged into shock and anxiety later Monday after it was discovered that little Natasha did not report for school that day, even though she had left home for the institution.

The police who initiated an Ananda alert after they were summoned, subsequently - along with residents - launched a search in the deep rural community. It was later announced that a small human frame was spotted in a sinkhole, located in a rugged terrain in a section of the community called Faith Avenue, which is only accessible by foot.

Efforts were then made to fish the body from the sinkhole.