Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

17 died in New Year fires across Russia

Posted:

At least 17 people, including three children, died in separate fire incidents across Russia during New Year celebrations, local emergencies services said.

Nine people died in three separate fires in the Republic of Buryatia in East Siberia, the regional emergencies centre reported.

A 30-year-old woman, her one-year old daughter and son, aged 3, died in a fire that broke out in the village of Tsakir Sunday afternoon. The house was completely destroyed by the fire. The rescuers pulled the severely burnt bodies of the woman and her children from the rubble, the emergencies centre said.

A woman and a man aged 56 were burned in a fire that erupted in the village of Kholtoson Sunday. Both were drunk when fire broke out, said the republic's chief fire safety inspector.

Another four people, two women, a man and a three-year old child, died in a fire in Sharaldai on the night of Jan 1-2, the emergencies centre said.

In all incidents, the local fire fighting services were informed about the fire with considerable delays, said the centre.

Six people, including two children, died in a fire that erupted Monday in the town of Berezniki in the Perm Territory in the Urals, the regional emergencies service reported.

"The firefighters who arrived at the scene found the bodies of a two-year girl and a man in the completely burnt-out apartment. There were also a five-year-old boy and three women in an unconscious condition in the apartment who later died in hospital," said the emergencies service said.

Two people, an 18-year-old girl and a three-year-old child died in a fire in a two-storey house in the town of Yoshkar-Ola in the Republic of Mari El in the Volga area Monday.

Russia has an extremely poor fire safety record. Around 15,000 people die in fires across the country every year.

Sydney women importing sperm from US

Posted:

Sydney women are turning to sperm donors in US as Australian men are too scared to donate. Local donations to IVF clinics have all but stopped since it became easier for children to track down their biological fathers, News.com.au reported.

IVF Australia head Professor Michael Chapman told The Sunday Telegraph that donor shortages had become critical, falling from 100 to 10 at his clinic in the past four years. "Last year we only had two or three donors on our books," Professor Chapman said.

"Today around Australia there are about 50 donors, but the demand is still substantially higher than that." Consequently, IVF Australia started importing sperm from the US two months ago. According to Professor Chapman, donor imports were 'not ideal" but would help cut waiting times for insemination.

Last year in January, a law came into effect, which stated that all sperm donors must agree to provide identifying information so that the child would be able to contact them once they reached 18. Fertility specialist Professor Peter Illingworth asserted that the change in the law caused the drop-off in sperm donors.

"There is no doubt that when the law was first introduced, it affected the number of men willing to donate sperm. It is a big undertaking. Being a donor is very serious and the fact is, not many men are willing to do it," he said.


Teachers told to be careful on Facebook and Twitter

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Teachers in Scotland have been warned against putting up too much information about their personal lives on Facebook and Twitter as it could endanger their careers.

The General Teaching Council of Scotland is preparing new guidelines on social networking sites, after a number of cases were brought before the GTC's regulatory body.

"First thing is don't bother telling anybody else about your social life. Nobody is interested about your social life and it doesn't help," BBC Scotland quoted Jim Docherty, assistant secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association as saying.

"Secondly, never make any comment about your work, about your employer, about teaching issues in general. "There is always a possibility it will be misinterpreted," he said.

Philippines declares outbreak of deadly rat fever

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Health authorities in the Philippines have declared an outbreak of a deadly rat fever in the flood-hit areas of the country's southern region.

At least five people have died and as many as 200 diagnosed in the southern city of Cagayan de Oro with leptospirosis, a fatal animal-borne disease that can result in high fever, internal bleeding and organ failure, Xinhua reported.

Tropical storm Washi brought massive rains, leading to flooding in many areas of the country's central and southern regions since Dec 16 in 2011.

Jaime Bernadas, regional health minister, said the number of patients displaced by Washi could increase in the coming days.

Congressman Rufus Rodriguez has called on people affected by the floods that killed over 1,200 people to avail of the government's vaccination against the deadly disease. Presently, the toll caused by Washi stands at 1,258 people with many still believed to be missing.

Three injured in grenade blast in Tinsukia

Posted:

At least three persons were injured when suspected militants hurled a hand grenade in a busy market place here on Monday.

The suspected militants hurled the grenade in the busy Gopinath Bordoloi road at around 6: 15 p.m.

