Welsh task force to manage feral goats after flocking to region during COVID lockdown

A town in Wales that has been overrun by feral goats since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic has formed a task force to address the problem.

In 2020, a pack of Kashmiri goats from the nearby coast had made their way to Llandudno, Wales, and remained in the town's locked-down streets.

The goats began to reproduce and have been occupying local streets, destroying residents' gardens and standing on roofs.

Officials met this week and agreed to establish a group to manage the goats terrorizing the town, North Wales Live reported.

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"Just to emphasize, these are feral goats," City Councillor Chris Cater said this week at a council meeting. "They are not owned by anyone. They are on land on the Great Orme, and in fact, they were there quite comfortably until the pandemic lockdown."

Before the COVID pandemic, the goats were native to the Great Orme headland, an outcropping extending into the Irish Sea. But since the lockdown began, the animals navigated into Llandudno.

"During the pandemic, they really uplifted the people of Llandudno," Cater said. "They were a joy to see, and they gave us a lot of good publicity, and I think we have to do the right thing for them. I entirely support this initiative."

Councillor Geoff Stewart urged council members to support the task force.

"Goats in Llandudno, much maligned by some, much loved by others," Stewart said.

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"But there has been an issue there for some time," he continued. "Frankly, we should be very proud to have these wonderful animals on our doorstep. They are nowhere else in the UK, and it has been asked that we set up a group to establish a way forward for these."

The task force is expected to begin its work in managing the goats within the next month.

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Angered, mourning Iranian activists launch billboard campaign in NYC's Times Square seeking Big Tech's help

It's been more than 40 days since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was beaten to death in the custody of Iran’s brutal morality police for not wearing the mandatory Muslim headscarf. 

At least 250 people have been killed in the unrest since Amini's death, including 27 children, according to Javaid Rehman, a United Nations representative on Human Rights in Iran.

The United States has announced sanctions on 14 individuals and multiple entities, including six government officials responsible for the violence on Iranian activists. But Iranian activists like journalist Masih Alinejad, who is in the U.S. and facing threats against her life, says the Biden Administration can do much more.

"The whole world ignored that for eight years. They were like, ‘You know, this is part of your culture. We don't want to touch it.’ For me, it's sad. It's beyond sad that it didn't need for Mahsa Amini to be killed for the whole world to understand that this is important," Alinejad told Fox News.

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"These are the Rosa Parks of Iran. These are like the women suffragists. … This is just the beginning. Iranian women are furious, and by burning their headscarf, by taking to the street in large numbers across Iran, they're sending a message to the rest of the world that this is a revolution not only against compulsory hijab, it's against gender apartheid regime."

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to tech companies Friday, including Google, Facebook and Apple, urging them to expand communication services in Iran. Activisits say that's how the Biden Administration can help, with technology like Starlink so protesters can communicate.

Video from cities in southeast Iran showed Iranian security forces shooting protesters Friday as they shouted "Death to Khamenei," Iran's Supreme leader. At least two were killed.

Alinejad, who has 8 million social media followers and around-the-clock security in the U.S. due to threats from the Iranian regime, says this is different than the Green Revolution in 2009 that was crushed.

"This is different because this is the first time in the history that women across Iran burning their headscarves. It means that we had enough. We want to end this barbaric regime," she said. "That's why I always said that compulsory hijab is like the Berlin Wall. If we get success, we could tear this wall down. The Islamic Republic won't exist."

Female students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences waved their headscarves in the air chanting "freedom, freedom, freedom" to mark the 40th day of mourning after Amini was allegedly murdered by Iran's brutal morality police for showing her hair.

In the hometown of Amini, tens of thousands of people ignored governmental threats and roadblocks this week and showed up to mourn.

