0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Bear attacks a skier in North Macedonia as mild winters cut their hibernation shortA Danish skier was injured in a bear attack at a nature park in North Macedonia Tuesday, in an area where authorities say mild winters have led to a surge in the brown bear population.Mild winters in recent years have caused bears to cut short or skip hibernation, leading to a surge in their population and increased sightings in urban areas.Similar problems have also been reported in neighboring Greece, where farming associations say crops and bee hives have been damaged.
Church authorities in Corfu slap religious ban on local politicians who backed same-sex marriageBacklash from the Orthodox Church of Greece against a landmark law allowing same-sex civil marriage intensified Tuesday, with a regional bishopric imposing a religious ban on two local lawmakers who backed the reform.Church authorities on the northwestern island of Corfu accused the two opposition lawmakers of committing “the deepest spiritual and moral error” in voting for the law, which was approved with cross-party support on February 15.
Greek Priest accused of defrauding believers over €1.3 MillionA 68-year-old active Greek priest and his 61-year-old former associate, have been arrested for allegedly defrauding believers of over €1.3 million.According to police, the two men convinced their victims to support the priest's candidacy to become the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki. They did this by falsely claiming that his election was certain and by showing forged letters that appeared to be from religious organisations and government agencies.
University of Essex installs bronze statue to Pebbles aka Campus Cat at Colchester siteA university has erected a bronze sculpture of a cat that decided to make its home on the campus.When 16-year-old Pebbles first turned up at the University of Essex, staff took him to a vet to have his microchip scanned and he was returned home to his owner.But the black and white cat, who lived near the Colchester campus, kept returning, so his owner agreed he could stay.He has now lived at the university for just over 14 years and is known as Campus Cat.He has been honoured with a bronze statue, one-and-a-half times his size, on a plinth on the campus.
More than 400,000 songbirds killed by organised crime in CyprusMore than 400,000 songbirds were trapped and killed in Cyprus last autumn as part of a recent increase in wildlife crime, according to a new report.Organised crime networks use decoys and speakers playing birdsong to lure these small birds – including garden favourites such as robins and sparrows – to nest in bushes or orchards, where they catch them with “mist” nets or branches covered in glue. They are then sold via the hidden market to restaurants to be eaten as a local dish called “ambelopoulia”, which consists of pickled or boiled songbirds.