The injured are being treated at Tinsukia''s Civil Hospital. According to reports, the police have suspected involvement of anti-talk group of ULFA in the blast. Further details into the incident are awaited.


Twitter gaffe lands Murdoch in trouble

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80-year-old media mogul, who just joined the microblogging website, had to face the ire of users after his insensitive tweet on 'broke country'

Less than two days after joining Twitter, media mogul Rupert Murdoch appears to have had his first brush with tweeting-before-thinking, after suggesting that the British have too many holidays for a 'broke country'.

Though Murdoch, who joined Twitter less than 48 hours ago and already has almost 50,000 followers, quickly deleted the message, it was preserved by some Twitter users and quickly spread around the website.


Oops, i did it again: Rupert Murdoch's tweet on being a broke country
was immediately taken down after his wife Wendi Deng ordered him to
do so. File pic

"Maybe Brits have too many holidays for broke country!" Murdoch, who is holidaying on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthelemy, wrote.

His wife, Wendi Deng, also appears to have joined the increasingly ubiquitous microblogging site, quickly replied, "Rupert! delete tweet!!"

Within minutes the Wendi Deng account, which has not yet been verified and may not be genuine, continued, "Everyone @rupertmurdoch was only having a joke promise!!!"

Minutes later, "explaining to @rupertmurdoch about being careful with humour on line. sometimes it comes out as rude!"

About five hours later Murdoch revealed his Twitter profile was causing people close to him some angst.

"I'm getting killed for fooling around here and friends frightened what I may really say!" he wrote.

Mixed reactions
The decision of the octogenarian billionaire to embrace Twitter has been greeted with surprise by many, given his previous view of the internet as the home of 'porn, thievery and hackers'.

However, his first attempts to use the social-media website suggest may still be about getting the hang of it, with misplaced full stops and strange syntax abounding.

And it appears that he has also yet to win the love and adoration of some Twitter users with many expressing a range of emotions about his presence in tweets.

Initially, many assumed at first that Murdoch's account was a hoax and the media mogul was not genuinely behind the account.

The account has been "verified" by Twitter and one of the website's co-founders, Jack Dorsey, greeted him in a message on the site.

'Welcome to Twitter'
"With his own voice, in his own way, @rupertmurdoch is now on Twitter" Dorsey said.
Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, had close to 50,000 people following his tweets.

He also plugged two Fox movies and revealed his New Year's resolutions, "Try to maintain humility and always curiosity. And of course diet!"

50,000
The number of followers Rupert Murdoch has 48 hours of him joining Twitter

'Net is place for porn'
Joining Twitter would be the strongest sign yet that Murdoch has moved away from what was previously a strongly held antipathy towards the web. In a 2009 article in Vanity Fair, Murdoch biographer Michael Wolff wrote that the mogul viewed the Internet as "predatory", stating, "For him it's a place for porn, thievery, and hackers."


Sal(ve)ford on these wounds

Posted:

While Salford a Manchester suburb, is still shocked at Anuj Bidve's murder, people say it is time to do something about 'gun culture' and violence that is endemic in certain pockets of the area

Out of a group of five youths picked up for questioning after the killing of Pune boy Anuj Bidve in the early hours of December 26 in Salford, near Manchester, police released four on bail but on Sunday night charged the fifth, Kiaran Stapleton, 20, with the murder. But so far, it appears that police have not yet found the missing vital piece of evidence -- the hand gun with which the 23-year-old Indian electronics student at Lancaster University was shot at point blank range in the side of the head. Stapleton was produced in the City of Manchester Magistrates' Court. He was then taken away and kept in custody until such time as his trial is held --which won't be till late summer or autumn this year. Under Britain's strict laws on sub judice and contempt of court, the merits of the evidence against Stapleton can no longer be discussed by the media.


Tribute: Officers walk past flowers left at the scene of the murder of
Anuj Bidve in Salford, northwest England. Kiaran Stapleton (22), charged
with the murder, appeared at Magistrates Court in Manchester yesterday.
Pics/AFP

Gun
A candlelit memorial service for Anuj was due to be held on Monday in Ordsall Lane, where he was shot on Boxing Day. There is heavy pressure from Anuj's family to have his body released so it can be repatriated home to Pune for Hindu rituals, proper grieving and an early funeral. But at the same time the gun, if and when found, has to be matched against the wounds for a successful prosecution. Nazir Afzal, the Crown Prosecution Service's chief prosecutor in the north west, announced the charge at a press conference at police headquarters on Sunday night--the police are well aware that although there have been several murders over the Christmas and New Year period, this is the most "high profile" case in the country.