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The Iranian Diaspora Collective, a nonpartisan multi-faith group, bought a billboard in Times Square with an image of Mahsa Amini and three silhouetted women holding up their headscarves and the words "Woman Life Freedom," a message they want on billboards in cities across the U.S. to highlight what they say is the revolution taking place in Iran. They have raised more than $420,000 through a Go Fund Me campaign to pay for more billboards. 

Alinejad started posting videos of women taking off their veils in 2014 in a Facebook feed called "My Stealthy Freedom." She says she first realized how oppressive the Iranian regime was when she was 7 years old as her parents got her ready for school and tried to tame her curly hair. That's when she realized her hair was controlled by the government. 

"I remember when I had to go to school, I had to cover these — like big hair, massive hair. It was not easy. My mom was holding me, and my father was just, you know, cutting between, like, get some of the hair out to make it easy to cover them up," Alinejad recalled while showing a picture of herself at age 7.

Now, two Iranian female journalists — Niloofar Hamedi, who first reported about Amini's death at the hands of the morality police, and Elaheh Mohammadi, who covered Amini's funeral — are charged with espionage. Hamedi has been held in prison for over a month. Journalist watchdogs say these two female journalists' lives are now in serious danger. 

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s Intelligence Ministry are trying to blame the CIA, Mossad, MI6 and the Saudi government for starting the protests.

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Cobra that went missing in Swedish zoo still free 6 days later

A venomous king cobra which escaped from its home in a Swedish zoo six days ago has been located inside the building where its terrarium is located but has not yet been recaptured, the park said Friday.

The deadly snake escaped on Saturday via a light fixture in the ceiling of its glass enclosure at the Skansen Aquarium, part of the zoo on Stockholm’s Djurgarden island. Park guests who were inside the building where the snakes are located were evacuated. 

The zoo later assessed that there was no general risk for employees or guests and the rest of the zoo remained open.

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The park said it had located the reptile overnight in a confined space near its terrarium and staff were now working to retrieve it.

If the snake had gotten out of the building, it would not have survived the cold climate, the park said.

The snake's official name is Sir Vass (Sir Hiss), but since its escape has been nicknamed Houdini, after the escape artist who thwarted every attempt to cage him. The reptile had just moved into the terrarium.

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King cobras can be up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) long and mainly live in India, southeast Asia, in Indonesia and the Philippines.

The zoo is home to about 200 exotic species including fish, corals, crocodiles, turtles, lizards, snakes, naked mole-rats, marmosets, golden lion tamarins, baboons, lemurs, spiders and parrots.

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White House says US will 'hold Russia accountable' if they attack commercial satellites in Ukraine

The White House on Thursday said that any attacks on U.S. satellites or infrastructure will be met with an "appropriate response" after a senior Russian official told the United Nations that the Kremlin sees commercial satellites helping Ukraine as "a legitimate target for retaliation."

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Russians have been "trying to pursue anti-satellite technology and capability."

"Any attack on U.S. infrastructure will be met with an appropriate response in an appropriate way," Kirby told reporters Thursday. "And we're going to continue to pursue all means to expose, deter and hold Russia accountable for any such attack should it occur."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later said that the U.S. will "pursue all means to explore, deter and hold Russia accountable" for any attacks on U.S. satellites. 

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The comments came after Russian foreign ministry spokesman Konstantin Vorontsov told the United Nations that the U.S.' use of "civilian, including commercial, infrastructure elements in outer space for military purposes" is an "extremely dangerous trend." 

"These States do not realize that such actions in fact constitute indirect participation in military conflicts," Vorontsov said, according to his prepared remarks. "Quasi-civilian infrastructure may become a legitimate target for retaliation."

Vorontsov did not call out any companies by name, but Elon Musk's SpaceX has spent more than $80 million to support Ukrainian forces through Starlink, a network of thousands of satellites that connect with user terminals on the ground. 

SpaceX had asked the Pentagon for funding, but Musk tweeted this week that he assured Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov that SpaceX "would not turn off Starlink even if [the Department of Defense] refused to provide funding." 

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. 

