8,000 Turtle Doves Fall Dead in Italy - Animal Deaths Increase Worldwide
* Blue stain believed to be sign of poisoning or hypoxia - lack of oxygen that is precursor to altitude sickness
* Cold weather and overbreeding blamed for deaths of two 2million fish in Chesapeake Bay
* Disease behind deaths of 100,000 fish in Arkansas River
* At least nine incidents of mass animal deaths across the globe
* Hundreds of confused birds plummeted to their deaths in multiple locations in the U.S.
* Rapid movement of Magnetic North Pole towards Russia may have caused bird deaths
dailymail - Thousands of dead turtle doves rained down on roofs and cars in an Italian town in the latest in a growing spate of mass animal deaths across the globe.
Residents in Faenza described the birds falling to the ground like 'little Christmas balls' with strange blue stains on their beaks.
Initial tests on up to 8,000 of the doves indicated that the blue stain could have been caused by poisoning or hypoxia.
A witness told www.examiner.com: 'We have no idea why this happened all of a sudden.
'The doves just started falling one-by-one then in groups of 10s and 20s.'
Hypoxia, a lack of oxygen, is known to cause confusion and illness in animals. It is also a common precursor to altitude sickness.
Experts said results from tests on the doves will not be available for at least a week.
They said that cold weather could have caused the birds' deaths as the flock was swept into a high-altitude wind storm before falling to the earth.
It comes after two million dead fish were found to have washed up on shores in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.
The alarming find is being blamed by authorities in Maryland on the stress caused by unusually cold water and overbreeding among spot fish.
That investigation comes just days after the deaths of an estimated 100,000 fish in northwest Arkansas, which is being blamed on disease.
A statement by the Maryland Department of the Environment said: 'Natural causes appear to be the reason.
'Cold water stress exacerbated by a large population of the affected species (juvenile spot fish) appears to be the cause of the kill.'
Preliminary tests of the water in Chesapeake Bay have showed the quality was acceptable, officials said.
The statement added: 'The affected fish are almost exclusively juvenile spot fish, three to six inches in length.
'A recent survey showed a very strong population of spot in the bay this year. An increased juvenile population and limited deep water habitat would likely compound the effects of cold water stress.'
Mass winter deaths among spot fish have occurred twice before in the Maryland area - in 1976 and 1980.
The incident is the latest mass animal death to hit the headlines in the last two weeks.
These include:
* 450 red-winged blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, grackles and starlings found littering a highway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* 3,000 blackbirds on roofs and roads in the small town of Beebe, Arkansas
* Thousands of 'devil crabs' washed up along the Kent coast near Thanet
* Thousands of drum fish washed along a 20-mile stretch of the Arkansas River
* Two million small fish in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
* Thousands of dead fish found floating in warm Florida creek
* Hundreds of snapper fish found dead in New Zealand
* Scores of American Coots found dead on Texas highway bridge
Experts have speculated that New Year fireworks, thunderstorms, cold weather, parasites and even poisoning may be behind the deaths.
But conspiracy theorists have also speculated on the internet that secret government experiments could be behind them, with some even claiming it was a sign of a looming Armageddon at the end of the Mayan calendar next year.
Another theory is that the rapid movement of the Magnetic North Pole towards Russia may have affected the birds' innate navigation systems.
Inbuilt navigation systems in birds and fish is believed to be affected by magnetism.
Scientists have said the Magnetic North Pole is shifting at an average of around 25 miles a year.
With birds and fish relying on it to travel to breeding grounds and warmed climes, there are fears that the shifting pole could be confusing the animals which means they do not migrate in time to avoid cold weather.
Tests are being carried out on the dead birds and fish, but results are not expected for several weeks.
Scientists have been baffled by the sudden deaths of hundreds of birds which have plummeted to the ground seemingly simultaneously in several locations.
Two hundred American Coots were found dead on a highway bridge crossing Lake O' the Pines in Big Cypress Creek, Texas.
They are believed to have been hit by passing vehicles while walking or apparently trying to roost on the bridge.
Swedish experts blamed the shock of New Year fireworks for the unexplained deaths of 50 jackdaws found on a street in Falkoping, Sweden.