Stapleton
He said, "I can now announce that the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the police to charge Kiaran Stapleton, a 20-year-old man from Salford, with the murder of Mr. Anuj Bidve on Boxing Day. There is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction." This suggests that the group picked up for questioning --a boy of 17, followed by a 16-year-old, followed by a second 17-year-old, followed by a man of 19, followed by the 20-year-old who has been charged - were mostly likely part of the same gang. The suspects would have been questioned separately. Four were released on bail,which does not mean they are in the clear -- they can be rearrested at any time. "Mr Stapleton will appear before the City of Manchester Magistrates' Court in the morning," Afzal had said on Sunday night. And he issued a warning the media will do well to heed. "Now that he's been charged I must remind everyone that he is entitled to fair trial and any reporting must not prejudice this trial." That means reporters cannot go knocking on his door, delving into his background. In the eyes of the law, he remains innocent until the prosecution proves otherwise at a trial.

"Finally prosecutors and police officers remain determined to deliver justice for Mr Bidve's family and friends," Afzal concluded. "They have our deepest condolences."

Under the overall supervision of Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan, Divisional Commander for Salford, the investigation is now headed by Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley, who said, "This remains a complex investigation and the fact we have charged someone does not mean the investigation is complete. As such, we are still asking for the public to contact us with any information they may have and there remains a �50,000 (Rs 4,131,853.54) reward outstanding."


Bereaved: Family members of Anuj Bidve grieve

Distressed
She said, "Anuj's family, who are still in India, have been made aware that we have charged someone in relation to Anuj's murder and officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are in India to support the family in person. We know that the family is extremely distressed that Anuj's body has not been released to them. We have been in close contact with the coroner, who is anxious to release Anuj's body to his family at the earliest possible time. The investigation is still very much ongoing," stressed Copley. "We will continue our high visibility presence in the area and again I urge the local community to continue talking to us. So far we have received a fantastic response and this needs to continue." This is not India -- the area where Anuj fell, has been microscopically examined by forensic specialists wearing white suits to avoid contaminating evidence. Police did not want to give information to Anuj's distraught family, especially his father, Subhash Bidve, and his brother-in-law, Rakesh Sonawane, 30, on the phone. This is why a conduit has been established. GMP announced that a senior officer, Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, and a specially trained family liaison officer, who deals with bereaved families, have arrived in India to meet Bidve's family and representatives from the Indian authorities. Copley explained, "Our family liaison officers are in regular contact with Anuj's family but passing information and updates over the phone is not the best way to communicate in such difficult and tragic circumstances. It is important to me personally, and Greater Manchester Police, to have someone from the force meet with Anuj's family at the earliest opportunity and help support them at this time. Having conversations face-to-face is absolutely the right thing to do. We will, of course, also provide whatever support we can throughout the family's forthcoming trip to the UK."

Guilt
The sense of despair expressed by Anuj's father and brother-in-law has added to the deep sense of collective guilt that has descended upon Salford. Norman Owen, leader of Salford's Liberal Democrats, said, "This is a disgrace. It is heartbreaking and unbelievable. What kind of city are we living in when we have a young man walking on the street with a gun and is ready to use it? If you look at the history over the last three or four years, we have had some severe shootings in this city. We are being dragged down by this issue and the police have got to get into gun crime." Asked if he thought this shooting had brought shame on the city, he responded, "It does. This city is trying to drive itself forward in many ways." But he said Salford needed to "rid itself" of the gun "culture" and work with police, parents and schools to address it. Ironically, Salford is closely linked with Sir Ben Kingsley, the actor who portrayed Mahatma Gandhi, apostle of peace, in Richard Attenborough's film. Kingsley grew up in Pendlebury, near Salford. He later studied at the University of Salford and at Pendleton College, which later became home to the Ben Kingsley Theatre. Salford was not always synonymous with crime. The playwright Ayub Khan Din, author of East is East, was born in 1961 in Salford where his Pakistani father married his English mother and brought up their brood of 10 children in the 1960s and 1970s.