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Woman's rights groups in South Africa protest after charges dropped in gang rape case

Women’s rights groups in South Africa expressed outrage Thursday and criticized police for perceived failures after charges were dropped against 14 men accused of gang raping and robbing female members of a film crew at an abandoned mine in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.

State prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence against the men to proceed with the case.

The men, believed to be illegal miners, were arrested during a police raid at the mine after at least eight women were attacked and raped while they were filming a music video in July.

Reports of the rapes sparked violent protests in townships around Krugersdorp as community members accused the small-scale miners working in the abandoned mine shafts of committing the crimes.

The protesters also descended on the abandoned mines, blocking the holes the miners use to go underground and burning their makeshift tents and belongings. Miners were apprehended, assaulted and handed over to the police.

Police Minister Bheki Cele called the rapes the "shame of the nation" and police initially arrested more than 80 men before charges were ultimately laid against 14.

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However, the rape and robbery charges were withdrawn on Thursday and South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said DNA results could not link any of the men to the rapes.

"Upon consultation with the complainants in the matter, and evidential material currently at the disposal of the NPA, it became apparent that there is insufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution," said NPA spokeswoman Phindi Mjonondwane.

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The Commission for Gender Equality, an organization that advocates for women’s rights, called on the police to quickly relaunch an investigation.

"We are completely outraged at these latest developments, which means the police have no idea who committed this crime. They arrested the wrong people, so the real criminals are still out there," said spokesman Javu Baloyi.

The Sisonke organization, which staged demonstrations at court during the suspects' appearances, also called on police to act quickly to find those responsible.

Prosecutors said the 14 men are now only facing charges related to immigration offenses as they are suspected to be in South Africa illegally.

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Jury in Australian Parliament House rape trial dismissed

A judge on Thursday discharged a jury in the high-profile trial of a former government advisor charged with raping a colleague in the Australian Parliament House because a juror had brought a research paper on sexual assaults into the jury room.

Australian Capital Territory Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said a juror had undertaken research in relation to the case and brought it into the room where a panel of 12 had been deciding their verdict.

"I have received evidence that at least one juror has had access to research material that was not provided to the jury during the trial," McCallum said.

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"It is beyond question the conduct of a juror is such to abort the trial," she added.

A court official had discovered the research paper in the room late Wednesday. The jury was supposed to reach its verdict solely on the evidence presented during the 12-day trial.

Former ministerial advisor Bruce Lehrmann, 27, had pleaded not guilty in the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court to a charge of sexual intercourse without consent in a minister’s office in March 2019 after a night of heavy drinking. He faced a potential 12-year prison sentence if convicted.

His alleged victim, then his 24-year-old junior colleague Brittany Higgins, reacted to the news of a mistrial with a searing attack on the justice system.

"I chose to speak up. Speak up against rape, speak up against injustice, to speak up and share my experiences with others. I told the truth no matter how uncomfortable or unflattering to the court," a tearful Higgins told reporters outside court.

"Today’s outcome does not change that truth. But I did speak up, I never fully understood how asymmetrical (the) criminal justice system (is), but I do now," she added.

The Associated Press does not usually identify alleged victims of sexual assault, but Higgins has chosen to identify herself in the media.

She recounted how she was questioned for days in the witness box and forced to surrender her telephones, messages, photos and data to Lehrmann’s lawyers. Lehrmann exercised his right not to give evidence. His lawyers argued there had been no sexual contact.

"My life has been publicly scrutinized, open for the world to see. His was not," Higgins added.

Lehrmann declined to speak to the media as he left the court. He has not been held in custody since he was charged and remains free on bail until Feb. 20 when a retrial could commence.

Prosecutors have yet to decide whether a retrial will go ahead.

Lehrmann's lawyer Steven Whybrow told reporters outside court: "We’re disappointed by what’s happened."

The jury had been deliberating its verdict since the trial ended on Wednesday last week.