Many of the birds are believed to have died from stress or as a result of being run over while disoriented.
The largest incident took place in Beebe, Arkansas, were horrified revellers witnessed around 3,000 blackbirds crashing to their deaths into homes, cars and each other as they celebrated New Year.
Another 450 birds were found strewn along a highway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after apparently hitting overhead power lines.
In both cases, the birds are believed to have become confused and were flying at a lower height than usual.
The deaths of tons of fish across the globe is being attributed to unusually cold water.
Thousands of Brazilian fishermen have been left struggling to make ends meet after the sale of seafood was temporarily suspended when masses of fish were discovered in Paranaguá, Antonina and Guaraqueçaba Pontal do Paraná.
Fish were also discovered rotting and floating in Spruce Creek, Florida, after another period of cold weather.
100,000 drum fish were found strewn along the shore of the Arkansas River.
And the cold snap has been blamed for the deaths of 40,000 Velvet swimming crabs - known as 'devil crabs - found littering beaches in Thanet, Kent.
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Real-Life Superhero
telegraph - Jones, who wears a black and gold costume, patrols the streets of Lynnwood, a town of 35,000 people just outside Seattle, Washington. He wears a bullet proof vest and stab protection under his black and gold outfit, and carries a Taser stun gun and pepper spray. He does not have a fancy vehicle like Batman however, and instead is driven around in a Kia by a female sidekick who does not get out of the car.
The case mirrors that of 'Kick-Ass', last year's Hollywood film directed by Matthew Vaughn, in which an ordinary teenager tries to become a real-life superhero.
The vigilante told a television network that he has been stabbed and threatened with a gun more than once since his crime-fighting crusade began nine months ago.
But he said: "When I walk into a neighbourhood criminals leave because they see the suit. I symbolise that the average person doesn't have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing."
He recently prevented a car theft, chasing away a criminal who was breaking into a vehicle.
A witness said: "From the right, this guy comes dashing in, wearing this black and gold suit, and starts chasing him away."
Jones is thought to be part of a nationwide group called the Rain City Superhero Movement.
Its website says: "A real life Superhero is whoever chooses to embody the values presented in super heroic comic books, not only by donning a mask and costume, but also performing good deeds."
Police say would-be vigilantes dressed in comic book costumes are lucky not to have been mistaken for criminals, and citizens should not put themselves in danger by trying to emulate their fictional heroes.
But Jones, who has been in contact with detectives, said: "Everyone on my team either has a military background or a mixed martial arts background, and we're well aware of what it costs to do what we do."
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Malaysian Man Abandons 'Demon' Wife and Children on Medium's Advice
asiaone - A superstitious husband in Kuala Lumpur stopped having sex with his wife after a temple medium convinced him she was a danger to his life. The wife, who only wanted to be known as Loh, said her husband has now abandoned her and their two teenage children and is refusing to meet them as he fears for his life. Self-employed Loh, 44, said her husband first started consulting the medium to solve personal problems. She claimed her husband's personality changed after daily meetings with him.
"The medium told my husband I had been casting spells on him for the past 15 years and that I was a demon trying to kill him. He refused to eat or drink at home because he thought I poisoned the food," Loh told a press conference held at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department yesterday. Loh also said there were no prior family problems and that her husband was very loving although he was superstitious.
"I know he misses the children and although my son calls him almost every day urging him to come back, he still refuses to see the children as he is afraid I will kill him through them," she added. She said her husband, a factory manager, moved out of the house on the medium's advice in August and had been paying very little for living expenses and their children's school fees. He withdrew the children's savings before moving out and recently asked for a divorce.
Loh is worried the medium is taking advantage of her husband's trust in him, claiming the medium is also heavily in debt. Loh had also found a newspaper report published in 2002 about another man who had neglected his family after he was "helped" by the same medium. Loh has lodged two police reports. "We have known the medium and his family for 20 years. I do not know why he is doing this," said Loh.