Watchful: Police officers stand guard as a vehicle carrying Kiaran
Stapleton arrives at Magistrates Court in Manchester yesterday

Flowers
Residents have laid flowers at the spot where Anuj fell. One card read, "We don't think living here will ever be the same. We send our condolences to your family and friends. We hope you don't blame us all." Others have sent condolence cards to Lancaster University. Susan Wilson (57), who has lived on nearby Asgard Drive for 31 years with sister Evelyn Wilson (61), said, "This lovely young man has come here to further his education and people whose lives revolve around violence have killed him. For this to happen in our neighbourhood is devastating and we're all very upset about it. It's like the whole country is looking at Ordsall now because of this. The area doesn't have a great reputation but we want people to know what's happened doesn't represent this area or the people living here."

Another neighbour who did not want to give her name said, "It's sick what has happened --absolutely disgusting." Regulars at the nearby pub The Bricklayers Arms on Ordsall Lane -- just yards from where the murder scene -- also condemned the violence. One 77-year-old man, who had lived in the area since 1999, said, "This is a very close-knit community. I really sympathise with this guy who has died. There's no control over the young people round here -- but that's no reflection on the older people who live here."

Incident: Anuj Bidve (23) who was shot dead, a day after Christmas in Manchester

Hate
The waiting for the return of Anuj is adding to his family's agony -- something the police in the UK do understand. Sadly for the Bidve family, a speedy return of the body may pose problems. Even when Dev Anand passed away at the age of 88 from perfectly natural causes, it took a whole week before his body could be released to his son, Suneil, for the funeral to be held in London. Then it took another 48 hours before Suneil could collect his father's ashes.

With Anuj's murder, the family appear not to appreciate that premature return of his body "could harm the prosecution case -- and we don't want that," a source has explained. British newspapers have devoted more space to Anuj's murder than most of their counterparts in India. There is plenty of gun crime in Britain but an unprovoked shooting is rare. Police have said the killing may have had a "hate" motive but detectives are also investigating whether the killer and his suspected accomplices had tried to "chat up" two of the Indian girls in Anuj's nine-strong group.

Women
According to one report, officers believe that they became enraged after having their advances rejected when they propositioned the young women. "It appears two young women who were with Bidve had been eating at a nearby Subway restaurant on the night, when they were both accosted by two men. A brief conversation ensued and it appears the men had tried to chat them up. The girls, though, rejected their advances and walked back to join their group, who were standing outside a McDonald's restaurant along with Mr Bidve." The source said, "The girls said they felt scared by the men's attentions earlier and then they realised that the men had followed them over. They say that one of the men appeared to be drunk. The men followed the girls back to their group and then suddenly asked them for a light, which the girls declined. One of the men asked for the time, which one of the girls gave to them. At this point, the killer, who had been standing with his hands in his pockets, suddenly pulled out a silver pistol and placed it to the temple of Mr Bidve and pulled the trigger. As Mr Bidve slumped to the floor dying, the men allegedly laughed sarcastically and ran off."

Deliberate
Police are also investigating claims that the killers had made a deliberate decision that night to commit a murder but chose Anuj randomly; he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Officers suspect the killer may have carried out the shooting to elevate his status within the criminal fraternity and claim, "bragging rights". The source added, "Members of the Salford criminal fraternity have been appalled by the seemingly pointless nature of Mr Bidve's shooting." There are certainly pockets of Salford where violence is endemic. Two brothers given ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders) as boys for a campaign of terror 10 years ago have just been jailed for an horrific attack on a woman of 22. Jason and Craig Cox were among the first people in Salford to be given ASBOs, and the only brothers to be issued with one at the same time. They were banned from parts of Salford in 2001 when, aged 15 and 12, they orchestrated 12 months of misery on people living in Broughton and Blackfriars estates. They damaged property, used abusive language and threatened residents. Now they have been locked up for dragging a woman from a car and breaking her jaw in two places by repeatedly punching her in the face. They yanked out clumps of her hair, which was later found in bins. The victim was attacked because she had been in a dispute a few days earlier in a nightclub with the girlfriend of Jason Cox. Jason Cox (25) was sentenced to seven years and Craig (22) five years at Manchester Crown Court.

