Jan 5, 2020 04:39 AM
Horror as 16 lions slaughtered by poachers who cut off their faces and claws (South African community)
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news...s-21211710
Sixteen lions have been killed by poachers who brutally hacked the faces and paws off eight of the animals. Hunters typically sell the predators' teeth and claws which are used to turn into black magic potions.
Distraught Gert Blom, 51, who owns Predators Rock Bush Lodge in Rustenburg, South Africa, was surprised when he woke up not to hear his lion pride roaring as usual at dawn. He went down to their enclosure and found his two male lions and six lionesses missing.
He followed drag trails to behind a perimeter wall where he found them all butchered. Gert said: “They had hacked off 32 paws for the claws and eight of their snouts for their teeth after killing them with poisoned chicken which is a really agonising death for the lions. “It is cruelty that is beyond belief and an absolutely terrible sight to behold when you see magnificent predators lying there covered in flies minus their faces and their paws."
Qasem Soleimani: Royal Navy to protect UK ships in Gulf (UK community)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-50996630
INTRO: Royal Navy warships have been ordered to escort British-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf, in the wake of the US killing of Iran's top military leader. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it would help protect ships and citizens amid fears Iran will seek revenge for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. Boris Johnson is due to return to the UK after a 12-day holiday and will talk to foreign leaders in the coming days.
General Soleimani was killed this week in a US drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq. The killing of General Soleimani marks a major escalation in tensions between the US and Iran, with Tehran vowing to avenge his killing. US President Donald Trump last night tweeted that the US will strike 52 Iranian sites "very fast and very hard" if Tehran follows through with its vow of revenge.
Ben Wallace said HMS Montrose and HMS Defender will accompany UK-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as they did between July and November following the seizure of the Stena Impero by Iran. He said he had spoken to his US counterpart, Mark Esper, on Friday and urged all parties to de-escalate the situation. But Mr Wallace added: "Under international law the United States is entitled to defend itself against those posing an imminent threat to its citizens."
Mr Johnson is expected to return to the UK later after spending almost two weeks on the Caribbean island of Mustique. He has yet to speak publicly about the US airstrike or subsequent threats from Iran.
Outgoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn renewed his criticism of the PM for not cutting short his holiday and called for an urgent meeting of the Privy Council - the group that advises the Queen - over the airstrike. Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry had called the UK government's response "pathetic", while other party leaders have urged Mr Johnson to clarify the UK's position... (MORE)
Queen sends 'thoughts and prayers' to Australia as Prince Harry attacks climate 'ecocide' (UK community)
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/queen-sen...de-1355547
INTRO: The Queen has sent messages of condolences to people who impacted by the wildfires in Australia. In an official statement to "all Australians" on Saturday, the monarch - who is Australia's head of state - thanked emergency services and sent "thoughts and prayers."
The statement said: "I have been deeply saddened to hear of the continued bushfires and their devastating impact across many parts of Australia. My thanks go out to the emergency services, and those who put their own lives in danger to help communities in need. Prince Philip and I send our thoughts and prayers to all Australians at this difficult time.”
The absence of any mention of climate change in the Queen's message follows anger at Australian PM Scott Morrison, who has faced an immense backlash for claiming it is not "credible" to link global climate change to the country's devastating bushfires.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who toured Australia in 2018, sent a separate statement which went significantly further by explicitly linking the fires to the climate crisis. They wrote: "Our thoughts and prayers are with those across Australia who are continuing to face the devastating fires that have been raging for months."
Their message also noted fires in California, the Amazon and Africa, adding: "We are struck by the increasingly overlapping presence of these environmental disasters... this global environmental crisis has now been described as Ecocide..." (MORE)
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news...s-21211710
Sixteen lions have been killed by poachers who brutally hacked the faces and paws off eight of the animals. Hunters typically sell the predators' teeth and claws which are used to turn into black magic potions.
Distraught Gert Blom, 51, who owns Predators Rock Bush Lodge in Rustenburg, South Africa, was surprised when he woke up not to hear his lion pride roaring as usual at dawn. He went down to their enclosure and found his two male lions and six lionesses missing.
He followed drag trails to behind a perimeter wall where he found them all butchered. Gert said: “They had hacked off 32 paws for the claws and eight of their snouts for their teeth after killing them with poisoned chicken which is a really agonising death for the lions. “It is cruelty that is beyond belief and an absolutely terrible sight to behold when you see magnificent predators lying there covered in flies minus their faces and their paws."
Qasem Soleimani: Royal Navy to protect UK ships in Gulf (UK community)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-50996630
INTRO: Royal Navy warships have been ordered to escort British-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf, in the wake of the US killing of Iran's top military leader. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it would help protect ships and citizens amid fears Iran will seek revenge for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. Boris Johnson is due to return to the UK after a 12-day holiday and will talk to foreign leaders in the coming days.
General Soleimani was killed this week in a US drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq. The killing of General Soleimani marks a major escalation in tensions between the US and Iran, with Tehran vowing to avenge his killing. US President Donald Trump last night tweeted that the US will strike 52 Iranian sites "very fast and very hard" if Tehran follows through with its vow of revenge.
Ben Wallace said HMS Montrose and HMS Defender will accompany UK-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as they did between July and November following the seizure of the Stena Impero by Iran. He said he had spoken to his US counterpart, Mark Esper, on Friday and urged all parties to de-escalate the situation. But Mr Wallace added: "Under international law the United States is entitled to defend itself against those posing an imminent threat to its citizens."
Mr Johnson is expected to return to the UK later after spending almost two weeks on the Caribbean island of Mustique. He has yet to speak publicly about the US airstrike or subsequent threats from Iran.
Outgoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn renewed his criticism of the PM for not cutting short his holiday and called for an urgent meeting of the Privy Council - the group that advises the Queen - over the airstrike. Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry had called the UK government's response "pathetic", while other party leaders have urged Mr Johnson to clarify the UK's position... (MORE)
Queen sends 'thoughts and prayers' to Australia as Prince Harry attacks climate 'ecocide' (UK community)
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/queen-sen...de-1355547
INTRO: The Queen has sent messages of condolences to people who impacted by the wildfires in Australia. In an official statement to "all Australians" on Saturday, the monarch - who is Australia's head of state - thanked emergency services and sent "thoughts and prayers."
The statement said: "I have been deeply saddened to hear of the continued bushfires and their devastating impact across many parts of Australia. My thanks go out to the emergency services, and those who put their own lives in danger to help communities in need. Prince Philip and I send our thoughts and prayers to all Australians at this difficult time.”
The absence of any mention of climate change in the Queen's message follows anger at Australian PM Scott Morrison, who has faced an immense backlash for claiming it is not "credible" to link global climate change to the country's devastating bushfires.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who toured Australia in 2018, sent a separate statement which went significantly further by explicitly linking the fires to the climate crisis. They wrote: "Our thoughts and prayers are with those across Australia who are continuing to face the devastating fires that have been raging for months."
Their message also noted fires in California, the Amazon and Africa, adding: "We are struck by the increasingly overlapping presence of these environmental disasters... this global environmental crisis has now been described as Ecocide..." (MORE)