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UFO Sighting Revelations Released Soon by WikiLeaks, says Assange
huliq - As if he’s taken on Fox Mulder’s “I Want To Believe,” mantra from the X-Files TV series, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told British media recently that there are numerous “enlightening” references to UFOs in “yet-to-be-published” confidential files obtained from both the U.S. and other foreign government sources.
Assange, a 39-year-old Australian, is believed to be in hiding somewhere in southern England, states a recent report from the London-based Guardian newspaper and online information service that recently posted an interview with the WikiLeaks founder about his bounty of secret UFO files.
When asked about the UFO files that Assange said will be released soon, he noted there are “details about UFOs and extraterrestrials.”
"However, it is worth noting that in yet-to-be-published parts of the Cablegate archive, there are indeed references to UFOs,” asserted Assange during the interview.
Britain's Guardian is one of a number of newspapers around the world with early access to these secret UFO files seen by WikiLeaks.
Here in Seaside, a popular resort community along Oregon’s northern coast, there’s been a “boom in something called UFO travel destinations,” quips local shop owner Doris Parsons.
At the same time, there’s more and more urban myths about the Oregon coast and UFO sightings.
And, the popular TV show and movie series the “X-Files” hasn’t helped to squelch such rumors since its first episode was set and filmed at Seaside.
The X-Files was based on fact along with fiction. The X-Files pointed to crop circles as being commonly cited as “evidence of alien visits.” The program also noted that the discovery of life-supporting water in the form of ice on Mars is proof that alien life exists in our universe.
Moreover, in the pilot for the highly successful X-Files series, Dana Scully is assigned to work with Fox Mulder, who’s an FBI agent that specializes in the paranormal. Together, they travel to the central Oregon coast and visit Stonefield Beach, and then Seaside where Mulder believes several teenagers have been abducted by aliens.
While this sounds farfetched, locals say it actually happened.
“I get more people asking about that first X-Files episode than say where’s a good place to have fish and chips. It’s crazy, but good for business,” says Parsons with a sly smile.
Moreover, one of the leading UFO investigation groups known as “MUFON,” for “Mutual UFO Network, Inc.” has a growing population of members and fans here who view unidentifiable flying object (UFOs) as a “growth industry” at a time when Oregon’s tourism industry is on the skids.
Parsons, who proudly displays the MUFON magazine in her shop, explains that “the recession has forced people to cut back on rest and relaxation. But, the UFO stuff is peaking their interest. Now, we’re a UFO destination."
MUFON’s charter states that it will seek to “investigate the UFO phenomenon in a scientific manner as funds and expertise allow. To this end, MUFON strives to establish a presence in every state of the United States and even in every country of the world since the UFO phenomenon knows no boundaries.
MUFON members advise those who are frightened of having “first contact,” that “it’s perfectly safe.”
At the same time, MUFON guidance for “civilians” is a UFO sighting is not so much something “you see,” but “more of a feeling” along the lines of a “deeper psychic intuition.”
One Oregon MUFON expert notes that when he takes say “a couple hundred photos an hour” of UFO’s over Oregon communities that, perhaps, only about “two or three show a UFO clearly enough to say it’s alien.”
At the same time, a local Oregon UFO group called “The Trails End Paranormal Society of Oregon,” is planning their annual gathering at nearby Portland for this Spring, and Parsons says she’s been contacted about having a special tour of the wooded area near Seaside where the teens were abducted.
Here at Seaside, a massive poster from the Sixties cult TV program “The Invaders” hangs prominently in Parsons shop. The poster reads:
"The Invaders, alien beings from a dying planet. Their destination: the Earth. Their purpose: to make it ‘their’ world. David Vincent has seen them, for him it began one lost night on a lonely country road, looking for a short cut that he never found. It began with the landing of a craft from another galaxy. Now, David Vincent knows that the Invaders are here, that they have taken human form. Somehow he must convince a disbelieving world that the nightmare has ‘already’ begun."
The Invaders ran for just two seasons, from January 1967 to March 1968. However, the program has a loyal following in Europe and other parts of the world, and is still discussed in the UFO community.
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New 'Bigfoot' Video
Click for video
Supposedly this video was taken with what the witness calls a 'hunter's camera'. Your thoughts.