Knifepoint
In another case, a masked man armed with a knife tried to force a pensioner out of his car after he stopped at traffic lights in Salford. The knifeman, who was with a second man, opened the 67-year-old's car door . He leant inside and tried to unbuckle the driver's seatbelt but both men ran off towards Manchester city centre after the pensioner refused to move. But there is a positive side to life to Salford. Holly Moore, 7, saved her pocket money throughout the year to help pay for bedding at a homeless shelter. "I was very sad to see the man was cold. I said to mummy, 'Why does that man not have any socks and why is he sitting on the street?' She told me why and I said I wanted to help keep him warm." It so happens Salford, which is a suburb of Manchester but likes to think of itself as a separate entity, is trying to promote itself as a tourist destination. "It's a great time to find out more about the fascinating history and exciting future of our vibrant city," the local authority says in its promotional pitch. "Ideally located next to our neighbour, Manchester, at the heart of England's Northwest, Salford offers enough arts, culture, sport, shopping, heritage, relaxation and stunning scenery to fill a day or a week.....Make Salford a place to visit, we look forward to seeing you in 2012." After Anuj's murder, the task of promoting Salford will not be any easier, even though by and large Indian students in the UK are perfectly safe.

India
Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in London has said in a statement that it is "deeply saddened at the unfortunate and tragic killing of Anuj Bidve. Following this unfortunate incident, senior officials from the Consulate General of India, Birmingham, have been in touch with the Greater Manchester Police authorities and also the bereaved family members in Pune. Our shock and concern at the horrific incident has been conveyed to the authorities investigating the case along with the strong expectation that the perpetrators of the ghastly crime would be brought to justice at the earliest. The concerned authorities have also been suitably sensitised about the family's wish to have the dead body repatriated to India at the earliest. The authorities have assured us of their fullest cooperation." It added, "The High Commission of India understands that in cases of this nature, a second inquest may be necessary, including with a view to strengthening the case of the prosecution. The High Commission of India hopes that this process will be completed at the earliest, so that the body could be released and repatriated to India in consonance with the request of the bereaved family." It went on, "The Lancaster University authorities have also been requested by the Consulate General of India to provide necessary support and care to the friends of the deceased who were present at the time of the tragic incident. The response of the Lancaster University has been sympathetic and supportive. The Consulate General of India and the High Commission would be extending all possible assistance to the bereaved family, including for the repatriation of the body."

Maldives' ban on 'prostitution hub' spas sends shockwaves in tourism industry

Posted:

The Maldives' Government order to ban all spas and health centres in resorts has evoked concerns in the country's tourism industry, which is a major foreign exchange earner.

The Maldives Tourism ministry instructed all resort hotels across the country to shut down spas and health centres offering beauty treatments and massages with immediate effect.

Bu the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry said the ban would be detrimental to the economy, and appealed to resolve the issue, the BBC reports.

The ban comes after an opposition Islamist party Adhaalath staged a protest against spas alleging that they were prostitution hubs. Industry sources, however, said the government might eventually revoke the decision.

Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed had earlier called for a "tolerant" form of Islam in the country amid growing influence of hardline Islamic parties. The Maldives is a popular destination for wealthy honeymooners, where luxury rooms can cost up to 12,000 dollars a day.

Child bride 'locked in toilet, tortured' by in-laws for refusing to work as prostitute

Posted:

A 15-year-old Afghan girl was brutally tortured, beaten and locked in a toilet by her in-laws for five months after she refused to become a prostitute, it has emerged.
Sahar Gul was rescued from a house in northern Baghlan province last week after her neighbours reported hearing Gul crying and moaning in pain.
According to police in Baghlan, her in-laws pulled out her nails and hair, and locked her in a dark basement bathroom for about five months, with barely enough food and water to survive, The Daily Mail reports. They also burned Gul with cigarettes and cut out chunks of her flesh with pliers.
Gul told police she had been punished for refusing to become a prostitute. ''For several months I was locked up in a toilet by my in-laws and particularly my mother-in-law. I was denied food and water. I was tortured and beaten," the paper quoted her, as saying.
Gul, who suffered both mentally and physically, is being treated in a government hospital in Kabul, but doctors say she may have to be sent to India. Meanwhile, Mohammad Zia, a senior police official in Baghlan, who helped to rescue the girl, said Gul''s mother-in-law and sister-in-law have been detained, but her husband and father-in-law had escaped. "We have launched a serious hunt to get her husband and the others involved," Zia said.