The jurors sent a message to the judge on Tuesday saying they could not reach a unanimous verdict, but she told them to continue deliberating.

Higgins has become a household name in Australia since she went to the media last year with her accusations that the former government had treated her rape allegation as a political problem and failed to adequately support her.

The case sparked nationwide protests as an example of a toxic work culture in Australian politics that is criticized as hostile toward women.

She quit her government job in January last year and then made a statement to police about the then-two-year-old incident.

Then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison responded in February last year by apologizing to Higgins in Parliament for the "terrible things" that she had endured in the building.

"The place that should have been a place of safety and contribution turned out to be a nightmare," Morrison said.

McCallum revealed on Wednesday that defense lawyers had focused on this apology when they applied in March to have the prosecution postponed or discontinued on the grounds that Lehrmann could not receive a fair trial.

Morrison's apology was "particularly egregious" and had elevated Higgins "to a status she should not have," the lawyers argued, adding she "walks into court with an aura about her."

McCallum rejected the application in March and on Wednesday published her reasons for that decision.

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Colleague of alleged killer neonatal nurse thought 'not again' when newborn girl collapsed day after twin

A former colleague of a neonatal nurse who allegedly murdered multiple newborns told jurors this week that she thought "not again" when an infant suddenly collapsed after her twin brother had collapsed and died the night before.

Lucy Letby, 32, is standing trial in the U.K. for allegedly murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 more at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016.

The prosecutor said she injected some infants with insulin or milk, while others she injected with air. She allegedly attempted to kill one baby three times.

Child A, whose family remains unidentified for legal reasons, was one of the babies Letby allegedly killed by injecting him with air when she came on shift June 8, 2015, just a little more than 24 hours after his premature birth, according to The Standard. Prosecutors allege she attempted to murder his twin sister, Child B, in the same way the following night.

ALLEGED KILLER NEONATAL NURSE LUCY LETBY WROTE CONFESSION NOTE: ‘I AM EVIL. I DID THIS.’

Letby's coworker, who also remains unidentified, testified to the Manchester Crown Court on Monday that she had been preparing medicines when the alarm went off at Child B's incubator. The coworker recounted that Letby was the first to go to the child's cot and called for her help.

Regarding how Child B looked at the time, Letby's colleague said: "She looked very ill. She looked very like her brother did the night before. Pale, white, with this purple blotchy discoloration. It was all over her body."

"I just remember thinking ‘not again’ – to see his sister with the same appearance," the colleague told the jury.

When they inserted a breathing tube into Child B, the child "started to stabilize quite quickly," the witness said, going on to add that Child A's "deterioration was very sudden and to an unusual degree. Babies can be very poorly quickly, but there is usually some indication that is happening. We had no undue concerns."

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"To go from that is very unusual and then [Child B] had been good throughout the evening for me… then she became ill very quickly," said the witness. "She deteriorated very quickly and then this discoloration."

"You never want any baby to die. You want to help them go home to their families. That’s always been my goal," the witness added.

Child B ultimately recovered and was discharged a month later, the court was told. The twins' mother had pleaded for the lives of her children as medics attempted to save them, according to recently heard court testimony.

Letby was a "constant, malevolent presence" in the neonatal unit of the hospital in northwestern England, prosecutor Nick Johnson argued before a jury when her trial opened last month.

Johnson told jurors "a poisoner was at work" at the hospital, which he said had been marked by a "significant rise in the number of babies who were dying and in the number of serious catastrophic collapses" after January 2015, before which he said its rates of infant mortality were comparable to other busy hospitals.

Investigators found Letby was the "common denominator," and that the infant deaths aligned with her shifting work hours.

When searching her home in 2018, police found handwritten notes reading, "I am evil" and "I killed them on purpose because I'm not good enough," according to the prosecution.

Letby pleaded not guilty to seven counts of murder and 15 counts of attempted murder. Her trial is slated to last for up to six months.

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