Woman cuts off father-in-law's penis

Posted:

An Afghan woman cut off her father-in-law's penis with a knife when he made sexual advances on her, a doctor said.

The doctor, in a private hospital in eastern Afghanistan's Ghazni province, said that the man had come to the hospital for treatment but was sent to the capital Kabul for specialist treatment.

"One day when the husband was away from home he attempted to have sex with his daughter-in-law and she cut off his penis with a knife," News 24 quoted the doctor as saying. The incident took place two weeks ago but has come to light only now.


Bookies bet on Hurley-Warne to split in 2012

Posted:

Liz Hurley's romance with cricketer Shane Warne is the shakiest in showbiz, according to a leading UK bookmaker who is predicting the couple will be the first to split in 2012.

Katy Perry and Russell Brand previously topped the William Hill bookmakers break-up list -- but the British funnyman filed for divorce in the final days of 2011, ending that bet.


Next to hit the skids? A London bookie says that Elizabeth Hurley and
Shane Warne's romance is the shakiest in showbiz and expect them to
be the first to split this year. File pic

Now Hurley and Warne are the showbiz couple next likely to part ways with odds of 4/1, according to William Hill.

Take That star Jason Orange is on 8/1 to part from comedienne Catherine Tate, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie -- along with parents-to-be Beyonce and Jay-Z " are at 25/1 to join the broken homes club.

But Prince William and his new bride Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have a rock solid romance -- William Hill is offering odds of 100/1 on them splitting and just 2/5 on them announcing the first celebrity pregnancy of 2012.

Other predictions
In other predictions by the bookies, Lindsay Lohan is 11/10 favourite to be the first star arrested in 2012, followed by British rock wildman Pete Doherty at 5/2, troubled Courtney Love at 4/1, George Michael at 6/1, and Charlie Sheen at 8/1.


Blackbirds fall from Arkansas sky, again

Posted:

Thousands of birds dropped from the sky in a small US town for the second New Year in a row; experts believe fireworks scared birds

For one small Arkansas town, New Year's Eve 2010 brought a media frenzy and unwelcome prophesies of the apocalypse.

The mysterious deaths of 5,000 blackbirds, which plummeted from the night sky, led to 12 months of intrigue and a National Geographic documentary.

As December 31, 2011 approached, the residents of Beebe were understandably apprehensive -- then it started happening again.

Just as the town's New Year's Eve parties were getting under way, birds began falling out of the sky.
Jacob Landrum, a resident of the town said he had been driving through the middle of town towards the Church of Christ when the falling birds startled him.

"The birds were all over the parking lot and in the road on the way here," he said. "It's kind of a strange thing two years in a row."

One of the favoured theories from last year's avian catastrophe centred on fireworks. Some animal behaviourists suggested the loud noises and bright lights of several large displays marking the new year may have startled and disoriented the birds.

As soon as reports came in that birds were plummeting to their deaths once again, Beebe police department imposed an impromptu ban on fireworks. The six or seven officers on duty leapt into their patrol cars and toured the town interrupting parties and looking for Catherine wheels and rockets.

"They just had to stop people shooting any more off," said Jeremy Weeks, a police officer in Beebe, although he confessed it was unclear whether the pyrotechnic ban had helped.

"I have absolutely no idea why it happened again," he said. "I saw dozens of them on the ground as I was driving into work."

Paul Begley, a pastor at the Community Gospel Bapist Church in Indiana, had his own theory.

"I was doing a live broadcast talking about bible prophecy and the end of the world," he said. "And the birds started falling out of the sky again. Where's Stephen King? He can't even write a script like this, this is God."
It is unknown exactly how many birds died this year as the clean-up operation is still under way, but Horace Taylor, Beebe's animal control officer, said his office had picked up at least 80 dead blackbirds.

Post-mortem examinations carried out by the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission last year revealed acute physical trauma in samples of the dead blackbirds, which suggests they were killed on impact with the ground rather than dying in mid-air. No sign of poison or disease was found as theories continue to abound on the mass fatality events.

Kevin McKinney, a Beebe resident, claimed something else must have been happening. "Fireworks going off all night and all day -- no problems!" he said. "But when the birds started dying, I had my compass out: it went crazy, spinning and unable to find north."


Posted by Harshad at 7:17 AM

1 comment:

  1. BoseJanuary 3, 2012 at 10:02 PM

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